In Kirby's Case, Part I: An Antithesis

Link to article: In Kirby's Case, Part I: An Antithesis.

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"How did I end up here?" they pondered.

Kirby Case was driving through the desert terrains of Arizona in their Foundation-assigned automobile. The breeze in the air was lukewarm, and all shades of green dotted the lands. With the silent atmosphere of this Monday afternoon, they kept thinking of the circumstances leading up to this out-of-pocket decision.

They resorted to working the desk after resigning their position as a field agent. Sure, it was not the most thrilling job, but it was better than early retirement. With that said, though, they wondered how — out of all the branches in this widescale organization — they ended up working for //this// department.

The Anomalous Entity Engagement Division: A department tasked to provide anomalies with various recreational activities to keep them entertained and in line. From movie nights to birthday bashes, their confinement methods were completely backwards compared to other departments. It was confusing how the AEED came to be in the first place. They do the exact opposite of what the Foundation does, interacting with the skippers and growing attached to them. How could the O5 overlook such an issue?

Unsurprisingly, a lot of personnel questioned the cop-out purpose of this division. It sounded more like an excuse to goof around instead of performing their tasks. Kirby was one of those people who looked down on the AEED, so for them to transfer to their headquarters was quite an unfortunate turn of events.

Case saw [https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/secure-facility-dossier-site-169 Site-169] in the distance resting atop a sandy hill, not amazed by the facility's minute size. They sighed, realizing how they would 'help' the progression of their organization for the rest of their career. From a remarkable worker on the field to this, one thought stuck to Case this entire time, "Just how did I end up //here// of all places?"

Only now did Case notice they were already near the front gate. They eventually stopped beside the post where a guard was standing, after noticing how long they were spacing out. Case turned to their side, a blank expression on their face.

"Could you show me your credentials, please?" the guard spoke, their mask muffling their voice.

"Yeah, yeah, here you go," Case responded as they showed them their Foundation card.

After a brief moment, the guard nodded in approval and allowed Case to pass through. They made their way to the site's two-story vehicle storage and searched for a place to park. Once they found the perfect spot, Case quietly paused before suddenly slouching in their seat.

"This is it, huh?" they muttered. "I'll be working here for the rest of my days… Who would've thought?"

It took some time for Case to get out of their vehicle and head to the director's office for their scheduled briefing. Thank goodness they arrived a half-hour in advance.

----

Case quickly paced down the hallway despite having another 15 minutes until the orientation. They remarked on the atmosphere of this facility, eyeing the numerous posters of ladybugs and pastel paintings on the wall. A set of windows on their right gave way for the number of personnel playing fetch with some balloon animals. A stern look spread across Case's face.

Soon enough, they were at their destination: The AEED headquarters. Case scoured through the area for the director's room before noticing something off with their surroundings. They caught sight of the influx of anomalies roaming the halls, speaking and interacting with the staff members. Case blinked, then blinked again. They were baffled. Apparently they could walk wherever they wanted, no questions asked. It took them a solid minute before realizing they were standing in place and glaring at everyone else. 'Let's hope they didn't notice,' Case hoped.

With the awkwardness out of the way, the agent found themselves by the entrance of the director's office. A shimmering placard was situated just under a blinded window, reading [https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/sun-talk 'Amelie R. Metanoia']. Case took a deep sigh and hesitantly knocked on the door. If only they could run away now. They knew they wouldn't be able to adjust to this new lifestyle after what terrors they were subject to back in the day. Ironically enough, they thought this job would be more difficult than all the bounties they used to pursue.

And as they waited, a woman spoke from behind the door.

"Yes? Who is it?"

"Hello, uh, this is Kirby. Kirby Case, the new hire. Is this Mrs. Metanoia I'm talking to?" they uttered in a dry tone.

Following the brief shuffling of papers in the other room, the director responded, "Ah, I knew I was forgetting something."

'//How could a director fail to recall a scheduled briefing?//' Case thought.

"You came here early, Mx. Case," Amelie noticed.

Case sighed, "Yes, well… I hope I didn't come at a bad time."

"Oh, nonsense. That just means five more minutes of playtime with the skippers. Lucky for you!"

'Lucky' is one way to put it.

After a short moment of silence, the director opened the door and gestured to a couch chair in front of her table.

"Do have a seat, please," she welcomed with a smile.

----

As Case stepped in, taking in the subtle fragrance in the room, they took their seat and proceeded to crack their knuckles. Amelie sat behind her desk, sipping a cup of coffee while staring at some documents — presumably Case's records — in her hand. Peaking at their surroundings, they skimmed through the number of photos on the walls, pictures of anomalies, personnel, and their activities together. It still felt so surreal to Case. They wondered if they would fit in here at all.

"There's no need to sit so formerly, you know?" she pointed.

Case was sitting as they usually did at most briefings, like a pencil. Sure, they were not required to position themselves so straightly, but they felt like they should considering how strict the Foundation would be at times.

With that said, it took them a few minutes to follow the director's simple order. They ended up slightly deviating from their 90-degree-angled posture and even attempted to cross their legs. So many self-established rules being broken in this room, it was shocking.

"You're acting pretty nervous," she broke the silence once again.

Case choked out a response, "Well, you are aware of how I used to work before I transferred here."

"Mhm—" Amelie took another sip.

They were tasked with neutralizing anomalous threats, claiming the lives of those who posed too much of a danger to the Veil. They treated them as nothing more than mere unemotional objects. And the fact that Case was now working for a group that opposed everything they used to do was off-putting to say the least.

With that in mind, Case was expecting the cold shoulder from the director. Who knows, maybe this could even be a one-way ticket to reassignment. One thing's for sure: They're better off anywhere else than to be cooped up feeding paper birds with drawn seeds.

As the agent was preparing for a mouthful of jaggers, they were surprised by Mrs. Metanoia's odd comment on the matter.

"—Don't worry. We're glad to have another member on board, anyway. Let's just hope you get used to this place."

She lent out a hand. Case paused, displaying a confused expression on their face.

"Oh, uh… yes, thank you."

 Kirby went and shook her hand.

"Well then, I'm sure you'll enjoy your stay here. The AEED is very happy to have you."

Amelie stood from her seat before approaching the doorway. She gripped onto the handle, turning to Case once more and left with a final message.

"Come on, now. I'm going to give you a tour of the place. Don't want our new caretaker to lose themselves in the facility."

Case heard her chuckle again as she fled. They blinked, as another thought crossed their mind. They couldn't help but smirk out of relief.

'Caretaker, huh? I didn't expect that reaction.'

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In Kirby's Case, Part I: An Antithesis

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