LG Chp1

{ <h1>Little Greyton</h1> Little Greyton is still in development and this is the alpha text for the introduction. I would love to hear your feedback on what you think to the first chapter. Either leave a comment on facebook -->www.facebook.com/littlegreyton/ Or email me at bobbyberta@googlemail.com [[Start->Intro]] }

Endlessly I stare into the darkness, waiting for a flicker of light to bring me to my senses. A flash spreads across the cave with a sharp crackle. I shrink away from the brightness, shielding my eyes from the burning pain. As I enfurl my hands from my face, the light gently washes over me. The crackle turns into a screech and I bolt upright snapping myself awake, grabbing the alarm-clock I wrestling to mute the painful noise. It’s just another day. Flinging myself out of bed I present myself before the multi-screen before SHE has time to criticise my tardiness. Flickering into existence SHE starts barking instructions “Jump higher, squat lower.” The unrelenting voice continues until my body screams for this to stop. “Good work Serenity, you have done Maximo proud keeping our body in top condition.” I slump onto the floor catching my breath before forcing myself on towards work. The fresh air hits me as an unusually clear sky has allowed frost to settle on the ground. Warily I join the crowds of Maximo workers heading out of the housing complex towards the factory. Keeping my head lowered I try not to make eye contact, a splash of red inadvertently catches the corner of my eye. It’s a poster for an event tonight, but I’m carried away by the tide of workers before I can properly take it all in. The factory looms closer, a colossal concrete scar on the fields that surround it. Maximo Help Centre towers over the entrance in giant letters inviting in the employees and warning away the curious. Letting the wave of workers push me inside, I pass through the automatic doors logging my arrival. Spilling into the atrium of the factory the workers disperse towards their roles, forming tidey lines deeper into the factory. I find the queue towards the canteen, ready for breakfast before starting today’s tasks. The screech of metal against concrete greets me as I tread in time towards the food dispenser. Placing a tray under the whirling machine, I make sure to keep my hands away from the scalding liquid spurting out to cool as porridge. Shuffling away with my breakfast I join the next empty space at a metal table in the middle of the room. As I wait to let the grey mush settle, a flick of red catches my eye again. Staring carelessly across the expanse it seems the posters are also in here, scattered on some of the outer tables. Carefully I finish the porridge and join a queue out of the canteen, past a table covered in red. Hurrying deeper into the factory I find the Service Desk Department, still pondering over the posters I swing the cubicle door open. Slumping into my chair at the center of the two by two meter office I try to put the event out of my mind to focus on work. Plugging in the work cables I start analysing the technical issues that have been submitted. Glancing over the ticket list there are hundreds of password resets which have been flagged since the shift change an hour ago. I guess it’s the beginning of the month and it’s always the same employees who forget to change their password and locked themselves out of their consoles. Getting to work I dive into the system, reconnecting the accounts and forwarding on their temporary log in details. Working quickly I should be able to finish before lunch. Jolting to my sense, the lunch alarm reminds me to head to the canteen again, I dim the console and head out. The corridor trickles with people taking a break from their work, catching glimpses of familiar faces I turn my face downwards to avoid confrontation. The queue for the vending machine moves quickly and soon I’m making my way towards one of the outer tables covered in red. Glancing around the room I carefully edge a poster to face me. Reading over the tray filled with a grey stew the poster reads: Join Me 9pm in the Community Hall, you won’t be disappointed. Another worker joins me and I concentrate on gulping down the rest of my lunch before heading back to my desk. The afternoon races by as I reset more passwords and respond to some low level queries over data lines and retrieving documents. I can’t help wondering what it meant “You won’t be disappointed.” I live a simple comfortable life with nothing to worry about, the company provides all, there are no disappointments as there are no expectations. What would be the point in change? The day ends and I unplug myself from the console to collect the final meal of the day. Not feeling hungry I drift through the canteen wondering what tonight would hold. Back at my house I shower and refresh myself for the evening activities. These do not start till 2100 so I have a little time to decide what to do. A shiver of excitement runs down my spine as I contemplate missing the data theory course at the activity centre in favour of going to the community hall. [[Go to Community Hall to see the Event on the poster -> Choice 1.1]] or [[Go to Activity Centre to do the Data Theory Course->Choice 1.2]]

Stepping out into the clear night sky, I make my way to the edge of the housing complex. Standing at the boundary I listen, an electric car goes past on the other side of the gate but there’s only silence on the factory grounds. A rustle behind me pulls me to my senses and I hastily push through the gate into Little Greyton. Street lamps illuminate the way as I follow the road round towards the community centre, housed in a neo-gothic church. It feels strange to be familiar with a place having never been there before. Maximo showed me the details of the local area as they felt it necessary knowledge for all its employees before starting at the factory. Standing at the door of the church I knock, waiting to be let in. The doors creak open to reveal an empty hall dimly lit with a stage at the front. I enter and find a discreet place to stand at the back by the a wall. Looking up I see red fabric blooming from the ceiling, draping down the walls to frame the makeshift wooden stage. The lights fade completely before a spotlight focus on a hooded figure, throwing back the hood he bellows “Welcome, I’m here with one message. Break out of your routine and you will discover more than you could imagine.” With a theatrical swish of the cape he disappears down a trapdoor returning the lights to the hall. Stunned I turn and shuffle back outside letting the realisation dawn on me, I had missed my data theory class. The road back to Maximo was quiet and the gate gently creaked as I let myself back inside. Keeping close to the buildings I make my way back to block 44 letting myself in and collapsing on to the bed, exhausted by the long day. My head hit the pillow and I’m out like a light. [[END]]

The time reaches 2045 and I click the door shut behind me, bracing myself for the bitter air. Stepping into line with the rest of the workers I make my way towards the activity hall for tonight's session, Data Theory. I had fought for months to get onto the course completing tests and countless prerequisite programs in order to apply. I finally managed to get a place last night when I aced my Meta Data Rational putting me into the top 10%. Entering the activity hall I make my way to the room labeled data theory, logging my attendance as I pass into the room. Eight reclining chairs forming an inward facing circle are placed in the centre room, three already filled. Walking towards an empty chair I sit next to my classmates and plug myself in. Falling into the network I finding my feet and look around, standing next to me are two men and one woman forming a circle. We wait facing each other as the circle is slowly filled by four more colleagues. Blocks appear around us in random sizes and heights, illustrating abstract reasoning in three dimensions. Lines appear between the blocks pulses of information traveling between the nodes, watching we see some nodes swell and other fade all the while resonating between spheres and cubes. Suddenly blocks start splitting of from the larger entities throwing out lines to connect themselves to us. My head starts to spin as information travels between us and the shapes, I open my eyes, I’m back on the chair in the activity centre. Unplugging myself I carefully sit up and leverage myself of the chair, none of the other have yet awoken as I make my way out of the room. It had been such a strange feeling being connected to something much greater than yourself, an uncontrollable force that had accepted me. Without language or imagery, information seemed to flow between us as it tried to show and teach me abstract thought. My feet carried me to the door of block 44 letting myself in, I turn on the lights and collapse onto the bed. It seems the force was trying show me something greater, something new, expanding my reasoning, maybe it is time to step outside of Maximo’s complex. The lights dim as my eyes drop and I fall into a deep sleep. [[END]]

{ Thank you for reading. I would love to hear your feedback on what you think to the first chapter. Either leave a comment on facebook --> <a href= "www.facebook.com/littlegreyton/">www.facebook.com/littlegreyton/</a> Or email me at bobbyberta@googlemail.com [[Back to Start->Start]] }