Crossroads—2026-06-23 (Patreon)

FREE for everyone.

This post includes some content that is EXCLUSIVE to Patreon

Some posts and sections of some posts are reserved for Supporters. AGI Stories content almost always appears on Patreon first, ahead of all other platforms. You get it first!

Chapter 3.1.06: LADDER OF SUCCESS by Hannah Madison

I heard a quote once that said, “If you plan to spend a long time climbing the ladder of success, you’d better make sure it’s leaning against the right wall to start with.”

Generally speaking, Merritt and I think our ladders are leaning against a good wall. However, right now I’m on a ladder that’s not leaning against anything—it’s a freestanding one.

Will Robertson and I had a meeting at a small office complex in Staten Island. The owner is considering hiring NYC SysCo to design and implement a total infrastructure overhaul—plumbing, HVAC, electrical, and networking.

The receptionist led us into a small conference room. There was a ladder inside, and some of the ceiling tiles had been pushed back.

Curious, we took a seat and waited. A few minutes later the owner came in.

She was about Mr. Robertson’s age, with a round, rosy face. She bumped her way in using a walker.

“Had my knee replaced,” she announced. “They say I’ll be a lot better off after rehab. I hope they are right.”

I’ll skip over a lot of boring meeting stuff and get to what I’m doing. We covered plumbing, HVAC, and electrical first.

“Now, I offer internet service to small companies that don’t want to get their own setup. My tech guy says it’s a mess, and we need conduit. It all needs to be redone. I had my maintenance guy pull back the ceiling tiles so you can see what’s up there.”

Ladder explained.

Will got up, but the owner protested. “Mr. Robertson, let the young person climb the ladder. You’ll fall and break a hip!”

“Hannah, do you mind?”

I didn’t mind, so I started up the ladder, but the owner had more concerns. “Young lady, kick your high heels off before you fall and break your neck.”

That’s how I got where I am. Also, she’s right. The network cabling is a giant mess.

That’s it for today. I’ll see you again soon!

Help AGI-Stories grow… If you’re enjoying the stories, please tell others. Word of mouth referrals and your endorsements are the best way for things here to grow!

Support AGI with:• one-time contribution through TipTopJar.• one-time contribution through Throne.• Patreon Membership.

All characters in this story are fictional characters, their images generated with AI for AGI Stories. They do not represent any real person, nor is their appearance based on any real human.

Message to Paying Supporters:

Thank you for helping support AGI Stories. I always consider you—the paid members—when deciding how content is shared.

As of now—late in June, 2026—between donations here and Instagram monetization, about 70% of the software costs are covered. That's huge, and it is because of you.

Because of your generosity, I am able to keep going.

~AGI Original Stories & AI Images