“Yes, I know.” I muttered, frustrated to no end at the corporation clerk on the other end of my Neocom. She was the fourth clerk calling me today about the progress of a task that had been assigned to me.

It was infuriating really. Agents had the right idea. Provide an incentive to finishing a job early. Give me some extra ISK and a pat on the back. Word of mouth spread quickly between agents when it came to reliable pilots.

Corporations had no such philosophy.

To a clerk, the only thing that existed in their small universe was their immediate asks. Everything was ASAP, which meant nothing was. How could it all be high priority? And following up with me every fifteen minutes or so wasn’t really going to get your request done sooner.

Seriously, did they think when we have work to do that we just sit around waiting for some convenient time to get to it? ASAP is one of those buzzwords I despised. Of course I’d get it done as soon as possible. How could I get it done before then?

Stop and think.

I quit grumbling to myself and continued with the maintenance repairs to my Rifter. Yes, I had crews for that, but there was always a special bond between a pilot and their ship, an intimate sense of familiarity and ownership that required personal touch and attention.

I’d get to the corporation work. I always did. It would be done right, on time, the first time. That was my reputation. Sometimes I wish the clerks would just learn to take a breath, be calm, relax and trust in the people they worked with.

A man could dream.