The Dreamer Trilogy: Book One

Chapter 11

I’m sitting on the couch, replaying the events that just unfolded in front of my eyes. There were so many questions whizzing around in my head. How did the Overseer kill Hugh so quickly? I didn’t hear a gunshot or a zap from a taser, so what could he have done? The Overseer was extremely strong for his size as well, to be able to carry all of that dead weight on his shoulder. He had his regular white suit on, but no firearms; Which means that he didn’t want anyone to know he was taking Hugh. Out of the corner of my eye I see Chris3 walk into my apartment. “What...W-was he..” Chris3 stutters, his eyes big. “Yes..” I say silently. He lets out a gust of air and slowly approaches the couch.  He drops to a seat and leans back, running his fingers through his long blonde hair. “Why?..” He asked quietly. “The Overseer said it was because he failed the test.” I reply at the same volume, my head still spinning. “Oh,” Chris3 starts. “On The Bottom we didn’t get killed if we failed” “We aren’t sure if we ever failed either” I say, looking back at him. He just droops his head and looks at the floor, fiddling with his fingers. An Overseer appears in the doorway and Chris3 and I both stand up to look at him. “Yes?” I ask. “By the order of The Guild, you must not speak of this event with anyone, nor must you speak of it amongst yourselves. Roger, you will be assigned a new roommate in the morning. Good day.” The Overseer says before turning on his heel and strolling down the hallway. I look at Chris3 and we both know it’s time to get on with our lives. It’s over, and there’s nothing we can do to change it. “We should probably check our schedule” Chris3 says. “Yeah..” I say, my voice trailing off. I cough and then start toward my room to get my tablet. I walk into my room with thoughts still swirling in my head about Hugh and the Overseer. I pick up the tablet and head back into the living room. Chris3 is standing in the same spot as previously. I turn on the tablet as I walk, and see that I have Cafeteria next. “I have Cafeteria, what about you?” I ask him. “I don’t know, I’ll go check.” He replies before walking out of the room to get his tablet. I pace back and forth, replaying the events that happened. Chris3 reemerges from the hallway and speaks. “I’m free until 3, then I have Cafeteria.” He says back. “I have Cafeteria now so I’ll see you later?” I ask. “Yeah. See you later Roger.” Chris3 says before exiting the room. I check what time Cafeteria starts, and then check my watch. The class starts at 1:15, and the time now reads 1:03. I have a few extra minutes to spare, so I go up to The Specialized Level. Up there is the direct contact to the Guild. You can send messages to the Guild members and they respond with a scroll in front of your door within a couple days. I get to the elevator and press the “Up” arrow and wait for it to arrive. The doors open and I step inside the emptiness. I click the “5”, making it illuminate. The elevator slides quickly up to the 5th floor, with no interruptions. The doors slide open and I step outside. On the opposite side of where you exit the elevator is The Office. The Office is where you drop off the mail to The Guild. I make my way over and there is an Overseer on the other side of a glass wall. She looks up from her paperwork and speaks into a little microphone. “What can I help you with?” She asks, her voice emitting from a speaker on my side of the glass. “I would like to learn a little more about what happens when you fail a test.” I say softly. She grunts before speaking again. “I’m not allowed to disclose that kind of information, but if you’d like I can leave the Guild a message.” She replies. “No, that’s alright. Have a nice day” I say to her. “You too.” She responds before going back to her paperwork. I walk back to the elevator and check my watch. 1:07 pm. I take the elevator back down to the Bottom and turn right, down the hallway that leads straight to the cafeteria. When I arrive, a bunch of people are already sitting down eating and a few people haven’t finished from last class. The cafeteria is big, with dozens of tables that sit six people each. On one side of the room is where you get your food. Designated Overseers put food on your plate, so if you’re a picky eater than you might as well starve. Most of the tables are filled already, but I’m sure some will clear out by the time I get my food. Walking over to the line, I notice an open table near the corner of the cafeteria. I make a mental note to sit there once I get my food. After a few minutes the line starts moving and before I know it I’m grabbing a tray. The trays are metal, which makes them extremely reflective. I guess that’s just another way for them to keep everything “Clean”. The Overseer behind the counter puts some mashed potatoes on my plate and then a hot dog. I never used to get this good of food down on The Bottom, so I can only imagine what it would be like on The Specialized Level. After my tray is filled I look around the room to locate the table that I was going to sit at.