Amaryah's Awakening

Chapter One

Earth 2606 AD

The ground vibrated beneath Amaryah's feet jerking her awake, her eyes opened to the dull grey lighting that she'd grown accustomed to. Extraordinarily little light was allowed into the room where she lived; if you could call it that, it was more of a container. There was no ceiling, this provided a clear view of the interconnecting tubing and wires that once provided electricity and freshly cleaned air to her living level, but that was a long time ago, she'd only heard of it from her mother when she was around. Amaryah shoved the thought of her mother and the pang of sadness that came along with her memory into the back of her mind as she eased out of bed.

"Shit", she muttered as her eyes met with the glowing screen above. Its emitted words filtered in through her missing ceiling, it was so late. She shrugged into her navy-blue jumpsuit and winced at the sharp tearing abdominal pain that almost had her doubling over, another problem that she catalogued onto her growing list of things that she'd been effectively ignoring. It wasn't that Amaryah didn't care to deal with her health issues, it was that she knew there was no way she could afford healing and there was no one she could trust enough to ask for help.

She grabbed her food ration and stuffed it into her mouth, her face scrunching up and she forced herself to swallow the tasteless, brown cubes that were her nourishment for the morning. The ground vibrated again as she hurried out of her container and into the murky and dilapidated alleyway that had been her home for a long time. She didn't let herself think about the time before she'd been forced onto the lowest living level as her black worker boots splashed through puddles of filth and muck. Amaryah took shallow breaths as she scooped her coiled hair up into a haphazard bun, the vibrations meant the train was almost ready to leave, and if she missed a day at work- well she wouldn't be able to eat for the rest of the week.

Her steps quickened.

Expertly dodging accumulated garbage piles and fallen wires that hung low from the rusted-out conduits that were once part of the ceilings of the other containers on her level, she entered into a rusted out elevator, flashed her chipped wrist and pressed the red lit number one that was displayed. The elevator shuddered to life and began to move with a high-pitched screeching that had Amaryah covering her ears. The doors were barely open before she squeezed through, the elevator always gave her anxiety, her heart thudded in her chest and her clenched fists were still over her ears. She ran through the crowded streets of level one, the city now fully awake due to the artificial sunrise shown overhead, she was so-so late.

Just as the ground shuddered again Amaryah reached the station which displayed a rapid red light that indicated it was time to depart, she hastily shoved her wrist over the scanner and pushed her way into the now closing doors of the train. Slumping against the wall, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her water ration for the morning. It was enclosed in the standard edible translucent bubble, she slowly began drinking from it, her eyes fixed onto the passing city of level one. Huge unlit neon signs stretched as far as the eye could see, advertising get rich quick schemes and all forms of pleasure available, once you had the credit. GET YOUR ROBOTIC ENHANCEMENTS, PLEASURE BOTS AVAILABLE and FIGHT CAGE were the only signs that remained lit despite the sun that signaled daytime, fitting since they were the most patronized, thought Amaryah. She wondered what it would be like if she had the money to waste on such stupid things. Her lips curled in distaste and she shook her head, there was no use in thinking about things that would never happen. All she was trying to do was stay alive in this god forsaken dome.

The train shook as it climbed the interconnecting tracks to the next level of the dome, level 2. The tracks that reached across the platforms like large robotic arms were connected to all seven levels of the large dome that was now the home of the remaining human population in North America. Amaryah looked up and could see the glittering glass structures built on the higher levels, the levels restricted from those of the lower. She saw the hover cars that moved sluggishly but in an organized dance to wherever it was that the upper levels went to during daytime. The artificial palm trees and flowers that were for show, to remind them of a time that was long past.