"Start early each morning." That was the first task Violet gave to me and it took me four full weeks to master waking up early by 3:00am, without my alarm.
"December, December wake up." Why won't people just let me sleep, and how do they even get access into my room. "December, its 5:00am, we are all getting ready to leave."
I stirred hitting her hand off. "Go where, we don't have classes today."
"December!" the voice called again, louder this time, and I groaned.
"Leave her alone, if she wants to continue sleeping then she can, we didn't come here to babysit anybody." Another voice said.
With my eyes still shut I smiled, genuinely glad that someone was supporting my sleeping interests. "Thank you, whoever you are." I heard a scoff, but I didn't mind it, instead I scrunched myself up even more to chase away the cold.
Then it hit me. "Where did you say we would be going?" I asked, and the silent sound of nothingness greeted me. I opened my eyes, and immediately realizing where I was, I shot up from, well the floor. "Blazing fire crackers." I screamed, but what I would have really loved to say was, shit.
I stood up, my thoughts drowned in confusion, I did not know what to do, did not even know which leg to step first, and so I ended up tripping, on my own foot, and falling back on the ground.
My eyes shot to the clock on the floor, sitting on the far end of the wall, that I did not notice was there before, and my eyes widened as I saw 11:43am comfortably glowing in bright red lights, and that was when the real panic set in.
I needed to get out and find work before all the spots are taken. I looked down and I still had on the white leather skin tight body suit that we wore back on earth, and my black boots was still on, I felt my gravity defying hair with my hand and it felt even fuzzier than considered possible. I didn't have a comb, or any belongings for that matter, personal or not, but I couldn't sit here thinking about how inappropriate I looked for applying to a good job. So I just stood up, and dashed out with not a single idea concerning what I was going to do, I didn't know, how to find a job, or even where to find food, but there were several things I knew. One, I needed a job, and I needed it fast, and two, no matter how appetizing a single job that pays all the bill may sound, I wasn't going to get one of those, at least not now, so for now, two jobs was better than one, and three better than two.
Opening the door to my new wooden apartment and stepping out into a light that was so blindingly bright, it felt like the sun, like actual real sunlight, those ones that were friendly and did not aim to cook you till dust while you still breathe.
I could spend an ample amount of time, just standing by the doorway, breathing in this, ray of sun that was most likely a projection from the sky, just like the stars from yesterday, but I needed to find my way around this maze looking layout that was the lowest class. As an Extra, before coming to Work Heaven, there are a few things you are thought, one of those things is the basic layout of work heaven, this is so you do not become a burden when you arrive. However, the theoretical aspect of a map, and the practical are not the same thing, so whilst it may be easy to identify the transit station on a map, I knew it would prove a bit more…. tricky to track on ground.
Ten minutes into a very tiring walk, I finally came across it. The end of the grass floor, and the largest building I had ever seen its exterior in real life, not that I have seen many. It covered the whole area, from one far end to another, with large glowing letter that read 'TRANSIT'. I stared at the majestic wall of a building, unsure of which way the entrance was.
"Young lady?" – I turned to see an old man, with greying black hair, and a bad back– "Do you want to go up a class?"
"Yes sir. Good morning." I greeted.
"Follow me." He said without a response to my greeting then started walking, very quickly for an old man, towards the entrance of the large building, speaking as he walked. "You know, the other Extras left quite early in the morning. This morning they were already given an orientation on how the system works. Seeing as you are just leaving, I'm guessing you missed it?" he said in a sarcastic tone entering the building.
"It is quiet unusual, but I ended up, oversleeping, must have been the effect of the travel." I replied stepping in right behind him, and I just froze. It was nothing like I expected, from the outside it was all glass, and flashy, but from the inside it was all metal and steel, over fifty thick capsule looking elevators, that was obviously made to contain no more than one, all laying dormant at the moment.
"Beautiful sight isn't it? The old man said drawing my attention back to him.
I looked back at the view trying to find the right word. "It's definitely not what I expected." I said looking back at him.
He looked at me as if trying to decide what to think. Then he made a very subtle, "Hmmm," sound, and resumed his walk, and I followed him. "You know you are far behind from your mates." He said as if I was not aware.
"I know, hopefully, I will wake up early tomorrow, like I used to." I said more to myself than to him.
"It must have been the drugs they give, heard it makes people sleepy. But they are usually awake before this time, you must be above eighteen?" he asked, still walking towards a metal door at the far left of the space.
"I'll be twenty one soon." I replied. He stopped in front of a metal door, and turned to face me with a small smile on his face. "The same age as my son." He said, the smile still in place. Then he turned back and hoisted the door open, revealing a large space with at least nine computer screens hanging on top of each other in a setup that made it easy to see each screen, and a single seat in front for the operator to seat on, and the old man took that seat.
"What's your name girl?"
"December Blake sir" I replied, so he started to very loudly type in my name.
After a few seconds he handed me a thick rectangular plastic card with nothing but a bar code on it. "That is your identification slip, some authorities might scan it in order to gain access to some certain areas, I have also created a bank account for you, you can access it also through that slip, just show it to your employee, and with a quick scan you will receive your payment, you'd better keep it safe, if you lose it, you lose your entire wealth, and will probably fall in class. It costs a fortune to get another."
I took it from him, immediately looking for where to put it in my pocketless outfit. "Here use this." He said handing me a bracelet with a pocket attachment. "I use that to keep my tools, so you'd have to give it back, understand?"
I took it from him, "Thank you." I said fastening the two buckles of the wrist band.
"This is basically the summary of the orientation they did this morning, and these are available work opportunities the others were handed." He said handing me two pamphlets.
"Thank you." I said looking them over.
"Now, what I can tell you is that there are some available posts that may not be in there, and there might be some in there that are already taken." I nodded, and again thanked him.
"How do I get to the next class?" I asked.
"Just enter one of those." He said pointing behind me to the scary looking lift.
"Okay, thank you." I said turning to leave.
"Wait, here take these." – He said handing me a piece of paper with names and locations written down on them. – "Just incase all the good spots are taken." He said with a smile.
I looked at the paper, then back at the man. "Why are you helping me?"
"Henry Blake was a good man." Was his singular reply before heading back outside.
I looked back at the paper, and for the first time in eight years I genuinely smiled, and at the same time wiped the tears that escaped.
I had a lot of places to be, and I was running out of time. I ran to one of the lifts, and I only had to stand in front of it for it to open like a door. "Please proceed to enter the carriage, as you proceed to enter please make sure that your posture is straight, ensure that both your arms are tucked by your sides, thank you."
I cautiously stepped into the red cushioned capsule that was just a bit bigger than myself, and as if it was locked up in an air tight vertical tomb, the door closed completely, then I heard a snap as if something was locked in place, after that I felt belt straps automatically rap itself around me, and held me firmly on my feet, held my hands tightly against my body, and head tight to the cushion at my back. I started to panic, darkness had enclosed the space, as I felt myself heaving in the last bit of oxygen left. Then a tiny blue light came on, and the light grew until it was scanning my entire face.
"Scan complete. Welcome aboard Extra December Blake. We will now commence your ascent to the lower middle class." The calm male voice that sounded pretty much human said, a cool breeze of fresh air following immediately into the tiny capsule after he finished, and then I felt my stomach do a double flip, as the machine sped upwards, it was pure luck that I was yet to eat, or else I was sure the first job I would have been given was to clean the capsule I was in.