Crowd: A Dystopian Social Network Thriller (Final Draft)

The Heckler

Castro Central.

Rain's first Crowd community event since the start of her job. She smiled welcoming the first visitors into the hall. Maybe today's commitment would positively influence her ranking. During her college time, Rain had given lots of speeches and interactive courses promoting Crowd. Plus, it was a welcomed change from the dangerous cruises through Esperanza.

Rain welcomed the twenty-first visitor when Sasha approached. "I missed that smile."

"I love these events."

"Nervous?"

"Cautiously excited."

"I've seen your college recordings. You're the born entertainer."

"Do you want to make me blush?"

"Impossible."

He stood next to her and helped her welcome the many newcomers who hadn't logged into Crowd but seemed curious enough to know more.

A face showed up she didn't expect.

"Benjamin?"

"Forgot my name already?"

Rain froze. "I'm just—you actually came."

He shrugged. His eyes darted at Sasha. "I realized I was strongly biased against Crowd. Can't keep bashing the platform if I don't know enough about it, right?"

"Smart move," Sasha said.

The two stood in front of each other like rivals before an mixed martial arts event. Rain could cut the tension with a tactical blade.

"This is Sasha Foxwell, my partner. Sasha, this is Benjamin, my boyfriend."

Sasha extended his hand. "You got permission to shake."

"Same," Benjamin said and squeezed. Hard.

Rain squeezed her eyes and prayed the moment wouldn't end with bloody noses. "The session starts soon. You might want to find a chair before they're all taken."

Benjamin's eyes stayed locked on Sasha. "Sure."

He stepped into the hall with straight shoulders.

Sasha chuckled. "Lovely guy. I bet he's a sunshine in real-live, too."

"He's a bit stressed out with his job."

"Aren't we all?"

Rain avoided diving deeper into an argument. She welcomed the new arrivals of visitors. Almost ninety percent of the guests weren't logged into Crowd. She considered it a personal challenge to retune them all.

"Can't wait for your speech," Sasha said and stepped inside.

Despite his nice demeanor, she knew he was going to grade her speech tonight. Every day was a probation day.

Rain waited another ten minutes before closing the doors and stepping on the stage with the voice amplifier on. More than seventy people showed up, holding drinks and snacks from the free buffet. Middle-aged men in thin jackets, college-aged kids with short-trimmed hair and manga-themed pullovers, advanced women with curly locks, and rough truck driver types. Everyone stared at Rain.

Charged butterflies went ballistic inside her stomach, but she had experience giving public speeches.

"Before I start, do you have any questions for me?"

A hand went up.

"Yes, the man with the mustache and the quaint sailor's cap."

"Who do we have to vote for to improve our ranking?"