Chapter I:
And just like that, all memories of the blue sky, the sun moon and stars, and any lasting remnants of the world above had been wiped out for good.
One year ago… (year 4 in Ember time)
"That's right, march faster!" the orders of the City Commander hustled the elders, who had come to the city four years ago feeling proud that they were doing the right thing for the future of all humanity. Since that time, every single one of them had come to regret their decision to come to this wretched place, with its endless meals of canned corn and not even the faintest wisp of fresh air. After a hard day's work, the elders dreamt of lying on a patch of soft grass or in a meadow of bright flowers, hearing the birds chirp one last time, feeling the sun radiate its energy into their tired souls. They had been taking the beautiful earth for granted, they realized. Their last years above were mainly spent indoors watching television or using the computer.
A typical day for the past four years consisted of the following:
7:30am: Lights on. Quickly get themselves and "children" dressed.
7:45am: Drop the Young Ones off at daycare, where their heads were filled with untruths (such as, the City of Ember was the only place of light). They also learned the Three Important Lessons that the Builders wanted to instill in future generations, so that mistakes of the past were not repeated: Do not harm any Living creature (even tiny bugs and plants), Everything can be re-used, Be kind to one another.
8am - 11am: Quick 20-minute breakfast before hand-writing "books" (these were just packets of paper clipped together, no binding). The children would need to learn to read, but stories of the past, with their visions of tree-climbing monkeys, airplanes, journeys across oceans and the like, would need to be re-written in Ember fashion.
11am - 12pm: Delivering the books to the library. All were proofread and checked for hidden messages by the Obedient Ones before being placed on the shelf.
12pm - 12:30pm: A short 30-minute lunch break.
12:30pm - 4pm: Digging the Crevice. There would need to be a deep, wide pit that encircled the city, to prevent anyone from possibly finding the tunnel to the outside. The Crevice was ordered to be kept secret from the children.
4pm - 6pm: City maintenance. Burned-out light bulbs replaced, leaky pipes repaired, streets swept.
6pm - 8pm: Dinner and news. The elders were fed stories of horrible and catastrophic things happening above them, over their mushy meals.
8:15pm: Pick up Young Ones.
8:30pm: Lights out.