"That was exhausting."
The meeting finally dispersed, and the researchers filed out into the hallway. Sergei stretched until his joints cracked, then walked over to the robot vending unit. He tapped a selection, pulled out two cans of soda, and handed one to Julius.
Julius accepted it with a nod. "Don't you have any plans of expanding your résumé, Sergei? Now that I think about it, an assignment to the Northern Belt would undoubtedly skyrocket our careers."
Sergei snorted and leaned against the wall, cracking open his can. "Plans? Sure. But chances? Zero. Have you seen my records? Mediocre, mediocre, and more mediocre. Apparently, I should give up and become a teacher."
"You're selling yourself short. The Ministry prioritizes reliability over brilliance. You get tasks done. Consistency is much more important than you think."
