'finally' I said to myself when I reached chamber 6. A huge steel double door was closed and my two most favorite guards were stationed outside, when they saw me they simply rolled their eyes.
"Two more minutes and you would have slept empty stomach tonight too" said Joseph sighing and Park opened the door so that I could go in. "good morning and you too have a nice day senor" I said grinning and saluting them before entering in my personal hell 'of course if there is even something like hell, I mean it could be all fake just like those god stories' I thought. I work in food packing factory, yes me the very girl who has been sleeping without food from past three days and eating minimal food since past two weeks works in a food packing factory. The food we pack here is not the kind of food we get to eat but this food is a delicacy even to our eyes, so just thinks how delicious it would actually be. But people like us who live here in underground levels are damned, we don't get to eat this type of food, we don't get to drink four to five glasses of water everyday, we don't get to walk out in sun or sleep on bed at night. We are the damned ones and those who live on the ground are privileged ones.
We were among those privileged ones too, but then our father and mother fucked us up and hence here we are, I signed shaking away all those bad memories of when we first came here. People here don't really take lightly of people from ground.
"Well yes you entered here two minutes before but that doesn't mean you will be getting food for free miss Isidro!"
I rolled my eyes and looked at our supervisor Mark, I am his favorite 'oh I am everyone's favorite'
"Senor" I grinned yet again and saluted him. He rolled his eyes and said "get your lazy ass on machine no. 5" and.....he left.
I worked my ass off so that I could have enough food for both my injured sister and my lazy ass father who doesn't work hard enough so that three of us can get enough food. I mean come on there's only so much food I can get even after giving my hundred percent . And oh I waited for the government officials too, so that I could talk to them about going to wherever they were sending us instead of West. Her left knee got fractured last week while working and since we don't get privilege to go doctor or take medicine she is totally depend upon the food you know that little amount of calcium she can get from the thing we call food and her healing factor. Good news in all of this is our being aberrant as we heal faster than normal humans, so my bet is she would able to completely heal herself in one month.
"Citizens of level 6 here is an important announcement. All those citizens who got a green card by Officer Lindsay two days ago. Immediately report back to main office, Level 1. I repeat all those citizens who got green card by officer Lindsay yesterday immediately report back to main office, Level 1" Said the announcer on the PA system. I immediately left packing and ran for the door "ah where are you going miss Isidor?" mark asked coming in front of me. "Didn't you heard the announcement?" Sighed stating the obvious.
He raised his eyebrows "they choose you too?" I nodded and he creased eyebrows "so you will be going away" I nodded again, I mean yes they didn't choose me not yet but I really don't have time to explain that to him I'm on level 6 and West on level 2 she will reach in main office in time before me.
"Do you have idea where they would take you to?" Mark now have a strange expression on his face. 'What is it with him, why do all of the sudden he looks all concerned about me. When for years he seemed so oblivious of me and my flirting?' I asked myself. "Nope, but now I need to leave. You know officers don't like it when people are not on time" I said with the most uncomfortable laugh of my life. "Hey Talia, you were chosen too?" asked Kiara coming behind me she works on machine six so we kind of know each other. "Umm... yes"
"Well good luck then" she said with a smile and left. I looked back at Mark who now had a restless expressions on his face. "Mmm.. uh ok so.. mm you know.... I mean have they given y'all any specific timing.... like when will you return or something" Okay this is officially the most uncomfortable conversation of my life, I never felt so uncomfortable even while flirting with Mark even though he's like seven years older than me 'uh what can I say I like to score.... never mind'
"No and I think I should.... leave hehe"..... and I killed myself in my head for thousandth time.
"Uh-ohk, best of luck whatever those bastards are about to you know put you through or send you." He said.
"Uh ohk thanks" that was the best motivation someone has ever given 'in sarcastic sense obviously' "ok bye I said and walked past him"
******************************************
I practically banged main offices' steel door, I am late "HEY STAY AWAY FROM THE DOOR" someone shouted from behind me. I turned around to see a guard coming towards me in full speed, I immediately took few steps back from the door.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT?" he barked now standing in front of me. Yes this is how they treat us like some insects as if we are not the same people who pack their food, clean gutters for them, keep supply of oxygen stable in domes and what not 'bastards'
"I want to meet Mr. Lindsay or Captain Shaulin" I said keeping my head high. "WHY" he barked again. This man, who do he think he is? he might live on level one in a better home than ours actually in better condition like thousand times than ours. But who gives him the right degrade me or anyone from other levels like this?
"I want to talk about this mission that government is sending us on"
"WHERE IS YOUR GREEN CARD? AND WHY ARE YOU LATE? OTHERS CAME WITHIN TEN MINUTES OF ANNOUNCEMENT AND HERE YOU ARE TWENTY MINUTES LATE" damn I really made it to level one from level six in just twenty minutes 'wow' I just want to pat my shoulders for being this fast even after not getting any food since past three days. I am really special even for an aberrant.
"WHY ARE YOU GRINNING LIKE A FOOL" guard standing in front of me barked again 'seriously I wouldn't be surprised if all of his family members are deaf' "Nothing senor, I work on level six" was all I replied.
"Uhhh lazy ass, show me your green card" he said. "I don't have one senor-" and before I could complete he barked again "THEN WHY ARE YOU HERE WHY DO YOU WANT TO MEET CAPTAIN SHAULIN OR SIR LINDSAY" how much does he barks?
"I want to volunteer to this mission instead of my sister" I said. "GO AWAY DON'T WASTE OUR TIME" waste their time, waste.their.time "Excuse me does it looks like to you that I am wasting your time? My sister is in there they are sending her to god knows where and you think I am wasting your time here? You know what let me go in" I said folding my hands in front of me and tapping my foot on floor 'my knuckles are seriously itching to beat someone to pulp'
"WATCH THE WAY YOU ARE TALKING LITTLE GIRL" the steel door behind him opened and a guard immerged "I go away for two minutes and you start shouting. Now what is it John" guard asked looking between me and his fellow. "This little girl wants to meet Captain Shaulin or Sir Lindsay she don't have any card and she don't have appointment either. She just want to barge in thinks everyone is free here" guard said giving me a once over "when was the last time you bath?" 'uh really someone so need to teach this man a lesson and something tells me its gonna be me'
"Three weeks ago senor, mind me we 'slaves' don't always get time to bath when y'all give us a chance" I took a step towards him "you know we are the people who are basically running your precious home 'DOME'" with that I was about to punch and break his nose , when his fellow interrupted me "What do want perder" 'ahhh polite and spanish speaker' hard to find these days. "I want to talk about volunteering to this mission government is sending us to in place of my sister" I said looking up to another guard who seemed to be in his late forties. "Okay you can go in but wait in waiting room once the meeting is over you can talk to them" he said opening the door for me "but sir-" mr. rude tried to stop mr. polite but he waved mr. rude off. "Gracias" I said to mr. polite and and showed my tongue to mr. rude. 'A pathetic jerk, barked at me for literally no reason'