Abyss

2

"Ready?" my mom asked me.

"Will I ever?" I said.

"You'll be fine. Remember, I served already."

"I know, but it only decreases my chance of being picked for the Nebula Program,"

"You will be OK,"

"OK,"

I smoothed my purple dress. I chose to keep my hair down.

"But what if I get picked?"

"You won't. You will become an engineer. Don't worry,"

"I can't stop worrying,"

"Like I said before, don't worry."

"Do I look OK?"

"You look beautiful,"

"Thank you,"

We walked out of my room.

"See you soon Great Grandma,"

"Goodbye, Isabella,"

My sister came up to me.

"Please. Is there any way you can skip this?"

"I'm sorry, Sophia, but it is required by law for me to go,"

"Good luck," she said.

"Thanks,"

My mom and I went outside our house. Oliver and his parents were already waiting. Oliver was in his best suit. The glamour was all a lie. Some of us will have to never see our parents in person ever again. The thing I hated the most about it was not that I had to go, but in five years my sister would have to go.

"Let's go," my mom said.

As we were walking, I looked over at Oliver. He looked terrified. Did I look that way too?

"Hey. Remember, we have lower chances of being picked. We can survive this,"

"I know,"

We finally made it to the building. All over the solar system people were attending the event of the year. The people who were not participating were still watching on TV.

The parents had to stand. The sons and daughters sat down in chairs. Although it was decorated festively, nobody was having fun.

In the front, there was a large computer. It looked at all the people from ages eighteen to twenty-five who lived in this solar system (you could only live in the Solar System). It did not look at people who were already enlisted. Then it begun.

The computer would a name and what sector they live in next to a picture of them. People who were displayed would be going to training. Sometimes nobody from a planet would be selected. Sometimes everybody was from the same planet.

I saw names and faces I didn't recognize. I felt bad for all these people. We were down to the last ten people. I might actually not be chosen.

Then I saw it. My name. My face. My world crumbled. Oliver looked over at me.

No. This has to be a dream. I had a lower chance. How?

My mom tried to run forward to stop me from going up to the front. A government official was up there. She had no emotion in her eyes. Was I going to turn into an emotionless being?

I stood there. I could only look at Oliver. He looked horrified. The names stopped showing up on the screen. I was the only one in the front.

"Thank you for serving your Solar System," the government official said.