Project ELE
Page 5
CHAPTER 4 (Two days inside.)
I wake up to alarms going off in the hallway. I open my eyes and see a sensor of some sort on the ceiling flashing a bright white light over and over again.
"We need to go Willow. Get up and change quickly please." My dad says calmly.
"All persons report to headquarters." A woman's voice calls out calmly.
I look up at the speaker system in the corner of our room. I look back at my dad confused. "What time is it dad?"
"It's around 5:00 am. It's okay Willow, you need to get dressed though. They said in the orientation video that we would have routine drills and assemblies. That's probably what this is."
I nod my head and quickly hop down from my bed. I grab an ugly pair of blue scrubs from my drawer and head into the bathroom to change. I cringe at the sight of my unruly curls and decide to throw them into a quick ponytail. Even when it’s wrapped in a band, curls still manage to pop out on their own as if they can metaphorically do so.
A few minutes later we both leave our room, tablets in hand and join the masses of people flooding in the same direction down the stairwells and into the hallways. I look around and everyone looks just as dazed and confused as I do. This must be the first drill or assembly they've done here. I hold onto my dad's hand as we are herded into the headquarters. We pass by the administration offices and clothing stores until we reach an area that I could of sworn used to be just a wall. Now it's completely open and beyond it is a gigantic assembly hall that has thousands of stadium style seats surrounding an elevated stage. It reminds me of a football stadium and it even comes equipped with a jumbo-tron above the stage so people can still see all the way up in the nosebleed seats. F.E.M.A security guards in blue uniforms direct us towards seats, which are at a first come first serve basis. We follow the crowd up several flights of stairs until my dad finds us two aisle seats near the middle of the stadium.
It feels like hours pass before the entire stadium is fully seated. I fill the time messing with my tablet. I watch several short tour videos that familiarize us with the amenities and different aspects of shelter life. When the lights start to dim, I look up and find myself amazed by the shear magnitude of people that are being housed in this shelter. All of the screens of each person's tablets glow like large blue fireflies in this gigantic cavern. A hushed silence overcomes the crowd when the jumbo-tron flickers on and a man's face appears on the screen. Not just any man though, the President of the United States.
"My fellow Americans, by now you may know that we are facing a global shift in our way of life. We must consider that we are a country who has sacrificed in the past, not only for our way of life but to help those around the world who in dire circumstances needed us by their side. Today I am asking you to find your greatest resolve and sacrifice once more for the greater good of all. As a country, as a planet we must do what is required of us to support the preservation of our species: the human race. Those of you currently isolated in shelters: know that you are not alone. In these uncertain times the greatest comfort we can have is hope, hope in the future we are all helping to save: generations, for our children and our children's children. Thank you for your dedication to our cause as a nation, a world and may God help us all."
The speech ends and the screen turns blue. We all patiently wait in silence. A few seconds pass and a new face appears on the screen. This one I don't recognize.
A middle-aged man wearing a white lab coat and sporting a greying goatee speaks up. "Good morning citizens of F.E.M.A. shelter three. My name is Dr. Jim Hastings. I am in charge of this facility and I'm on the board for Project ELE. By now you all should have received your tablets, rooms and clothing allotment. As we all get situated and schedules get made please remain patient, as wait times will be longer than usual. As you have probably noticed already, we are a city encased within a mountain. As with any city there are rules that govern and keep us safe. If you would all flip your tablet to the blinking icon on the bottom of your screen and follow along. We are going to be going over some different rules and expectations for the next hour or so. If you have any questions please type it in the space below and one of our government officials will respond as quickly as possible."
I watch as a blinking icon appears in the corner of my tablet. I press it and a slide show presentation appears with highlighted bullet points. I try and not nod off during the remainder of the session but figure my dad will fill me in on any necessary details when we're finished. Then, a topic appears on my screen titled, "Work Assignments." This sparks my attention.
"As with any city," Dr. Hastings drones on, "each of us needs to pitch in for the city to properly function. Upon entry we took your measurements and weight to be able to assign a proper job to each of you. Age and ability have also been taken into consideration." A new icon pops up onto my screen. "In a few moments a new icon will become available on each of your screens. These are your temporary job placements. I say temporary because some may need adjusting as time may dictate. In addition, your tablets will hold your daily schedule. Please make sure you are timely to all appointments. With that said, you are all dismissed."
In anxiousness, I press the small blinking icon and am taken to a new screen. In large block letters at the top it reads, RUNNER. Runner? I look over at my dad's screen and his says SANITATION DE