Chapter 298
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On the morning of Wednesday Febuary 13th Jamal and Eve were amongst those who stood in the sector square, outside what was once Brooklyn city hall. The council members were again explaining the new system. Most were scared. They'd experienced a few changes in government the last few years, it often didn't end well. Although they'd fought with the uprising, Jamal and Eve were also nervous. Most people in this crowd decided to simply keep their heads down, not make waves, and try to adapt. If going to church, mosque, or synagouge more often helped, they'd do that. This might be more difficult with alcohol and tobacco banned, but Eve could already see elements of a new black-market emerging. Most people here were also trying to learn if they'd be given new assignments. Many would likely remain at their old jobs. Eve doubted that she'd retain her old job. The new government needed a police force, but they wouldn't give a job to a woman who blew up the last police building, regardless of her motive. During this Wednesday people were sent to the offices to discuss their new assignments. Most interviews were short, some were longer. Eve's interview was short. The woman mostly wanted to confirm what their records said. Eve had fought for the collective army, was sufficiently trained in fire-arms, secretarial work, and some battlefield medicine. Having also fought with the uprising, they had a new assignment for her. All of the surviving sector police and guards had been released from the sector. The council knew they needed new police. Given Eve's experience, and loyalties, she became a sector police station.
As suprising a decision as this was, Eve realized they were short-handed, for better or worse they needed her now. The rest of this Wednesday was orientation. A class, re-learning basic police procedures, a quick refresher course on fire-arms. This was the first time Eve held a gun since she desserted the collective army, save only for the time she murdered that woman who raped her. After this Eve ate lunch, followed by some on the job training. Eve and seven other nw recruits were shown around the sector by an experienced instructor. He showed them how to handle the job, to resolve conflicts without using force, and also how to appropriately use force when neccessary. People were on edge, they'd just survived another conflict, and today a new government they didn't understand ws in charge. But the sight of new police guards kept most from breaking into fist-fights. This ended shortly before 5pm. Before she left for the day Eve and the others had to take an oath, promising to serve the collective good and the citizens of this sector. Eve returned to the church to pick up Hope. A part of her hoped she'd be helping to take care of children orphaned during the uprising. Now it seemed she'd be leaving her daughter here every dy for the forseeable future. Perhaps even the next 158 days.
On Thursday Febuary 14th Eve dropped Hope off at the church's daycare, and went to work at the new temporary police station. Less than two years ago she'd murdered her own step-mother in cold-blood, now she was a cop. With the world still slouching towards Bethlehem, the times were indeed confusing. To her suprise Eve found that her new partner was Jamal. It seemed that there were a lot of christian-muslim pairings today. This appeared to be a way of cementing relations between these to religions within the sector. Eve and Jamal mostly walked around the sector during their shift. The presence of cops was a good deterant against crime. They got a call around 11am. A local shopkeeper said a teenager had tried to shoplift from him. They went to the store. Jamal did most of the talking. Eve just stood there, silently letting them both know she was backing up Jamal. They sorted things out. The teen said he'd forgotten the candy bar was in his pocket. He agreed to pay for it, the shopkeeper agreed not to press charges. Shortly after this Eve and Jamal ate lunch together. They'd both brought bagged lunches of peanut-butter sandwiches with soda. The rest of the day was mercifully un-eventful. Some people got into fights, but broke it up as soon as the cops arrived. Despite some dirty looks, noone attacked Jamal or Eve today. Before they knew it, they'd completed their first day as sector police officers.