Traveller

prologue

My pod opened slowly. I could hear the number they gave me very, very clearly. 233. Its a new era, they say. A new time where everyone has to keep in pods to stay safe, they say. But was there really an era before this? Before the disease spread, before they came. We had finally reached to our full evolution, or so we thought. They tore everything down, they made the place dangerous. Thousands upon thousands of unanswered deaths, the men in white coats had told us it was just a bad flu. Well, until it started killing millions. We were scared- terrifed, I should say. Then, strange people, or should I call them beings, exited the destroyers, or so what we had called them. They looked odd, but I guess everything looked odd at that time. In that place. In that feeling. They took the children, they took the animals, they took everything. What they did leave though, were pods. Be reborn, they said. Have them take you, they might be safe. But we dont know. It could be a trap. Kill us more I suppose. But I didnt have a choice. I was taken when I was eight. I saw horrible, horrible things. Things ill never forget. I was passed terrified. I needed-.

Quickly closeing the book I was so entranced in and hid it under my pillow as I pretended to sleep. She woke me up, they say she is supposed to replace mothers. But realy, what are mothers? What are the adults or parents. That the elders speak about so freely. "Time for breakfast" Said the staticy voice that came from her. She didnt look like me, she was much darker than me, im not sure how to explain it. Once she left the room, I thought about the book I was reading. On the front it said a strange work on it, something ive never seen or heard before, diary. I decided not to, afterall, we all needed to eat at the according times or else we get punished. No one in a long time has been punished majorly. The only thing that has been going out is either just a paddle on the butt or to a weird looking arm. A boy who usually was in the five's group didnt want to play with the others, she came and twisted his arm until there was a weird noise, almost as the same noise as this thing called snapping. Were only allowes to use it when told to. If so then we got paddled. The elders said there were much greater punishments back then. Sometimes I wonder what it was.

I got my glass of water and my meal before I walked to my table, group forteen. We were taller than the lower groups and smarter, but fifteen group to the last group, eighteen group, were much smarter and taller than we were. I sat down infront of my best friend, 4538, he had already finished his meal. I placed my food in my mouth as I drank the water that we were supposed to take at the same time with our food. I could feel the meal expand in my middle region. "So, 4497, what did you dream about last night?" He smiled jokingly, even though he knew he could get in trouble for it. Dreams are supposed to be kept secret from eachother, but me and 4538 are close. I smiled back at him and replied "its a secret." He frowned at my responce and whined "I only have dreams about a garden. Its so... uncool." I know what he was going to say, we all did, but just like the other, we do not genderise things anymore. It was wrong, bad, the worst punishment you can get for it.

Another mother started walking around to check tables. She was about the same height as the mother who woke me up this morning, but was a bit lighter, but not as light as I was. Her eyes were dark as well, a beautiful dark color. Brown, I think it was, but we dont use colors to categorise people anymore, its counted as rude. Plus, Mothers are here to protect us, theres no reason to judge a mother. Judging is also the worst punishment you can get. Theres another punishment as well, if your really bad, people say its not as bad as 8546, the boy in the five group. I believe it was called eternal solitude. They take you into a weird room and you dont ever come out. No food or water as well, At least, I dont see them take any, if the mothers do, they must do after the exchanges to different rooms for pod time.

Pod time is where we enter our tubs and things come to attach to our heads, it feels weord sometimes, but once we step out its almost like we learned something new, the fathers said that we will need that information when we get to their number. "Fifteen group, please go to your pods now, we will start the testings soon," it was from the ceiling, even though we know its not directly from the ceiling, we didnt know where it came from. It was a younger voice this time though, maybe a replacement happened, yesterday a feminine voice was on, but her voice was.. odd, I know I shouldnt think that way, but its true! She would say words over again after being mid way through a word. It was her first day as well. Today must be a replacement until her voice is fixed, or he's the new speaker.