ALARM CLOCK DAWN (An Original Novel - Part 5)

Today, we’re going to be introduced to the glue that holds the fragile society portrayed in this novel together, the financial system. Much like the Indian caste system, if you’re born into a family of a certain credit score, no matter how much ambition or intelligence you possess, it’s nearly impossible to change your fate. I hope you enjoy today’s installment. The plot will really pick up pace from here!

Did you miss Part 4 of Alarm Clock Dawn? If so Click Here to read it.

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Part 5

“Adam, I sometimes wonder what management saw in you when they brought you on board. This institution is about innovation and continuous progress. XenTek took you under its wing and gave you a damn good life. There are thousands of people as qualified as you standing in line for this job. We could replace you tomorrow. Have you ever taken the time to ask yourself how lucky you are?”

She rested her elbows on Adam's work table and looked him in the eyes, a smirk stenciled on her pencil-thin lips. “If the answer is no, I suggest you start to give it some thought. The world is a harsh place outside these walls. Especially for p-p-people like you.”

That was about the truest thing Adam had heard all day, and the thought of it terrified him. He knew a few multinational corporations in conjunction with the government, which XenTek controlled, wielded absolute power in this fragile economy. Working for them guaranteed that at least his basic needs were met. Adam realized that he would be foolish to jeopardize a secure job at this stage of his career so he quietly dealt with whatever mistreatment that Ms. Finch dealt out.

XenTek fed and clothed him, and due to the extremely high cost of living, it even provided him with subsidized housing. Working for a respected corporation meant an instant ten or twenty point credit score bump. Since every individual’s quality of life depended greatly on their credit score, every little bit helped.

A score in the Green Range, which ran between 750 and 850, assured you a fairly comfortable quality of life: freedom to travel occasionally; better jobs; top notch education; access to the best healthcare; and lower prices for everything you bought. Nearly fifteen percent of the population held this status.

The Orange Range, running from 650 to 750, was considered average. A person with a score in this range could expect to have a mediocre existence with the help of credit cards. These were trades people: mechanics, electricians—the blue collar individuals. Everything a person in the Orange range bought was a little more expensive, but a person in this category could typically meet all of their basic necessities and might even enjoy a few comforts if they were lucky and knew how to really hustle. Many in this range “had something on the side” like a small business or a second job to make ends meet.

A score in the Red Range, which ran from 550 to 650, would garner little more than a life of constant struggle and servitude. Individuals in this range could expect to make below a livable wage. Necessities were most oftentimes met with the help of charities, but access to quality healthcare and education were beyond reach and access to credit was almost nonexistent. A score at the top end of this range could get you a savings account but only from one of the unscrupulous banks that charged exorbitant rates and fees. These people, according to the government, were the lower echelon of society and filled the service positions and truly lived from hand to mouth. If your score was at the low end of this scale, you were often stuck in the cycle for life with little chance of improving your condition.

Life inside “civilized” society was simply not possible with a score lower than 550. There were a few homeless shelters run by charities, but these were unsavory and dangerous places that were often filled with predators. The more attractive option for many on the fringes of society was to leave behind their life of constant struggle and take up residence in one of the many homeless camps. The best of these were highly organized communes of people who banded together and shared resources equally to ensure their own safety and survival. Inhabitants lived in hand-built huts or caves, and their numbers seemed to be growing every day.

The worst of the camps could best be described as hellish nightmares. These camps weren't really organized at all and were full of people who had worn out their welcome elsewhere. Most of these types of camps were filled with criminals and those who suffered from mental illness, disease, and substance abuse. Leaders of these groups were typically brutal barbarians who merely had enough physical strength and charisma to gain followers.

Whether he realized it or not, like many in society, each year that went by meant he had lost a little more of his ability to visualize life without the security of his job. Fear was beginning to eclipse his hopes and dreams, and he found himself relishing more in the memories of the past than living in the present. The psychological chains that were now reaching out to bind him were of the invisible variety that made them even stronger than any physical restraints could ever hope to be.

When Ms. Finch got started with her belittling, she had the tendency to drone on and on until her victim looked satisfactorily dejected. Adam had caught on to this after a few months and became quite good at the fine art of hanging his head in shame. While going through the familiar routine his eyes glazed over and his mind wandered on to better places.

If she gets on a roll, this could take hours. I can’t be late, not tonight.

Although he knew he’d hate himself for it later, he again decided to give her what she so thirsted for. Like a seasoned actor, his eyes reddened and a tear spilled from the bottom of his eyelid. The very minute she spotted it, the corners of her mouth turned slightly upward and her eyes took on a softness that bordered on ecstasy.

Ms. Finch got off on meting out both punishment and benevolence and sometimes did so in almost the same breath. She was good cop and bad cop all rolled into one.

“What I do know is this box is designed to hold a massive amount of energy. I promise I’ll finish this project tomorrow.” Adam said.. “I kn-kn-know how my m-mind works. I have to let it s-s-s-stew for a while.”

“I’ll hold you to that. Don’t think I won’t be watching you.”

You sadistic bitch, Adam thought, wishing more than anything that he had the courage to say it.

Adam often thought how ironic it was to him that people always said children are cruel, but they had it all wrong. Ms. Finch was a perfect example of how the art of cruelty just begins to be honed as the playground fades into memory. In the adult world, after years of practice, it becomes a sleek and strategic weapon with lethal aim. As sad as it seems, at some time or another, we all have our finger on the trigger.

To be continued...(the next installment of Alarm Clock Dawn will appear right here on Steemit tomorrow!)

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Alarm Clock Dawn is the first novel of a trilogy. The sequel entitled, Truth Is Stranger, will be published in the Spring of 2017.

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