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through the apartment.
‘What the bloody hell is that?’ I yell, expecting no answer but then
Charlie peeps round my door and says in his monotonous voice,
‘That is the nation’s anthem. Please respect it.’
As I look around my room, I find a silver suit sitting on the end of
my bed and reluctantly put it on to make Charlie happy. It feels too
smooth and smells of toilet cleaner. As I enter the kitchen, the
television flutters on and a man with silver hair appears on screen.
‘Good Morning New New York, today is Wednesday the 7th of
April 2120, the weather will be 23 degrees today and it will rain at
exactly 12:30pm. As usual no problems to report from The Centre,
so that is all. Remember control is key, yours truly Mayor Fink.’
I start to laugh but then see Charlie mesmerised by the screen, ‘
Control is key.’ He repeats softly. A buzzer sounds and the metal
cupboard doors open revealing two plates of breakfast.
Later on in the morning I find myself in the tube again, heading
towards The Centre for my initiation. I feel sad and lonely on this
sky journey, uncomfortable in my new world. The doors of the tube
open, I take a deep breath in and then step into The Centre. At
lunchtime I ditch the containers of bland food and head to the
windows lining the sides of The Centre. As I look out over the city I
no longer recognise, I think back to this morning’s intensive lessons
on the nation of New New York.
I first learnt that there is a schedule for everyday, which everyone
follows: wake up is at 7am and breakfast and announcements are at
7:30am. At 8am work commences at The Centre for everyone.
Lunch is at 12:30pm and work finishes every day at 4pm. Dinner is
served at 7:30pm, all lights in the whole city go off at 9pm and at this
time no one is allowed outside or an alarm sounds. Jobs in the society
are split into four different levels: Technology, which involves all
broadcasts, electricity, data sorting etc. Health, which is medics and
researchers. Policy, which includes politics, and officials who are like
policeman that roam the streets and make weekly checks on
everyone. Last of all, there is the maintenance sector which includes
cooks and cleaners.
On the way home in the tube all I can think about is how I want
a coffee from Mario’s, my old local café. How did I end up here? I
don’t remember wanting to be frozen, but here I am, stuck in this
horrific era. This society is the extreme of control. People here are
Control
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