Notes: Inspired by the movie Snowpiercer, you should watch it if you get the chance. Although maybe not because there's going to be major spoilers for this fic. Sorry.
"Miss!"
The frantic cry from one of her students made Clara's heart drop suddenly. Mentally preparing herself for bad news –did another person die in the mines, did another child get selected, did an Overseer kill someone- but she breathed a sigh of relief when she turned to see the student who called out to her smiling brightly.
None of the options she was dreading. Praise the Lord, she thought as she crouched down to Maebh's level, the 10-year-old girl tugging at the sleeve of her jacket. "What is it, Maebh?"
"Miss! Could you walk me home today? My mum said that she had to take another shift today and told me to ask you if you could walk me home." An extra shift. Right, Clara thought to herself, there was another accident a few days ago. One of the mines had collapsed with workers still inside of them. Needless to say, they suffocated by the time people had tried to unearth them out.
It made work tougher as they had to repair the mines even after such an accident. Maebh's mom must be helping with the relief efforts. Clara gave the girl a reassuring nod. "Of course, I always have the time for you. Let me finish cleaning up first, alright?"
"I can help!" Maebh said as she began running across the room, picking up the tattered books strewn across the floor carefully. At an early age, the children were taught to take care of the precious few goods they had. It was sacred almost, they never got any new books and there was no material to make any books. Trees were a thing of the past and the branches from the bushes were more importantly used elsewhere. Now, stories and information were passed verbally from generation to generation. It was difficult but somehow, they've managed for a while. "Thanks Maebh," Clara smiled appreciatively as she busied herself in tidying up the room, putting the chairs back in their place and wiping down the chalkboard. The room was tiny and it was mainly used for council meetings held in their sector. Yet whenever there wasn't a meeting, which was frequent, she had permission to use it as an area to educate and take care of the kids whose parents were far too busy. Most of the kids were young but then there were those like Maebh who were more interested in learning. Clara encouraged it, as a teacher, she was always supportive of all of the students and wanted them to continue learning.
But it was hard work and sometimes to get work done, the older kids were enlisted to help out. There were few boys above the age of eight in her class, most of them were either helping out in the mines or working on the farms.
Clara remembered her mother telling that about a time when you could learn for almost forever. When you could be a student well into your twenties if you wanted to –nowadays, it was a rarity for a child to not be working if they were over the age of ten. She sighed wistfully. She would've liked to learn for that long. But then again, she had always been a bright girl, falling in love with the precious few stories that existed in the Sector. And she had a knack for taking care of young charges which easily gave her a comfortable role in society as one of the few instructors for the children. She didn't think she would have enjoyed the difficult job of mining or farming. Reading –and telling stories were more of her thing.
"Alright I think we're done," Clara said, pleased as she glanced at the room which was perfectly spotless. "Let's go to your place now, okay Maebh?" She held out a hand which Maebh quickly surged forward to grab before they started out the door.
"Miss Oswald! Can you tell me another one of your stories?" Maebh asked and Clara let out a small chuckle of amusement. "Alright. Did you want to hear about anything in particular?" She had too many stories in her head that her mother had passed down to her, it was going to be difficult to choose.
"The one where the skies are blue!"
At Maebh's words, Clara's gaze flickered up to the sky. She couldn't imagine a time when the skies were blue, if ever. It seemed almost impossible, with the dark, sickly yellow air they had. A bright blue was almost unimaginable. "Well," Clara started as she pulled her gaze away from the sky and back to Maebh. "Once upon a time, before Sector 3-C existed, there was a place that was filled with blue. The skies were blue and the water was incredibly blue too. And the land was an array of different colors, ranging from green to orange to yellow…and it changed every few months. So you could have a green plant at one point and at the next, it could become yellow. Not the decaying yellow color that we see here when plants die but a bright yellow."
"It sounds like a fairy tale," Maebh replied dreamily and Clara let out an agreeing nod. "Yes, but it was real at some point! But I can imagine how beautiful it was."
"What happened?"
Clara smiled weakly. Ah. That was the question she dreaded the most. What happened to the beautiful, almost magical place in her stories? "Well," She started slowly. "Even though it was so beautiful, it was still dangerous. Something happened in the air, some sort of illness began to spread throughout the world. Many ended up dying painfully and it was a terrible time for these people. So a certain group of people, the best thinkers in the world, came together to find a solution. And their solution was to build safe enclosures like this one to protect us from the terrible plague." Maebh wrinkled her nose. "I don't feel safe. Especially not with the Overseers around."
"Don't let them hear you say that," Clara murmured lightly, glancing around them just in case. There was one android-like creature walking ten feet across from them but she doubted it could hear Maebh. "They're…they're here to protect us and keep order. Or at least, that's what they're instructed to do."
Maebh didn't seem convinced by her response (and neither was she to be perfectly frank). "But they just hurt people for no reason! They're really mean." Clara winced at her words as she remembered moments of seeing the Overseers surround someone whom they thought was a threat. It was terrifying to be on the other end of an Overseer with their weapons at the ready. One shot from them and you were toast. And because they were drones, there was no point in talking sense with them. Recently, someone who forgot to return a tool back to its proper location had gotten electrocuted by one of them. Needless to say, these Overseers were practically sadistic if they could feel. "Well, they do their job," Clara said distractedly. "Even if they go about it harshly most of the time."
As they passed a heavily fenced area, Maebh tugged at Clara's hand to get her attention. There was always a large group of Overseers that watched over this particular part of the Sector; at least a dozen were always on patrol around the fence. Maebh looked confused for a moment before she asked, "What's behind the fence? I always see this when I walk home with my mum but I never asked her about it."
"That's known as DALEK," Clara answered back, her eyes watching as one of the Overseers as it marched into a small building within the fence. "It's a containment facility. A prison for criminals that came from the other Sectors." There were more than one sector, although she had no idea what the other sectors were like in the slightest. There was a gigantic door that was guarded by a series of Overseers that allowed the passage of certain food and tools to be brought to their sector when necessary. It was generally closed and inaccessible to any of them –rather, you were immediately shot on sight if you made a dash for the door. Many had tried, in their insanity, to escape the hellhole they were in but none of their escape attempts were successful. Even rebellions never worked, Clara thought. They would always get so close but the Overseers were always one step ahead of the game. It was as if they could predict what was going to happen. Instead of a successful rebellion, it was always a slaughter.
The only ones who were allowed to pass through were the children. Every so often, a person would appear from the other side of the door. They would call out for all of the children in the Sector to assemble before them before selecting a few and taking them out of the Sector. "To a better place", they always said as they herded the children away.
And no one in the Sector had ever seen a child return. It was always stressful, the days when the bell chimed in the gateway to call for attention. The Selection Process was a day that everybody dreaded in the Sector. But resisting against it, whether it meant hiding your child or trying to take them back, resulted in unjust deaths and bloodshed. Clara glanced down at Maebh and a pang of grief struck her chest. Maebh's elder sister had been selected a few years ago. And Maebh had never been the same girl as before when she was taken away.
"Is there anybody in there?" Maebh's words shook Clara out of her thoughts as she glanced behind her, they had passed the fence. Looking at the facility within the fence, Clara shrugged her shoulders. "I've heard rumors of somebody from Sector 1-A being kept in there. But that's just a rumor. For all we know, there could be anyone in there." Or no one.
Because how could anyone fall so low from the highest Sector to the lowest?
"Anyways, that's not important. Whoever's in there must be dangerous and right now, what you need is safety." Clara announced as they reached the front doorsteps of Maebh's home. It was a small shack-like building but that was typical of most housing in this Sector. Run-down slabs of nothing but mud and stone. "You're home now. Now be good okay?" Clara turned her teacher voice back on. "I want you to finish those math questions that Mr. Pink left you. He's coming in tomorrow to teach again so I want you to participate in the discussion." A groan escaped Maebh's lips at her words. "But Miss…math is boring! I want another reading class!"
"We can have a reading class after Mr. Pink is done teaching tomorrow," Clara promised. "Remember, Mr. Pink managed to get time off of working in the mines to come teach you. Give him some credit, he's a good teacher."
Maebh rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but that's just because you like Mr. Pink!" A flush spread across Clara's face at Maebh's comment and she shook her head rapidly. "Of course I like him as a person! He's a very nice and kind man for coming to teach you some math." But it didn't look like her words worked because Maebh gave her a smug smirk for a second before it instantly faded into a big smile.
"Okay well, I'm doing to do some reading before doing the math problems! I'll see you tomorrow, Miss Oswald! Thank you for walking me home!"
"My pleasure," Clara smiled as she waved the girl good-bye, walking back onto the path. Now that she had walked all the way to the other side of the sector, she had quite a walk ahead of her to reach her own home. Luckily, she didn't have to walk alone for long as one math teacher had strolled along right beside her.
"Danny!" Clara greeted with a warming smile at the sight of the other man. He was sweaty and there were flecks of coal and other ashes scattered on his person. But despite the exhaustion livid on his face, he brightened considerably at her call.
"Fancy seeing you here, Clara. Didn't know that you moved." Clara laughed, shaking her head. "No, I was just walking Maebh –you remember Maebh right?- home. She lives around in these parts and her mum is helping out with the relief efforts. How's that going?" She questioned.
"As well as it could be," Danny sighed. "There's a lot of rubble we have to clear out. We've unearthed another body so hopefully we can prepare something of a funeral for them by the end of the day. That's the seventh one we've found. There's probably more."
Sadness swept across Clara as she glanced downwards to her feet, feeling a pang of grief slowly begin to bubble up within her. "Any…children?" She asked quietly. She needed to know. After all, there were many children who ended up going to the mines to work.
"Just one," Danny's voice was just as quiet as her's. "A boy, Angelo. He was only fourteen and he was with his dad in the mines. We recovered both of their bodies." At the news, Clara closed her eyes. It was too much to bear at times.
She felt a tentatively touch on her shoulder and glanced to the side to see Danny slowly wrap an arm around her shoulders, attempting to comfort. "Thanks," She murmured quietly, leaning against Danny's side as they walked.
"It's no trouble." They walked silently for a few more minutes, the two of them both in deep thoughts. It was hard to start a conversation again right after some heavy news. Clara expected to hear a lot about who was dead or injured by the next time. She'd have to figure out how to shoulder that –and explain it to her young charges.
"Are you coming in tomorrow?" Clara asked, "Or are you needed-"
Danny shook his head, "I changed my day off so I can come in tomorrow. Don't worry, I think working with the kids again will do me some good." He smiled tightly. "It definitely beats working in the mines."
"I still can't believe you use your day offs to come and help me out," Clara sighed. "Don't you want to relax? I can't imagine how much you're doing right now…"
"Clara, it'll be my pleasure to come in and work with the kids," Danny said earnestly. "Besides, it's always nice to spend time with you." A blush spread across Clara's face at his words and she looked away, hoping that the redness wasn't too noticeable on her face. "Well, it's really nice. The kids and I really appreciate it."
"I'm glad they're not sick of me yet. Oh, here's your place. I'll see you tomorrow?" Danny pointed out as Clara glanced at the entrance of her house. She didn't notice how much time had passed and she gave Danny a small smile before reaching up to give him a friendly hug.
"Thanks for walking me home. Did you want to come in for a bit and rest?" She offered but Danny made a waving motion with his hands. "No, I'm just heading back to my place to get some tools. Some of the ones we've been using broke so I'm just going to collect some more. I'll see you tomorrow Clara. Have a good night."
"Good night!" She called out behind him as he left. She waited until she could barely see him in the distance before making her way back inside her home.
The shrill sound of the bell shook her awake in the wee hours of the morning. Almost dazedly because she couldn't believe how early it was, Clara scrambled to get ready, throwing on a raggedly blanket to wrap herself in before sprinting out of the door. That bell. It can't be another Selection? There was one barely a month ago –why was there one again?
Many homes along the street had been flung open as people started to sleepily follow the sound of the bell. The houses that were most frantic were those with children, she could tell that the mothers and fathers were completely wide-awake and alert with panic and fear. They were almost white with fear, their hands gripping the shoulders and hands of their children tightly as they marched down the pathway to the gateway. Many of the residents slowly began to awaken and join them and before long, a gathering had grown in front of the gateway.
At least twenty Overseers guarded the entranceway this morning, Clara noticed. There were a series of children, lined up in the front of the strange procession as the adults watched on nervously. She could feel the sleepiness begin to fade from her and a fresh wave of panic started to make her shake with abandon.
Until she felt a calming hand pat her on the shoulder and she glanced to see Danny standing by her side. She smiled weakly at him and he gave a nod in response. But it was clear that neither of them were in the mood to make jokes. Not when the lives of children were on the line.
A young women marched her way up to the front of the children, looking rather haughty. "Welcome, people of Sector 3-C! I do apologize for this early morning wake up but then again, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise!" She let out a shrill laugh but it fell upon death years in the crowd. No one was in the mood to laugh. The woman seemed unamused by their response because she scowled quickly before snapping her fingers.
"Well then. Moving on to business, shall we? I'm hoping that you've all woken up your children up and they're standing before me. Because if any of the Overseers catch a child that's not here…," She made a motion across her neck. "It's night-night. Anyways, let's see who we have today…."
She made her way across the ranks of the children, prodding them with a finger or patting them on the head as she walked. The children were standing, stiff as a pole as she made her inspection. The few she pulled out from the ranks were dragged to where the Overseers were standing. Cries came from the crowd when someone's child was pulled but there was nothing they could do to stop it from happening. With the Overseers around, it was too risky.
"Well, what do we have here?" Suddenly, the women fished out something shabby from the hands of one of the children. Clara quickly caught sight of the object and widened her eyes when she noticed that it was a book. No…it can't be…
"A book! Where did you get this, little girl?" The women asked in a sickly sweet tone as she flipped through the pages. A few fell out, landing on the ground. "The adventures of Robin Hood. A classic. You must be quite the reader, aren't you?" The women patted the girl who stood absolutely still on the head before grabbing her arm. "Right then, you're the last one we'll be taking today."
As soon as the girl was pulled out of the crowd of students, Clara couldn't help herself. "Maebh!" She yelled out, almost in tune with the scream coming from near the front. Maebh's mother, oh dear Lord, this is her 2nd child-
Clara could see Maebh trying to shake out of the woman's iron grip and that did it. She snapped. Without thinking and ignoring Danny's shout, Clara had begun to push her way towards the front of the crowd. She needed to do something; she had to stop them from taking Maebh away of all of the children-
Until she found herself stopped in her tracks by a strong arm that gripped her tightly. "Clara, listen to me. Take a deep breath and calm down," Danny urged quietly. Even as she struggled, Danny's grip didn't loosen in the slightest. "Clara, you're not going to achieve anything if you charge forward without a plan. They'll kill you –and possibly Maebh- if you try to do anything. Calm down Clara. Deep breath."
Clara took a shuddering breath but she stopped struggling. She knew that Danny was right. If she made a scene, it was going to end up with more people dead than she wanted. And she couldn't risk harming Maebh but…
Clara took a shuddering breath but she stopped struggling. She knew that Danny was right. If she made a scene, it was going to end up with more people dead than she wanted. And she couldn't risk harming Maebh but…
Slowly but surely, the women had begun to take the children towards the gate. Before long, they all disappeared through the gate leaving no trace that they've ever been a part of this Sector. The Overseers stood like fixed guardians, blocking the door and many had begun to try and disperse the crowd.
"YOU MUST RETURN TO YOUR JOBS. IDLING WILL RESULT IN PUNISHMENT." The crowd began to dwindle as many of the onlookers slowly left. The ones whose children had been taken away sobbed loudly but even they too, were forced to leave the gateway and return.
Clara herself found herself unable to move. She wouldn't have moved from her spot if it weren't for Danny coaxing her to take one step at a time. Catching sight of something on the ground, Clara reached down to pick up the badly damaged book that Maebh had held earlier. If she hadn't been holding it, would she have been taken?
"It's not your fault," Danny insisted, answering as if he could read her mind. "Don't blame yourself for this. Come on, we should be going." He glanced worriedly at the Overseers around them.
"Robin Hood," Clara murmured quietly as she clutched the book tightly against her chest. They needed a hero like Robin Hood. Someone to save them all.
Clara had decided to cancel classes for the day. It was unfair for the children to come to a class with Maebh missing; it would probably shake the morale of the group. And she was feeling too sick to teach, knowing that Maebh was no longer in her classroom.
Her hand traced over the faded lettering of the cover of Robin Hood, the book still held tightly in her hands.
"You're hurting yourself by holding onto it," Danny spoke quietly, breaking into her thoughts. Since he had taken the day off but classes were cancelled, he had elected to stay near Clara. Keep an eye out for her well-being, as he called it.
"I just can't believe it. That she's just…gone," Clara spoke quietly. "It's not fair. It's not right, they can't just take away a child like that!" Every Selection period was frightening and when her students were taken away, that was absolutely horrifying. But it had never shook her as badly as Maebh's selection. She was incredibly close to the girl and knowing that she had been brutally taken away was just…
It was like someone had stabbed Clara swiftly and cruelly in the heart.
"I don't like it either," Danny spoke quietly, reaching over to try and pry Clara's hands away from the book. "They shouldn't have the right to do it. But right now, there's nothing we can do to help. It's not as if we can pass through the gates. We don't even know what's beyond Sector 3."
"I've heard rumors of somebody from Sector 1-A being kept in there."
The conversation Clara had with Maebh drifted into her thoughts at Danny's words. She froze suddenly as she found the beginnings of a plan began to formulate in her head. "We…don't," She started slowly. "But maybe someone else does." A confused expression made its way onto Danny's face as Clara continued. "The criminal in DALEK. Aren't they from Sector 1?"
"Well, that's what rumors say…"
"But what if they are?" Clara insisted. "If we know that they're from Sector 1…they probably know how to get out of the gates and direct us to where Maebh might be kept." And wasn't Sector 1 where all of the decisions were made for all of the Sectors?
If they could possibly reach that one, it might be possible to find Maebh. And better yet, stop Selections from ever occurring. "What if we talk to the prisoner? And somehow get their help? We can…" A note of hope flickered into her words, a tone that had been missing for a very long time.
"We can save Maebh."