Jack awoke to endless buzzing of his familiar alarm.

The same monotonous knell that forced him to face the daily grind of a new daily cycle.

His eyes stared momentarily at the ceiling before he threw the covers back and stood, marching to the curtains, illuminating the tidy and ordered room.

He stood at the window for a moment longer, the bright morning light shining off his naked body, the warm radiance heating his skin, yet he showed no sign that he felt or enjoyed it.

Turning back to the bed, Jack moved meticulously, replacing his covers and straightening his pillows till his bed was a clinically straight as the rest of the room, from the shiny polished guitar in its stand, to the hung pictures depicting a chubby, long haired man at playing with a rock band.

“A tidy room is a tidy mind” Jack said slowly, a sensation of pride rushing up his body as he both recited and enacted one of his companies’ new organisational policies.

Ever since he had been applying them to his life, Jack had found a sense of control in his life and an odd sense of satisfaction and pride.

“Be clean…be healthy” Jack exclaimed before turning to his ensuite bathroom and marching into the shower.

He meticulously rubbed his body down, his hands moving over smooth, taught muscles and through his very short, militaristic style hair.

“Stay Fit…Can’t Quit”

The thought echoed in Jack’s head, and he made a mental note to continue his fitness regime at the company gym that evening.

Finishing his shower, he stepped out and dried himself before returning to his bedroom and moving to a large wardrobe in the corner.

Opening the doors, he stared at an almost bare interior, containing only two pairs of identical shoes, work shirts trousers, and a drawer containing two boxers and two pairs of socks.

Silently he dressed into one of the work attires before admiring himself in the mirror.

“Dress to Impress” he muttered before turning and leaving the room to his flat living room kitchen.

On the table was laid a protein bar and a glass of water.

“The most important meal of the day” Jack exclaimed before consuming the simple breakfast, washing the glass up and disposing of the bar wrapper.

“Don’t waste your time, Arrive on time”

Jack marched to the front door, picked up a small satchel and left the apartment, locking the door as he went.

Each step towards his job increased that growing sense of pride and accomplishment that Jack been building since he had awoken.

He didn’t speak to anyone, remaining focused on his task as he rode the subway through the city, arriving at his station and emerging out into the city centre.

The centre bustled with the early morning rush, but Jack had his objective, the large building opposite the subway exit.

As he marched with purpose, he spotted fellow colleagues of the company, many of them like him, muscular, clean shaven and hair trimmed to perfection.

In order they approached the building and entered the clinically clean lobby consisting of a few comfortable chairs, a turnstile and desk behind which sat figure who stood out boldly against the surroundings.

Completely coated from head to foot in black rubber, its face a flat mirrored surface that stared seeming unseeing ahead.

Jack suddenly stood sternly, looking proud and tall before the figure.

It was a colleague who had been promoted, the goal all employees should aspire to.

Before the desk was a line of men and women, all waiting patiently in front of the turnstile, each presenting and ID to the black figure before advancing.

Step by step, Jack drew closer to the desk till he stood before the figure who remained gazing resolutely ahead before Jack suddenly heard it speak.

“CONFIRM IDENTITY TO ENTER!”

Jack reached into his satchel and pulled out a small card, containing a picture of a long haired man and the name Jack Briggs,  and presented it to the figure.

There was a moments silence.

“IDENTITY CONFIRMED….OPERATIVE JK-021809070719” the voice responded, and Jack waited for the order to advance but it didn’t come immediately.

“OPERATIVE JK-021809070719 IS NOT SCHEDULED FOR OPERATION TILL 12:00 HOURS…TIME IS PRESENTLY 08:45….EXPLAIN PRESENCE”

“If you are early you are on time!” Jack quoted proudly, “If you are on time you are late!”

Silence again.

“OPERATIVE JK-021809070719….YOU SHOW DEDICATION…..ADVANCE”

The light on the turnstile turned green and Jack moved forwards, his expression twitching as though he was going to smile.

But he remained steadfast.

“To show emotion is a sign of weakness” he though diligently, marching along the corridor and turning into a large bullpen of cubicles, all containing a single figure staring at a screen and typing monotonously on a keyboard.

Ever since the company had been bought out by a new efficiency business, serious changes had been made since Jack had started working there.

New mandatory motivational sessions were implemented daily along with ‘recommended’ physical workout sessions to improve an operatives physical and mental health.

All operatives found that this was beneficial to them as it saved money on physical care and actively increased efficiency in the workforce.

Soon the promotions began, beginning with the executives, and every operative soon aspire to greatness, to be promoted and be an asset to the company.

Jack made his way to an empty cubicle and took a seat, the desk was pristine containing only a  monitor and a keyboard.

He placed his satchel next to the desk and tapped the keyboard.

“STATE IDENTITY”

The notice flashed on the screen.

“Operative JK-021809070719” Jack declared proudly, watching as his ID appeared on the screen.

“IDENTITY CONFIRMED….START UP COMPLETE…..BEGIN WORK CYCLE”

The screen suddenly flashed up a large bright spiral that began to rotate at varying speed, occasionally flashing a phrase which Jack then mouthed silently.

“A tidy room is a tidy mind”

“Be clean…be healthy”

“Stay Fit…Can’t Quit”

“Dress to Impress”

“The most important meal of the day”

“Don’t waste your time, Arrive on time”

“If you are early you are on time!...If you arrive time you are late!”

Jack’s start up regime was ingrained deeper into his brain as his stared blankly at the screen while his hands moved slowly from his lap to the keyboard where they began to type continually, seemly working independently from his mind.

Others entered around Jack, filling the empty cubicles and soon nothing but the sound of typing filled the room not that any operative was listening.

Jack continued his work, gazing at the spiral before the screen suddenly went black.

“WORK CYCLE PAUSED….AWAIT FURTHER INSTRUCTION”

Jack stared blankly at the new works, apparently not taking anything in as the sounds of footsteps approached his cubicle.

Turning, he saw two shiny, black figures standing at the entrance to his cubicle.

“OPERATIVE JK-021809070719” one of the figures announced, “CONGRATULATIONS…YOU HAVE BEEN PROMOTED!....YOU WILL FOLLOW FOR EXECUTIVE INITIATION”

Operative JK-021809070719 rose to its feet immediately, pride swelling within it, yet its face remained blank, and it marched obediently form its cubicle, following one of the promoted while the other followed behind it like a guard of honour.

Moving along the bullpen, the trio headed for the executive lift that stood clearly at the back, like a beacon above the bullpen.

Each step closer brought nothing but pride for Operative JK-021809070719, it had been recognised as asset to the company.

The doors to the lift opened and the two promoted operatives and Operative JK-021809070719 stepped inside, turning to face the bullpen, seeing the bowed heads of its colleagues all staring at the screens obediently.

Soon they would be promoted like it was, soon they would serve the company fully…as it now did.

The doors slowly closed, and Jack Briggs was never seen again but Drone JK-021809070719 soon emerged, shiny, black and strong as its fellow promoted drones.

Its start up fully complete.