7 Batteries

Dr.William explained how the Batteries were very fragile in the beginning stages and that it was very important not to harm them or prevent their growth. He brought Oliver outside the storage room. "Listen, Oliver, please don't get too excited once you see the batteries. I know you have seen plenty of pictures and you can't wait to get close to the real thing, but please don't disturb them."

Oliver nodded. He mentally prepared himself. Batteries were very expensive to produce and civilians didn't even have qualifications to see them. Only Students of prestigious schools could view videos and pictures of them.

Dr.William typed a code into the pad beside the door. The door slid open and they walked in. He motioned to some protective wear laid out on the table and Oliver began dressing. Oliver put on the special coat and mask.

He pulled on the gloves that reached up to the elbows and tied his hair under a clear cap. He was getting more and more excited by the minute. Dr.William checked Oliver's protective gear. Satisfied, he typed another code into the keypad.

The door slid open and the duo entered an airtight container. The door closed behind them and white steam was sprayed of them to disinfect any potential germs they may have brought in. The chamber opened on the other end after the air had been successfully filtered.

Oliver closed his eyes due to the near blinding light. After Oliver's eyes had adjusted to the brightness, he looked around himself. Large clear tanks lined the walls. Small tubes and harnesses floated freely in a clear liquid meant to preserve the batteries. A few men in white lab coats walked around the room. "All clear?", one scientist yelled to another across the room.

"Yes, begin the draining.¨ Another scientist flipped a switch on the wall and the clear liquid drained out of the tanks. A red light flashed above a large door near the back of the hall. Another scientist pressed a button near the door and the door began to open.

Oliver could see the truck that he had walked by previously. The end of it was attached to the clear plug. The scientist gave the truck driver a thumbs up and the end of the truck began to rise. Oliverś breath hastened as he spotted the batteries.

Oliver noticed the codes on the side of the products, they looked freshly branded. Dr.William shook his head in appreciation. "Wow, the process of seeing the next batch of batteries never gets old." The batteries were connected using a thin metallic thread that was then attached to a black band around their necks.

They shuffled forward under the instruction of the Scientist. Oliver knew from reading many books on the subject, that the Batteries were trained to obey simple instruction. Some of the batteries even developed the ability to talk from listening closely to the speech patterns of their caretakers. Sadly, they would all lose the ability to make sound by the time they reached a certain stage of development.

Their hair had been cut before their arrival so that the equipment wouldn't interfere with the charging process. The batteries were covered using simple grey smocks. They would be removed during the health checks and would them be recycled for the next batch.

The batches came in every year or so. The batteries would always run out within that time span so a steady supply was always needed. The batteries were cremated once their year was up.

Oliver watched as they were herded towards a room near the large tunnel they had just come out from. The door was closed behind the batteries and the truck driver prepared his truck before leaving.

The scientist near the door pressed the button again and the large door inched closed. Dr.William had mentioned that the physical check would only take a few minutes because they had a machine that scanned the main body quickly.