The Grounders Part 3

An hour and half later Beth pulled onto a one-track lane and bumped up the road to the farm.

“Here we are” she said as she can to a stop.

They got out of the car and looked around. There was a farm house in front of them surrounded by fields and a barn across the single-track road. But behind the house was a big glass building.

“What’s that?” Dora asked.

“It’s a massive greenhouse, isn’t it?” Elodie said.

“Right you are, we need it to grown some of the produce in the right environment” Beth told them.

“I thought greenhouses were small and went in the back garden” Marisol replied.

“Not this one” Max said “we need to grow loads in it and a small one just won’t do” he smiled at Marisol who smiled back.

“Let’s get you lot out of those clothes” Beth said leading them towards the front door.

 

Effie readied herself along with her search team, her second in command Cleo Questson and Dr. Halson Bradford. Hal Bradford an expert in the surface world packed his bag with all his gadgets that would help him navigate the barren world above. He picked up a gun and accidentally dropped it setting it off, the bullet narrowly missing Cleo.

“Dr. Bradford the safety needs to be on” Effie told him “That way if you do drop it, it won’t set off and almost kill someone” she picked it up put on the safety and handed it back to him.

“Y…y…y yes, sorry” he gently took it and put it in his holster. 

“Are you sure he should be coming with us” Cleo whispered as Effie approached her.

“He’s the only expert we have, we have no idea what it’s like up there we need someone who knows about the surface world.”

“But what if he is wrong.”

“Then we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” Effie stepped forwards to address her team.

“You know who we are looking for, Ezra and four female companions. We are treating this as a kidnapping but we are to find out what really happened and why they left.”

Everyone nodded.

    They filed through the metal hallways towards the same doors to the outside world. When they reached the door, they stopped.

“Masks on” Effie shouted. They put their masks on and gripped their guns, all except Dr Bradford who only had his little hand gun. Effie typed in her authorisation code to open to the doors. They started to open, the same alarm going off, but only briefly this time. Callahan watching from the security room with Benson turned it off. Through an earpiece he spoke to Effie.

“Remember keep me posted Effie and good luck.”

“Thank you General” Effie replied.

Through the screen Callahan watched as Effie, Cleo, Dr Bradford and the rest of the team walked through the opened door and up the stairs. Once out of sight the door closed. Callahan sighed.

 

In one of Beth’s spare rooms, Elodie and her friends were going through the clothes Beth had shown them, jumpers, t shirts, jeans, dungarees, work trousers, even some dresses.

“How do you have so many clothes?” Dora asked.

“Thrift shops and charity shops. Clothes are mega expensive to buy brand new and thrift and charity shops very rarely have anything good so when you see it you buy it whether you need it or not, same with food especially meat. I’ll let you all get changed, Max is making some lunch.”

   Max had made sandwiches with homemade bread, ham salad and tuna mayonnaise. He offered Marisol the biggest sandwich who graciously accepted. Ezra and Elodie gave each other a little smiled.

“So, what happened after the asteroid strike?” Ezra asked after they had finished eating “well what have you learned of it” he amended.

Beth and Max looked at each other.

“Well, most of the world’s population died” Beth started “the asteroids came crashing down, they destroyed near enough everything. People screamed, they had to watch as people they loved were killed, some families were wiped out completely” Beth continued “after, the world spent years struggling to survive, people died from illness and starvation, gangs where formed, some of them brutal. One gang even stared to eat people. It took nearly 100 years before someone actually took matters into his own hands and began building civilisation again. Brandon Longford. He became president of the UK.”

“President! What happened to the royal family? They never entered the underground world, refusing to leave their country to die” Ezra pipped up.

“History says they were killed in the strike. Buckingham Palace was destroyed, along with Sandringham and Balmoral. Windsor survived but was badly damaged. It’s where President Longford formed his government”

“It was a bit like that old tv show The Walling Dead for a bit, just without the zombies” Max said.

“Anyway, over the last two hundred years society has slowly been rebuilding its self, still is. There are still gangs about that are horrible, you need to be careful, I’ve not seen any of them this end of the country for a while but they do tend to show up unexpectedly and caused as much disruption as they possible can and sometimes, well more times than not death” Beth finished telling them.

“There are people going around killing other people” Elodie whispered.

“Yes, there are, they all seem to think that they are exempt from the law but there have been those that have been caught and executed.” 

“Wait the death penalty is back?” Ezra asked.

“Yes, it is, there was a vote on it and nearly everyone said yes.” Max replied “it’s only used in extreme circumstances though” he added.

“Still want to like here grounders?” Beth asked.

Yes, wait you don’t have arranged marriages, do you?” Nadira asked.

“No, you can marry who you want though all couples are encouraged to procreate to replenish the country’s population” Beth replied.

“Oh, great then yes I still want to stay” Nadira said. The others all agreed.

“Great you will have to help out on the farm, we can feed and house you and we will pay you whenever we can, money is still really difficult to earn at the minute.”

“Thank you, Beth” Ezra said.

 

Effie and her team had wondered for miles, for hours even. She stopped and looked around. The sun beamed down on them; heat they had never felt before surrounded them. Dr Bradford was wondering left, right and centre taking in everything he could.

“Simply wonderful” he exclaimed so happy he could fly.

“What were you expecting?” Effie kindly asked.

“Nothing on this scale, the grass is, well it’s here, I thought there would be no grass, and” he checked his scanners “I think the air is breathable” he took of his masked.

“Dr Bradford!” Effie stepped forwards but nothing happened to the doctor at all.

“Ha, ha” Dr Bradford expressed “it’s breathable, the air is breathable” he jumped up and down excitedly. Effie shook her head exasperatedly and took her own mask off. Everyone else followed suit.

“We’ll rest for a bit, but keep an eye out for hostilities, just because the surface isn’t as barren as we thought doesn’t mean we are safe.”

They say eating and drinking, one of the team even had a cat nap but Dr Bradford was excitedly writing into a note book. Cleo poured a hot drink and hand it to him along with a ration bar.

“You need to eat and drink Dr.” She told him.

“Thank you” he said taking her offering without taking his eyes off the note book. “What are you writing anyway?” Cleo asked kneeling next to him and looking at what he was writing.

“I’m documenting what I see and find up here, what is so wonderfully different to what we had thought for all these years” he replied.

“Here” one of the male team members handed him a camera.

“Oh, thank you so much, I will get it back to you once we are back and I have taken the photos off” he stood up and started taking photos.

“Who knew it was liveable up here” Cleo said to Effie as she sat back down.

“Well, none of the presidents have ever physically sent anyone up here to investigate. We could all come live above ground now.”

“I know. Imagine living somewhere like this and waking up to the gorgeous scenery every morning for the rest of your life” Cleo said wondering.

“I wonder if anyone survived the asteroid strike” Effie said.

“Maybe, only time will tell. Do you think they will have their own government?” Cleo asked.

“Maybe, they did before, somewhat broken but they did. If they still do hopefully, it will be better than it was.” They both sat admiring the view for a few minutes.

“You know who would hate this?” Effie asked.

“President Hardthorne” Cleo replied.

“Exactly, it would threaten everything she’s worked or is working towards, she would probably try and take over forcing the backwards world we now like in on this one”

“Come on I think we should keep moving, it will be dark soon, hopefully we will come across some shelter for the night” Cleo said.

Effie nodded. She picked out her gun.

“Right let’s keep moving, we need to cover more ground before night fall and find shelter for the night.”

Everyone packed up and made a move.

 

    A little while later, the sun setting Effie spotted a covering of trees and insisted on resting for the night. Talking first watch, Effie used heated pads within her uniform to keep warm as the temperature dropped and it became colder. Half way through the night, Effie heard sounds of engines and shouts of voices.

“Get up” she whispered “get up.”

“What’s happening?” One of her team said groggily.

“There’s someone out there” Effie told them.

“Oh, maybe they could help us” another on said.

“I don’t know, I’m not liking the sounds I hear. Arm yourselves. Dr Bradford make sure your safety is off.”

Every one awake armed themselves but before they could get a bearing with what was going on, a quad bike came screaming through the bushes that surrounded them, hitting two of the team members, killing them. More bikes came, people in ripped and dirty jeans and filthy jackets whooped their way through, they started shooting with their own guns.

“Move!” Effie shouted. She grabbed Dr Bradford and started to run; Cleo close behind. The bikes followed, reaving their engines, firing their guns and laughing as they hit someone or ran someone down. Effie hit the ground but managed to get up and keep running. At the same time, she was able to take down some of the bikers herself along with Cleo but there were too many of them. Running as fast as they could they came a long bridge blocked by a fence. Climbing over they saw a rushing river. They were able to jump into the water as the bikers struggled to get through the fence. Taken by the current under the bridge, Dr Bradford was able to use on of his gadgets to hook on to the concrete wall. Hooking it to him, he was able to grab Effie and Cleo and pull them up onto a ledge. They sat quietly holding their breath as they heard the bikers break through the fence and skid to a holt. Looking over both side of the bridge the bikers deduced they had drowned and rode away laughing. After a few minutes Effie, Cloe and Dr Bradford all exhaled with relief.

 

Eating dinner Ezra was watching the TV with Max and Elodie, the rest sat at the table. The news was talking about budgets and making head way with supporting farms and a story on the current President Kerry Lockwood outside Windsor castle declaring she will continue her ancestors work to rebuild the country and that talks to restart training with other countries are on the way.

“Talks to start trading with other countries have been on the way for years, get a bloody move on” Max shouted to the TV. Ezra and Elodie looked at him.

“Sorry but the keep repeating all the same stories” he said.

“Don’t apologise my mother would do what is best for her not what’s best for the community” Ezra replied.

“You’re the president’s son in the grounders world?” Max asked.

“Yes”

“Did they kidnap you?” Max asked quietly.

“What! No, I came willing, our world is so backwards now, we all wanted to live more freely”

“You think someone might come after you?”

“Probably, Callahan or Effie no doubt, but I can handle both of them, they aren’t the biggest fan of my mother so we should be ok.”

“Who?” Max asked.

“Callahan is head of our military and Effie is one of his deputies.”

“You’ve got a military wow. The government has put ours back together but it’s really small at the minute. Same with the law enforcement. Nothing is big enough yet especially to take on the outcasts, I wouldn’t be surprised if they outnumbered our police.”

“Outcasts?” Elodie asked.

“Oh, that’s what we call the people who live outside of society” Max told her.

     “Right Ezra said he will sleep of the sofa so you ladies can double up in the spare bedrooms, I’ve cleared the bed of clothes in the back room so it can be used and here are some pyjamas for you all” Beth said as they all got ready for bed later on.

“Thank you” Dora said.

      Dora was the first one up the next morning. She dressed and when downstairs to make a cup of tea. It was very early. The sun had not yet risen so she stepped outside to watch. It was beautiful. She had never seen the sun rise before. After a while she heard lots of clucking and went round the back of the house to fine a tall, broad red headed man feeding the chickens behind a fence.

“Stop pecking my ankles will ya” he said to the chickens pecking around his feet. He looked up and saw Dora.

“Who are you?” He asked.

“I’m Dora, you must be the farm hand” Dora replied.

“Yeah I am. Charlie. Where do you come from?” Charlie asked.

“Underground” Dora replied.

“You’re a grounder?” Charlie looked stunned “what are you doing up here?”

“My friends and I wanted a freer life.”

“There are more of you?”

“Yes, me, Elodie, Marisol, Nadira and Ezra” she told him. He kept looking at her weirdly.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“It just you look so normal and bit pale but that’s probably from the lack of vitamin D.”

“How were you expecting me to look.”

“I don’t know I thought you may have sprouted antlers or something.”

Dora laughed.

“You watch too many space movies” she told him. There was two loud barks and the dogs Monty, a golden retriever and Biggles and border collie who Dora had meet last night came bounding out of the house. Max was behind them.

“Ooo, here come the dogs” Charlie smiled “hey boys” he said as they reached the fence. He bent to pet them through the metal fence, Dora pet them too.

“Morning Charlie, morning Dora” Max said approving them “Beth’s getting breakfast ready if you want some.”

Dora all of a sudden realised how hungry she was.

    Inside Beth was as cooking up a full English breakfast minus the black pudding.

“Something smells good” Charlie said coming in behind Dora and Max. Max introduces Charlie to the rest. They took a seat whilst Max helped Beth. The dogs slipped under the table wagging their tails. Beth turned the news on as they ate. A news story about a massacre in West Yorkshire was the top story.

“As the air force did their routine morning fly over, they noticed the bodies lying in the countryside here” an on-location news reporter said “law enforcement were called straight away and conclude it was the work of one of the outcast groups still roaming the country.”

As the reporter kept talking a body was being loaded into a vehicle behind. Elodie recognised the uniform they were wearing.

“They’re grounders” she said.

“Are you sure?” Marisol asked.

“Yes, recognise the uniform.”

Ezra had a closer look.

“Elodie’s right. They’re from underground alright, though they are just normal solders, where’s their first in command.”

“The area has been scouted for anyone else that may have been involved but no one has been found” the news reporter continued “it looks like someone may jumped into the nearby river but until a search of the river is complete, we will not know for sure if they have drowned or survived. If anyone does have any information about last night, they are encouraged to call the number on screen and quote the case number below. Back to you in the studio.”

The camera cut back to the news studio, everyone looked at each other.

“Effie or Callahan could be dead” Dora said “Effie was always really nice.”

“They may not be, like they said until they search the river, they don’t know. Hopefully which ever one of them was leading the team is still alive” Ezra reassured them all.

“Hopefully” Elodie replied.

The Grounders Part 2

“What is going on?” President Hardthorne shouted as she entered the security office. She walked over to one station.

“It looks like five people have escaped to the surface Mrs. President” the woman in front of the screen told her. The footage showed the escape. She looked closer.

“Is that Ezra?” she asked quietly.

“I believe so” the woman said.

“My Son has been kidnapped!”

“We don’t think so” Benson, the head of security said.

“How so?” President Hardthorne asked.

“It was your code that was inputted to open the door, we believe that Ezra took it from your office.”

“Not only that” the woman at the screen said “but he also raided the archives for supplies before he escaped with four women.”

“We don’t know their names yet but once we do, we will get them to you” Benson said.

“Elodie!” President Hardthorne said

“Excuse me Mrs. President”

“The one in the Pink is called Elodie. Ezra’s first choice. The other three I don’t know” she told Benson.

“President Hardthorne” A man in black uniform said

“General Callahan” President Harthorne turned to face him “my son Ezra and his future fiancée have been kidnapped and taken to the surface by these three” she pointed at the screen, the escape playing on a loop.

“We don’t know that for sure Mrs. President” Benson said.

“Treat it as a kidnapping for now” she told Callahan “And bring them back” she left the security office.

“I will need that footage” Callahan said to the woman behind the screen.

She looked and nodded glancing the gun attached to his waist.

“I will have it to your office in the next thirty minutes.”

Callahan nodded and walked out.

“Things are about to get a bit more interesting around here” Benson said waking away.

The woman’s colleague looked at her.

“Do you think they were kidnapped?” he asked.

“No. Knowing Elodie she would have gone willingly” she looked at her colleague “She’s always wanted to run away to the surface.”

 

The sun shone brightly in the sky. They had stopped for a quick break and a drink of the water Ezra had packed in the rucksacks.

“It doesn’t seem like much had changed out here, does it?” Marisol asked

“No, it doesn’t” Elodie replied “It looks like the asteroids never hit” she stood up and looked out at the horizon.

“It has been 300 years since the strike” Ezra said. He looked around “Come on, we need to find some shelter for tonight.

    They carried on walking. They had all taken off the coats as they were getting really warm.

“Do you think anyone survived?” Nadira asked.

“Maybe, who knows we will find out soon enough” Elodie told her. “Let’s look out for a road it should hopefully take us to somewhere with shelter.”

They walked a few more hours before coming down hill towards a three-lane road with a white derelict house in the middle off it. They stepped over the metal barrier on the side of the road and made the way over.

“It’s empty” Dora said when they got there.

“Of course it is its derelict” Elodie told her.

“Is that another road?” Nadira asked looking at the other side. Ezra made is way over and climbed up. The others followed. It was indeed another road with three lanes.

“Oh, it’s a motorway” Elodie said “The is one side and that’s the other” she pointed to the road they had walked over first.

“If this is a motorway when where are all the cars?” Marisol asked

“Maybe they don’t have any anymore or very few making it nowhere near as busy as it was 300 years ago or as it seems practically empty” Ezra said. Elodie walked over to the other side of the motorway.

“Wow!” she exclaimed

“What is it?” Ezra asked

“An Asteroid” she told them. They joined her and looked. Sitting in a body of water was one of the asteroids that hit the earth 300 years before.

“It’s not as big as I’d thought it would be” Dora said

“It probably was bigger but years of corrosion and not to mention entering the earth’s atmosphere properly contributed to the size it is now” Ezra told them. They looked at him.

“What, I paid attention in science. Come on it’s getting dark we’ll camp out in this farm tonight then continue tomorrow.”

    Once they settled for the night, Ezra took out a little camp stove and a gas carton and made them all something to eat. Once it was dark they settled in sleeping bags that had been in one of the rucksacks they had brought.

 

Meanwhile, Callahan made his way to military meeting room. A team had been assembled and he was ready to brief them.

“The situation as it stands, Ezra Hardthorne has been kidnapped along with the woman he is to propose marriage too, Elodie, by these three woman, Marisol, Nadira and Pandora. All have gone to the barren surface world” he pressed a button in front of him revealing the CCTV footage of the escape.

“This is them leaving earlier today. They can’t have gotten far.”

The team of solders watch with puzzled looks. Some were whispering to each other.

“What seem to be the problem” Callahan addressed. They all hesitated.

“It’s just, it doesn’t look like Ezra Hardthorne was kidnapped” one said

“It looks like he went willingly.” Another finished.

Callahan rewatch the footage again, this time he watched it properly and realised Ezra had gone willingly. He was the one who gave them the coats, who brought the rucksacks and even put one on. He spoke into a communicator on his wrist.

“Benson, I need the last person who logged on to the archives.”

“Getting it for you now, sir” Bensons voice came back. There were a few minutes silence.

“E.Hardthore, sir.” Benson said

“Which E, Ezra or Eric.”

“It doesn’t specify but I will get you the CCTV footage for the archives and have it sent up to you.”

“Thank you, Benson,” Callahan looked at his team. All had descended in to conversation again. Before he could call them back to attention, he caught the chat between the two nearest to him.

“No way I have lived in the same compartment as Elodie for years I’ve seen all three of those girls come and go, they were good friends. There is no way they would have kidnapped her.” The woman stopped and looked up at Callahan sitting to attention. Everyone noticed her and did the same. There was a voice in the communicator.

“It was Ezra, I have already told President Hardthorne that Ezra was the one who raided the archives before they left” Benson said.

“Thank you, Benson,” Callahan said. He looked back at his team.

“Until we have more information, we are to treat this as a kidnapping, President Hardthorne has instructed us too.” Callahan continued his brief.

“And what of their families?” The woman who had sat to attention first said

“They have been informed but….” He looked shameful “unfortunately Effie, the families of Marisol, Nadira and Pandora are under house arrest.”

“Are you kidding?” Effie stood up “They probably know nothing about any of this, they are most likely as much in the dark as we are”

“I know. But when President Hardthorne gives me an order, I have to follow it. She wanted them held in prison but I was able to negotiate house arrest for them” He looked at her sombre “I need you to lead the search team. I know you will able to track them and be fair with them. We need to find out what is really going on, why it is they left. We know now no one was forced but until we have the full story it will be classed as a kidnapping”

Effie nodded and left to ready a search team.

 

Elodie was the first to wake the next morning. It was another bright sunny day and she made her way up to the road to have another look at the asteroid. The sky was clear blue. After a while looking at the asteroid, she heard a noise. She couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was but it kept getting louder and lauder. She made her way into the middle of the road. In the distance she saw something coming towards her. She couldn’t make it out until it was nearly to late. It was a vehicle of some sort and it was heading straight towards her. In a slight panic Elodie managed to launch herself out of the way and hit the metal side railing. The vehicle, a pickup truck screech to a holt.

    Getting out of the front passenger seat was a woman not much older than Elodie with long dark bushy wavy hair. She was wearing cropped jeans, boots and a strap top. She ran over to Elodie.

“Are you alright?” she asked. Elodie stumbled up.

“Yes, sorry I didn’t realise how fast you were going.”

“Well, we are on a motorway 70mph speed limit though lots of people tend to do about 100 or more. No speed camera anymore is there” the woman said.

“Isn’t there?” Elodie asked

“No, not for about three centuries, where have you been living?” the woman asked

“Underground” Elodie replied. The woman surveyed her and what she was wearing.

“Oh. You’re a grounder” she stated “Never thought I’d ever meet one of your lot.”

“What’s a grounder?” Elodie asked but before the woman could answer Ezra and he other three appeared.

“Get away from her” Ezra shouted pointing a small gun at the woman.

“Don’t point your bloody gun at me jackass, I was only making sure she was ok, after all she is stood in the middle of a motorway” she told Ezra. Another person got out of the pickup truck and came running over. He had a bigger shot gun in his hand.

“Easy Max” the woman said. Max lowered his gun.

“You going to lower yours as well” the woman said the Ezra. He lowered his gun.

“You, grounders have a lot to learn”

“What are grounders?” Ezra asked

“It’s what us surface people call you lot who were lucky enough to get a place in the world underground when the asteroids first hit” she told then, a tone to her voice “you must have had a real easy life down there”

“In some respects, but at least you get to marry who you want” Nadira retorted “and you get to wear great clothes while we have to wear the same metallic colour day on day out”

Then why are you all wearing different colours?” Max asked

“It depends what compartment you live in, we all like in different compartments so we wear different colours” Nadira continued

“So why did you leave your cushy life behind?” the woman asked.

“It’s not as cushy as you think” Elodie said “but we ran away. We wanted more freedom and the awful man who wanted Nadira’s hand in marriage finally gave us the courage to do it”

“So, this man who wanted your friend’s hand just gets it does he like it’s the 18^th century or something like that” the woman said

“Yes, this time of year every year the woman who have all turned 18 are presented to the president with all the men who have turned 21 watching on then they get to choose who their bride is. We can refuse but no one has ever dared. We have no idea what the repercussions would be” Elodie told her.

“A few rumours have gone around like the whole family being moved to the worst compartments or not being fed properly or the woman in question being forced into marriage or there was one around 150 years a go of someone being killed for refusing but there is no evidence to support it” Dora said.

“That one is just a rumour, it never happened” Ezra told her.

“So, you have no intention of going back then” the woman asked

“Not if we can help it” Marisol said

“Well, you better get in then, the least Max and I can do is offer you a place to stay. I’m Beth by the way” Beth introduced herself. Everyone else introduced themselves and the packed up their stuff and get into the pickup truck. Max and Ezra sat outside in the back strapping themselves in with harnesses. Beth drove on.

    “So where do you live” Dora asked

“On a farm in East Yorkshire” Beth told them.

“Cool, what kind of farm?” Elodie asked.

“Produce farm, it does ok but it’s just me and my bother and a farm hand whenever he gets the chance to come help”

“Is your brother Max?” Nadira asked.

“Yes, he is”

“Why you asking? Go a little crush, have we?” Marisol teased

“No, I was just asking” Nadira told her going a little red.

“Well, we have a few hours before we get there so you may as well it back a relax and with those two in the back, I’m having to drive a bit slower” Beth told them.

Elodie looked out of the window.

“It’s so beautiful up here” she said more to herself but Beth turned to look at her.

“Never see the outside world, have you?”

“Nope, just pictures” Elodie replied “I can’t wait to start our new lives.”                       

The Grounders Part 1

Preparations where on the way for the new woman who had come of age over the past year. A new influx of 18-year-olds where to be presented to be wed. President Maylynn Hardthorne had been overseeing all the preparations since the beginning of the summer. As she walked down the corridor to her office, her assistant was giving her an update on the official ceremony.

“And your eldest son Ezra will get first pick this year as he is also of age.”

“Hopefully the crop of women will be above average this year” Maylynn replied entering her office. A crowd of men surrounded the desk in the clean metal room. Maylynn sat at her glass and metal desk.

“Gentleman” the room fell quiet. Maylynn took a moment to take in the room. Her government consisted of all men, the only other women in the room was her assistant. All wore metallic jumpsuit except the women who wore metallic dresses. Maylynn and her assistant wore different colours, Maylynn gold and her assistant purple and silver whilst the men, steel grey with trim the colour of the compartment they lived in. Maylynn’s assistant lived in compartment E so wore a metallic purple whilst the male counterparts wore metallic steel grey with purple trim.

    After her moment Maylynn begun,

“The preparations for the new influx of brides are complete and this year will mark the 300^th anniversary of the asteroids that unexpectedly hit the earth killing nearly all of the human population. Those ancestor of ours who were lucky enough to make the cut to live down here have created a safe and fair society for us to flourish in. At the end of the debutants week there will be a ceremony to remember this time and those who were lost during one of the most terrible times of our history.”

Everyone agreed.

 

As the meeting went on the debutant brides were preparing for their big entrances. Elodie who had turned 18 in June looked out of her window down on to the hall where she would be presented to the eligible bachelors to marry and start a life of what her and her friends called old fashioned servitude.

“Hey Elodie” Nadira came through her bedroom door.

“Hey” she replied. Nadira turfed the contents of her make up bag on Elodie’s bed.

“Hoping you’ll become a spinster” Nadira asked.

“What do you think” she replied “why is President Hardthorne still putting us women through all this, I though the whole point was to move forwards not move backwards. We may as well be living in the 16^th century.”

“What being pursued by Henry VIII” Nadira laughed.

“I hope I find someone from my own compartment I’m that pale I think metallic pink is the only colour I can pull off.”

The bedroom door opened again and their two other friends Marisol and Dora walked in.

“Couldn’t help over hearing but don’t forget that Ezra Hardthorne gets first pick this year” Dora told them, her red curly hair was up in a messy bun. Marisol’s chocolate brown hair hung down her back.

“Dame, I forget he had turned 21” Elodie sighed. Men came of age at 21 whilst woman came of age at 18.

“And on the subject of President Hardthorne, she is power hungry, anything to keep things her way” Nadira said.

“Do you think she killed her husband?” Marisol asked.

“Of course she did, he was an awful person, not that she’s any better.”

Nadira opened Elodie’s draw and found a book on the surface world before the asteroid hit.

“Are you still obsessed with the surface world Elodie; you know there is nothing there now I don’t even think it habitable”

“Well, I wish we lived before the asteroids hit, all the fashion, the careers women could have, falling in love with who you want, not having to wear the same metallic colour all the time” Elodie took the book and flicked through it and sighed “if the rumours are true, I’m going to feel so sorry for the woman who ends up with Ezra.”

“I think the rumours started because of his parents; they have never been nice people themselves” Dora said as she sifted through Nadira’s make up.

“Can I borrow your eye shadow for tomorrow?” she asked.

“Sure” Nadira said.

 

The day ended quicky and soon they were up and getting ready for the rest of their lives. Elodie, Nadira, Marisol and Dora all entered the side room.

“Pandora, you look beautiful” Dora’s dad said’

“Thank you, but please don’t call me Pandora.”

“Pandora is your given name and that is what I will call you” he said.

Dora sighed.

“Come on or we will be late” Dora’s mother said.

They all walked through the bright steal spaceship looking corridors. Door opening automatically as they stepped towards them. Dora’s mother filled into the massive hall as Dora and her father joined all the other dads and daughters in a side room whilst the expectant grooms where all in another side room. They would stand on the balcony looking down into the hall and watching as each woman was presented to President Hardthorne.

   One by one every father, or mother in the case the father wasn’t around, presented their daughter to the President just like they use to in the Regency era. Ezra stood next to his mother’s throne like chair silently inspecting each girl. 

    Elodie in a lowcut short dress with a slit up one of her legs her mother had insisted she wear was presented halfway through, Ezra looked taken aback a little.

“Wait” he said as Elodie and her father started to move off. They stopped. Nadira in a skin tight long dress with a train looked stunned. She had been presented earlier and was now standing in the crowed.

“Thank you” Ezra said after a few minutes. They moved off and stood with the rest of the crowd. Elodie and Nadira gave each other a worried look.

 

After the presentation was over, Elodie and Nadira found the other two and told them what happened.

“Wait, Ezra has taken a liking to you?” Dora asked.

“Yes, what am I going to do?” Elodie replied panicked.

“Marry him” Marisol said.

“Marisol” Nadira said she looked up “here he comes.”

“Elodie” Ezra said. He was tall and handsome and very well spoken.

“Hello Ezra” Elodie replied “you look very dashing” she complemented.

“And you look very beautiful, though I wasn’t expecting to see your in something quit low cut.”

“My mother insisted” she told him.

“Well, there was no need for it” he told her. As he spoke Nadira jumped as a man groped her bum.

“What are you doing?” she snapped.

“Just getting feel, very plump.”

“Ben that is no way to treat a woman” Ezra told him.

“Oh, what would you know fancy boy, you need to know what it is you are getting; you don’t want a frump do you” he told him.

“You are without a doubt the worst man I have ever come across” Nadira told him moving away from him.

“Well, you’re in my top three love and if I choose you, you can’t say no.”

“Yes, she can” Ezra told him “There is nothing that says a woman can’t reject a marriage proposal if she wants to.”

“Well, there should be and that will be the first thing I am changing when I” he put emphasis on the I “become president” and he stalked off.

“I really hope no one votes for him” Dora said.

“I certainly won’t” Ezra said.

 

The next week was filled with many dates and getting to know you sessions, Elodie couldn’t help but gush about Ezra.

“I can’t help it” she said to two of her friends one evening “he just seems so different to what I was expecting. He’s so kind and respectful.”

“If this isn’t an acted to get you to like him” Dora said.

“I hope not, that would be such a disappointment.”

“You learned anything interesting about him?” Marisol asked.

“Nothing that we didn’t already know, except he loves to read, and can’t stand his mother and the kind of person he is.”

“So, no deal breakers yet?” Dora teased

“No Dora not as of yet if there are any that is”  

“Has anyone seen Nadira?” Marisol asked

“A date with Ben again” Dora said “her father’s been chaperoning her” she added to stop them worrying.

Nadira’s father approached them shorty after this statement.

“Have you seen Nadira?” he asked frantic.

“No” Elodie replied

“We thought she was with you on her date with Ben” Dora said

“She never showed up, now we can’t find her” he said worryingly

“We’ll help you look for her” Marisol said.

They spent hours running round the corridors, weaving in and out of people going about their day. Each friend checked their own compartment but to no avail. They checked their hang out spots, they checked the communal canteen and the garden area. Nothing. After 24 hours there was no sign of Nadira.

“My mother is going to go mad when she finds out” Ezra told Elodie. He had joined the search when Elodie told him.

“What do we do then?”

“No Idea. My mother has been running a tight ship since my father died, she thinks this system works even though it doesn’t. All she’s done, all any of our presidents have done is take the human race backwards and destroy all the human race had evolved too before the astride strike”

“You like history?” Elodie asked.

“I love it.”

“Me too.”

“Oh, will you two stop flirting” a voice said. Elodie and Ezra turned around

“Nadira, there you are, where have you been?” Elodie grabbed her friend and hugged her.

“Trying to find the exit out of here”

“Wait what?” Elodie looked shocked  

“I need your book?” Nadira told Elodie

“What book”       

“Your book about the surface world”

“Nadira that’s just a history book, it won’t help you up on the surface, and why do you want to leave anyway?”

“I am not marrying Ben, no way. He’s the only man who has paid me any attention and I’m not doing it, I’d rather take my chances on the surface” Nadira told them “Meet me by the exit with your book in twenty minutes, it’s by the archives” she ran off again through the crowd.

“Nadira!” Elodie shouted but she was gone.

“What do we do now?” Ezra asked

“I need to find the other two maybe they can help me change her mind.”

“Ok I’ll meet you at the exit I need to do something first”

Elodie looked at him worried.

“Don’t worry I’m not going to tell my mother or anyone else” he kissed her before leaving.

 

Elodie found Marisol looking very glum,

“Marisol there you are, what’s wrong?” she asked

“My date asked the other woman to marry him” Marisol said

“Oh, Mari I’m so sorry”

“It’s ok I can be a lonely spinster with Dora now”

“Don’t say that you’ll both get another chance” Elodie consoled her “Anyway we need to find Dora now, I found Nadira and she says she’s leaving for the surface”

“What!” Marisol shrieked.

They ran off and found Dora and headed for the exit to stop Nadira

“Nadira stop, you can’t leave” Elodie said

“Why not, I hate this place and I can’t marry Ben”

“We know, we all hate this place but we have no idea what the surface is like, it may not even be habitable” Elodie told her

“I know but I can’t stay here, I can’t, I’m sorry but I have to go” Nadira was starting to panic tears ran down her cheeks

“I’m coming with you” Marisol said. Everyone looked at her

“Really?” Nadira said with a weak smile

“Yes. I’ve just been rejected and why not, they system down here is broken and wrong, I’d much rather be single and taking my chances up there with my friends” she turned to look at Dora and Elodie.

“I’m in” Dora said. Elodie hesitated.

“I don’t know” she said

“But you’ve always wanted to escape to the surface world” Nadira said

“I know but…Ezra”

“Another thing we have in common” Ezra said as he approached arms ladened with stuff. He dropped them on the floor and started handing out coats.

“Put these on” he told them “And carry these” he handed them boxes with straps on them

“What are these?” Marisol asked

“Gas masks just in case”

“You really want to escape to the surface?” Elodie asked

“Yes, we can live free of this placed of all it rules and regulation. We can breathe the fresh air and run in the grass. We will find shelter and take it from there” he told them.

Elodie smiled at him.

“Are you sure?” she asked.

“A hundred percent.”

“But your mother”

“What about her, I’ve tried time and time again to get her to change things down here but to no avail. I have thought about running away a number a times but always held back for some unknown reason” he looked at Elodie “Now I do, you. You deserve more than what is down here”

Elodie looked at him, then the others.

“Ok. Let’s do it, let’s get out of here.”

     They put on the coats Ezra has given them and changed their heels for boots. Dora offered to carry one of the rucksacks Ezra has brought with him. Once they where ready Ezra put a code on to a key pad.

“We need to move fast get as far away from the exit as possible, an alarm will go off alerting everyone that someone is escaping. And stick together” Ezra told them “There will be no going back. Ready”

They all nodded determined to be free. Ezra pressed a button and the doors began to open. In an instant the alarm went off.

“Doors opening” an automated voice said

“Doors opening” it kept saying  

“Go” Ezra shouted over the noise. They began to run. Steep steps lead up to another door. They could hear voices shouting wondering what was going on As the second door opened, they saw the bright blue sky. Wisps of cloud dotted about.

“What is that” Dora asked

“It’s the sky” Elodie told her “It’s blue just like it is in the book” she said surprised.

As they ran thought he door it closed behind them. They looked up taking in the view.

“It’s beautiful” Elodie said. Hills and trees starched out before them.

“Come one, we have to keep moving” Ezra told them. They set off towards the horizon and into the unknown.