CHAPTER 1
"Trumboy" the big man called earnestly. "You don't seem to get the full impact of what we are doing. How can we focus all our resources and manpower in avoiding those meteors. Look at us, we have many energy sources, our sun is many times hotter than Earth's, yet we haven't accomplished anything. Look can't we put all these energy to good use? Yeah. We have sophisticated technologies, but all these are just for blowing up meteors and comets. Makes me think." He finished and leaned back in his seat.
"Well, well, well," Trumboy said exasperated. His partner seems to have forgotten Earth only existed in the folklore."we can't leave our cities to be destroyed, can we? That's exactly what you are suggesting. There's is nothing else to do,we must continue. And not only the structures, the last time three people died. Three of our best comet fighters. You see? Nothing else to do."
The man thought awhile, stroking his beard. "Seems like, but there's something else to do,if you'll agree. We could make an underground shelter.Enough to accomodate half a city. That way we just move the people underground when the meteor comes."
"And leave the city in its path to perish?" Trumboy asked.
"Let's leave that to the council to decide. Whether we risk our best brains or let a small portion of our cities to perish."
Trumboy agreed and the men settled more comfortably, picking up their already cold cups of tea.
---- ---- ---- ----
She climbed out of the darkness slowly. After many blinks it cleared out completely. But she immediately shut her eyes to keep out the bright light. Then she slowly opened it again, taking in the sparkling white room she is in. She is lying on a soft bed,and the room was filled with machines
"Welcome to the world 002". A sonorous voice rang out from a loud speaker above her head.
"You will have time to understand your world better. Meanwhile, you will wait while a guard comes to take you to your room".
"002?" She said " I thought my name is...oh damn I can't remember a thing. Where am I?"
"It will be explained later" the voice said. Just at that time the door swung open, revealing a man in uniform. The face seemed familiar.
"002, let's show you your room." The man said.
002 blinked. Something was nagging at the back of her mind, but she couldn't place it. In fact her whole self seemed strange to her and her memory was strangely blank. At last she pit the nagging feelings behind her, resolving to let them sort themselves out and concentrate on finding her way. But that, She soon noticed, will be very difficult. There were many turns, many of them curving, and all of them looks the same. The guard seemed to know his way about though, he hardly hesitate at corners. At last they entered an elevator. Once the door was closed the man grabbed and kissed her. Feeling lost she pulled back. The guard looked into her eyes.
"Gold, do you remember me?" The guard asked.
"Who are you?" 002 asked. The guard's eyes saddened.
"No you don't" he answered himself. Before 002 could contemplate what he meant, the elevator doors opened again and the man's face hardened. They didn't walk much more before they came to a room.
"Your room" the guard said " I am coming to take you at two for your introductions." He said, turned on the heels of his shoes and left. 002 plopped down on the bed and ransacked her memory. She couldn't tell what for though. At last she lay back on her bed and gazed at the ceiling.
---- ---- ---- ----
A silverhaired boy and a gold haired girl stood at the beach, not listening to their parent's calls.
"What do you reckon?" The boy asked the girl.
"Not time yet" the girl said
"Yes. But she is going to take us home anyway. "
"What do we do? I don't want to go home yet " the girl pleaded. He boy thought then said
"I guess if we can stay underwater long enough, she will think we have gone home"
"You think that will work?" The girl asked. The boy nodded, the light of adventure kindling in his eyes. The girl splashed into the water,the boy right behind her. Soon ,thier came by, yelling for them.Quietly, with hardly ripple,they submerged. The calls became muffled. The thought How they were right under their mother's nose and she was looking for them and started giggling. She tried to anyway but found out no one can giggle underwater. She coughed, rising quickly towards the surface, her eyes wide with fear, her mouth opening and closing she swallowed mouthfuls upon mouthfuls of the water. She must have been pretty deep because just before she broke to the surface, she became unconscious.
Three minutes later the struggled to come out of the darkness. As if from afar she heard a calling her.
"Gold? Gold? Please, don't die please?
---- ---- ---- ----
OO2 started from her bed, not remembering when she fell asleep or that she had even asleep. For a moment she couldn't remember the dream, then it came rushing back. She tried to remember what had awoken her.
"Gold?" She mumbled to herself .
"The boy called me Gold and The guard had also Gold. Am I Gold?."
Again she felt something was evading her. And again she couldn't place it. She tried to remember what had happened before now, who she was and how she got here. All she could remember is blackness. The same blackness she had fallen into in her dream, the same one she had emerged from in the white room. She shook her head, assuring herself that things will straighten out themselves later. The man said he is coming at two. She told herself. She looked around the room and found a clock by the door. She walked towards it and at the same time she could make out what time it is, the door swung open. Reflexively, without ,meaning to, She kicked it shut, sending the man at the other end flying. She opened the door and walked out towards the man. She knew she should apologize, but somehow it felt wrong. So she just stared at the man. He wasn't the same guard that had led her to her room, the other one looked far more aristocratic than this one.