The distance from district twelve to the governmental building in the city center took roughly the same time as my journey from district twenty-five to district twelve, about thirty minutes.
I traveled by train as usual. Trains were the cheapest and preferred mode of transportation for people. I sat by the train window, enjoying the view passing by. Despite consisting mainly of buildings and slum settlements, I always found joy in gazing out of the train window.
"District 0" flashed the notification screen. "For passengers from district zero, we have reached our destination. Please exit through the right side of the train door." "For passengers from district zero, we have reached our destination. Please exit through the right side of the train door."
I stood up from my seat and exited the train through the right side. District 0, also known as the central district, housed the city's administrative activities.
After getting off the train, I walked out of District 0 station.
"Excuse me, sir, could you take me to the central government building?" I approached a taxi parked near the station.
"Sure, it'll be five dollars," the taxi driver replied.
I handed him five dollars and got into the taxi.
"What brings you to the central government building?" the taxi driver asked.
"Just some matters to attend to," I replied spontaneously.
The taxi continued its journey towards the central government building. Along the way, we passed numerous government-supporting offices. After about ten minutes, we arrived at the central government building.
"We're here," the taxi driver announced.
"Thank you, sir," I replied simply.
I got out of the taxi and headed towards the central government building. It was an impressive structure, towering and elegant with its prominent white color, symbolizing the sanctity of governmental decisions.
Outside, lush gardens adorned the surroundings, while soldiers guarded the building perimeter.
I approached one of the posts outside the building, where several soldiers were stationed.
"Excuse me, I'm Eric Osmond. I've heard there's a registration for workers going to the earth's surface here," I informed the soldier on duty.
"Follow me; I'll take you to the registration area," the soldier replied without hesitation.
We walked through the front gardens and towards a smaller building adjacent to the main government structure.
"Registration staff, we have someone here who wants to sign up as a earth's surface worker," the soldier informed the registration staff.
"Please fill out your details on this form first," the registration staff instructed Eric.
"I'll leave you here; you can continue from here," the soldier said, wanting to return to his duty.
"Thank you very much, sir," I said to the soldier who had escorted me.
I then filled out the form provided by the registration staff.
"I'm done," I informed the registration staff.
"Please enter the room next door; your blood will be taken for examination in the laboratory," the registration staff said.
"Alright," I replied, and I walked into the room to have my blood drawn.
"Please sit on the chair," the lab technician instructed.
I sat on the chair as directed.
"Sir, please extend your right hand and grip this stressball. Please try to relax during the procedure," the lab technician instructed.
My blood was then drawn using a 5 cc syringe, and surprisingly, it didn't hurt much, perhaps because I followed the instructions.
"We're done, sir," the lab technician said.
I nodded and left the room, heading back to the registration staff.
"Mr. Eric, you have completed the registration process. We will inform you if you're accepted via the mobile number you provided on the form," the registration staff informed me.
"Alright, thank you very much," I replied.
I then quickly left and returned to my apartment.
"I better prepare myself for the earth's surface journey," I thought. Though uncertain of acceptance, it wouldn't hurt to be prepared.
I decided to train my physical abilities. I wrote down a training schedule on a piece of paper. "One hundred push-ups," "one hundred sit-ups," "lift a 50 kg weight," "run 10 km." These were the exercises I planned to do every day.
I started the training I had written down. It was tough at first, but as each day passed, it became easier.
***
Two weeks passed quickly, and I continued training diligently. My initial physical condition was already decent due to my job as a laborer, and with the training regimen, I noticed significant improvements.
One morning, after two weeks of training, I sat on the chair on my apartment balcony, sipping black coffee as usual, observing the bustling city below.
"Toot... toot... toot..." My phone beeped, indicating a new message. I rushed to check it, hoping for news regarding the earth's surface worker registration.
The message icon showed '1,' indicating one unread message just received. I tapped on it.
(Message)
To Mr. Eric Osmond,
Greetings,
Thank you to Mr. Eric Osmond for registering as a worker for the surface journey. We are pleased to inform Mr. Eric Osmond that the selection process has been completed. We have decided that Mr. Eric Osmond is eligible as a surface explorer. Mr. Eric can gather at the central government building one month from now. That's all from us.
"Yes... yes! Finally, I'm going to the earth's surface!. haha..haha..." I shouted and laughed with joy upon receiving the acceptance notification.
"I should step up my physical training again; there's still one month left before departure," I decided.
I then intensified my physical training over the next month, gradually increasing the difficulty. During this time, I focused solely on training, occasional labor work, and ensuring I had enough to eat.
After one month, I looked at myself in the mirror. I stood at a decent height, around 1.80 meters, with golden-brown eyes and a tan complexion. My physique had drastically changed, with visibly toned muscles, though not excessively bulky like a bodybuilder, as I focused more on strength than muscle size.
I then prepared to head to the central government building. The items I brought were few. I only carried a single backpack. Inside it, I didn't pack much: a few clothes and a military knife that I had prepared. I slung the backpack I had prepared over my shoulder and headed straight to the central government building.