Wasteland // Kim Seungmin

1 - Crash Course

They teach us that the class system had led to such turmoil, that the new system was the only way they could prevent the destruction of humanity. That was the over-simplified way of explaining it to us as children in school, at the start of our education, but the explanation never really evolved to anything more sophisticated as we got older. I guess it never had to. Everyone alive today, their parents, and their parents' parents survived their own releases. It was part of becoming an adult, cementing your place in society after 5 years of suffering. On the other end, once they return, everyone is the same. We all receive the same housing, the same allowance, the same free food and healthcare. There is no poverty, barely any crime, and almost no danger.

The only adults that complain about release and the wasteland generally die in it, either during their 5 years or at the end of their lives as a leader. They never make it out to demand change, and those who do make it out feel they've earned the peace they are granted.

"But I'm getting ahead of myself", I breathed stretching my arms against our picnic blanket, sitting up to look at my cousin. This summer he turns 10 years old. In just a few weeks, he will go to school for the first time, where he and the rest of his friends will probably share a whole lot of misinformation about release. Our older cousin brought me on a picnic like this before I started school to give me a crash course in release, and I wanted to give Tomek the same benefit. He of course has a general idea about release, but he lacks the facts.

"I am going to tell you everything, and I am going to be 100% honest. Keep in mind I am not trying to scare you, I am just trying to make sure you know what's real and what is fake. When you get to school, there are going to be kids who lie about what they think happens, and there will be kids who have no idea. You need to be mindful about what you are sharing. And honestly, probably ignore most of what kids your age tell you. The adults at school don't explain it very well until you are like 16."

He nodded, pulling himself to sit up and across from me. When I didn't talk right away, he coaxed, "So," he began, popping a grape in his mouth, "I know you have to be grown to go, but when exactly do you go?" Tomek asked.

I sighed, "Well in terms of like exactly when you're released, you have to be 18 years old on the day of release. Just be 18, any day within that year is fine. You cannot be released alone. They will pair you with someone random the day before you turn 19. As you know you stay for 5 years, but really it depends on your partner. You and your original partner get the same return dates and it is the older partner's 23rd birthday."

"So pairing with someone older for your release gives you a slight advantage, because you will return based on their 23rd birthday no matter what, even if you are still..." He paused to figure out his math, "...22 on that day?"

"Right. That's why people who have a December and February birthdays are the most wanted partners, because everyone wants to pair with someone who will shave a few months off of their time released. Overall, everyone just wants a partner as far from their own birthday as possible. While still being in the same year."

"When is Felix's birthday?"

I smiled, thinking of my own partner, and our good luck. "We worked out perfect. He turned 18 last February, and I turn 18 in November. So all in all, we only have to spend like 4 years and a couple months."

His face fell. "My birthday is in July. No one is going to want to pair with me."

I scooted over to put an arm on his shoulders, "Listen, our dates were the last thing on me and Felix's mind when we promised to pair. We just knew we wanted to do it together. You will find someone like that for you, you are going to meet so many people when you go to school, you have no idea. It's nothing like nursery school." Everyone goes to "nursery school" from ages 5-10, basically just to learn to reading, writing, and math. Then, they go to real school when they turn 10. Here, they start their survival training to prepare for their time in the wasteland. And participate in more career based classes. But hardly anyone cares about those.