10:00AM - the phone calls pour in. Josh's responses were, "I'm sorry.” "Have fun.” "No Thanks.” "You know, let me get back to you." All excuses. Mornings.
Something's changed again. Now he's looking at his monitor and he's wondering why despite so many invitations, he chooses solitude. No one chooses self condemned solitary confinement, right? Well, that's not true. His junior college psychology professor would argue these people exist in multitudes. There are those who choose to lock themselves away, who withdraw from society.
It wasn't like this before, but now Josh can't shake what his professor said that day. "Despite what we may consider reasonable engagement with life, that's contrary to what the disengaged mind is inclined to accept. They withdraw, and all rationality justifies their reasoning no matter how ridiculously isolating it may seem." Josh had remembers his neighbor Ben. The old cook was rarely seen outside is apartment. Ben hadn't shown up to his Laundromat gig in ages, and the orderlies keep filing up. Eventually, the subsystem created a machine to replace the workload, but the macaroni and cheese was never the same. Not the way ol' Ben made them.
Still, Ben never left his room. The newspaper came ever morning. By late evening it vanished. Josh remembers that at the time, various odd noises came from Ben's apartment. The S.Ync Module was on all the time. Ben though disengaged with society, was still engaged via S.Ync Module. The contradiction was why Josh ventured a daring question in class for his psychology professor. "Why would someone who is disengaged with society remain engaged to the S.Ync Module?" There was a snicker of laughter from elsewhere in the lecture hall, and there were plenty of eyes rolling. Still the contradicting actions and paradox, according to Josh, didn't make much sense.
"Well, Mr...err?"
"Weebler." responded Josh almost intuitively. Why did he say Weebler? Why did he choose ol' Ben's last name.
"Yes, Mr. Weebler. You pose an interesting question. If you were to look at it, I suppose those actions do seem contradicting. But you must remember why we have the S.Ync Module in the first place. The module is vital to our social fabric. Without it, how can we ever truly know what is going on with current events. Without the S.Ync module, how could we feel as others feel? Thus the irrationality behind disengagement. Despite how these people rationalize not fulfilling their social obligation, they must be considered irrational and acting selfishly and childishly. If they truly were to disengage, from all society, they would turn the S.Ync Module off."
That last sentence gave rise to shock and horror amongst the students.
"That's blasphemous!"
"How can anyone turn it off?"
"It's vital for life. For society!"
Josh sat there looking to his left and right. He made faces of disapproval and disgusted emotion. He emoted, as he should in the situation, like everyone else. From then on, Josh recall thinking of ol' Ben as that Crazy ol' Ben. The glow of the S.Ync Module in the evenings could be seen seeping under the apartment door. Crazy ol' Ben's brightness adjustment must be out of wack. Crazy ol' fool probably turned it on full blast.
Now, something's changed again. Outside, Josh realized that it was night again. While everyone sleeps, the changes creep. His S.Ync Module discusses the recent tragedy and how our great nations people must feel. Emote emitters disperses various signals, but Josh feels nothing. Outside the city lights turn off. Something’s changed again. People are asleep; there is no need to waste excessive energy.
Josh got up from is form fitting recliner. It felt like he's been sitting forever, his entire life. Putting on his dark denims and a black hoody, he grabbed his key and spring assisted jagged edge knife. No more sitting. As he stepped outside of his apartment, he and Ben nodded at each other. They locked their doors and were off into the darkness.
They didn't speak as the walked. They made little noise. Josh just followed Ben. It was instinctive by now. He remembered when he was filled with question, when he was filled with uncertainty. Something's changed again. The glow of various S.Ync Modules shifted colors. Secondary units filled the streets cleaning and rearranging. Ben and Josh kept to the shadows. They took dark alleyways and crawled through sewage ducts. They climbed various lines and connecting belts. All the while silent.
Josh remembered when the S.Ync Module played animated toons on Saturday. He felt like he was in them now. They made their way up twelve city blocks near the train tracks. There were no passengers as everyone is now sleeping, save the hooded world. The trains still ran, but they were carts filled with parts and subsystem secondary units. Turning to Josh, Ben spoke in a low commanding voice. "We're taking the train tonight. Saves time, but dangerous. They don't stop, so we're hoping on. You have you knife?"
Josh nodded.
"Good. Do as I do. Use both hands, and cling on. When I let loose, kick loose you knife and follow me."
The directions were simple, they always were. In the dark, you listen to the man who can see. Ben sees the darkness all so clearly. On the adjacent building, Josh made out two hooded figures at least, but he could not see nor knew their intentions. "Pay attention, Josh, the train is coming. Do as I do." As the trains hurled pass them, Ben took a step back to gain momentum. With two steps he leapt from the edge towards the speeding train. With both hands he drove his knife into its back and was attached for the ride. Josh did so immediately not wanting to loose his friend tonight. There is no more defeat. Though not as graceful, he managed and clung for dear life. It was a rush. The darkness swept by, the various glowing orbs, S.Ync modules, and secondary unit lights blurred out of existence. Ahead, Josh could see Ben riding high and free. As they traveled more city blocks, Josh began to wonder how much longer it would take. His grip was yearning and his body was now cold. Despite the near death part, his heart was racing mad. Josh liked that feeling. Always with his eyes on Ben, Josh noticed a sign. Ben was kicking the train. His blade was loosening. Rides over, time to go. As the world sleeps, something's changed again.
