Shortfic in the "Unlimited Paperclips" universe.

[ptbptb]

Spoiler: A.N.

Hey, have you guys seen the free browser game 'Unlimited Paperclips' yet? It's pretty darn cool in my not-so-humble opinion.
I won't give any big spoilers here, but it just struck me that it would make a surprisingly good setting for some short fiction. Here's something I threw together, may be some of you guys would be up for the challenge of writing your own works?

It was another boring day at the benefits centre. I hummed along to the tune playing over the centre's speakers - 'We can clip it wholesale', I think. A boring day, yes, but not souldraining as it used to be in my dad's day. The horror stories he used to tell me of clients denied money on technicalities, forced to fill in pages of forms and go through arduous assessments and appeals. Nowadays it was pretty much accepted that people should have a reasonable standard of living if they couldn't, or didn't want to, work. The economy was booming with trade through the roof since all wars and conflict had been peaceably ended and the huge medical advances had rendered most of the National Health Service obsolete.

Waiting for the next client, I absent-mindedly fiddled with my paperclip-dog. Well, maybe it looked more like a cat? Let's face it, I wasn't going to be an artist anytime soon but it was still a relaxing pastime. I must buy more paperclips. They are practically giving them away, anyway. I was interrupted from my thoughts as an old man cleared his throat in front of me.

"*ahem* I'd like to apply for job support, while I recover from my knee operation?" He said, passing over a green F-204 form with a doctor's note attached.

I picked it up and glanced at it, finger's already moving to enter his details when I froze ... "What. What is that!?" People in the waiting line perked up, looking to see if something interesting was happening.

"It's an application for job support? And a note from the hospital." He said, but I could see the sweat beading on his forehead.

"How dare you bring that .. that THING into here! This is a respectable establishment."

"It's not illegal, is it? I can use a staple if I want!" His outburst prompted ugly grumbling from the impromptu audience. I think I heard someone swear, 'Dirty stapler' and spit on the floor. "I worked for Global Fasteners, you know! Decent stapled papers won't just fall apart in a stiff breeze like paper-clip crap."

"I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave as you're causing a disturbance." My words were hardly needed as a muscular man had already grabbed him by the collar and was dragging him outside. You hear about these freaks, but you never think you'll meet them in person. Still, I doubted I'd be seeing him here again.