Wake Up Ravi
Loud knock on the door. It is still dark outside, ten minutes past two on the clock.
"Who is it at this hour?"
Ravi found his slippers and went to the door. The scanner wasn't working, this confused and alarmed him. He pressed the voice button and asked,
"Who is it at this hour?"
Ravi found his slippers and went to the door. The scanner wasn't working, this confused and alarmed him. He pressed the voice button and asked,
"Who is this?"
"This is the NMPD, you are to comply immediately with the evacuation, failure will result in use of force."
"What evacaution?", he looked at the TV and then saw the emergency message flashing, surprisingly there was no sound, "Oh I see, yes-"
"Open the door immediately or we will be compelled to use force-"
He unlocked the door immediately, there were two guard droids. The one that was knocking now seized his wrist and put it in a scanner, "Look directly at my eyes for verification.". Still adjusting to the bright light from the lobby, he squinted and couldn't keep his eyes open. Releasing his wrist, the guard grabbed his face with one arm and his eyelids with another. Peering into those metal eyes while they scanned him was quite unsettling.
"When do we leave?", he managed to eek out.
"Immediately, follow the line", the other guard motioned towards a line of people making their way towards the lift.
"What evacaution?", he looked at the TV and then saw the emergency message flashing, surprisingly there was no sound, "Oh I see, yes-"
"Open the door immediately or we will be compelled to use force-"
He unlocked the door immediately, there were two guard droids. The one that was knocking now seized his wrist and put it in a scanner, "Look directly at my eyes for verification.". Still adjusting to the bright light from the lobby, he squinted and couldn't keep his eyes open. Releasing his wrist, the guard grabbed his face with one arm and his eyelids with another. Peering into those metal eyes while they scanned him was quite unsettling.
"When do we leave?", he managed to eek out.
"Immediately, follow the line", the other guard motioned towards a line of people making their way towards the lift.
"But I need to take some things.." he protested.
"There is no time, you must comply or we will use force", exclaimed the first guard. Around them the same procedure was happening at every door. All disgruntled faces, just waking up from sleep, and the cold cacophony of guard droids. While he tried to make sense, the guard placed a firm hand on his shoulder and gently motioned him towards the lift.
"I'm going! I'm going!", he really wanted to visit the toilet once but that would have to be for later now.
"At least tell what the emergency is?", he heard his neighbour asking the droids.
"You will be briefed at the shelter, proceed imme-", everyone seemed confused. Parents comforted their children. Old people struggled to make haste. The whole block was waking up to chaos. On the access pad, they could see similar scenes breaking out across all residential blocks. People crowded onto pads while, bus-pods flew in and flew off. Ravi peered over the railing, the street was no different. Emergency broadcasts played across all displays in the city. The chilly night wasn't helping anyone. A bus-pod made its approach to the pad, about fifty off people along with Ravi were rushed in and launched.
"Where are we going?", a girl asked her mother.
"Looks like the Upper West side dear, you know where they have your favourite ice-cream and-", Ravi glanced out, all the pods were moving in that direction but flying too high for a midnight snack visit. They must be headed towards the valley beyond, he had heard of military bases in that region.
An old lady at the back of the bus spoke out, "They seem to be taking us away from the sea, might be a huge tidal wave I tell you." No one seemed convinced, neither were they motivated to counter. A middle-aged man near the lady let out a patronizing 'Hmm' and that was it.
A deafening growl tore through the night sky. Glass, buildings, landscape, one by one everything was crushed and decimated beyond recognition. We just had our first contact. The Klu had arrived.
"There is no time, you must comply or we will use force", exclaimed the first guard. Around them the same procedure was happening at every door. All disgruntled faces, just waking up from sleep, and the cold cacophony of guard droids. While he tried to make sense, the guard placed a firm hand on his shoulder and gently motioned him towards the lift.
"I'm going! I'm going!", he really wanted to visit the toilet once but that would have to be for later now.
"At least tell what the emergency is?", he heard his neighbour asking the droids.
"You will be briefed at the shelter, proceed imme-", everyone seemed confused. Parents comforted their children. Old people struggled to make haste. The whole block was waking up to chaos. On the access pad, they could see similar scenes breaking out across all residential blocks. People crowded onto pads while, bus-pods flew in and flew off. Ravi peered over the railing, the street was no different. Emergency broadcasts played across all displays in the city. The chilly night wasn't helping anyone. A bus-pod made its approach to the pad, about fifty off people along with Ravi were rushed in and launched.
"Where are we going?", a girl asked her mother.
"Looks like the Upper West side dear, you know where they have your favourite ice-cream and-", Ravi glanced out, all the pods were moving in that direction but flying too high for a midnight snack visit. They must be headed towards the valley beyond, he had heard of military bases in that region.
An old lady at the back of the bus spoke out, "They seem to be taking us away from the sea, might be a huge tidal wave I tell you." No one seemed convinced, neither were they motivated to counter. A middle-aged man near the lady let out a patronizing 'Hmm' and that was it.
A deafening growl tore through the night sky. Glass, buildings, landscape, one by one everything was crushed and decimated beyond recognition. We just had our first contact. The Klu had arrived.
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