Chapter 58
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Over the next two weeks Eve worked her shifts. The schedule changed weekly, there always seemed to be at least one shift past 10pm. Jessie might've been right about the military observing how well they adjusted. Eve's supervisors usually let her off on time. If they forgot, she didn't complain. On her time off she went to the movies, read :catching fire" watched baseball games. Care packages arrived, some for her from home, others from civilian strangers. Eve got to read cards from children, they wished these workers luck. These cards lifted Eve's spirits, made her feel like she was a part of something important. One day, Eve heard about an accident in another part of the Ark site. A man, Manny, hurt his leg. There was a very real possibility that Manny would never walk again. Some workers were taking up a collection for Manny and his family. Eve gave a few dollars from her paycheck, and some cookies from her care package. It had been almost one month since Eve came here, soon she'd have four more lottery chances. Eve prayed every day for president Mason's recovery. Although things might get worse over time Eve's faith in Allah, and her patriotic devotion here, helped her get through it all. On Sunday July 17th Eve was walking around after her shift. Barely three years until impact. Today, less than 1100 days. It always felt a bit scary when the countdown reached below another 100 days. Eve found Jessie, he was watching something on his cell-phone. He seemed to be enjoying whatever this was.
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Eve: What are you watching?
Jessie: A video on youtube. A woman baked rat poison into a pie to kill herself. It wasn't as tasty as she thought.
Eve: Someone actually posted that on the internet?
Jessie: Her friend. It's sort of a cautionary tale now. If you do kill yourself, find a more pleasant way to do it.
Eve: That's not funny. That woman died in pain. And because she committed suicide, she's almost certainly in Hell right now.
Jessie: That's your opinion. Personally, I support Allen's decision to sign the euthanasia bill, within a few months they'll be mercy clinics in every major city. The guards here knw I plan to sneak unto the Ark if I'm not selected, hell I told them. They did nothing, because right now, they need us. I prefer to think of this as thinning the herd. The ones who survive the next three years will be survivors. Guys like me who build Arks, or contribute in other ways. Not those who are weak. We keep going, every suicide takes us one step closer to the Ark.
Eve: That's sick. I tried to kill myself. If Nadia wasn't there, I'd be in Hell right now. I refuse to root for others to go to Hell, just to ensure my own survival.