WELCOME TO WORK HEAVEN

Chapter three

2098

Eight years ago, I had no plan for myself except to be together with my family, that plan failed, horribly, it was difficult to be with a family, especially if you didn't have one. Four years ago I had no plan for myself, except to leave Earth, to be in Work Heaven, for some reason I thought it would make me feel less miserable if I was in the same place that they were, did the same thing that they did, I thought it would make me closer to them, closer to.

"June, is that you?" I giggled. "I think I'm floating mommy." I said angling my head to one side to get a better view of mother, but all I saw was the blurry image of a person wearing a mask. "Mummy, why are you wearing a mask? Is that you Pa.?" I said still giggling, maybe they were playing a prank on me, but he did not reply.

"You're not my Pa are you? The laws of Work Heaven." What was I saying, I shook my head, trying to get my thoughts straight, but it was impossible. "Did you drug me ... ah pretty bright light. No, where are you taking me? Where am I? Have we reached Work Heaven? No, No, I have to be in my room before five or they will leave me again." I said, trying to turn, but I was strapped down on the bed.

"Daddy, how am I moving if I'm lying down?" I asked, then instantly groaned when whatever I was laying on went through a bump, my head bounced up and then hit hard when it came back down.

'What was that, did we just land on Work Heaven?" I asked, still no answer. I smiled, maybe they were playing the silent game.

"Why is she still awake, did you give her the correct dose?" a strange male voice asked, his voice sounded hallow, to me, but still it echoed, like

"We gave her the exact dose as everybody else Sir." A female voice answered. Then I heard clattering.

"You dim wits gave a twenty one year old woman the same dose as an eighteen year old? You're lucky she didn't wake up on-route." He sounded angry, and rude.

I tilted my face towards the voice, and then squinted my eyes s if it would somehow magically make me see better. "You're rude; don't shout at people like that." I heard a chuckle that sounded muffled, as if the person was trying to hold herself, or himself. Was she laughing at me? "You have to.... " I felt a very faint sting to my arm. "What was that?" I asked but just like always no body replied, the pretty bright light became brighter, then blinding, and then started to swirl, and just before it turned to darkness, I heard the same unfamiliar voice say. "I'd bet my money that this one will survive."

…

"Attention ladies and gentlemen! attention ladies and gentlemen, attention please!!" The deafening sound of metal hard against metal was not very welcomed, and what made it even worse was the roaring voice of someone I already knew I would hate.

The banging noise continued making it literally impossible to remain lying on a.... what I was even lying on, because it definitely was not a bed, a bed couldn't possibly be this hard.

My eyes shot open, and I immediately sat up, and took a good look of the tiny space, no wonder the bed was hard, because there wasn't a bed to begin with, not for me, nor for the other five girls who were still either sound asleep or starting to stir awake, that I apparently had to share this single room with.

"Wake up you lazy Extras." The voice continued to boom. Whoever was shouting was not in this room. I stood up, and opened the door made of poor quality lumber, and stepped out, only to find what was supposed to be the entire sky covered with the large moving image of a blonde haired woman, neatly dressed in a dark brown suit, her hair completely pulled back, and a black framed glass over her bright grey eyes.

"Finally, you're out; please do ensure that every other Extra in your room is out." She said, and I honestly thought she was talking to just me until I turned around, and saw that a lot of familiar faces were heading in to call their roommates. So I went back into the room that was dimly lit by an orange dying bulb.

The four that was already awake came straight out not bothering to wake Felicia; she always slept in late, even back on Earth. I went to her, shaking her by the arm until she stirred, then sat up. "How did you get inside my room?" she asked startled, with widened eyes and a defensive pose.

"We are here Felicia, we have arrived to Work Heaven, you should come outside." I said, immediately standing to go back outside, back to the well dressed woman with the scary voice.

We came out and continued looking at the image of the lady in the sky for almost another ten minutes before she began to speak. "Finally you all are here, you must know, in Work Heaven there is not a single time to waste. Before I begin, I must first be the one to welcome you all. You all must have done at least the minimum in order to be here, in case you are wondering what I mean by that, I will tell you because Work heaven is not heaven at all to those that do not put in the required efforts, it is instead a place where you face reality." She used her pointing finger to push back her glasses that was sliding down her nose, then she continued to speak. "Every other person who has been continuously poor in their academics or general performance back on earth, was involved in an... unfortunate accident on route." I sharply inhaled, and the loud gasp that filled the air was proof that I wasn't the only one startled by the news.

"Yes it is sad news indeed." She continued, but she did not sound the least bit sad, talk more of remorseful. - "You see, the last three statistics has shown that Extras that behaved poorly back on earth, will most likely remain in the lowest level. That being said, I would like to formally introduce myself. My name is Cassandra Radnor, I am the new chairwoman of the census bureau, which in other words means that I am most times busy, but I am also responsible for the most of you, so I will make this as short as possible. Roughly eight years ago, and I am sure you all watched it, the existence of the lowest class was, cancelled." She said it so casually, like it was something less than an event, something that just happened to happen, something unimportant, and it pained me to the bone.

First task, make enough money, and make sure she loses her seat.

"Some of you might think it is not fair, but let us face it, there is no lie in the facts, that being said, Work heaven cannot afford the rebirth of the lowest class, and so, you all still have to work your way up the ladder in order to survive, therefore, we have created a new lower level that will last for only a year. The grass level, which you all are currently standing, is quite similar to the previously eradicated lowest level. You will be paid in the former rate received by those of the former lowest level, the only difference is that you are allowed to work your way up the class ladder...., but you must know that that opportunity lasts only for a year, after which the grass level, along with every other living soul still existing within its confine, will, be opened to space." She stopped speaking, waiting for the impact of what she had just indicated to settle on us, and it did, it settled deep, there was no room for laziness, no room for failure, each hour of each day had was a quest for survival, a battle against me, everybody I grew up with, and every other person I would have to take their position that grew up here in work heaven, and we all knew it, true allies will be rare, friends even more scarce, in this place, you were truly alone.

"That being said, we move to the topic of your place of residence. You all are currently living free of charge in a facility built under the leadership of Mr. Grey, this is because he thought it too cruel to take rent from you from the very first day of your arrival. So your first month of stay here will be free of charge, and you will be given food for the first two weeks as well, after which you are all to fend for yourselves. If you have by that time gained enough to work up the ladder then you can get your own apartment on the next level, if you haven't, then you will have to contribute to pay for rent. Further details will be made available to you all tomorrow, you all will also have a tour of the entire work heaven, and meet with Mr. Grey by tomorrow, after which, you are on your own. Do have a good night rest." The screen went off, and the whole place was drowned in darkness.

Slowly little twinkling lights started to appear in the sky, and then finally when the sky was completely covered in the live image of stars that we only saw in pictures, bright lights hanging from eight feet long lamps came on, and it illuminated the streets filled with buildings identical to the one I woke up in, which was nothing but scrapes of metals welded together to form little metal apartments, its new residents went back inside to complete the drug infused sleep.

As I turned to return inside I heard someone call. "December, wait." I turned back, and was met with a very familiar face that I never got to know his name, he was one of those that was brought in around the age of four because his parents hid him away, he was also one of those that lost his parents eight years ago, I know this because Violet was also his manager.

"Hey." I said awkwardly, with a weak wave of my right hand, because I knew I did not know his name. Between the busy schedules, and the non-existing social life, the past four years, one often forgets to ask for names, it was quite surprising that he knew mine.

"Good day, or, goodnight, my name is Josh." He said with his hand extended towards me, I took it just to be polite, but I would rather he left me alone to sleep.

"Uh so you must be excited huh, we are finally here. hurray." He said with a funny laugh that I just thought incredibly sad to watch, at this point I was about ready to leave him standing while I shut the door in his face, but I didn't, instead I stared at him blankly, hoping he would just take the hint and leave me alone.

"Uh, sorry for stopping you, I just thought it with would be more productive working as a team, you know, that way we could both profit, I could profit from the extra privileges given to you for maybe your skill or your gender, and you can profit from the privileges given to me." He finished the nonsense he was saying with a smile, but my blank face was still in place.

I tilted my head to get a good look at his ridiculous face. Bright red hair the color of crocoites, blue eyes, freckles from the right side of his cheek all the way to the left, pale pink lips, and a sharp jaw line. He did not look as bad as I wanted him to right at this moment, he did not look bad at all, which was probably one of the reasons I remembered his face, it was a face that was particularly hard to forget. "What did you say your name was again?"

"Josh." He replied, the most sincere smile still on his face.

He was honestly the first Extra I have seen that lost his whole family and could still smile. It was sad to watch, so I decided to let him down easy. "Josh, I'm sorry, but I think two is a crowd, I think I'll work by myself for a while, see how that goes." I said, putting on the fake smile Violet helped me practice for my interviews when she finally accepted that I had lost the ability to smile genuinely.

"Oh, okay then, I will give you enough time to think about it." He said, and before I could respond that there was no need, he was already headed back to his metal house. He will realize it, eventually, I thought, turned and went back inside, and lay down on the cold floor.

Just before I shut my eyes to sleep, I gave myself a quick reminder. "You worked hard for four years to prepare yourself for this place December Blake, You better do well, for yourself, and for your family."

"Keep quiet Blake, some of us are trying to sleep." One of my new roommates said.

I closed my eyes, and sleep immediately took me to the only place where I sometimes found happiness, dream land.