Operation Phoenix

Chapter One

Her bare feet padded against the cold floor softly, almost like a cat. She didn't want to wake anyone up, but she knew at least one of her friends would be up. He'd be looking at blueprints or inventing something, under the cool light of a lamp. Whatever it was, she knew she could talk to him. He was her best friend, utterly and completely. Almost as caring and kind as she, she couldn't live without him.

She stepped up to his door, which was one room away from hers, and knocked briskly. He didn't answer, indicating to her that he wasn't exactly there at the moment. He was a relatively light sleeper, and he normally always answered when she knocked. Late night discussions were something him and her shared, personally. Each of them having their own problems they needed to talk about. The girl recalled a few times when her best friend had knocked on her door late at night, asking for advice. It was always open to him.

If he wasn't in his room now, she knew where he'd be.

She calmly pulled on her flats and drew a khaki colored, knit cardigan over her pajamas--which consisted of grey sweats and a pink tank top. The pants were something handed down from another one of her friends, one with a high temper and red hair.

The girl slipped out the sliding glass door, letting it come to a close behind her with a soft clunk. The cool air flushed her cheeks and wafted into her nose. She loved the way the air smelled. It was filled with nature and grass and flowers--it just felt so... alive compared to the air that she breathed inside. It tasted clean, clear, crisp. Something she enjoyed immensely.

She began to walk along the path that stretched through the village like a flat snake. It weaved in and out of houses, small shops and food markets.

In Peak District, food was cheap. Well, basically free. Each family (or person) had a certain amount of 'credit' that was given to them through the month, the week, the day etcetera. All of them were given a small notebook, in which it held pictures of 42 boxes for one day. Those were called Chits. In one month, a person would have 1,260 Chits total. Once someone has picked something from a market or restaurant, they hand their notebook to the cashier and the checker simply crosses off the amount the item had cost. For example, if a person bought a sandwich, then six Chits would be crossed off of the notebook page. They all had enough for some extra wiggle-room, just in case they wanted to go out to eat some time or buy something relatively expensive. This insured that everyone got the same amount of food so the district wouldn't run out before another shipment came in from Lighthouse.

Since they were all given the same amount, there was no real hierarchy of rich and poor. Of course there were exceptions for people with serious health problems or families, but most food (made specially or not) was priced well enough to fit anyone's budget. Families were given a high amount of Chits, based on the amount of people in the household. It was spread evenly throughout each person, taking into account age, health issues and all. Children were given their own notebooks and taught how to use them at a very young age, so they could avoid going over the required amount or abusing its power.

Everything was pretty much in order. The only things that were more pricey, were things like restaurant food or cakes--luxery items as Elsa had called them. On Birthdays and holidays, luxury items were priced the same as everything else.

People still worked, even though they didn't really need to pay for anything. Nearly everyone (besides small children and the elderly) was required to work to keep Peak District up and running, but people were free to choose their occupations.

Small children went to school and learned the basics, like reading, addition, subtraction, and all that. Afterwards, they were able to pick whatever they wanted to do for their future and go through the necessary training for that. Training ended at the age of sixteen and from there work began.