Water for Earth

3: Late

"Ming! Ming! Ming! Ming!"

The crowds cheered as Ming walked down the stage with her four awards cradled like a baby against her chest. She returned to her chair at the front row and thanked those around her as they gave their approving pats-on-the-back.

Ming sat satisfied with her four awards in her lap. They were in the shape of a map, a shovel, a key, and a gun.

A portly man's voice boomed through the sound system.

"The next award is for the Person Most Likely to be CEO of the Industry Hive!"

The room murmured in hushed voices as the students whispered their predictions to their seat-mates. At the back of her mind, Ming knew that she was the most likely to win.

And the award goes to... Ming!

Cheers erupted as Ming covered her mouth with her left hand in awe. Sweeping up her four awards with her right hand, she rose and walked up the stage.

She walked across the platform and waved to the crowd while mouthing out thank you's repeatedly. A suited-up man held Ming's fifth award and extended it towards Ming.

Ming graciously accepted the award. It was in the shape of a telescope.

"Ming! Ming! Ming! Ming!"

The suited-up man held his hand out for a congratulatory hand-shake. As she stooped forward to reach for his hand, the award in the shape of a map fell off Ming's cradling hands.

Ming grasped the man's hand but promptly withdrew it in shock and disgust.

The man's hand was slimy and cold!

Ming vigorously shook her hand in horror but the coldness of his hand couldn't be shaken off. She grinned and pulled her neck back in disgust.

She then fell off the stage. It was surprisingly high!

Ming came within inches from the floor and woke up from her dream.

Her hand was hanging out of her bed and her cat was licking her palm.

Ming wiped her drool-laden palm on her cat and, with a high-pitched scream, stretched her sore body out.

"Well, that dream's definitely going into the book!"

Ming reached for her Dream Journal. She opened it and removed the pen stuck on the last page. With another yawn, she scribbled the details of her dream into her book.

As she finished transcribing, she looked over to her computer screen. It was 7:10 AM.

The monitor was flashing a warning sign in blue and white.

WARNING: You have missed the 7:00 AM Water Drinking Session. Please re-hydrate as soon as possible to avoid extreme health disorders.

Ming scrambled out of her bed towards the kitchen to obey the mandate given by the Collective.

She filled a glass cup with water from the faucet and drank it hurriedly. The rim of the glass glowed with a blue aura.

Ming gave a sigh of relief as she averted offending the Collective.

Ming sat against the kitchen counter and gave out another loud yawn. The kitchen wall beside her suddenly crashed down and in flew a drone.

The drone clutched Ming around the chest with its three huge, steel claws as it flew up into the early sun and into the horizon.