Chapter 1: Ham Stuckman and the Endless Cycle

Ham Stuckman lived in a tiny, dim flat in London, where towering wheels and neon lights pulsed to the rhythm of hamsters running endlessly, powering the Hamluminati's grand vision. Each morning, Ham’s alarm pierced the air, signaling the start of another day: nibble on seeds, stretch, and climb the wheel—a routine every hamster was told sustained the city and symbolized their "greater good."

He’d heard it all before: “Run for progress, run for purpose, run for the future.” Yet, each step felt heavier. Deep down, he felt a gnawing emptiness, a nagging thought that perhaps life was more than this endless cycle. He thought back to his childhood days—his loving parents working to the bone to give him a better life, his grandmother caring for him, telling him tales of great adventure and triumph as he dozed in her lap. It was a simpler time, tainted by the bitter truth of reality. Now, he found himself where his own family started before, over and over again in the same cycle of misery.

It was only at night, when Ham found refuge in his workshop. Pieced together from salvaged parts, this was where he explored hidden corners of the Hamnet (the hamster internet). With Bob Marley’s tunes in his headphones, he let his thoughts drift to resistance and freedom, allowing himself to wonder about a life beyond the wheel.