Reclaim

Chapter 3: Problems

Aslan
Illinois
12/25/26
The next pit stop was just a couple miles away. We had all been either sleeping, talking, or thinking since yesterday.

Sometimes, we would think of things to talk about, but they weren't very thought-provoking questions, not until now at least.

"How did the world get like this?"
It had been hours since any of us talked, and Javier was the one to break the silence.

How did the world get like this?
"There's too many answers for a question so open like that."

"Ok, Mr. Philosopher. How do you think it got so bad with the Instigation?"

"Easy, the parasites. Less stock, higher prices. Same with humans. We've become a precious recourse too important to waste."

June butted into our conversation before Javier could reply.
"Without people, think about how much better the world would be. Ever since the war, pollution has been way way down. Oceans are cleaning up, deforestation is slowing, global warming has practically slowed to a halt, and plenty of endangered animals have grown in population. The fewer people, the merrier."

"What about the good people?" One of the sisters asked. "There's plenty of people in the world that do genuine good. They're helping the world when others destroy it."

"Too bad destruction is easier than creation."

Javier agreed.
"Yeah, what sucks most is that most people aren't motivated enough to care. Being lazy is much easier and more desirable than being productive."

People were a problem, but we were too hypocritical to just leave. We wanted to live after all. If given the choice to sacrifice yourself for the world, most wouldn't take it.

June continued the conversation with another question that was the boogeyman of all questions asked this day and age.

"What do you think the Instigate is like?"

"Beats me. Probably a prison labor camp. Could be a paradise for all we know, though."

The other sister butted into our debate. "What if it's nice, and they treat their workers well, getting them ready for jobs and stuff."

For all we know, it could be rainbows and lollipops, but it could just as well be the devil's sanctum.

"I'm not interested in the Instigate, I'm interested in Reclaimation." Reclaimation was a topic that was a hundred times more confidential than Instigation. Nobody knows where Reclaims go or what happens to them. It's been a question everyone has been asking since the rise of it's existence.

"What if they harvest their organs, then give them to people who need them." The sister's view on it was a lot more morbid than what I would've thought.
I was surprised they even knew what organ harvest was. I guess age really doesn't tell.

"Maybe." Javier spoke up, "Maybe they use them for lab experiments, like rats in a maze."

"Maybe they become fast food workers." June spoke her reasoning. "Who really wants to work in a grease trap, dealing with obnoxious customers, and stubborn bosses all day for minimum wage?"

Before I die, I need to know what happens in there. Curiosity will kill me before my age will. At least if I get caught and don't make it to Texas, I'll finally get all of my questions answered.

The truck came to a stop. We all got up and got ready to get out. He didn't knock beforehand, so we were either getting out for the day, or he was picking up some more runaways. He made it to the back, unlocked the shudders, then lifted them up.