Submute: Sub Inc., #1

By Maya Monique Grier

We all know our conscience is the voice in our head telling us when an idea is good or bad. But imagine that little voice is an employee working for a global company designed to protect your well-being. 

 

'We help you decide.'

 

Follow one Subconscious Mediator Technician (SMT) who fights to stabilize his view of his assignment and personal relationships. Despite all efforts, this is all thrown out of balance when company secrets and policies come to light, affecting their loyalties.

 

SUBMUTE is a psychological office drama that explores the conflict of the importance or insignificance of the human conscience.

 

Have you wanted to see the perspective of your conscience? SUBMUTE is a unique novella that does just that. Follow the story of Thomas Evans, who provides influence to protect his assignment and abides by the rules of the company. He works hard to maintain his friendships, a budding romance, and office bullies. What happens when his influence is ignored, Sub Inc's rule of conduct changes and his friends disappear? 

 

Grab your copy of the first book of the Sub Inc Series: Submute, today! Ebook and print versions are available.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bear Llama Creations
• Release date: Jan 8, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215082461

Book preview

Prologue

SUBCONSCIOUS MEDIATOR TECHNICIAN (SMT)

Sub INC. ★★★★ 5.9 billion reviews

Job description

Welcome to Sub Inc, the esteemed company that existed for as long as humans have. It is a company responsible for nearly 8.0 billion subconsciousness. No decision is too big or too small for our Subconscious Mediator Technicians (SMT). As an SMT, you will be a part of this worldwide company helping human units make better use of their conscience, yielding safer outcomes.

‘We Help You Decide’

We are helping units in their life’s crises or inconveniences with the power of our new, Verbal Influence Microphone (VI). No more long waits for influence approval with this improved tech. Humans have proven to want faster influence, decisions, and results. We noticed a shocking decrease in rates of submute units.

To become an efficient SMT, we provide a three-level training program called the Skill Enhancement and Employee Development Program. After the third level, Sub-High, you will participate in the newly added internship. The workshops prepare you for the weight of responsibility of the VI and will make for a smoother adjustment into the workforce.

Becoming a Subconscious Mediator Technician (SMT) is grueling and perplexing. You will have your given influence ignored. You will see firsthand the direct consequences causing feelings of vulnerability and uncertainty. However, you will understand this as a fact and will treat all situations as a top priority. You never know when you will be required to save your unit and possibly yourself.

Duties and Responsibilities

●  Delivers Verbal Influence (VI) to your assigned unit for their benefit, protecting their well-being. This is a direct reflection of your work ethic.

●  Provides onsite (or temporarily remote) support using technical equipment received.

●  Responsible for cubicle and equipment cleanliness and maintenance. Including but not limited to dusting, connection checks, the system resets, screen cleaning, trash removal, etc.

●  Documents influence given for personal reference, recorded in a Scratchpad.

1. Cause and Effect

No one reads the entire job description since it does not clearly show the true essence of the job. The duties require more than a few pages and four bullet points.

My job is to observe my unit, give influence and prevent it from listening to itself. I am the compelling force to produce an effect, to encourage it to do or not to do something. My voice echoes when something is wrong, based on the morals my training and a unit's parents should have drilled into both of us.

I understand that no one truly enjoys listening to that ‘voice’ in their head. Since it tends to prevent dangerous, non-thought-out fun, no one wants to be prudent of the group. However, my unit was different. Somehow we had an understanding that I needed to make the tough call, and it needed to listen. I knew we were a good match when paired in Sub-Prime. I remember when Trainer Thelma loaded our EyeMonitors, my cohorts immediately complained that their units displayed unpredictable behaviors and emotions. Yet, my unit calmly talked to its pet turtle.

My unit obeyed its parental units’ requests despite the obstacles of their drama, the stresses of school, or the lack of friends. All issues that would cause typical units to lack obedience never affected mine. However, my unit’s ability to remain undisturbed offended some of my cohorts. They concluded my unit was disconnected, calling it odd and stale.

His behavior continued to remain balanced during Sub-High. My cohorts were busy dealing with our new responsibility of partial access to our units, so their confusion about my unit ceased. Half of the day was used documenting and delivering influence. The other half of the day was drained by listening and learning from others' mistakes.

After those long days, we all were beyond exhausted. The new internship part of the program showed us what happens when units fail to listen to our influence. The hardships and pain that result from wrong decisions, whether physical or emotional, hurt alike. 

SMTs are affected just the same. The mental game of caring for our units but realizing their decisions will hurt us baffled all of us.

I learned the lesson of not separating the job and my own life. Not only did I allow myself to become too involved, but I also allowed its decisions to affect my own. The greatest mistake of my career as an SMT was permitting my unit to fall in love.

If I knew the results, I would have influenced my unit in Division 18 away from the University they attended together. I should have advised ignorance of the female unit each time it sat beside mine and refused to smile back. Division 19, I could have chosen sleep over long conversations. I could have denied the study dates and the endless trips to museums to analyze architecture. I should have determined the query to meet my unit's family in Division 20 as a hint to terminate its relationship.

Despite all training and following every rule, I saw firsthand how love affected my unit. Then saw how it gradually affected me. Something about watching it fall in love made my feelings strengthen. The very thing I wanted to conceal affected my ability to do my job effectively. While my unit’s attention was on the female unit, mine was on Nicole.

My focus split between her and my unit making my influence passive and delaying my reaction time. Love distorted my memory causing me to only recall feeling overjoyed, empowered, and anxious throughout Division 19 to 23.

Both my unit and I thought we had the world at our fingertips until all came crashing down. We could only feel pain and confusion. Little did we know losing them both made us lose ourselves.

Now, I have learned a harsh lesson about this cruel job. The trick is to impede me from fully engaging with my unit or my feelings. Keeping my unit as an assignment of my job detaches me. Remaining undisturbed prevents disheartened moments. While forbidding myself from neglecting my job duties and my friendships.

None of which is explained in the job description, eloquently written out for the benefit of recruits.

2. Loading

HEY, THOMAS! YO TOMMY. The Tomster, I hear a voice continuously pop over my cubicle divider.

Oh no, what do you want? I sigh, perceiving where this conversation is leading.

How do you know I want something? Maybe I was popping in to say hi.

I roll my eyes, waiting for his request for something ridiculous. Last week when he called me ‘Tommy’ he wanted to sneak into another office to see how long until the trainer realized we did not belong. Three days ago, Jeff called me ‘Tomster’ he wanted me to help him talk his unit out of receiving another speeding ticket. I could not imagine what he needs when calling me all three names.

Are you busy? You’re not busy. I have a question for you. Hypothetically what would you do if my, I mean, a unit, not mine specifically. He nervously laughs off his mistake.

Get to the point, Jeff.

Okay fine. Hypothetically if a unit needed to drive but couldn’t. What would you do?

Does the unit not possess a license? I entertain the hypothetical question.

It does but... Jeff slowly lowers his head below the divider, only showing the top of it.

But what? I ask.

It has a suspended license. He braces himself, ducking down.

I quickly turn to glare in Jeff’s direction. Are you kidding me? You got your unit’s license suspended? I told you to watch his tendency to speed.

I know, I know but he is so happy driving fast, he defends, returning to his position above the divider.

And now he wants to drive with it suspended? No way can you influence that! I say with displeasure.

Only for a good reason.

And that is?

A cute girl wanted to meet me... I mean him. A hypothetical boy unit.

You realize this isn’t your life, right? This job  is not a game or a hypothetical you can do over. My attempt to process a question is so irresponsible. Jeff has always been naive,