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Entries 1622 Through 1771
[Entry Number]: 1622
[Date]: 3-Oct-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
Whoa, so, first day of work.
I mean, I didn’t actually do a lot of work. Just kind of sat there in the back in the meetings and listened and tried not to fucking freak out about it. Jesus, I didn’t understand a goddamned thing that was going on. I mean, I knew the words they were saying, but, like, what in the hell is “regulatory affairs” or “operational qualification” anyway? I thought supply logistics was just, like, mailing stuff. Shit, am I right?
I mean, after the meeting I ended up just sitting at my desk all day messing with the email app. I really hope nobody noticed the little girl quietly having a silent fucking meltdown at her desk, my god.
[Untranscribable Audio: Throat Clearing]
I think tomorrow I’m going to be meeting, like, my direct manager. His name is Jeff, apparently. I hope he’s not a dick. Fingers crossed.
This is Mikaela Morse. Signing off!
[Entry Number]: 1623
[Date]: 4-Oct-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
So, Jeff’s a dick. Who’d’ve guessed?
Comes up to my desk five fucking minutes after I sit down and tells me to give him an inventory report. And when I tell him that nobody’s shown me how to do those, he gets mad and starts getting on my case for not finishing my orientation package. Which I fucking did, but I swear to god it did not at go over all which of the fucking twelve databases I need to lookup this stuff on.
So Jeff drops off like five binders of procedures on my desk, and then takes off, saying how he didn’t have time to hold my hand.
I got my ass saved, though.
Soon as he was gone, this girl from the cubicle behind me, she grabs me by the wrist and pulls me to her desk. I mean, I was, like… almost literally swept off my feet, haha. She drags me along, roller-chair and all, and starts showing me how to do what Jeff wants with her workstation.
And silly fucking me, I’m just mumbling “thank you” and “you didn’t have to” the whole time. I don’t know if I even told her my name—I was so fucking nervous the whole time.
[Untranscribable Audio: Sneezing]
Oh, ‘scuse me!
Oh shit, I’m so bad with names. What was her name again? It was kind of funny, kind of an uncommon one, like “Sherry” or… or something. A little bit of a weird name, I think.
I mean, she wasn’t weird at all. She looked maybe a few years older than me, twenty-two or twenty-three. Her hair was really cool, kind of like the Major from the first Ghost in the Shell. And, like, she had this, this eyeshadow on, really sick. I wish I knew how to do make-up.
Haha, anyways, I went back to my desk and the instructions that Jeff left all kind of made a little more sense. Small victories, ha!
I’m tired now; I think I’m going to shower and pass out.
This is Mikaela Morse. Signing off!
[Entry Number]: 1624
[Date]: 5-Oct-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
Her name’s “Sheena”. Sheena Hopko. Making a note now, so I don’t fucking embarrass myself getting it wrong again.
She laughed though. Said it was fair, because she didn’t know my name either. I told her, and then she smiled and said we were even.
Anyways, not too much to report today. Mikaela Morse, signing off!
[Entries Minimized]: 1625-1628
[Entry Number]: 1629
[Date]: 21-Oct-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
So, it’s UN Appreciation Day weekend coming up, but Jeff still wants me to come in on Monday. Says I need to catch up with everyone else and get up to speed.
Wasn’t really sure what I was gonna do all day in an empty office, but then I guess Sheena overheard because she peeks out from her cubicle and tells me that she’ll come in and check on me on Monday. I told her that she didn’t need to, and that she shouldn’t waste UN Day cause of me, but she said that she stays in the company dorms in this building anyway, so it’s no hassle for her.
I mean, I still feel guilty. But that’s, like, really nice of her.
Mikaela Morse, signing off!
[Entries Minimized]: 1630-1632
[Entry Number]: 1633
[Date]: 27-Oct-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
Was late to work today, because of the lockdown this morning. Jeff still gave me fucking hell over it.
I mean, what the hell am I supposed to do when my apartment building shutters up and closes the storm hatches? Crowbar my way out and walk through two miles of superstorm to get to the office?
Jeff said I need to watch the weather alerts, as if half an hour of fucking notice would have made any difference. Other than, maybe, I’d’ve been outside when it hit. Wonder if Jeff would show up at my funeral just to yell at me for lying down during office hours.
Mikaela Morse, signing off.
[Entries Minimized]: 1634-1639
[Entry Number]: 1640
[Date]: 2-Nov-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
Jeff’s still a dick, but I can almost see why he said that Sue needs to retire. I mean, she’s really, really sweet, and she reminds me of Nana, but she forgot to allocate for one of the shipments today, again. I did my best to cover for her, but, like, I’m not going to always be available, you know? Anyway, I got Sue in the clear before the office in France closed for the day, and then I stayed a little later to finish up my own stuff.
Sheena noticed. She said it was really cool of me to look out for Sue. I don’t know about that, I mean, I’m just passing along the kindness. And I’d really hate to see Sue get fired, with the world and stuff the way it is.
This is Mikaela Morse. Signing off!
[Entries Minimized]: 1641-1643
[Entry Number]: 1644
[Date]: 2-Nov-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
Quick note to myself. Hankan Arigato. <Japanese Detected. Auto-transcription: “反感 ありがとう” >
[Reminder set for]: Entry 1644
[Reminder alert at]: 18:30, 2-Nov-2078
[Entry Number]: 1645
[Date]: 2-Nov-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
Okay, so I accidentally open-casted my music playlist earlier today on the department’s audio channel instead of just my earbuds. Big oops. Didn’t even notice until halfway through the song, Jeff came in and started lecturing me about professionalism in the workplace.
But when he was gone, Sheena came up to my desk and fist-bumped me. Holy cow, she listens to Social Disorder too! She said that this was the best thing that happened to her for the five years she was working here.
We chatted for a bit about their albums, and then she recommended I check out this other band, Hankan Arigato, and I just did when I came home. I think they sound pretty cool. They only do a few songs in English, though.
Sheena saw me when I made that quick note to myself so I wouldn’t forget the band name. She asked me what I was doing, and I just told her that I give myself reminders about thing I don’t want to forget. I kinda feel bad about not telling the whole truth.
Anyways, Mikaela Morse, signing off!
[Entries Minimized]: 1646-1682
[Entry Number]: 1683
[Date]: 12-Jan-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
Big fucking project coming up. Jeff wants our team to put together a SKU-level database for every single product code being sent to each country for all of last year.
The info is in about thirty different databases spread out across all six of our company campuses.
Going to be harder, with Sue gone. Sheena and I put together a plan that Jeff signed off on, but honestly we were making up a lot of the time allocations. At very least, he knows we’re going to be overloaded.
I honestly might cry. It’s a lot of work.
[Untranscribable Audio: Sighing]
Mikaela Morse, signing off.
[Entries Minimized]: 1684-1691
[Entry Number]: 1692
[Date]: 1-Feb-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
Gotta be quick, Sheena will be back soon. Project’s done. It’s past 4 AM. I’m going to sleep. More info in my next entry.
[Entry Number]: 1693
[Date]: 1-Feb-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
Okay, I’m back home. What a fucking ride, these last couple of days.
Had three hours of sleep, and then stumbled into the office, barely awake. Sheena’s right—it’s really convenient to sleep in the same building as where you work.
We presented the database to the QC, Customer Service, and Regulatory folks. Everyone’s agreed to use a harmonized system from now on. Think Jeff was really happy; we made him look good. He was happy enough to tell us to go home after lunch. Kind of a jerkish reason, but whatever, I’m tired enough not to care.
Last night was… well, it was super fucking stressful and we stayed up doing like three days’ worth of work. But it was pretty fucking awesome.
I’ve never been to Sheena’s on-campus company apartment before. I knew it was in the same building, but I didn’t know that she, like, used the exact same elevator that I use every morning. Same elevator, same card swipe, just a different floor. And suddenly, I’m walking through carpeted hallways that look like a college dorm.
Her apartment was really cool. She had a bass all mounted up on the wall next to the TV. There was some compact plastic-looking furniture, with a lot of drawers and stuff. Like I said, kind of a college dorm vibe.
The place smelled like vanilla. I wonder if she did something to make it smell like that because I was coming, or if it just smells like that on its own.
So anyway, we come in, set up our consoles on the living room table, and then we’re trying to wrap up the database that Jeff wants us to present.
We talk a lot, too. Like, a lot. Sheena really makes a good pot of coffee, and after the third or fourth cup I’m all excited energy, and she’s laughing, and we’re actually kind of having fun, even though we’re still slaving away at those goddamned spreadsheets.
I remember that a little past midnight, we take a break and turn off our consoles for about an hour.
We just talk. While Sheena makes another mug of coffee, and while I pull up an album from a band I think she’ll like. I showed her Miraculous Symphonic, and I think she liked them a lot. I played the whole album for her.
We talked about, fucking everything. I even told her about these journals that I do. I even told her about I always sign off on them, like a radio host, ever since I was a kid. She said it was a cool idea, and she wanted to hear one. But I told her… well I was too nervous, and she was cool with it too.
I’ve never told anyone about my journals before. I don’t even know if mom and dad know about them.
We also talked about the whole… earth situation. Like, I told her about how I feel about the fact that humanity is just going to dissapear from this planet is just so fucking messed up. In a couple of hundred years, the last people on earth are going to die in the newest, biggest, fucked-up superstorm and then we might as well not have existed at all. Like dinosaurs. But maybe no one will ever find our bones, even.
[Untranscribable Audio: Yawning]
Sheena talked about the Eden lottery. She kind of thinks that it’s bullshit to stop people from panicking, but she also kind of really hopes that it’s real. She doesn’t really follow the newsfeeds from the first ship, the one that’s on its way to Rigil. I mean, I don’t really follow them either, like some people do, but it’s nice to check in every now and then and hear that they’re still doing okay. Or at least, they were still doing okay when they sent the message twenty light-days ago.
Sheena doesn’t think she’ll ever win the lottery. Most people won’t, after all. She thinks that I have a better chance than she does, since I have a degree. But I told her that we have the same job, and that I majored in art history. No one needs art history in space. She laughed.
We went back to work, and towards the end, I think I was falling asleep while I was sitting. Once or twice I woke up and realized I was resting my head against Sheena’s shoulder. She didn’t seem to mind, just nodded at me, and the both of us went back at those gosh-darned databases.
When we were finally done, Sheena let me sleep over. She only has one bed, and we were too tired to argue about who was “really fine with” sleeping on the couch, so we just both got under the covers, back to back.
Wasn’t as crowded as I thought it’d be, and I slept like a baby. For two or three hours, anyway.
I’m finally home now, anyway, and I figure that it’s the first time that I’m physically alone in, like, forty hours. Talking with Sheena was really cool, but, wow, I am just totally fucking drained. I think I’m might take a nap before dinner.
This is Mikaela Morse, signing off!
[Entries Minimized]: 1694-1698
[Entry Number]: 1699
[Date]: 9-Feb-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
Okay, so…
[Untranscribable Audio: Laughter]
Sorry, sorry, I had to stop giggling. God, I’m such a tool.
So Sheena and I started a band.
Kind of. I think.
Not sure if it counts as a band, if there are only two people in it? A duo, I guess.
So I was just talking with her at lunch, and I remembered seeing her bass in her room, and I asked her if she played, and she said that she did, but she was out of practice. And I told her that was really neat, since I don’t know how to play anything, and she said that was okay because she can’t sing worth shit.
Her words, not mine.
Anyway, so one thing led to another, and then she’s saying that I can probably sing well, since I do all this radio voice stuff. And well, after work, we… auditioned, I guess, and now I guess I sing for us.
Sheena’s actually really good on bass. She did the entire bass line and solo from “Meet Me When You Can’t” from memory, and I sang the lyrics. It was really fun.
The one thing, though, was that her amp was giving her trouble. Like, she had to twist the wire a really specific way to get it work. I told her that she needed a new one, but she said that nothing should be thrown away just because it’s in the need of a little extra loving. Well, when it did work, it sounded really fucking sweet.
It was really fucking silly. We were jumping up and down, like we were high school girls, and by the end of it both of us were gross and sweaty. So much fun.
Oh, and our band name is, Et Tu Brutal, because of that story Sheena told about her getting the quote wrong when she was a kid.
Mikaela Morse, signing the hell off!
[Entries Minimized]: 1700-1724
[Entry Number]: 1725
[Date]: 13-Mar-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
>H-hello, journal. This is Mikaela!
>Hey, Mikey’s journal! This is Sheeeeeeeena!
>Oh, my god, you tool.
[Untranscribable Audio: Laughter]
>So is this what you do with these? You sit here, and talk to your pad about how biguva tool I am?
>Jesus, Sheena, of course I don’t!
>You’re blushing! You’re actually blushing! Ha!
[Untranscribable Audio: Laughter]
>Ha ha, okay, Mikey, thanks for indulging me. My god, we should probably, um, go ahead and end this before you have a stroke, huh?
>Y-yeah, maybe. Thanks for, um, lending me your voice.
>No sweat, dude! Now you’ll have twenty seconds of me laughing with you to cherish for all eternity, my girl.
>Ha, okay, I’m going to end the recording now.
>Hey wait, are you going to do the thing? You know, the signing off radio-style thing?
>Okay. Just… give me a minute here. I’m smiling too much to do the voice.
[Untranscribable Audio: Laughter]
>Okay, okay, I’ve got it under control now. Stop smiling, you’ll make me laugh again.
>You’ve got this, Mikey.
[Untranscribable Audio: Throat Clearing]
>This is Mikaela Morse. Signing off!
>... Oh god, that is cute as fuuuuuuuck. I love it, I love it.
>I’m shutting it down now, Sheena.
[Untranscribable Audio: Laughter]
>Hey, wait, maybe we can—
[Entry Favorited]: 1725
[Entry Bookmarked]: 1725
[Entries Minimized]: 1726-1743
[Entry Number]: 1744
[Date]: 31-Mar-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
Shitty day. Jeff yelled at me again. I didn’t cry at the office, but I cried a little when I got home.
Sheena overheard the yelling, and she had a box of chocolates delivered to my apartment. They’re really good.
[Entries Minimized]: 1745-1768
[Entry Number]: 1768
[Date]: 19-Apr-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
Hey, so, crazy news: I’m packing a suitcase.
I told Sheena that I didn’t have anywhere to be, for the Earth Day holiday. I mean, I guess she already knows my whole situation. And she, like, offered to let me stay at her place for the weekend.
I mean, I tried to say ‘no’ at first, but she said that she didn’t have any plans either, and her apartment is bigger than mine, and that it’d be fun.
Ha, my heart’s pounding a little. I’m really excited, I guess. Can’t wait for work to be done the day after tomorrow, then four days of getting to hang out with Sheena.
Mikaela Morse, signing off!
[Entry Number]: 1769
[Date]: 21-Apr-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
Okay, so we’re in lockdown again. Apparently, it’s a fucking big storm, too. We heard just a little bit about how this might last for several days before the extranet feed died from the storm. Holy shit, suddenly I’m really glad that I have a suitcase of clothes and stuff with me.
Building’s almost empty. The few people locked in here with us all have apartments in the building. Pretty much everyone else is already taking the week or two weeks off for the holiday.
Not Jeff. Jeff’s got himself locked in the fucking storehouse building. He left to check on inventory about fifteen minutes before the lockdown was announced.
The storehouse has got food and water and beds like everywhere else on company campus, but it’s a shitty place to be. I was locked down in there for ten hours once. Non-existent intranet connection, drafty and noisy as hell, impossible to sleep, and boredom-inducing.
Fucking perfect. I hope he’s miserable for the next few days.
I’m the only person in the department at my cubicle right now. Sheena left early to start making dinner for us. I think I’m gonna head out soon. Sheena gave my ID card access to her apartment this morning, so I get to ride the elevator to her floor. Don’t know why, but the idea makes me giddy.
I wonder if her apartment still smells like vanilla.
Morse, out!
[Entry Number]: 1769
[Date]: 21-Apr-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
>We are Et Tu Brutal! I’m Sheena!
>I’m Mikey!
>And this is “I’ve Got it Now!” Three, two, one!
[Untranscribable Audio: Music]
>Find it, where to find it.
>Don’t even know what I’m looking for.
>Hear it, barely hear it.
>Hear it through a crack in the door.
[Untranscribable Audio: Music]
>I’ve got it, now!
>It’s the feeling when you jump down a waterfall.
>It’s the feeling when you don’t quite feel as small,
>I’ve got it, now!
>It’s the feeling when push comes to the shove!
>I’ve got it now, I’ve got it now.
>I’ve got it now, it’s the feeling of love!
[Untranscribable Audio: Music]
>Keep it, how to keep it?
>Keep it when I don’t think that it’d last.
>Just a little closer
>Nostalgia from a withered past.
[Untranscribable Audio: Music]
>I’ve got it, now!
>It’s the feeling when you jump down a waterfall.
>It’s the feeling when you don’t quite feel as small,
>I’ve got it, now!
>It’s the feeling when push comes to the shove!
>I’ve got it now, I’ve got it now.
>I’ve got it now, it’s the feeling of love!
[Untranscribable Audio: Music]
>I’ve got it, now!
>It’s the feeling when you sprint down a highway.
>It’s the feeling when you’re really gonna fadeaway,
>I’ve got it, now!
>It’s the feeling that you’re absolutely sick of!
>I’ve got it now, I’ve got it now.
>I’ve got it now, it’s the feeling of love!
[Untranscribable Audio: Music]
[Untranscribable Audio: Laughter]
>We are Et Tu Brutal, and this was “I’ve Got it Now!”
[Untranscribable Audio: Laughter]
>This is Mikaela Morse, signing off!
[Entry Number]: 1770
[Date]: 22-Apr-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
Sheena kissed me.
We were talking about one of the songs I wrote, and I stepped out to take a quick shower, and then when I came out I had a towel on, and Sheena was there in the kitchen. And then I blushed, and she said not to worry because I was hot. And I said that she was too.
And then…
Well, and then.
… My god, I was so nervous, I thought I was going to fucking faint. But, like, in a good way? I don’t know, holy shit.
I need to wrap this up quick. She’s going to be done with her shower soon.
Morse, out!
[Entry Number]: 1771
[Date]: 24-Apr-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
>Okay, it’s on.
>Heeeey, Mikey’s journal!
>Oh god, don’t say it like that, you’re making me nervous again.
>Ha, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, ha. If you think this’ll help calm you down, you do what you gotta do.
>I don’t know, I just wanted to… talk, I guess.
>And make a porno clip at the same time?
>Sheena!
[Untranscribable Audio: Laughter]
>Okay, okay, sorry! Sorry! Stop throwing pillows, ha!
>Ugh! I just… Ugh, I don’t know what I’m doing.
>You don’t need to know, Mikey, just do what you think is fun. Do what you think feels good.
>But what if I… Oh, I don’t know. Fuck it up?
>Fuck up fucking? That’s definitely an oxymoron.
[Untranscribable Audio: Laughter]
>Whew, I’m all, like, giggly. Imma be honest, I’m really nervous.
>Is this like what you were saying the other day? Mikey, I swear to god and satan both, you are hot as hell. Just look at, all this!
>Well, you're just... you're so beautiful, you know?
>Do I know?
[Untranscribable Audio: Laughter]
>I guess you do, Sheena. But I mean, like... Your hair's really cool. And your eyeshadow is gorgeous. And you smell like vanilla. Holy shit.
>Ha, Mikey, laying it on thick. When you've already got my pants down. Here, let me try something else.
>Oh geez. Oh, wow.
[Untranscribable Audio: Sighing]
>Does that feel good?
>Y-yeah. It does.
>I like it too.
[Untranscribable Audio: Unclear Vocalization]
>Just, keep telling me how you feel, okay? I don’t want to, like, push you, you know.
>No, I want it. I just… I gotta switch off the recording. I don’t want this on tape.
>You gonna radio sign off again, first? I can help.
[Untranscribable Audio: Laughter]
>Not this time, Sheena.
[Entry Favorited]: 1771
[Entry Bookmarked]: 1771
[Entry Number]: 1772
[Date]: 25-Apr-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
Just got a ping from the city. Lockdown's going to end tomorrow. I'm... almost kind of disappointed. I almost wish it'd last forever.
It doesn't matter, though. I'm really okay with how things are. I'm happy.
Need to stay quiet. Sheena's still asleep. She doesn't snore, but she mumbles.
This is Mikaela Morse, signing off!
[Date]: 3-Oct-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
Whoa, so, first day of work.
I mean, I didn’t actually do a lot of work. Just kind of sat there in the back in the meetings and listened and tried not to fucking freak out about it. Jesus, I didn’t understand a goddamned thing that was going on. I mean, I knew the words they were saying, but, like, what in the hell is “regulatory affairs” or “operational qualification” anyway? I thought supply logistics was just, like, mailing stuff. Shit, am I right?
I mean, after the meeting I ended up just sitting at my desk all day messing with the email app. I really hope nobody noticed the little girl quietly having a silent fucking meltdown at her desk, my god.
[Untranscribable Audio: Throat Clearing]
I think tomorrow I’m going to be meeting, like, my direct manager. His name is Jeff, apparently. I hope he’s not a dick. Fingers crossed.
This is Mikaela Morse. Signing off!
[Entry Number]: 1623
[Date]: 4-Oct-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
So, Jeff’s a dick. Who’d’ve guessed?
Comes up to my desk five fucking minutes after I sit down and tells me to give him an inventory report. And when I tell him that nobody’s shown me how to do those, he gets mad and starts getting on my case for not finishing my orientation package. Which I fucking did, but I swear to god it did not at go over all which of the fucking twelve databases I need to lookup this stuff on.
So Jeff drops off like five binders of procedures on my desk, and then takes off, saying how he didn’t have time to hold my hand.
I got my ass saved, though.
Soon as he was gone, this girl from the cubicle behind me, she grabs me by the wrist and pulls me to her desk. I mean, I was, like… almost literally swept off my feet, haha. She drags me along, roller-chair and all, and starts showing me how to do what Jeff wants with her workstation.
And silly fucking me, I’m just mumbling “thank you” and “you didn’t have to” the whole time. I don’t know if I even told her my name—I was so fucking nervous the whole time.
[Untranscribable Audio: Sneezing]
Oh, ‘scuse me!
Oh shit, I’m so bad with names. What was her name again? It was kind of funny, kind of an uncommon one, like “Sherry” or… or something. A little bit of a weird name, I think.
I mean, she wasn’t weird at all. She looked maybe a few years older than me, twenty-two or twenty-three. Her hair was really cool, kind of like the Major from the first Ghost in the Shell. And, like, she had this, this eyeshadow on, really sick. I wish I knew how to do make-up.
Haha, anyways, I went back to my desk and the instructions that Jeff left all kind of made a little more sense. Small victories, ha!
I’m tired now; I think I’m going to shower and pass out.
This is Mikaela Morse. Signing off!
[Entry Number]: 1624
[Date]: 5-Oct-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
Her name’s “Sheena”. Sheena Hopko. Making a note now, so I don’t fucking embarrass myself getting it wrong again.
She laughed though. Said it was fair, because she didn’t know my name either. I told her, and then she smiled and said we were even.
Anyways, not too much to report today. Mikaela Morse, signing off!
[Entries Minimized]: 1625-1628
[Entry Number]: 1629
[Date]: 21-Oct-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
So, it’s UN Appreciation Day weekend coming up, but Jeff still wants me to come in on Monday. Says I need to catch up with everyone else and get up to speed.
Wasn’t really sure what I was gonna do all day in an empty office, but then I guess Sheena overheard because she peeks out from her cubicle and tells me that she’ll come in and check on me on Monday. I told her that she didn’t need to, and that she shouldn’t waste UN Day cause of me, but she said that she stays in the company dorms in this building anyway, so it’s no hassle for her.
I mean, I still feel guilty. But that’s, like, really nice of her.
Mikaela Morse, signing off!
[Entries Minimized]: 1630-1632
[Entry Number]: 1633
[Date]: 27-Oct-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
Was late to work today, because of the lockdown this morning. Jeff still gave me fucking hell over it.
I mean, what the hell am I supposed to do when my apartment building shutters up and closes the storm hatches? Crowbar my way out and walk through two miles of superstorm to get to the office?
Jeff said I need to watch the weather alerts, as if half an hour of fucking notice would have made any difference. Other than, maybe, I’d’ve been outside when it hit. Wonder if Jeff would show up at my funeral just to yell at me for lying down during office hours.
Mikaela Morse, signing off.
[Entries Minimized]: 1634-1639
[Entry Number]: 1640
[Date]: 2-Nov-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
Jeff’s still a dick, but I can almost see why he said that Sue needs to retire. I mean, she’s really, really sweet, and she reminds me of Nana, but she forgot to allocate for one of the shipments today, again. I did my best to cover for her, but, like, I’m not going to always be available, you know? Anyway, I got Sue in the clear before the office in France closed for the day, and then I stayed a little later to finish up my own stuff.
Sheena noticed. She said it was really cool of me to look out for Sue. I don’t know about that, I mean, I’m just passing along the kindness. And I’d really hate to see Sue get fired, with the world and stuff the way it is.
This is Mikaela Morse. Signing off!
[Entries Minimized]: 1641-1643
[Entry Number]: 1644
[Date]: 2-Nov-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
Quick note to myself. Hankan Arigato. <Japanese Detected. Auto-transcription: “反感 ありがとう” >
[Reminder set for]: Entry 1644
[Reminder alert at]: 18:30, 2-Nov-2078
[Entry Number]: 1645
[Date]: 2-Nov-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
Okay, so I accidentally open-casted my music playlist earlier today on the department’s audio channel instead of just my earbuds. Big oops. Didn’t even notice until halfway through the song, Jeff came in and started lecturing me about professionalism in the workplace.
But when he was gone, Sheena came up to my desk and fist-bumped me. Holy cow, she listens to Social Disorder too! She said that this was the best thing that happened to her for the five years she was working here.
We chatted for a bit about their albums, and then she recommended I check out this other band, Hankan Arigato, and I just did when I came home. I think they sound pretty cool. They only do a few songs in English, though.
Sheena saw me when I made that quick note to myself so I wouldn’t forget the band name. She asked me what I was doing, and I just told her that I give myself reminders about thing I don’t want to forget. I kinda feel bad about not telling the whole truth.
Anyways, Mikaela Morse, signing off!
[Entries Minimized]: 1646-1682
[Entry Number]: 1683
[Date]: 12-Jan-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
Big fucking project coming up. Jeff wants our team to put together a SKU-level database for every single product code being sent to each country for all of last year.
The info is in about thirty different databases spread out across all six of our company campuses.
Going to be harder, with Sue gone. Sheena and I put together a plan that Jeff signed off on, but honestly we were making up a lot of the time allocations. At very least, he knows we’re going to be overloaded.
I honestly might cry. It’s a lot of work.
[Untranscribable Audio: Sighing]
Mikaela Morse, signing off.
[Entries Minimized]: 1684-1691
[Entry Number]: 1692
[Date]: 1-Feb-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
Gotta be quick, Sheena will be back soon. Project’s done. It’s past 4 AM. I’m going to sleep. More info in my next entry.
[Entry Number]: 1693
[Date]: 1-Feb-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
Okay, I’m back home. What a fucking ride, these last couple of days.
Had three hours of sleep, and then stumbled into the office, barely awake. Sheena’s right—it’s really convenient to sleep in the same building as where you work.
We presented the database to the QC, Customer Service, and Regulatory folks. Everyone’s agreed to use a harmonized system from now on. Think Jeff was really happy; we made him look good. He was happy enough to tell us to go home after lunch. Kind of a jerkish reason, but whatever, I’m tired enough not to care.
Last night was… well, it was super fucking stressful and we stayed up doing like three days’ worth of work. But it was pretty fucking awesome.
I’ve never been to Sheena’s on-campus company apartment before. I knew it was in the same building, but I didn’t know that she, like, used the exact same elevator that I use every morning. Same elevator, same card swipe, just a different floor. And suddenly, I’m walking through carpeted hallways that look like a college dorm.
Her apartment was really cool. She had a bass all mounted up on the wall next to the TV. There was some compact plastic-looking furniture, with a lot of drawers and stuff. Like I said, kind of a college dorm vibe.
The place smelled like vanilla. I wonder if she did something to make it smell like that because I was coming, or if it just smells like that on its own.
So anyway, we come in, set up our consoles on the living room table, and then we’re trying to wrap up the database that Jeff wants us to present.
We talk a lot, too. Like, a lot. Sheena really makes a good pot of coffee, and after the third or fourth cup I’m all excited energy, and she’s laughing, and we’re actually kind of having fun, even though we’re still slaving away at those goddamned spreadsheets.
I remember that a little past midnight, we take a break and turn off our consoles for about an hour.
We just talk. While Sheena makes another mug of coffee, and while I pull up an album from a band I think she’ll like. I showed her Miraculous Symphonic, and I think she liked them a lot. I played the whole album for her.
We talked about, fucking everything. I even told her about these journals that I do. I even told her about I always sign off on them, like a radio host, ever since I was a kid. She said it was a cool idea, and she wanted to hear one. But I told her… well I was too nervous, and she was cool with it too.
I’ve never told anyone about my journals before. I don’t even know if mom and dad know about them.
We also talked about the whole… earth situation. Like, I told her about how I feel about the fact that humanity is just going to dissapear from this planet is just so fucking messed up. In a couple of hundred years, the last people on earth are going to die in the newest, biggest, fucked-up superstorm and then we might as well not have existed at all. Like dinosaurs. But maybe no one will ever find our bones, even.
[Untranscribable Audio: Yawning]
Sheena talked about the Eden lottery. She kind of thinks that it’s bullshit to stop people from panicking, but she also kind of really hopes that it’s real. She doesn’t really follow the newsfeeds from the first ship, the one that’s on its way to Rigil. I mean, I don’t really follow them either, like some people do, but it’s nice to check in every now and then and hear that they’re still doing okay. Or at least, they were still doing okay when they sent the message twenty light-days ago.
Sheena doesn’t think she’ll ever win the lottery. Most people won’t, after all. She thinks that I have a better chance than she does, since I have a degree. But I told her that we have the same job, and that I majored in art history. No one needs art history in space. She laughed.
We went back to work, and towards the end, I think I was falling asleep while I was sitting. Once or twice I woke up and realized I was resting my head against Sheena’s shoulder. She didn’t seem to mind, just nodded at me, and the both of us went back at those gosh-darned databases.
When we were finally done, Sheena let me sleep over. She only has one bed, and we were too tired to argue about who was “really fine with” sleeping on the couch, so we just both got under the covers, back to back.
Wasn’t as crowded as I thought it’d be, and I slept like a baby. For two or three hours, anyway.
I’m finally home now, anyway, and I figure that it’s the first time that I’m physically alone in, like, forty hours. Talking with Sheena was really cool, but, wow, I am just totally fucking drained. I think I’m might take a nap before dinner.
This is Mikaela Morse, signing off!
[Entries Minimized]: 1694-1698
[Entry Number]: 1699
[Date]: 9-Feb-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
Okay, so…
[Untranscribable Audio: Laughter]
Sorry, sorry, I had to stop giggling. God, I’m such a tool.
So Sheena and I started a band.
Kind of. I think.
Not sure if it counts as a band, if there are only two people in it? A duo, I guess.
So I was just talking with her at lunch, and I remembered seeing her bass in her room, and I asked her if she played, and she said that she did, but she was out of practice. And I told her that was really neat, since I don’t know how to play anything, and she said that was okay because she can’t sing worth shit.
Her words, not mine.
Anyway, so one thing led to another, and then she’s saying that I can probably sing well, since I do all this radio voice stuff. And well, after work, we… auditioned, I guess, and now I guess I sing for us.
Sheena’s actually really good on bass. She did the entire bass line and solo from “Meet Me When You Can’t” from memory, and I sang the lyrics. It was really fun.
The one thing, though, was that her amp was giving her trouble. Like, she had to twist the wire a really specific way to get it work. I told her that she needed a new one, but she said that nothing should be thrown away just because it’s in the need of a little extra loving. Well, when it did work, it sounded really fucking sweet.
It was really fucking silly. We were jumping up and down, like we were high school girls, and by the end of it both of us were gross and sweaty. So much fun.
Oh, and our band name is, Et Tu Brutal, because of that story Sheena told about her getting the quote wrong when she was a kid.
Mikaela Morse, signing the hell off!
[Entries Minimized]: 1700-1724
[Entry Number]: 1725
[Date]: 13-Mar-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
>H-hello, journal. This is Mikaela!
>Hey, Mikey’s journal! This is Sheeeeeeeena!
>Oh, my god, you tool.
[Untranscribable Audio: Laughter]
>So is this what you do with these? You sit here, and talk to your pad about how biguva tool I am?
>Jesus, Sheena, of course I don’t!
>You’re blushing! You’re actually blushing! Ha!
[Untranscribable Audio: Laughter]
>Ha ha, okay, Mikey, thanks for indulging me. My god, we should probably, um, go ahead and end this before you have a stroke, huh?
>Y-yeah, maybe. Thanks for, um, lending me your voice.
>No sweat, dude! Now you’ll have twenty seconds of me laughing with you to cherish for all eternity, my girl.
>Ha, okay, I’m going to end the recording now.
>Hey wait, are you going to do the thing? You know, the signing off radio-style thing?
>Okay. Just… give me a minute here. I’m smiling too much to do the voice.
[Untranscribable Audio: Laughter]
>Okay, okay, I’ve got it under control now. Stop smiling, you’ll make me laugh again.
>You’ve got this, Mikey.
[Untranscribable Audio: Throat Clearing]
>This is Mikaela Morse. Signing off!
>... Oh god, that is cute as fuuuuuuuck. I love it, I love it.
>I’m shutting it down now, Sheena.
[Untranscribable Audio: Laughter]
>Hey, wait, maybe we can—
[Entry Favorited]: 1725
[Entry Bookmarked]: 1725
[Entries Minimized]: 1726-1743
[Entry Number]: 1744
[Date]: 31-Mar-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
Shitty day. Jeff yelled at me again. I didn’t cry at the office, but I cried a little when I got home.
Sheena overheard the yelling, and she had a box of chocolates delivered to my apartment. They’re really good.
[Entries Minimized]: 1745-1768
[Entry Number]: 1768
[Date]: 19-Apr-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
Hey, so, crazy news: I’m packing a suitcase.
I told Sheena that I didn’t have anywhere to be, for the Earth Day holiday. I mean, I guess she already knows my whole situation. And she, like, offered to let me stay at her place for the weekend.
I mean, I tried to say ‘no’ at first, but she said that she didn’t have any plans either, and her apartment is bigger than mine, and that it’d be fun.
Ha, my heart’s pounding a little. I’m really excited, I guess. Can’t wait for work to be done the day after tomorrow, then four days of getting to hang out with Sheena.
Mikaela Morse, signing off!
[Entry Number]: 1769
[Date]: 21-Apr-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
Okay, so we’re in lockdown again. Apparently, it’s a fucking big storm, too. We heard just a little bit about how this might last for several days before the extranet feed died from the storm. Holy shit, suddenly I’m really glad that I have a suitcase of clothes and stuff with me.
Building’s almost empty. The few people locked in here with us all have apartments in the building. Pretty much everyone else is already taking the week or two weeks off for the holiday.
Not Jeff. Jeff’s got himself locked in the fucking storehouse building. He left to check on inventory about fifteen minutes before the lockdown was announced.
The storehouse has got food and water and beds like everywhere else on company campus, but it’s a shitty place to be. I was locked down in there for ten hours once. Non-existent intranet connection, drafty and noisy as hell, impossible to sleep, and boredom-inducing.
Fucking perfect. I hope he’s miserable for the next few days.
I’m the only person in the department at my cubicle right now. Sheena left early to start making dinner for us. I think I’m gonna head out soon. Sheena gave my ID card access to her apartment this morning, so I get to ride the elevator to her floor. Don’t know why, but the idea makes me giddy.
I wonder if her apartment still smells like vanilla.
Morse, out!
[Entry Number]: 1769
[Date]: 21-Apr-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
>We are Et Tu Brutal! I’m Sheena!
>I’m Mikey!
>And this is “I’ve Got it Now!” Three, two, one!
[Untranscribable Audio: Music]
>Find it, where to find it.
>Don’t even know what I’m looking for.
>Hear it, barely hear it.
>Hear it through a crack in the door.
[Untranscribable Audio: Music]
>I’ve got it, now!
>It’s the feeling when you jump down a waterfall.
>It’s the feeling when you don’t quite feel as small,
>I’ve got it, now!
>It’s the feeling when push comes to the shove!
>I’ve got it now, I’ve got it now.
>I’ve got it now, it’s the feeling of love!
[Untranscribable Audio: Music]
>Keep it, how to keep it?
>Keep it when I don’t think that it’d last.
>Just a little closer
>Nostalgia from a withered past.
[Untranscribable Audio: Music]
>I’ve got it, now!
>It’s the feeling when you jump down a waterfall.
>It’s the feeling when you don’t quite feel as small,
>I’ve got it, now!
>It’s the feeling when push comes to the shove!
>I’ve got it now, I’ve got it now.
>I’ve got it now, it’s the feeling of love!
[Untranscribable Audio: Music]
>I’ve got it, now!
>It’s the feeling when you sprint down a highway.
>It’s the feeling when you’re really gonna fadeaway,
>I’ve got it, now!
>It’s the feeling that you’re absolutely sick of!
>I’ve got it now, I’ve got it now.
>I’ve got it now, it’s the feeling of love!
[Untranscribable Audio: Music]
[Untranscribable Audio: Laughter]
>We are Et Tu Brutal, and this was “I’ve Got it Now!”
[Untranscribable Audio: Laughter]
>This is Mikaela Morse, signing off!
[Entry Number]: 1770
[Date]: 22-Apr-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
Sheena kissed me.
We were talking about one of the songs I wrote, and I stepped out to take a quick shower, and then when I came out I had a towel on, and Sheena was there in the kitchen. And then I blushed, and she said not to worry because I was hot. And I said that she was too.
And then…
Well, and then.
… My god, I was so nervous, I thought I was going to fucking faint. But, like, in a good way? I don’t know, holy shit.
I need to wrap this up quick. She’s going to be done with her shower soon.
Morse, out!
[Entry Number]: 1771
[Date]: 24-Apr-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
>Okay, it’s on.
>Heeeey, Mikey’s journal!
>Oh god, don’t say it like that, you’re making me nervous again.
>Ha, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, ha. If you think this’ll help calm you down, you do what you gotta do.
>I don’t know, I just wanted to… talk, I guess.
>And make a porno clip at the same time?
>Sheena!
[Untranscribable Audio: Laughter]
>Okay, okay, sorry! Sorry! Stop throwing pillows, ha!
>Ugh! I just… Ugh, I don’t know what I’m doing.
>You don’t need to know, Mikey, just do what you think is fun. Do what you think feels good.
>But what if I… Oh, I don’t know. Fuck it up?
>Fuck up fucking? That’s definitely an oxymoron.
[Untranscribable Audio: Laughter]
>Whew, I’m all, like, giggly. Imma be honest, I’m really nervous.
>Is this like what you were saying the other day? Mikey, I swear to god and satan both, you are hot as hell. Just look at, all this!
>Well, you're just... you're so beautiful, you know?
>Do I know?
[Untranscribable Audio: Laughter]
>I guess you do, Sheena. But I mean, like... Your hair's really cool. And your eyeshadow is gorgeous. And you smell like vanilla. Holy shit.
>Ha, Mikey, laying it on thick. When you've already got my pants down. Here, let me try something else.
>Oh geez. Oh, wow.
[Untranscribable Audio: Sighing]
>Does that feel good?
>Y-yeah. It does.
>I like it too.
[Untranscribable Audio: Unclear Vocalization]
>Just, keep telling me how you feel, okay? I don’t want to, like, push you, you know.
>No, I want it. I just… I gotta switch off the recording. I don’t want this on tape.
>You gonna radio sign off again, first? I can help.
[Untranscribable Audio: Laughter]
>Not this time, Sheena.
[Entry Favorited]: 1771
[Entry Bookmarked]: 1771
[Entry Number]: 1772
[Date]: 25-Apr-2078
[Transcript]: (Auto-Generated)
Just got a ping from the city. Lockdown's going to end tomorrow. I'm... almost kind of disappointed. I almost wish it'd last forever.
It doesn't matter, though. I'm really okay with how things are. I'm happy.
Need to stay quiet. Sheena's still asleep. She doesn't snore, but she mumbles.
This is Mikaela Morse, signing off!
Nitpick first:
The entries from 1683 through to the end should have the year 2079 unless there's some temporal jiggery-pokery going on here... :)
But this is really nice. The character work is so strong, the lack once again of an actual story hardly bothers me. After all, the plot elements here are completely secondary--and rightly so since this is a character piece. But I'm greedy. I'd like the external stuff to weave in with the internal stuff and vice versa. As a "girl gets girl" story, it's all kinds of fun, and the word count is as always around here a limiting factor. But I'd like the background bits--the company and Jeff and the weather and the whole concept of living at work--to tie in and pay off somehow as well. Like I said, I'm greedy.
Mike
The entries from 1683 through to the end should have the year 2079 unless there's some temporal jiggery-pokery going on here... :)
But this is really nice. The character work is so strong, the lack once again of an actual story hardly bothers me. After all, the plot elements here are completely secondary--and rightly so since this is a character piece. But I'm greedy. I'd like the external stuff to weave in with the internal stuff and vice versa. As a "girl gets girl" story, it's all kinds of fun, and the word count is as always around here a limiting factor. But I'd like the background bits--the company and Jeff and the weather and the whole concept of living at work--to tie in and pay off somehow as well. Like I said, I'm greedy.
Mike
Retrospective: Sheena is a Punk Rocker
So basically, I thought the whole transcript/journal format would help me save words. It, surprisingly, did the exact opposite. When I got to the point where I was halfway through my planned story, but with only 500 words left to spend, I basically decided that instead of butchering everything up to that point to squeeze out a half-assed ending, I'd just cut the story short right after the third planned act out of five. I felt that it was a decent ending point anyway, even if it didn't go through the entire arc I had in mind. There's about 2-3 thousand words' worth of unwritten story left, but since I don't plan on expanding this, they'll probably never see the light of day. :P
And for all 0 of you who care, here's my playlist for outlining and writing. Basically, my taste in this kind of punk/alt/emo rock hasn't changed since high school and I'm a dork. Enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2mSsyzKnes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoX8YjQCR5I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayjQA9_5azY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GoZOCNSIYw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=racYGLXM84Q
>>Baal Bunny
Thank you very much for your review! Yeah, I'm kinda disappointed that I didn't get to put in the entire story I had in mind, but it's really my fault for not gauging the word limit very well. To summarize it very roughly, I had planned to have Mikaela win the Eden lottery, and then the story would go on to deal with the strain it put on her relationship with Sheena. Happy you still liked what was here, though!
So basically, I thought the whole transcript/journal format would help me save words. It, surprisingly, did the exact opposite. When I got to the point where I was halfway through my planned story, but with only 500 words left to spend, I basically decided that instead of butchering everything up to that point to squeeze out a half-assed ending, I'd just cut the story short right after the third planned act out of five. I felt that it was a decent ending point anyway, even if it didn't go through the entire arc I had in mind. There's about 2-3 thousand words' worth of unwritten story left, but since I don't plan on expanding this, they'll probably never see the light of day. :P
And for all 0 of you who care, here's my playlist for outlining and writing. Basically, my taste in this kind of punk/alt/emo rock hasn't changed since high school and I'm a dork. Enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2mSsyzKnes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoX8YjQCR5I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayjQA9_5azY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GoZOCNSIYw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=racYGLXM84Q
>>Baal Bunny
Thank you very much for your review! Yeah, I'm kinda disappointed that I didn't get to put in the entire story I had in mind, but it's really my fault for not gauging the word limit very well. To summarize it very roughly, I had planned to have Mikaela win the Eden lottery, and then the story would go on to deal with the strain it put on her relationship with Sheena. Happy you still liked what was here, though!