The Fox and the Pigeon hole P2 Chapter 10

10. Pitcairn
The alarm clock rings at seven o’clock sharp as the sun rises over a skyline of polished white, grey and marble polished buildings. The streets, although still empty hold a strange buzz, the immaculate paths on either side of the glistening white roads are all filed to exact edges with the upmost precision and the metal lines along the road which bring the cars up and down are nowhere near as industrial as they should be. No rusting metal, litter filled paths or derelict buildings can be seen anywhere and the modern suburban housing that line the streets are all state of the art, beautifully designed and consistently coloured in boxy grey and darker shades of white.

The soft whirring and buzzing marks the start of life across the vast city, Pitcairns bus stations and underground tube systems are all starting to prepare for the oncoming influx of passengers and people. The electric doors open, lights come on simultaneously inside the lifeless marble stations and buildings and screens flicker on. Littering the city these screens resemble vast pieces of glass, suspended over the high speed motorcurrents, which provide a quick and easy transport system for all of Pitcairns wealthy citizens. The screens show picturesque sunrises from vantage points over the city before a soft woman’s voice greets the people through their open windows and on their television screens. “Good morning Pitcairn, Today is February first, two thousand one sixty four. And what a lovely day it is...” She continues to delight the people with an overview of the day’s weather and headlines of the city newspaper before cutting to the city breakfast show.

The man turns over in his marble framed four poster as hear here’s the metal whirring and clanking of his bedside coffee maker. “good morning Jackson”, he sighs, anxious and of oversleeping but at the same time reluctant to start the day .A day that he has been dreading for a while now. His first job is nothing to be happy about he thinks while pulling himself out of bed, but he cannot put it off any longer. He walks into the shining bathroom and touches the button on the wall absent-mindedly as he walks over to the cupboard to get a towel. “How would you like your shower today Jackson?” Asks the welcoming voice. “Medium warm, shampoo jet spray four minutes” He says wearily rubbing his eyes, he takes off his clothes and steps into the welcoming water.

After a refreshing four minutes he steps out of the shower and dries his body with a warm towel, thinking about what his day might hold. Who will he be working with; what will he have to do; will he be fired on the first day. He walks back to his bedroom still wondering and is interrupted by the woman’s voice again, “What will you be wearing today Jackson?, Reminder, your new job starts today” Her breezy voice does nothing to lighten his mood as he walks over to the glass screen in the wall, it lights up and shows him his wardrobe options. Skimming though them he has no idea what will be acceptable but the woman’s voice says “Custom suit 34762 has been sent from your father, will you be needing this?” Jackson sighs again; of course his father has decided what he will wear. “Yes” He says reluctantly, knowing that his father will have chosen the most overdressed suit possible. An empty glass cabinet lights up and the suit comes whizzing up from the bottom, “Oh god” Says Jackson to himself, the suit is extremely formal, a tailored black suit and bow tie with a grey waistcoat.

He walks over to the cabinet and opens it, talking out the suit and laying it on his bed he considers it. This is what is worn by almost every man in the city, but he is only just twenty years old. From experience he knows that flaunting his wealth to others will get him nowhere, and yet this suit clearly states it. He has not been much wealthier than anyone else but his father’s high position in the council is something that has caused problems his whole life, everyone turning up their noses at him and avoiding too much eye contact in case they were arrested on charges of harassment. That is not to say that he doesn’t have friends, he has many friends and just thinking of them now brings a smile to his face. Douglas, Jacob, Kale, Tristan and Kurt are all close friends who support him and he remembers discussing this day with them just last night. They had all assured him to be himself and to be confident, both of which seem unlikely, but all the same he has to try and please his father.

“Jackson, the time is seven twenty four” Says the woman again, “Reminder: Don’t you dare be late. Has been sent from your father along with Custom suit 34762 would you like to reply”
“No” Says Jackson distastefully as he starts to put on the slim fitting shirt and button it up to his throat. The increasingly uncomfortable and tight suit takes surprisingly long to put on and he really is rushing by the time he walks through the door into the kitchen and requests a quick breakfast while he takes the black polished shoes and white dress gloves from a drawer under the suit cabinet. Wolfing down his breakfast he rushes towards the lift and hits the ‘Motorcurrent’ button, roughly coming through his damp hair. He exits the lift and joins the thin stream of people into the Motorcurrent station, looking around at the screens and signs he takes an earpiece out of his jacket pocket and puts it in his ear, holding up people behind him who grunt cough impatiently. He starts walking again, “What line do I take” He asks,
“Motorcurrent Red line, route 6” Answers the woman in his ear, and he starts to lightly jog into the main atrium of the station, a vast ceilinged room with many doors and lifts along the walls “come on, red route, red route” He breathes scanning the large screens until he sees it and starts to walk across the large hall. Dodging people as he goes he takes out the earpiece and thinks more about what he might be facing, will he have an office, he thinks, “No” He chuckles to himself why would he have an office on his first day at his first job.

*
The Motorcurrent journey was fairly uneventful and when he realizes that the company he is now working for has its own station his anticipation grows. He walks down the empty station, straightening his bow tie as he goes and trying not to sweat. A tall opaque door meets him around the corner and he immediately walks to the screen beside it, where a smiling woman waits for him. “Hello sir” She says politely “Please state your business at our facility” she smiles,
“Umm hello I’m Jackson “He coughs nervously “I have a job here”.
The woman smiles again and says “Is your name Jackson Thorne, of Thorne residence Clarendon road in Fourth acre?” She asks,
“Yes” Says Jackson, more confidently,
“Excellent, please place your hand on the screen to the left,” She gestures to the left and Jackson puts his hand on the slightly vibrating panel “Thank you, and welcome to the Pitcairn Seismic Association, Law and Mediation” She waves sinisterly and a drawer opens below the screen, a small pin and a short piece of wood appear, “Please attach the pin to your clothing and present your designator at the front desk, Enjoy your day” She says before disappearing.

The sheer formality and organisation of the place puts Jackson on edge, he was at least expecting to speak to a person, he thinks about just turning around and leaving when the big doors open to a wide corridor full of people. They are crossing the room quickly and disappearing through more glass doors on either side, it puts him at ease that they are all dressed in the same formal clothes as him and the front desk at the end of the corridor is made of dimly illuminated panels of light. He walks towards it, careful not to knock into anyone but is surprised when people stop and stand up very straight to let him pass. At first it amuses him and he thinks it might be a joke but then a very important looking man in a striking grey suit also stops and stands with his head held high and his hands beside his back to let Jackson pass. It is no longer amusing and when Jackson reaches the desk he looks back confused and slightly scared, who do they think he is? Some sort of king.

“Jackson Thorne?” Says a voice from behind the desk,
“Yes” says Jackson hastily, turning around and seeing the same woman that was on the screen outside sitting at a white desk. “Your designator please,” She says politely, he gives her the small, flat piece of wood and also realizes that he is still holding the small pin. He quickly fastens the pin to his jacket while the woman puts the piece of wood in a machine. “So, Mr Thorne” She says while typing on her computer “Are you having a pleasant day?” she smiles up at him as a card comes out of the desk, directly next to Jacksons hand, “Oh,” he says, “yes it’s been very, pleasant” he smiles and takes the card out from the slot. “Now” She says, still looking at her computer “That is your ID card, you need to use it each day to enter and exit the facility, And” She says slowly, while typing furiously “ I will show you to your new office” She gets up and Jackson follows her through a pair of doors beside the desk. It opens into a small corridor with a thick grey carpet. At the end of the corridor it a wall sized window that shows a magnificent view of the city below, just before the window the woman opens a glass door and stands to the side, gesturing him to enter.

He walks into the office and stops dead, the room does not resemble an office at all, it looks more like a luxury hotel sweet as big as his whole house. The high ceiling is white and tiled while the same grey carpet fills the entire floor, one entire wall is made of glass and shows an even more impressive, panoramic view of the entire city. Through four or five glass doors around the room he can see a beautiful vast bathroom and even a gym. More doors hold rows of clothes and a king-size bed. In the first room there is nothing but a large desk which is directly in front of the window, facing away from it
But towards a large screen on the opposite end of the room. A long sofa also sits in front of the screen which is showing a large, rotating sign that reads PSALM over a beautifully artistic eagle. Jackson looks around, hardly believing his eyes, as the woman walks forwards into the room. She looks back at him smiling, “This will be your office” She says “Please, come” She waves him over to the desk. He walks over and sits down in a high, black leather chair as the woman leans over to turn on the computer.
*
The next few hours pass in a dreamlike blur, the woman, Atlanta, shows him how to work everything in the office and what his daily work will be on the computer. He know sees that his anticipation was correct, the work is confusing and tiring work which takes him hours to master, with the help of Atlanta and the many automated programmes. After a few hours Atlanta leaves him, saying that she thinks he can handle it from here. He couldn’t be further from being able to handle it himself but he did not protest, still too nervous to speak openly with her. Unexpectedly it comes as a relief when a voice tells him that there is an incoming call from his father. He answers it and is startled to see his father on the enormous screen in front of him. If possible the size of him makes Jackson’s Father look even more imposing than ever.

“Jackson,” He says, smiling curtly “I trust you are working hard?” he asks gruffly,
“Yes, Father,” Says Jackson smiling back “It’s hard but I’m doing my best,” He chuckles unconvincingly and looks down from his father’s intense stare. “Good, good” He says, “Oh” he says suddenly, “Do you like the suit? I chose it especially for today” He raises his eyebrows,
“Oh, yes its really...nice, thank you father” Jackson Says quickly, pulling up his gloves,
“Yes, I was sure you would like it “Chuckles Jacksons father, “Well I must go lots of work “He nods and the screen turns blank. Jackson sighs, is this hat his life will be like from now on? He shivers and almost falls off his chair when his father appears on the screen again “Oh,” He says briskly, “I almost forgot, you are attending a benefit tonight with me” He is no longer smiling but stern and accusing “I know that you where almost late this morning, and you will Not be late for this, I have chosen what you will wear and I will send car to pick you up at eight o’clock sharp” The screen goes blank again, his father is replaced by the rotating logo and he gets back to trying to work out the maze of buttons and infinite menu’s on his computer.

*
The day progresses slowly, at midday a man in a plain black suit and tie comes in to take his order for lunch, Jackson couldn’t help noticing that the man did not look at him the entire time, he just stood in the centre of the room with his head up and his hands behind his back, just like everyone else. After his chicken and cheddar calzone he decides to take a break and look around properly, the office is even large than he first thought the walk in wardrobe is extremely long and filled with organised gowns, dress clothes, outwear, military uniforms and even officer uniforms. The tight green uniforms and leather gloves have always been confusing, Jackson thinks as he looks at one in his exact size, they provide no protection whatsoever and seen to be purely to look becoming and outline strength and muscularity. He looks at many more dress clothes and wonders again what he will be wearing tonight, his father has always had good taste but it has never been appealing to Jackson to wear these types of clothes.

He explores the vast bathroom and finds not only a bath the size of a swimming pool but, a swimming pool. This is too much, he thinks as he walks through a door from the bathroom into a long room with another wall sized window and grey concrete walls and floors. He doesn’t even know if he is allowed to be here but he cannot resist, so he walks over to another door labelled ‘Changing’ and walks inside. He gasps as he walks inside and is startled to see a man facing him, just standing there in a full length grey, padded wetsuit. “Sir” He nods “Are you swimming today?” He asks still looking resolutely upwards,
“Umm, yes, if that’s ok” Says Jackson quickly,
“Of course sir” He walks over to a large cubicle and opens the door, “Will you be needing assistance while changing sir?” He asks
“No, thanks” Says Jackson, astonished. He walks inside and the man closes the door behind him, what Jackson sees confuses him, there is a black wetsuit on a plinth in the cubicle it is being suspended from a metal frame and the arms and legs are stretched out as if someone is wearing it. He steps up to it and sees two feet shaped holes in the platform; he turns around and steps into them. Realizing that he is still fully dressed, he takes off his clothes and hangs them on a hook, walking up to the platform he realizes what to do and puts his arms and legs through the open wetsuit. He zips it up to his throat feeling very exposed but otherwise, comfortable.

He walks out of the changing room with the man who immediately takes a seat in a high chair, suspended on the wall. Feeling very self conscious at first he starts to swim up and down the pool, the water is wonderfully warm and relaxing.