[PREVIOUS PAGE>>>]
"Daniel? A word?" Our team leader spoke to me while I was helping to clean up one of the quarantine rooms. Knowing how he wouldn't call staff members around unless it was a dire situation, I had to follow him along to his office, where I honestly regretted entering.
It was a very simple architectural design in this era, where colours are considered lame and if anyone ever said, "I like the colour..." The others are most likely to turn on their front view camera on them and go live, while mocking them all across different platforms and applications. Some go as far as bullying people in fourty different medias, and others join in to turn their world upside down.
But what I find funny is how these influencers don't even have enough following to do such a thing. Some don't even have ten, while others just go live with their family members watching. You know it gets worse when they are bullying and the parents catch them, then they go live to 'mock' their own children. Everything here is just twisted to a point that a metal wire would likely snap in the middle due to the tension.
The flooring of the room was half wooden and the remaining half was tiles. It is now considered 'modern-victorian', and I don't even know what that is supposed to mean anymore. Worst, I don't want to know. The high rise ceiling let's cool air to get trapped inside, and our leader doesn't even need an air-conditioning to keep him from the heat, and everyone envies him for that.
The sleek and smooth table top was inspired by vintage wooden desks, where there are a bunch of melted wax stuck on the polished surface that shines like glass, and some 'accidental' ink splodges. I didn't believe human could go this far when they said they would "move back in time with the designs". They are totally moving back in sanity I can say this at the most with confidence.
Now I have heard about people using real-life instruments to play music about two hundred years ago. But to this current generation of people, even a laptop for creating music is way past anyone's imaginations. Instead, we have our fingers to create music, which even we can't hear or listen to. Because click play after crafting that song or whatever you wanted to create, and your ears are going to explode. In this era, we only listen to electrical and loud bass, with absolutely meaningless vocals.
But for some reasons, our leader plays the live piano, and it's definitely ear-blessing anytime a kid requests for it. The melody and tones are rythmic and calming compared to the usually tense environment we live in, and that's why, once in a while, all of us staffs head over to ask for a few notes at least, as a therapy from this madness. I have seen a few of my staff members break into tears for it, but I don't understand what there is to cry for.
Our leader walked over to his seat, as it squicked under his pressure and he almost fell backwards. He isn't that far by the looks of it and his suit is a very heavy weighted material itself. Clearing the few documents from his table, he pointed to the unoccupied seat in front of his desk, signing me to go over and sit, but I know better then to desanitize those areas with my unclean suit, which was just wearing to clean the quarantine area.
"No thanks, I prefer standing." I walked over and stood behind the chair. I had a feeling that whatever he was going to say, wouldn't result in a benefactory thing for me in any possible ways. I only get called in when something I have done had gone wrong, for example, arguing with a few of my staff members about whether to kill the infected or to have them stay over at the quarantine. I would be disciplined for such actions by having to take time off from work, which I absolutely hate. I hate having to quit the few things that keep me occupied in this falling Earth.
"You know that I have been watching you along for quiet a few days now." Our leader spoke while crossing his arms, and although I couldn't see his face, I could hear the temper of his voice. "What do you expect to get from all this havoc you are causing? Do you think killing them off will save the others despite them also being infected? And to think...you didn't kill an infected today. You killed a mother who just didn't want to understand that her daughter was dead. Now tell me one thing, did you find it satisfying?"
There it was, the ultimate question. I could have lied, or I could have moved away with more violence. But there was a part of me that wanted to speak about my opinions in this matter, and I honestly accept the fact that I am truly insane. "No, I don't feel satisfied until I realize I have saved another person from being killed. And the mother had already taken out her electric gun, ready to attack anyone who wasn't going to let her see the body. I told her she couldn't bury a liquified body and that too in a place like the survivor's block. Instead of understanding, she charged towards me." But I didn't add that she was screaming and tearing up at the same time.
I had seen many mothers lose their child like this, but it simply can't be avoided because the fungus plays with the mind, not only the body. Even a rabid dog is much safer then this, and added to it is so cure which can save them. If there were something we could do about this, then I would have spared her and let her see another day.
"Then...maybe I should keep you away from being a staff member inside this survivor camp base until you have finally overcome your current mindset of killing." Our leader said while unfolding his arms and picking up a stamp, while rustling through a few documents then bringing one out with my name on it. The striking red ink pad and the intricately carved stamp collided with a thud sound, them was slammed heavy onto a small box in the cover of my document. Lifting it up, I saw a written 'suspended' at the corner and immediately panicked. If I am suspended from these sort of activities...who is going to save the others?
"Starting today, consider yourself a survivor." He pushed the document back into the small pile of other papers and looked up at me, well at least it seemed like it despite the dark face shield covering his expressions and where his eyes are staring. "You know very well that violence is just a way to demolish your positive mind. And I am ready to wait any day for you to fight the current mindset off. You are welcome to come back whenever you feel like killing them was a wrong move."
I stayed silent for a long time, because what was I supposed to say when he already told me the truth...that I was in fact pushed into the mindset of wanting violence over wanting to solve the problem. I didn't want peace...I wanted to stay away from it. But despite that, there was a need in me to fight back. "But you said I was in a phase of wanting to kill because I found this world hard and terrifying to live in! And you are the same person who is telling me I can't work here anymore!"
"That was when you were younger." And while having to hear my shouting, he stayed calm and softly replied, without a single regret or hesitation. "I have taken care of you from a very young age of five. And ever since, I thought I could raise you to become someone who stands for the people who were suffering, thinking you would tolerate them because they are going through whatever your parents have gone through. But I never really realized you would become such a careless adult once I had you volunteer around the camp base. You had a potential...but you also deserve a rest."
I listened to his words, it was definitely a fact that sent chills down my back and I started questioning whether I was slowly becoming one of the insane infected. "I understand." The words left my mouth like a breeze as I tilted my hand downwards to face the ground. "Then, can I at least know for how long I will have to stay out of every types of work?" The last hopes were impenetrable, as I added more words to my previous two and waited in anticipation for his response.
"However long it takes to have you reconcile with those infected." He replied after a long break in his words. "But if you are asking me to suggest you a specific duration...I would tell you to stay away for an entire year. Try getting along with those who survived, and I am already guessing you are going to have a hard time trying to getting along knowing how you have been torturing them lately. Not letting them know about their loved ones and telling them the most hard to accept truths about our camp base. I really would appreciate if you go around to apologize with them firstly."
Although he had asked for the most simple request up to now, I felt rage build up along my nerves, a fear of staying away from my base and being the most furthest from my documents. It was that cycle of frustruation that I was feeling, that I had been feeling for a long time now, and I didn't know why this was so. "Try reconsidering! I don't want the others to get infected along with them!" I shouted while slamming my hands onto the table with two same rage which was building up inside of me.
"It wasn't a choice, Daniel!" The leader shouted back at me with anger equivalent to mine. "You are not trying to understand this one fact there I am trying to tell you! Just what is it that will take you to understand what I mean?!"
This was the first time he has shouted at me ever since I had entered this camp base, but looking back, I finally understand why he had to scold me just so I could stay in the right path and continue my life. I was a little too, rebellious back then. I stayed silent with those words echoing into my mind with my eyes widened with shock and terror. It was inescapable the fact that I had my pride wash away in the blink of an eye. "You told me it was alright." I spoke, with the same look stuck to my face, but he couldn't see it.
"Stop twisting things around! I never said it was alright!" He shouted back at my face, despite my calm tone. Then, he slowly sat back down on his seat and placed his hand over his head. "Everyone here is suffering, even you. But that doesn't mean you have to go around killing them just because they have no way of returning." The warm tone wasn't enough to keep me down, because the next time, I was already in the verge of something between revenge and restrain.
"Alright. I will take my work off for one year." I let go of the matter that very second, but nh mind was still up in flames. While turning away, I had a very harsh thought in mind, the first time I had thought about it. I don't want to see your face anymore! I want you dead! And the next thing I knew...my wish had come true.
[NEXT PAGE>>>]