(An * indicates that that is the end of a life cycle for David. If it ends abruptly, like it has little resolution--for instance, the first one--it can be assumed that the rest of his days were lived on like this for some time, perhaps years, but there is always some sort of accident that causes an unnatural death for David, bringing him back to the office. More asterisks are added each time, to indicate which life cycle you're on while reading.
This post covers life cycles one and two.)
This is the story of a young man named David. David, having needed a job outside of his normal human schoolwork to pay for necessities for him and his grandfather (whom he lives with), worked for a company in a big building where he was Employee No. 427. Employee No. 427’s job was simple; he sat at his desk in Room 427, and he pushed buttons on a keyboard. Orders came to him through a monitor next to his desk, telling him what buttons to push, how long to push them, and in what order. This is what Employee 427 did every day of every week of every month. And although others might have considered it soul-ripping, David was happy.*
And then one day, something very peculiar happened. Something that would forever change David. Something that he would never quite forget.
He had been at his desk for nearly an hour, when he realized that not one single order had arrived on the monitor for him to follow. No one had showed up to give him instructions, call a meeting, or even say 'hi'. Never before during his time at the company had this happened; this complete isolation. Something was very clearly wrong. Shocked, David found himself unable to move for the longest time. But as he came to his wits and regained his senses, he got up from his desk and went out into the hallway.
David decided to go to the meeting room; perhaps he had simply missed a memo. He didn’t function well by himself, and almost constantly needed support and guidance from others, so the thought of total solitude was terrifying to him.
When David came to a set of two open doors, he entered the door on his left, and continued down the hallway.
As David entered the room, he was horrified to find not a single person there. He decided he would walk up to see his boss, hoping he would find an answer there. Exiting the meeting room and coming to a staircase, he went up.
Coming into his manager’s office, David was once again stunned to discover not an indication of any human life. It was at this point that he began to feel dizzy, and maybe a bit sick, and even thought he might pass out, when suddenly he noticed a giant keypad behind the boss's desk. David had never seen this keypad before and had no idea what combination of numbers would produce any result. In fact, only David’s boss knew this, since the panel withheld access to the boss’s greatest, darkest secret. And so he had assigned the keypad a combination that only he could possibly know. The number of his freshman dorm number in college. 2-8-4-5. But of course, David couldn’t possibly have known this.
Yet incredibly, by simply pushing random buttons on the keypad, David happened to input the correct code by sheer luck. Amazing.
David ventured forth into a dim room that had opened through the wall. An enormous control panel, David discovered, but not one that controlled simple machinery. Buttons were labelled with emotions. 'Happy'. 'Sad'. Levers and knobs controlled actions. 'Walking'. 'Eating'. 'Working'. 'Watching Television'. Every input on this device monitored not the functions of a machine, but of a human being. He was shocked. Could this be why Employee No. 427 enjoyed his boring job? That a machine had altered his emotions to accept it blindly? He began to feel an unbridled rage, and at the peak of anger, something happened. A spark. David looked up and saw the generator overhead, still providing some bit of power to the machine, keeping it alive. And knowing that this generator was the only thing keeping these controls running, he went over to the ladder in the back in the room, and began to climb towards the rafters, towards the machine's power controls. The higher David climbed, the closer he felt to freedom.
Reaching the top, he paused. An idea came to him. David smirked, and pushed the 'ON' button.
Oh, David. You didn’t just turn on the controls, did you? After it kept you enslaved all this time, you go and try to take control of the machine for yourself? Is that what you wanted? Control? David. Oh, David. Heheh, I applaud your effort, I really do, but you need to understand…there’s only so much that machine can do. You were meant to let it go, turn the controls off and leave. If you want to throw your story off track (and in front of my friends, too!), you’re going to have to do better than that. I’m afraid you don’t have nearly the power you think you do. For example, and I believe you’ll find this pertinent…
David suddenly realized that he had just initiated the network’s emergency detonation system. In the event that this machine is activated without proper DNA identification, nuclear detonators are set to explode, eliminating the entire complex. How long until detonation, then? Mm…let’s make it say, um, two minutes.
Then, a counter in yellow text marked ‘2:00’ flashed into David’s vision at the top of his eyesight, and began to count down. No matter how hard he blinked or rubbed his eyes it would not disappear.
Now, this is making things a little more fun, isn’t it, David? Now go ahead, go down back to the floor level and play with those controls all you like. The real controls are where I’m sitting. Did you really ever believe you had any power? Did you not think I knew what I was doing? When I erased your coworkers and turned off the machine, I was offering you freedom and escape. I didn’t have to do that. I’ve run this situation many times and I don’t always set them free. Sometimes they just sit there, day after day after day, doing their job forever, and then dying alone. But when I actually give you the freedom to control your own actions, it’s not enough? I let you go, and you trapped yourself just the same. You just weren’t made to handle this sort of responsibility, I’m afraid. But you know what you were made for?
Pushing buttons.
Hm, you get it now? Oh, now I’m enjoying this. Tell you what, I’ll throw some extra time on the clock just because I’m having so much fun. The counter in David’s vision, that was previously at forty-seven seconds, now had an added minute. There we go. You see, I want to watch you for every long second you try to puzzle this out. After all, it should make sense, right? The timer, the nuclear detonation, the mysterious facility, it’s all here. This is an adventure! Except for one thing there, hero. You’ve got no weapon. No vehicle. You don’t even know what you’re doing.
When you saw that timer, you just instinctively starting trying to find an exit, didn’t you? In fact, I bet you’re still looking for a way out. I bet you’re pressing and touching everything in the room, trying to open doors or vents or something, and solve the puzzle! As though this has a solution, as though it can be won! That timer is not a catalyst to keep things moving along. It’s just seconds ticking away to your death. This is not a challenge. It’s a tragedy. It’s the moment that the hero realizes that despite his best efforts, he is powerless to his environment. And then, he lets go. He surrenders. And he dies.
Thirty seconds, David, as you know. Thirty seconds. Until a boom…and then nothing. No ending to your story. Just you dying. But you won’t be alone, because I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be here to watch every second of your inevitable life, from the time you’re born, until the time I say happily…
[0:02]
ever…
[0:01]
af-
[0:00]
**
This post covers life cycles one and two.)
This is the story of a young man named David. David, having needed a job outside of his normal human schoolwork to pay for necessities for him and his grandfather (whom he lives with), worked for a company in a big building where he was Employee No. 427. Employee No. 427’s job was simple; he sat at his desk in Room 427, and he pushed buttons on a keyboard. Orders came to him through a monitor next to his desk, telling him what buttons to push, how long to push them, and in what order. This is what Employee 427 did every day of every week of every month. And although others might have considered it soul-ripping, David was happy.*
And then one day, something very peculiar happened. Something that would forever change David. Something that he would never quite forget.
He had been at his desk for nearly an hour, when he realized that not one single order had arrived on the monitor for him to follow. No one had showed up to give him instructions, call a meeting, or even say 'hi'. Never before during his time at the company had this happened; this complete isolation. Something was very clearly wrong. Shocked, David found himself unable to move for the longest time. But as he came to his wits and regained his senses, he got up from his desk and went out into the hallway.
David decided to go to the meeting room; perhaps he had simply missed a memo. He didn’t function well by himself, and almost constantly needed support and guidance from others, so the thought of total solitude was terrifying to him.
When David came to a set of two open doors, he entered the door on his left, and continued down the hallway.
As David entered the room, he was horrified to find not a single person there. He decided he would walk up to see his boss, hoping he would find an answer there. Exiting the meeting room and coming to a staircase, he went up.
Coming into his manager’s office, David was once again stunned to discover not an indication of any human life. It was at this point that he began to feel dizzy, and maybe a bit sick, and even thought he might pass out, when suddenly he noticed a giant keypad behind the boss's desk. David had never seen this keypad before and had no idea what combination of numbers would produce any result. In fact, only David’s boss knew this, since the panel withheld access to the boss’s greatest, darkest secret. And so he had assigned the keypad a combination that only he could possibly know. The number of his freshman dorm number in college. 2-8-4-5. But of course, David couldn’t possibly have known this.
Yet incredibly, by simply pushing random buttons on the keypad, David happened to input the correct code by sheer luck. Amazing.
David ventured forth into a dim room that had opened through the wall. An enormous control panel, David discovered, but not one that controlled simple machinery. Buttons were labelled with emotions. 'Happy'. 'Sad'. Levers and knobs controlled actions. 'Walking'. 'Eating'. 'Working'. 'Watching Television'. Every input on this device monitored not the functions of a machine, but of a human being. He was shocked. Could this be why Employee No. 427 enjoyed his boring job? That a machine had altered his emotions to accept it blindly? He began to feel an unbridled rage, and at the peak of anger, something happened. A spark. David looked up and saw the generator overhead, still providing some bit of power to the machine, keeping it alive. And knowing that this generator was the only thing keeping these controls running, he went over to the ladder in the back in the room, and began to climb towards the rafters, towards the machine's power controls. The higher David climbed, the closer he felt to freedom.
Reaching the top, he paused. An idea came to him. David smirked, and pushed the 'ON' button.
Oh, David. You didn’t just turn on the controls, did you? After it kept you enslaved all this time, you go and try to take control of the machine for yourself? Is that what you wanted? Control? David. Oh, David. Heheh, I applaud your effort, I really do, but you need to understand…there’s only so much that machine can do. You were meant to let it go, turn the controls off and leave. If you want to throw your story off track (and in front of my friends, too!), you’re going to have to do better than that. I’m afraid you don’t have nearly the power you think you do. For example, and I believe you’ll find this pertinent…
David suddenly realized that he had just initiated the network’s emergency detonation system. In the event that this machine is activated without proper DNA identification, nuclear detonators are set to explode, eliminating the entire complex. How long until detonation, then? Mm…let’s make it say, um, two minutes.
Then, a counter in yellow text marked ‘2:00’ flashed into David’s vision at the top of his eyesight, and began to count down. No matter how hard he blinked or rubbed his eyes it would not disappear.
Now, this is making things a little more fun, isn’t it, David? Now go ahead, go down back to the floor level and play with those controls all you like. The real controls are where I’m sitting. Did you really ever believe you had any power? Did you not think I knew what I was doing? When I erased your coworkers and turned off the machine, I was offering you freedom and escape. I didn’t have to do that. I’ve run this situation many times and I don’t always set them free. Sometimes they just sit there, day after day after day, doing their job forever, and then dying alone. But when I actually give you the freedom to control your own actions, it’s not enough? I let you go, and you trapped yourself just the same. You just weren’t made to handle this sort of responsibility, I’m afraid. But you know what you were made for?
Pushing buttons.
Hm, you get it now? Oh, now I’m enjoying this. Tell you what, I’ll throw some extra time on the clock just because I’m having so much fun. The counter in David’s vision, that was previously at forty-seven seconds, now had an added minute. There we go. You see, I want to watch you for every long second you try to puzzle this out. After all, it should make sense, right? The timer, the nuclear detonation, the mysterious facility, it’s all here. This is an adventure! Except for one thing there, hero. You’ve got no weapon. No vehicle. You don’t even know what you’re doing.
When you saw that timer, you just instinctively starting trying to find an exit, didn’t you? In fact, I bet you’re still looking for a way out. I bet you’re pressing and touching everything in the room, trying to open doors or vents or something, and solve the puzzle! As though this has a solution, as though it can be won! That timer is not a catalyst to keep things moving along. It’s just seconds ticking away to your death. This is not a challenge. It’s a tragedy. It’s the moment that the hero realizes that despite his best efforts, he is powerless to his environment. And then, he lets go. He surrenders. And he dies.
Thirty seconds, David, as you know. Thirty seconds. Until a boom…and then nothing. No ending to your story. Just you dying. But you won’t be alone, because I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be here to watch every second of your inevitable life, from the time you’re born, until the time I say happily…
[0:02]
ever…
[0:01]
af-
[0:00]
**
Last edited by Halloweenie on Thu Nov 21, 2013 6:39 pm; edited 1 time in total