Chasing Time

Moving Forward

Sector B3, Lower Terragon.

15:00, 11th July, 3000.

"Hey Julia,"

She paused her grunting and yanking at the long iron rod stuck in between the trash. Sometimes, Packers found valuable things in the debris and sell them instead of turning them in for crushing. She turned her head to see her ex, Devan, standing behind her.

"What do you want?" She asked as she went back to trying to pull the rod out. Devan scratched the back of his head nervously before moving closer to her.

"How are you? A little bird told me you've been acting a little...well...crazy lately," he said with a little chuckle. Julia clenched her teeth for control and ignored him.

"Aren't you going to say anything? I just want to check on you," he added with a little force in his voice. Julia sighed and fully turned to face him.

"f**k. Off." She said with a smile then turned back to the rod pulling.

"You know what? I don't even know why I try. You've always been problematic. Keep pushing people away Julia, that's why we broke up and it's the same reason why you'll end up alone."

After he was gone, she was able to pull out the rod. With a scream, she slammed it into the wheel barrow she already filled with debris. She let out a breath and tried to get the thought of her ex out of her head but couldn't. She had no time for such things, it had been a whole week since they met Layana. Since then, the Clairvoyant had been in regular communication with them and they've all been on the lookout for the "others" but it was difficult since they had no idea who they were.

Her brother and Melinda were transferred to another Packer sector in the space of that week. She had known it would happen because it happened in her past life but even still, she felt intensely lonely without them. If Travis had been around, Devan would have never had the gut to talk to her. To think that he was still blaming their split on her. She hated him.

She sighed again and pulled off her gloves to grab her phone. There was a text from Travis to meet him at the border by five o'clock. They were going into Middle Terragon again. This time, Layana invited them over which meant they did not have to pay to enter and they could stay as long as they wanted but Layana would be responsible for them and if they committed any crimes, she would be held accountable for it. A lot of Lowers moved to Middle Terragon through this method but there are also a lot of Middlers who would take advantage of them.

She quickly put her phone back into her pockets and slipped the gloves on. Wheeling the debris through the garbage yard was the least exhausting part. When she got to the end of the yard, she had to sort out the ones that would be crushed and the ones that could go into the incinerator.

After about an hour, she was through and she was making her way to the boarder. She would have taken a transporter but all the money she had was with her brother, so she walked instead.

Walking through Lower Terragon was depressing. Everywhere you turned, there was some sort of despair. Children scuttering around like rats, dragging around something they found that could possibly be sold for food or shelter. At every corner, there was a homeless person sitting in the shadows either drunk or dead.

Julia had first hated the idea of what Gaya wanted to do. It was appalling but each day, she grew more aware of her environment than she had ever been and she had come to realize that the Earth was in desperate need of a cleansing and humans could not handle it, neither could they be there when it happened.

"Julia!" Melinda called out to her. She finally reached the border after thirty minutes of walking and brooding.

"You're on time," Travis commented when she walked up to them.

"Yeah whatever," she said and kept walking. Travis and Melinda exchanged looks before following her.

"Well, someone's a grumpy cow today," Travis said and Melinda laughed. Julia shot him a deathly glare which made him laugh.

"I saw Devan," she grumbled.

"Oh no," her brother groaned " what did that bastard want?"

"The same thing he always does, to mess with her. I swear to God that guy needs to get his ass kicked," Melinda answered, sounding really irritated. It made Julia smile a little. Melinda probably hated Devan more than she did and she was right to.

"He does. It's okay though, I ignored him and he went away. I'm annoyed that I still have to keep seeing him at work," she said and sighed.

"Maybe not," Travis said as they reached the gates of the border. They had to wait for Layana to come get them. Julia glanced at him with a frown.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I've been talking to Layana about finding the others and we agreed that it'll be more efficient if we're all together. She told me that Gaya said the others were closer to cleanliness which means they're definitely not from Lower Terragon."

"Since when did you and Layana become best friends?" Melinda challenged him. He looked at her nervously and forced a smile.

"Relax babe, it's just so we're safe when the world ends and stuff," he said but she only narrowed her eyes at him.

"So...what does that mean? Are we moving in with her or something?" Julia asked.

"It seems like it. I brought all our money with us, all our savings. It'll be enough to keep us comfortable for six months."

"The apocalypse is in one mo-"

"I know." Travis interrupted her "I'm just saying. If there's a way to avert it and all...we can live on our savings for six months without a problem."

"You guys were planning to get a house with that money..." Julia said, feeling immensely sad again. None of the things that they planned will happen and billions of people will be affected the same way.

"No time to think about that now, she's here." Travis said and held his sister and his girlfriend's hand, pulling them with him and they crossed into Middle Terragon.

•|•|•|•|•

Chamber of the Thirteen, Upper Terragon.

19:00, 11th July, 3000.

"A week!" Frederick screamed and slammed his fist on the table "it's been a goddamn week and we still haven't found my son. My son!"

"Try to calm down Head Councilman, everyone is doing the best they can. Your son has managed to stay completely understand the radar," Councilman Ryan told him.

All thirteen of them were seated at the roundish meeting table in the Chamber of the Thirteen where they had the most private meetings.

"Maybe he doesn't want to be found," Councilman Reia said with a shrug "have you considered that?"

"Is that a real question or you're being silly?" Frederick said to her. She rolled her eyes and leaned into her seat.

"I'm just saying...everyone knows that Stanley has always been rebellious, maybe you should leave him be," she said with a smirk.

"Oh, you would like that, wouldn't you? Well, that's not going to happen. I am the Head Councilman and my son will succeed me. I want you all to keep looking." He said in a highly authoritative tone. The others exchanged looks before muttering their agreements.

"Draccus said the date is getting closer. How are our engineers doing?" Frederick asked.

"We should be ready in about a month if we keep going at this pace. They're making a lot of progress," Councilman Henry said.

"Excellent. How about supplies?"

"We're using the underground tunnels to transfer them. We have enough stocked already but we're getting more just in case. Also, plans have been put in place to start growing our own food." Councilman Tyrell said.

"Sustainability. I like it," Frederick said and stared at the tab showing the day's agenda.

"We really aren't doing anything about the other sectors?" Reia asked. The rest of them looked at her like she was crazy.

"And what do you suggest? That we ask everyone to come into Upper Terragon?"

"No...but there are so many people with potential that-"

"Councilman Reia, we're already compiling a list of skilled people who will be useful to us...doctors, nurses, engineers, some artisans and so on. They and their families will be saved but no more. If we're going to have to repopulate the Earth, we should do so with only the elite. After all, scum and riffraff are the reason why the Earth is in the position that it currently is, so why shouldn't they die?" Frederick's voice was so devoid of any emotion. No one said anything, not even Reia.

"Alright, we all agree. Next order of business please."