2053... Ireland... Economic Zone ULEZ607
"Unit JLZ21347, it is morning. You may now wake. Unit JLZ21347, it is morning. You may now wake."
It was 5.23 am. The voice of the HR woman continued to repeat that it was now morning, and that I was allowed to wake. I tried to shut the noise out and get more rest, but it was futile. The windows became transparent, letting in what little morning light there was.
No matter how hard I tried to close to my eyes, the blinding neon shine from all the lights in my tiny porta-abode would not allow me to enjoy the darkness. I was having such a good dream; the world had ended and I was free, but now awake I knew what was what.
It was now morning, and it was time for me to wake up.
"I'm up! I'm up! Dim the lights! Jeez!" I said exhausted from all the intermittent ads I had to watch throughout the night to afford my sleep.
The lights dimmed to a normal level.
"Am I detecting hostility in your voice Unit JLZ21347?" the HR woman said scoldingly.
"No! No!! I was just eh, you know mornings..." I attempted to worm my way out of a fixed penalty notice.
"Hmmm..." she pondered, before turning her light from red to green.
I was in the clear...
...
I took my morning shower. Thankfully water was free. I didn't have enough credit for warm water, but I didn't care. The cold showers gave me relief from this hell; it was a welcome distraction. If the system understood how much I enjoyed cold showers it would take them away from me, but thankfully the system was set in its ways. Unchanging... 'perfect'... eternal... endless suffering... homogenized bureaucratic unliving.
"Unit JLZ21347, you have one hour left of shopping time."
"Goody!" I faked enthusiasm.
I grabbed my coat and headed out the door.
...
I breathed in the fresh air. Air was free. They hadn't taken that away from me.
It wasn't a bad morning. The greenery looked pleasant. I was almost glad for the system to have awoken me so early in such an unceremoniously way.
"You are heard! You are represented! You are seen!" the HR woman spoke through all the streets of Economic Zone ULEZ607.
You are seen... it was an ominous reminder that we had nothing to ourselves. Privacy was sin.
I smiled briefly at my neighbour Liselotte. In the brief exchange we locked eyes. I wanted to experience social connection, but her eyes were more and more as of recent screaming "help!"
She was losing it.
"Unit JLZ21347, that was 857 milliseconds away from being harassment. You have been warned."
"Sorry Liselotte for a near-miss sexual micro-harassment!" I said with my head held down to avoid eye contact, and also to cover the shame I felt for following script...
"That's okay! I don't mind..." she said in a warm manner about to say my name before being interrupted.
The HR woman interjected "Unit 21341, you are in violation of the 2027 HRP act under subsection 3.83 of the Freedom Accord!"
I quickly walked off to avoid being involved, red lights in the distance. I felt bad for looking at her so longingly... wanting connection... just a slither of real social interaction...
I was too greedy and now she would pay the price for causing discord in the therapeutic state. I had to get away. I couldn't afford any more guilt. If I played my cards right I would be able to have a comfy existence in 17 years. Warm water on tap; that was the dream that kept me going...
...
Distrust Trust... Mind Your CO2... such were the signs we were presented with in our fifteen minute cities. The signs, the flags, the statues... all a reminder that we were under occupation.
As I walked to the shop I saw that same white child scavenging for food waste.
"Shame about his skin colour" I thought.
The hologram from the History Museum projected at me.
"Before freedom and equality, could we have bread and meat?" the far-right questioned before being gunned down by the system.
Such was a reminder of the heroics of the system to get us to this point. They looked like ordinary people to me, but I knew deep down that anything anti-system was far-right and they were like devils. If you sided with them, then you too were far-right, and a devil to be destroyed by the state.
Next to the History Museum was the Cadaver warehouse, or the birthing facility as they called it. I tried to not think about it, and looked away as I walked past. Up ahead was the shop.
...
"Line up!" the African guard commanded of me.
There was no one else around, but I reluctantly formed an orderly queue of one.
"I.D." he asked.
I presented my digital I.D. and waited.
"You can enter. No loitering" he said in a matter of fact way, as was mandated.
"Any guard openings?" I asked.
Being in negative credit was difficult. As they said; No Money, No Job, No Life.
The guard ignored me.
"Look! I'm willing and ready to work! If you could ask at the guard station?"
He ignored me, but as I walked by to enter the shop he grabbed me by the shoulder.
"Je! Ninaweza kukopa gari lako?" the African guard asked in a very friendly demeanour as if he was a good friend.
"Sorry?! What?!" I did my best to understand knowing I was walking on eggshells.
"Gari lako!" he shouted before sighing and letting go of me.
I was sweating as I entered the shop. I was so close to violating subsection 1.31 of the 2027 HRP act in accordance with the Freedom Accord. I didn't have the credit to take another hit.
The red light shined a spotlight on me.
"What are you thinking Unit JLZ21347? Your cortisol and adrenal levels are almost beyond their legal limits?!"
I deeply breathed in and out, focusing on the cold. Those ice cold showers and baths.... When you are in ice cold water, submerged up to the neck or beyond, nothing else matters. All there is... is the cold. That draining of bodily temperature..... That hypothermic slowdown at a cellular level...... A complete forced transition to existing within the state of "NOW"; an oasis amongst the spiritual desert of modern life.
"I must get out! I must get out" the body screams.
"No" says I.
Complete domination and control over one's own faculties, and what a mighty foe I was to overcome. Pure peace of mind.
The light turned to green. I had to be more careful. I didn't expect to react so much during that short interaction. Thankfully I was use to this. If you couldn't adapt after losing so many thousand credits, maybe you deserved the pits. Survival of the fittest. Fitness selected for.
I had only lost several hundred credits myself on breaking program, most of my loss was on CO2 taxes.
I had two major infringements. The first I walked right into.. I should have known better, and the second... I swear I was innocent, only 11 months away from my 5 year first infraction forgiveness period. So close to resetting the clock, but now I was criminally marked.
...
I always took my time in the shop, and looked at all the things I couldn't have. There was a small meat section in a glassed-off subsection. I liked to glance and dream of the tastes. There was normally no one else in the shop at this time, as the system played us in a way to minimize interaction and therefore reduce crime coeffiency.
It was a MAP. I could tell by the red and purple robe, long stockings, velvet shoes, and the leashes for the two brown children.
I had never actually seen anyone in the meat section before. I thought they just put it there to taunt us, but I guess it was in case a MAP was in the area.
I tried not to stare, but I just couldn't believe seeing someone pick up Salami, chicken, bacon, and STEAKS!!!!!!!!!!!!
He saw me watching. I did a 181, and then realized I was facing the exit, so I pulled a 179.
I casually strolled away, grabbed my food cubes (insects and food industry waste products), and 'milk' (insects, soya, and water).
The ingredients were no longer labelled, but at least that's what I hoped was in them.
Several African women pretended to stock and clean the shop. Out of the 47 cashier stations, only 3 were stationed. I approached the closest African cashier woman; proximity was always a reliable defence.
"Hi" I said attempting to squeeze out the maximum social interaction I could.
You wouldn't believe how socially starved I was.
I've had feels you people couldn't draw wojaks of.
She didn't even look at me. The African woman took the food cubes and milk and pretended to scan them.
The system informed her and so she reluctantly looked at me and in an uninterested tone explained "You still have points".
"One second!" I exclaimed as I hurriedly hustled to the "egg" (some sort of organic plastic slop) section.
I didn't realise that today was a reduction to my infringement tax burden.
I quickly walked past the MAP, grabbed the eggs, and hurried back.
"Sorry for that"
She didn't react. She just took the eggs and pretended to scan them.
The MAP handed over 2 beers and 3 chicken strips to the cashier.
"It's on me!" he said smiling "I saw you looking, and thought why not share. After all, all my credits are burning a HOLE IN MY POCKET!" he laughed.
Everyone within listening distance laughed. I stood there looking shocked, but then joined in on the laughing.
I couldn't believe my luck. Maybe MAPs weren't that bad. The children looked dead behind the eyes, but the MAP was surely charismatic.
"Thanks! Lovely weather we have been having?" I made conversation as I bagged my state mandated essentials.
The red light looked at me.
"Unit JLZ21347! I declare you in breach of subsection 4.39!"
"But I didn't do anything!" I foolishly protested.
"Violence detected!"
"No! No! No! I'm compliant! Please! I'm so sorry!" I pleaded in futility.
I got on my knees and put my hands behind my head, but the African guards didn't care. I was a threat to be neutralized. The first baton crashed into my face. I fell to the ground and rolled around like a worm as they smacked me repeatedly. I could hear the MAP laughing and everyone else joining in.
The beating was briefly interrupted by questions I didn't understand.
"Je! Ninaweza kukopa gari lako?"
I was beaten until I was half dead. A gentle reminder.
I was given all sorts at the medical facility. Thankfully I still had my wits about me and rejected every offer of MAS (Medically Assisted Suicide). The weaker perished, but I lived.
I was released in the late evening. At least I had the eggs, chicken strips, and beer as a treat. It was worth the beating. Although I wasn't quite sure how I broke subsection 4.39.
I ate the chicken strips and drank a beer in my garage. It was the one place not monitored. I had paid so much CO2 tax just to keep this over the decades. And I never folded. It was my outer-heaven.
I felt like such a pig as I devoured the chicken strips.
I made sure not to overuse my allotted dinner time, but couldn't help feeling dangerous and risque after a beer. I was keeping the other beer for a special time.
I walked out onto the street, feeling all the bruising upon my body intoxicated by that 11% beer. I felt invincible. I groin thrusted, and shuffled my feet; dancing, I was living. I didn't care about the beating today. The system couldn't touch me. Maybe it was because of my self belief, or perhaps the altered signalling from the 11% beer, but whatever the reason the system didn't say anything... until my dinner period was over.
"Time for late night activities" the HR woman told me.
"I'm feeling very sick, I don't think I can do it" I explained.
"Hmmm... You seemed to be dancing just fine, especially after having left a medical facility... Time for late night activities..." she told me.
I had no choice. I plugged into the machine. I was glad to have spent my day at the medical facility. It was such welcome relief to escape the machine, and just be there, in life, the real world...
My neurons were instantly activated.
The image of a sexy buxom babe was presented to me...
A.I. Ultra Porn. It constantly adapts and optimizes for maximal neuronal activation. I came buckets. There was no escaping the entire haptic experiences. It was sensory overload. As if she was really wrapping her tongue around my... and responding in such an unreal orgasmic way. I never had a chance.
As usual I spent 17 minutes curled up and shivering after being drained. Coming back to the real world was difficult... Some couldn't handle it and resorted to Medically Assisted Suicide (MAS). It completely crashed your system. Sometimes I cried. I tried not to think about where all my sperm was being sent to after being drained.
The system gifted you with some electrolyte and protein dessert after finishing... after reterritorialization to reality. It was sweet. The one sweet thing I was allowed.
I felt exhausted as I drifted off that night, somehow managing to fake opening my eyes for the advertisements as I slept through the night. Maybe I was just too tired to remember. Soon it would be a new day. A repetition of the last. Always listening... Always watching... The eternal HR woman. There was no escape...