My Predicament - Chapter One

Let me first say that M&P, while paying well, were awful employers. Those favourable things I said about them in the early days of my journal? They were complete lies. I have no respect for them, other than how their technology got us through several wars. Even then, I cannot give them much respect, as it was also their technology which rendered much of Russia and China near uninhabitable wastelands. It is for that reason that the Clockwork Dragons are such a danger here in London.

Now, immediately after my March 17 post, I was sent to several more workhouses. Nothing particularly of note with the workhouses themselves, but what happened on the way was of much interest. After the incident outside the pub, I was under considerable stress. I was now constantly looking over my shoulder in search of the men in black. It was only a matter of time before I spotted one of them skulking in an alley. Contrary to the previous times I have seen them in daylight, this man was not talking to anyone. This time, he was watching someone - watching me!

Despite knowing even then what was the best course of action, I did not confront him. Something in the way he stared at me from the shadows frightened me on a fundamental level. I could not bring myself to go anywhere nearer to him.

After I carried out the inspection, I took a different route than usual. I think that I may have at one point intended to spend the night at an inn. But somehow, I felt safer in my home, so that is where I soon returned. On the way, I caught a glimpse of the two men in a fruit market. They nodded to each other, then went separate ways. I wasted no time in an attempt to lose the two of them by blending in with the crowd.

Upon returning home, I turned off all the lights. I closed the blinds and lit a small fire. For dinner, I simply warmed up some soup. Eventually, I peeked out the window. I saw the two of them standing on the other side of the street. They seemed to be speaking to each other, but I did not open the window to find out what was being said. I did not want to alert them to my awareness of them.

The next day, I set out as usual, but I took a different route. No matter which twist and turn I took, one or two of the men seemed to be on my tail. Even when I was inside the assigned workhouse, I kept looking over my shoulder. I swear to God above, I saw one of them going down a hallway.

This time, on the way home, I intentionally got myself lost in order to throw the men off the trail. I knew not what they planned to do with me if they got their hands on me, but I was in no hurry to find out. When I did return home, I was confident that no one had followed me. Naturally, they would be there eventually, but in the time it took for them, I could call the police. Since the shooting, the entire street has been under surveillance. The police would crack down on anyone who was reported as suspicious. I turned out the all the lights, and went to the phone, dialling the police department. 

But before I was even connected, the generator failed quite suddenly.

Now faced with the problem of no power, and the inability to contact the police, I looked out the window to the street. As luck would have it, I was just in time to see a man in a long black coat dashing from an alley, soon followed by his accomplice. Two men. As far as I knew, there were only two men, so my confidence (combined with panicked adrenaline) was boosted, and convinced me that I would be able to defend myself if it came to that.

Then I saw six more of them running out of the alley.

Damnation! A librarian is giving me a funny look. I will need to purchase this receptacle and continue at the inn. 

Good day, all!

❦ J.T. Marker

Return of the Real-Estate Inspector

These past few weeks, I have set my receptacle for automatic posts to this space. I assumed it to be working, so I never bothered to check. Only now do I realise that, in fact, nothing was posted. I have finally narrowed down the possibilities to one: M&P has managed to bypass the block I set up. As a matter of fact, I believe they have always known of the contents of this journal, despite my efforts at preventing such a thing.

It was a tedious and tiring process, setting up all sorts of safeguards, hoses, mites, and anti-invasion appliances, but I finally managed to ensure that nothing I say will be censored by M&P.

Now, I imagine that to the person reading this, I might not be making much sense. Allow me to explain; M&P do not like anything being said against them. They do not like it when their employees go off on  private adventures. They also do not like anything unusual being associated with them. I'm afraid what you see here is me, breaking all ties with the great Moulder & Primbol Industries in the interest of my personal liberty.

The first post I made after "Back to the Old Routine" concerned the wellbeing of child labourers in the workhouses. This was apparently the last straw for M&P, as that was the first of the posts they deleted while it was still in the nether. I found out only recently that M&P bought this site, and have complete access to the journals of anyone who works under them, like myself. To them, the thought children working for them in their workhouses is completely reasonable. To many, in fact, the reality of child labour is nothing to be alarmed or ashamed by. To me, it is something that no human being should experience. I was just like one of those children for most of my childhood.

As I have said, I was not aware of my posts never seeing the light of day until I looked over the original files and noticed a rather heinous spelling error in one. When I opened my journal to correct this, I saw that none of the files I had written since March 17 had been posted. I have them set to post automatically, so this struck me as rather odd. Nonetheless, I believed it to be a fault of the machine itself, so I ran various updates in the hopes the problem would correct itself. It was then when I noticed a message had been delivered to my receptacle mailbox. Upon opening it, I read a long newsletter of new policies which I could not care less about. However, what struck me was the announcement that M&P were now in control of the site.

That is not the only reason I have neglected to post in such a long while. I am currently in the Margaret Thatcher Library, using one of the public receptacles. The reason for this is that I am no longer safe in my home.

I am confident that I have broken many rules by setting up the protection I am using against M&P, but it is no matter, as I now have enough money from my employment (however short) with them, I think that I will buy this receptacle from the library. They were going to have to replace this model anyway. I will fill you lovely little charmers in on what happened tomorrow. Right now, I need to rest. Too much running.

❦ J.T. Marker