THE GAME OF DIVISIONS secret of zolam

East, Clavodia. 2515 The other side of the wall Zomn, Xertim. THERE IS THIS WALL in my world. We call it the great wall of XERTIM. The wall's a boundary between the two world of XERTIM. And this wall has set a cause for living in this part of my world, my own division. Zomn, Zomn is a place of wonder. So wonderful that it wonders tends to yield Apocalyptic ends. That wonder has opened eyes, made minds believe, gave us reason and truth. Zomn is not a place one would wish to live. But across that wall comes great opportunity, a great life. There isn't a day I walk down the street without looking at the wall like it's my future, my hope. Some many life lives have gone, so many wasted. All because they were drawn the that one hope. Just imagine me, staring at the wall every morning. All the people of Zomn have this HOPE, we believe that if we get across that wall we can actually have a life. A live where we're not slaves, a place where we can all be free. I can feel the harsh sunlight penetrating through my window. I get it everyday. And now, It feels like I'm on fire. I Jerk up from my bed as fast as I possibly can and I move away from the bed entirely, because the pain increases with time. Hissing at the pain installed in my skin. "s**t," I missed my timing. The Rulers have set a time for all the citizens to leave bed for the day, the time work begins. They set all beds to the window and they put something in the glass that makes the reflection of the sun burn the skin. Whenever the glass catches the light. It transforms it's energy to a higher rate, increasing the heat and causing pain to whoever's still in bed after 6:15am. We're supposed to out of bed by 6:10am. This is something that happens often, very often infact. I check my hands and neck. The part of my body that was hit by the sunlight. It hurts but I was able to leave before it damaged my skin. I just sit there, on the floor staring angrily at the clock that says 6:18am. "Oh God!" I say, almost tearing up. I lift my self off the floor. My brother's bed is empty and so is the bed that belongs to Osis. My brother must have left early. The room is filled with empty snack packs and Boyce's dirty underwear, and it makes the whole place smelly and all boycely. The oxygen bag placed nicely on the table is giving me so much concern. I really don't want to have anything running in my nose so i take the scarf hung on my door, cross it around my nose and I walk angrily out my door. Looking frustrated as ever, I head to the living room. "Good morning," My Dad says with a smile on his face as I walk up to him. He's dishing out shitty breakfast for my brother on a small table he made himself. He also made matching chairs and my brother is sitting on one. His little wooden table sits in the middle of our kitchen and we have our sitting room at the other end. "Nothing is Good about this morning," I mutter, "And Boyce, go wash your fucken under wear the room's all dirty and smelly,' I say and I drop myself on the couch. "Piss off," My brother says from the kitchen, then he Catching a glimpse of my father's warning gaze."I almost got burnt this morning, again," I say. "That's because your not punctual," my father tells me. "You know what Dad? I'd like to toss punctual in the trash," I say." Or maybe flush it down the toilet, cause that stuff sucks." My brother adds. "I know it's non of my business darling but i'd really prefer it if you used the nose plug more often," my father says. "I think i have control over my own nose," i say. "Don't you see how Boyce looks with his nose plugs on?" he points to my brother. "He looks good no doubt, but i just don't like nose plugs. and besides they're not even plucked in they're still dangling down his nose." My brother rolls his eyes at me. I stand up to get water from the carton in front of the kitchen. Pushing my heavily stress weighed body across my living room. I got home late yesterday cause i left late form work because my Dean dismissed us at a time way past our closing hour, cause he felt like he was being too easy on us. Thank God, i got home before the curfew. Just as I'm about to reach for the bottle in the carton, it comes. My Dad and I stare and each other, exchanging strange glances and Boyce's eyes travel to the pipes. And then I can't breath. I rush out the door in a hurry and my brother and Dad follow behind me, catching their breath and panting as a result of what we just experienced. This also is something that happens often. As soon as I find my way outside my house, I take in the air as much as my lungs can contain. Then I feel my nerves relax. I see a vexed worker walking up to us, with his gun pushed to the side of his hip, and when he uncovers his face I recognize him. "Alex, what the hell?" He asks. "I had to, I'm sorry. The oxygen supply went off." I say. "Again? I told you whenever that happens give me a heads up," he says. I spread my hands not knowing what more to say. My eyes going this way and that, searching for Mechs. If we're caught by one, it's gun down on sight. Urshee gets it. He's a bash worker and he's also my friend. We used to be inseparable when we were kids until his father forced him to join the Bash force to earn more money when he was of age. Now urshee holds a weapon to scare people and make them obey the rules of the Lords. Something he didn't want to do, bit he had no choice."C'mon, let's get you guys to hide till 6:30." Urshee says. His eyes going this way and that. He leads us behind our house, holding on to my arm as we go. We get to my insecure backyard, most of our neighbors are familiar with this scenario. Some of them go through the same s**t too. The only people who can see us from here are our weird neighbors. I can see Mrs viola peeping at us from her window and she's got this pity look on her face. Like she's any different from us? She's prone to fave the same shitty circumstances we are facing right now if not that the rulers had assigned her and her Children a better apartment, that doesn't have its oxygen supply machine broken. We sit under a shade that Urshee had provided for us for times like this."Don't get caught," he says. And he's saying it directly to me. I nod in agreement and he leaves. My Dad and brother covers their mouth and nose with the keffiyeh, cause we have don't have enough money to afford a decent nose mask. Even though we don't, I still prefer my cotton keffiyeh over an expensive uncomfortable mask. It makes my nose less itchy when I breath and I think It protects me more. Zomn is protected by a gas called vibros Alkranium. It's used to contain the Earth's poison. A pandemic that threatened Man kind's existence long ago. As citizens of Zomn, we're not allowed to have the gas in our home. Even though it subdues the Earth's poison, it still causes harm to people who inhale it too much. The infection it's caused is likely more dangerous than the effect of Earth poison. That's why all our homes are enclosed, air shot and we get oxygen supply in our various homes to stay alive. And to protect ourselves from Alkranium's infection, we have to wear a nose mask or a nose plug outside for as long as we live and taking it off is an offensive act punishable by whipping or jail, and the highest punishment of all is Ilisis. The nose plugs are very uncomfortable, so i prefer the keffiyeh cause of the soft cutton material. The nose plugs do better work. You have to carry an oxygen bag around. The bag will be fastened to your hip, positioned at the back of your trouser. The bag refines the air and separate it from the gas, the produces a new clean air. Some people prefer to wear it like a regular bag. The nose plug is like a black rubber tube that runs from the air bag to the nose. Two tubes from each side at the back, crossed over the ear then down to the nose. The infection caused by the gas that protects us from Earth poison. Well, for me all of this is just a big fat circle of death and one thing must kill us. I bring my mind back to the present. I glance at my Dad who's got Boyce tucked into his under arm. I remember when my Dad used to do that to me when I was much younger, the thought of me going back there is so eww. "Dad," I call but I get no reply. " Dad," I call again."Shhhh," Boyce shuts me off."Why are you shushing me?" I ask, a little bit pissed."Sweetheart you need to stay shushed," says my dad. "Can I smoke ?" I ask, knowing the answer I'll get will be negative."No! No, no, no, no!!!," Says Boyce.I give him a questioning look. My father doesn't answer he just stares out, and I think he's checking for workers who might be unfortunate enough to come around the backyards. Some shitty Bash workers come around this area to take a piss. Which is illegal but they do it anyway, and it makes the grad filthy as hell. "I hate it when we have to stay here," my days says. "Can you sneak inside and check it's working now" I nod, and turn to leave. Lowering my head as I move slowly to the front of our house. My knees are bent and my feet moves in a way that it makes no sound. When my eyes reach the front I find out that Urshee is no longer alone. Three more workers have joined him, and I can't sneak in without them seeing me "Damn it," I curse. I go back to my Dad. "There are more workers at the front," I say."Don't bother, we've got only a few seconds left till 6:30," my father says. That little sound, that goes like a beep. Rings in our ears to signal the end of the curfew, and just like everyone was timed, as if they were all waiting at their door steps. Everyone sets off for morning work. The workers with their guns, the trainees with their apparatus and the students with their books. The factory workers in their black jumpsuits. I wave at my Dad and brother to follow as I sneak to the front to avoid being seen by the workers. We get to the front successfully and Join the crowd. The tiny Streets of Clavodia are filled with people. Going to different directions. My Dad runs back into the house to get his Bag tools. Boyce and I seem to be Lucky. I grabbed my bag before I left my room and Boyce had his backpack with him. I kissed his hair, standing on the tip of my toes a bit cause he is almost as tall as I am."Stay safe," I say. Freeing my self from his grip."You too," he says."Have fun, but not too much," I say as I walk towards the factory. The area we stay in our zone is called shelter. The place is ocupied by factory workers the most, and a few trainers. Our house is at the Ghetto side of Shelter. The city fence runs behind our house and the trains that come from other zones runs by, the sound of the speed never gets old. The trains from capital Phorem are the fancy one's, while the one's coming from the other divisions are simply trash. My mother's parents used to live with us but Grandpa moved out when his wife died, when I was nine after he left home he died few years later. Grandma has been sick since I was six. When she was younger she worked at the Gas factory, where vibros Alkranium was produced, back when we didn't have Mechs to run such operations. but now no one works at the gas factory cause he mechs have taken over. Working there exposed her to a lot of Alkranium. Which gave her ilisis. It sucked out life from her year by year, and she used to look like dried meat. She couldn't do anything. She found it hard to speak even . It's been sucking out life from her every single year. She kinda looks like dried meat. It's pretty bad. Ilises is an infection that dries up the important human organs. Most especially the skin. Zomn is pretty bad. It smells bad and looks bad. They're too many rules. Too many rulers. Diversity, nepotism, insecurity. Years ago, we had Earth's poison. A virus that threatened man kinds existence. The gas was produced to contain the virus. And prevent it from spreading further. They say that the gas doesn't kill it. It just makes it powerless. Vibros is everywhere. The keffiyeh we have has practically been part of our lives. The nose plugs are just new enforcements. I walk into the grandiose gate of the Factory, where I work. The big gate is always open once it's 6:30am. The crowd is massive people who work at the factory here are mostly young people and kids of my age, kids who just finished school. The sound from the train coming from the city gate echoes around the factory, and with all the noise and the people heading towards the factory's entrance, it just feels like the factory is alive. Everyone looking focused and oriented. All the people here are all looking clean and fresh now, but by the end of the day there will be a change. Most of us will be looking dusty and dirty, our faces will be painted black and our hands will be filthy. Depending on the work. The factory is the biggest building in the in East, with a massive structure. The gas is produced in there and many other activities go on in this big building. I run to the board to check score for the day. I greet the workers standing at the corners. Their hands fastened to their guns. My name appears at number 64 and i got a thousand points, means i ill be going home with a lot of cash today. . Under my column is 'SC...CB'. Many other factory workers com around the board to check their assignment for the day."Good morning Sisee," I say to my old friend sitting on the stairs. I hurry up to get my working cloths. Then I go back down the stairs following the dark corridor which will lead me to the back door. Where I will work for the next one hour. I've been filling in for my cousin Osis for the past few weeks. He stacks the crates, that's his job. But since he got shot he has been in the hospital and i have been working a double shift to make the money for him. Few weeks ago i and Osis with some other kids were trespassing into the abandoned building down town. It's the tallest building you can imagine. We go there to take a view of the the wall And spy into zolam(the Utopia of Xertim) All i know is that zolam is beautiful but the view is always blurry cause of the force field. Some bash workers caught us on top of the building, and while we were trying to run for our dear lives Osis got shot on the leg. So sad, but hes getting better now, he will be coming home today. {Dear readers, trust me you will love to meet Osis when he gets back, lol. I hope your enjoying the story?? Well, read on and don't forget to give me feedback} I will stack the crates of medicine. The boys will load them off the truck which brought it from the city gate. I and the others will stack the crates in the ware house. The medicine comes from central Phorem, The capitol of Clavodia. It is shared to the four zones. East, west Durey, south and North Aski. My zone is East, the war zone. We the people of east are mostly soldiers and hunters, that's what we do best. The highest number of workers in Clavodia are from east. We are trained to shoot guns even from a tender age. We make nuclear weapons for the whole Division. In the whole of Zomn, were allowed to consume just one meat. Only the meat of a Bird, not just any beard but the Skrillers. It's the only animal I've ever seen. Others died, and now they only exist on the other side of the wall, Zolam. The birds have blue feathers and a beak of a orange. It's a beautiful bird, its the size of a vulture. The fastest bird I've ever seen. The speed was fascinating. You catch a glimpse of the bird now and the next second it zooms off and you can no longer catch it with your eyes. Only trained, skilled hunters hunt the bird down. Fortunately I'm among one of the skilled hunters. I shoot down ten birds in three minutes but my colleagues shoot three birds in ten minutes. In the chambers where the Skrillers are raised, we play a game. Where we bet with our money, who will take the the highest number of birds and fortunately for me, i win most of the time. I'm the only girl in the group, the rest are boys and i can proudly brag that am the best hunter in the pack. (This chapter will be continued. Follow me up to get notified when i post the next part of this story. Please recommend this book to other readers if you love it. Don"t forget to vote and support me. Let's build the community. SCI-FI to the world.) "Hey, bread face," one of the boys says. The mean one, his name is Arlen and he calls me bread face. All my colleagues call me that. I don't answer. I ignore him like he had not said a word. I feel like i need to earn myself some respect around them. They are known for their wold chatting and rudeness towards other factory workers. Arlen of course is well known for bullying. Even when we were still at school. I grab my gun from the locker. A special christensen arms provided for us by the rulers themselves. I cork the gun and steady my finger to the trigger. I stand at my spot and take a view. The birds are behind the glass in front of us. The're flying graciously in their chamber. When it's time to start shooting, the workers here will open the glass entrance so our bullets can penetrate. In a few minutes, the entrance is clear and i empty my pocket on the table. Sarlo, the oldest worker and the bet Lord counts my money and the rest of the boys drop their cash too. "first person to shoot down five birds gets the money! Well, let the shooting begin," Sarlo announces. I'm filled with concentration. I watch as they fly pass, it just feels like hey are dancing around the mouth of my gun. With one eye closed, i target one birds and without wasting much time, the bird is gunned to the floor. I hear the beep sound that indicates that a bird has been shot. It will be displayed on the board. Sarlo gives me a clap and i smile at him. The clap makes me full of myself and try to do a showoff. While the other boys are still struggling with one bird i gunned down three and just as Arlen was about to hit his third bird. i completed the round. "You thought you stood a chance?' i ask Arlen, mocking him. "I don't know why y'all be betting when you already know i'm gonna win." I gather all the cash from Sarlo's table and i hand him a tip. For his kind support. The rest of my day, am busy with work. My schedule and Osis' has been realy tough for the day. Arlen and the other boys are busy chatting and laughing while working, I can't help but become more serious and faster on my work so i can leave here as soon as possible. If i can kill more than hundred birds that will be sold at the market tomorrow, i can take one for myself and family. After much work, i leave the factory with a skriller in my hand, a dead one of course. One that died from my bullet, no doubt. Am heading to the city central to pay the Oxygen bill, and when i get there intend to lay a complaint about the faulty oxygen supply. There's literally no bus in my community to take people around to where ever they want to go. Shelter's a very small community in east, so we do the transportation with our feet. Every where we need to go can be reach in just five to ten minutes time. The streets are dry and not as lively as it used to be. The streets are wide and filled with stores. But the streets around my house are small. The streets are just narrow gaps between two buildings, not actually a street though. I like to call it an escape passage. We have the bash workers, the servants, the dealers and the bash cult and the zolam officials. They're the force that help maintain order, I wouldn't say peace. The bash workers dress just like the officials. They wear all black. Combat trousers and jacket with a high black leather boot. The bash servants wear green cover all, the dealers wear white with the Clavodian symbol as a badge. The bash cult don't actually have uniforms. The houses around the zone center look better and the roads are cleaner. I reach the zone center, there's a water fountain In front of the massive gate. The fountain is old and it doesn't function anymore, the water pipes are broken. The gate is just a few steps away from the fountain. The zone center or city center, as some people love to call it. It's the heart of east. The center is where everything is being done. They get direct information from Phorem, clavodia's capital, and all the important people in east live in the zone center. All other zones like west Durey, North Aski, and south, have their own zone center. It's the same everywhere. But just with different administration modes. The zone center is guarded with a large gate and before getting in you've got to have a pass. Either a student pass or worker's pass. As a Citizen of East Clavodia, you've got to have a pass. The securities there are a group of workers. I give one of them my pass card, and i'm let in. The gate is very big and it makes a loud sound When it opens. The gate slides open and i walk in it closes right behind me and as it slammed shot it made me shiver a little. The sound is very loud and somewhat disturbing. The dust and breeze are disturbing too. It males my hair loose and it covers my face. The zone center is just like a compound and it has six buildings in it. The school is in the middle, It's a 26 story building, where my brother is right now. There are four buildings at the side of the school building. Two at each side and the one closest to the school is where the workers live. The sixth building belongs to the lord master. There's a sculpture of Lord Geria In front of the school building. The man who helped to save the Zomn during the disaster and Earth's poison. Zomn is a world on its own in this big place we call Xertim. A day of little peace and a week of chaos and disaster. Filled with men and women full deceit, trying to break down the little peace we have. They're main aim is to 'take over". Other divisions of Zomn Depend on us for somethings, for some reasons. Especially Arosdice, we are literally carrying them on our shoulders, cause they lack food.Plants do not grow here in Zomn. The effect of Earth's poison caused a lot damage and plants stopped growing on this side of the wall. The rulers buy these food produce from Zolam, the Utopia across the wall Clavodia has the largest population, the strongest army. Clavodia fell out with some other divisions years ago, but we had no issues with Filteshia. Untill the time they began to win the trials and get more recognition from the community. The community of the Ace trials. They turned their backs against us and from that year they began to exploit us in every way possible. Filtheshia used to be an ally to clavodia in the trails, cause we were very valuable to them. But they deviated and did other Wise. The line for the payments is as long as my dad's finger. Seems like alot of people have to pay for the oxygen supply. Karlinj, the woman assigned to collect payments is the complete definition of a human snail. I finally get to her front and drop my money on her white white plastic table. Nonchair, she has to stand and do her job. I drop 16 Quondos on her table, and my house number as well. "Next," Karlinj says, when she feels she's done with me. "wait,' i say. "I want to lay complaint about about the faulty oxygen supply at our house." Karlinj glances at me, and quickly looks back at her table. "I think the machine's broken," i say. "Next person please," she repeats. That puts me on the edge. How rude can she be? I knew, i had an idea that karlinj was a mean woman but no to the extent of ignoring me completely on something like this. "Excuse me, Woman! I'm talking to you," I retort. She looks up at me, and i can tell she's irritated. "Miss, i cannot attend to matters like this at the moment. "Nonsense!" I snap. "Well, tell me when can you attend to matters of this sort , huh? when we're all dead? She signals the workers standing at her side to take me away. Truth be told, i was actually screaming at the top of my voice. Which is actually a punishable offense in East, Nuisance is not in anyway tolerated. The workers do as she ordered, they walk up to me in attempt to handcuff me. I stretch out my hands to them, staring at karlinj like i"m ready to kill her this minute. "Wanker!," I blurt out. And just as the bash worker are about to cuff me, i hear a tender female voice saying "Bring her to me," that voice i'm certain i remember. one i've not heard in a long time but can still fish out the sweetness and calmness in it, and tell from a distance, even without looking. That the voice belongs to the Lord's Master's wife . When i finally look her way, she's standing at the porch of her mansion, not very far away from this line. Looking elegant as ever. Her skin resembles mine, Brown but yet adorable, and her glowing never ceases. Her hair's always done straight and let down. She smiles, when her eyes meet mine. The worker standing in front of me lets go of my hand. The LM's wife (Lord's Master's wife) signals me to come to her with her finger, and with one more angry glance at karlinj, i step out of the line and head for the porch of her grandiose mansion. She's in a dark flowing gown that ends at her knee. The gown is decorated with white fancy water beads. The stairs to the LM's Manson are like Diamonds. With beautiful reflection. One thing I've noticing since I was a child. Their house is pure art. There water running by both ends of the seven flights of stairs. Wide, simple and yet very artistic. "Duru,' she calls. She likes to address me by my surname . She says it's more traditional, even though tradition and culture is not a thing in this time. Religion and tribalism are considered treason, but we have our ways around things like this. The lord master's wife seems like a rebel anyway.