The Wrong Reflection
The pale sunlight gently threw itself over the tops of the sleek skyscrapers, filling up the dark streets with dim light and a sense of morning. The sleeping city did not stir. The silence echoed around the empty streets and lonely rooftops. It showed no hint of life, not a even a flicker.
As the sun grew stronger, rising above the tall towers of metal and spilling out everywhere, Only then did this city awake from its deep slumber. Slowly but gradually building, people emerged from their houses. Soon the streets were filled with the sound of brisk footsteps and the flourish of jackets and bags. Car engines revved and shutters rattled up to declare opening shops. People filled the narrow grey streets. Work, school, shopping, everyone had somewhere to be and something to do. But no one had anything to say to anyone. The empty silence still lingered, as if waiting for something. A brightness, a spark of individuality, anything the showed these were people and not mindless robots. But nothing was there. Just a silence where voices should be.
Everything else was normal. Just a normal morning on another normal day. Jin stood out on the pavement, dressed in a dark suit and armed with a paper cup of coffee and a pile of paperwork. He wasn't headed to his office as usual. He was headed to the hospital for his longly anticipated
"Reproduction and I.Q Selected" results. The tests that he completed a few months before were to determined whether he was a worth candidate for the
"Reproductive Program".
Sweeping his black curls from his eyes, he cut into the oncoming crowd and headed towards the hospital building that sat a few streets away. He glanced around him at his company. Blank faces stated ahead, not even noticing Jin's gaze. He took in the blank faces, recognising some vaguely.
"I wonder where everyone's going?" Jin thought to himself absently as he brought his coffee to his lips and let the hot liquid flow down his throat. He paused for a moment, noticing something out of the corner of his eye. He put the cup down and looked to his left. A man, about the same age as him, dressed also in a suit, was staring intently at him from the other side of the road, a smug-like smile playing on his pale lips. Jin merely raised an eyebrow slightly before turning around the street corner. But as he was out of sight from the strange man, a shiver shot down his spine. Something was off about him. He seemed to have something about him that made him stand out. Something in his eyes that Jin had never seen before. What he could only describe as 'a spark'.
"don't be stupid." Jin furrowed his brows and took another sip of the coffee. "stop thinking like an Immune."
The 'Immunes' - as they were dubbed- were people who showed feeling and emotional attachments to things. People who had let their heart take over their brain and act without a thought.
"Such beliefs do not exist in beings of civilised concept." This is what was taught to everyone from when they were children until the day the died. Jin, and everyone else of his generation, had been taught this the hardest. During his lifetime, signs of revolt were everywhere, threatening the society. But soon Leaders managed to control and 'Terminate' anyone the considered a threat to the system and society.
This put the fear for anyone to speak out freely and even think freely, so no one did. But Jin's thoughts were beginning to stray from what was considered moral and civilised. He had often caught himself thinking about how the city was before all the changes? How people lived and survived without the fear of Termination hanging over them. And what were 'love' and 'compassion'? Why did they make people go to extreme lengths as to sacrifice themselves for someone else? These thoughts flew around Jin's head most day but he did not breath a word of it to anyone. He knew the consequences of that all too well.
The doors swished open as Jin made his way into the hospitals reception. He put his empty coffee cup in the bin and headed towards the desk at the far end of the dull white room. Sitting the paperwork down on the desk, he glanced around. A nurse stood with her back to him behind the desk, typing something into to a tablet devise. Jin took an intake of breath the cleared his throat loudly. "Excuse me?"
His lone toned voice echoed in the quiet room. The nurse turned to him and nodded, before coming over. She took the paperwork he sat on the desk and skimmed over it. "Akanishi Jin?" she asked in an almost inaudible voice. Jin nodded. The nurse looked back down at the paper then nodded again. "I see, RIQS results. I have them here..."
She leaned over and picked up a neat white envelope. "All the results papers are in here. You have to contact the email address displayed at the end once you are content with your results."
Jin took the envelops and bowed his head slightly. "Thank you."
With that he left. Quick and efficient, just like everything else in the city. No room for distraction or mindless chatter. Go, whatever you went for do, then leave. Nothing more, nothing less.
The office was loud when Jin arrived. The clatter of paperwork and the intense tapping on keys seemed a lot more animated that usual. People were moving around, uncomfortable and looking slightly bewildered. Jin let out a sigh and slumped at his desk holding the envelope out in front of him with both hands. He hadn't bothered to open it, nor till he plan to until that night. He stated blankly at the envelope, listening to the sounds around him. Tapping keyboards, beeping machines, an occasional cough.... murmured voices? Jin sat up a little, furrowing his brows and listening closely. He could hear the low toned buzz of a few voices coming from his left. He swished his head left and looked. Three men stood at the water dispenser and were murmuring quietly to one another, with serious looks on their faces. Jin stated at them, wondering what in earth they could be talking about. Setting the envelope into the top drawer of his grey metal desk then shutting it, he got up and walked over to the fax machine, which was almost perfectly placed on the other side of a large pillar. On the other side of the pillar, the men continued their talk. Curiously, Jin listened in. He knew two of the three men standing, but he could not see the other as he had his grey suited back to him. He could still hear what was being said.
"So what do you think about the idea?" asked Grey-Suit with a tone of smugness.
"I think it's a great idea, but only if your willing to risk your life." Replied Jin's head of office. "I mean it's a sure easy way to get yourself terminated. I'm not sure if we should..." he turned to the other office worker who nodded slightly in agreement.
Grey-suit clenched his fist angrily.
"Well why the hell did you ask me to come out here to initiate you?" He growled quietly.
Head of office sighed. "I thought it would be a less dangerous way to get there. I mean all that sounds a bit extreme for a man of my age..."
"And, I just got on the Reproductive Programme!" The office worker butted in. "They'll keep closer tabs on me now!"
Grey-suit made a sound of disgust and turned his head to look out of the crystal clear full length window. The view was beautiful. They were on the 20th floor, so the building over-looked the roofs of other smaller buildings. Sunlight streamed into them from the rich blue sky. Everything was illuminated in light and it glowed. "This city makes me sick." Jin caught Grey-suit whisper. "It's just an illusion, a stranger to what it once was..."
Jin's eyes widened. This man knew what the old city was like? How was that even possible? He turned his head slightly to look at this man that seemed able to answer all his questions. He was not prepared for what he saw. It made the adrenalin of shock and a little fear pulse through his veins.
Standing infront of him was that man from across the street that morning. The man with the 'spark' in his eyes. Jin snapped his head back round and pretended to fax.
What was this man doing here and what was this 'initiation' he was talking about? It obviously broke serious rules if there was a chance of being terminated.
Jin shook his head, giving up trying to work it out.
'it's got nothing to do with you. Why did you start listening anyway?'
But he could not shake off the feeling that this man brought to him, a sharp shiver down his spine and an off feeling. He picked up some paper and turned to leave when a hand was laid on his shoulder. Jin jumped a little and turned his head slightly. He felt the person lean into his ear and spoke with a soft yet husky whisper which made Jin shudder with a feeling that scared him. He'd never felt it before, ever. Whatever it was, Jin knew it was wrong.
"Why are you faxing blank sheets of paper?" the voice whispered seductively. Jin's eyed widened and he felt a deep embarrassed blush flare up his neck and into his handsome cheekbones. He put his head down and stammered almost inaudibly. "W-what's it t-to you?"
The voice laughed gently, a deep sexy laugh which made Jin shudder with the feeling again. He gripped into the blank paper tightly trying desperately to hide his beaming red face. A few seconds passed and he felt the hand leave his shoulder. "Next time, make it less obvious your listening."
Jin turned to exclaim he hadn't been, but Grey-suit had vanished.
As the sun grew stronger, rising above the tall towers of metal and spilling out everywhere, Only then did this city awake from its deep slumber. Slowly but gradually building, people emerged from their houses. Soon the streets were filled with the sound of brisk footsteps and the flourish of jackets and bags. Car engines revved and shutters rattled up to declare opening shops. People filled the narrow grey streets. Work, school, shopping, everyone had somewhere to be and something to do. But no one had anything to say to anyone. The empty silence still lingered, as if waiting for something. A brightness, a spark of individuality, anything the showed these were people and not mindless robots. But nothing was there. Just a silence where voices should be.
Everything else was normal. Just a normal morning on another normal day. Jin stood out on the pavement, dressed in a dark suit and armed with a paper cup of coffee and a pile of paperwork. He wasn't headed to his office as usual. He was headed to the hospital for his longly anticipated
"Reproduction and I.Q Selected" results. The tests that he completed a few months before were to determined whether he was a worth candidate for the
"Reproductive Program".
Sweeping his black curls from his eyes, he cut into the oncoming crowd and headed towards the hospital building that sat a few streets away. He glanced around him at his company. Blank faces stated ahead, not even noticing Jin's gaze. He took in the blank faces, recognising some vaguely.
"I wonder where everyone's going?" Jin thought to himself absently as he brought his coffee to his lips and let the hot liquid flow down his throat. He paused for a moment, noticing something out of the corner of his eye. He put the cup down and looked to his left. A man, about the same age as him, dressed also in a suit, was staring intently at him from the other side of the road, a smug-like smile playing on his pale lips. Jin merely raised an eyebrow slightly before turning around the street corner. But as he was out of sight from the strange man, a shiver shot down his spine. Something was off about him. He seemed to have something about him that made him stand out. Something in his eyes that Jin had never seen before. What he could only describe as 'a spark'.
"don't be stupid." Jin furrowed his brows and took another sip of the coffee. "stop thinking like an Immune."
The 'Immunes' - as they were dubbed- were people who showed feeling and emotional attachments to things. People who had let their heart take over their brain and act without a thought.
"Such beliefs do not exist in beings of civilised concept." This is what was taught to everyone from when they were children until the day the died. Jin, and everyone else of his generation, had been taught this the hardest. During his lifetime, signs of revolt were everywhere, threatening the society. But soon Leaders managed to control and 'Terminate' anyone the considered a threat to the system and society.
This put the fear for anyone to speak out freely and even think freely, so no one did. But Jin's thoughts were beginning to stray from what was considered moral and civilised. He had often caught himself thinking about how the city was before all the changes? How people lived and survived without the fear of Termination hanging over them. And what were 'love' and 'compassion'? Why did they make people go to extreme lengths as to sacrifice themselves for someone else? These thoughts flew around Jin's head most day but he did not breath a word of it to anyone. He knew the consequences of that all too well.
The doors swished open as Jin made his way into the hospitals reception. He put his empty coffee cup in the bin and headed towards the desk at the far end of the dull white room. Sitting the paperwork down on the desk, he glanced around. A nurse stood with her back to him behind the desk, typing something into to a tablet devise. Jin took an intake of breath the cleared his throat loudly. "Excuse me?"
His lone toned voice echoed in the quiet room. The nurse turned to him and nodded, before coming over. She took the paperwork he sat on the desk and skimmed over it. "Akanishi Jin?" she asked in an almost inaudible voice. Jin nodded. The nurse looked back down at the paper then nodded again. "I see, RIQS results. I have them here..."
She leaned over and picked up a neat white envelope. "All the results papers are in here. You have to contact the email address displayed at the end once you are content with your results."
Jin took the envelops and bowed his head slightly. "Thank you."
With that he left. Quick and efficient, just like everything else in the city. No room for distraction or mindless chatter. Go, whatever you went for do, then leave. Nothing more, nothing less.
The office was loud when Jin arrived. The clatter of paperwork and the intense tapping on keys seemed a lot more animated that usual. People were moving around, uncomfortable and looking slightly bewildered. Jin let out a sigh and slumped at his desk holding the envelope out in front of him with both hands. He hadn't bothered to open it, nor till he plan to until that night. He stated blankly at the envelope, listening to the sounds around him. Tapping keyboards, beeping machines, an occasional cough.... murmured voices? Jin sat up a little, furrowing his brows and listening closely. He could hear the low toned buzz of a few voices coming from his left. He swished his head left and looked. Three men stood at the water dispenser and were murmuring quietly to one another, with serious looks on their faces. Jin stated at them, wondering what in earth they could be talking about. Setting the envelope into the top drawer of his grey metal desk then shutting it, he got up and walked over to the fax machine, which was almost perfectly placed on the other side of a large pillar. On the other side of the pillar, the men continued their talk. Curiously, Jin listened in. He knew two of the three men standing, but he could not see the other as he had his grey suited back to him. He could still hear what was being said.
"So what do you think about the idea?" asked Grey-Suit with a tone of smugness.
"I think it's a great idea, but only if your willing to risk your life." Replied Jin's head of office. "I mean it's a sure easy way to get yourself terminated. I'm not sure if we should..." he turned to the other office worker who nodded slightly in agreement.
Grey-suit clenched his fist angrily.
"Well why the hell did you ask me to come out here to initiate you?" He growled quietly.
Head of office sighed. "I thought it would be a less dangerous way to get there. I mean all that sounds a bit extreme for a man of my age..."
"And, I just got on the Reproductive Programme!" The office worker butted in. "They'll keep closer tabs on me now!"
Grey-suit made a sound of disgust and turned his head to look out of the crystal clear full length window. The view was beautiful. They were on the 20th floor, so the building over-looked the roofs of other smaller buildings. Sunlight streamed into them from the rich blue sky. Everything was illuminated in light and it glowed. "This city makes me sick." Jin caught Grey-suit whisper. "It's just an illusion, a stranger to what it once was..."
Jin's eyes widened. This man knew what the old city was like? How was that even possible? He turned his head slightly to look at this man that seemed able to answer all his questions. He was not prepared for what he saw. It made the adrenalin of shock and a little fear pulse through his veins.
Standing infront of him was that man from across the street that morning. The man with the 'spark' in his eyes. Jin snapped his head back round and pretended to fax.
What was this man doing here and what was this 'initiation' he was talking about? It obviously broke serious rules if there was a chance of being terminated.
Jin shook his head, giving up trying to work it out.
'it's got nothing to do with you. Why did you start listening anyway?'
But he could not shake off the feeling that this man brought to him, a sharp shiver down his spine and an off feeling. He picked up some paper and turned to leave when a hand was laid on his shoulder. Jin jumped a little and turned his head slightly. He felt the person lean into his ear and spoke with a soft yet husky whisper which made Jin shudder with a feeling that scared him. He'd never felt it before, ever. Whatever it was, Jin knew it was wrong.
"Why are you faxing blank sheets of paper?" the voice whispered seductively. Jin's eyed widened and he felt a deep embarrassed blush flare up his neck and into his handsome cheekbones. He put his head down and stammered almost inaudibly. "W-what's it t-to you?"
The voice laughed gently, a deep sexy laugh which made Jin shudder with the feeling again. He gripped into the blank paper tightly trying desperately to hide his beaming red face. A few seconds passed and he felt the hand leave his shoulder. "Next time, make it less obvious your listening."
Jin turned to exclaim he hadn't been, but Grey-suit had vanished.