Chapter 310
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Zoey Allen arrived in the Brooklyn sector on Friday March 14th. Her visit was scheduled to last until Monday. Zoey arrived with her film crew, a couple of Secret Service agents, she made it clear that she had a gun in her pocket, ready in case of trouble. Eve and Jamal were assigned to protect Zoey during her visit. It was three teams of two guards, each team working eight hour shifts until Zoey left the sector. Eve couldn't help but notice bandages around Zoey's hand. She had to wonder about the rumors, had Zoey really taken the mark of the beast? Was she simply hiding this from a theocratic government? What exactly were her intentions here? The schedule included interviewing those who allegedly refused to leave the sector, collecting books and paintings from the public library, speaking privately with council members. Eve wondered, what would they do if some were being held against their will? Gardner had made it clear it would be a waste of limited manpower. Even if they threatened action, many here believed God would protect them from the satanic world. Eve somehow doubted this, and wasn't particularly eager to find out.
Jamal and Eve's shift began on Friday at the hospital. Zoey and her crew were interviewing doctors and nurses. They all said they didn't want to leave Brooklyn. They'd rather stay here, help their own community. Ruors were addressed, that the Arks were kidnapping some essential personel, forcing them to serve these Arks. These doctors and nurses said they'd fight any attempt to force them into the secular Arks. They'd rather take their chances here, praying for God's protection. Eve wondered if any part of this was true. She doubted that this many essential personel would reject their own best chance at survival. Eve also couldn't help but notice, Dr Weber wasn't around. He'd been selected, but wasn't allowed to leave. Zoey Allen could be his best chance to get out. So why wasn't he here right now?
Much of Saturday was spent removing the "forbidden" books from the library. Zoey helped carry these books herself, she seemed suprisingly. strong. Eve remembered, during the war, Zoey boxing other women in exhibition fights to entertain loyalist soldiers. Zoey had six wins, zero losses. Eve also remembered radicals trying and failing to kill Zoey. Zoey had shot and killed two of her attackers. She could definitely handle herself. And now, she was risking her life, to protect books and paintings. Zoey said these represented society's history, culture, philosophy. She would not let this die away completely.
Eve was on guard duty while Zoey met with the council. Neither the sector police nor Secret Service were allowed into this meeting. These two groups just stood outside in awkward silence. Neither side seemed to want trouble, but were ready if trouble came. They also both hear arguments from the conference room. Zoey believed that much of what she'd seen here was staged. That people were being held against their will. The council denied this. Some personel were needed in Brooklyn, they might be willing to leave for the Arks come July. Zoey knew it would be far more difficult to safely retrieve them later. The theocratic council claimed that people were fleeing these Arks. Their stories were of being unable to worship freeley, that the state tried to force women to end their pregnancies under penalty of death. Zoey denied these charges. It was true that some Arks had population laws, to prevent the complete using of limited resources. But noone was executed for having children, nor was anyone forbidden from worshipping God, by whatever name they chose to call him. Zoey was glad none of the other guards were talking during the conversation. She wondered about these rumors. Were the Arks really so bad that people would rather take their chances in a soon to be frozen wasteland? Neither the Mason administration nor the sector's theological council had a monoploy on the truth, or on evil. Once again Eve couldn't help but wonder, which side was she really on?