Joe Industries

Chapter 2 - A slight breeze

"Oh god", a figure said as he sprinted down the corridor.
"I can't believe Steven is gone", a different figure cried to herself.
"Well we will be too, if we don't hurry up" the first one exclaimed.
He could hear it,
the heavy thuds of each sector of corridor and factory shutting itself off behind them.
"Quick in here" the second hurriedly squealed.
The door thudded behind them, almost clipping them as they went in.
The room they had dived into had other refugees who had fled upon hearing about the maintenance. There was a bench on the far wall, with an array of people sat on, there was an old man who had miraculously survived the hardships of living at Joe Industries, a mother who held their "son" close to them.
Poor thing, he thought, mustn't be older than a day, and yet already about to "see his family again".
No one really knew what that meant, only that anyone who went, never came back.
The juvenile huddled with its "mother" was bearly capable of developed speech, "mamma, me scared" it uttered to itself.
"It'll be alright Tim" the woman said in response.
The old man snickered, "nah it won't ma'am".
"We're all good as dead, they're gonna let the heat in" he continued.
"The- the- the heat in?" the juvenile queried.
"Yes, you insufferable child, they're gonna pump the atmosphere in, they're literally cooking us alive" the crone uttered to himself.
As he spoke a hissing filled the room.
"It's happening", one of the room's inhabitants screamed.
The air started to sear,
Air rushing was all he could hear,
And yet as he stood there he accepted his demise,
Why does his decisions feel like they weren't wise,
Joe Industries seemed like a great choice,
But now it seems he shouldn't have rejoiced.
And while he sat there contemplating his life choices,
One of the inhabitants hugged their greatest choice,
Their "child",
He longed to see the wild,
But as the old man knew,
That was nothing you could do.
The sky was made of carbon,
And the wind felt like someone left their oven on.