Maria was alive or was she. She is what some folks would call the walking dead. She came from the first wave of clone babies to repopulate the earth. But like anything new, mistakes were made, and she had an artificial bionic arm and hand. Occasionally, when she was under a lot of stress, she felt pain from her artificial limb.
This was strange because she was born without the limb itself. Phantom pain, they call it, but for her pain was just pain.
She looked at the clock by the small table in her apartment. It was past nine and Joseph has yet to arrive home. Joseph was Maria‟s caretaker. Each clone was given a caretaker who nurtures and takes care of the clone, not unlike a real parent.
First Jessica didn‟t meet Maria at the tram as she always has done after her shift, and now Joseph is missing. At ten o‟clock, all individuals have to do a security check-in, and if a person doesn‟t check in then security drones would be issues to find out what the reason was that they were missing. Everyone needs to be productive and therefore sleep correctly for the maximum output the next day. Sleep, work, Sleep, work, It just doesn‟t get better than that.
“Jessica and now Joseph, where are they?” “This is not good,” Maria said over and over again. Maria heard a security drone going down her corridor. They are such a nuisance, and what do they really add to society, except to monitor and control productivity. I know that Joseph‟s job and livelihood depends on keeping them operational, but even he had told me that they are not worth their weight in metal ore.
It was unexpected and came from the very depths of the core of the planet. The floor that she was standing on started to shake. “My God”, it‟s another earthquake. The earthquake tremor was so strong that she fell to the floor and bruised her left knee. Dust came falling from the ceiling and sirens started wailing throughout the complex. Not only are my best two best friends are missing, but now the world itself is starting to tear itself apart.
Joseph barely came out of the mining staff and put on his respirator unit on, as the earth below his feet started to shake violently. He has experience earthquakes before, so he brace himself and he knew if he fell then the results would be a broken hip. It would not be a very good ending to this evening that already had enough twist and turns for one day of adventure.
“Mother earth is even rebelling tonight”, Joseph said to himself.
There were ropes hanging on the side of the wall next to the cave opening. He was able to grip one of them and held on, until the tremors pass by.
Joseph took his pocket watch out and it was twenty minutes to ten. He needs to get back to his apartment complex by ten or else his missing will be reported to the authority. He ran to the tram station. The very last tram was starting to pullout as he got to the platform.
The door of the last car was still open due to a malfunction due to the earthquake. Joseph leaped into the moving car and landed hard. He quickly sat down on to one of the empty seats. Being late on the evening train had its advantages for it was mostly empty. He looked at his knee that he hit on the metal door,and it was started to well.“Another bruise to deal with in the morning”, it doesn‟t get any better then this.”
The silence trip of the tram gave Joseph time to think. It‟s been a day, and a half. Maria must be worried to death on where I have been, but I can‟t tell her or bring her into the situation or she will be a target herself. His job is to protect her at all cost, and not to bring more violence, more repression into her life.
Her body shook and her whole body trembled. Jessica could smell the redwoods of the Muir forest in biosphere 35. The deep trance that overcame her was broken by the earthquake. She felt something in her folded hands. She opened up her hands and there was the rainbow acorn that seems to sparkle and have strings of lights coming from its core.
She carefully wrapped it in her celestial scarf and put it into her jumpsuit pocket. The bio-sphere was going through its nightly maintenance and she knew that mandatory lock down was in progress. She knew that there was major damage due to the earthquake, but she had no time to investigate. She needed to get back to her apartment before the mandatory lock down. Jessica started to run toward the entrance and keyed in her authorization number.
The door hissed open, and she walked quickly towards the tram. She could see the last tram coming into the station.
She took off her respirator as she entered the tram, She saw Joseph in the corner talking to himself. This would be odd if it wasn‟t such a strange day to begin with.
She knew Joseph through Maria. Joseph was a person that kept to himself for the most part, Jessica decided not to approach him for now, but give him the space that he seems to need at the moment to workout whatever issues were pressing on his mind.
Joseph nodded to Jessica as she had entered the tram. Joseph thought the same of Jessica that it was unusual for Jessica to be on the tram so late at night. His mind still wandered back to the mine shaft where the resistance told him that he needed to be with them or not. He thought of himself as a victim just like everyone else.
They were just droids pieces of metal technology, so why not destroy them and start a new society that was fair with equality, and to be free of repression from this society.
The unseen energy and karma of the cabin in the tram was the very nature of the polarity of the balance of nature. The unique conflict of creation and destruction. Life and death, it as if the two individual was connected to the divine nature itself. Joseph has made his decision and Jessica had already made her. She felt the acorn pulsate under the fabric of her jumpsuit. It was creating a small humming sound like musical notes of a tiny small orchestra.
The tram pulled into the station, and both Joseph and Jessica got out. Being the last stop of the night, there was a security drone that was doing the last sweep over the platform.
Citizens you will be violating your protocol shortly, and will be punish. Please move on immediately to your living quarters and check in for tracking.
Joseph couldn‟t help himself and rolled his eyes and made a funny face to the drone. It made Jessica laugh. “It‟s like a drone has never seen humans late before. “Don‟t antagonize. the drone”, Jessica said to Joseph as they both put on their respirator units on.
“Say hi to Maria for Me”. Joseph nodded, they separated from the platform and entered back separately into the inner depths of the night.
The door open, and Joseph walked into the quarters. “Where have you been, Joseph, I have been worried sick about you” “They had me working late on some security drones”, Joseph lied to Maria. It wasn‟t the first time that he had, and especially tonight he didn‟t want to give her any additional concerns. “I made you some soup” “Thanks”, said Joseph as he said down and starting eating. “I saw Jessica tonight on the Tram”, she told me to say hi to her.
“I was concern about her tonight also”. The sudden earthquake and everything else that has been going on lately. “I know Maria, but everything is going to be alright. It‟s late and we have to get up early again tomorrow morning”. Maria gave Joseph a kiss on the forehead, and took the empty soup bowl from the table for him.
Jessica set at the edge of her bed. There was numbness throughout her body and limbs.
She took the simmering rainbow acorn out of her jumpsuit pocket and unfolded the celestial scarf that was wrapped around it. It starting a sweet humming noise again and them it opened up and a small humming bird flew out. It was green with a ruby red throat. It flew in front of Jessica face and made Jessica smile.
The humming bird then flew to the side of her head and put its beak into Jessica ear. It tickled and made Jessica laugh. It then started to speak to Jessica.
“Jessica, you have been brave so far and much will be asked of you going forward. The man that you were talking to on the train is in trouble and will be making a wrong decision. You have to talk to him and make him change his mind. One person can make a difference, and one action can save or destroy the world.”
The humming bird then withdrew it‟s beak out of Jessica ear. Jessica was amazed by what just happened. The humming bird landed on the left hand of Jessica, and the acorn opened again and the humming bird disappeared inside.
“Joseph” is in trouble said Jessica. I have to talk to him and see what is going on. He must be keeping this from Maria. There was a loose board next to Jessica‟s bed. She knew it would be a safe place to hide the celestial scarf and the rainbow acorn. She took off her jump suit and took a quick sonic shower. She then went straight to bed and pulled the covers around her like a caterpillar‟s cocoon.
“What an adventure I had today, and there will be plenty of clean up from the Earthquake tomorrow. I must also talk to Maria first thing tomorrow at the biosphere.”
The night passed by and Jessica was in a deep sleep. She woke up in the morning and her whole body ached. She boiled some water and put some peppermint and mint herbs that she grew at the biosphere. She stared out her window through the dark colored stained glass and saw that a violent sand storm was going through her area. She wondered to herself if blue skies and white puffy clouds would ever return to earth. She remembered an old tune from long ago. “Blue skies looking at me, nothing but blue skies do I see.”
There was a loud knock at the door. She opened the door and there was a patrol drone, asking for a formal statement of why she was out so late this night night. She made up a story that she had to perform an emergency repair of an irrigation pipe that was leaking at the biosphere that was cause by the earthquake. The repair had made her late for the tram and she had to then wait for the last one of the night.
The patrol drone told her that this was her first warning, and that she need to be more aware of her productivity and time management next time. Jessica smiled and nodded as always as if she was talking to an actual human being, understanding that the drone was evaluating even the very facial expressions that she was showing.
The drone seemed to be satisfied and said thank you for the information citizen, now get some sleep so you will be at maximum productivity tomorrow. The drone then hovered a second longer loading into its data base its next assignment for the night. Jessica slam shut the door behind it while saying, “Stupid Stupid Drone”
There was another loud knock on the door. “What now, she shouted?” “I am going to have a nervous breakdown this morning”, said Jessica. I can‟t seem to even have a few minutes to collect my thoughts. Jessica was ready for a fight this time, and threw open the door. Maria stood there with a very worried look of concern on her face.
“Are you all right Jessica”, you made me concern when you didn‟t show up at the tram on time after work yesterday.
“Maria, come on in.” “I am fine just had to fix some irrigation pipes that were leaking. I saw Joseph last night in the tram. He look preoccupied? He told me that he had to fix an important security drone last night and was running late. Talking about running late, we better get going or we will be late for our morning shift at the biosphere.”
They left together and put on their respirators on as they headed for the biosphere. It seems that days are just starting to blend together. The working for the sake of survival had started to have an affect on both of them. Maria was sitting next to Jessica on the tram and was staring at her bionic hand.
She felt another of her phantom pain that gave her a small migraine. She been getting them more and more frequent, and this morning was no different.
“Jessica, do you think anything is going to change”
“I feel like we work sleep, work sleep, and go frantic like small chickens after small kernels of corn in a fenced in back farm yard. The mean farmer than comes, and takes all of our eggs away.”
“Maria, Everything is going to be ok. I know exactly how you feel and you are always looking behind you for the unknown mountain lion or coyote to jump over the fence and tear you apart. Ending it all, one big attack and all.”
I heard that the drone builders are creating pharmaceutical drones that will measure your behavior and will administer you mind altering enhancement drugs. Not only are they going to monitor our very being constantly, but now they are going to be controlling it through behavioral drugs.
Joseph was telling me something about it the other day. The new drug is suppose to be very addictive and he said that he has been told that people‟s personalities are going to start changing because of them. We will be nothing less than zombies and slave girls.
Maria made a monster zombie facial impression and griped Jessica‟s leg. Jessica jumped in her seat, and they both started to laugh.
A monitor in the tram then came on. “Attention citizens. Attention citizens. We have been informed that there will be after shocks throughout today. Please have your respirators with you at all time, and seek coverage if necessary. Have a very wonderful and productive day.”
The tram stopped at the biospheres station. Jessica and Maria stood up together like identical twins. Jessica felt stiffness in her lower back and started to wonder if all of the drama of the past week is starting to catch up with her.
“I hope today will just be a normal day. No surprises and no drama, just a normal simple day. But what is a normal day in hell, she thought to herself.”
Once in the biosphere, Jessica notice all the repair work agenda items that needed to be done right away from the earthquake the night before. Several repair drones were already flying high above her head inspecting the integrity of the dome and doing welding repairs to the given structure. Jessica checked on the air pressure of the biosphere, and it was at 98.9 percent so there were still some small leaks that still need to get repaired this morning.
She then saw a small family of quail running out of bushes in front of her. They seemed like they were all in a hurry and in some type of danger. Just like baby chickens running away from the foxes. It reminded her of the conversation that she just had with Maria on the Tram. “Protect, your hen house, Mother Quail”