– «Stop following us! Don’t you have other things to do? Or has our boss decided to do fitness right at the workplace?
Girls passing by, noticing this scene, began to banter about the situation. Their comments, witty and witty, added a touch of fun to the atmosphere of the workshop, contrasting with the monotony of the work process.
One of them, a tall blonde with bright green eyes, winked at the master commander and said playfully, adjusting her overalls:
– Why are you picking on her? You’d better come to me! I might be able to find the credits faster.
The Master Commander only waved her away, his face a look of growing concern. The wrinkle between his eyebrows grew deeper, and his eyes darkened with anxiety. Through the noise of the harvesters pressing the food into compact blocks, he tried to shout to Dash, his voice breaking with tension:
– When will you bring the loans? The fund has been giving me a hard time! The corporations will eat me up with this synthetic bread! You know how ruthless they are!
Dash stopped abruptly and turned to him. Her eyes narrowed into two amber slits, and she thrust her hips forward in a provocative pose. The tight jumpsuit emphasised every curve of her body, and the neon stripes on her clothes shimmered in time with her breathing.
The Master Commander froze, their gazes met, and for a moment the whole noisy workshop seemed to disappear. The air between them seemed to electrify, creating an almost palpable tension.
Unable to endure this tense pause, Master Commander clapped his hands together, and his gloves emitted a quiet electronic beeping sound. Almost desperately, he exclaimed, his voice shaking with a mixture of irritation and pleading:
– What on earth do you want from me? Do I have to kneel before you for these credits? Or, maybe, to dance in the middle of the shop?
Dash, without saying a word, showed him her tongue. Then she winked playfully, and her eyes flashed yellow for a moment.
The Master Commander, realising he was not going to get an answer, waved his hand in frustration. His communicator bracelet beeped softly, reminding him of other pressing matters. He turned and walked away, muttering something to himself. His cursing gradually dissolved into the noise of the machines, blending into the general hum of the shop.
Hour after hour passed, filled with monotonous work, interrupted by rare moments of fun and flirtation. Huge screens on the walls of the shop counted down the time, showing not only the hours, but also the level of productivity, the amount of food produced and even the mood of the workers, determined by their biometric indicators.
When the end-of-work signal finally sounded – a melodious electronic trill that replaced the harsh beeps of the past – the women hurriedly went about their business and began to quickly change their clothes. They stripped off their overalls as they walked, revealing bodies adorned with neon tattoos and shimmering implants.
They hurried to the showers with ultrasonic cleaning systems, hurried to their children waiting in nurseries with artificial intelligence, to elderly relatives whose homes were equipped with constant medical monitoring systems. Some were rushing to their unusual hobbies – immersive virtual reality theatres or car racing.
In the locker room there was an atmosphere of anticipation for the evening’s entertainment. The air was filled with the smell of perfume and ozone from the hair and make-up machines. One of the girls leaned out of a stall and shouted, her voice echoing off the metal walls:
– Dash! Dash, are you coming? Don’t keep me waiting!
Dash, standing in front of the video mirror, fixed her eyes one last time, adjusting their colour to match her chosen outfit. The tiny nanobots in her iris were changing the pigmentation, creating a perfect match with the dress. She replaced her work robe with a tight-fitting dress made of a material that changed colour depending on the light and the mood of the wearer.
– Now, wait!» she said, putting the finishing touches on her make-up with the automated applicator. – Beauty takes time, even in our fast-paced age!
The girls in the changing room, each standing in front of their own video mirror, made up, knowing that the admiring glances of young men were waiting for them outside the doors.
– Dash, are you coming with us or not? – One of her friends called impatiently, tapping her foot nervously with her high-soled shoes. – The club won’t wait, and I want to catch the band’s performance!
Finally, Dash stepped out of the stall, looking at her friends in all her glory. She flexed her hips sexily, and her dress reacted instantly, changing colour to emphasise the curves of her body. With a smile that seemed to make even the walls of the locker room glow, she said:
– I’m ready. It’s time to show this metropolis what the girls from the synthetic food shop can do!
Dash looked stunning. Her black-blonde hair, changing colour from root to tip, was styled in a hairstyle. Dainty earrings glistened in her ears. The tight dress, woven from thousands of microfibres, emphasised every curve of her young body.
In a futuristic metropolis, where neon lights rivalled the brightness of the stars and skyscrapers, like titanic monoliths of glass and metal, rushed upwards as if trying to reach the clouds, public transport was a true marvel of engineering and design. Huge, streamlined carriages, reminiscent of silvery whales from ancient legends, glided silently along the magnetic rails that, like a glittering web, threaded through the city, connecting its many neighbourhoods and levels into a single, pulsating organism.
Dash deftly ducked into one of these carriages. Her movements were full of grace and confidence, as if she were the queen of this world. The doors closed behind her with a subtle hiss, instantly cutting off the noise of the street and immersing the passengers in the special atmosphere of the transport cocoon.
Inside the carriage there was an atmosphere of tranquility. The walls of the carriage shimmered with soft, muted light, creating the illusion of endless space. The air inside was fresh and clean, filled with a light aroma of meadow grasses – the result of filtration and aromatisation systems.
– Dash! Dash! Where are you in such a hurry? – A familiar voice suddenly reached her from the crowd of passengers, like a tinkling note in the symphony of city noise.
Dash turned round, her emerald eyes, which seemed even brighter in the soft light of the carriage, met the gaze of one of her friends for a moment. The girl’s glossy lips curved into a slight, almost imperceptible smile, but there was a certain detachment in it, as if Dash were already thinking somewhere far away from here.
– I’m sorry, I’m terribly busy,» she said as she walked, her voice melodic but cool. She continued to gracefully manoeuvre between the passengers, her slim figure in the tight-fitting electric-coloured dress seeming to dance among the people as she made her way to the far end of the carriage.
A group of girls standing nearby gave Dash perplexed looks. Their faces were reflected in the mirrored surfaces of the carriage, creating a bizarre play of light and shadows. One of them, a tall blonde in a bright blue patterned jumpsuit, shook her head, making her long pendant earrings jingle softly:
– You’re wasting your time, girls. Dash never comes with us. She’s too arrogant for that,» she said, her voice a mixture of envy and admiration.
The girl’s words were drowned in the general hum of conversations that filled the carriage like a living, pulsating organism. People of all ages and professions were hurrying about their business: some to work, dressed in strict suits with corporate badges, some to meet friends, dressed in bright, extravagant outfits.
Realising that it would be a long journey, Dash gracefully lowered herself