12 356 109 109

1.

It's the year 4012. Earth has long been abandoned and everything that's known about it now, is that it's a dark and dangerous place with unbreathable air and not a sign of life. New Earth was created in the year 2060 by what would later be the government.

12 356 109 109, or ~109 for short, lived in district 1043 together with a few thousand other people. Her house was only a few hundred meters from the border and she could see the Border Keepers walk their patrol rounds on the top of the tall, grey concrete if she looked out the window in her bedroom. She lived together with 12 356 108 097, went to a good college and was overall very happy with her life.

✦

~109 startled awake with an unbearable dry throat and an inexplicable and irresistible urge.

"Wa-" she cleared her throat. "Watermelon juice..." She still sounded like she'd swallowed a roll of sand paper. She managed to pass the obstacle course of dirty clothes, apparently random mechanical parts that ~143 had left behind and physics books on sound, and opened their enhanced - don't worry, ~143 had a permit. Or at least, that was what ~097 told her. Maybe she should look into that - refrigerator. She could almost taste the watermelon juice.

She opened the door and was greeted by the bright light of a fridge and the wonderful thought of sweet and tasty watermelon juice. ~097 grumbled something angry about how early it was and why ~109 was mumbling about watermelon juice and that she "should really get her head checked". ~109 ignored her and looked in the fridge searching for watermelon juice. Sweet watermelon juice, wonderful watermelon juice. Oh, amazing, tasteful lovely-

There was no watermelon juice.

"Ninety-seven!" ~097 turned to the wall while pulling her blanket further over her head. "Ninety-seven!"

~109 ran towards her, almost tripping over a sock twice - funnily, they were of the same pair - and shook her back and forward. "Ninety-seven!"
"What?" She asked slowly with the voice of someone who'd just been awoken over a glass of watermelon juice at around six o'clock. It reminded ~109 of a song from Earth that she probably wasn't allowed to listen to.

"There's no watermelon juice!" ~109 fell on her knees. "There is no watermelon juice!"
"Are you serious?" ~097 pinched her nose bridge. "Waterme-"
"Yes!" She cried out. "I am!"
"Then go to a fucking food centre." ~097 mumbled some other things that I shouldn't repeat here as ~109 realised that she was indeed an idiot at times.

She ran to the door, almost forgot her card, ran back through the corridor to her drawer, grabbed it and ran back to the door.
"I'm going! I'll be right back!" She put on her jacket as ~097 told her irked to "shut up already", swiped her card, started running towards the food centre, realised that was probably a bad idea and continued walking instead.

✦

"Hold it right there!" Her heart disappeared for a moment, before announcing its existence with a loud and fast drum beat. She stumbled and almost fell over as she suddenly stopped walking at the same time as her heart stopped running. She was right. It was a bad idea.

"Yes?" Though she managed to keep her voice from it, her mind was shaking along with her heart, singing loudly to its beat. The Peace Keeper stepped a little closer and stared at her with their cold, black visor. A moment of silence followed.

"What are you doing out here at this time?" The microphone distorted their already unfriendly voice and ~109 felt a shiver going down her spine.

"I was on my way to the shop..." she doubted and stopped talking as she debated whether she should say sir or madam. The Peace Keeper didn't say.

"At this time?" She could almost feel them raising at least one eyebrow. They had a point, though.

"Eh..." she paused nervously. "Yes? You see, I just really wanted some watermelon juice, but there was none, so I-"

"Are you serious? Watermelon juice?" ~109 laughed nervously. "Watermelon juice?" They paused, expecting an answer. ~109 didn't say anything. They sighed. "You're going to have to do better than that. Can I see your identification?"

Right, her identification. The first step to a successful arrest. Great. She nervously tapped her pockets, panicked as she couldn't find it and then panicked slightly less as she found it. She took it out and showed it to the Peace Keeper. "12 356 109 109..." she didn't know what else to say and an agonising silence fell as they inspected her card. ~109's fingers joined the band, playing bass with their nervous tapping. They alternated between looking at her and her card for a bit and finally gave it back. "It is correct."

They fell silent again, seemingly thinking what they should do. Debating whether they should arrest her or not. Debating her future. Her future. Just as ~109 started considering blasting their eardrums and brains, they looked up. "I'm going to search you. If I don't find anything bad, I don't see a reason to do anything. If I do," she gulped "you get to see the inside of my car. If you'd spread your arms." She sticked her arms out to the side as theirs tapped her down. The hands stopped as they felt something hard. They nodded and pointed at the pocket. They continued their search after she pulled out a few pens.

It felt like minutes had passed before they were finally done. She stepped back. "Okay. You're free to go." They nodded and ~109 nodded back thankfully - but not too thankfully. "Good luck getting watermelon juice." The went back to their car.

The band played one more big and loud closing chord before they stopped playing and went back to their usual business. She nervously waved goodbye - the Peace Keeper happily waved back - and walked away.