“A storm? Seriously Jack?” I asked wryly. He laughed.
“Okay. That was just my corny way of saying there’s a war brewing. You didn’t start it, but you seem to be the catalyst for it.”
“I think something’s brewing too, but I’m not sure about a full blown war. You think no one’s ever thought of that down here? Believe me, we would have started one a long time ago if we weren’t condemned to living in a death trap. But the minute we make any noise, they threaten to lock the doors and shut off our ventilation. How long do you think we’d have before we ran out of oxygen or the entire Pit filled with gas from the mines? Our salvation won’t come until we can leave the Dome,” I said bitterly. “But I think a revolt is possible. We could push back a little to let the bourge know we’ve had enough just like we did when they tried to lower the age of the Cull to 30.”
“I don’t know. The military reports I’ve read – during my short career – suggest that unrest in the Pit has escalated over the past few years. President Holt included the Pit in the wedding celebrations as an attempt to pacify everyone down here. You know, include them in the wedding and make them feel like one of us. Unfortunately, his own prejudices prevented him from treating you as anything more than slaves. I’m betting he thought the extra bread with dinner was a huge gift for people so undeserving,” Jack said.
“And he never stopped to consider that the bread was a slap in the face considering all the food on display in the Dome,” I said in understanding.
“Exactly – it’s a mistake that Holt is going to repeat over and over again because he doesn’t know what he did wrong,” Jack predicted. “Life has never been good down here, but it’s worked. It’s worked because despite how people felt about their President, they still believed their leader was rational, sane and knew best how to run the Dome. The Holts have always been tyrants, but this one is particularly bad. Damien is insane. He’s cut back your rations and increased your workloads, and he’s also given free license to the guards and supervisors down here to keep you inline anyway they choose. People are getting scared and desperate.”
Jack was making a lot of sense. I had felt the tension he was talking about in my everyday life. People were starting to complain more and more about the lack of food and water and how badly they were being treated at work. There were more guards now too, restricting whatever freedom we had enjoyed in the past. But the thought of war inside the Dome was scary.
“War is a bad idea. The President holds all the power and we have none,” I said.
“There’s nothing you can do to stop it,” he responded.
“But maybe we could try and control it. You have a military background and you seem to know an awful lot about how the bourge run things down here. When you go to work in the mines, share your knowledge with everyone. Teach them to fight, like you’re teaching me. Give them what they need to defend themselves,” I pleaded.
“How do I do that without exposing who I am? And the minute they find out who I am, I’m as good as dead. No one down here is going to accept me,” Jack pointed out.
“Reyes already knows who you are. He can help you,” I suggested
“Reyes?” Jack asked incredulously. “If he didn’t already have anger management issues, he certainly does now that I’ve married his girlfriend! He isn’t going to help me. In fact, he’ll probably be the first one in line to kill me.”
A loud alarm rang out in the hallway. Jack put his hands over his ears to block out the sound.
“The lockdown is over. You were right,” I said. He really did know how the bourge worked.
I bent down and retrieved Jack’s t-shirt off the floor and threw it to him. I grabbed my hat and put it on.
“Forgetting something?” he asked. I look around not sure what he meant. “The vest. Put it back on.”
“Right,” I said and went into the bedroom and put it back on. It felt heavier for some reason. I pulled my t-shirt over it and then put my hat on. I was back to being Autumn Jones.
“I know where the laundry room is, do you know where you’re going?” I asked.
“Two miles down into the bowels of the Dome,” he said with mocked pride.
“At the end of the work day, we’ll meet back here and then go to dinner together,” I instructed him. I held the door open for him and we left the apartment.
People were pouring out of their apartments and heading in all directions going to their places of work. We joined the flow and headed for the stairs. As we reached the stairs, Jack gently took my arm and turned me towards him.
“Be careful. I don’t want to get stuck down here alone,” he said.
“You too,” I responded.
We both knew it might be the last time we ever saw each other.
Chapter Fourteen
I watched Jack walk down the stairs until I couldn’t see him anymore. I hoped Reyes and his friends would reconcile themselves to him. Reyes never actually said what he felt about Jack’s presence down here, but judging by the murderous glares he was giving him, I was going to go with hate. I should have talked to Reyes when I had the chance.
I climbed the two levels to the laundry room. I was feeling a little apprehensive this close to the main floor of the Dome. All I had to do was climb just one more level and I would be standing right in front of the well-guarded Reception area to the Dome. I wondered how long it would take for someone to recognize me. Would they shoot me on the spot? Or take me back to Holt to be dealt with? I think I’d prefer to be shot on sight.
I hated to admit it to myself, but I was feeling vulnerable being separated from Jack. He was my partner in crime. If I were going to be caught and dragged back to his apartment to await my sentencing, I would prefer to be with him. As selfish as it may be, I didn’t want to die alone.
I approached the laundry room and saw there were people coming and going with wheeled carts full of laundry. I came as soon as the lockdown was over so I wasn’t sure how I could be late. Being late would not be a great way to start my job here. Tentatively, I entered the laundry room. It was hot. I looked for someone in charge.
“Over here,” someone sitting behind a desk motioned toward me.
At first I wasn’t sure if the person was a man or a woman, but on closer inspection, I saw she had breasts. She was stocky and had a shadow of facial hair above her lip. A sign on her desk read ‘Supervisor Madi’, a female name.
“You must be Autumn Jones. I got an electronic message this morning telling me to expect you. About time I got extra help around here,” she complained. “I’m Supervisor Madi and you’ll scan in with me personally every morning.”
She held out the scanner to me. I was very relieved that I wasn’t getting in trouble for being late. I waved my hand in front of it and it beeped and the green light went on. I hoped Jack was having the same luck as I was.
“Come with me,” Supervisor Madi instructed, getting up from behind her desk to lead me through the laundry room. It was bustling with activity and I tried not to get in anyone’s way. There were clothes and linens everywhere and I had to watch where I stepped.
“Di, got one for you to train. Her name’s Autumn Jones.” Supervisor Madi announced to an older woman who was in the process of emptying a laundry cart.
Di looked up from her work and gave me a warm smile. I instantly liked her kind face and tired eyes. Her black hair was caught up in a bun, but a few strands had come loose and she brushed them away from her eyes. Supervisor Madi left us without any further introductions.
“I am glad to see you! We sure can use the extra help,” she extended her hand to me and I took it in mine. She clasped both her hands around mine and gave me a tight squeeze. “I’m Di. Actually, my name is Diamond. My Dad worked in the diamond mines and thought the rocks were pretty, so he named me after them when I was born,” Di said, laughing at the memory. “I can’t stand the name, so I shortened it to Di. I don’t mind Di.”
“I know what you mean,” the words tumbled o
ut before I knew what I was saying.
“Why? Autumn’s a pretty enough name. What would you shorten that to?” she asked in confusion.
“Forget it. I’m just nervous,” I told her. I would have to be more careful in the future. I was no longer Sunset O’Donnell. That name would get me killed.
“Well, it’s not a glamorous job in here. All kinds of things end up on clothes. Like people getting sick or losing control of their bowels. It all comes down here to be washed. Just be careful with the sorting. You don’t want to get that stuff on your hands – you’d be sick before you know it. I sort the clothes by whites, colors, and darks and then make a special pile for the really soiled clothes. Those ones have to be washed by hand first.” Di paused to look around and then said in a conspiratorial voice, “They get sent over to Crystal to get washed and I don’t mind at all. She’s a stuck up little thing because she has a good singing voice. Not that anyone down here would know. She only sings for the bourge,” Di rolled her eyes. I was glad she mentioned it. Crystal might just be the type to turn me in and collect the credits.
“Where would you like me to start?” I asked.
“I like your attitude Autumn - ready to dig right into work. Why don’t I keep you with me today and we’ll go through everything together. I’ll teach you to sort and how to use the washing machines and dryers. There’s a folding station over there too, but that takes a while to master. The bourge like their things folded just so. Here, you can start with this cart,” Di led me to where the carts were lined up. “All the bins with dirty laundry are over there. They’ll stack up all day long. The bins are numbered according to where they came from.” Di showed me the number on the side of the bin. “Like this one – 5499114. The 5 means it’s from the 5th level, the 4 is the section number on that level, the 99 means its personal laundry as opposed to dining room or something, and the 114 means the laundry came from apartments 1 thru 14. We’ve got a boy working here that runs the carts up and down from the Dome.”
I took a cart and wheeled it to a table beside where Di was working. I was a little hesitant to just dive right into the laundry considering what Di had told me I might find in there. I gave the cart a sniff and didn’t smell anything foul. Di was shaking her head at me laughing. I didn’t need to get into trouble on my first day, so I took a deep breath and plunged my hand into the clothes and piled them up on the table. I started sorting them like she showed me, but Di corrected me on a few items. I didn’t know there was a difference between lighter dark shades and a darker light shades.
“Might seem a bit picky, but if you put something red in with light colors, then everything might come out with a red tinge to it. And you can bet a couple days’ credits and a beating to boot that you’ll be paying for that!” Di warned me.
“Supervisor Madi seems very strict,” I said confidentially. I hoped she didn’t think I was being too forward, but I needed to know what I was dealing with in here.
“And don’t you ever think otherwise,” Di levelled me with a stare. “That woman is one letter away from being crazier than the President. There’s something wrong with her,” Di tapped the side of her head, implying the woman was psycho. “And make sure you only ever work with one cart at a time too. The last one that mixed up the carts was thrashed until she was bloody.”
Laundry just got a whole lot more complicated. If being recognized wasn’t enough stress for me, now I had to worry about being beaten to a pulp if I made a mistake. I had heard about supervisors like Madi, and it didn’t take much to provoke them.
“All sorted?” Di checked over my work. I was glad she was there to teach me. “Well, let’s take the load of darks,” she said. She gathered them up in her arms and walked over to a machine. “Put them in like this.” She took each piece of clothing and shook it out before putting it in the washing machine. “They wash up better when they’re separated like that. And if anything is mixed up in the clothing it will fall out. You don’t need a pen exploding ink into your wash. You’ll pay for that too,” she warned. With all the clothes now in the washer, she shut the door and showed me where to put the detergent. She pressed a few buttons and the washer started. “Now let’s see how you do with the next load. I’ll just watch this time.”
I did the next load exactly like Di showed me with the first one. It was a mundane task, yet it needed my full attention or my mistake will be Madi’s pleasure. It was difficult to focus when my entire life had been turned upside down. My Dad’s welfare was weighing heavily on my mind and I was anxious to see him. But I told myself I couldn’t do anything about it right now. I needed to focus and keep myself out of trouble so I would be able to see him later.
I turned my attention back to the task at hand. I added the detergent to the washer like I was shown and then pressed a button. Di corrected me. Now I needed to go back to the table for the third load. Doing laundry was a foreign task and I suddenly missed the familiar ease of the kitchen. If I had never been drafted to work at Jack’s bachelor party, then Summer and I would be working in the kitchen right now, probably peeling carrots or potatoes. That was a mundane task too, but since I did it with my best friend all day, I enjoyed it. I wondered what Summer was doing right now. Was she still working in the kitchen? Or was she up in the Dome with someone she didn’t want to be with?
I gathered up the last load and went to the next available washing machine. I shook out each piece the way I was shown. My thoughts wandered to Jack. I blushed at the memory of how much I wanted to kiss him today. I wondered how he was doing with his new job in the coal mine. It was hard to think of him as anything but a bourge. He had a quality that set him apart down here. He carried himself with a confidence that the average urchin lacked.
“Don’t mix up your carts, Autumn,” Di stopped me in the middle of getting another cart.
“All my loads are in the wash. I thought I would start sorting a new load,” I said.
“Never work with two carts at one time. You’ll get the clothes mixed up and they’ll never find their way back to their owner. Keep track of what you have on the go right now. Your first washer will end in about ten minutes, then you’ll need to sort them again since the clothes don’t dry at the same temperatures or the same amount of time.”
My head was going to explode. Who knew laundry was this complicated? For the third time today I told myself to concentrate and put everything else out of my mind and focus on the clothes. I couldn’t afford to make any mistakes. I went over to the washer that was about to end. I watched the clothes spin around. It reminded me of my little training session with Jack this morning. I wished I could fight like him. He could move so fast. I wondered if he would do as I asked him and show the miners how to fight. If he could pass his skills on to them even a little bit, it might give them a chance against abusive guards. The washer stopped and I opened the door.
“Now let’s have a look,” Di said next to me. She started taking the clothes out one by one and shook them again. “Now, see how the pants have a crease down the middle? You’re better off leaving those damp and running an iron over them. The iron will dry them. These ones can go in the dryer,” she said as she shook each item out again before putting it in the dryer. “Less wrinkles to contend with,” she confided. I paid close attention to what she was showing me. My life really did depend on getting it right.
“Miss Di, do you have anything for me?” a young boy politely interrupted us. He had a fat lip and seemed to be holding back tears. He looked younger than twelve, but he couldn’t be. Twelve is the earliest age you could be assigned a job, although I’m sure the bourge would like to make it younger. More workers would mean more production.
“Well, there’s my handsome little Kai,” Di gave the boy a hug. “Kai this is Autumn. She just started working here today.”
“Hello Kai,” I greeted him. He gave me a weak smile.
“Where have you been?” Di asked him gently.
“Supervisor Madi had me take carts up to the
main floor. She said they were getting real mad up there because they haven’t had clean clothes in two days.”
“Madi give you that?” Di asked him, examining his lip.
“Yes ma’am. I was late. The stairs were just so crowded after lockdown was finished and it’s a long way up here from the 8th level.” A tear spilled from the corner of his eye. I remembered the first time I was struck by a supervisor and how awful it had been. I felt sorry for him, but I knew he would get used to it.
“You get docked too?” she asked.
He nodded his head. “Half a day’s credits. And since we only get half a day because of the lockdown, I’m not getting anything today.”
“Don’t you worry. You’re still living with your parents. They can take care of you for a few years yet,” Di kissed the top of the boy’s head and gave him a bone-crushing hug. “I’ve got a couple of carts for you right over here to take up. By now there’s probably a few more for you to bring down. Come see me when you’re all done.”
I watched the boy take the carts and make his way out of the laundry room. He cringed slightly when he walked by Supervisor Madi. Di was making tutting noises beside me.
“A sweet little boy like that and she just hauls off and punches him in the mouth. It’s not right, Autumn,” Di shook her head. “There are days when I’m happy that I’m not long for this world. I turned 35 this year. I’ll be on the next Cull and I say good riddance to this place.”
I was surprised by the amount of malice in her tone. I was getting the impression that life in the laundry room was more hell than anything else.
“How long have you worked here?” I asked.
“Most of my life. It wasn’t always a bad place to work, but the past few years the supervisors have been getting meaner. This one is the meanest. Like most people working here, I’d like to find a job somewhere else. But if Madi ever found out anyone here were looking for a new job, she’d beat her to death. It makes a supervisor look bad to the higher ups when too many workers want to leave.”
Sunset Rising Page 15
