Back to top 13th Nov. 2005

The next morning Cogil, Vincent and Ryan went to the designated building for an orientation. A large, menacing looking building it said simply "Thought Similar" on the outside. Cogil, Vincent and Ryan didn't know what in the world that could mean but were going in anyway.

As they entered the building the inside seemed much larger than the outside. There were many hallways, a lot of mirrors and plush carpeting. The employees already working for this support company were way too perky and outgoing. The first day consisted mostly of an orientation and meeting the co-workers Cogil, Vincent and Ryan would be working with for an unspecified amount of time. The class was mostly male ranging in age from 20 to 40 years of age. The teacher was in his 30s and seemed enthusiastic about the product he was teach the class about:

Cogil, Vincent and Ryan would be support for the speak-uh-ma-tron, a device used to talk to and manipulate the citizens of Towz. The building Cogil, Vincent and Ryan would be working out of what was one of many locations all over this "Subterranean Towz". The callers would be various customers similar to McGee calling from all over the both the above-surface Towz and Subterranean Towz.

Of course, as Cogil, Vincent and Ryan learned in great detail, there were only some things that could be covered by this particular support group.

After work, Cogil, Vincent and Ryan decided to go out and have some dinner. Ryan seemed rather good at attracting lots of people and making friends fast so the three of them went with a bunch of co-workers to a local Subterranean Towz bar down the street.

"So what did you think of that orientation?" asked Vincent.

"I don't know. It just seems so much like an indoctrination to me." Cogil answered.

"Ya, I suppose that should be expected." Vincent said.

"So guys, let me introduce you to some of these people here."

Ryan introduced a large number of the people who had accompanied them from work. Everyone was joking around and seemed to be having a good time.

Phorp was a loosely regulated and fairly benign substance used by some citizens of Towz. Viewed by many to be completely benign and non-habit forming to the point of fanaticism it was used pretty much completely in the open. Technically there was some punishment for it somewhere but that had been lost some where in the translation.

"Would you like some phorp?" asked one of the co-workers.

"No, none for me thanks." Answered Vincent. Cogil answered with something similar. Ryan on the other hand seemed to enjoying himself. So Vincent and Cogil were left alone.

"Thank god work is over, eh Cogil?" Vincent said.

"Yes. Thank god. You know that hasn't come up much lately, has it?" asked Cogil.

"Hasn't come up? What hasn't come up?" said Vincent.

"God, religion, spirituality. I know there's some churches up in West Towz but there doesn't seem to be many people in them." Cogil said.

"Yes, well who needs God when we've got the Hall of Bureaucracy and the Hall of Happiness to protest, right?" answered Vincent.

"What? Don't you believe in God Vincent? Doesn't everyone's life deserve or require some amount of spirituality in one form or another?" asked Cogil.

"Well I'm not quite sure on that. I mean science seems to be able to disprove most things religious after all, so what's left to have faith in?" Asked Vincent.

"Most societies throughout history had a religious base to them. Even if science seems to be out weighing religion, there's still a need for a moral compass and guage to guide a populace. I mean sure most of the morality found in religion can be argued by simple logic but that doesn't seem to sway the hardcore scientist types." Cogil was starting to go off on one his idealistic rants.

"I think I see what you're saying Cogil", Vincent started, "however Towz, flawed though it is, seems to be doing ok. Hopefully this secret thing will turn out to be nothing." Vincent said.

"Yes, that'd be real exciting, right? Just the three of us working some support job the next 30 years. Pffff.  ¶ 9:33 AM