I checked my weapon and did a quick final inspection of my gear. Everything was in place for my first shift. I was nervous, of course, but who wouldn't be? I had heard the rumors, I had seen the protests. But I was strapped for cash, and it was the fastest way to get back on my feet. The others on the team were just as new as me, and in the same position. We made small talk while waiting at the helipad.
"I heard the first couple trips are fine." "My cousin said she would never go back but never told me why." "I was told to just keep an ear out and listen for each other, and we'll be okay." "Have you all heard about Liam?"
The three of us turned to her. Of course we heard rumors of what happened to him. Being dragged under the water for so long did something to his mind, and he hasn't spoken since they found him crawling out of the water near the hydroplant. We shifted nervously, trying to put our mind off of the possibility.
The helicopter arrived. Four veterans stepped off, all with bags under their eyes as they took exhausted steps forward. One flicked away a short stub of a cigarette, only to light another one right away. Another wiped his eyes, never looking up from the ground. The third scratched at her arms and let out a shaky breath. Those three walked past, ignoring our stares. The fourth, in her black slopsuit, got right up in my face and placed a hand on my shoulder. She didn't blink.
"It's not worth it, pal," she said barely audible over the helicopter blades. Her eyes weren't looking at me, but at something a thousand yards past me. The others on my team called my name, already on the chopper. Her hand fell as I turned to go. I swallowed, shifted the ink tank on my back, and steeled myself for my first shift. A few minutes later and several hundred feet in the air, I spotted that speck of an inkling on the helipad, still staring out across the landscape.