Calisthenic Ray had just left his gym late one evening when a Patrol Denier passed by. Ray rushed to the alley way in hopes that the Denier didn’t spot him. He was safe. The patrol denier was a automaton droid that patrolled the streets when elevenspan had passed. Ray knew it was past elevenspan.He shouldn’t be so careless.
He knew if he was spotted out, he would be accused of anti-Empire activities. He had to be careful walking home, or else the Nimrod Siren might sound. Chancellor Nimrod had them installed several doudenary shifts ago, shortly after The Upheaval. The sirens were also automatons that patrolled The Polis like the deniers. The deniers detained you for transport to Yo Dungeon. A temporary hold until sixspan came, but the chances of getting out with out a trip to the BRA Shinerwere much better than being lifted by the Sirens. The Sirens alerted the Empire Force. Led by the Chancellor’s own son, Stud Yurts. Stud was a sadistic man. The Polis was full of stories and rumors of things he had done to plebes that had been found by the Sirens and sent to the BRA Shiner. BRA was an acronym for Break the Resistance Affiliation. They were detained for weeks, fed Mealy Corncob, and were subjected to what they called Munity Toasts. The toasts were actually sayings, quotes from the Empire Resolution. If you didn’t recite the quotes verbatim, it became a Poky Comment. You were repeatedly jabbed with what they called a Comb Grill. Plebes were routinely subjected to punishment for anti-Empire activities. They were forced to sleep on old newspapers, confiscated from the pre-Empire era. The newspapers were always more than moist. And there were several other stories out there. Ray often wondered if they were just that, stories, to scare the plebes into submission.
He was almost home now. So far no sign of any more Deniers or Sirens. As he walked by the Normal Noodles deli he thought back when his Delilah was still here. She loved Normal Noodles. He used to take her there every Tuesday, or as it was now called, Thirdiurnal. He lost Delilah during the Resolution. He had been threatened with the BRA Shiner if he resisted any further. Without Delilah there was no reason to resist. So he went on, running his gym, without provocation.
He passed the Almond Earner on the corner, as he did everday. The Empire had outlawed currency. Now plebes were commanded to pay for good or services with Almonds. The problem was that almonds were foreign to the area, and therefore in short supply. And plebes didn’t actually get the almonds either. the were alloted a monthly raion at the Almond Earner. When a plebe submitted their Empirical Code, they received their Almond balance on a piece of paper. Their work level determined the amount of almonds one received on a monthly basis. Ray smirked to himself as he walked by the Almond Earner. The Empire has literally reduced people to work for nuts, he thought. How insidious. We were no longer people, humans. We work plebes, workers, servants to the Empire. There probably were no almonds. We were toiling all day for imaginary kernels. Barely able to feed our children, he thought. Meanwhile the Empirical Council lived outside the walls. Who knows how it was out there, he thought.
Everything was white. Ray didn’t even hear the siren. He didn’t even notice the Empire Force shadowing his every movement as he approached the steps of his co-op dormitory. And now he didn’t even remember being transported to the BRA Shiner. But he knew where he was. Everything glistened in a crisp, clean, overpowering, achromic white. The silence was deafening. In the distance, the faint sound of an automaton droid patrolling the hallway outside. purrrrrr tats, purrrrr tats, purr tats.
On the wall, opposite from him, hung a elegantly framed picture of him and Delilah eating at the Normal Noodles deli. It was a Tuesday.