Hello World

Chapter 24 2215

I woke up, feeling as though I had never gone to sleep. My body ached, and I shivered uncontrollably. I could feel something wet dripping from above. Around me, there was a thick darkness. I waved my hands in front of me, as though I could tear through it. Then I shifted myself, but was unable to find comfort. I stood up slowly, wincing as my head bumped into the ceiling. It was a lot lower than I remembered it. I could hear the waves slapping angrily against the walls, and the wind moaning in anguish. 

I began to make my way around the cavern,  using the walls for support. A small glimmer of sunlight entered from ahead. I made my way towards it. A cool draft came over me as I turned the corner. I squinted as I looked at the bright sunlight, which appeared no different than it had in the past. 

I sat down near the edge of the cave, just far back enough to be concealed by shadows. The tide was high and the icy water almost reached the edge of the cave. The occasional wave would flood into it, soaking me from the waist down.

Across the inlet, I could see the other numbers -tiny dots beneath the infinite sky. They were already up and completing Work that seemed as insignificant as they themselves. Would anyone notice I was gone?

Probably not. They would only notice the attendance counts dip slightly, insignificantly. I was just a number after all. Completely replaceable.

And I was set to go to the border as far as anyone knew.

But I would never make it to the border. Because even there I would be insignificant. If anything I would only be another mouth to feed until my legs were blown off and I was carted to a tent to be euthanized. 

Instead, I would be spared the experience, and...

The ghastly image of 3818 rose into my mind. I shuddered but banished it. For it was only that, an image constructed by my imagination.

3818 had been sent to the border...

No.

3818 had been euthanized for treason. 

3818 being dissolved in acid had been only a construct of my imagination.

3818 had only been a construct of my imagination.

"No!" I said out out loud. It has simply been so long, I thought...

The medication... It is making me think strangely. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the bottle of pills.

Take one every day the doctor had said.

Don't trust them...

I tossed the bottle into the sea, opening it first so that it wouldn't float.

Take one once a day...

but the injection.... It's contents were already flowing through my veins.

This will help you with lessons.

I turned my head to stare up at the sun. It became blurry but did not seem as bright as normal and I was not forced to look away. After several moments it seemed almost to dissolve against the sky. I continued to watch it until the feeling of nausea which had begun to grip me became too much to bare. I curled up in a fetal position, and waited for the feeling to pass.

Eventually, I sat up, and again began to watch the numbers doing their work to kill the time until the tide would go down. Time. It was nice to have time to kill, I thought. How little of it there seemed to be at the base. There was always Work, or helicopters to unload, or Lessons, or meal time. My stomach growled hungrily.

Breakfast would be soon, I reasoned. Too soon for the tides though. Perhaps I would make Lunch.

But then there would be Work. And there would be Lessons. 

                                                                        ***END OF PART 1***