The dark and fascinating expanses of space, which had neither beginning nor end, excited the minds of astronomers. They, who once looked through telescopes, found images consisting of stars and gave them a special meaning. The brightest and closest star to them was the Sun. Other planets and their moons were spinning around her. But there was one that was different from the others. She was the third from the sun, they called her "Earth". Earth, formerly the ark of life and the mother of mankind, is the only green planet in the solar system. Beautiful landscapes of forests, unexplored depths of oceans and seas, an incalculable variety of living organisms. That's how this planet used to be characterized. But look at her now and in my head even the thought does not slip to say the above words. At the present time, it looks more like a planetary-scale landfill. High garbage towers all around, dilapidated houses where people once lived and worked, abandoned city streets and deathly silence in which you can hear the beating of your own heart. And you wouldn't think that there used to be a civilization here. Only ruins remained of it.
No one and nothing can survive here. It's impossible.
But somewhere in the depths of sector 1045, which used to be called "New York", you can hear a surprisingly optimistic song from an old record player. There was interference, which probably hurt the listener's ears. The player itself was hanging on the belt of a lonely girl wandering along the roads of the remnants of the city. The stranger looked unsightly and dirty. It is clear: there is no possibility to take a bath. On his chest was a badge with the name Carolina written crookedly. A husky was spinning around her legs.
Caroline went to the old compactors that were scattered all over the city, and, taking a shovel, began to throw garbage into its compartment. When she was done, Lina pressed the button and leaned on a nearby piece of debris. The compactor began to compress the garbage with an unpleasant creak. The fact that with prolonged listening it can cause a headache. It's a pity that there is nothing to lubricate. I have to endure this sound every day.
Finally, the prolonged creaking stopped and the compactor spat out a cube of garbage. Caroline waited for another one and, grabbing them, wandered towards the high garbage towers that were located everywhere on the sector.
"Don't look down, don't look down"
It was spinning in Caroline's skull as she rose unsteadily higher and higher, resting against the wall of the tower. Her head began to spin and her breathing quickened when Lina glanced down fleetingly. Staggering slightly, Caroline hugged the cubes closer to her. Here we go again. No matter how much Lina climbed these mountains, she never learned that this is fraught with consequences.
After standing still for a while, she continued to approach the top of the tower. While Caroline was trying to get to her destination alive, Archie could not sit still and began to wander around in search of something to occupy himself. As soon as Lina stepped onto the last "floor" of the mountain, she exhaled with relief, putting the cubes in the empty seats. Leaning on them to catch her breath, Caroline noticed something glistening in the sunlight, standing out against the background of fifty shades of dirt. Her attention was riveted on an unknown thing. Bracing her feet against the walls of the tower, Caroline tried to pull this thing out of the confinement of the garbage cube.
However, it got stuck so tightly that Lina did not fall off her feet trying to get it. But I got it!
And it was a simple ordinary urn lid.
"Just a lid from a trash can?" — the garbage woman thought to herself, examining it. Caroline was a little upset that the unknown object turned out to be a simple trinket, which were scattered everywhere by the hundreds. She snorted in annoyance. The sun was already setting. So it's going to get dark soon. Walking around the sector in the twilight is a bad idea. Caroline has tested this on her own experience. So now we need to head home while we can see the road under our feet. Mentally prepared, Caroline began to carefully descend the "stairs". She was lucky this time.
"Wait, where's Archie?" — Caroline didn't find the dog nearby. Where is he? She can't go home without him.
— Archie, here, to the leg! — Caroline exclaimed, but there was only silence in response. I shouted again, nothing new. The cleaner quickly began to look for her pet, from time to time loudly shouting the name. It was already getting cold outside, and there was no sign of Archie, only an echo accompanied Caroline's screams. Where could he have gone? This has never happened before, he is an obedient and good boy. What's gotten into him? Caroline would like to know the answers. Finally, I saw a white tail peeking out of the broken shop windows. With a sigh of relief, Lina headed in his direction. Entering the dilapidated building, Caroline found that Archie was playing with some empty canned food among the counters. Apparently, Lina worked too hard today that she couldn't find time to play with him. But now is not the time for games, we need to get back soon.
— Archie, come to me! Now is not the time, let's go — Already calmed down, Caroline said, standing behind her pet, who turned his muzzle in her direction. Looking sternly at Archie, Lina motioned for him to follow her. Husky, lowering his ears, trudged after her. Leaving the store, Caroline tried to remember the shortest way home, because it was already dark outside. Taking a flashlight out of her bag, the scavenger lit up the area, trying to figure out where they are now. After standing for a while, the girl sadly exhaled. Caroline was able to remember the path, the most unpleasant of all, but at the same time the shortest. There's no choice, I'll have to go.
Quietly shuffling her berets, Karolina walked towards Central Park, lost somewhere in her thoughts. Garbage crunched underfoot, and the howling of the wind could be heard around. The weather is getting worse, just not to get into a sandstorm. Therefore, Lina sometimes looked around, trying to look for a potential place where she could hide from a deadly weather phenomenon. Because of the darkness, it is almost impossible to see the road, only the lantern saved the situation. Anyone, in Caroline's place, would easily get lost here. Every place in this city was similar to another, there were almost no differences, and now it's generally difficult to see where you put your foot. But Carolina has long memorized almost the entire sector, years of work in this city have not been in vain. But the truth is, there were places that Caroline would rather not know about. But alas, it's too late.
Walking along Wall Street, the girl did not pay attention to the newspapers scattered throughout the sector. Because of the dirt, it is almost impossible to read what is written on them, but if you strain yourself, you can see the main title of most papers:
"GARBAGE DISASTER! THE EARTH IS CLUTTERED! Btl DIRECTOR DECLARES A STATE OF EMERGENCY!"
This inscription was flaunted under a photograph of a man in his fifties. His name was known to everyone - Shelby Forthright, CEO of Buy 'n' Large megacorporation, which became a leader in the international market in the distant hundredth. No one could be her competitor. She captured all spheres of people's lives - movies, car brands, food, alcoholic beverages, household items and weapons, absolutely everything was the product of this company. By the way, their logo was also on Caroline's uniform. Even if she wasn't officially their employee, she was at least a descendant of the workers.
This inscription was flaunted under a photograph of a man in his fifties. His name was known to everyone - Shelby Forthright, CEO of Buy 'n' Large mega corporation, which became a leader in the international market in the distant hundredth. No one could be her competitor. She captured all spheres of people's lives - movies, car brands, food, alcoholic beverages, household items and weapons, absolutely everything was the product of this company. By the way, their logo was also on Caroline's uniform. Even if she wasn't officially their employee, she was at least a descendant of the workers.
Lina had already reached the elevated railway station where the maglev train was rusting. Jumping off on the way, Caroline tried not to look around and walk as fast as possible, almost breaking into a run. She didn't like to pass through here and the reason was simple: there were people around Caroline. More precisely, the remains of those people are already there.
"Look at the road, look at the road, look at the road!"
Thoughts were feverishly spinning in my head, and my legs accelerated my pace, so much so that Archie could barely keep up with the hostess. Caroline didn't want to be here, literally every inch of this place reminded her of the dark memories that Lina tried to throw into the farthest and darkest corner of her mind, and lock it with a steel lock. But she decided: today, Caroline will do without them. We need to get out of here as soon as possible.
But Lina was distracted by a sharp and severe pain in her right foot. Caroline shrieked and grabbed her leg, falling on her fifth point. It turned out that her boots had already completely collapsed and Caroline inadvertently stepped on a piece of glass. Carefully removing the shoe, she pulled out a fragment from the sole, throwing it somewhere to the side. But there was a problem: the foot was bleeding, and there was no patch or bandage at hand. Out of desperation, Caroline took off her bandana from her neck and wrapped it tightly. It's better than nothing at all.
She stood on one leg and began to look around in search of a new pair of ankle boots, these are no longer suitable. No matter how much Caroline would like to, walking barefoot to the house is one of the worst ideas that could come to mind. Approaching, or rather jumping up to the skeletons of the workers, Lina noticed a good pair worn by the alleged past owner. Although as worn, hanging on the bones
Taking off a new pair of boots, Caroline glanced briefly at the dead worker. He was still holding onto the cube with arrogance, as if he believed to the end that he could fulfill his directive. But alas, fate played a bad joke and, apparently, from the sandstorm, he lost not only hope for the bright, but also his life. Maybe Caroline knew him, and maybe she didn't. But all the same, for some reason, longing rolled over, which, like a snake, wrapped around his chest, squeezing him in a vice. Involuntarily, thoughts slipped through that sooner or later Caroline would also rot in this ghost town, unless something incredible happened that would turn Lina's fate one hundred and eighty degrees. But she stopped hoping for a miracle a long time ago.
Although, perhaps, this worker was more lucky than Caroline. He has gone to a place where there is neither pain nor fear. If, of course, there is anything after death at all. He is finally free from earthly shackles, from loneliness and directives. The dead no longer have to worry about anything, unlike Lina, who had to exert titanic forces every day just to see a new dawn, not looking for anything good and live with a job that seemed to lead nowhere. No matter how hard the workers try, there is no less garbage, which further depresses Carolina.
Leaving her old pair of boots, Caroline hurried away from there, beckoning Archie, who had been sitting peacefully next to her all this time. Again she plunged into thoughts that inevitably led to an understanding of the futility of her existence. It is existence, to call this life the tongue does not turn.
Trying to distract herself from her thoughts, Caroline hummed the words of the song under her breath, walking in new berets. When she reached the terminal station, she walked past the railway ticket offices. But suddenly holographic advertisements created using the latest technology of that time were activated on the walls, I break the silence. A man's voice came from them:
"Too much garbage in your face? There's plenty of space out in space! BNL starliners leaving each day, we'll clen up the mess while your away!"
There were people on the screen in the same uniform as Caroline. Only the clothes were new and clean, and they themselves looked neater than Lina, and they were all smiling at the camera. They smiled falsely. No one in their right mind would be happy if they were left on this abandoned planet to do dirty work.
"The jewel of the BNL fleet: the Axiom. Spend your five year cruise in ctyle! Waited upon 24 hours a day by our fuilly automated crew, while your captain charts a course for nonstop entertainment, fine dining, and with our all access hover-chairs, even grandma can join the fun, there's no need to walk!"
An image of the ship itself appeared, slowly floating in space. And then they showed people who were lucky enough to get on board, resting on it. We rode on aero chairs, played virtual games, or skilful cuisine from the best chefs, enjoyed a massage, swam in the pool and lived happily. Caroline noticed these videos and turned away in disgust. Again, she got into the zone of their activation. They were put there as if on purpose to remind how people live on ships, without thinking about anything, while Lina is just trying to survive in this damned place. Sometimes she just wanted to break them to pieces, so that they wouldn't fool her brain. There is so much envy and anger in her that words simply cannot convey.
Caroline quickened her pace.
"The Axiom, putting the star in execuitive starliner!"
And again the face of Shelby Forthright, in a business suit, standing near the launch station of the spaceship. He exuded optimism, which was already disgusting, and the same fake smile.
He turned around and waved after the departing ship from the station. Then a cloud of dust flew towards the film crew and the men who hurried to finish the recording. Finally, the holographic advertisements went out and opened up a view of the same take-off site from the video. But now empty and completely covered with rust. She was in the dried-up Hudson Bay. Approaching the Brooklyn Bridge, you can see a small truck of dirty yellow color parked right at the beginning of the bridge.
"Finally," — thought Caroline, pulling the lever of the truck. The ramp creaks down, revealing a view of Lina's home. Calling Archie, she went in and closed the door.