Fatal Order

Part 4: Meaning of Death - 6

Alex awoke, feeling much worse than yesterday morning.

He was quite literally starving.

His chest ached in deep pain as he sat up, as if a rabid animal was inside, clawing at his stomach each time he made a slight movement.

The growls sounded like that of a bear as if one were trying to claw its way out.

His appetite was unprecedentedly ferocious. He felt he could eat an entire table's worth of food in just a few minutes.

Though, he was not going to succumb to the urge. No matter what happened. He would rather starve than let Fate know they won and successfully killed him off. That would be the worst fate imaginable.

So, he kept being hopeful. He kept trying to avoid thinking about food by any means necessary.

If he did, it would only serve to make him even hungrier.

The pain was genuinely agonising, but he kept his composure and promised himself he would not give in.

He then slipped into a new outfit, stepped out of his door, and took a sip from a cup of coffee he had just made. 

Shortly after, Maria showed up and stood beside Alex with a coffee in hand, as though she wanted to start a conversation to pass the time until Fate inevitably summoned them to the auditorium.

"Good morning," Alex began as he took a sip of his coffee. 

"Morning," Maria replied.

"You ready for this announcement?" He asked.

"I'm ready to get outta here and beat up whoever's in charge of this PyroTech shit," she replied with her fist firmly clenched.

"Hm?" Alex took another sip. "Is there something, in particular, that's bothering you?"

"So, I worked at an orphanage, right? You know that?"

"I think you mentioned it before, yeah," Alex replied.

"Well," she sighed, "I found some weird letter from apparently, the CEO of PyroTech, saying something about them buying out the orphanage and instead using it for some freaky brainwashing shit. At least, that's basically what it sounded like."

"Brainwashing-? Sounds kinda similar to what they're trying to do to us..." Alex sighed in response.

"Yeah. Apparently, they bought it from the original owner and repurposed it, while somehow keeping the workers in the dark about it. I always sensed something was up but- if I knew I was assisting them in filling those kids with their bullshit, I woulda left a long time ago."

"Jesus... just what on earth is with this PyroTech company?"

"Oh," Maria interjected, "there was another thing I just remembered. I didn't think much of it but, when we think about what the world outside looks like, I think it's an important detail."

"What is it?"

"It mentioned something about us moving into the 'Autonomous Age'."

"Ggh!" Alex sounded, with a drop of sweat forming on his cheek. "The Autonomous Age? What does that even mean?"

"Society running itself, maybe? But, what does that mean? Sounds like a fantasy," Maria asked confusedly.

"It means the world is run by machines," Adam suddenly interrupted as he appeared from behind Alex.

"Gah!" Alex exclaimed. "Man, you have GOT to stop doing that!"

"I was trained to be quiet. It's just the way I am," he replied.