Rudy rushed to catch up with Coraset and asked her, “Who are we meeting?”
“His name is Getty.”
“Are you sure he’ll meet us here? This town looks like there hasn’t been anyone here since the outbreak.”
“There’s a gas station near the highway where we’re going to meet him.”
“Do you think the police will be looking for us?”
“I hope not, Rudy.”
They arrived at the gas station, only to find an attendant sitting in a small booth. He was leaning back in his chair against the wall with his mouth wide open and sleeping. Coraset and Rudy kept out of view by sitting under an awning at a nearby hoary general store.
It was another thirty minutes before Getty drove into the gas station in his truck. Erato Federation in big bold cursive lettering was sprawled on each side of the long white trailer. Getty exited the cabin, and Coraset swiftly walked over to him with Rudy in tow.
Getty was really plump with an unshaven, ratty, grey beard littered with the crumbs of past meals. Large blue green eyes twinkled with a sort of joy that Rudy had pictured on a certain jolly elf in red from his childhood.
“Cora,” the big man cheered, arms spread wide as he swept her up in a hug, causing Rudy to snicker in amusement.
“Coraset…” she grounded out in half-hearted annoyance. The man was far too cheery for her to ever stay mad at for long, and besides that, she was too tired to even put forth the effort.
Getty released a long, hearty laugh, dropping Coraset onto her feet and reached out his hand to Rudy. “My name is Getty Solomon, and you are?”
“Rudy Remald,” he said as he gripped Getty’s thick, calloused hands.
“Good to meet you, Rudy.” Getty turned quickly to Coraset, pointed to Rudy with his free hand and asked, “New boyfriend?”
“No,” Coraset and Rudy said at the same time.
“It’ll take time, son. You’ll be with her soon enough.” He said as he threw an arm around Coraset.
Rudy looked at Coraset, and she shook her head as she grabbed the bridge of her nose.
“Getty, can we get going, please?” She asked impatiently.
Motioning for the two to follow, he hastily walked towards the cab of the truck. The two entered Getty’s vehicle first and moved over so he could take his seat at the steering wheel. He shifted and turned to find his comfort, and then he buckled in.
“Alright, I hope you’re ready for a haul?”
“You are headed to Barat, right, Getty?” Rudy asked inquisitively as he crawled in the back area of the cab.
“Yes, sirree! I drive a load to Las Vegas at night, and in the morning, I take another load back to Barat.”
Getty shifted his way out of the gas station and unto the empty highway. The truck’s slow roll began its steady ascension to 70 miles per hour. Coraset watched as the landscape sped by in a mixture of yellows and reds. The farther they got away from the Mojave Prison and old Baker, the better Coraset felt. Rudy’s exhaustion caught up with him, and he was asleep before they got ten miles down the road.
Getty lit a cigar he had started the day before and settled in for the next destination of Victorville, another truck stop for the Erato Federation tractor trailers.
He asked, “How did you end up in Baker?”
“In a very roundabout way,” Coraset answered as she avoided eye contact.
“There are only three ways you can end up in Baker. You work at the Mojave Prison, you work as an Erato Federation diesel gas station attendant, or you’re a truck driver.”
“I think you know the answer,” Coraset remarked.
“Did you break out of prison?”
“No, but I did steal something I wasn’t supposed to.”
“I’ll turn on the computer for alerts.” Getty said as his fat fingers reached for a grey box on the dashboard. With one push of the button, a list of announcements was scrolling upward on the screen. “We’ll be able to find out something from the computer if they’re looking for you two.”
“Hopefully, they won’t be,” Coraset answered.
“If they’re not, I’ll take you directly through the gate at Barat.”
“Thank you, Getty.”
“So, Coraset, when was the last time you spoke to your father?” He asked as he gripped the huge steering wheel near his legs.
“It’s been a while, over a year and a half.”
“When was the last time you saw him?”
Coraset answered somberly, “The same amount of time.”
“How did you end up in prison anyway?”
“I was blamed for a murder I didn’t commit.” She answered.
“Well, that’s strange. You were convicted of murder and not put to death? I’m not trying to be funny or anything, but that’s unusual. The Erato Federation doesn’t let those kinds of things go unpunished.”
“I know they don’t. I really can’t explain how I didn’t get the death penalty, and I really can’t explain why I was released.”
Getty thought about what she said as he peered out to the winding and hilly highway. He remarked, “Maybe, someone was looking out for you, or maybe, they believed you didn’t kill anyone.”
“I guess,” Coraset closed her eyes and scooted down in the seat hoping Getty would understand she didn’t want talk anymore.
They drove through Barstow, a town once home to many US Army soldiers and other retired military personnel after over an hour of driving. The town that set on a hill was now empty. The desert was taking back its property. Every home and business had years of dust and dirt accumulated in it. Coraset could feel the emptiness, even though their drive through was quick.
When they reached Victorville, Getty stopped to get fuel. He pulled into a fuel station only meant for tractor trailers. Coraset and Rudy remained in the truck as Getty stretched his legs and refilled his thirsty ride. The place had only an Erato Constabulary Officer and another gas station attendant. Getty didn’t stay long, as his schedule was strict and must be adhered to.
When they drove through the pass between San Antonio Mount and the mountains that lead up to the Valley of Enchantment and Big Bear, the earth began to change. Trees and desert underbrush mixed together, but soon nature’s lush personality took over the landscape. The air wasn’t so dry and hot. The foliage was a welcome site.
Clearly seen from the freeway, signs of a once vibrant community peeked through overgrown trees. Silence was the owner for most of the homes now. The truck kept moving, not slowing down enough for Coraset to catch any glimpse of anything specific.
Getty’s eyes pooled, feeling utterly overwhelmed at the silent accomplishment of man across the terrestrial. No matter how many times he drove this route, his heart never stopped aching for mankind. So much life, absolutely flushed away by something that could only be seen by a microscope.
Getty asked, “Do you think there are people still out there, Coraset?”
“I’m sure there is.”
Getty wiped his face with his shirt sleeve and said, “I’m sorry, Coraset. I’m worse than an old lady, sitting over here blubbering. I just wish times were back the way it was. I missed those stupid mundane things that used to get me upset.”
“Like what, Getty?” Coraset asked curiously.
“I used to sit in traffic on this highway, and I used to wish everyone was gone so I could get to where I was going faster. I’d get so aggravated. Man, I never imagined my wish coming true like this. We were the only ones on this entire freeway, not a single car or truck on our way here. I should have wished to win the lottery instead.”
“Strange how there was better odds on nearly everyone dying,” Coraset remarked with a little chuckle.
Getty looked over at Coraset. He didn’t want to laugh, but he couldn’t help it. He couldn’t deny she was on the mark with that statement.
Soon, they saw Erato, old L.A., rising in the distance. The grey skyscrapers rose above the cement wall. Some buildings were complet
ed with flags of the Federation on top. Others were halfway finished, the steel frames spiking into the air with no windows. The royal palace loomed in the center with a doomed white marble top.
“Wake up, Rudy,” Coraset said as she touched his hand.
She wasn’t sure they were going to make it through the checkpoint. The computer didn’t list any problems. She didn’t want to take a chance and get her old friend in trouble at the gate.
“Getty,” Coraset remarked as he kept a steady velocity on the highway around the walled city. “You can drop us outside the gate. If you’re caught with us, you’ll be in trouble, too.”
“They’re not looking for you, Coraset. We would have heard by now. I’ll get you in the gate. Get in the back with Rudy.”
“Are you sure about this?” Coraset’s nerves were on end.
“I’m not leaving you out here. Do as I tell you and get in the back.”
Coraset touched his hand gently and did as she was told. Getty shifted off the freeway and headed directly for the Barat Region outer gate.
The gate guards approached the truck. Getty pulled out his ID card for scanning. Coraset thought about pulling out her gun, but she didn’t want to have Getty or Rudy hurt or killed. A woman guard scanned the barcode with a thin laser wand. The register on her hip beeped a confirmation sound indicating that Getty was good to go. The woman guard then scanned the barcodes on the cab and trailer. Everything registered as good, and the steel doors slid open with a screech.
The new society was revealed once again to Coraset and Rudy. People moved about, dressed in bland clothing, hair shaved, cut, or stuffed into a bun. Hardly anyone smiled, there wasn’t any reason to. Coraset moved to the front seat and stared out the window. She looked up at the half built structures that hovered over the streets.
Getty stopped at a red light and announced, “This is where you get off. They won’t let you into receiving at the warehouse.”
She turned to Getty and said, “Thank you for the ride.”
“Tell your dad I said hello. It was nice meeting you, Rudy.”
Coraset smiled and said, “I will, Getty.”
“Thank you, sir,” Rudy respectfully stated.
They got out of the truck right before the traffic light turned green, and they stood on the sidewalk as Getty slowly drove down the empty city street. Rudy bent over, his shoulders shuddering from his restrained crying. Finally, they were home. They were in Barat.
PART 2
CHAPTER EIGHT
Coraset waited for Rudy to steady himself. He wiped his dirty face with the back of his hands and straightened to his full height. He slid his fingers through his brown hair, suddenly realizing it was dusty and messy.
“I need a bath,” he stated as he brushed at his clothes.
“Where do you live?” Coraset asked as she searched her surroundings from where she stood. She was trying to see if anyone was paying attention to them more so than normal.
“Building twelve,” Rudy answered.
“Alright, Rudy, go home.”
“What if the police come looking for me? They’d find me.”
“Honestly, I think we’re in the clear. We could have easily been caught in Baker. There was no bulletin on the Federation computer in Getty’s truck. I didn’t see anyone following us. Getty’s truck wasn’t searched when we got to the gate or at the gas station in Victorville.”
Rudy wasn’t so confident about her conclusions, and he began to get real nervous about standing on the sidewalk without reasoning. He didn’t want to draw anyone’s attention.
“Go home, Rudy. If you think there’s a problem, call me.”
“If there’s no problem, then what?”
“You go back to what you used to do before you were arrested. You get up every morning, and you go to work.”
“What if they won’t allow me to work at the hangar anymore?”
Coraset answered impatiently, “I don’t know, Rudy. You’re asking me questions I don’t have answers for.”
He put his hands on his waist and looked away. He nervously pulled at his bottom lip with his teeth. Rudy cleared his throat and said, “My number is 83176.”
“7772,” Coraset reminded him. “You’ll be fine. Go on.”
Rudy nodded. He was unwilling to leave Coraset, but he knew he had to.
“Go see your sister tonight, have dinner with her, and if you get into trouble, call me. It doesn’t matter the time of day. I’ll get back to you.”
Rudy glanced at Coraset and then started down the road. He walked slowly. Each step to him was leading to an uncertain future. Coraset decided not to watch him. She needed to move on with her life. Rudy turned around one last time only to see that she was gone. He sighed hoping one day to see her again.
The buildings rose high above the city streets. Banners hung over every entrance with the wording ‘Celebrate Barat! Chancellor Dominic Erato.’ Small national flags hung from short poles jutting out from wrought iron light fixtures that were evenly spaced on each side of the road. Trash cans and triangular sidewalk announcement boards had images of a man Coraset never seen before. She didn’t understand what in the world there was to celebrate. She put it out of her mind and decided to get off the streets. It never looked good to Federation Constabularies for people to be just standing around outside. She’d be apprehended and questioned. Coraset decided to go home and quickly.
When she returned back to her apartment door, she stopped. There was a new numbered key board at chest level on the left side of the door. Coraset wondered if the apartment was given to someone else. She knocked on the door. When no one answered, she pressed 7772 in the keypad. She figured it made sense because that’s the only number she could think of, and the Federation assigned it to her. The number buttons turned bright blue, and the small screen above the keypad flashed: fingerprint required. Coraset pressed her forefinger to the screen. The keypad turned green, and the door popped open.
She wondered what else had changed since she left. She was expecting to see her apartment empty, but instead, she found everything as she left it. The computer was still on the coffee table. The black leather furniture was in the same spot. The window curtains were still open showing a panoramic view of the afternoon day. There was a light film of dust, which normally bothered Coraset.
She went directly to her bedroom, and placed her bag near the foot of the bed. Coraset pulled out her cell phone and placed it on a black solar plate near the window. She waited to see if it would respond. With one single beep, the Federation crest appeared in the center.
Satisfied that it would charge, Coraset went over to her dresser and pulled out her lacy white underwear and matching bra from the top chest of drawers and found a long tank top that stopped around her calves. Coraset went to the shower, and she immersed herself in the sprays of the hot water from the tiled walls.
Coraset noted for the first time in a year and a half she could take a shower without being watched. The water wasn’t cold. She could use her favorite peach smelling soap instead of the hard unscented prison brand. She scrubbed her body, wanting to get every part of her past down the drain. By the time she was finished, Coraset was exhausted beyond words. She quickly changed out the sheets and comforter on her bed and with a sigh of relief, she crawled under the clean linens, and she let the sleep takeover.
CHAPTER NINE
The next morning arrived with the rain hitting Coraset’s bedroom window. She sat up in bed, still exhausted, but she was glad to see and hear the rain. The desert didn’t give such a gift, and she took a moment to take it in. The rain drenched the window, distorting the view. Coraset smiled and settled back down into bed. For the first time in a long she was relaxed and not worried about a thing.
Her room was like an abyss, devoid of any semblance of human attachment. There were no pictures depicting the family she once knew, not of her biological father Michael Prescott or her mother Rhea Jefferson. Not even her two sisters Salina and Penny P
rescott.
When Coraset first left home, she ventured off to college, excited for a brand new start. She hardly came home during school breaks. Living with her parents were always difficult, the arguing, the fighting, and she didn’t want to go back to that turmoil. Coraset worked all she could when she wasn’t in school, and she barely called home. When her dad left her mom, she kept going with her life, never stopping to take sides or to hear her parents’ explanations. Coraset already knew the reasoning for the dissolving of the marriage. Rhea was overbearing, strict, and a workaholic. Michael loved spontaneity, travelling, and enjoying life to the fullest. He believed in working hard, but he believed in playing hard, too. Michael Prescott worked in advertising, and Rhea was a chemist. It was better they ended their marriage. When her mother found Brecco, she found her equal. He was older, more settled, a chemist, and Rhea was more compatible with Brecco. Coraset’s sisters were not happy with their mother getting married, but Coraset understood. She gladly accepted Brecco into the family as long as her mother was happy.
Coraset got out of bed once the rain stopped. She slid the tank top off and put on jogging pants and a tight fitting t-shirt. Coraset brushed her hair back, allowing it to hang down her back. Coraset went into the living room to check the points on her card. She pressed the on button for the computer. Once it was finished loading, Coraset scanned her point card. To her surprise, all 400,000 points were there. She walked out of the apartment, feeling rejuvenated but a little reserved.
The streets were still empty. The smells from the damp sidewalks and asphalt consumed Coraset’s nostrils. The once windswept flags hung from the heavy soak of the rain. Coraset looked up at the building in front of her. It was completed. The last time she left her apartment, it was an empty shell reaching up into the sky. Nothing about it was different. The same steel building like the one she lived in. No individuality, just a show of the power Erato had over everyone.
Coraset exhaled and went back inside of her building. She took the elevator down to the first basement level where the entire floor was a store. Anything a person could ever want was found in that store.
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