“Today, at five in the afternoon and onwards, the temperature will be much colder this evening. Expect frequent light rain and stay safe folks.”
The reporter continued speaking as I focused my ears to the weathercast from the billboard above. I proceeded with my way as my mind wandered.
An advertisement rolled out as footsteps sounded at the pavement. A static sound crackled at my side.
“For crying out loud! Hey baldie, fix this crap of yours!” A loud voice rang as countless pounding sounds caused a commotion.
I swiveled to my left waiting at the end of the crosswalk. A few vehicles passed by me as I waited for the light to turn green.
The signal switched to green. I stepped off the curb as exhaust filled the air.
“Hey! Stop that, you impudent beggar!” Clacking sounds resounded as the voice of the man pounding was silenced.
The vehicle at my side screeched their engines then a gunshot roared throughout the street.
"Today's news, a man disrupted the city this hour as he pulled up a contraband that the law finds these actions deplorable and find this man guilty. His position as a grey citizen really consolidated his awful actions thus–”
“Huh?” Someone bumped into my shoulders. Buildings lit up around the city with the sunset gleaming in front of me.
I didn’t notice I had stopped as the crowd filled up the streets.
A drop of rain fell on my shoulders. I shrugged it off as a woman with her branded t-shirt walked up to me.
“Welcome Sir to our establishment! We offer great deals–”
Her voice clouded as I focused on the announcement.
“The astounding president of the Northern Coghr and the Southern Coghr pledged a peace treaty as they opened the Demilitarized Zone and united within one nation of Coghr.
‘The borders that separated us as a nation and the history that–’”
A tug on my sleeve awakened me as I spotted that she stopped speaking and wearing a smile with a brochure in her hand.
“I’m sorry,“ I took the brochure and smiled back.
She left after I took the brochure. I put my attention to the announcement however.
“WIth 971.8 million listeners, the popular music of this September–”
I weaved a sigh then continued walking.
“Rheana Boulepart officially retired from her acting career after the latest incident–”
“A homicide occurred at District Hudson 018 where the suspect took his life after–”
“Gerald Sithlan, the branch owner of Dike Industries was suspected of illegal trafficking of Stage 3 contraband–”
A gust of wind went into my face as I saw the execution platform.
A crowd of people started whispering as the executioner prepared the platform.
I stopped behind two men, their voices carrying. "Ah right, that is today isn't it?"
"Those scums should die," the other replied.
Few people left as prisoners with sacks in their heads proceeded to the platform.
Then a high piercing sound rang from the square.
“Ehem, one two, one two. As always, don't throw any kinds of objects as this action violates the UNHA Law of Anti-Vandalism Act of 2001 and that's it. Enjoy the proceedings of the Monthly Public Execution of October 2024.”
Guards behind reloaded their rifles as prisoners sat and tied to a chair facing in front of the square.
Some guards removed the fabric in their mouths. Then the guards behind readied their postures.
“All guards! Ready, Set—!”
“YOU GOVERNMENT SHI–”
“Fire!”
Countless gunshots filled the air, blood spilled in the sacks in their heads.
I left the square as rain fell, muffling the endless cheering and the smell of blood stenched within my clothes.
I looked at my hands. There were no papers, just crumpled candy.
“Oh right, I stored it in the office earlier.”
—
My clothes were drenched cold. The rain has stopped as my bag was half drenched.
Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
A door stood before me then pressed the doorbell beside it.
“This is Tenant 3FD Phoen Madam. I have come back from work.”
My whispers were hoarse and were inaudible but the door opened nevertheless. The cold seeped outside and shivered.
“It’s half past seven, you bastard. You do know the curfew was seven, right?”
An old woman in her walking stick walked backward as I entered the building.
“I know Madam but–”
“No buts, get home early or you get evicted.” She closed her eyes then smirked. “Or are you late because you found your soulmate?”
“Just shut up you old hag. I met Hyue and his sister at the park and had a long conversation.”
I took off my jacket and hung it on my shoulders. However, the old woman took it and put it in her basket.
“I’ll wash this for you as your punishment and go to your room. You smell like a dog in the mud.”
“Thanks Madam Leah.” I waved my hand as I strolled towards the elevator in front of me. The freezing wind tensed my hand then pressed the biometrics button.
“5F, 4F, 3F, 2F, G.”
Drenched clothes dripped through the floor. The mixed smell of rain and smoke permeated inside as numbers in the display went to three.
The elevator chimed as the doors slid open and walked towards my doorway. I reached into my man bag and grabbed my card then slipped it into a metal slit on the door.
The door clicked, releasing the hatch. My hand grasped the key, attached to the card, then inserted it in the knob’s keyhole and twisted the knob to open the door.
I sighed and pushed the door. The room was dark then I took off my coat and my bag as I hung them in the wall mounted coat rack then stored my keys in my cargo pants.
I flicked the switch then the room lit up. Papers cluttered the table, notes pinned through a boar clung to a nail. However, the floors were clean, clothes in the basket, and bed was organized.
“That lady sure likes to intrude in my room.” I sighed as I walked towards the hanging towel at the basket.
I locked the door as my hand twisted the knob lock then walked in the corridors.
The wet splotching sound of my socks squishing in my shoes as cold air brought my body to shiver.
I glanced at the rooms ahead. My eyelids twitched from the sudden flickering of light and a whirring sound reverberated in the corridors.
I reached the bathroom located at the end of the hallway. A bell sound rang as I began opening the door.
“Time of day, eight in the evening. Turning on the night light.”
The hallway dimmed down as I entered the bathroom.
—
After the shower, I entered my room.
“F-fucking aircon. Who t-the hell reduced the t-thermostat?” I immediately closed the door and dried myself with a towel.
My hands reached the remote hanging on a mounted holder and put it back after increasing the temperature. I went to the closet and wore my usual shirt and pajamas as my eyes glanced at the papers pressed in the bulletin board mounted on a wall with a table placed directly below it.
Project Coriander Flower: Can it change the human industry?
I approached the newsletter.
Strings dangled at the pushed pins, seemingly connecting to a redacted paper full of black lines. Photos of children attached to every newspaper report and a singular sticky note with a drawn flower stuck in the corner.
“Why did UNHA announce support to us where they could give them to archeologists?”
My finger pushed the PC button as the desktop opened up. However, when the home screen appeared, the UNHA logo appeared in the wallpaper and a light appeared beside the monitor’s camera.
I sighed, shut down the computer, opened the drawer full of electronic parts, and grabbed a chocolate bar keychain and a piece of brown square plug. I stood up, noticed the CCTV camera, reached for my phone in my bag, and lay in bed while attaching the keychain in my phone case.
I adjusted my body to lean in the headboard while grabbing the earbud case in my nightstand, wearing the earbuds as I grabbed the small bronze sticker glued on the case and attached it to my phone.
Releasing the USB C stick hidden inside the keychain and replacing it in the plug, I plugged the USB in my phone and turned it on.
A Dhaikron phone brand logo appeared, but it disappeared when the phone vibrated. Then, text began scrolling.
—
[00:05] UNHA OS v12.4.8 detected
[00:10] Scanning potential restrictions...
[00:15] Modified Type-2 Surveillance identified
[00:15] Variant signature: UNKNOWN
[00:15] Aborting access…
—
The Dhaikron phone brand logo reappeared as it loads.
I sighed as I unplugged the USB stick and put it back as it was before.
The phone opens to the lock screen, UNHA logo appearing in the wallpaper.
I swiped and notifications rang out, then entered the usual password and it went in.
Nothing changed on the home screen as I tapped the Aleph application.
News in the entertainment news platform burst in below the search bar. Avoiding all the news, I typed at the search bar.
“Orphanage AND historical writing.”
Results were none. I tried again.
“Project Coriander Flower AND historical writing.”
Results were none. I tried again.
“Project Coriander Flower AND recent illegal child immigration.”
Articles were shown. A few were government-authenticated news platforms as others are commercialized news articles.
I clicked at the third of the shown results, a commercialized article.
‘Why orphaned children being sold to other countries is a wasteful trade?’
The article was long but provided some information of orphanages included in the lists of beneficiaries of several countries.
“Government officials of Choridia have been quite performative on the legalization of child labor huh.” My lips curved as I stared at the picture of happy children being led to the van.
I continued reading the article and reached the final sentence.
‘Project CF has been effective since the 1990s and will continue to positively affect our labor force until 2030 as we develop machines to replace labor in the future. I expect that UNHA would not deviate from their principles and add value to their effective projects.
Last Updated: 7-24-2024’
I checked the time as it was exactly nine in the evening.
I stood up and switched off the lights, looking at the documents at the board.
Friday, October 4 2024, 21:01 PM
