Chapter 285
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The departures had been relatively calm. A lot of crying, cursing, but no violence. Mayor Ford had warned that this first selection would mostly be specialists, people still had hope of being chosen in one of the other five drawings. Rumor was that the state was monitoring them closely. If they erupted into violence, they'd be excluded. It seemed that the Arks would need people who could follow strict rules, so people remained calm. They went to their churches and mosques more often. The "psychics" did a lot of free work. They tried to assure people that they'd be fine, in the end. Eve prayed every day. She prayed that Hope would live a long and happy life in the Arks. And she prayed that Jamal would wake up, before it was too late. After the departures the sector became short-handed with certain personnel. Doctors in particular, and workers in the power plant. With the plant short-handed there was the danger that the greenhouses, which grew trees for oxygen, might lose power. Two members of the sector's council had been doctors. They could be more easily replaced on the council then in the hospital. Mayor Ford's husband had worked in the plant, now he was on an Ark. Maybe they needed him to create oxygen there, but some believed there had been a corrupt bargain. Suppossedly Ford would keep the sector people in line, in exchange for a spot on an Ark. They took his husband as a show of good faith. Eve wondered if chief Bowen or captain Wells was included in this deal. From what she heard Bowen would do whatever he had to do to insure his own safety. Wells seemed more concerned with restoring his own honor. Wells was filled with buyers remorse about joining the collective army. He'd actually tried to re-join the loyalist army in the final days of the war, to defend America against North Korea. Wells seemed to have self-hatred, which he passed on to other sector citizens. Eve had noticed that Wells' girlfriend often had a black eye. That unfortunatley wasn't uncommon. In the police station people said that some women asked their boyfriends to hit them. With all the jewelery long since sold a black eye seemed the best way to show that they were a man's property, and should be left alone. Whether that rumor was true or not Eve agreed it was a sad day if women were asking to be beat. Some of the doctors who stayed were suspected of falsifying birth records of babies born recently. Some said those born in late December were actually born in early January, thus increasing the doctor's own chances. Other doctors allegedly claimed those born in early January were actually born in late December, thus giving the baby at least a chance of surviving. Dr Weber merely said he didn't lie, one way or the other. Eve made it very clear to him that Jamal would never want to be taken off life support. Hopefully, this would be enough to save him.
By mid-January the integrated schools had almost completely shut down. There had always been the danger of violence, but recently it got worse. Loyalists that weren't chosen took their frustration out on these schools. Six year olds were bringing guns to school, teachers brought them, terrified even of children. This led to many tragic accidents. In at least one incident gangsters invaded a school and kidnapped the children to sell into slavery. There was a movement of liberal loyalists and various clergy speaking out against this slavery. Zoey Allen had been the symbolic leader of those calling for the children to be returned. But with general Gardner and other officials openly using slaves, there was only so much these liberals could do. Most loyalists tolerated this tolerated this because it was being used against their enemies. Because the military no longer used their limited resources to protect them, most schools shut down. Most soldiers were being used to defend the Arks, or the resources that the Arks would need. And if teachers were terrified of six year olds, what was the point of education?