Machine God: A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller (Final Draft)

Where am I?

But if it was Earth, where was I?

"In your cell," a stern voice said.

With my eyes open again, I found the ever frosty Chief Orden in my cell, together with her guards.

"Next to breaking Bulwark rules, are you now breaking the border to the fourth dimension?"

It could have been a joke, but a supernova wiping out the planet was more likely than Orden being humorous. I pushed myself up from my cell ground and stood at eye level with her.

"I think I just had a weird dream."

"A dream where you climb mountains protruding from the air, while talking to planets?"

"How do you—"

"You mumbled. Quite a lot."

Jeez, how long had she been watching me?

That's when I remembered the camera in my cell—Orden and co. watched me 24/7.

"Citizen, the punishment for your violations has been chosen. You have been degraded from the soldier rank to the digger class."

"Digger?"

"You will be dispatched to different locations in the Lost Lands to search for artifacts and tech that could be useful to our society. You will work six days a week, ten hours minimum. Your first shift will start tomorrow, at 0600 hours. Konforma will wake you up and give you additional details."

It took my brain a while to compute the ludicrous information.

"Ten hours a day, six days a week? That's inhumane."

"Everyone has to play their part. You have lost our trust, now you have to regain it."

She paused.

"But don't lose hope. If you obey your superiors and achieve the digging quota, the committee is willing to take a new look at your standing after two years of serving. The Bulwark is tough, but fair."

I ground my teeth and swallowed the ugly sentence that lurked on my tongue.

Instead, my mouth spat out a feeble attempt to justify my true value.

"I cracked the high scores in the training facilities. I successfully led an attack against the Technoids. I rescued dozens of survivors."

Pause.

"I'm a warrior."

"A true warrior knows his place in the command chain. You, citizen, are a rabble-rouser. Let's all hope the digging teaches you discipline."

She put her cold hands on my shoulder.

"This is for the greater good. Trust me on this one."

She rotated 90 degrees and returned to the corridor with her two armored henchmen. Every time she stepped into my cell, she made my life worse. That woman was the devil in fleshy form. Or iron, for that matter.

"I'll wake you up in seven hours and thirty-five minutes," Konforma said from the right wall-screen.

"I've unlocked your bed. You're free to rest without having to fear electro shocks."

"How sweet of you."

"I didn't do it for your pleasure. This is a measure to maximize your potential for the digging session."

"Jeez, I know."

Because nothing in the Bulwark was done for the sake of the citizen. It all served the goal of being a better slave to the system.

The anger roared inside me, ready to vomit from my throat. But no, I wouldn't give in. I could still turn this around, I just needed to take part in the digging and see how I could get out of it.