COVID-19: Escaping Sector 9

¶0.5¶™Stay: part 3

"Hey! I said five tacos and a soda, what the heck are you giving me?" A man at the front of the line was arguing with the waitress.

" Oh brother not again, i thought we have been through this already. Am sorry sir but your I-pa account does not cover that option" the waitress replied,

"What do you mean my I-pa account doesn't cover that option? i just checked last week and it said..." As i continued easy dropping on their conversation Noah drew my attention.

" Oi...old champ trying to get a steal of a tacos now. This is his third try this week and he has never succeeded" he whispered almost chuckling.

"Why can't he have tacos?" I asked out of genuine curiosity. The line suddenly moved one step, it seems whatever the issue was, it had been taken care of as i saw the man walking the other way smiling.

"Oi...he finally got one, what a happy man.." Noah commented absent mindedly.

"Noah!" I whispered

"Oi...oh sorry, now listen very well. Sector 9 has a system, just like in the outside world there are the rich and the poor so there is in here. They are collectively know as the system. Now the system is divided into two parts, the Gardeners and the Novaks." he stopped as it got to our turn.

"Next, place your order please" the Waitress addressed us as she continued sorting out some papers on her desk.

"Um...give us two chicken rice and two bottles of coke cola to go with it."Noah replied,

"One moment please" she replied while shifting her focus to the monitor in front of her.
"That would be one hundred cp. Please confirm transaction" she replied.

"Okay...done" Noah replied looking spaced out for awhile.

"Transaction complete" she replied as she went to the side and came back with two separate trays.

"Wait what? How did you pay her? I didn't see you give her any money or cp as she called it" my question seems louder than intended.

"Are you new here?" I could tell it was the waitress's voice, for the first time since we got here she was finally making eye contact.

" well yes"I replied.

"Okay, then i will make it quick,cp is the only authorized currency in sector 9. Without it, you are a working dead man in here. Now cp are not physical properties like dollars or pounds but they are digitals. The collar on your neck is your PA, it contains all you need to know about your currency, job, category, health, awards,its almost like a phone in here, but not a phone, you get what i'm trying to tell you?" She asked with her eyebrows raised at me.

"Yeah, i'm faltered that you took out time to explain to me in such hasty times. Thank you" i replied with a smile. She seems taken aback by what i said.

"Oh you're one of the good ones?"She asked,

"Huh...i don't understand"i was confused, but then Noah grab the two trays, and gestured that we're leaving.

"Goodbye Polly" Noah voiced out.

"Good bye greeny" she replied with a smile before shouting"Next!"

This room was starting to remind me of the reasons why i don't like public restaurants, getting your food is easy, finding were to sit is the main problem. We had to stand for about five minutes before there was a vacant sit.

While i waited my mind couldn't help but travel back fifteen minutes ago when i first walked in here, compared to the transportation room and inmate dorm i was disappointed.  The walls were made of metal just like most of this places i have been to since i got here. The table settling, lunch lady stand, the lighting just gave me one word to think about.