The Arc

Escape. (Prolouge)

     The  last brisk  bits of the cool winter air brushed  past me through my car window. The road to the cafe was dead, as was the parking lot. I cantered into the small shop, also lacking in people. But as I sat down in my chair and looked out my window, hundreds of people rose from the ground around me and screamed.   “There's nothing! They left us for dead.” They cried. “ HELP US!” the cries were deafening. Just as I was going to be overcome by the dead, I jolted awake. The pod was cold and crisp, like it’d just been brought here, and was supposed to help me and others like me. But it didn’t, it made us remember. Remember the deaths. Remember the pains of Earth. Make us remember those we couldn't save. But really, more than anything, it gets me irritated. “Well Alice. You're more resistant than the average 16 year old. I think we're going to up your dosage.” The scientist buzzed. He had eyes that were dead and inky, like an abyss. He wore a crisp and pallid lab coat, not a single bit of dust dare lay on the coat, and thick black rimmed glasses. His smile was robotic. “Well Alice!” His distorted and high pitched voice chirped “You're good to go.” He opened the pod and reached his hand out to lift me out. “I can stand on my own.” He chuckled. “Alright then Alice.” Pulling myself up and out of the pod, I walked out of the room. Making sure not to make see the abyss. For the abyss stares back.
As I walked to my cabin, the crowds started to thin out. So I did what anyone would. Turn off gravity in a sector and mess around. I ran up the walls and floated in the air. My hair flying in a million directions and I spun around. Finding the center of the compartment I floated. My thin paper jumpsuit fluttering in the lack of gravity. My mind floating between anger and peace, relaxation and agitation. I hadn't realized it had been an hour until I heard brother calling from the floor. “Come on Alice, you’re going to catch a cold! Get a coat before you go out!” Brother turned on the gravity, and to my surprise he caught me from my fall and lugged me up to my cabin. “Alice you're going to get in trouble with mother for this.” He sighed out into the industrial air of the Arc. “You're so absorbed with mother and getting on her good side. You need to see the bigger picture. I'm trying to keep my sanity.” he looked around, as if he hadn't been to my cabin before, and dropped me at my door. “What am I gonna do with you?” I laughed and pressed my hand against the doors chilled scanner, it searching every detail of my hand, invading my skin and pinpointing what makes me special. After the eternal wait for it to recognize me, the door slid open, as would a solitary prison door awaiting its next victim. I turned around and hugged my brother. “Bye Alex.” He smiled and patted me on the head. “Bye Alice.” I walked through the doorway, turning one more time to see my brother. But he was gone and the door slid closed. Entrapping me in the cold dead room. The gravity had been turned off for the night, since it was zero-g Sunday, and the stars couldn't have been more stunning. But earth however, was worse for wear. The surface cracked and dented with bombs and other such things.
I remember when the bombs hit.
It was a warm sunny summer day, and the world wasn't sure if it was going to do anything horrible that brisk summer morning. Pollution stopped for even just a second, global warming reversed for a good long minute, and nowhere on Earth was Below 60° fahrenheit or above 90° fahrenheit. It was the perfect day. That day would turn soon. The only place in the world that was hot was Washington DC, sitting on 500 nuclear missiles and having to hide them from public eye. It was getting hotter by the minute. But of course, some big shot hit the big red death to everything and everyone button. 500 missiles shot like a flower from two miles Northwest of Lebanon, Kansas, the center of America. Those who remember this moment always say they prayed and cried for mercy, but I, I can not say such a thing. I simply sat in awe. Looking out the window of the peaceful Cafe I had decided to visit that day. But then, as the air around the place settled,one hit. People screamed and ran away from the windows. Then another one. People hid and prayed as I sat upright, drinking my coffee, unable to move. Another one. People died. One more. More dead. And a final one. Five in a row as bodies lay dead around me. I'm the sole survivor of my town. Why me? Were there more? Why take us on the arc? That day replayed in my mind on a loop I couldn't turn off as long as I stared at the craters. I sunk into my bed, returning the gravity to my room. All my things slamming into the floor, smashing and crashing around me. The sounds echoing through my mind for minutes longer than I wished. The crisp white room reminded me of those isolation chambers we had for the mentally ill on old earth. The pod and nightstand were bolted to the floor, a clock ticked above my door, and the bright white light above me had a cage surrounding it. That's it. The rest of your things either were floating or on the floor. The wall across from the door had a medium sized window, also fastened with a grate. Like we're animals. Static came over the intercom. “Lights out kids.” With those three words the room fell dark except for the light from the sun beaming down into my room. Of course I have the sunroom this week. “It's brothers fault” I whispered into the filtered air as I snuggled into my bed and drifted into blissful sleep.

The security alarms screeched me out of sleep. I ran to my door, the small window into the hall showing me horrors beyond belief. All the kids who had turned 19 were covered in tumors and scars,being escorted out. Among the crowd of siblings was my brother. MY BROTHER. I looked at him, covered in tumors, he was broken and hurt. I banged on my window. I screamed. I cried. I tried to open the door, but the voice spoke with a harsh tone similar to a distant mother. “Do not open -the door- because of code -6-” Not a code six. Anything but a code six. Anything but a code six. My brother looked into my eyes. His eye inky like voids. The last thing he gave me were mouthed silent words, “I'm safe now. I saved them all.” I banged on the door. I couldn't see. I kept banging on the door. “NO!” I screamed. The other doors in the hall were empty. Not another person worried about anything. The scientist wore gas mask. They had guns. Guns. Why would they need guns. Guns. They finished this March of shame through my hall. The alarms stopped. The voice came up again. “ Thank you for your patience. The code -6- has passed. All is well now.” The fake gravity returned now. I fell to the floor, my eyes blurred with tears. Green tears. “How am I okay voice? How is this okay.” The voice recited simply, “ Please direct all questions, concerns and comments to the captain.” The voice felt more distant than ever. I couldn't move. I just stayed in a ball crying my green tears. “ Patient -42- I have notified your caregiver of your unusual behavior. They shall arrive soon.” My body couldn't move. As much as I struggled. As much as I fought. I wasn't going to move. The door slid open and I sat up. My 'caregiver’ had arrived. “Alice. I thought you were better than this.” His eyes burned into my soul. “It's time for your new medication.”

They took him from me. They took earth from me. Now they're going to give me earth back. We're all getting earth back. Me and brother. Together. The airlock opened. It's time. Earth is mine again.