You Must Understand

Knowledge

Wake up. Eyes open. Sit up. Can't speak. Turn left. Wall. Turn right. Mirror. Look forward. Bars. Lie down. Sleep.

Wake up. Eyes open. Sit up. Don't speak. Look forward. Breakfast. Eat. Turn left. Mark the wall. Turn right. Notice; sink, toilet, shower. Look forward. Bars. Lie down. Sleep.

Wake up. Eyes open. Sit up. Don't speak. Look forward. Lunch. Eat. Stand up. Wait. Bars open. Start walking.

Day 2,555.

Third day of the year. Nothing special about this year. It is my birthday. I no longer consider it special, I take little notice of it. You will subconsciously do the same for every day you consider special to you. Perhaps you don't know your birthday. I looked at my file. Each year I have been permitted to look at it. Sometimes there are additions, sometimes they cover what was previously uncovered. Not everyone is permitted this.

On this day, I am 22 years old. You know little about me. The bulk of what you have learned from this is about the situation. I am from London. I was 14 on my first day in this place. By that age I had committed certain crimes, some of which are considered crimes by the government, the majority by this organisation. You can make what you will of my personality. It is up to you to make your own assumptions.

I am given certain 'perks' that others in this wing are not permitted. I can tell who the intelligent are and who are the ignorant. The intelligent pity me and the ignorant envy me. The intelligent understand that you are only permitted perks when you are not permitted the same as others. I am Special to this organisation. I am not the only one. There are few in my wing, I am unaware of any outside my wing.

Axe is Special.

I can tell because he has some knowledge, I can see it. He is some how different. So am I. Do not try to be different or get noticed. Keep quiet, keep low. Do not draw attention. Do not draw attention by being too far into the shadows. Remain neutral.

The information I am giving you can be somewhat incoherent and difficult to understand but you must learn it and learn it all. Do not memorise the order. For I give you key information in an unchronological order and I repeat and add to previous information. Imagine this in dialect. That I am speaking to you. Do not focus on voice, pitch or tone. Imagine me robotic, it won't be hard.

If you are Special, particularly skilled, your station may remain the same each year. This is most likely not the case as inmates of wing one have multiple skills each of equal level.

Do you understand?

I am in the communal area. The wing nine Inmates are now keeping amongst themselves. The new wing five and one seem to already understand. The new wing five are not trying to associate due to their cautious behaviour. The new wing one are not trying to associate due to them being wing one. Do you see the changes? Change is quick and subtle here. Observe it. It'll interest you.

Axe is here. He is not smoking. He is not sitting. He is standing. He is standing at ease, maybe he was once military. He is looking at me, into my eyes. He has noticed that I am aware. Now he is looking past me. He walks over. He is at arms reach. We can't speak. This is curious. He nods and walks past me.

This is communication and association. We are now associated, to the other Inmates, the Guards and the Monitors. Only the Inmates will care, they will become curious. By this stage the Guards and Monitors do not expect any strikes. Not from wing one.

Today I won't participate in sport. Nor will I smoke. A Guard makes eye contact, nods. Four new Guards enter.

Knowledge.

I walk towards the four Guards.

Wake up. Eyes open. Sit up. Can't speak. Turn left. Wall. Turn right. Wall. Look forward. The Informant. It is not a new day. Today I will learn something, I have passed a test, maybe several. I'm handed my file. My name, age, birthday, place of birth and first language are covered.

My photo is uncovered. It was taken when I was 14. I look considerably different.

Some of my crimes are uncovered.

Breaking and entering into the organisation. Hacking.

Knowing too much and yet looking for more. Curiosity.

Taking and passing on information that is not yours. Theft.

Taking lives in self defence and survival. Murder.

Turning against the organisation. Treason.

Refusal to become one, to be united. Freedom.

I was unaware of the last two. But it can explain my behaviour, the reasons as to how I was quick to understand and accept. The reasons for my strikes, the will I once had. I used to be one of them. My understanding from this is I delved too deep, got caught up. Was offered a job and accepted. I delved deeper and was horrified, I refused the job. Have you forgotten what it was I was delving into? Did you ever know what it was?

One thing I haven't considered in a long time is the reasons we are all here. For, if we committed different crimes we therefore have different reasons and different understandings of what this really is. The only understanding that is essential is the understanding that no other understanding matters. You can argue this. You still have the basic right to have thoughts. Wing two are not permitted free thinking. So take this for granted. Do not let your disadvantages hold you down, let your perks pull you up. That way you can survive.

Survival is the main goal.