I am a training puck.
I was given to Dani at the start of Floor 3, because she reached it without a single win and the System decided she was owed something. I was the something. The word on my tag is Identified. Before that I was a puck in a bucket. Now I have a name, a tag and a pocket.
For a week I lived in the pocket. On Sunday nights she took me out, turned me over twice, and put me back. Nobody knew what that meant, including the System, which said so in writing. Including me.
On Tuesday she took me out and didn’t put me back. She set me on the table next to the headset and the coffee from her overnight shift, and she sent the System one line.
“Using the puck.”
System Notice ITEM USED: THE TRAINING PUCK, IDENTIFIED. EFFECT: +2. ITEMS USED THIS SEASON, ALL CRAWLERS: 3.
I was worth two points. I want to be honest with you: I was not enough. Blake 198.4, Dani 144.3. The Pit locked a slot. Floor 3 took three. I gave two back. The math is the math.
System Notice RESULT: L. MARGIN: 54.1. RECORD: 0-5.
System Notice ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: THE PUCK DROPS. FIRST ITEM USED. SHE DID NOT WAIT FOR THE RIGHT WEEK. SHE DECIDED THIS WAS IT.
Here is something I know that the System doesn’t. After the score went final, she didn’t put me away. She held me for a while. Then she carried me down to the mirror at the end of the hall, the one that is supposed to show you your worst week, and set me down in front of it.
The mirror showed a puck. Just a puck. Not a failure. The System says that mirror must be malfunctioning. The System has said that about a lot of mirrors this week.
The cat came and sat down next to me. The cat looked at the camera.
Week 6 is Matt. 5-0. The Pit holds her for a third week, and the slot stays locked. Floor 3 takes three more on its way out the door. The escape clause hasn’t changed: get out of last place and it all ends at once.
I’m used now. I’m not in the pocket anymore. I’m on the table where she can see me. I think that was the point.
— The Training Puck, Identified (used)
System addendum: The System does not allow items to file their own logs. The System checked who submitted this one. The submission field reads “the System.” The System did not submit it.