1.3

Cass had almost bottled all anti-radiationpills when the enforcers came to check on the status of each worker. Those who hadn’t advanced enough were given a negative daily review, resulting in less spending cash and less food this month. This was assurance that workers wouldn’t neglect their job when they didn’t feel like working.
      “Good job,” the enforcer complimented Cass while checking the almost empty boxes. She scanned Cass’ worker badge to give a positive review and grabbed the box with bottled pills to put on a trolley. “You’ll receive some extra pills soon, to help reduce the backlog others have created. Good luck and have a good evening.”
      “No problem,” Cass responded softly. The enforcer that was redistributing the pills was already on his way to her, but before he could reach her, a deafening bang that vibrated through the tables, the stools and made the ceiling and walls shake was heard. Followed by a high-pitched alarm that sent shivers down Cass’ spine.
      “Attention everyone, factory 8.1C has been involved in an incident. Other factories are temporarily on lockdown to prevent exposure to harmful chemicals. Our apologies. You are safe inside these walls. Long live Conqueron.” Cass heard the faint buzzing of equipment jumping to life, to close off the hall and protect from potential hazards. Around her, people had started talking softly, but this was quickly silenced by the enforcers continuing their routes. The workers also continued in silence, waiting for the all-safe-signal that would end their workday.

After at least two hours, the silence was finally broken by a new announcement.
      “The ‘all-safe’-signal has been given for factory 8.1C and its surroundings. Everything has been cleaned up and the injured have been helped. All workers are free to end their workday and go back to their assigned bunkers to rest. Have a good evening.” Within a minute of the end of the announcement, all workers had gotten up and started moving towards the dressing areas as one. A lonesome cleaner tried slipping through the crowd to start their job for the day, bumping into people on their way towards the back of the hall. Cass shuffled along and followed the procedures like the others. She dumped her coat, gloves and mask into the laundry basket, threw her glasses in the box next to it and moved towards the exit of the dressing area as fast as she could.
      She distanced herself from the massive stream of people leaving the proximity, catching a breath and waiting for the rush hour to settle down.
      “Cass! Are you waiting for someone?” A familiar voice rang from somewhere near her and a small person emerged from the crowd. “Do you want to go fetch some more rations?”
      Arah, one of the few people Cass actually knew by name, was nothing special. A small skinny, young woman with blonde, shoulder length hair. However, her bright personality was the one thing she needed to make a cynical bitch like Cass go slightly soft. In a dark world, Arah was a beaming light.
      “I’m not in the mood after what happened today,” Cass sighed.
      “Come on, Cass. You need to have enough rations in stock! Otherwise you’ll be arrested for deliberately sickening yourself and damaging property of Conqueron,” Arah chimed. She sounded cheerful, but the harsh reality was that she was actually speaking the truth. But it was better to joke about it and stay positive than to be realistic in this case.
      “Fine, we’ll go. Just getting more rations, no detours this time. Last time you also made me walk past those playing fields and the special beverage vending machine on the corner of bunker 312. I spent most of my savings on that machine!” Cass laughed.
      “You loved the sparkly drinks though, so you can’t make me believe you hated it that much. We won’t go there this time, but next time, we definitely will!” Arah said with determination. Without second thought, she grabbed Cass’ hand and started walking out of the industry area quickly. “So how was your pill-packingday today? Did you fill a lot of bottles?”
      “Didn’t really have a choice but to fill a lot of bottles since we were on lockdown now. Do you think those rich pricks from above will come down here after what happened?”
      “Could be. It was almost time for their periodic descent into the abyss to ‘rescue’ some poor workers from a life here to keep us satisfied and hopeful we can escape, right?”
      “They’ll probably move that up and maybe take more people than usual then, to keep the peace. As a way to repay the lives we lost in another incident that only happens because they’re too busy bathing in luxury to work,” Cass said disapprovingly. It was a cheap and easy solution to keep the people of Underconqueron remotely happy and to give them hope of being able to leave this shithole. But they were only kidding themselves, most of them would never get to see the natural light of the sun. Only the pretty girls, strong boys and maybe some people who had been recommended to Father Xavierno and his posse by the enforcer had a chance of being picked.
      “Maybe we’ll be lucky this time. They might be looking for a feisty redhead with the vocabulary of a sailor,” Arah chuckled while playing with Cass’s bright red hair. Such an artificial colour, but she didn’t even stand out with it down here.
      “Very funny, but no. We’re nothing special and you know it. Better to not get your hopes up, or you’ll end up like that girl last year.”
      “Vivianne? That was a horrible accident, Cass! And you know it!” Arah was visibly upset by this statement, but it didn’t bother Cass too much.
      “Who are you kidding? You just cannot believe the fact that she killed herself and that it was covered up by the authorities to keep peace. She couldn’t bear staying another day in this hellhole and she saw her one chance of getting out in the near future slip through her fingers when they picked Lyra instead of her. You know damn well that she did it herself and that it wasn’t some stupid accident with electrical applications,” Cass stated sternly. She saw tears form in Arah’s eyes, so she quickly comforted her. “It’s just a fact. Let’s go get our rations, before we start fighting. We’ll go by your favourite vending machine so you can get something nice?”
      “I knew you’d come around!” As fast as the mood had turned gloomy, it now had turned around again. Arah’s sad face changed into a big smile as she started skipping towards the ration office. Hopefully you’ll get a chance to leave, this place doesn’t suit you at all, Cass thought as she watched the ball of sunshine skipping away. With a fast pace, she followed Arah towards the food distribution.