Dream Light City Chapter 7: Another day at the office

Read chapter 7 of Dream Light City by jensrichard on NovelPedia.

Dream Light City. Pollution rises, the Mayor is not giving a shit. I walk the streets. Steam arises from the vents. The neon illuminates our broken dreams. I notice a dandelion. Nature is fighting back. A single dandelion flower is growing in an asphalt crack. I stare at it. It’s like a beacon of hope. Despite all of our human accomplishments, destroying everything. Nature will find a balance. I look up. I see a nice couple walking towards me. The man also sees the yellow flower. He picks it up. "For you, my dear," he says as he gives it to his lover. "Eh? What a silly flower," she answers and drops the flower on the street. They walk away. I look at the flower that is left for dead. I feel something dying inside of me. I walk on. Fuck this world. … I'm at my office. I also need to take care of everyday life. I welcome you to the boring side of my life. An officer comes to me together with a lawyer. That's never a good sign. She had detained an employee from a home delivery company who had started a fight on the street with one of their co-workers. A fight to determine who should deliver the package. The thing is. They are ROBOTS. With enough AI to be considered employees, and now they have developed personalities that conflicts instead of working together. My problem is, that she did not offer charging power, and the robot ran out of juice in one of my cells. The company has hired this uptight lady lawyer to bring home the bot. "This is similar to starving a human," she claims. I look at my police officer. She doesn't have much to say in her defense. Suddenly, there is a rumbling outside my office from the front desk. Some creep has jumped the receptionist, but she seems to handle the situation by bashing his head with her computer. Some cops are running to her aid. I return to my task at hand. Now, where were we? Oh yes, the starving robot. "Did the bot take any damage like a human would from starving?" I ask the lawyer. She gives me a look that says don't even try, boy, and replies: "My client's rights have taken damage similar to a human's right would have." She tightens her black tie and awaits whatever I may say. I see no need to argue. Let's close this case before it ends at the Mayor's office. I take out an official credit chip and ask: "How much?" "My client's loss of value is complemented with 2000 credits." 2000! OMG. But I better pay and close this by the book. Suddenly, Maria, the front desk receptionist, burst in. She does that all the time. I'm in no mood for any of her rants. I do not even listen. I'm stuck with her, and she knows it. Here it comes: "I QUIT MY JOB, JOHN! I mean it this time. I have had enough of how much nonsense you would like me to handle. I want better computers that do not break that easily when I bash crazy maniacs that jump me. Now, I even have to clean up the blood from that fool because the caretaker is busy installing charging stations in the jail cells because of that poor robot. You know you have to listen to me because I'm in a protected occupation. You are not even allowed to hire a robot to replace me because this is a historical building. You need a human receptionist, and everything is on my computer, but now it is broken. There is mandatory physical paperwork that requires proper handling. I'm out of red ink for the stamp, so I use the blood on my desk because YOU denied my budget for office supplies." The lawyer looks at her and sees a future client. My officer takes Maria's hand to see if she's okay. The lawyer smiles at me. Then she asks Maria. "Can you tell me more about working in a protected occupation position in a historical building?" I didn't listen to any of Maria's words. I just want to close the bot case. I start to shuffle Maria to the side and give my officer the credit chip. "Take this and follow my receptionist to the front desk, fill in the proper papers, and close the bot case for me." Maria pushes back. "Say what, John?" Oh yeah, I forgot a detail. "Please p