Ordinary Luxury

Stella explored the lab. Although none of this was quite like she imagined, it was still enticing to see all the special equipment lying around. To her, it was still the most futuristic thing she'd seen.

She shook her arms, finally feeling that relief of not having to carry the baby. She felt nimble, and she began taking off the many layers of jackets she had on.

Comfortable. She was comfortable down here. She was far from any apostles. She was far from the harsh environment. And she could only assume that… there was food! And a lot of it! She knew that the rapture had started twenty years ago, and that means food and water had to last all twenty down here for Janice to survive.

She began to think about what kind of food they'd have. That home she was in before Lucas found her had a recipe book. It was filled with all sorts of strange foods she had never seen. She wondered if there would be anything like that down here.

As she explored she came across a door. A staircase led up to a octagonal platform, the perimeter of which had metal rails. The door was in the corner of the platform. There was no sign detailing exactly what it led to.

(Janice: "Stella, get down from there.")

Again, she didn't turn her head to speak to Stella. Janice spoke sternly.

(Stella: "Why? What's behind the door.")

(Janice: "That's none of your business. Now if you wouldn't mind, please follow me.")

She stood up from her desk and left her chair as it was. She didn't push it back into the desk. She simply walked off toward the door they came in. She turned back to Stella and paused.

(Janice: "Are you coming or not?")

Stella nodded and walked to her. Before they left Stella pointed at Lucas

(Stella: "What about him? Is he not coming?")

(Janice: "I'll deal with him later.")

Lucas was sound asleep with the baby. You could hear him breathe, but he didn't snore. His head rested on the back of the cushioned chair he sat in.

They left the lab and they walked through the corridor.

(Janice: "He looked horrible. Does he not sleep?")

(Stella: "I always fall asleep before him, and I've only woken up before him once. So I wouldn't know if he sleeps at all, but I'd assume he does.")

(Janice: "Do you not look into his eyes? They are red as an apple.")

Stella thought back to when she first came across him. She checked his eyes. They were so red. She would've thought he was blind if he hadn't seen her when she emerged from the trees on that road.

(Janice: "It's good he's sleeping. It means I don't have to deal with him snooping.")

(Stella: "I wasn't snooping. I was just curious.")

(Janice: "They say curiosity killed the cat.")

(Stella: "And satisfaction brought it back. Whatever was behind that door, I'm sure it's not that bad.")

Janice sighed.

(Janice: "Fine. If you must know, I conduct my more… let's say, graphic, experiments. I study biology. Specifically biology on apostles. I don't need you in there touching or contaminating anything.")

Janice arrived to another door. It had a circular window to see into the room. She put the card onto the terminal and it opened.

They walked into the room. Stella looked around. It was small. Very small. There was a chair in the middle of the room. Brown artificial leather, and all sorts of buttons and equipment around it. It looked like a doctor's office, which was exactly what it was.

There were medical posters on the wall, which made the room seem less barren than the hallways, but it still felt very commercial. All the posters had a logo on the bottom right. "H.S.A."

Stella sat down on the chair. It wasn't comfortable at all, despite looking quite luxurious.

(Janice: "How long have you two been outside?")

(Stella: "I met him about two weeks ago. I've had the baby for a couple months. I've lived out there for all my life.")

(Janice: "Huh. That's strange.")

(Stella: "What is?")

(Janice: "Those flying ants are very common, and it only takes around as little as a week for them to consume your brain. I have heard cases about white blood cells fighting against the ants, but none were successful. That baby especially should be vulnerable to those, but somehow he is just fine. You guys are very special. You are immune to the ants.")

(Stella: "What are white blood cells?")

(Janice: "Hm. Well, imagine your body as a battleground. Your white blood cells are the soldiers, and the bacteria, or ants, are the enemy. Your white blood cells fight the bacteria to save your body from them.")

(Stella: "And they can fight in the brain?")

(Janice: "White blood cells travel in blood vessels. Those blood vessels go all around the body. Even the brain. If those ants, they are so small, it's easiest for them to go through blood vessels, and travel to the brain through those. Unfortunately for them, they are traveling through the front lines of the white blood cells. Although, the white blood cells are not accustomed to fighting an enemy like those ants, but somehow, your guys' have adapted to killing the ants. I don't see any other way any of you could survive that long out there without it.")

(Stella: "So what does that mean? Is that good?")

(Janice: "It's great, actually. It's amazing! Your bodies have adapted to conditions most of us couldn't.")

(Stella: Wow. Lucas has this too?")

(Janice: "He's alive, isn't he? I'd assume he does.")

Stella processed what she was saying. The baby and Lucas had adapted to the wasteland, though it was a very slight adaptation. It wouldn't save them from some of the more dangerous apostles, it was one step closer to ending this nightmare. This made Stella happy.

(Janice: "Alright. Lets go ahead and get this over with. I hate taking blood samples, but it feels appropriate in this situation.")

Janice opened a drawer and grabbed a needle. It was just a needle. It had no capsule. She grabbed an elastic blue band, as well as a cotton ball from a jar and a bottle and brought it over to Stella.

(Janice: "This is going be a little tight, go ahead and put your arm on the arm rest, palms up, and make a fist.")

She tied the band around her upper arm and started looking for a suitable vein. She stopped and then opened the bottle and poured some liquid onto the cotton ball. The bottle was labeled "antiseptic," and she rubbed the cotton ball onto the pit of her elbow. Janice then grabbed the needle and brought it to her arm.

(Janice: "This is going to pinch you for a second. Are you ready?")

Stella nodded. Janice then took the needle and inserted into her arm. Stella squeezed her eyes shut.

(Stella: "Ow! What the hell!")

Janice shushed her. She grabbed a capsule and put it on the needle. Blood began to be extracted into the capsule. Stella didn't look. She didn't want to see her own blood being drawn out of her. The sight of blood overwhelmed her, especially after entering the city for the first time. Seeing the blood come out of her arm reminded her of the horrors of the city above them. She didn't want to remember, so she closed her eyes.

Thirty seconds later Janice removed the band from her arm, and then removed the capsule. Stella could hear the noise of the capsule seal itself in a high pitched squeeze. The needle was removed from her arm and Janice applied a bandaid.

Stella admired the bandaid. It was something she'd never seen before. She had knowledge about many things that came before the rapture, but there were certain amenities she had not become aware of. Bandaids were among those amenities she hadn't been aware of, and the simplicity of it struck wonder into her.

It was so ordinary, but in a world where the ordinary is a rarity, all the things we would've taken for granted are now the most sought after. Even something as simple as a bandaid.

The innovative nature of human design is an intricate system fueled by the demand for quality of life. It's what drives most of human creation, which is why when it all these commodities went away. It was devastating. The ordinary is a luxury. A luxury most will not have the occasion to make use of. Not anymore. But as Stella was there admiring the ordinary beauty of the bandaid, she realized that this will probably be the closest she will ever come to experiencing "normality."