It was basically like the border, with a few cops checking passes and
letting most people
by. I got a comment about my sector pass being new, and the fact that I was Canadian,
but they let me pass. It seemed that the city was split up into sectors two or thee square
miles, with borders all around them. I wasn't given a second glance at any of the sector
points, as I soon learned they were called, and I easily got out of the city.
I kept walking, on an old highway that went through some woods, I was still there when
night hit, so I set up my tent in the woods and slept there for the night. When I woke up, I
was starving. That's when I realized I had no food with me! I hoped I was near another
city or town where I could get something. I packed up and started walking along the
highway. I hadn't seen anyone since I left the city the night before. About four hours after
I started walking, I turned a corner and was in front of a sector point. There was no one in
sight, but as I approached a cop came out of the building. He looked mean. I walked up to
him, showing my pass. He looked at it closely.
"Name."
"Max Alexander, sir." He looked at me and raised an eyebrow when I called him sir.
"Where you headed?"
"Just passing through, I'm headed for Seattle."
"Awful young to be travelin' that far on your own, ain't ya?"
"I'm sixteen. Last I checked there are no rules about that."
"How would you know, according t' this, you're Canadian."
"So?"
"Hey, don't get smart with me, boy, or I'll send ya packin' back to your mama."
"I don't have a 'mama'. My father flew to Seattle, told me to find my own way there."
"Great dad ya got. But that don't let ya by." He rubbed his thumb across his index and
middle fingers. I got the message. Digging in my pocket, all I found was a five, but it was
Canadian. I handed it to him and he investigated the blue bill.
"What the Hell is this?"
"Five bucks. Five Canadian bucks, which is worth about ten fifty American."
"That all ya got?"
"Yes. That's all dad gave me, he said I could figure out the rest."
"Fine. Get lost, kid." He handed me my sector pass and let me through, giving me a small
push as I went past him. I walked until I was out of his sight, and then went into the first
store I found. It was small and dirty, but I was hungry. I dug a two-dollar coin out of my
jeans pocket and bought a bag of chips. Not exactly a healthy breakfast, but there wasn't
much else there that looked edible. The guy behind the counter didn't look much older
than me, but I asked him if he knew where I could find a bank. He didn't know what a
bank was. Yeah. I told him a bank was a place where people kept money. He clued in and
told me there was not one in this town, but the next town had one. I bought a bottle of
water and another bag of chips, with him marveling over my money, then walked out the
door through the town towards the next checkpoint.
~~
by. I got a comment about my sector pass being new, and the fact that I was Canadian,
but they let me pass. It seemed that the city was split up into sectors two or thee square
miles, with borders all around them. I wasn't given a second glance at any of the sector
points, as I soon learned they were called, and I easily got out of the city.
I kept walking, on an old highway that went through some woods, I was still there when
night hit, so I set up my tent in the woods and slept there for the night. When I woke up, I
was starving. That's when I realized I had no food with me! I hoped I was near another
city or town where I could get something. I packed up and started walking along the
highway. I hadn't seen anyone since I left the city the night before. About four hours after
I started walking, I turned a corner and was in front of a sector point. There was no one in
sight, but as I approached a cop came out of the building. He looked mean. I walked up to
him, showing my pass. He looked at it closely.
"Name."
"Max Alexander, sir." He looked at me and raised an eyebrow when I called him sir.
"Where you headed?"
"Just passing through, I'm headed for Seattle."
"Awful young to be travelin' that far on your own, ain't ya?"
"I'm sixteen. Last I checked there are no rules about that."
"How would you know, according t' this, you're Canadian."
"So?"
"Hey, don't get smart with me, boy, or I'll send ya packin' back to your mama."
"I don't have a 'mama'. My father flew to Seattle, told me to find my own way there."
"Great dad ya got. But that don't let ya by." He rubbed his thumb across his index and
middle fingers. I got the message. Digging in my pocket, all I found was a five, but it was
Canadian. I handed it to him and he investigated the blue bill.
"What the Hell is this?"
"Five bucks. Five Canadian bucks, which is worth about ten fifty American."
"That all ya got?"
"Yes. That's all dad gave me, he said I could figure out the rest."
"Fine. Get lost, kid." He handed me my sector pass and let me through, giving me a small
push as I went past him. I walked until I was out of his sight, and then went into the first
store I found. It was small and dirty, but I was hungry. I dug a two-dollar coin out of my
jeans pocket and bought a bag of chips. Not exactly a healthy breakfast, but there wasn't
much else there that looked edible. The guy behind the counter didn't look much older
than me, but I asked him if he knew where I could find a bank. He didn't know what a
bank was. Yeah. I told him a bank was a place where people kept money. He clued in and
told me there was not one in this town, but the next town had one. I bought a bottle of
water and another bag of chips, with him marveling over my money, then walked out the
door through the town towards the next checkpoint.
~~