Oxygen

Chapter Three

Andrea Joccumson

11:41pm

Teacher’s Quarters

The Daetre Learning Centre, Australia

The entire building was as black as the moonless night outside, no lights shining in rooms, no candles flickering or electronic devices emitting any form of light. Teacher Andrea Joccumson had to navigate her way through the narrow hallways simply by touch, running her fingers over blank white walls and wooden door frames, cursing silently every single time that she accidentally kicked something or almost ran into a suddenly looming wall. It was dangerous work not only trying to find her way around the centuries old building but what she was planning to do … It was unspeakable.

The only sounds were soft snores or unconscious turning as her fellow Teachers slept dreamless rests, minds exhausted by the days long hours and stressful lessons. Andrea was only half-confident that no one would notice her disappearance until six o’clock the next morning when classes would begin. Before then, she would be long gone and hopefully having been able to save a few in the process. You could never be certain about how free you really were in this new world, under this government. Andrea only allowed herself the ability to breathe again once she was hurriedly crossing the covered bridges that connected the Teacher’s quarters to the main admin building. There were two things that this building was ever used for: a circulated air supply of Rydien for government officials and the Headmistress and the keeping place of the records. She already had a breather.

She constantly checked over her shoulder for any unwanted movement or activity, her heart pumping at an accelerated rate, her fingers fumbling over themselves as she slid her key card through countless security passages designed to keep students and unwelcome visitors alike, out. She'd always been too compassionate and caring for others. Tonight, it might be the death of her.

The records room not only held the profiles and grades of every student that had ever passed through the Daetre Learning Centre but they also held official documents, Rydien passes and some even held spare breathers that would keep someone supplies with Rydien until another surgery could be conducted. Buses held fifteen seats and that meant thirty students could accompany her on her desperate flee. Luckily for her, she had already chosen who would go with her, having finalized her list after the fight broke out at lunch time that morning.

She forbode herself the luxury of turning on a light as she begun her search, finding it to be way too risky in her current situation. Even a flashlight would be inappropriate so she swam through the darkness, counting in her head the number of cabinets that she passed.

127... 128... 129... 130... 131.

Her fingers ran across the cool metal until she found the latch to open one of the drawers and she pulled, wincing as it creaked on rusting sliders. She needed thirty one blank permits and other various documents, three breathers for herself and passes that would allow the students to breathe Rydien wherever they went. Her brain instantly went into teacher mode as she thought about the best plan so that she could gather items the quickest. Here, there, over there, there and...

The lights to the room flickered on and Andrea gasped, whirling towards the entrance to the records room, the files that she had been holding clattered to the ground. In that one moment, she felt as though her heart had broken completely in half. Never had she been so devastated or fearful.

"Teacher Joccumson, did you really think that you could escape?" Headmaster Warren said, his intelligent eyes quickly absorbing every detail that existed in the room.

Andrea didn't reply, finding that in her terror, her voice seemed to have shut down and she wouldn't even open her mouth, knowing that it would leave her looking like a gaping fish.

"What did you think that you were doing? Did you think you could save the rejects, the ones who never have a chance? They had their chance, all through their life. It's just their own fault that they believed lies and thought they were to be given a second chance." Warren continued, walking further into the room. She could see Teachers Tompson and Williams standing behind him with three security guards further back. Her hands were trembling and she closed her eyes for a moment before finally managing a squeak.

"It's not right."

"What's not right? Civilization? Survival? No over-crowding? Is that what's not right? Andrea, think about it like this, if we let every single human being enter Societies and live forever, in less than a decade the entire world would be ravaged by war. Not because of jealousy or land rights but because of the simple need to survive. This is the only way." He told her and the Teachers nodded behind him.

"Innocent children though. You're doing this to innocent children. You're lying to them, telling them that everything's still going to be okay afterwards. It's not going to be okay. It never will be." She replied, her voice weak with emotion.

"There is no other choice, Andrea. None. It doesn't matter to the world. They didn't even know that they existed. Only we will ever know. They don't matter. It's a small sacrifice to pay for the immortality of those who truly deserve it." Warren said.

"Small sacrifice? Small sacrifice!... I can't do this anymore. Headmaster Warren, let me take thirty of the children and we'll never affect you again. As you say, the world won't even notice. Let me save them and it will never happen again."

"What about the Government, Andrea? I lied. They care too. I can't let you do that." Warren told her. "The world will fall to ruin. All. Because. Of. You. Do you want that to happen?"

"Please, please. Let me take them. Let me save them. We won't ever bother you again. It just isn't right doing this to those children." Andrea pleaded, tears coming to her eyes in her fruitless attempt to persuade him.

Headmaster Warren simply shook his head slowly and almost imperceptibly motioned for the guards behind him to start walking forward to her. Andrea didn't even notice, her gaze instead focused intently on Warren. "I can't let you do this, Andrea. You see, what we're doing might not be right to you but to the Government... what you're doing isn't right. This is for the betterment of a majority."

"A majority and minority of riches!" Andrea exclaimed, beginning to take steps back away from the advancing security guards. "Thousand of babies and children. Thousands never make it to Society. Why?

"You know why, Teacher Joccumson. For the betterment of humanity. I'm afraid to say that..." Warren told her, finally turning his back to walk out of the room. "Your career here as a Teacher has been terminated and so has your plan. Humanity continues or it dies. It's not going to die today."