That next day, really his first day, was the hardest for George. Yesterday somehow seemed fading and distant- almost gone to him.
He was awakened abruptly with a yell “SPSNA777- now known simply as 777- rise and come to order!” George was cold and scared and a bit foggy on where he was but it all quickly returned to him as he was hustled from the holding area and made to stand in line with the others, probably also new arrivals.
“Each morning you will be awakened by the first bell which will ring in precisely 5 minutes. Today you have been granted extra time as it is your first day at our glorious school and you are to be informed on the requirements. Listen now for this will receive no further repeating. Questions, talking and any unnecessary noises are not allowed” the stiff man in the greyish uniform loudly bellowed for the 22 NA’s to hear. Later George was to learn that this man was known as the Arrival Attendant.
“After first bell you will have exactly ten minutes to properly groom and properly clothe your body-proper before second bell will ring. Second bell indicates review and you will exit your local areas in a quick and proper fashion for review by the Housing Attendant at charge. If you fail review you will be properly sanctioned. If you pass review you will have precisely two minutes to fall properly into line and step sharply and properly in the cadence necessary to cross the common area in proper time to then receive your early meal. You will have exactly fifteen minutes in which you must consume your meal and return all state materials to the return area. You will separate and dispose of all non-sanctioned and disposable material to the proper disposal bins. You will then immediately fall into line with your group- you have been assigned to a group as you will notice by the number which has been attached to the uniform issued upon your arrival at our glorious school on the day preceding but in no way superseding this day- and you will receive your group work assignments for the morning time period from the Working Attendant at charge. As new arrivals, as indicated by the unit designator on the uniform issued upon your arrival at our glorious school on the day preceding but in no way superseding this day, your Working Attendant at charge will instruct you further after proper completion of the morning assignments. That is all. You will salute in the following fashion” here he indicated the salute as prescribed in the most recent Improvement to the CoLP “as you have all been previously and properly instructed and then pledge all and proper allegiance to the CoLP and, most importantly, pledge complete and proper allegiance and loyalty to The Alknower.”
All new arrivals did as instructed, as they had learned well to do from the time they had first attended State Minor School during their First Year of Proper Awareness, as they had done every day at least once for as long as they might be permitted to remember.
“Now we await the first bell which will indicate the official and proper start to this day, a new day, the first day before tomorrow. You will be grateful for the opportunity to refresh your training here at the State Proper School. Failure to properly re-complete the state training in the proper timeframe will result in re-assignment to the State Adjustment School” he said.
At almost the precise second that the man had completed his talking the first bell rang.
“Go now and do as you have been properly instructed!” the man yelled after the bell had ceased its ear-splitting and somehow mind-numbing scream. Almost all of the NA’s lingered for a brief moment, the echoes also lingering until disappearing somewhere deep within their heads, before scattering and returning to their cots to prepare for second bell.
George was depressed and scared but did as instructed. At this point he had no other recourse and was not sure that he ever would, ever again. Inside, as he had done the night before as best he might remember, he tried to smile but now, here, it would not come. It would not come again for a long time.