The Underground by Drummer
Prologue: This story takes place in the year twenty-four fifty-six (2456). The human society has been forced underground by global warming. They have lived underground for over two-hundred years, so not many people remember when humans lived above ground. The people who first made the underground made it so there was only one way to see what was above ground. The government officials have made that area forbidden to go to. A lot of technology was lost when humans moved underground.
Chapter 1
Alo woke up. He walked into the kitchen. It was a nice kitchen with fancy blue stone counters (which were very hard to get), lots of prosthetic blue cabinets of the fanciest model which all had zirconium diamond knobs. Everything else in the kitchen was of the same beauty and quality. Alo went to order his food. There was a new technology out called the FoMatron that could make anything you wanted in less than five minutes. Almost everyone had it, but Alo’s family had the fanciest model. Theirs was called FoMatron Advanced 5000. Other models didn’t have every food, but this one did. Alo decided to have chocolate pancakes for breakfast.
Alo went to his parents’ bedroom to wake them up. The bedroom was almost as fancy and beautiful as the kitchen. They weren’t there so he checked the closet. He found them getting dressed. Their closet was almost as big as their bedroom. It was full of fancy clothing and work suits.
His parents worked for the ASAR or the Administration for Science Advances and Research. They earned a very large sum of money each year, because they were ASAR’s main scientists. His mother Pancy said, “Go out to eat, we will be right out.”
Just then Alo heard the FoMatron finish his breakfast. He hurried out to eat. He took his food and went to the table. He thought about the earth’s crust like he did everyday.
His parents came out. They got their food and sat down with him. His father, Owan, said, “We are starting a new project at work today.”
“Eh?” Alo said, not really caring.
“Yeah. We are making heat-proof things so people can live on the surface.”
His mother cut in. “The experts on the study of the surface are guessing it has repaired itself a little, and it is only about 35 degrees Celsius at night and 55 degrees Celsius during the day.”
Owan starting talking again, “With temperatures that low, we can make suits and things that can keep a human cool enough to feel comfortable.”
Alo responded, somewhat surprised, “Wow. That’s really cool.”
By now Alo had finished his breakfast and went to brush his teeth. He stopped in the middle of the doorway to have the “Healing Door” kill all the parasites, harmful bacteria, and viruses in his body. After it said, “complete” he could go. He heard it. He went to the sink and grabbed his toothbrush and brushed his teeth with his new whitening formula. It was supposed to make your teeth shine. Then he went out and said to his parents, “I love you and I will see you at 1:30.” (School got out at 1:00 PM and started at 7:30 AM)
“No, you won’t,” responded Pancy. “We have a meeting after work today about the new project.”
“Well, what am I supposed to do?” asked Alo curiously.
“You can invite two friends over to keep you company. Still follow the household rules though.”
Alo went to the optone (the visual phone) and dialed his best friend Howie’s number. Howie picked up the optone.
“Who is it?”
“It’s me, Alo. I was wondering if you can come over after school today.”
“Oh, well I was going to have Monica over from school today, but if she can come too…” Monica was Howie and Alo’s other best friend.
“Well, sure. I was going to invite her too anyway.”
“Okay, I’ll see you at school.”
“Wait.” But it was too late. Howie had already hung up the phone.
Alo called Monica, thinking it would be a good idea to tell her that she would be going to Alo’s house. Alo dialed Monica’s number. Her mother picked up.
“Hello, this is Ms. Groomer speaking. Who is this?”
“Oh, hello Ms. Groomer. This is Alo, Monica’s friend. Can I talk to her?”
“Yes, you can. I will get her now.”
“Monica!” Alo could hear her shouting.
“Yes, hello, is this Alo?”
“Yes, it is. Is this Monica?”
“Yes, it is.” They both started to crack up.
“You are going to Howie’s house today, right?
“Yes, I am.”
“Well, can you come to my house with Howie?”
“Yes, I can”
“I’ll see you at school then, okay?”
“Yes, you will.” They cracked up again.
Alo saw the time. It was 7:10. “Better get to the train stop,” he thought. Alo then went to the kitchen to wish Pancy and Owan a good day and dashed to the train stop. He was almost late. Alo got on the train and it sped off.
Chapter 2
Alo arrived at school and went to his classroom. It was 7:24 so he talked a little with the person who sat next to him. He talked with him until his teacher arrived. They stopped so they wouldn’t get in trouble. She told the class to return to their seats, because a few people were wandering around. They all returned to their seats.
The teacher began to teach the lesson. School always started with a lesson on decency or manners. Today they were having a lesson on how to talk to respectable people. Alo was always interested in this lesson. He wanted to be able to not be disgraced because of a lack of decency.
After the lesson was over, it was time for writing. There was an assignment that they had. They had to write an essay on their opinion on the government. Alo, of course, had finished it the night before. He handed it in and the teacher said he could write whatever he wanted. Alo decided to write a story about what life would be like on the surface. It would be realistic fiction or sci-fi. He started to write and, as if he were reading it, a story came to him. He wrote it down as fast as he could, and that wasn’t fast enough.
The bell rang for recess. It was always in the gym of the school. Alo had to get his things together, so he was the last one to the gym. He found two games going on. Dodge ball and 3v3 soccer. He decided to play soccer. It was his favorite sport. He was last in line so it would take a while to get in. He checked the clock. It was 10:35. Recess was over at 10:50, so he should get in at least once. By 10:42 he was in the game. He did well. At 10:47 he got taken out. By 10:49, he was first in line. He decided to go get his stuff and be ready to go back to class. As he was walking back to the door the bell rang. “Perfect timing,” he muttered as he walked through the door.
When Alo got to class it was math time. The teacher said, “Today we are going to have a game time instead of math, but the game you play has to have to do with math or thinking.”
The whole class chimed back, “ Thank you.” And someone said, “Yay.”
Alo played chess with his best friend in his class, Stacy.
“Time for lunch,” thought Alo. He went to the table where Howie and Monica were sitting and said, “I wish we were in the same class. You two are so lucky.”
Monica replied, “You have that dreamy Richard.”
“Yah well, I’m not a girl.” Howie cracked up, as if he wanted to imply Alo was a girl. He opened his lunch and took out the sandwich he had had the FoMatron make for him. He ate it and talked some more. The bell rang for class.
He walked back to class. It was time for reading. Their teacher assigned them to read the first three chapters in their books. Alo started to read. He finished at 12:50. He asked the teacher what he should do and she told him to pack up to go home. She also said that loudly. He got his things together and put his chair up. She told them a story about what learning will be like in the future. She said that you would have to put on a helmet for about a minute.
The bell rang to get on the train. Alo left with the rest of the class and got on the train. He found Howie and sat with him. Then Monica saw them and came over. They talked until they got to Alo’s stop.
Thursday, March 8, 2007
