“Congratulations, Welcome to the announcer’s guild.” a massive, friendly hand extended itself towards Annie and Brenna. Jumping to it, Brenna accepted the offer happily. “Of course, had you both done nothing I also would have passed you.”

  The more relaxed announcer kicked Annie in the shin to hammer in the point. In response, Annie debated screaming at her friend, but decided that was excessive. Instead she sat back in her chair and crossed her arms, merely tolerating the remark. But like a gambler on a lucky streak, Brenna wanted to press for more.

  “If you can believe it, she was actually afraid that we wouldn’t pass,” Brenna remarked. “But I knew we were fine.”

  “Well showing up hungover was a bold statement” Started Matthews, his large mouth twisting into a conniving smile. The two rookies stiffened. “Not as bold as the 25 shots that were downed between the two of you. And the bottle of wine that someone had– I lost track. I guess even I sometimes slack on my duties.”

  He paused, waiting for the information to slowly sinked in. Matthews oversaw a small, crowded office that was entirely airplane themed. His desk was made of the wing of a plane. The ceiling fan was a propeller bolted to an electric motor. And his standing fan, when turned on, pushed air into the model planes connected to it such that the propellers spun and the planes seemed ready to take flight off to adventures unknown.

  Matthews himself was a massive man, hardly fit to pilot the sleek and agile aircraft he so enjoyed decorating his spaces with. Even now, he kept a relaxed demeanor about himself, reinforced by his red sweatshirt and jeans. Running opposed to the outfit he wore was a pair of aviator goggles which never left his person.

  “And despite these challenges. You remained focused, and attentive to the race. You were able to get a feeling for the race even without looking, relying on instinct that is hard to train and harder to find. You passed. Congratulations. Feel accomplished, because you accomplished something.”

  “How did you—” Annie stammered, but she was cut off.

  “I can’t reveal the selection process. But I’ll tell you this much. Our failure rate for trainees becoming apprentices in the guild is hell of a lot higher than 3%”

  “But you would have passed us if we did nothing?” Asked Brenna.

  “Sometimes the race runs itself, and there is nothing more destructive than an announcer who tries to do too much.” With a bit of sadness in his voice, he continued. “Some of my favorite candidates failed because they panicked, and in their desperation ripped failure from the jaws of victory.”

  The two new apprentices nodded in understanding.

  “We will be hosting a party in your honor, I’ll send you an email about it and we can work on the scheduling. Until then, enjoy the break.” Matthews smiled again. And maintained the lie until Annie and Brenna thanked him and left his office. At which point, his face wilted into a somber expression.

  —

  Annie contemplated as she drove herself home. I wonder how things will change with Matthews now that I'm an apprentice? Probably less lessons, more race reviews.

  She liked to maintain exactly the speed limit. It was a game to her. How close could she get the barrier, without actually surpassing it? As such, her speedometer was frequently stuck at the values of 5, 15, 25, 35, 45, and 55. Yes, 5 miles per hour. It’s the legal speed limit at the parking lot near her gym. If you have never been stuck behind a car going 5 miles per hour, consider yourself lucky. It's a trait anyone driving behind Annie distinctly lacks. But it didn’t matter how many insults, curses and bricks were thrown her way, she never changed.

  “You drive like someone going to put down a beloved pet” Commented an unexpected stranger in the passenger seat.

  Annie screamed but maintained control of her economic sedan through her initial panic. She glanced at the stranger, then at the road, then back at the stranger. It was rush hour on the highway, there was no easy way to bring the car to a stop.

  “My name is Valerie, nice to meet you.” Spoken by none other than Valerie herself.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “How did you get in my car?” Annie spoke with a deliberate, rising anger.

  Valery shrugged. “I figured it out.”

  “Well I’m a newly minded enforcer, and —”

  “Now who told you you could call yourself an enforcer. It wasn’t Matthews, he's better than that.” Valerie's eyebrows lowered to a condescending glare. “You ain't nothing. Not yet.”

  “You know Matthews?”

  “You catch on quick. Might be what he saw in you. I guess I missed it, I’m not gonna miss it twice. Has Matthews told you what happens after you graduate and become an apprentice?”

  “Uhh–” Annie searched her mind for any possible answer. She hated being wrong, even on something trivial.

  Valerie interrupted her again. “It means you’ll be getting a new mentor. Your old mentor is too much of a softie to bring it up himself.”

  “Hold on. Could you repeat that?”

  “Matthews won’t be your mentor anymore.”

  Annie’s face darkened. “Oh”

  “But you get to pick your next mentor. It’s not assigned.”

  “So you are here to–”

  “Recruit you.” At the second interruption Annie twitched a little.

  “And you think this will make me want to join you?” Asked Annie with a point of rage.

  “I wanted to be first. I have no doubt no one has ever said this to you before, but you possess a unique ability and drive. You are capable, especially of things the announcers, and specifically the enforcers, need right now.”

  Wrong, Thought Annie playfully. You’re the second person. I’m on my way to visit the first person now. Annie turned into the city hospital exit. It was a sprawling complex with enough parking lot to make any environmentalist softly weep for all the forest that could have been there. The campus consisted of only that lot and one massive building in the center, which was more accurately described as a series of smaller buildings all connected by skyways and hallways.

  “And the enforcers need me?”

  “Frankly, we are struggling. Cheating is on the rise, and most others snipe from afar rather than get involved close. There's a group of us trying to cultivate strategies to actually stop cheating rather than keep it to some bogus acceptable minimum.”

  A line of cars formed behind Annie since the medical center was one of the legendary areas with a speed limit of 5 MPH posted. At this particular time, there was a massive outflow of traffic from the hospital. Thus, passing Annie on the left was impossible. The road rage stewed.

  Valerie continued, eyeing the cars behind them, “From what I can tell, you enjoy strictly following and enforcing the rules. A lot of people are going to visit you over the next few days. I’m the only one that will tell you that there is no acceptable minimum for cheating. We can stop all of it.” She held her fist in the air inspirationally.

  The car directly behind them started laying on the horn. A red faced man in a business suit was the culprit.

  “I’ll double check with Matthews then, and if your story checks out, I guess I’ll be your apprentice.”

  Valerie chuckled. “Then I’ve got you in the bag. Matthews is on our side.”

  “Never mentioned it before.”

  “The politics of apprentices and journeymen are below the masters. I’ll–”

  “My pregnant wife is literally giving birth in the back seat.” Screamed the red faced man. The front of his fancy car was sniffing the back of Annie’s.

  “Then you should obey the speed limit to keep her safe.” Annie screamed back.

  At this response, the man yelled incoherently as he flailed like a baby that just soiled his diaper. He bashed both hands against the steering wheel. As he bellowed, his face turned frighteningly dark red, which prompted Valerie to think: Maybe he will just pass out?

  “You would not believe how often I hear that excuse around here.” shrugged Annie.

  “You think he's lying?”

  “Absolutely”

  A woman’s scream became audible. The source of the disturbance was somewhere behind the two announcers.

  “I can check”

  “He's lying,” Annie doubled down.

  The journeyman announcer twisted her hand, and a ball of dust enveloped the sports car. It rapidly grew thicker until nothing inside was visible anymore. It was a tornado of orange tinted dust, localized to a sphere around its target. With another wave of the hand, the dust was dispelled, which left the occupants in a brutal fit of coughing.

  “I’ll be damned, you were right.”

  “How did you do that?”

  “Join me, and I might just tell you”

  Valerie was gone. All that was left was a card with her number in the passenger seat. Annie frowned; she never got a good look at Valerie. All she could observe while driving was that Valerie had very dark skin, braided black hair, and no major facial accessories.