Friday 15 February 2008

Chapter One - (post five)

Go to the start of ALPHA Chapter One..

ALPHA Chapter One - (post five)

“That’s great!” Screams Arrow to no one in particular but somehow hoping that a passing robot might be hurt by his outburst. “We really are slaves now!” he continues, this time speaking specifically to his close friends and workmates Crescent and Dart. “Work, eat and sleep, work, eat and sleep...” He mimics the robotic voice, before diving headlong onto his bed and pulling the covers up around his chin.

“No leisure period. I don’t believe it, they can’t do this to us.” Laments Dart, as he too climbs onto his bunk and reaches for the blanket.

Crescent is as shocked as anybody to hear the news and for a few minutes he even forgets about his hunger pangs. “You don’t believe it?” he yells. “You don’t believe it? Well you better do Dart, ‘cos they’ve just done it, and you and everybody else knows it. We’ll have to accept it, what else can we do?

“I don’t know about you, but I’m going to sleep.” Says Dart.
“Okay, I’ll wake you for second lunch.”
“Thanks Crescent.”

Crescent goes over to Arrow’s bed and sits on the end of it. “They must be in a panic behind the scenes.” He confides. “You know, making us work around the clock like this.”
“Hum, maybe, I wonder what it is that we’re making though?” Muses Arrow. I’ve never seen components like these before.
“Well, whatever it is, they want it kept secret, all the assembly area is in the forbidden zone, which means only…”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah! Only the flaming robots know what the blooming finished article looks like!!!” Arrow completes Crescent’s sentence for him. Then he starts to laugh, a great big rip roaring laugh. “And they can’t see! Can they Crescent?” he asks his friend, still laughing.

Crescent is too hungry to laugh; instead he pulls a serious face and answers Arrow’s question as though his life depends on it. “Well, not like us, they can’t,” He begins, and then hastily adds. “But, they certainly have some kind of directional sense.”

The bell rings for second lunch, it sounds louder in the sleeping quarters than in the workshop, and the young men like Dart who have chosen to take a little nap before eating, are suddenly on their feet again and running towards the canteen to form an orderly queue for second lunch.
“That was quick!” Exclaims Crescent. “I better wake Dart…” He starts to tell Arrow, as he walks across the dormitory and shakes Darts leg.

This is the end of ALPHA Chapter One.
BRAVO Chapter Two starts tomorrow..

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