a cog in the machine: the Ellara series book one

chapter 12

My mom was up in the sky kingdom, she was the first ever in my family to get there. And my family down here has been hated ever since. Well, except for me. no one really had an opinion about me as I was raised in an orphanage, far away from any family that could've influenced how I view the world.

My mom didn't answer the phone. Why would she actually? Now that I think about it. I've never once called her, never once shown any sign that I care about her in the slightest. And she has never shown me that she cares either, leaving me here as an infant to live in a consumeristic hellhole while she lived it up with the rich.

I started working at the factory when I was 15. Most orphans start working around my age, but usually as trash collectors on boats. That way the big corporations don't have to pay as much for that physical labor. Like I had explained before, it's usually the people with college degrees and s**t that get the factory jobs. That way the company has someone to blame if something goes wrong.

Currently I was standing on the docs, looking at the giant glowing city floating above us. And then I looked back down at the black water that revealed very little beneath its surface except maybe a broken glow stick or two.

I decided to pull out my dusty bank card and look at it, something I told myself I wouldn't use unless I absolutely had to. It wasn't out of spite or anything that I chose not to use the card. Every penny in the account right now has been earned by me since I started my factory job. I promised myself not to use this card because I wanted to give to the next generation. But now, my gift is gonna be fighting a broken system.

I took a deep breath before walking to the bank and handing the bank teller my card. “How much do I have in my account?”

The bank teller typed in my card information and waited as a list of over 80 deposits and banking CD closures started appearing on the screen. After about a minute the data finally stopped and came up with a number I never would have expected.

“Alright J17… you have- eight billion three hundred thousand four hundred and ten credits. And I'm guessing you are only going to be putting money in?”

“Not this time.” I gave an awkward smile, not at all prepared to do what I was going to do. “I had an unexpected expense and I actually need to take money out.”

The bank teller raised an eyebrow. Everyone here knows me and knows I don't take money out of my account, ever. “And how much will you be taking out?”

“Three hundred should be enough.”

the bank teller pulled out a small cup. “With the way you set up your bank account I need you to spit in this cup so we can verify your DNA.”

I gladly spit a big glob of phlegm into the cup, knowing full well why I'd set up my bank account this way. Then I waited for half an hour while the bank teller went to the back room and verified everything.