Mark's graying hair belied his age. Although he looked to be in his early forties, be was really only twenty-seven. Premature wrinkles and a slight limp only increased the casual onlooker's faulty impression. Although he complained about the mistake often, Mark secretly reveled in his appearance of wisdom and experience. He had cultivated a scraggly goatee as soon as he was able, and was considering the addition of a mustache, in the hopes that it would add to his natural air of venerable age.
In contrast, Anna seemed surprisingly young, to the point that her marriage to Mark seemed ridiculous to many. Her hair was a light auburn, and she liked to wear it down, although it wasn't particularly long. Long hair was impractical, and one thing she had learned in her short life was the value of practicality. While Mark was often sullen around others, she could always coax a smile from him. She could make almost anyone smile and open up to her; trust just seemed to follow her.
They were, for all appearances, blissfully happy, and the only thing lacking to make their lives perfect was a child.
In this, they stood out from among the crowd that gathered when the winners came. Toothless crones hobbled among injured young men. Filthy children gazed at the shining caravan of jeeps with vacant eyes, bellies swollen from hunger. Most of the young adults carried children or other burdens, eyes glassy and indifferent. While their clothes were filthy and their ribs prominent, Mark and Anna could boast that they, at least, were interested in the proceedings, and still dared to have hope. They stood at the front of the crowd, jostling for position with a few other young men and women, along with a rabble of untidy urchins.
The mob's interest grew, however, when they saw what was in the jeeps. Crates marked "apples" and "blankets" were stacked high next to first aid kits and bottled water. Whispers of excitement leapt through the crowd like wildfire, and by the time the trucks grew near, the now-lively throng was cheering. In addition to the supplies, each jeep also carried three armed soldiers, one of whom drove. They clambered out of the vehicles as they stopped, drawing their menacing firearms and commanding the people to form orderly lines in a drawl that suggested that they had been doing this for some time.
As Anna excitedly fought for a position at the head of the line for canned goods, Mark stood back and watched a large van that had pulled up with the jeeps. It was guarded by four men, and the mob paid it little mind. That is, until the food had been distributed, at which point the doors at its rear were opened and a podium was removed. The refugees clutched their supplies and made room as it was placed in the center of what could be modestly termed their town. After the podium had been placed, a tall, muscular woman wearing a smart uniform stepped down from the front passenger seat. The soldiers saluted her as she passed, and the others instinctively gave her a wide berth, staring in naked curiosity. She walked briskly up to the lectern and said in a clear (but not unpleasant) voice:
"Hello. My name is Elaine. I am the new Receiver of Memories for your Community."
Anna and Mark exchanged a worried glance while the bemused crowd did their best to clap around armfuls of rations. No one knew what "Receiver of Memories" of "Community" meant, but the young couple knew one thing: it meant change.