Remainers

To Those in the Future, Part 1

John Malcolm was dreaming.

It was a rather simple dream of a non-descript day, which could have been a memory of a better time. He was laying down on a green field of soft grass, looking up at a pure blue sky. There was nary a cloud in sight, and all he could see was unending blue. It wouldn't normally have been the kind of dream to warrant writing home about, yet it was something that took up precious space in his heart.

As if to spite him, a violent shudder shook him out of his dream, dragging him back to the real world. The loud buzz and warm heat of artificial light battered him, forcing him to sit up and open his eyes. When he did, he was greeted by a bizarre sight. He found himself within a great white structure, surrounded by dozens of sleeping bodies. It wouldn't be long before others around him also began to stir, which partly relieved him; he did half worry if he had woken up in some kind of morgue.

While the others started to regain their bearings, John tried to identify the building they were in. It was a massive circular dome, with giant tinted windows that seemed to show nothing of the outside world. He tried to remember what exactly had happened to him before he came here. As far as he could recall, he was riding on an evacuation bus, but had fallen asleep on the way there.

Before he could fully recall anything, the screech of an intercom interrupted his train of thought. There were a few shocked screams, but before long, the crowd growing around him eventually gathered to hear what was about to be announced. After a short wait, a booming voice began speaking.

"Welcome, you lucky chosen! I am sure that you are confused as to where exactly you may be, but do not fear! You are in a secure location, safe from the hazards of the polluted world we have escaped from!"

A loud murmur began to rise from the crowd as people began to grow uneasy. John felt the same uneasiness. After all, he was pretty sure that he was supposed to be riding to a government location, but he felt that this dome, whatever it was, wasn't government affiliated.

The voice continued speaking once the crowd settled down. "Naturally, you have plenty of questions about where you are and how you got here. However, there will be time to talk about that later. First, allow me to welcome you to the Ackerton family's underwater shelter!"

John quickly cast his eyes upwards again. He had incorrectly believed that the windows were tinted, but in fact they were actually simply showing the dark, murky water of the ocean. In days long gone, that water would have been imbued with the blue of the sky, but pollution had muddied that canvas, leaving the ocean water similarly tainted. He recognized the name Ackerton as well. Considering the scale of such a structure, it could only have been the work of the Ackerton corporation, one of the richest corporations in America.

John focused in on the words coming from the intercom, which hadn't stopped during his train of thought. "This shelter is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities specifically so that three hundred people can live here comfortably. Artificial sunlight generators allow us to grow crops underground, and while it will be a rarer delicacy, we'll be able to provide everyone with some meat at least once a week!"

"But don't take all this as an act of charity. We are a community here, and while you may not have been brought here by your own will, you will do your part. You will be assigned various duties, whether it be helping to maintain the shelter's various facilities or providing entertainment and pleasure. As long as you work to justify your place in this shelter, then your every wish will be taken care of."

Having had the particulars of the situation explained to them, the majority of the crowd had begun to calm down. John, however, still felt uneasy. After all, every single one of them had been brought to this shelter against their will, and he doubted that they would be let out even if they wanted to. His suspicions were confirmed by a bit of commotion he caught in the corner of his eye, where two men were attempting to calm some of the more hysterical "guests".