The scaffolding felt stable beneath Shane's boots, a familiar, reassuring vibration that grounded him even as the morning air began to warm. The rhythm of the roofing crew had shifted over the last week, subtle at first, but now distinctly different. It was the calm of focused effort, replacing the usual tension of rushed deadlines and underlying anxieties. Even with Gary gone for mandatory testing, the pace hadn't faltered; in fact, it had improved, a testament to the small, almost imperceptible nudges the new system afforded Shane, and the sheer competence of Calvin.
Shane watched Saul methodically inspect the flashing around a vent pipe. Saul moved with an economy of motion that spoke of decades on rooftops, his actions precise, economical, and always aimed at lasting quality. Ben, usually hovering near Saul like an eager apprentice, was applying mastic earlier in the week's section, his movements less hesitant than before. The clarity the AI sometimes projected—the *possible outcomes*—showed Shane an image of Ben staying on this path, becoming reliable, perhaps even mentoring someone else down the line.
The money from the fantasy football contest was due to clear sometime this week, maybe even tomorrow. Shane kept glancing at the small, flickering XP bar in his peripheral vision, toggled to a low-display setting that only he could see. He was leveling steadily, not by climbing that colossal imaginary mountain he now knew existed, but by resolving the immediate, tangible problems right here on the roof, in his small company. Gary's sobriety was a huge chunk of XP. Marcos opening up was another. Saul agreeing to mentor both Marcos and Ben was a system reinforcement loop he hadn't even anticipated.
This morning, after the initial rush of getting the day started, Shane had pulled Saul aside near the edge of the roof, using the noise of the pneumatic nailers as cover.
"Saul, thanks for taking the time with Ben. He's coming along fast," Shane said, looking out over the suburban sprawl below.
Saul wiped a bead of sweat from his brow with the back of a gloved hand. "He's got good hands, Shane. Just needs someone to show him the right way to hold them. That boy reminds me a bit of myself when I first started, only faster to learn."
"I appreciate that," Shane continued, lowering his voice. "And there's Marcos. He's been keeping his head down, working hard, but I get the feeling… he's carrying something heavy. More than just the shingles."
Saul nodded slowly, glancing toward Marcos, who was currently wrestling a bundle of underlayment up onto the truss line without the use of the hoist—a clear sign he was trying to prove himself indispensable. "Marcos watches everything. He's diligent. But nervous energy hangs around him like cheap cologne. He needs stability, Shane. The kind you can't buy, but money can certainly help secure."
Shane took a slow breath, the information he'd gained from Calvin about *ties* flowing into his mental assessment of Marcos. He saw the faint, silvery threads connecting Marcos to a distant city, to a complicated set of papers, to a constant fear of a door kicking in.
"I'm going to bring you in formally, Saul," Shane said. "When the contest payout clears, I want you on salary, managing site safety and mentoring for the whole crew. You'll be my quality control guy. And I need you to work with Marcos the way you're working with Ben. Get him stable, mentally. He's the kind of guy who deserves a chance to stay here."
Saul's expression didn't change much, but the tightness around his eyes eased. "Shane, I'll mentor anyone you ask. But the problem Marcos has… it's above my pay grade, if you catch my drift. He's worried about staying here."
"I know," Shane confirmed, his voice firm. The system highlighted the optimal path: *Offer clear financial support for necessary legal process.* "I'll handle the money side for the stabilization. When that million lands, Saul, the first major consultation I'm paying for is an immigration attorney for Marcos. Permanent residency, full stop. Tell him that. I want him to know he's not going to be scared off by a bad week or a clerical error."
Saul looked at Shane, a flicker of something akin to respect—maybe even surprise—crossing his face. Most bosses cared about the bottom line; Shane seemed concerned with the foundation beneath the bottom line. "I'll tell him, Shane. That commitment… that changes things for a man like Marcos."
Shane nodded, feeling a slight surge of satisfaction, which the AI registered as a minor XP gain for *Proactive Stabilization of Crew Asset: Marcos*.
Shane had already spoken to Gary the day before. It had taken almost an hour in the break space, Gary initially defensive, then crumbling under the unexpected sincerity and the sheer lack of judgment emanating from Shane. Shane had explained he didn't care about the drug test failure—that was a symptom. What mattered was Gary staying sober *now*.
"You need structure, Gary. Real structure. Not just meetings," Shane had said, channeling some of Calvin's steady influence. "I can't afford to lose you, even with the temp workers. You know this roof better than anyone. This crew depends on you knowing when a fascia board is weak. I need you here for the long haul. If you need support that goes beyond me writing checks for a cleaner house or whatever, let me know. Saul can watch the day-to-day, but you need someone focused on keeping you upright."
Gary, red-eyed but surprisingly clear, had nodded, the veneer of the hardened party-guy completely gone. "Saul knows things, Shane. He always has. If anyone can keep me from going sideways again, it's him. I'll ask him."
And he had. While Shane was arranging Saul's expanded role, Gary had already approached Saul, tentative but determined. Saul, recognizing the plea for structure that he himself relied on, had agreed immediately to take Gary under his wing, focusing on routine, accountability, and maybe even dragging him to morning sobriety meetings before the heat of the day set in.
The synergy was breathtaking. Calvin's presence was proving to be an accelerant to the positive changes Shane was initiating, even if Shane didn't fully grasp the mechanism. Calvin's ability to anticipate work problems—catching a potential nail-gun misfire by simply humming a specific tune that drew Shane's attention to the tool just as Gary reached for it—was invaluable.
As the workday wound down, the crew was ahead of schedule, again. Miller had been on site only once, looking distinctly uncomfortable, clearly operating under some external pressure, confirming what Shane could now see through the system's subtle indicators: Miller was being leveraged by forces higher up, forces connected to the massive construction conglomerate. Shane noted the faint, unpleasant aura clinging to Miller—a tie to something rigid and demanding.
Calvin leaned against the side of the supply truck, wiping grease from his hands with a rag. He looked completely at ease, a working man enjoying the end of a productive day.
"Good work today, Shane," Calvin said, his voice calm. "You've got a good core here. They trust you."
"They're responding," Shane admitted, packing his coffee thermos. He needed to remind himself that Calvin was his main link to the system, the one who explained just enough without revealing the whole cosmic operation. "I feel like I can finally start fixing things. Helping Gary, getting Marcos sorted… it's all falling into place faster than I thought."
Calvin smiled, a genuine, warm expression that did little to hide the immense, ancient awareness behind his eyes. "Necessary groundwork, Shane. You can't build a sound structure on rot. You clear the rot first, then you build toward the sky."
Shane frowned slightly. "The sky. Right. I still feel like I'm flying blind on the larger picture. Everything I do feels small, localized. Fix one crew member, and ten more people need help just down the road."
"All trajectories start small," Calvin reminded him gently. "The ripples you create here will spread. And you still need to prepare for the chaos coming. The money will bring attention you aren't prepared for, even with the system running."
Shane nodded, accepting the warning. He hadn't told anyone about the $1 million; even Calvin only knew Shane *hoped* to win. Shane was waiting for that deposit notification like a man waiting for an execution date, though he hoped for the better outcome.
"I'm ready for the money to hit," Shane asserted, trying to sound more certain than he felt. "I've outlined the first contracts for the non-worker beneficiaries—legal, housing deposit assistance, business startup loans for Saul if he wants to expand beyond just me. I won't blow it on myself. I can't."
Calvin's gaze sharpened briefly, then softened. "Good. Maintain that intent, Shane. Intent shapes reality more than desire ever will."
They stood in comfortable silence for a moment, the sound of the last truck pulling out echoing faintly. Shane realized this was the perfect moment to discuss the threat he knew was coming from AN, filtered through the AI's threat assessment matrix.
"Calvin," Shane began, leaning closer, "I've been running scenarios on the system. When the money drops, I'm anticipating… interference. Not just from Miller or the main company, but something personal, aimed at destabilizing Gary first, then Marcos."
Calvin didn't look surprised. He looked expectant. "What does the system suggest is the primary vector of attack?"
"A lure for Gary. Something designed to make him feel validated, successful, and then utterly submerged in a weekend binge so profound he might not recover. And for Marcos, proximity to a staged arrest, something that triggers his protective instincts and gets him entangled with federal agents, ruining his application process."
Calvin tapped the side of the truck thoughtfully. "AN is direct, sometimes crude, when he feels he has the upper hand. He uses temptation and fear, the twin anchors of mortality." Calvin paused, his eyes distant for a split second, as if consulting another layer of input. "He will be careful about you, Shane, because he still doesn't know *who* I am, only that something is balancing his efforts. He won't risk too much heat on you directly, but destabilizing your immediate support network—your crew—is his secondary objective. It forces you to choose between the money and saving your foundation."
"How do we counteract the lure on Gary?" Shane asked, the clarity of the AI letting him compartmentalize the threat analysis even amidst the sudden spike in adrenaline.
"You've already counteracted it, in part. By getting Saul involved, you've introduced an external accountability structure. Gary respects Saul. But AN will try to make Saul *unavailable* at the critical moment. Keep Saul tethered to this project, Shane. Make his new role concrete, now, before the money arrives. And regarding Marcos—the key is timing. If Marcos is given absolute certainty that his paperwork is being handled by a competent, anonymous professional *before* the threat manifests, the shock value of the staged arrest diminishes significantly. He won't intervene if he believes the system is already working legally on his behalf."
Shane felt a wave of intense focus wash over him. He hadn't thought to secure Saul *before* the money.
"Right. I'll call Saul tonight. Formalize the offer. Make it non-negotiable commitment from my side."
Calvin nodded, satisfied. "And there is one more element you must consider, relating to me. AN will be watching you closely. Since he suspects interference, he will focus on eliminating the interference point—me. He tried this before, in other circumstances. He looks for the outside element, the anomaly."
"An accident?"
"The most effective lie. A structural failure. A slip. Something that looks like natural occupational hazard amplified by fatigue or carelessness," Calvin confirmed, his tone devoid of fear. "It will happen the day *before* the funds clear. If the loss of the newest, most competent worker coincides with the arrival of the prize, the psychological impact on you will be devastating. You will either freeze or react impulsively, wasting the capital and scattering the crew."
Shane felt the familiar internal flicker of the system mapping out the worst scenario. Time was compressing rapidly. AN was moving ahead of schedule on his counter-measures, spurred on by Miller's impossible deadlines and his own impatience.
"So," Shane summarized, locking the information away, "I need to secure Saul tonight, making his commitment binding. I need to assure Saul that he needs to keep Gary and Marcos tethered to routine, even if it means scheduling work for the day the money hits—no time for celebrations. And I need to make sure nothing happens to you, Calvin, tomorrow."
"You cannot directly stop a celestial intent directed by a coordinated legion of lesser beings, Shane," Calvin cautioned. "You can only ensure that the groundwork you have laid is resilient enough to withstand the shockwave. If Gary and Marcos are secure in their *next steps*, they are less likely to panic when noise erupts. If Saul is wholly committed to you, he will steer them through the immediate crisis. Your power resides in the coherence of your localized environment."
Shane looked at Calvin, the man who had shown up looking for light labor and instead brought clarity, efficiency, and a whole new level of existential threat. He trusted him implicitly; the system confirmed the trust factor was through the roof, labeled under 'Veritas Alpha Alignment.'
"I'll call Saul now, from the truck. See you Monday, Calvin. Be careful tomorrow."
Calvin gave a slight bow of his head, retrieving his duffel bag. "I will see you Monday, Shane. Assuming the material science reports hold up."
***
The drive back to his small apartment was spent on the phone. Saul answered on the second ring, sounding tired but professional.
"Yeah, Shane? Just finishing up the site inspection on Elm Street."
Shane pulled into a gas station parking lot, turning off the engine to focus. "Saul, I need you to stop what you're doing and listen for five minutes. This is about you, me, and the future."
He laid it out, fast and clean, stripping away the cosmic details but emphasizing the commitment. He explained that the money was coming, and that Saul's reward would be a salaried position, substantial operating budget for training, and the responsibility for crew stability—Gary and Marcos included. He confirmed the funding for Marcos's legal journey.
Saul listened silently for a long time after Shane finished his pitch. "Shane, I've worked for a dozen men who promised the world. None of them were paying for lawyers for the help. You're serious about this structure?"
"Dead serious. I need you leading that structure starting immediately. Stability is the priority for the next four days, Saul. Can you commit to running the safety and mentoring protocols starting right now, with minimum supervision from me?"
"I can commit," Saul said, his voice firming up. "For that kind of commitment to the men—and for Marcos—I'm in. Tell me what you need me to do tomorrow morning before you even get to the site."
Shane felt the system register a massive XP boost—*Securing Key Anchor Asset: Saul*. "Get Gary in early. Make him run through the safety checklist physically before he even touches his tools. Make him accountable to you for everything above eye level. And Marcos—keep him busy on detail work where he can't see anything unusual happening on the street."
"Understood. Stability first, then celebrate the winnings later. See you bright and early."
Hanging up, Shane felt a momentary sense of triumph. He had fortified the support system just hours before the expected attack vector.
Later that evening, fortified by electrolytes and a strange sense of calm that often accompanied his pre-game ritual, Shane found himself reviewing the system interface. He had reached Level 4, and the new ability unlocked was listed simply as *Foresight Refinement: Minor Temporal Echoes*. He tested it, focusing on a random street corner near a news report about upcoming political rallies. The projection was immediate and chilling: not just division, but a planned escalation of violence timed perfectly to destabilize public trust immediately following the financial news. AN's coordinated chaos theory was far-reaching.
He looked at the threat projected for his crew.
Gary: Lure—Unidentified female contact appearing late Friday afternoon, offering an immediate, high-glamour escape from sobriety, promising validation.
Marcos: Staging—Federal agents executing a visible, loud arrest of an unrelated undocumented worker on Saturday morning, near the site supply drop-off, designed to provoke Marcos's intervention.
Saul: Seduction—A highly attractive job offer arriving Monday morning from 'Stark Roofing,' offering significantly more money, and critically, offering to absorb Ben and Marcos into their existing structure.
It was a perfectly orchestrated attack designed to dismantle Shane's nascent support network simultaneously. If Gary fell, the morale collapsed. If Marcos was deported or detained, the sense of security vanished. If Saul left, the mentorship structure evaporated, leaving Ben adrift and Gary vulnerable.
Shane realized he had only neutralized the *timing* of the intervention by securing Saul early. The *methods* AN planned to use were still active.
He looked at Calvin. Calvin had suggested AN would target him to cause the *psychological* fall. That timing was set for Saturday morning—the day after tomorrow, between Friday evening when the lure started, and Monday when the money landed.
Shane needed a shield for Calvin. He couldn't just tell Calvin, "Don't get off the scaffolding tomorrow," because Calvin claimed *his* system would alert him if the danger was too high, and he had implied he could handle direct celestial countermeasures if necessary—but only if he wasn't handicapped by a localized accident.
Shane focused on the skill that allowed him to see *possible outcomes*. He ran one simulation: *What if Calvin is totally insulated from potential jobsite hazards?*
The system simulated a clean day. XP gain slows slightly as the environment remains calm.
He ran another: *What if Shane personally takes on Calvin's most dangerous task tomorrow?*
The system immediately flagged the probability of Shane sustaining a career-ending injury as significantly high. Shane was skilled, but not yet at Calvin's level of environmental awareness.
He needed to create a distraction against Thorne, AN's primary field operative. Thorne was the one likely orchestrating the physical placement of the fake federal agents and the job offer delivery.
Shane toggled to the 'Contacts' tab for the local construction district. He found Miller's entry, noting the heavy negative aura. He then found the contact details for Stark Roofing—the rival Saul was supposed to be offered a job from. It was a legitimate, mid-sized company, likely untouched by AN's direct puppetry, but vulnerable to manipulation.
Shane knew what he had to do to buy Calvin a day of safety. He had to draw AN's eyes—and Thorne's hands—to a different, smaller target right before the crucial Saturday morning event.
He opened his laptop. He wrote a quick but detailed post on a job board about needing a few skilled workers on a roofing crew. He offered pay that was a bit higher than normal going rates. He put in the post "must be sober" and must be a "legal citizen". He put these not because he was worried about those as much as it may appear but because he knew Thorne would see this and assume Shane was "moving away" from problems Gary & Marcos brought with them. He was hoping Thorne would think that with the money Shane had just won he was done dealing with the stress from these two and therefore call off the operation to ensnare Gary and Marcos.
*In the job post Shane put to meet him personally at the Day Labor office parking lot tomorrow morning at 8:00 AM sharp. He would conduct interviews to hire 2 new employees. Shane had a sneaking suspicion that Thorne may try to infiltrate operatives onto his crew from this ad. He could use this in his favor.
If Thorne was monitoring his activities and he held interviews outside the Day Labor office—the same location where Calvin was sourced—was a high-priority, localized problem that AN's apparatus could be diverted from the original plan and/or use to infiltrate the crew. It was much easier to allow Shane to jettison both Gary & Marcos and at the same time put their operatives inside Shane's circle.
Shane would interview accordingly and could possibly use this to his advantage. He still needed to keep an eye on Gary and Marcos incase they still went thru with the original plan.
Shane reviewed the timeline one last time, the XP bar pulsing faintly at Level 4/5000.
Friday Night: Saul secured. Gary starts mandatory accountability with Saul immediately.
Saturday Morning (8:00 AM): Job post triggers local chaos diverting Thorne's immediate resources near the Day Labor office.
Saturday Morning (After 8:00 AM): Marcos remains focused on detail work, Saul actively shielding him.
Saturday: Gary attempts to resist the lure, leaning on Saul.
Sunday: Shane waits, maintaining operational tempo, trusting Calvin to hold the line against AN's direct assault on the worksite.
Monday Morning: The money is *expected* to clear. Rival offers arrive for Saul, who is now secured to Shane.
Shane knew this wasn't perfect. It was a desperation tactic based on predictive modeling. But it was the best localized defense he could mount before he had the capital to fight back properly. He sent the finalized employment contract for Saul via secure file transfer ten minutes later, ensuring Saul had the documented commitment before sleep claimed him.
As Shane finally lay down, the weight of the unseen war settled over him. He was holding a million dollars of potential leverage, but he was also the target of an entity that controlled the subtle levers of chaos across continents. He closed his eyes, trying to settle his own adrenaline, praying that the tiny, predictable ripples he was throwing into the pond would be enough to distract the leviathan for just one more day. He imagined the upcoming Monday, the money hitting his account, and seeing the subsequent chaos—a firestorm designed to scatter his small victory before it could solidify into real change. He had to weather the weekend. He had to keep his crew intact, anchored, and ready for Monday. The clarity remained, sharp and cold, confirming that the true construction project wasn't the roof; it was the reformation of his immediate reality, one worker at a time.