Network 7

Chapter 1: Ultimatum

Young Nick looked at himself nervously in the mirror. He pressed a button on the wall above his sink, a red light flashed and a metallic toothbrush holder emerged out of the wall with a silver toothbrush sticking out of it and he began to brush his teeth. The year was 2155. It had been one hundred years since the Great War began. Earth was attacked by the B.I.O.S (Biomechanical Informational Organised System) and mankind was virtually wiped out. Earth intelligence gained information of the possibility of the attack a year prior and massive underground mazes were built, known as networks. Seventeen year old Nick was a resident of network 7. He was born within the network and would die within the network, only things weren't going well for Nick of late. The council of elders had a strict ruling surrounding procreation as the Network was overpopulated and Nick had just got his girlfriend, seventeen year old Aya pregnant. The council of elders was network 7's governing body. Everything had to be passed by them before it was accepted. Every ruling, every style, trend and every communal decision. Nick worked in the mill where they made uniforms for all the workers. Mill workers wore grey boiler suits and Nick was dressed in his. He was shaking as he brushed his teeth. He knew they weren't going to be light on him. Punishments for crimes such as this were harsh. He'd probably have to do twelve months community service in the bunker as a result.

The bunker was a large dug out underneath the networks main access tunnels. It was peppered with holes where mutants and the infected had gotten through. Community service in network 7 meant working down there, filling in the holes thus preventing further intrusion. The punished would be armed with nothing but a spade and a taser gun to protect themselves. Many had died down there. There was an small well which had to be manually filled every four weeks to provide sustenance for the worker and a metal chute no more than twelve inches in diameter through which a small bread basket would be sent down containing a couple of rolls every morning and evening with no butter. Nick was summoned to the alter at 10:30am He left his quarters and was escorted by two armed guards to join the council. The metallic corridor gleamed in the light as Nick walked through. They turned right at the bottom of the corridor and Nick hung his head as he passed Freya the cleaner. She glared at him judgementally as he stumbled past. They cleared a long corridor and turned another corner. Nick noticed the deep red carpet which led up several steps to the council chambers. They approached the carpet and two armed guards lowered their weapons and allowed them to pass. The guards dragged Nick up the steps and the marble effect doors automatically opened for them. It was very regal inside. Nick had never entered the council chambers before. The floors were fitted out in the same carpeting as the steps leading up to it. It looked like the inside of a theatre with many vertical isles and seats. All the elders stood as Nick entered. There must have been fifty of them.

He was led towards a podium in the centre of the room. The guards stopped as they approached it. The council were all dressed in burgundy robes with gold trimmings. They sat down, all except one man, it was the higher elder, Francis Middleton. Nick was forced to kneel before him and then led to the podium. Francis spoke. "You have been called here today to because you have broken one fundamental rule set by the council, the rule surrounding procreation" "As everybody in network 7 is aware, the act of procreation is strictly prohibited" "There are already five thousand residents here" "We cannot sustain anymore people" "Not even one more?" interrupted Nick. "Silence" shouted the higher elder. "How dare you interrupt me!" He nodded to a guard who kicked Nick hard in the back of the shins. He fell to the ground. "Get up, I'm talking to you!" This guys on a fucking power trip! Thought Nick. He found his feet and stood up. "Shall I continue?" the higher elder asked. Nick grunted something. "Speak up layman!" "Yes your Excellency" answered Nick. "In order to sustain the life of your unborn infant you must give up your own" "The rule is there for a reason, we cannot sustain both of you" "If you decide to stay you will be given six months in the bunker and the unborn foetus will be terminated" "You have twenty four hours to decide Mr Eldis" "Council dismissed, please escort him out" The guards grabbed Nick and led him back to his quarters.