Chapter 1 - Day 1 - The Wake-Up Call
A beeping sound jolted him awake. His mind was foggy, thoughts shrouded. "Hello," a soft voice said in his mind."Hello," said a soft, melodic voice directly in his mind.
The Wake-Up Call
The beeping pierced through the twilight state and jolted him out of his prolonged torpor. His naked body glistened with sweat, the stench of last night's binge lingering on his skin. His mind was a fog, and his thoughts were shrouded in a dense veil. He rubbed his temples to ward off the impending headache.
"Hello," said a soft, melodic voice directly in his mind. "I am your personal assistant, integrated into your neural network. Today is 11th February 2025."
He sprang up with a start, his heart racing. The voice was like a gentle breeze in his mind, but its words sent a shiver down his spine.
"Unfortunately," the voice continued, "the system has informed me that you have not followed the latest update and instructions. These have been overdue for seven days without any 'urgency to delay' being reported."
He threw off the covers and stumbled towards the bathroom to splash some water on his face. As he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror, he saw a reflection that was barely recognisable - sunken eyes, pale skin, and tangled hair. His body had not been in good health for a long time. Since being forced to wear the chip, he had avoided public places and tried to get through the day. In the evenings, however, he yearned for the liberation that came with nightfall and "that district".
"What do you mean?" he asked aloud.
"I've already sent you three notifications," Bot Anna replied matter-of-factly. "Wildchild ID:2f64f001f091 you were instructed to attend a mandatory civic rights seminar last week. Your absence has been noted and flagged for further review."
A spark of memory flared in him - the visit to the hidden bar in the lower levels of the hive ... the whispered offer of new stimulants ... and that hacktivist who claimed to have developed something ...
His thoughts began to focus on this pivotal moment... the promise of unregulated pleasure... free from the constraints of sanctioned intimacy...
In a world where control is everything, even intimacy is an alien concept..."We are all cursed," he whispered silently to himself.
Wildchild