tylr.e
New member
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2025
- Messages
- 13
- Thread Author
- #1
LEGAL NAME: Klaus Altmann | CITIZEN IDENTIFICATION NUMBER:27440 |
DATE OF BIRTH: April 18th, 1992 | LOYALTY STATUS: Supporter Tier 1 |
PLACE OF BIRTH: | CURRENT LOCATION:Industrial 24 |
ETHNICITY: German | FAMILY COHESION:Stable |
Prologue - The City of Industry
They call it City Thirty-Six. But I still remember when it was Berlin.
Back then, there were colors in the sky. Real ones, not the grey haze from the billowing smoke of the factories or the pale glow from the Citadel tower. Now, it's just smoke and the hum of machinery that never stops. People call it the City of Industry, though I don't think anyone says that with pride anymore.
Regardless, it's where I was came to be, and where I lived for most of the developmental years of my life.
They call it City Thirty-Six. But I still remember when it was Berlin.
Back then, there were colors in the sky. Real ones, not the grey haze from the billowing smoke of the factories or the pale glow from the Citadel tower. Now, it's just smoke and the hum of machinery that never stops. People call it the City of Industry, though I don't think anyone says that with pride anymore.
Regardless, it's where I was came to be, and where I lived for most of the developmental years of my life.
Chapter I - The Machinist's Son
My father was a machinist before the war. Before the sky tore open and the world folded. His hands were always a deep oil black, and he coughed like his lungs were made of dust. But he smiled like a man who'd built something that mattered. When Our Benefactors came, he didn't understand. He thought it was another regime. Another occupation. He shouted at the checkpoints, organized strikes, talked about "freedom."
They corrected him for it.
I remember the sound more than the act. How quiet it was afterward. No shouting, no orders, no chaos. Just stillness. I don't really know what to think... It's strange, really. It was the first time I... understood what peace sounded like.
My father was a machinist before the war. Before the sky tore open and the world folded. His hands were always a deep oil black, and he coughed like his lungs were made of dust. But he smiled like a man who'd built something that mattered. When Our Benefactors came, he didn't understand. He thought it was another regime. Another occupation. He shouted at the checkpoints, organized strikes, talked about "freedom."
They corrected him for it.
I remember the sound more than the act. How quiet it was afterward. No shouting, no orders, no chaos. Just stillness. I don't really know what to think... It's strange, really. It was the first time I... understood what peace sounded like.
Chapter II - The Rhythm
I started working in the factories when I was nineteen. Young enough to still believe The Civil Worker's Union when they said I had "potential." Maybe they just meant I didn't complain. There's a rhythm in the machine you're working with, a pulse; like it's alive. Hah, I remember the supervisors thought I was weird for saying that. They laughed. But they didn't hear it the way I do. They don't understand the machines aren't just metal. They're order. They're proof that Our Benefactors have given us something better than freedom.
Purpose.
I started working in the factories when I was nineteen. Young enough to still believe The Civil Worker's Union when they said I had "potential." Maybe they just meant I didn't complain. There's a rhythm in the machine you're working with, a pulse; like it's alive. Hah, I remember the supervisors thought I was weird for saying that. They laughed. But they didn't hear it the way I do. They don't understand the machines aren't just metal. They're order. They're proof that Our Benefactors have given us something better than freedom.
Purpose.
Chapter III - Lena
My sister, Lena, is the only real family I have left.
She was just a girl when our Father died. Soft-spoken. Kind. Too kind for that city. I promised I'd keep her safe. That promise became my loyalty.
The Union rewards loyalty. They gave us a room, rations, safety. That was enough for me. Lena built up a reputation in City Thirty-Six, becoming a recognized loyalist. She's still there now- she sews uniforms for the Civil Protection units. Last time I spoke with her she says they always thank her politely.
My sister, Lena, is the only real family I have left.
She was just a girl when our Father died. Soft-spoken. Kind. Too kind for that city. I promised I'd keep her safe. That promise became my loyalty.
The Union rewards loyalty. They gave us a room, rations, safety. That was enough for me. Lena built up a reputation in City Thirty-Six, becoming a recognized loyalist. She's still there now- she sews uniforms for the Civil Protection units. Last time I spoke with her she says they always thank her politely.
Chapter IV - The Light Above
There are nights when I just stand in the streets and look toward the Citadel. The light that bleeds from it doesn't flicker, not once. I've watched for hours just to be sure. It's constant. Eternal.
That's how I imagine Our Benefactors. Not human. Not fallible. Just constant. I don't think they care if we understand them, but maybe that's the point. Understanding is a human flaw.
I used to dream about the old Berlin skyline. The towers, lights, people shouting in the streets. Now, when I dream, I see steel corridors and the cold blue glow of combine consoles. And I wake up calm.
There are nights when I just stand in the streets and look toward the Citadel. The light that bleeds from it doesn't flicker, not once. I've watched for hours just to be sure. It's constant. Eternal.
That's how I imagine Our Benefactors. Not human. Not fallible. Just constant. I don't think they care if we understand them, but maybe that's the point. Understanding is a human flaw.
I used to dream about the old Berlin skyline. The towers, lights, people shouting in the streets. Now, when I dream, I see steel corridors and the cold blue glow of combine consoles. And I wake up calm.
Chapter V - Function
People call them loyalists. I don't think that's the right word. Loyalty implies choice, but I don't think I chose this. It's just what makes sense.
Our Benefactors corrected us. They took away the noise. The wars, lies, and chaos. I don't want "freedom." I want function. I want purpose.
Sometimes, when everything aligns. The conveyors, the fabricators, the rhythm of work. I feel something. Like standing inside the pulse of a mind too vast to comprehend. Maybe that's what people used to feel in churches.
I've never been to one.
People call them loyalists. I don't think that's the right word. Loyalty implies choice, but I don't think I chose this. It's just what makes sense.
Our Benefactors corrected us. They took away the noise. The wars, lies, and chaos. I don't want "freedom." I want function. I want purpose.
Sometimes, when everything aligns. The conveyors, the fabricators, the rhythm of work. I feel something. Like standing inside the pulse of a mind too vast to comprehend. Maybe that's what people used to feel in churches.
I've never been to one.
Chapter VI - The Silence
I've never doubted them. Not once. They've given me purpose. They've given me peace. They've taken away the noise.
But I can't stop thinking about the quiet after my father fell.
How pure it was. How final.
Sometimes I think that's what they want. For all of us to go quiet.
To become part of the machine.
To hum in rhythm forever.
Maybe that's not such a bad thing.
I've never doubted them. Not once. They've given me purpose. They've given me peace. They've taken away the noise.
But I can't stop thinking about the quiet after my father fell.
How pure it was. How final.
Sometimes I think that's what they want. For all of us to go quiet.
To become part of the machine.
To hum in rhythm forever.
Maybe that's not such a bad thing.
CHARACTER RELATIONS
TO BE ADDED | TO BE ADDED | TO BE ADDED |
TO BE ADDED | TO BE ADDED | TO BE ADDED |
