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Things that do not always «work»

No. 22

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I’ve been here for a long time, way past the five days. After that I stopped counting, all that mattered was that I was past the testing period. For some reason we’re not all equipped for this. 
I’ve heard of people getting tired even after taking the pills. I’ve heard of others who simply could not handle the twenty-one hours of work per day. Monotony was dangerous.


To survive, I learned to pay attention to details, the places where novelty resided. A scratch could make anything peculiar ; why did it happen? How did it happen? What did it mean ? All this while appearing to be focused. 


My greatest entertainment is in others. The white walls, the conveyor belt, the packages on the ground, everything stays the same. Only the people change. They come in and move out ; Where to? Why? Who were they in the first place ? I treat them as mysteries, pieces of information I need to uncover…
In the afternoon, when I move from the north to the northwest tower, I get to glance at some faces. I can imagine the type of person they would be based on their embodiment of a straight face. 


Today, the shadow over River’s eyes betrays their despair. Poppy’s dreamy gaze gives them a false sense of serenity. 


As for Pine’s unsteady walk, it shows their exhaustion. They might be one of the exceptions I mentioned earlier. 


I’ve seen so many people collapse . Each time, almost immediately, three people are assigned the next task. Headset in a bag, body on a stretcher and then everything follows as if it had never happened. 
Usually, we give the deceased ten seconds before moving back to work. 

   

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