Chapter Four: Breakfast diet
The pressure on his body eased, and with a sigh of relief, he pushed himself up to a sitting position. The holographic display flickered and faded, leaving him alone with his thoughts.
"Subject 427, your breakfast dietary intake is scheduled. A transport unit will arrive shortly to escort you to the cafeteria," the synthetic voice announced.
A small, spherical robot with large, expressive digital eyes rolled into the room. "Beep boop! Breakfast time!" it chirped cheerfully, its voice a high-pitched melody. It introduced itself as "Zip".
Zip led him through a series of interconnected corridors, the walls adorned with abstract, pulsating patterns. As they moved, he caught glimpses of other individuals, some alone, others in small groups, all seemingly lost in their own thoughts. A few exchanged brief nods or gestures, their eyes holding a mix of curiosity and detachment.
A sudden commotion erupted from a nearby corridor. A figure, taller and more muscular than the others, was struggling against several larger, imposing robots. The figure's face was contorted in anger, and it let out a guttural roar. The larger robots responded swiftly, their movements precise and efficient. A strange device extended from one of the robots, and a beam of blue light struck the struggling figure. The figure convulsed briefly before going limp. The robots then carried the unconscious individual away.
Zip seemed unfazed by the incident. "It's mealtime!" it chirped again, its voice oblivious to the chaos.