Social (F2R)

Jack slammed the door, dropping his bag by the radiator, as he ran up the stairs at full pelt. He was late, very, very late, which wouldn’t do when you’re the centre of attention within hos social circle. He jumped into the bathroom, checking his hair, his complexion, any random item or skin blemish and quickly exited the room to hurry into his bedroom.

Pressing the button upon his computer, he breathed a little, trying to relax. One couldn’t arrive looking flustered as that wouldn’t present the best face forward. It was, after all, all about appearances. He had to not be not bothered, but bothered, but not ‘that’ bothered.

The screen appeared, scanned his iris and immediately launched the social hub. He prepared himself, looking ever so slightly moody, but at the same time, cool as he could be.

‘No account found’

He stared at the screen, blinking a few times, his heart skipping a beat and then nearly stopping. His adrenaline spiked a little, as he restarted the machine. Seconds flew along as he calmed a little. Another scan, another launch of the hub and, as before, no account was found.

He pushed the thoughts aside, realising that if his account had an issue, then so would others. He reached into his jacket pocket, grabbing his mobile tab. Unfolding the screens, he tapped the side fingerprint scanner and then launched the hub app with his free finger.

The app launched, with the same message appearing once again, ‘no account found’. His head started to spin, ever so slightly, as he launched the text hub.

“Are you guys online?”

One by one the notifications arrived, the message read by all, with the replies slowing appearing. They were all online. He was the only one not able to connect. Even worse, he had no account. His social score, gone, his credit history, vanished. His life outside of this house with all of his friends, over. His heart, beating out of his chest, smashing against his ribs, sent his mind into a spiral of confusion and trauma. His life was over.

Jack usually didn’t crumble under this type of pressure but, of course, this wasn’t the type of pressure he was used to dealing with. He sat down, taping the help icon on the front of the inaccessible application on his computer. Almost immediately, a chat window appeared and he started to type.

‘Hi, my computer and phone say that I have no account, no account found. Can you help?’

He tried to calm his nerves, as he read the near instant reply, ‘Hello, my name is Rachel. I see that you’re having trouble with your account! What is your id or username?’

‘Yes. Username: SexySlushPup77*’

‘I see. Please wait while I look into this for you.’

 

Jack sat, as patiently as he could, his knee bouncing up and down. He could feel his nerves claw at his skin, his mind throwing thinking towards his immediate thoughts. This was, in all cases, a nightmare of immense proportions. A reply suddenly appeared within the chat window.

‘Hello, I’m afraid that your account has been erased due to inappropriate content.’

His fingers typed the reply at speed, ‘What content? I don’t understand. I’ve not done anything wrong?’

‘It seems that your value to the Chat Hub has reached a level to which your feedback, correspondence and participation has been cancelled. Please apply for alternative social credit at your local credit office. Thank you.’

‘I don’t understand? What did I do?’

‘The chat has ended. Please close your chat window. Thank you.’

Jack had heard about this before. Mistakes happened, but this, this was one of the worst mistakes that could happen to any individual. His life, as he knew it, was now over. He was, for a better term, a lower class of citizen. Outcast, soon to be forgotten and snubbed by most of the people he once knew. Once the system tainted an individual, once you were rejected, he’d soon feel the results as people simply wished to conform.

Almost immediately, his phone started to ping. He scanned his finger and, in front of his eyes, his friend list grew smaller and smaller. It was happening. Already. His life, over, his chances and life opportunities, reduced. He started to cry, the grief hitting him like the cruellest, most destructive news he’d ever heard.

He never thought that this would happen and, like all of the rest, neither did they. The social score, destroying his life.