Muted

Chapter One

Chapter One

"It's a pity," Dr. Eteri said. "This fool will probably spend the rest of his life here now."

Your eyes drifted to the focus of conversation, a young man in his early twenties. His arms were bound to the rails of his bed with leather straps. His body was now limp, subdued after hours of reported resistance.

He had arrived at the rehabilitation center that morning, becoming the newest resident in a facility designed to contain The District's most dangerous criminals: the Sense Offenders.

Sense Offenders.

A term dubbed after the Great War, used for the rebels who defied the new law of the land, which mandated that emotions must be muted for the betterment of society.

They were the people who continued to let their rational minds be swept away by the tumultuous sea of human emotions that had long since troubled civilization, fueling endless wars, triggering environmental catastrophes, and perpetuating cycles of famine.

They were the ones who needed to be caught and rehabilitated at all costs.

For the betterment of humanity.

"Apparently, he was harboring contraband," Eteri muttered, straightening his white coat, identical to yours.

Contraband.

Items that were deemed illegal by the Regime, the District's ruling party. They were items that were considered to evoke emotions, and therefore were to be stamped out of existence.

"He is quite young," you responded, monotone. "Perhaps with the necessary rehabilitation, he could eventually reintegrate into society."

"Wishful thinking, Dr. Lawson." Dr. Eteri eyed you, before gesturing down a long hallway lined with doors to cells. Each cell held a patient, most of which were repeat offenders. "You know they always relapse."

The physician's words were not his opinion, nor were they his feelings. His words were grounded in concrete observations and bolstered by statistical evidence, illuminating the grim likelihood of recurrent Sense Crimes.

In fact, the old man, like any law-abiding citizen, was incapable of forming such feelings. Thanks to the innovation of Daily Supplements, emotions had been dulled to the point of numbness, rendering the human mind incapable of processing them.

No longer did those non-productive feelings of anger, pain, greed, sadness, and love blight the human population.

"Let's proceed to the next patient," you stated, pivoting on your heels and striding towards another door, with Dr. Eteri trailing behind. You peered inside the cell of a patient you both had been struggling to adequately medicate. "I've increased the dose of Mrs. Volo's supplement this morning. She was reportedly singing last night, causing unrest among the inmates. They had to initiate a Code Red."

"Unrest? Severe enough for a Code Red?" Dr. Eteri queried.

Invoking a code was strictly reserved for situations where the staff couldn't manage unruly patients. Its use was limited to extreme measures.

"The nurses described it as a chain reaction. After she started singing, several other offenders began showing emotions," you remarked, pausing to observe the woman through the door's window. "But it's peculiar, isn't it? Why would one woman singing trigger such a response?"

Dr. Eteri glanced at you. "You know how they are. There's no logic behind their actions. It simply indicates that their dosages need adjusting."

"Yes, you must be right," you murmured, giving the woman another long look before turning away. It was best to not think too deeply into something you knew held no meaning. Afterall, today promised to be another demanding day. You didn't have time for wasted energy.

There had been an influx of new patients lately, creating more work and extending your hours. The rumors of lawless factions engaging in Sense Offense were proving true, evident in the surge of admissions. Nevertheless, you pressed on, knowing you played a crucial role in safeguarding The District, one of the few remaining societies left in the wake of the Great War.

Afterall, in a world where emotions were deemed dangerous, there were few tasks more vital than ensuring their eradication.