Scavengers {#Wattys2016}

Chapter Nine

Behind those large grey white walls was a thriving city. Not the slums like outside. People knew of it's existence but they tended to ignore the fact that it was even there. Why worry for what was outside if they had everything inside and beyond. The vast Order. 

The New World Order. 

The Pure ones. They had saved the people and given them everything they had ever dreamed of. Now there were technological innovations that the older...dead world hadn't even come close to achieving. People now had the ability to travel by floating trains and jets. The bridges rose high and so did the glass towers. 

The trees were green and sometimes even purple. The flowers bloomed and genetic disorders were now not a worry. Everyone here had a home. Wether it was an apartment complex or a house within the suburbs. The lawns were always cut by the city when the grass grew too high. Crime was none existent here. It was peaceful. 

The only thing that people had to do, was listen. That's all they had to do. Live their lives within this Utopia of the New World Order and listen to what others told them to do. Let their leaders of the New World Order deal with everything because they were meant to. 

Long live their president...who was finally a woman. 

Long live Jeanne Carlson.  

It was Jeanne Carlson who was head of the New World Order. Along with her other counter part leaders around the globe. There were a total of seven of them. One for each continent. Production was booming. People were working without any worries or any reason to slow down. 

Everything was her's. She had everything. 

But she had been called. Her walk was brisk and refined. Her grey heels clicked against the pearl marble flooring with flecks of grey in them. The fur coat was thick and her eyeliner bold. It was he style of high class fashion. It made Jeanne feel good. It made her feel wealthy. Her hair was even dyed a bright blond. It had once been a silky black but now it was pristine and the dying looked utterly natural. 

Jeanne walked quickly to the destination. There were guards at every corner of the palace building. Dressed in their dark military attire and guns propped and held in place with their red sharp glasses which hid their eyes. 

Jeanne stepped into a doorway pushing the slick shiny thing open. It closed behind her with a loud demolishing thud. Immediately the room was darker. Florescent lights flickered on dimly lighting the dark polished stone path. Jeanne here stopped as she saw two approach her. Two tall figures. The Oracles Servants. Jeanne could not see their faces due to the hoods over their heads and masks. There arms were long and slender. They were a bit taller than Jeanne due to the high sandal heels they wore. 

They stared at Jeanne silently. 

As usual Jeanne got an eerie feeling about them. The way they just stared at her silently without a word. After several dragging seconds of silence they would just turn and walk back towards where they had come from. As usual Jeanne would follow. 

Follow in utter silence.

Jeanne followed on the dark solid marble path for a bit. The back lights turned on their usual eerie orange color revealing the Oracle. The one who could see the future. But only very small bits of it. Yet she wasn't always correct though. 

The Oracle could only see potential future. A possible future. Just because it had the possibility of happening didn't mean it would. The Oracle would very rarely call if she had something to say. It was normally Jeanne who went to her. Normally to ask if there was a conspiracy or threat against her. 

Or if there was something going on that she did not know about. But even the Oracle couldn't answer those with specific certainty. The Oracle could only reply with, "It is a possibility".

 No one knew precisely that the Oracle existed. Several didn't believe it. Other's did but didn't know exactly what to make of it. Other's worshiped her. 

Jeanne just used her. She preferred to have a bit more than science as confirmation. It was good to have both. Because even today, science couldn't breach the mind of the Oracle or come close to predicting and foreseeing what she could. 

"You came", said a luminous voice. Jeanne looked up coming face to face with another tall slender woman. Her head was bald and cleanly cut. A head dress of fibers intertwined making a halo of some sort. Again the fashion of today. The orange light danced on her skin and she stared at Jeanne silently waiting. 

Jeanne didn't have time to wait. She had a world to run. 

"What is it?", asked Jeanne quickly with a sharp tone. 

The Oracle looked at her with an emotionless expression her cheek bones high. She spoke not blinking or losing eye contact. 

"I have foreseen a possibility", she said her voice echoing. Her servants bowed as she spoke and remained in the position arms sprawled in front of them as they worshiped on their knees. 

"What?", asked Jeanne getting antsy.  The Oracle always did this. Droned it out. 

The Oracle raised her finger pointing towards Jeanne. "There is....one....there is three....there are many...of one....who can take everything from you", said Oracle. 

Jeanne hinged, "You are certain?", she asked. 

"It is only a possibility....if you take everything perhaps it will wash it away....or perhaps it will seal it", said The Oracle. 

Jeanne panicked, "Do you know who?", she asked. 

The Oracle stared at her quietly. "There are many possibilities....many, I cannot say who. I cannot tell who....there is one...there is three....there are many....of one". 

"What should I do?", asked Jeanne glaring. 

The Oracle looked at her with her beady eyes, "If you do what you have done it may wash it away.....but it could also be your undoing", she warned. 

Jeanne glared and curled her fists clenching them. She stormed out of the room. What did that mean? There is one? There is three? There are many of one?! What kind of nonsense did The Oracle speak?!

Jeanne didn't care what the Oracle had said she wanted answers. If there was someone who was a threat to her she had to get rid of them! If their were multiple she had to get rid of them! She had too!

"Lieutenant!", she yelled as she exited the room slamming the door shut. A military man rushed down the hall sprinting as he was called. 

"Yes ma'am! Is something wrong?", he asked. 

Jeanne glared at him, "Get me the list of all the illegals who were eradicated and are still alive. Get me their former occupation and why they were released! Get it to me now!", Jeanne screamed. 

She was losing her temper. Just the thought of this threat was driving her mad! Her fear reaped in again. This can't be! What if she lost everything!? What if she lost all she had striven to achieve and gain and create! All to create a better world where people would just listen and do as they were told without argument or strife!

Her mind jolted. Andrew?! 

"Where is my son!?", she demanded.