No one said living in the slums were easy. I rummaged through trash and people's leftovers. I ate. I stayed hungry.
When I went to the grand sleep like everyone else, I woke up in this brave new world, expecting the danger to be over. I was wrong.
When they pulled me out of the machine, they explain I could only go to the habitat's barracks. Going to the forest would be suicide itself.
The monsters we have attempted to live behind, have not only grown in numbers, but also became stronger. Fiercer.
Back then, I hadn't met my husband yet. Back then, habitat five didn't look like much of a habitat--or much of anything else. The only real compounds were where the Military stayed and where the Council stayed.
When I awoke on the fourth of July, the citizens who woke up before me decided amongst themselves what form of government to have.
You would think that after having sleept for so long, the rich would give the poor a chance? But no. You would be dead wrong.
The rich paid extra fees to be one of the firsts to awaken. My parents had given the United States' Project EVE all of their wealth, and even sold our house to allow me to escape the danger. I remember that time period very well.
All hopes were lost. The nuclear explosions did kill some of the monsters. But the rest-- those that were on the missile's outskirts? Yeah, they survived. They grew even stronger from the radiation.
They grew faster too. It was a winless war. Modern weapons barely affected them after that.
I remember everyone's grim faces after that. The United States declared a national emergency and every men and women between eighteen to forty five had to serve.
Both of my parents were called. And they went. They thought they could make a difference.
"To fight monsters you need to be monsters too, mom, pa. Please don't go! I don't want any of you to die!"
Ma and Pa smiled and touched my hair gently. They hugged me and left.
I was left alone at home. I watch through all the projections what was going on. I watched and felt despair.
Eventually, my number was called too. I was supposed to serve in three months (on my birthmonth which would turn me eighteen). I did not go. I refused to go. Like so many others before me, I ran.
I committed treason that way. I ran to Project EVE and drifted to sleep. Project EVE took anyone that could pay the exorbitant fees.
They did not discriminate me based off my color. Two scientists, whose names exude me questions at this very moment, drugged me and I drifted to sleep almost immediately. That is the last thing I can remember from Project EVE.
I remember a white room. The tests. The video course. The two scientists, and waking up.
When I opened my eyes for the very first time, after finding myself here, I heard multiple voices.
Military soldiers were waking up everyone on my row. I was afraid I would be sent to prison but as they read my file, they informed me I would not be judged for whatever I did in the Old World. I felt very much relieved.
As long as I committed no crimes in this Brave New land which formerly was called Wisconsin, I would not go to prison.
In habitat five, we live in an equal society. As long as someone contributes to society, they would be entitled to certain human rights such as the right to vote who stays on the Council. Each council member has a tenure of twelve years.
No one voted for the twelve council members currently serving. Since they were the ones of firsts to wake up, and since most held positions of leadership back in the Old World, they naturally took governance.
People can gain certain rights by entering the military, you would pay zero new dollas for insurance.
Explorers got certain privileges as well. Not only would they be able to explore the land and draw maps and sell them to the narkets, they can also take loot from the dead monsters and bring certain parts to the scientists who would give rewards for them.
As long as Explorers were active, they would gain one hundred and twenty new dollars every month. Which was enough to feed three mouths with some small changes for daily necessities.
I met my soon to be husband a couple months after waking up. The reason we married was stupid but we fell in love adterwards. He wanted to leave the military and I wanted to leave the slums.
We needed money to build our own place. So we struct a bargain. If we could both get a certain amount by a certain date, we would gey engaged. So, that's what we both did.