A Brave New World: A Short Story

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Once again, I struck my pickaxe against the gray walls of the quarry. Ever since I was created, I have been mining here at Sector C-88 for coal. Sector C-88 is a monumental quarry with up to ten-thousand workers in a 10-kilometer by 15-kilometer area. Surrounding the massive quarry is an extensive network of processing and extracting factories and centers. Beyond that is, well, I don’t know. It’s just called the Beyond here, and it’s said to have something called “society”, but there’s probably nothing interesting like coal or anything. I looked up at the polluted beige sky and observed the curious shapes from the factory smokes. What could be above the smog? Infinite emptiness? I wondered. Suddenly, a familiar voice broke my course of thoughts. …show more content…

The settling dust reveals a capsule buried within the bedrock. Instinctively, I turned around to seek Cube for advice, only to remember Cube left after finishing his share. Engraved on the innocuous container is a series of characters, some unfamiliar to me: Do Not Open Until 2018. What does 2018 mean? Must be the box’s ID, I pretentiously thought. Using my pickaxe, I wrenched off the lid. The interior comprises of a few mysteriously thin substance I later learned is called “paper”. The majority of the papers appear to be photos of humans, but strangely, without cybernetic enhancements. Their lives must be dreadful without bionic organs. The remaining paper are maps, probably maps of the Beyond. An epiphany struck whilst analyzing the artifacts. The past, present, future -- my place in grand scheme of time. An indescribable realization, a novel understanding, a greater perspective: thoughts that define and haunt me. Lost in time from the intriguing contents, I nearly failed to notice Inspector coming around for evening evaluation. Hastily, I gathered the paper and concealed the capsule in my toolbag. If Inspector found out about my possessions, I would surely be disassembled. Inspector once again made his way towards my station. “Extraction report, miner 0607,” Inspector

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