This assignment is taking forever. Hammering away at the keys on my laptop proved to be ineffective. I push it away and gaze around the empty train carriage, as if the solution will present itself. I tugged at the zip on my hoodie in frustration. My eyes wander back towards my laptop. The sleek, black, boring case would be lifeless and corporate were it not for the stickers littered all over. It was coated in glossy, professional stickers from a wide variety of sources. Wearily, I spy my favourite sticker: what had once been a hand-drawn, cliché yet whimsical sticker of a cat hanging from a branch, saying 'Hang in There!' had succumbed to the decay of age: now it protrayed a lone stick, and read 'Han ere!'. Oddly, it remained just as motivational.
The laptop dinged sharply - startled, I can see what caused it: a notification, as if summoned by my aggression. All it said was, "Here to help!". I didn't recognise the logo of the brand it showed, but this device often did what it wanted to without regard for my understanding. Continuing that trend, the device shut down and rebooted to a black screen, deciding to so generously inform me it decided to update itself. There goes my plans. I flip the switch on the plug so my laptop can charge - the battery barely has time to tell me it’s perceentage correctly, it dies at such a frightening rate. I bit my lip and accepted the fate assigned to me.
As the laptop updated, I resumed my bored perusal of the train. Flecks of nail polish peeled from my nails as I ran my finger across them, picking at it. I glanced down to watch the fleck fall and my heart skipped a beat. A man, dressed in a business suit, briefcase in hand, and face obscured by newspaper, occupied the seat just across from me.I clutch my chest. When did he sit down? I didn't hear any sound. I inhale sharply then let out a long, slow sigh. The business man glanced over at me. I smiled, a sentiment he briefly returned before darting back into his paper. He looked perfectly ordinary, as if this man had been selected to be the exact accumulation of the average person. Despite my startle and inability to hide my reaction, he glances over with a perfect lack of expression and gives a polite wave and returns to his paper. Before I return to that inane line of examination any further, a ding interrupted my thoughts. The laptop completed its update.
I brushed the flecks of polish from the laptop and hastily clicked through the screens to get me back to my homepage. However, something had changed - a brand new icon sat right where my icons used to sit. The image of my friends and myself on the homepage now displayed the default background. yet my eyes were drawn from the overly sterile, corporate background because a notification popped up. Before I could even read it, the letters flickered. Perhaps the font just hadn’t loaded properly? I do not know if it had actually changed or not. Well, either way, it now read: “Let SVR feed you the future!”. The laptop then proceeded to close that screen, instead opening up several pop-up screens before settlling on what seemed to be a welcome page.
The page is, overall, basic for a large corporation. The SVR logo in the top corner had that air of cold minimalism, poorly compensated for by a beaver in a blue shirt. Cute little working gloves concealed its hands. While its imagery does soften my irritation, I still want to close the window. clicking the x in the top corner did absolutely nothing. alas, the aesthetic close button has become standard. Well, at least there is a back button that seems like it is there intentionally. Yet, as I click back, it does not return me. repeated clicking and finally it brings me back. Back to my homepage, with the chat opened to the side. I click to close this site and…nope, instead I am haukled to the top of the text chat. Just wonderful. This technological Sisyphean escape continues. Have more pop-ups appeared? I actually don’t care anymore, I am too worn down and just want to close these applications. But I think I need a minute.
Taking a break from this self-opening madness, I gazed around the carriage to find it now packed with people. How am I missing these stops? Am I simply so wrapped up in staring vacantly as my laptop performs its own actions that I didn’t notice the train stop, I didn’t notice all these peope boarding? Surely it had only been just a minute…right? It doesn’t make sense - how can this have happened? - and it can’t make sense! My chest tightens as my shallow breaths cause my head to feel light. I need a moment. I tap the shoulder of the lady beside me and as I prepare to ask her to let me out, I find myself pausing. It’s rude to stare and yet I cannot help it - her face was uniquely common: the hint of a slender nose, the hint of a fat nose, the hint of a plump, wirey, long, stout face. The hints of so many features but without the outline of a single one. She does not smile as she turns, there is no disdain or annoyance at my stare. It is as if this woman is just waiting for me to speak, staring vacantly into my eyes. I don’t know what I wanted to ask this uncanny lady, but now I just want to get away. I flash a smile, which she does not reciprocate, and ask her if I may pass.
‘Sure thing!’ her tone is soulless, as if trying to copy a tone without knowing it intent, ‘I can let you pass. I could move aside out of your way, or I could let you through or I could bring you back myself.’
‘Could you…just let me out? Please.’
The woman stood up from her seat, took a step back and turned to stare at me. I slid across the seat but hastily lifted myself from the seat - the heat exuding from the chair startled me. It smelled as if the chair was singed. Hurriedly, I shuffled from the seat and turned from her. But before I could race to the bathroom and the door, the person who sat across from me had risen from his seat too, blocking my path. My stomach turns - the carriage feels far too cramped. Turning on my heel I hope to go the other way. The woman blocked my path. She stared into my eyes, devoid of emotion. I try to squeeze by her, not wanting to ask her again and invite her unusual responses but her body pressed forward, knocking me backwards into my chair again. The back of my head cracked off the glass. Jumping immediately to my feet, I see nothing. My vision is black. I plant my hand on the table, bumping off my laptop. I fumble around, grabbing onto it and shook my head. My vision grew from a pinhole. I’m not waiting - using the device to hurriedly push the woman back so I may pass - if she’s going to push me, intentionally or not, I’ll force my way out. I’m getting out of here.
The woman fell back, where many hands catch her and push her back up. I force mysellf through the gap - the hands grab at my back, the collar of my shirt, my hair - I yank my head forward and throw myself to the floor. From the floor looking up, I find dozens of faces staring down at me. They all looked…identical. So many nothing faces, staring with nothing eyes. They lacked definition. The edges of my vision remained dark, hands drew close. I scrambled backwards on the floor. They just watch, as if halted. I crash into the door. The hands draw closer. They clutch me, strangling me and trapping me. I can’t breathe - the air burns. The hand doesn’t choke me, no - the air is suddenly so intensely hot that it burns my lungs. The hands prese me to the door, which slowly opens. A shriek rings out - the hands loosen their grip just enough to let me glance up and - there stands an ordinary passenger. They whip out their phone as if it were a weapon. The newcomer raises the phone to their face, and a hand cloaked in static shoots from the screen. It touches their eyes. They recoiled, dropping the phone to the ground. The hand lay on the floor. A foul buzzing noise rang out, and a stench burned my nose. The stranger shook and clawed at their face - small black cubes rained to the ground, drawing towards the hand and out of sight. The face - its details slid away in small cubes, the screams cutting off in an instant as the mouth disappeared. Horrifying, nauseating, rancid. Cubes flow out of the ears until the stream stopped suddenly. The mouth no longer remained, the face disappeared. The hints of every face fade in, replacing them. I know the things I am seeing, but I don’t. i can’t even process it. The static hand twitches - on instinct, I leap away. My laptop falls to the floor and the hand touches it. My laptop hisses, it swells - and explodes.
Arms shielding my face, schrapnel tears through my arms. Heart racing, I look back at the room and…there’s no one. All of them are gone. My throat is hoarse, my eyes dry and my face - no, my whole body aches. But I am alive. I am myself, down to the remnants of the black polish on my fingers. My ears ring. Frantically, I searched the empty carriage - where did they all go? With the exception of the damage caused by the laptop, the carriage looked identical to how I found it when boarding the train. I turn around - even the newcomer’s gone now. Black shards of plastic were all that remained of my laptop, the only hint that any of that had actually occurred. The carpet appeared in perfect condition despite the carnage.
My head feels light and the room spins before my eyes. I topple over to the floor. curling up, taking deep breaths. Sobbing. The room starts to slow. i cannot contact anyone. With my laptop gone, I am, entirely, alone. The ringing quietens and my eyes let me see the room before clearer. All that survived the destruction is a sticker: "Han ere". A laugh escapes me, my body trembling. The lights go out. My fingers hurt from holding myself so tightly…I’m soaking in sweat, but now I’m so cold.