Hello World

Chapter 2 2215

A cold wind tore at my face as I trudged across the frozen ground towards Home. My arms screamed under the weight of the bricks. Almost there, I told myself. Almost finished. Though I knew the later was a lie. It would never be finished, not until I was no longer alive, my body blown to pieces along the border along with many others.

I threw the bricks onto the ground, and let myself collapse on the step. Just a few minutes, I thought. I looked up at the crisp blue sky that seemed to stretch on for eternity, The sun sat like a yolk in the middle. For a moment, I dared myself to try to stare into it, the way I was supposed to for hours on end during Lessons. As usual, my eyes started to burn and water and I would quickly look away.

"Why?" I would ask.

"Because its your purpose," was usually the answer. Followed by a look meant to silence.

"2215!"

My heart sank as I looked up to see three men walking towards me. They were dressed in the uniforms of the Directors, and appeared to be in their mid twenties. They appeared vaguely familiar, though I did not know their names.

"2215, what are you doing?" He looked slightly younger than the other two, but I could tell by his tone that he thought himself to be of high importance. I remained silent, and glanced down to where the bricks were scattered on the ground.

"Answer when I speak to you Number."

"I..."

"Stand up and look me in the eye."

A wave of dread came over me as I slowly stood. My heart raced as I met his gaze.

"I asked you a question," he said.

I took a deep breath, and tried to speak. All I could say was "Rocks"

A moment of silence passed. I could see his face becoming read. His short black hair clung to his forehead like the leaves of a rotting tomato. "You think you can just take breaks whenever you feel like it?"

"No" I said. "Sir" I added as his eyes narrowed

"You alright there," said the man to his right, in a tone almost laced with concern; a tone I had learned not to trust. "We could send you to the Infirmary," he smirked.

"I am fine sir," I said, though the vision of a cold damp room, not quite tall enough to stand up, nor wide enough to turn around, flashed into my mind. "I am fine sir," I repeated. I put my arms behind my back to hide that they were shaking uncontrollably. I took a deep breath, almost tasting the musty air. Stop it, I thought.

"2215!" shouted the youngest man. I watched as he knelt down to pick up one of the grey coloured bricks I had just carried over. He flung it towards me, I took a step out of the way. He smirked. "I have heard a lot about you" he smirked. "Cowardly, oversensitive, disrespectful to your Authorities. Making no progress on your lessons. Well that's about to change" he grinned. "I am in charge here now. And while I am, you will never back away. We cant be sending cowards out to the border. Are you going to back away from the enemy?" He demanded. "Hey 1063, come over here and look at the coward."

I felt the blood rush to my face. "I don't think he wants to look at you," I said quietly. I picked up a brick and felt its cold seeping through the fabric of my thin gloves, into my fingers. I made to throw it, but the two other man each grabbed my arm.

"What did you just say?" said the man with black hair. He pried the brick easily away from me and stood tossing it from one hand to the other. "Answer me, you little...."

"Tony, leave it", said the man who had remained silent until then, taking a step away from me and towards him. He had red hair and appeared to be the oldest out of the three. I was able to pull myself free from the third man. I took a step away, watching them nervously. From the corner of my eye, I could see a few of the other Numbers, some with arm fulls of bricks, others empty handed, gathering around to watch.

The man with red hair turned to me. "You," he said. "You are going to finish up here. I want all of these bricks back where you found them. Then I want you Home for dinner."

I reluctantly picked up an armful of bricks, ignoring my arms as they protested in pain. I walked slowly towards the brick pile about half a mile away. As I walked, I thought about how everything had a purpose. The purpose of the base was to prepare us to fight the Enemy. The purpose of Home was to provide a warm place to sleep after a long day spent in the cold. A place to eat, sheltered from the elements. A place, we were told, that we must all appreciate dearly -the border would not be so kind. The purpose of the infirmary was to treat the sick, or more so, the non conforming, with its dark isolation rooms, and its pills that would make your mind cloud over, pills that were said could solve all of their problems. The purpose of the bricks was to provide work, teach discipline, and to keep the Numbers in shape. The purpose of the Numbers was to train to protect the beautiful country -a country which none of us -having grown up at the base- had ever seen. Everything and everyone had a purpose, -a special talent that would allow us to reach our full potential at the border. And my purpose...