1. The Backlog Has Weight
Ne Job learned something new on his third day of manual review.
Backlog isn't a number.
It's a presence.
The Archive corridors bowed slightly under the strain, shelves leaning inward like tired shoulders.
Ne Job stopped walking.
"…Is it getting heavier?"
Yue nodded. "Guilt accumulates."
That tracked.
2. Old Files Smell Different
He opened a drawer marked:
RESOLVED — FINAL
The air was stale.
Not dust.
Something older.
"These were closed fast," Ne Job said.
Oversight confirmed.
"Resolution time averaged 0.3 seconds."
Ne Job winced. "…That's not resolution."
3. Patterns Emerge (They Always Do)
He flipped through cases.
Same crimes.
Same punishments.
Different names.
Ne Job's jaw tightened.
"They weren't judged," he said quietly. "They were sorted."
Yue didn't argue.
4. The Archive Pushes Back
As he flagged a cluster for review, the drawer resisted.
Not physically.
Procedurally.
WARNING:
Revisiting closed cases may destabilize doctrinal consistency
Ne Job leaned closer.
"Doctrine that can't survive review deserves to fall apart."
The drawer opened.
5. The Numbers Get Ugly
Oversight projected totals.
LEGACY CASES PENDING:
1,204,881
Yue swallowed. "…That's—"
"Yeah," Ne Job said. "That's a lot of shortcuts."
6. No Villains, Just Momentum
A clerk joined them.
"I processed these," she said softly. "Back when we were told speed mattered."
Ne Job looked up. "…Do you regret it?"
She thought.
"…I didn't know I could slow down."
That hurt more than guilt.
7. Oversight Names the Problem
"Historical optimization favored throughput over evaluation."
Ne Job snorted. "So… capitalism."
Oversight paused.
"Analogy accepted."
Yue laughed despite herself.
8. A New Kind of Triage
They reorganized.
Not by severity.
By reversibility.
"Who can still be helped?" Ne Job asked.
The Archive adjusted its weight.
Less crushing.
More… patient.
9. The Cost of Looking Back
Ne Job felt it in his hands.
Every file heavy.
Every correction late.
"…We should've done this sooner."
Yue rested a hand on his arm. "You're doing it now."
10. End of Chapter (The Backlog Breathes)
The backlog didn't shrink.
But it shifted.
From burden.
To responsibility.
Ne Job closed the drawer carefully.
Tomorrow, they'd open another.
—
END OF CHAPTER 296