The Journey

I never did like heights... Doesn't help I'm squished on the window side.

We were all loaded onto the plane, so tightly crammed in it felt like pigs headed to slaughter. None of us could look each other in the face, we all kept to our own and avoided each other as much as possible. Of course, when I got in I was next to Sierra and another one of the other younger test subjects. He was about 10, had shoulder length brown hair, and had a slightly feral look about him.

In one corner, near the ceiling, there was a Holotube mounted to the wall. Holotube is our modern day version of a "TV". The news was playing on it, and over the quiet mumble of people I could hear the news reporter announcing that all census results were in.

"The Council has announced the census results. We have divided the names into category's depending on the district they live in. First the large districts, then the small ones."

Well we're gonna be here a while.

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There are only 3 districts in all, Mogabani ( Mo-ga-ba-nee) is the biggest. Most of the higher ups live there along with their family and workers, which is why its so large in population. No one really knows much about Mogabani, so no one really talks about it.

Next is Namieah (Na-meh-e-ah), Middle in size but still very powerful. Most middle class and lower government officials lived there, again, along with their families and workers.

Then there's my district. Walakah (Wa-lah-kah). It's the smallest, most of the people who live here are either farmers of hunters. Some of us run stores or businesses, but every body lives in forests or small towns.

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After 50 minuets of waiting they finally get to the Walakah section. Because my last name starts with G, I still have to wait a bit. But I looked over at Sierra and notice she's listening intently as well.

"Who are you listening for?" I ask her in a hushed voice.

"My boyfriend... his family was drafted too but they have to leave Monday... I want to know who they chose." She said back in the same voice level. She's hesitant to answer at first but replies anyways. She must be feeling grateful today. or maybe she's just tired.

"Oh, well I hope he stays home... maybe he'll take care of his family" Then we both looked back at the TV and waited for our family's names to come over the speakers.

" Gale residency. Alive: Ziva Gale, AKA Zoe, age 13. Deceased: Phoenix Gale, age 17, Bennu Gale, age 45. Camilla Gale, Age 39. Kirin Gale, age 2 days."

I could feel the people who recognized my name slowly turn to look at me, and I could feel the tears pool up in my eyes. There was two options if you got drafted. You could register as deceased or you could register as soon to be. I registered as deceased, no point in dragging it out. That's what most people do anyways, they would rather be efficient than reminiscent.

All of a sudden Sierra shrieked and started crying, reaching her hands towards the screen. in my time avoiding people's gaze the news anchor had continued talking.

"No!! No oh no..." She bawled out as the names continued. " Andrew oh no..."

I picked her up and held her in my arms, in a tight comforting hug. I know how she felt. Census times are hard for us. We don't have much family, and every year its a reminder of how many we've lost.

"Shh, Shh it's ok Sierra. It's ok. Do you know what this means? It means he would rather leave and chance seeing you again than stay and suffer through life without the most important person in his life by his side. You should be happy, you have a chance to see him again." I rubbed her back, and soon her sobs quieted and her breathing evened. She stood back up and looked at me, smiled and said thanks. Her eyes were bloodshot and she was flushed but she still held herself with dignity. Funny how we can still do that, even at the lowest levels of life.

She turned back to the screen. Her family was yet to come up, she said. She misses hearing her sisters name.

"Micas residency. Alive: Midria Micas, age 34. Deceased: Sierra Micas, age 15. Lorelei Micas, age 5. Unknown: Aurther Micas, Age 40."

"Sierra, how come your dad's name has unknown next to it?" I asked. With micro nanites in our blood it makes it hard to go missing, so unknown is rare to see in a census.

"The year he was born technology wasn't as progressed as it is now, and they ran out of codes for people. If someone goes missing they are unable to track them, meaning if they go missing nobody is able to find them. That's what happened to my dad. A couple of days after my sister was born he disappeared. people say they see him in town every once and a while but no body has any proof." She said with her head down.

"I'm sorry..." I didn't know what else to say. Nanites have been around for hundreds of years, but occasionally there's a year that has a higher birth rate and a lower amount nanite produced. When this happens some babies go without being coded. It doesn't happen often, but its troublesome when it does.

I could tell people were looking at us. It's common for people's family to be missing a few people, but two families who are missing all but one? It's not completely unheard of, but it was definitely rare. Especially when two of the deceased knew each other.

The plane lurched to a stop, just as the reporter was closing off. "That's all for this year folks. Stay safe" And the screen went black. We weren't in the dark for long though, the door we loaded onto unlatched and slowly opened with a hiss sound.

We could hear the marching footsteps of soldiers on the distant military base, not that there's much need for one. We haven't had another war since WWIV. We also don't have prison's anymore, so any offences to the government are punishable by time on a military base. That's probably what this is, but it could also be a military school for the upper classes.

People filed out in an almost chaotic order. I stepped out onto the unloading ramp and was blinded for a second. The sun was just setting over the tree's and it was angled right into my eyes. I adjusted to it as I walked down the ramp, and soon I could see again.

To my right were big, long buildings, large enough for 5 hydraulic planes to fit in nose to tail. On my left were what looked like giant hotels, 20, maybe 30 stories tall. Then in front of me was an endless view of fields with giant trees scattered here and there.

"Keep moving. I'm not payed to let you stare dreamily out into the sunset." Someone barked in my ear. I spun around and caught his eyes in mine. he was around 20 years old but I wasn't gonna take his yelling.

" I can leave this place just as easily as I came here, so I suggest that if you need everybody for this experiment, you don't tell me what to do. Understood?" I was getting irritated real quick and definitely didn't want to deal with this.

"This is a maximum security base, miss. You can have fun escaping if you want." He said before we walked to the back of our group to remind the elderly lady I sat next to in town that she needed to keep up.

"God... Just cause they look stronger doesn't mean they can be jerks..." I mumbled as I walked over to the tall hotel buildings. They were about 50 feet away when from the back of the group I heard someone shout DUCK!!

It was a wave of people dropping to their knees, everyone except me.

I stood there, like an idiot, cause I saw something in the window of the building. It was hideous! Tall and slimy with large spikes running down it's back, clear to the end of it's tail. It stood like a bear, on two feet but slightly hunched and dominating. It turned its head and look out the window. Slime dripped down teeth and onto its curled hands. It's gaze sharpened.

At me.