Brinnng, the alarm clock in my head went off. I got up sleepy-eyed and tired. I swung my feet from the bed and tip-toed out of my room. The house was dark so I turned on a light switch in the cramped hallway and headed to my mom’s room. I opened her door and walked over to her motionless body except for the heavy breathing. I gently shook her and whispered, “Mom, it’s time to get up”. She grunted and told me told me five more minutes. I shrugged my shoulders and walked out. I went to the bathroom and undressed. I made the water warm enough to get in. Before I stepped in the tub, I looked at my blurry reflection in the dusty mirror.
I had dark brown hair with light brown eyes and a small mouth with thin lips. My eyebrows were too thick and bushy. I was short and skinny. I looked away and got in the tub. Even though, I heated the water up, it was icy cold. I shivered but I was used to it now. My mother and I had been living like this ever since dad left: 5 years ago. We adapted to our situation and always tried to make the best out of it. I scrubbed my face and washed my hair. There were thought invading my mind, but there was one that stuck out: Today was transport day. I was going to be leaving my mom. I was one of the two that got drafted into Project SOLAR from Australia.
Project SOLAR was a team of 12 kids over the age of 14 years old. They are chosen to fight for the Earth from invading planets. Two kids are chosen from each of the 6 continents: North and South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia. I remember the day I had received the letter in the mail. My mom and I sat down together and I read it aloud. “Dear, Kelly Osbourne and Parents, We have some very exciting news. You are chosen to participate in a group called SOLAR this year. SOLAR is project formed by Connie Harris(vice president of the United States of America). It is to ensure the safety of our planets from invaders. As you know from recent reports, there has been a threat from the planet Victori. For this reason, we would like for you to join us. Please send or call back at the forwarding address.
This letter will self-destruct in 120 seconds. Thank you for your time.” I finished. I ran to the window and threw it out and it blew up into tiny pieces. Of course, my mom called and signed me up. If I joined they would take care of my family, I had to do it. My mom hollered from downstairs telling me to hurry. I jumped out of the tub and put on some clothes. I decided on long blue jeans and a red tank top. I walked to the kitchen where I saw my mom cooking something.
“Hey mom!” I ran over to her and kissed her on the cheek. My mom was beautiful woman with blonde hair and blue eyes. She was tall and slender with a rockin’ body. I was the total opposite of her, taking my dad’s features. My dad was good-looking but his looks are meant for a boy, not a girl.
“Hey honey. Remember, your transport is at 10:00 and it’s already nine. So you’ll have to eat your breakfast fast.” She told me. She made eggs and bacon, my favorite. I started grubbing on the delicious food. Did I mention my mom was a great cook? I saw my mom stare at me and I turned red with embarrassment. “Sorry!” She exclaimed. “I just don’t know how I’m going to function without you. You know, you’re my bestfriend.” I nodded and continued eating.
“Listen, you always have time to drop out if you want” She suggested. I looked out her and swallowed the contents in my mouth. “Mom, I can’t drop out now” I continued, “We can’t keep living off scraps! This apartment is getting too small for the both of us. “I stood up and hugged my fragile mom.
“You’re right. Are your bags packed? Oh, I’m going to miss you so much!” and she with that, she scurried off. I walked around our small two-bedroom apartment. It was funny, I always hated the place but I think I’m going to miss it the most.
“Ready to go?” My mom asked standing next to the open door. I walked over to her and smiled.
“Totally!” I shrieked and we were on our way.
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.
My mom held my hand really tight for some odd reason. I was sure they had elevators back then. "Destination?" A voice said out of nowhere making my mom jump. I laughed so hard when I realized it the elevator. I mean who else? We were the only one in here! "Solar" I responded. The elevator shot up at top speed. My mom fell to her knees by the force and momentum of the caused by the speed. Shortly, after I found myself on the ground next to my mom. My mom was holding on to me so tight and I held on to her. “I love you mom” I whispered. “Don’t say that, you’ll make me even more terrified!” She shouted. After a full 30 seconds, the elevator came to a stop and the doors slide open. We were welcomed by blank faces. My mom got up and straighten her hair (She was embarrassed). We exited the elevator and were met by small person. “Happens to everyone of their first time! My name is Chloe.” She held out her hand and I shook it. “Kelly, right? Kelly Osbourne?” She asked. I nodded and she told me to follow her.
We followed Chloe to a bright corner of a room with four pads on the floor. "This is transport, are you ready?" She asked. I shaked my head and went over to my mom. I hugged her tightly and kissed her. She whispered in my ear, "You can always think about it" I shaked my head no.
"Imma miss you so much mom" I tell her. She started to cry which made me tear also!
"Come home, OK?" She wiped the tears from her eyes, "When this all over I want my daughter back and not a letter, OK?"
"I promise"
"Write to me" She said. I nodded.
"I love you so much baby" She hugged me again.
"twenty seconds" Chloe chimed. A familiar voice said suddenly popping out of nowhere, "Lets do this!". I looked around and saw the blonde boy from outside. I mouth dropped. So he was the second one chosen. I let go of my mom and stepped on the platform.
"Five seconds" said the automated computer. I looked over to Chloe who was pressing a whole bunch of buttons.
"Four" said the computer. I looked at my mom who was really crying and a few moments later, so was I. Maybe I could go next year but I couldn't risk another year without reinsurance of food.
"Three" said the computer. The blonde boy next to me sighed.
"Two" My mom blew me a kiss and I waved at her.
"One" and I was gone.
We arrived moments later.The transport felt really weird but fast. We landed in a dark room. "That was cool" said the blonde boy. I looked over at him and he looked discombobulated. I chuckled at him and he noticed. "Whats so funny?" He asked me. "Oh..nothing" I said. We started to walk down a long corridor. "By the way, I'm Nate, you?" He asked me. So, the blonde boy was Nate, I suspected it. I mean, he was Australian. "Kelly. Kelly Osbourne". We reached a pathway with 2 doors. We chose the one with a green knob. We opened the door and found ourselves surrounded with pictures of old people I didn't recognize.
Nate grunted "More walking....Damnit" We kept walking until we found a huge metal door. I twisted the knob and pushed open. We are greeted by people in long white jackets; scientist. They stopped what they were doing until a woman with a blonde bun, perky lips, and long arms were walking toward us. "Go back to work, please" She instructed them and that's exactly what they did. She was slim and wearing a white blouse tucked in by a black pencil skirt. Finally! Someone who dressed like me and my mom (I wish I could say Nate, but he was wearing this techy clothing that could blind someone).
"Welcome to project SOLAR. My name is Sharon and I will be your guide during your stay here." She said. She started to walk away, but looking back at Nate and I to follow her. "So, your first time here in Washington, D.C?" She asked. I nodded but Nate answered, "Nope! been here tons of times." I rolled my eyes at his cockiness. We reached a tunnel with long tubes. I looked at Sharon confused. "This is how we're going to reach where we need to go" She continued, "See this organization is secretive so it was to be underground" I nodded. I watched her step into the tube and under 5 seconds later, she was sucked in by the tunnel. My mouth dropped "Holy shit".
"I guess we're supposed to do the same thing. See ya!" Nate said as he climbed into the tube. He waved and he was gone. I heard a faint scream and laughed. What a loser. I climbed into the tube and my heart started racing.Five seconds later I was gone. I felt like paper zooming by. It was like a water park going down those slides. The air in my face was refreshing. I smiled and when the tunnel got completely dark, I screamed. For a moment, there was a blinding flash and I fell on top of balls. I looked at the colorful foam balls surrounding me. I climbed out of the pen and met Nate and Sharon waiting for me.
"What a rush!" I yelled. Sharon laughed, "It gets even better" She smiled.
*Tell me what you guys think! I have never wrote a science fiction so i need criticism! Comment, like, fan me if you wish!!!
-Marie