I Will Be Your Eyes And Hands

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,,,,,,

You're in a waiting room. Tacky paintings on the wall clash with an equally tacky wallpaper. There is a stack of [[old magazines]] on a table. The [[receptionist's desk]] is unoccupied. A door to your left leads [[outside.]]

You pick up a random magazine from the stack. It's issue number <<print random(20,200)>> of <<print either("slime", "woodworking", "cursed objects", "amplification", "hypochondria", "mollusk", "paste")>> <<print either("weekly", "chronicles", "review", "informer", "diaries", "zone")>>. You flip through it a bit, and almost immediately [[get bored.|START]]

The receptionist isn't here. A buzzing electronic display reads "NOW SERVING: #67" The slip in your hands reads 840. Looks like you're going to have to [[wait a while.|START]]

<<set $desertSteps to 0>>You step outside. It is cold and dark. [[Endless desert]] stretches out in all directions. The sand glistens pink and blue in the moonlight. The [[entrance to the office building|START]] is behind you.

<<silently>> <<set $desertSteps += 1>> <<if $desertSteps gt 3>> <<goto [[well]]>> <<else>> <<goto [[desertwander]]>> <</if>> <</silently>>

After what seems like days of wandering, you stumble across the remains of an old well. It's dried up and filled with sand, but [[a small chest]] lies partially obscured in the centre.

You pick a direction and set off walking through the dunes. They go on as far as you can see, and after a while you forget which way leads back to the office. Somehow, you feel it's unimportant. The only option is to [[keep wandering|Endless desert]].

With trembling hands, you unlatch the chest. Somehow, [[you already know what's in it.]]

You open up the chest and pull out [[your own beating heart.]]

You wake up. Your alarm is blaring and your head is killing you. You need to [[get out of bed and get ready for work.]]

You drag yourself out of bed, change into your uniform, and slip on some shoes. You weigh the benefits of [[making a quick breakfast|make a quick breakfast]] versus [[leaving immediately.|just leave.]]

You leave out your front door, catch the elevator down to the ground floor, and [[wait for the bus.]]

You press the button to dispense your meal, but the system emits a loud buzz and displays the text: "ERROR: INSUFFICIENT CRED BALANCE" Maybe you should [[buy something else.|make a quick breakfast]]

You decide that sustenance is worth the extra time and risk of being late to work. You walk over to the kitchen and hit the "on" button on your nutrient dispenser. Its lights flash in various colours and a screen lights up with choices: [[LAB-GROWN FRUIT -- 50000 CREDS|insufficient]] [[REHYDRATED EGGS -- 10000 CREDS|insufficient]] [["OAT" MEAL ------- 2000 CREDS|insufficient]] [[BREAKFAST PASTE -- 500 CREDS]] [[NUTRIENT CHALK --- 100 CREDS]]

The machine whirrs and groans, and in a few seconds it spits out a bowl of yellowish goo. It tastes like milk and uncooked dough, but you eat it anyways. You decide it's time to [[get yourself to work.|just leave.]]

The machine whirrs and groans, and in a few seconds it spits out a few sticks of nutrient chalk. It certainly tastes like its namesake, but it'll stave off your hunger for a while. You decide it's time to [[get yourself to work.|just leave.]]

The bus arrives and you hop on board, sitting in the furthest window seat towards the back, as always. The doors close and the bus trundles off towards the factory. You lean your head against the window and [[look out at the city.]]

<center>[img[https://sashimi.space/files/iwbyeah/conway.gif]] <<timedreplace 3s>><<becomes>>[[(continue)]]<<endtimedreplace>></center>

The bus arrives at the factory. You shuffle off along with the other workers. The air smells sour here. Smog burns your eyes and reduces your range of vision to a few hundred feet. The loud sounds of machines mix with the blown-out orders from the PA system. You [[walk over to the clock-in machine.]]

You are working. <<if $workStep eq 1>><<print "The machine sputters and spits hot plastic into a mold.">><<elseif $workStep eq 2>><<print "The mold slides through the drying chamber.">><<elseif $workStep eq 3>><<print "The mold ejects the pellets and another enters the line.">><<if $workCycles gt 4>><<print " A green light on the machine turns on, you've [[filled your quota for today.]]">><</if>><</if>> o                  <nowiki>______</nowiki>   <nowiki>\</nowiki>         <nowiki>__</nowiki>     <nowiki>/</nowiki> <nowiki>|</nowiki>  <nowiki>\</nowiki> <nowiki>\</nowiki>   <nowiki>\</nowiki>      <nowiki>_/__\_</nowiki>  <nowiki>|</nowiki>  o   <nowiki>|</nowiki> <nowiki>|</nowiki> <nowiki>[____]</nowiki>  <nowiki>[______]</nowiki>  <nowiki>\____/_/</nowiki>  [[PULL|plever]]     [[PUSH|pbutton]]      [[TURN|pdial]]

The clock in machine is old, covered in rust and barely legible labels. It detects you as you walk by, and barks instructions in a raspy electronic voice. "PLEASE SWIPE IDENTIFICATION CARD" You realise all too late that you left your card at home. You groan, realising that you'll have to use the [[manual override.]] Your boss won't be happy about this...

"MANUAL OVERRIDE ACTIVATED. RETINAL SCAN COMMENCING. PRESENT EYES." You [[look into the machine.]]

The machine buzzes loudly. "INCORRECT. RECORDS INDICATE NAME IS '#9057287'. DATA HAS BEEN AUTOMATICALLY CORRECTED AND ACCEPTED. HAVE A PRODUCTIVE DAY." The machine spits out a temporary work wristband. You slip it on and [[walk to your station.]]

<<timedcycle 0.5s>>You place your face against the retinal scanner and the machine bombards your vision with blinking multicoloured lights.<<becomes>>You place your face against the retinal scanner and the machine bombards your vision with blinking multicoloured lights.<<becomes>>You place your face against the retinal scanner and the machine bombards your vision with blinking multicoloured lights.<<becomes>>You place your face against the retinal scanner and the machine bombards your vision with blinking multicoloured lights.<<becomes>>You place your face against the retinal scanner and the machine bombards your vision with blinking multicoloured lights.<<becomes>>You place your face against the retinal scanner and the machine bombards your vision with blinking multicoloured lights.<<endtimedcycle>> You always [[hate this part.]]

The machine finishes scanning your retinas, and you pull your face back, blinking and straining to readjust to the dingy light of the factory. A new prompt appears on the machine: CONFIRM GENDER: [[MALE|actuallyf]] [[FEMALE|actuallym]] [[OTHER|actuallyidk]]

The machine buzzes loudly. "INCORRECT. GENDER DOES NOT MATCH RECORDS. GENDER HAS BEEN INPUTTED AS FEMALE." You press the "confirm" button. It's [[the only option.]]

The machine buzzes loudly. "INCORRECT. GENDER DOES NOT MATCH RECORDS. GENDER HAS BEEN INPUTTED AS MALE." You press the "confirm" button. It's [[the only option.]]

The machine buzzes loudly. "INCORRECT. GENDER DOES NOT MATCH RECORDS. GENDER HAS BEEN INPUTTED AS <<print either("MALE", "FEMALE")>>. You press the "confirm" button. It's [[the only option.]]

The machine lights up with the next prompt. "ENTER NAME:" <<textarea "$realName" "" autofocus>> [[ENTER]]

You are at your station: a large machine that mills plastic pellets. There is a metal panel with faded instructions bolted to the machine: "PULL LEVER, PUSH BUTTON, TURN DIAL, REPEAT." You [[start working.]]

<<silently>> <<set $workStep to 0>> <<set $workCycles to 0>> <<set $mistakes to 0>> <<goto [[machine]]>> <</silently>>

<<silently>> <<if $workStep lt 3>> <<set $workStep += 1>> <<elseif $workStep eq 3>> <<set $workStep to 1>> <<set $workCycles += 1>> <<else>> <<set $workStep to 0>> <<set $workCycles += 1>> <</if>> <<goto [[machine]]>> <</silently>>

<<silently>> <<if $workStep is 0 or $workStep is 3>> <<goto [[nextstep]]>> <<else>> <<goto [[mistake]]>> <</if>> <</silently>>

<<silently>> <<if $workStep eq 1>> <<goto [[nextstep]]>> <<else>> <<goto [[mistake]]>> <</if>> <</silently>>

<<silently>> <<if $workStep eq 2>> <<goto [[nextstep]]>> <<else>> <<goto [[mistake]]>> <</if>> <</silently>>

<<silently>> <<set $workStep to 0>> <<set $mistakes += 1>> <<if $mistakes gt 2>> <<goto [[toomanyerror]]>> <</if>> <</silently>>The machine grinds and locks up. A supervisor walks agressively up to you, shouts something about questioning your ability to read, inserts a key to reset the machine, and warns you to not let that happen again. You get [[back to work.|machine]]

The machine screeches and begins shooting out bolts in all directions. Molten plastic spills all over the floor. The supervisors scramble to shut off the machine You could [[stay and wait]] if you wanted, or you could [[leave the building.]]

You stand aside from the flow of molten plastic as a supervisor shuts the machine off. The police arrive within minutes. You are placed in the back of a squad car and taken to [[a dark cell.]]

You walk out of the building. The door scanner detects you leaving and sets off an alarm. However, the workers and supervisors are too preoccupied with the broken machine to stop you. You leave the building, pick a direction, and [[walk.]]

You leave the building, clock out, and [[wait for the bus home.]]

The bus comes, you hop on it, and sit in your window seat towards the back. You [[look out the window.]]

"I Will Be Your Eyes And Hands" by [[cammySashimi|https://sashimi.space]]

<center>[img[https://sashimi.space/files/iwbyeah/conway.gif]] <<timedreplace 3s>><<becomes>>[[(the city glides by)]]<<endtimedreplace>></center>

The bus drops you off in front of your apartment building. You [[take the elevator up to your room.]]

You walk into your bedroom and lay down to sleep. [[You dream again of rolling deserts.|the end]]

When your court date comes, you are accused of knowing destruction of corporate property. You are sentenced to 20 years in prison. In your cell, [[you dream again of rolling deserts.|the end]]

You walk for hours until you reach the edge of the city. The buildings get smaller and older here, covered with fading paint and murals in forgotten languages. [[Your feet sink into the sand.|the end]]