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 lig ht 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.
P ART 2
C HAPTER E IGHT
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 h e 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
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 lig ht 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.
P ART 2
C HAPTER E IGHT
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 h e 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
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