Originally finished February 7, 2021. Since has been edited. Last edit June 25, 2021.
Daniel woke up in his bed. He checked the clock -- 3:08. He lay there a minute before deciding he couldn’t go back to sleep. He got up and got dressed in his uniform (a supervisor for the local plant), ate his standard Tek-Active cereal, and pet his now 11-year-old [cybertronic? Cyborg] housecat. The cat’s purpose back then was to monitor a family, making sure they stuck to what their faction allowed them to say and do. However, it was now unnecessary, since everyone had a biotic tracking/monitoring chip embedded in their spine, but Daniel liked that his faction, Tek-Active, allowed him to keep the cat. It provided much-needed company, considering he lived alone.
In fact, Daniel thought, Tek-Active was very generous in their allowances. This was one of his own thoughts. Of course, this kind of thought was promoted by the faction, but Daniel genuinely felt this way. They let him keep his cat, they let him buy a variety of foods, from salmon to the cereal he now ate, he was permitted to have free time after work, he could think and speak things to a reasonable limit and scope, and so on. Daniel wasn’t satisfied with his rights, oh no (nobody truly was), but he was much better off than most people. So, in practice, UID: CompFac-57_37.814.628, or Daniel Reyes, as he was called by coworkers and friends, was content with his place in life.
Daniel’s ideology, or, rather, his faction’s (CompFac-57, Tek-Active), was that of a political neutral (involved, but only moderately, and with similarly moderate views on most issues) and spiritually monotheistic (Non-evangelist theology. Major beliefs include: The One created the world, allowed the Factions to rise to power, watches over all, both saved and damned, etc.). Daniel thought about what he was allowed to think about as he snagged his worn, deep gray overcoat and sauntered out his dismal front door as it hung from half hinges it should.
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While standing in the wet, empty, silent street, seemingly alone, Daniel suddenly locked eyes with a woman. He was instantly intrigued, but recognized that she was from another faction. Unfortunately, Daniel wasn't close enough to see which faction, but he supposed it didn't really matter. Still, Daniel couldn't help but feel pulled by that quick yet eternal stare they had shared, Daniel had noticed was her blue/yellow (interior/exterior) raincoat and her crimson hair. At least, the coat looked yellow, maybe a golden-rod, marigold, dandelion, canary…
Daniel figured it was evident he liked colours and their slight differences. Colours were one of the few things CompFac-57 didn’t care about, so, naturally, Daniel did. Autonomy and individuality were barely [allowed], bland, thin rations cast out by the CompanyFactions meant to help guide persons toward personal achievement (within the sphere of the workplace, of course). The scrap of originality Daniel found in colour might’ve been unhelpful, as it provided him with some hope for some sort of different future, he thought, though it acted to centre him in reality, a gift Daniel’s starving brain was grateful to hold. Oh yes, the girl.
At least, she looked like a girl. It was hard to tell these days, what with standardized uniforms implemented by most CompFacs, equalized sizes and shapes via genetic engineering. But none of that mattered now. What year was it? Where was he? Daniel felt himself slipping. He decided to follow the unidentifiable girl down the dimly- (daffodil) lit street.
