One Day in the Life of Lukas

My name is AC-14623, and I was born as Lukas. I was awakened today as always by the alarm in my housing complex, and as always I and the residents of Unit 43 hurried into our provided clothing. Our gray jumpsuits adorned with the red symbol of The Administration and our new names. I did not know why one would not wish to be referred to by their new name, but some of the older people still demanded to be called by their birth names. We stepped outside of the unit to be brought down to the main hall for daily sustenance.

Unit 43 was ushered quickly into the cafeteria by the Overseers per usual, and we all quickly consumed the contents of white packages vended to us by the large machine central to the room labeled "SUSTENANCE" in large white letters. The package contained a cube of meat that I could not identify and a container of water with a slight grayish tint. The meal did not appeal to our sense of taste but The Administration assured us that our sustenance was stable and efficient, which we could not deny. We were again quickly ushered off by the Overseers into the transportation hub, where every morning the Razor would take all of the people to the factory, or in our case, the Reformation Center.

We all stepped onto the train one by one and as the heavy doors closed, the entire cabin became dark. The ride was loud, and I could hear some of the younger children whimpering. I was too old for that, and held on to the metal rail until the train came to a halt. The doors opened and we walked outside. The area around the factory was always overcast because of the exhaust from the machines, but The Administration assured us the fumes were safe for us in small quantities. The air was much thicker here, but I had become used to it. Overseers brought us into the Reformation Center, where I and several others were assigned to Room 52. It was just like all of the others, there were many metal desks, a large Viewer at the front of the room, and an Overseer stationed at the door.

We all sat down and the Viewer began to project today's lessons. The metallic voice of The Representative echoed through large speakers around the room. Today's lesson, much like yesterday's focused on the need for cooperation. The Representative talked about the benefits of following the laws of The Administration, and not questioning the rulings made as they were made for our safety. The Representative spoke of the benefits of Augmentations and how the workers were vital to their fellow subjects as well as The Administration. I looked to the back of the room at AC-13752, it seems that he had fallen asleep during the lesson. The Overseer walked to the back of the class and woke him up. He looked down at his desk, and then stood up and walked towards the door, where he was met by two Overseers who escorted him out. I quickly returned to attention, and remained so until the loud alarm signaled the end of the lesson. We all were escorted back to the Razor and sent to the Complex.

I returned to Unit 43, and I noticed that AC-13752 was not present. I was not worried however, for The Administration knew what was best for AC-13752 and knew what was best for me. I slept that night, contented and ready for another day.