“What did you get?” Megan asked, sitting beside Tilly on her bed.
“I got Dragon’s Fortune, by Stefany White, Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon and a Tom Clancy novel. I wasn’t sure what you’d like.” Tilly said.
“I’ll try Dragon’s Fortune first. How about you?”
“Outlander. I like the writer and I’ve read her series before. They have all the books there, so I figured I’d start there. Maybe read the Tom Clancy one after. Red Storm Rising.”
Both women turned when their door slid open and a tall man slipped in. He was slender and lanky but had a toughness about him, all the same. He had sharp cheekbones and dark brown eyes. He was actually clean shaven, which was a surprise. Most men sported beards these days. He was in yellow coveralls, but there was no number stitched to his outfit. He was a newbee. That was what new arrivals were called.
“You lost?” Megan asked, peeking around the corner of the short wall.
The young man grinned and Tilly grinned back. He had a pleasant smile and she’d not seen a lot of those here. This place seemed to suck the joy from a person. She had hope that things would get better, because outside the fence, things were getting worse.
“No, just got assigned to this apartment. I’m surprised I’m bunking with women, though.” He held up his black numbering. 120220.
“Well, come on in.” Tilly said.
“Thanks, I’m Ian Dent. I got here a few days ago and have been down in medical. I guess they had to clear me.” He smiled, walking over. He looked over into the empty chamber that held the bed and laid his things down.
“Hi Ian, I’m Megan Arya and this is Tilly Planter. Where are you coming from?” Megan asked.
“I’m from here. They closed down Topeka, I was caught inside the city. I’d been heading over to the tractor feed store to pick up some supplies. Then I’d have been on my way home. I ran into a roadblock. They said no one was coming in or out of Topeka. I tried to tell them I needed to get home, but they weren’t listening. Me and a bunch of people ended up here. We all spent the last couple of days in medical. Don’t know why, I’m fine.” He shrugged.
“I don’t know why either.” Tilly shrugged.
“What the hell is this place. It’s crazy, reminds me of a prison.” Ian said, shaking his head. Tilly held a finger up to her lips, but too late.
“That is an unauthorized statement. Further discussion will cease.” The voice said over the intercom. Megan had placed a hand over Ian’s mouth and whispered something to him, his eyes growing wide.
“Sorry. I’m new here.” He said, his voice cracking.
Nothing else came over the intercom. The three stood looking awkwardly at each other.
“We’re on an even day. If you want to go take a shower, you can. It’s a two-minute shower, so make it quick.” Tilly smiled. Ian smiled back, but his mouth trembled a bit, like he wanted to say something. Megan grabbed his arm and shook her head.
“Okay.” Ian said.
“Once you’re done, we’ll go over the rules with you. Don’t worry, we’ll help you settle in.” Megan said in an overly cheerful voice, her face didn’t reflect it, however. Ian nodded and got his towel.
“Soap and such are in your locker.” Tilly helped.
“Thanks.” Ian said and disappeared.
“Let me comb your hair, Megan, it looks like a rat’s nest.” Tilly said. That was their way of talking and not being overheard.
“Christ, it looks like they are pulling people off the streets now.” Tilly whispered.
“Yeah, now I know why they made this place so big. It wasn’t built for just refugees. Are they going to put the whole city in here?” Megan whispered harshly.
“They can’t, there isn’t enough room.” Tilly said.
“I heard a rumor they were building another Hive. Bigger than this one.”
“That’s crazy. This thing is ginormous. Why? Why would they do this? Are things that bad on the outside?” Tilly said, her voice rising.
Megan laid a hand on her arm, holding a finger to her lips. Tilly cringed. Sometimes, she got too excited.
“They won’t let us have any news, only what they tell us, which isn’t anything. No newspapers, no TV, nothing.” Megan whispered, and Tilly saw the tears shimmering on Megan’s lashes.
They turned when Ian walked back in. They waved him over to sit next to them.
“What did they tell you, when you first got here?” Megan whispered.
“That the city was cracking down on all the violence. They said I’d be here until they had it under control.” Ian whispered, looking around him.
“Ian, do you know if there is another Hive being built?” Megan whispered, leaning into Ian.
“Yeah, over at Philip Billard Municipal airport, it looks to be twice the size of this one. It’s an eyesore.”
“Jesus. I think they’re putting everyone in the Hives, not just the refugees, but everyone.” Megan choked.
Ӝ
Ian looked at his roommates, he was surprised that he’d been put with two women. He would have thought the Hive would have put him into a room with men. Megan seemed to have her shit together. Tilly seemed a sweet girl, and he wondered what their stories were. At least he wasn’t put in with a couple of assholes. He wondered about his family. He wondered about his mother.
He’d been amazed, coming into the Hive, it was incredibly large. His worst suspicions had been confirmed, this place was a sort of prison. Whether
