"Why do we make laser grids like these?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean instead of a messy random arrangement of lasers that a nimble intruder might be able to jump through, why not a simple grid wall with no gaps large enough to allow a person to pass through?"
Nish stared over at his coworker, Yim, like the girl was a dumb, golden-haired rock.
"One, 'cause those are expensive as hell to make, and two, because these things ain't even guarding against a normal person."
With the help of Yim, he set the laser grid on the conveyor belt, and then flicked her forehead.
"Idiot. Do you even listen when the Miser talks?"
Yim just swatted at him and snapped back, "Of course I listen when the Miser talks! Sometimes I just don't get enough sleep and get really bored, okay!?"
Nish rolled his eyes, mumbling something about how Yim slept whenever she could and how it was entirely her fault for not listening to the Miser.
The Miser of this production facility was Jeei, a being that Nish would call ethereal if it weren't for the Miser's obliviousness. Sometimes Nish wondered how Jeei got this job. Misers like them usually got fired off the bat and replaced with a stricter overwatcher, but they hadn't. Perhaps management was just overlooking it. Like they did to their employees' paychecks.
Anyway, Nish and Yim just grabbed another grid and walked over to the belt.
"So, I forgot what the Miser said on the grids. Uhm, what do the grids guard against?"
Nish gave her a deadpan look before answering. "Eccskulls."
Yim tilted her head to the side. "Those big blobs?"
Nish nodded. "The laser grids cut them up into uneven pieces so that they can't move so quickly."
"...aren't they acidic though?"
"The lasers solidify most of the Eccskull pieces."
Yim stared down before nodding like it all made sense now and helped Nish put yet another grid on the belt.
"So when are you buying me the ring?"
Nish scoffed and shook his head. "The day management finally gives me an actual paycheck will be the day I buy a ring for you."
Yim gave him a glare in response.