I wake up when the autonome calls my name. "Aaron Knox, please report to your duty station within 30 minutes." These shitty pieces of metal sometimes get on my nerves so much. I open my eyes and the artificial sunlight coming in through my fake window feels too bright. I get up and close the curtain.
I see that the only flower in my only small pot has started to wilt and I pour a little water on it. I have no idea whether I am making it wilt even more or if it is helping.
I go into the bathroom, wash my face and hands, and brush my teeth. I take off my pajamas and put on my suit. Here the order is monotonous and everyone wears gray sweatpants and a gray T-shirt while sleeping. The temperature is always the same. Because of that, no one gets cold or sweats. While working, everyone wears a black suit and a white shirt. The shoes are black and laceless, the ties are purple, and taking off the tie is absolutely forbidden. I wonder why. After putting on the digital watch with the black metal strap that everyone has, I leave my room.
On the way I think about whether I should get something to eat, but I have no appetite. I take a plain coffee and sit down at my computer. I examine person number #37386. Every morning, a record of what they did the previous day appears in front of me. I inspect whether the people on the island where the complex I am in is located are suitable to enter inside.
#37386 first thing in the morning went into the sea, after getting out—despite being given every food he needs—sorted out the sharp pieces from the metals in his hand, found a rope, tied the rope to a needle and a stone, tore apart the salami from his sandwich and put it on the tip of the needle, then threw it into the sea and started fishing. After 2 hours and 28 minutes, he managed to catch a small fish, but because it was too small, he threw it back into the sea.
He gave rude answers to the two young people who came next to him and drove them away by replying, "Go fuck each other!"
I continue examining and he gives up fishing and goes back to his tent. After a while he comes out of his tent. He stops by the cafeteria, eats something, and goes to the bar. He starts drinking and half an hour later becomes a very friendly person. He keeps drinking and in the end argues with some people and gets beaten. I see that he caused the argument himself. In the end he goes back to his tent and sleeps.
I click the not yet compatible option and send it. While moving to a new number, the alarm rings. I look at my watch and see that it is 10 o'clock. I do not realize that I have been working for one hour, and the one-hour break begins. Some continue working. I guess they are examining a very exciting day. The others start walking toward the big room on the lower floor. I walk too.
Downstairs I hear people telling each other what they saw on the computer. Every break starts like this anyway.
I see Melissa and go to her. She tells me how the woman she examined was killed by the autonomes. Actually, the end of those who try to fight with them is always the same. Melissa is aware of this too and does not look shaken. Even though at first it was hard to accept and watch, now it feels as if it is not real. I also tell her about my man.
"I hope he doesn't try to solve his problem by attacking the autonomes too," she says.
I notice that her voice sounds a little strange. "Are you okay?" I ask.
"I didn't understand," she says.
"Your voice sounded a little strange," I say.
"I'm fine, my nose is just a little blocked," she says.
When I tell her to go to the infirmary, she does not want to, but when I say that I can go with her if she wants, she accepts.
When we go to the infirmary, we see that there is no one there. Melissa wants to go back, but I say that I heard there is another infirmary in the other wing. We head there. Even though I do not know the way, I walk one step ahead.
We get lost and pass through corridors we have never seen before and whose existence we did not even know. There are doors on the right and on the left. After passing by about 40 archive rooms, the memory rooms begin. Memory Room 1, Memory Room 2, Memory Room 3, and then an autonome comes out from the side corridor. After looking at us for two seconds, it says, "It is forbidden for you to be here. Please return to the unit you are authorized for." Since we know what will happen to us if we fight with the autonome, we immediately turn back and start walking. Melissa laughs and says, "At least it said please," and I laugh too.
When we come back in front of the first infirmary again, we see the doctor inside and go in. The doctor asks which one of us is sick. "My nose is just blocked. I came because Aaron insisted," Melissa says, looking at me and smiling. The doctor tells me to wait outside.
I wait outside and after a while Melissa comes out. "He gave me a shot and told me to rest in my room today," she says. "I agree," I say, and we start walking toward her room. "If you rest nicely now, tomorrow I will buy you chocolate and bring it to your desk," I say. "You always think about me more than I do," she says, places a kiss on my cheek, smiles, and goes into her room.
I look at my watch and see that it is 10:54. I walk quickly to my computer and at 10:59 I am at my computer. This time person number #29031 appears in front of me. He has his breakfast with his camp friends, they chat together, and they go into the sea. Before I even get halfway through the examination, the alarm rings again. This time my break is 2 hours. I leave my screen open and go downstairs.
I take a coffee and sit, watching around. Because the man I examined today made me crave fish, I decide to eat fish for lunch. I go to the cafeteria. It is very crowded and there is a line. First I go into the sink area on the side and wash my face and hands, then I come out and get in line.
I know that if I prefer not to talk while in line, I can learn new information. That is how I learned about the infirmary on the other side too, but I guess I did not listen well enough. I hear a lot of gossip. Ugly gossip about people whose names I hear for the first time. I understand that today I will not hear any useful information.
Finally I get my fish and sit somewhere I find empty. After finishing my meal and sitting until my break ends, I walk toward my computer. I continue examining person number #29031. In the end I click the compatible option and send it.
I move to a new person. I go on break halfway through that examination too. After the one-hour break ends, I come back, and when I mark it as compatible and send it, I see that the time is 4:43. I do not start a new one because I will leave here in 17 minutes.
I get up, go next to the water dispenser, drink a glass of water, return to my desk, and while arranging the papers in front of me, one paper separately catches my attention. I look at the paper of person number #17483. The date on it belongs to before I came here. I see that he was generally marked as compatible, only a few times marked as not compatible. Just then the alarm rings and I put the paper in my drawer.
I get up and go toward my room. On the way I stop by Melissa's room, knock lightly on the door, but no answer comes. Thinking that she is asleep, I continue.
I come to my room, change my clothes, get into bed, and take my book in my hand. I read the last pages of the book so excitedly that I do not understand when it ends. For a while I close my eyes and think about the characters. I put myself in their place. About 20 minutes later I decide to go to the library and set off.
After leaving my book, while thinking about which book I should take, the orange-covered book Melissa mentioned comes to my mind. I take it and go back to my room again. I open the book and start reading.
When I put my head on the pillow, a question that, though rarely, still gets stuck in my mind comes back. Who was I before I came here, and what was I doing? I wonder if I also spent time on that island, if they also said whether I was suitable or not.