Project: SOLAR

Chapter 1

   We took the train to get to the city. We lived in the suburbs, one of the dirtiest ones too!But first we had to get to the train and we were nowhere near it. We didn’t usually take the train, only bus but since our destination was far away, it was our only option. “I think it’s this way” My mom said pointing to the left. We walked down a narrow alley with trash everywhere. A lady with blue hair and pale skin bumped into me, “Excuse me” she said and ran off. I watched her go down the street to catch a hovercab. I never rode a hovercab in my life and it did look really fun. My mom told me they were expansive and back in her day, they didn’t have flying cabs. Just one that rode on 4 wheels, like the one we see in our history books at school. Everything was more advance now-a-days since it was the year 2040, everything was either up in the air or down (if you lived in the poorer places, like me).

   “Back when I was a kid, we never had things like this. Nothing was in the air except planes and spaceships. Now everything is and it’s just so weird!” My mom exclaimed. My mom wasn’t used to these kinds of changes and frankly, I don’t think she ever will be. We finally got to the train station in the nick of time. We give the train guy our boarding passes and went to our seats. I made sure I got the window seat. I remember when I was younger my dad would bring me to the city to see the black parade (a celebration of the new beginnings) and I would sit by the window and he would point to all the cool things…it’s one of the only memories I have of him.

    The train finally gets going. As we zip by, we pass the rich neighborhoods. The kids are playing with their parents and having a great time, I miss those kinds of activities with my parents. I look over to my mom who mesmerized by a catalog. My mom was the only one on the train with normal blonde hair. Everyone else had either pink or blue. It was disgusting and nor my mom or me found it cute! “Ooo, look at this Kelly!” She hands me to the magazine on a page with a woman holding some kind of box. I look at my mom questiongly. “Those are what we used in my time!” She says. I laugh at her and shake my head. The train comes to a sudden stop making me jolt forward and hitting my neck on the seat. I look outside the train and see the Peacekeepers. They are the police that make sure that peace is everywhere. They’re even worse than the cops they had long ago!

   One of them comes by my mom and I. “Can I see your papers, please?” He asks. He has a moustache even though; he looks like he’s in his early twenties. My mom hands him our papers and he studies them. He looks at me then looks at my mom. He smiles at her awkwardly and says, “You’re really- uh..oh..pretty” He stumbles across his words. I snort while my mom just flips her hair and takes the papers from his hands. He walks away like he has something stuck up his ass. He probably never had a pretty girl talk to him. I laugh under my breath.

“Not nice” My mom says as the trains starts up.

“He’s such a loser!” I whisper. My mom laughs and flashes her million dollar grin.

    We finally see the beautiful city Sydney into view where my destination is located. My mom and I get off the train. We walk out of the train station. Hovercrafts are flying everywhere and woman with too much makeup are walking like they have no lives; it’s beautiful. “Wow” I hear my mom say under her breath. I am in complete awe also. The place is much cleaner then I where I live. Anyone could literally eat off the floor! I glanced at my mom who couldn’t stop smiling. As we get near the building called International Affairs, I see a group of giggling girls surrounding a boy with blonde short hair and a wide smile. He makes eye contact but quickly breaks it when one of the girls tries to grab his private parts. I start to walk away disgusted when I hear him say, “Whoa! Ladies, calm down. There is enough of me to go around”. All the girls laugh at his joke; I didn’t find it very funny.

      In the building, a lot of people were rushing. It was complete madness. My head got so dizzy just standing in the room. My mom took ahold of my hand and walked me to the front desk. “How may I be of service today?” A plump lady asked us without actually looking up at as us. “I’m part of project SOLAR” I tell her in a low whisper. She finally looks up at me and says, “Can I see your papers please?” I hand her my papers and after 15 seconds, she points to an elevator. My mom grabs my hand and we enter the elevator. Before the door closes, I yell “Wait! My papers!” She looks at me and says “Don’t worry. You won’t need them anymore” and the elevator door closes.