Shattered Oasis

Chapter One

In three days time, Aerie's life would be decided for her.

That was when her Division Eval would be taking place, the evaluation that would determine her lifelong career — if she passed the grueling initiations of her selected Division, that is.

It was the year 3422, and the world had been all but decimated by the effects of climate change. Almost every continent was uninhabitable due to the heat and most of the vast oceans had been reduced to marshlands and swamps.

Those who survived the famines, droughts, and poverty that followed now resided in the upper and lower regions of the world, struggling to acquire even the most basic elements of survival.

But there was one place on earth where humans still thrived.

Antarctica.

Once a barren landscape of snow and ice, this southernmost continent had become a beautiful landscape of lush forests and an abundant source of freshwater from melted glaciers.

Aerie was one of the lucky ones. She had been born and raised in the Division of Nurturing alongside hundreds of other fortunate children.

Some of her lessons spoke of things called "parents" that had raised children before the Heatwave and still did outside the walls. In the compound, however, everyone was raised with the same opportunities for education and survival.

And she was content with this. Parents and siblings had an obligation to care for you and spend time with you, but the friends she made in the compound were true.

Though who knows if I'll ever see them again after my relocation into the new Division, she thought.

"Aerie, are you going to tonight's colloquium on the Division of Technology?" Lindzy interrupted her friend's reading of Heatwave: A History of Climate Change.

"Oh, I really don't think I will be chosen as a Technician," Aerie replied, marking the page with a bookmark before setting it aside. She wasn't smart enough for that. At least not that type of smart.

Lindzy shook her head. "You and I both know that sometimes a person's chosen Division is nothing like they expected." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Don't you remember that kid who relocated last year? Everyone was so sure he was cut out to be a Healer but instead ended up being chosen for Transportation."

Of course she remembered. For most people, it was easy to guess which Division they would be picked for in their sixteenth year of life. For example, Aerie could almost guarantee Lindzy would become an Engineer.

And Aerie could also almost guarantee these were the last few days she had with her friend, since an Engineer she was not.

With that said, Aerie had no idea which role she was cut out for. In her opinion, none of the Divisions matched her.

Maybe I'll be the first to end up without Division, she thought dryly.

"Hey, guys what's up?" Emi spoke cheerfully as she entered their dormitory, still dressed in her school uniform.

"You're not in your casual wear, so does that mean you'll be joining me for colloquium?" Lindzy asked hopefully.

"That's the plan," she smiled back.

Aerie shared the dorm with only five other students: Lindzy, Emi, Nereida, Kacey, and Ness. Out of the five, only Lindzy and Emi had truly become her friends.

"You aren't coming?" Emi asked, eyeing her friend's casual wear.

Aerie shook her head, and Emi understood. She always did.

After the two of them left, Aerie was left thinking about her future; there were only eight Divisions she could possibly be assigned to.

The Division of Healing, which specialized in medicine.

The Division of Agriculture, which made food for everyone through farming and raising livestock.

The Transporters, who, although their job was somewhat boring, were the only ones allowed to travel from compound to compound (so by default, they had the best gossip).

The Division of Technology did all the computer stuff (which Aerie knew nothing about).

The Division of Engineering dabbled in machines and made sure things worked properly, particularly the solar panels that brought power to the compounds.

The Caretakers were the teachers (though more like babysitters in Aerie's opinion).

The Aviators were the ones who manned the spaceships. Or rather prepared to fly them since none were currently in use.

And lastly there were the Soldiers, the ones who protected them from themselves. And from aliens, if they existed. Oh, and also the people in the southern regions of the world trying to move into their beautiful oasis known as Antarctica.

Although Aerie thought the Soldiers had the most interesting job by far, she also knew the likeness of her getting into that Division was like one in a hundred. Literally.

For some reason, the device that calculates which Division people belong in almost never chooses females for the job. Well, it was probably because women were generally shorter and smaller in stature than men, but it didn't make it feel any less fair. Either way, it was for that reason that only the toughest females were chosen for this role.

With about 160 children born each year, that meant an average of 20 children graduated into each of the Divisions. Of those 20, there were usually only two or three females chosen for the role of Soldier.

So okay, maybe not one in a hundred, but it was close.

Though a few decades ago there were a record-breaking four girls chosen in one year to become Soldiers. Technically only two of them ended up surviving the grueling assessments, but it should still count for something.

Aerie had been so concerned about which Division she would be sent to, that she had almost forgotten how only the top ten passed the final evaluation. Those who didn't were killed.

"For the benefit of society," was the constant melody sung by their superiors.

Only a certain number of them could fit into the spaceship anyway, so it made sense that they would eliminate the worst of them.

Aerie could only pray she wasn't one of the unlucky few to get chosen as a Soldier. Not only was it the most physically demanding of the eight Divisions, but it was also composed almost entirely of males. Aerie had no idea how to interact with even one of them, let alone about eighteen others.

There were no males on Aerie's side of the compound. Fraternizing with the opposite gender was considered taboo until relocation. Aerie suspected it was to stop people from forming romantic relationships with someone they would likely never see again.

In fact, she had never spoken to a male in her life.

Seen them from a distance, sure, but actually spoken to one? Not yet.

And if I become a Caretaker then I will almost never come into contact with them, she realized. But Aerie didn't think she was fit for that role anyway. Or any Division for that matter.

She lay on her bed and watched the ceiling. She should be studying for her final exams, but all she could think about was the one test that would change her life forever.