Meus eras risus

"Addressing all subjects currently in their living quarters to report immediately to the grand gathering hall Ri" I heard the masculine voice coming from the intercom say ,as I layed in bed staring into the dark brown oak wood ceiling. I have to admit I don't really care much about it , the womb that is.

I closed my eyes. A vision of me sitting in a picnic came . The grass around the blanket was so green, and there was forest beyond the meadow, an unfamiliar meadow, to my right I heard two voices talking affectionately towards one another , one was masculine and the other was feminine , I turned to see where they were coming from but immediately the vision started bluring.

I inhaled , but no air came in , I tried to inhale again, but yet again no air came in. I couldn't breathe I grabbed my chest in hopes of giving myself CPR , but my arms became weak. I can't breathe , everything began falling , the grass fell into a black abyss and I couldn't breathe , my sight became blurry. The light eyes my eyes saw dimmed , and suddenly I was suffocating while struggling to stay afloat in what felt like a cold body of water , I can't see , I couldn't breathe and the water is so cold. I'm shivering splashing everywhere trying to stay afloat , but I can't... I felt my neck submerge and then my mouth fill with the liquid. I could taste the liquid , but the liquid tasted like paint, not water. A bright light hit my closed eyelids, I gasped to breathe in as much air as I could, I could feel I was sitting in some kind of hard chair. I tried to open my eyelids , but it was too bright, I attempted to raise my hands to block the light so I could open my eyelids to see , but my hands were tied to the chair's arms.

"Subject 000 , why did you not report to the grand gathering hall Ri when you were clearly instructed by the task master in command to do so!?" I heard a deep masculine voice aggressive ask me as I tried to open my eyelids just a little bit so I could see, but all I saw was a single silhouette that appeared to be male and slender in shape.
"I fell asleep in my living quarters sir ,and whilst in sleep I lost all track of time as I was engaged in dreaming sir." I pleaded to him saying . "Sleep! So your excuse for not following orders is sleep?", I heard a feminine voice coming from somewhere on my left ask me aggressively.
"Maybe we should should put you to sleep permanently given how you hold it so highly above even your designated tasks and commands triple zero." The masculine voice said in a threatening tone.
"No please sir , it's not like tha-" I said said before being stopped by the sensation of a fast strong fist hitting my cheek bones with enough force to turn my head to the left.
"Follow orders and die , or die." The masculine voice said. My head was still dizzy from the punch, I heard a door open somewhere behind me, then footsteps of what sounded like two people walking away. I felt the restrains on my hands disappear, then the bright light disappeared aswell.

I slowly opened my eyes to the blank white marvel wall that was Infront of me. I saw that I was in a brown wooden chair , I used the arms of the chair to help me get to my feet, but my legs and limbs were weak and I collapsed to the white marvel tiled floor, on my knees on the floor I saw blood flowing down my face through the reflection of me from the tiles and the blood stains on the tiles. Using my right hand I tapped on my right cheek, my upper body twitched from the pain it caused . "Zero , is that you?" I heard a familiar feminine voice ask from a distance behind me away.

I turned around, it was subject 440 standing in the doorway, the light made her long brown shine, she was wearing the standard female uniform , a long white dress and her subject number on her left wrist on a wrist band.
"Hey you ok?" , she asked
"Well considering the blood on the floor and swollen cheek I don't think that was a fair question to ask" she continued saying as she walked towards me to offer me assistance in getting up by reaching out her hand .

" I wonder what could possibly make you think that" I sarcastically said before getting up on my own by using my right knee as leverage for my upper body with my right hand.
She giggled a bit "well atleast when they beat me I don't end up on my knees crying like that" she said chuckling while pointing at me mockingly. "Well -I... it's not my fault women are naturally tougher than men ok!" I yelled at her with my arms crossed in clear disapproval .
"You're so loud , but yeah we should probably get going before we both get beaten for hanging around here without permission, that'd make it twice in one day for you hey ha." She chucked at the end after saying
"Yeah. you're right , odd what were you doing here though." I asked her with concern knowing that if she were caught here what they'd do to her...
" ...I was sent to give task master Shin a package I said no to him but...", she said in a somber tone holding down her hands together while looking down.
" A package? Who sent you" I asked her out of curiosity.
"......-" the bell rang interrupting her silence to the question I had asked .
"Wow it's mid day already." I said ,
"Yeah we should definitely be getting out of here now", she said.

We walked out of the white room , "ladies first" , I said to 440 while bowing and gesturing towards the door , "you just don't wanna be seen first because you know you're not supposed to be here you big wuss" she yelled at me saying while pulling my ear . I have to admit she was right "ow ow sorry-" I said as she pulled my ear before eventually slapping the back of my head . "You're lucky your dreads are in the way", she said as she walked out the door . I followed her, but took a glance behind me , that empty white room, the brown wooden chair. "Earth to zero zero zero you coming or do you want to get beaten again?" I heard 440 ask from down the hallway.
"Coming!" I shouted as I ran to her and we began running together though the hallways and corridors that filled the lower levels of the underground structures that made up the lower levels of the central building Mother. We ran past the closed doors , some had screams but I tried not to think about it and kept running. She was so strong and faster than me I hate to say.
"Next left turn right?" I asked 440
"Yeah then we just need to start walking" she responded to me saying , and so we ran for a few more meters down a narrow passage while reducing our speed until we reached a left turn in the passage while walking, I peaked through the turn and saw the recess grounds between the left wing building and the medical faculty building. We stood there before the turn for some time just waiting for an opportunity where there weren't too many people watching , so that we could just slip into the crowd. About ten minutes passed , and then there it was , the perfect opening, no one in sight.

We speed walked out , immediately I noticed the blue sky as we walked out of the passage, it was beautiful even if it was behind an impenetrable glass barrier, it was as if the whole world opened as we walked into the meadow and slipped into the crowd. The sounds of chatter and play, the wind blew my dreads back a bit as I looked to the sky. The air , though my right cheekbone till hurt , I oddly felt a bit better breathing in the air there.

"It's so bright out" 440 said
"Not that many people are here today, I think I saw 334 while we were walking out , we should go see him" I said to 440
"He's probably with 236 , I think we should give the couple their quality time, but then again you're too lonely to understand that" she said chuckling
"You're just as lonely as me you know" I said to her with a smirk
"Damn you" she said in annoyance we both laughed .
"uhm...hey you two, do you guys know where I can find 667, I haven't seen him in a long time" , it was 545, one of our friends
"667 huh, it's been ages" I said
"Now that I think of it, he's been missing for quite some time now" 440 said
545 ran his right hand through his mini bob cut blond hair , the tears he was hiding in his watery blue eyes reflected for a moment as he inhaled moving his sharp jaw muscles before he looked down.
"Sorry guys it's just, I just... him and I...where is he-" 545 said before being stopped by 440's embrace, hugging him.
"Its ok 545 , I'm sure he's ok alright , whever he is , and knowing 667 he's probably trying to get back to you as hard as he can ok" 440 said while embracing 545, tears began to fall down 545's face . "Yeah, thanks I really needed that 440" 545 whimpered .
"It's ok we're here for you" I said to him
"Thanks 000 it means alot to me" he said as 440 released him from her embrace.

"And what do we have here" I heard a voice behind us say , I turned around and saw the grey outfit, the long armed blank grey jackets and long grey pants , it was a task master, middle aged it seemed , he was probably around six feet four in height, had short black, fair in completion with the usual cold eyes that they all have.
"Sorry sir I swear it's nothing" I said
"Yes it's nothing, just friends having a moment" 440 said .
The task master laughed "our job is to make sure you things mature well so that your organs can be redistributed to those who need them, and those who's lives mean more , or if you end up in the other route , or you're eligible to join our special regiments in the soldat and learn to fight and die for the womb and the good of all mankind." He said before he stopped and stared into all of our eyes before continuing "twenty years old is the age at which one is screened for the final selection , you're all currently all nineteen turning twenty if a few months, enjoy this while you can for soon some of you will be walking organ farms and the others dead men and women on the battlefield." It was undoubtedly clear that him we were just 19 year old cannon fodder and walking organ farms, that we were not even considered people to him, I turned to 440 and saw the sadness in her eyes as she had heard all of those awful things. 545 was no different, tears were flowing down his cheeks.
The task master smiled and raised both his arms halfway up in some sort of gesture of superiority over us all ,"tell me, what are you, say it!" the task master said invoking the passage we were all forced to remember since the day we could crawl, memories of me as a toddler being strapped to a chair and forced to memorize and repeat the passage while getting beaten and shocked by electricity over and over again came flooding back as we all began to chant the passage, " we are the children of the womb, we have no mothers or fathers , long live the motherland, I am nothing but a tool for the salvation of mankind, to learn to live and die for the womb, for we are all children of the womb."

"Excellent" the task master said as he walked away into the large white building through the passage 440 and I used earlier. A heavy somber atmosphere was left as we all stood there , reminded of the soul crushing reality of it all.

"Well atleast recess was longer today" I heard 890 say in the back , "yeah it sure was and the weather was so warm today , definitely beats the cold" 891 responded saying. 440 , 545 and I started walking away from the crowd as it broke into chatter, I looked up into the sky , the cool wind blew my dreads back once more and for a micro second all I could think about was the wind and the sound it made. the micro second passed and I looked down to my dark brown hand ,then forward to 440 and 545...
"Come on 000 , they won't give you any dinner if you're late" 545 said,
"I heard someone once lost meal privileges for a whole week for not arriving on time." said 440. Suddenly the fear of starving to death beat my state of haze and I ran and cought up with them , "you know I wonder what would happen to you 545 if you lost meal privileges for a week" I said ,
"I'm already so thin , I'd disappear" 545 said with a laugh behind his words
"Not to mention you'd probably get even more pale" I said as we all chuckled ,
"You're lucky you can't get pale you know" 545 said as we all laughed , making sure to walk at a moderate pace with the crowd as to not move too slowly and be late.

After a few turns and hallways we all arrived at the dinning halls. A task master was directing our movements , a bulky middle height female, "right this way , no line skipping" , she said as she pointed to the lines; There was a line for tray collection, and a line for meal and beverage collection, we first got our trays and a six litre cup, then we had our trays filled with food before having a nutrients drink added to our six litre cup. "I wonder what's on the menu today" 545 asked
"Probably the usual" 440 responded saying. I got to the foot of the line and the others followed, the lines were always fast because no one wanted to loose meal privileges. I got my cup and tray, then proceeded to walk to the station that gave out the food , and exactly as 440 said , it was the usual , a few pieces of broccoli, a massive chunk of cow liver and a handful of brown rice . I got my servings then walked to the only enjoyable part of the whole ordeal, the drink , it was just the right combination of bland and sweet. I put the opening of my cup inside the dispenser, the moment it was full the dispenser stopped dispensing. I then left the line and moved to our favourite table, put my meal down and sat down on one of the four chairs placed around the table , the others soon joined , 545 sat next to me and 440 opposite me . A loud cough came from 440, "are you ok" I asked her
"It's nothing just a cough" she said smiling at me with that sweet smile of hers.

"It sounded really bad , are you sure you're ok?" 545 asked her
"It's fine" 440 said . She coughed four more times before begining her meal , we both followed her lead , I started with the broccoli, hard to chew but we all got used to it , tastes a bit like plastic. Then I ate the rice which was always so grainy and tough but the taste was better than that of the broccoli so it was alright, then I had the liver with drink ,the liver is always rough and like everything else , cold , but with the drink it's a match to be wreckoned with. In about an hour and a half we were all done , "everyone to their living quarters" the female task master shouted with a megaphone . We once again slipped into the crowd but luckily we knew a secret path from the passage that led from the living quarters to the lesser pantry rooms that led back to the recess garden.

We made sure to stay in the middle of the crowd, then when the others stopped at the changing rooms, we made our break when everyone was entering the gender allocated changing rooms , 545 and I slipped out , the taskmaster of the task was busy beating a boy who had lost his sleeping shirt . We carefully tiptoed our way through the passages , the only reason the recess grounds were unguarded was because the taskmasters would all be busy collecting records of the day between 10pm and 2am. 545 and I arrived near the central tree, a giant brichtree that was almost forty meters tall , 440 was already there waiting for us sitting in the grass, we both joined in and sat with her.

"You guys sure did take your time" she said with a sigh as she laid back to face the sky
"Well forgive us if sneaking past the army of task masters and not making a sound took too long your highness" 545 said sarcastically to 440 as we all laid next to each other with me in the middle .
"It's almost fishing season soon" 440 said
"Yeah soon we'll get to go by the beach and sea again" I said
"Don't romanticize it , they'll make sure we catch fish or we'll probably be sleeping with them that night" 545 said as we chuckled
"Yeah there's that too" I said while we all laughing, 440's laugh faded into an aggressive cough , she immediately sat upright .
"Hey you sure you're okay 440?" I asked 440 as 545 and I sat upright and stared at her with concern .

"I'm ok , don't worry about me guys I swear I'm fine for real" she said with another bright smile on her face , this time her eyes were closed.
"Did you guys hear about what happened on the frontlines , I heard 717 gave a devastating blow to the demon's infernal army-" 440 said before she was interrupted by 545 "I heard that too! Sure the demons we face are basically just the shadows of actual demons but it's a great win none the less" 545 said , 717 was basically our hero , one of the very few people to come out of the womb and make it big in the army. He's the real deal , they say he's able to slice mountains and moons with single slashes of his double edged sword, the one he carries with him all the time.
"Yeah I heard he's really cool" I said to the others
"Crazy what power one can gain with just hardwork alone" 545 said , I wanted to disagree but what right did I have to do such terrible a thing.

The truth was 717 was practically born gifted. Since childhood he was able to use his yen , yen which is the basic source of energy and power for people , comes from our souls they teach us . 717 had a ton of it even as an infant. The night stars are so beautiful.
"I think I'm calling it a night early" 440 said
"Yeah we should probably get going , like what if the task masters decide to finish up early today" 545 said
"Yeah we should get going" I agreed with 545 and the others saying as we began getting up,
We walked through the grassy moon and star lit meadow grounds , under the impenetrable glass dome , it was dark , but bright enough for us to see , thanks to the buildings with their lights always on. When we arrived at the intersection of passages , 545 and I were walking when we realized 440 stopped.

"Hey what's up aren't you going to your living quarters?" I asked
"I....uhhhh realized I had a chore I had to do for the task masters again I said no to him but..." she said with a deep sadness in her voice and her hands held down together again.
"What's going on". I asked 440
"I just told you" she said
"Go to sleep we'll all be together again tomorrow I promise" she said as she turned and walked away in the opposite direction from us.

545 and I began walking to the living quarters carefully as to not get cought, the weird thing was that after seeing 440 off , 545 didn't say a single word to me after that , even when I dropped him off at his living quarters all he did was run his pale hand left through his blond hair before closing the door, as if ignoring my goodnight. I walked to my living quarters which were just a two doors away from 545's , I quietly opened the door and entered, Fortunately without being seen or noticed by anyone. The others and I all kept our sleeping clothes under the mattresses of our beds , not that there was anywhere else to put them , every living quarter is the same , a small window above a study desk and wooden chair , then a singles bed, keeping the all white theme. I changed into the standard sleeping clothing for males , a pair of black leggings and a grey T-shirt. I got into the bed blankets and flipped off the light switch .

Another day , just like all the rest has ended, I thought as I turned to face the right side of the room, to think that 667 is still missing , 667... Somehow I can't remember what he looked like, fuzzy images with no face came to mind , but I can recall it was a male , but who was he?... the more I tried to think about 667 the weaker and sleepier I started to feel , until in only a few more moments , everything turned to black and I passed out.