Crowd: A Dystopian Social Network Thriller (Final Draft)

You're the future

The next day hit like a round.

Rain wiped the sweat from her forehead as she entered the campus of the Crowd University. She joined the rows of graduates while the sun-blessed their new paths with endless rays. Even the clouds were too afraid to ruin the ceremony and stayed absent.

Rain greeted everyone with a smile and a soft nod. Her eyes darted around the crowd until Quinn came into view. He stood with slumped shoulders, his face bobbing toward the green grass.

"Quinn."

He simply nodded.

"Feeling better about the job?"

"What do you think?"

"I'm sorry."

The students around them cheered. Rain's eyes glared back to the stage in front. The Chief Executive Officer of Crowd, the one-and-only Camryn Sikes, walked up to the pedestal with his honorary clothing on. He looked like an adult teenager with an XXL poncho wrapped around his scurry body. Every mumble in the audience vanished as the grand Sikes spoke into the microphone. "I wished I had graduated from this college."

Laughter from the audience.

"No, seriously, I'm proud of you, all of you. You are the vanguard of a generation that doesn't want to play by outdated rules anymore. You risked a part of your youth to take part in our little experiment, and I couldn't feel more grateful." He took a big sip from his water and coughed a little. "Crowd continues to grow because of your commitment to make our world a better place for the many, not just the few."

He stuttered, which Rain found cute. Such a powerful individual, arguably the richest man in the metro area, and yet, he dreaded a public speech. It proved he was a real mensch.

"All of you will pursue remarkable careers for the benefit of our society. There will be problems, or should I say, challenges, as there are in any life worth living." He paused and wiped something off his forehead, probably sweat. "There will be ranking droppings, well, for some of you, at least, but if you focus on giving and not taking, you and your fellow citizens will do just fine. No, you and your citizens will do exceptionally well."

Quinn breathed heavily next to Rain. "Billions of dollars and he can't afford a speech coach?"

Rain suppressed a chuckle. "Shush."

Camryn's eyes focused on one member in the audience. He fumbled with the microphone and shook his body, as if to get rid of the oversized graduate attire. "Thank you again for trying out our unique college model. You are the proof that progress is worth pursuing."

Rain focused to keep her concentration on Camryn. She cringed when the guy failed to land a joke or repeated some issues again and again. The scorching sun didn't make standing around any easier.

A professor standing behind Camryn cleared his throat, which even Rain could hear across the campus. Camryn craned his head toward the culprit, took a deep breath and faced the audience of graduates again.

"Sounds like I better finish this speech."

Awkward laughter from the audience. Camryn cleared his throat. "I hope you approach your new passage in life with compassion and generosity. And an attitude to serve and to share your wealth. May you begin a new age that guarantees a fair life we all deserve."

He turned away from the microphone. The audience started to clap. "Oh, and one last thing. No matter how hopeless things may seem, or how many times you feel like giving up, always remember, you can always be a better citizen."