Selected

The rain pounded as I finally returned from work. It was already a long day at the office. Every time it rains, the electricity has its issues. I was constantly taking phone calls from the technicians. My mind was racing through the awful raindrops. My day never did improve, even after it was raining all day. I started this job five years ago, and yet nothing seemed to gain any advancement towards management. It is a miserable little town, and all the outdated systems never last long in any weather. The day was already draining, and yet heading home to just entertain too long of a long week. I was hoping the rain would have ended, but my car was in the shop, and no other choice but to walk home. Not only was I soaking wet, but I felt like I needed to pass out. Halfway home, I felt so lost, and my mind blurred. Still, I do now remember anyone around. Before I knew it, everything just blacked out.

A buzzing resounded louder than my brain needed. I remember it was not my alarm or anything. Suddenly, a voice said, "wake up, Sadie Amelia Brennan, it's time to get ready." I cracked my eyes open and was shocked at the site of where I was. It was a small room with a screen with a smiley face winking at me. I could finally feel the movement, and my eyes adjusted to the place. I could see minor aspects of light from a window. I peered towards the window and felt like I was on a train. The last time I was on one as a child, I threw a fit, and my parents never took me on one again. The story is brought up every so often too. It seemed like a nightmare. I finally gained my balance to get out of bed and looked at the room better. It was lightly decorated with a small bathroom, desk, and closet. I turned back to the odd screen and headed toward the desk. There was a neatly folded stack of clothes and a note.

The note read YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED. "Selected for what?" I said aloud. The screen then answered, "Selected." "That's not an answer," I yelled. "Congratulations to you for being Selected," replied the screen. I finally asked, "Am I on a train?" "Yes, you are on the train for the Selected," retorted the screen. "But I did not purchase any tickets." I angrily answered back. The screen with the super annoying smiley face responded, "you do not need any tickets here." "Okay, what is my destination on this ride? Are any stops on the way?" questioning my sanity to be talking to a machine. "The end is the destination, and no stops in between," replied the screen. In my mind, it felt like talking to my nieces and nephews, and they could not answer a question either, especially when they lost their toys. "You must be ready for the meeting time by eating your breakfast and be proud of being Selected." Stated the screen.

I then took a more extended look around the room and tried to look through the window, but the slits were too small to see anything relevant to see what kind of a train I was on. Honestly, I was tired of conversing with a crazy machine that only answered half the questions I asked. I then looked in the tiny bathroom and found my basics of shower products. It was a unique shower with a floor raised to keep the water off the floor. So, I decided to cool myself off, and after several attempts to figure it out, the shower functioned. I felt the warm water over my body, and it felt good to clean up. The rest of the bathroom was also small, with a sink with a toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, face wash, mouthwash, and other everyday products. I reluctantly prepared for whatever meeting the psycho- smiley face said. After looking at my light brown hair, I put my in hair a ponytail and stared at my brown eyes and pale skin reflected in the mirror. The smell of oatmeal and pancakes filled the air when I came out. "Breakfast is ready," stated the screen. "After I got dressed as I grabbed the stack of grey clothes, which were no more mundane than the grey shirt and shorts, I was sleeping all night. The stack had a different t-shirt with BRENNAN on the back, three white squares on the front, a pair of plain grey sweatpants, undergarments in grey, and a pair of grey sports socks. I did finally notice a pair of grey tennis shoes under the desk in my size. All the sizes were correct, and they fit well, but the color selection was something to be desired. I finally came out to eat the food hesitantly since this situation seemed precarious. "Make sure you eat the entire breakfast for energy today," the screen replied. I was thinking of eating the well-cooked meal that I last remember the long-lasting rain storm and not getting on a strange train in a sleeper car. I was almost done and finally feeling a little settled when the alarm rang again." Time to go to the meeting, time to go to the forum." "The meeting for what" I replied. "Need to go, need to go" the machine did not change the answer. I put on the pair of sneakers, and the door to my room opened. I also notice a small band-aide on my hand. I slowly peeled it off to see a small bump on my hand.

Out of nowhere, other doors opened, and other women exited them. They were a variety of races and ages, which seemed odd. The same drab grey shirts had different shapes, and everyone looked confused about the situation. Suddenly, the loudspeaker announces that "the meeting will be in the meeting car. Please proceed to the meeting car." Lights along the ceiling and the floor lit up, and despite the confusion among the group, we followed them in this strange location. The corridors were narrow, and the same wooden paneling was on the outside as in the room. It was well kept and clean, but I had never seen or heard of a train like this. As we entered the different cars, I noticed that a group of men was also heading into the long, massive car with many seats. There was also a screen on the wall, but only we that wore our grey shirts and sweatpants were in the room. Finally, I talked to another person, saying, "do you know what is going on?" " No," she replied, "did you receive a note saying YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED?" I replied," yes, and I did not remember getting on this train?" She said, "yeah, I was driving home, and all I remember is passing out than being on the train." I replied, "my name is Sadie." She came back with, "my name is Alice." The lights flickered, and the room became silent. The front screen flickered on, and a voice came forth, "Congratulations on being the Selected. It is a great honor for all of you to be here." "First, I know you are all wondering why you have been chosen to be here, but that answer will come soon enough. It is important to the world's future that we isolate you at this time, and your destination will come but not when you're expecting it. Your service will be a great contribution to what needs to be done. Please follow your instructions, and no unfortunate consequences will come. It is best to be working with us or else." Then the voice cuts out. A second voice came over the screen with more instruction: "In the next car will be a series of physical and mental tests. You must follow instructions so your ride will be smooth and not a train wreck. Please put your chips in your hands to the readers, and your schedule will print out. A schedule will print in your room every morning, and this will be the last meeting till the destination is finally met. Congratulations on being Selected." A panel lit up at the back of the room. It asked everyone to line up to obtain their schedules for the day. I shuffled into the line, thinking that something did not seem right with this predicament. We were taken from different places and put on the special train without answering why we were there. The whole morning had been a rush with no time to converse with anyone else. I finally said to the guy before me, "My name is Sadie, and do you know what is happening. "He replied with a shrug, "my name is Dylan, and all I know is I have a bad feeling about this place." Truthfully, I felt the same way.

The room could carry about one hundred people, and it was a more significant account between the men and women. Each lined up for the next mysterious door. As each one obtained their schedules, the line moved. It was a mess to see the surprised looks on everyone's faces. The drugs were still lingering in our systems without any real explanation of what was happening. The individuals in the meeting car still differed in age and race, with no common threads. Several were talking about where they started. The rich and the poor were in the room too. I hoped we would eventually be released back to our lives before this strange ride ended. It was finally my turn, and I put my hand to the sensor and a piece of paper printed. I grabbed it so I could examine it in my seat. Alice had already had hers, and she was confused about the title First day of testing. I looked at mine, and the list of the test seemed comprehensible to any person. It tested everything to prove one's health. I wondered if one could even fail or was to see where everyone was simply at in their health. Alice had a different set of tests labeled Skills and Abilities. I swept a glance at another schedule stating Leadership Abilities. The tests seemed to vary, to my estimate, about three days. I hated going to anything medical and was not looking forward to any more difficulties. Suddenly the door next to the sensor lit, revealing a name on the screen.

The person stood up and came near the door. "Place your hand on the sensor," rang out, and the nervous guy, who could not have been more than twenty Hispanic, placed his chip on the sensor. The door flung open, and he entered so carefully before the door slammed behind him. We all looked and hoped this was not our end or some kind of sick experiment. Our captures, which I nicknamed the shadows, hid their faces like cowards and only spoke through computers. Their ultimate plan was a mystery, and we were just along for the ride of a lifetime. I waited to hear the next name on the screen for the many tests. It seemed strange that despite no guards, no one tried to leave the car until ten minutes later, an older gentleman in his sixties tried to check his chip on all the doors in the room. The door would turn red around the edges, and the scream said "denied" really loud. Nothing happened to him, and he then decided to join us in our perspective chairs. Fifteen minutes later, another name showed on the screen. A lady in her mid-forties who was African American rose out of her chair and went to the door. She placed her chip on the sensor, and the door opened and quickly shut behind her. Others became more comfortable with the circumstance and started walking around the room, studying the exciting features. It had the feel of the old-time trains but the technology of one that I have never heard about in my current time. Every fifteen minutes, a name appeared on the screen, and the person would disappear behind the door. Almost half the room was empty when Alice's name came on the screen. She slowly got up since she had to be about my mother's age, in her fifties and tan. She stood up and made her way to the door. She hesitantly placed her chip on the sensor, and the door opened. She took one step in, and the door slammed shut behind her.

I decided to study my schedule, starting with a blood test; I knew that meant those awful needles. I kept reading the list with vision, hearing, stress, and a bounty of more tests. I kept my attention every fifteen minutes for my name to eventually show but with less than twenty left in the room, the stress was becoming unbearable. Finally, my name Sadie Brennan aired on the screen. I took a deep breath and looked at my already pale hands, even without stress, and it felt like the scariest journey of my life to the door. One more deep breath and put my hand up to the sensor, and the door flung open. I leaped and could feel the wind from the closing door behind me.

My eyes had to adjust to the new light, and the room lit up. A voice responded, "Medical tests, you are in the right car" I thought that was a good thing; this place seemed like a labyrinth. I finally became brave to peer around the room and see the others who had already been called in for their tests. I pulled it together to travel to station one, which stated Blood Test. I studied the station; it was a small booth like one in a confessional. In that booth was a seat where one would put their air through a hole. The other side was blocked off, but no sound came out. I then sat down with all my courage and reluctantly put my arm through the hole in the booth. I tried to keep my heart steady, but when I felt the needle, my body jumped, but I felt a zap. I calmed down while I could feel my blood drain my body and wondered if this was how I would die. After a short minute, I could feel the needle leaving my arm and a green light signaling I could finally leave this horrible station. It did not take long to burst out of that booth, and glad I had my schedule in my hand to a new station which was a heart exam,

I looked around the room, and at station two was that heading. It was another booth, but this one simply had a chair and a piece of equipment by the side. I sat down feeling a little better, and the machine had an arm that came out and placed it right over my heart. It stayed there more than I wished and then retracted, and a green light appeared. I breathed a sigh of relief since it was much easier to handle than the last one. It was a more relaxed leaving before heading out.

A quick look at the schedule indicates Blood Pressure. I then headed to station 3; it was simply a chair in another booth. This time an arm came out of the other side and cupped my arm. It started to squeeze and then relented. I was ready for the green light, but it took a few seconds to appear.

The tests were standard so far. It was getting less stressful after the first test. Station four was next to test vision. In the open with the black reader, I had to put my face down to see through the two openings. Again, it was a standard vision test, and I could see most of the letters, but the smallest ones always got me. I said the lettering, and the backdrop went dark. It was also a green light to signify that I could finally go to the next test.

Now to the fifth station with the hearing test. I have taken a ton of these before, and it came easy to the sounds in another booth. My hearing has always been vital; it was a simple test with the headphones. The sounds were evident, at least to me, and it seemed more calming to be there.

After that, I could hear the new announcement and send the health test group to lunch in the dining car. We all looked confused and more arrows lit the way, through the other two testing cars, to the smell of roast beef on Texas toast. It was welcome after the long day it had already been with all the silly tests. I ate the whole plate of roast beef and enjoyed a cold glass of lemonade. The day just seemed to drag with being stuck on this mysterious train. It was a warm meal, and I needed a long break after my blood draw. The food only appeared but no other beings besides the so-called Selected. I do wonder if they, the shadows, were on a different part of the train. I finished up and talked to a woman about twenty-five, my age, and she was just as confused as I was. She had been at a bar when she had felt ill. She then woke up on this train. She was Asian with darker skin, but I could tell everyone was kidnapped. We talked for about ten minutes when we were called back to the health testing car. I observed the two other testing cars, which varied in setup but still had private booths for evaluations.

It was back to our testing, and I was on station six for my stress levels. I could only imagine that they were high due to the current circumstances, but the booth slowly took my readings with at least no more needle pricks so far. The test did stop, and I exited at the green light. Everyone was going to the booths then to the next with ease and could see the nerves lowering than the morning's excitement.

I came to station seven with the physical strength test. I stepped into the booth, where a series of weights were lying on the ground. There were signs to explain the exam. I picked up each weight with started low, then went to fifty pounds. I was lifting ease till the larger ones, but I could lift the fifty pounds to the middle shelf and then back to the ground.

The green light came on, and I went to the next booth, which was mental health. I had my questions after a long day of this craziness. It asked a few questions on a screen, such as what day it was. It was on the goofy screen this morning. After about ten minutes, I was accessible to the next station. I could feel my stomach start to get hungry again and could not wait for dinner time to come. The long day never seemed to end. The mystery of precisely the plans of the ones behind all these computers remained unclear. There had to be other humans somewhere on this train.

I trolled down to the ninth station, where when I entered the was another needle. My heart started to race, but I carefully placed my finger on the top of a small box. A tiny piercing was felt in my finger, but it was just a blood droplet in the machine. After the green light showed, I left a little sickened but glad to see I was near the end, and the remainder behind me was coming along to their separate booths. I guess the worse is finally over, and hopefully, no more needles.

I took a deep breath before the last station and entered, hoping it would be a less stressful test and no more blood. I looked like a machine that could fit a human being with arms with sensors. Instead, it looked like a deranged octopus. I went to see an opening and entered. My feet were on the footprints on the ground, and the machine came alive. Its flashing lights were buzzing around my body; all I could do was watch it. It only lasted about five minutes, then the contraption shut off and returned to its normal position. I was somewhat relieved to be done with all these tests. I always hated going to the doctors, and this was so much worse than any physical. I stepped out of the machine to see the green light. After leaving the last booth, I could hear the announcement for dinner.

At last, the last part of the day had come, and I was ready for a hot meal to soothe my embattled stomach. This day had already been more stressful than the last, but I was missing my family and friends and wondered if I would ever see them again. Even the thought of dealing with all the rainy-day issues at work was better than being on this journey to where ever it eventually leads.

I decided to put my feelings aside and head to the dining car. It was easier to find, and I was looking for any way out of rooms without using doors. The wooden panels looked secured and too apparent if anyone was trying to loosen them. It seemed they had everyone trapped with the chip in our hands added to the security of those watching. I just wanted to find a way out of this mess. I went through the other two cars to reenter the dining car. It seemed less likely since all the metal from the automated cookers and plenty of witnesses, we had any chance to escape. We waited in line as the machines cooked. I had turkey breasts bathed in gravy with some broccoli. It was the best dinner I had had in days, and the turkey came out so tender that it would fall apart in my mouth.

I was sitting next to a young white man with shaggy hair during this meal. I honestly tried conversing with the younger man, who only looked around eighteen. He just concentrated on his dinner and abruptly left. I was just trying to be friendly, but then, tired of being around everyone almost all day went back to the health examination car to be cleared to go back to my room. I hated to leave, but I stuffed after a delicious piece of apple pie for dessert. Everyone seemed calmer, but the question of what we were doing here was being asked. Plus, others were coming in for their meals. I moved my way through the two other testing cars to finally end up back in the health exam car. The last few stragglers were finishing at the remaining booths, and I waited for the machine to scan my schedule, now somewhat wrinkled, and clear me to return to my small room. Eventually, the scanner could examine my beaten activity list on the wall, and the machine permitted me to return to my room. It was an exhausting day, and I was ready for quiet time without computers barking orders. The train's motion had become natural with the to and fro movement. It is very well for sleeping after all. Still, I could not see a way to escape traveling through the meeting car and back to my small cabin. I did notice on the outside of the sleeping area my name, Brennan, Sadie A. written on it. The day never seemed to make sense, and the train continued with all of us on its journey.

I placed my chip on the sensor in front of my door. The door opened to a neatly prepared room. I had left the bed unkempt before rushing off this morning, and everything was back in order. The same little smiley face bounced around the screen and commented, "Welcome back, Sadie." I ignored it and found a new pair of pajamas on the desk, all nicely folded. I did notice that my note stating YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED was missing from the room, which seemed strange. I searched around the desk for pencil and paper but found none. I could not ignore the screen again when it asked, "what are you looking for on the desk?" I answered, "pen and paper to write my family, so they do not worry about me." It replied," do not worry; all families have been notified of your selection." "At least can I call them to hear their voices?" I replied. "You cannot contact anyone outside unless given permission." The screen retorted. "Who gives permission?" I came back, but no answer was given. This day had been long enough, and now I cannot even let my family know that I am safe for at least now. I pulled up the chair at the desk and tried to mess with my smiley face icon, but it was acting irritated with my toying. I even looked if there was a book to read or any personal effects I had when I was taken. Still, it was nothing to do but get ready for bed. The cabin was bare on the walls and had nothing to do for fun. At least some reading materials or games would make the evening more pleasant. I could tell the evening had arrived when the light did not come through the slits as it did in the morning. I calmly took my pajamas and then headed towards the tiny bathroom. I brushed my teeth and hair before placing on the awful grey shorts and shirt that were provided. It was nice to finally get out those dreadful sweat pants and socks. I finally exited the bathroom and an opening for dirty clothes. I had no trouble getting rid of that outfit since there would be a new one by morning anyway. I just sat on the bed, hoping I would wake up at home by tomorrow, and all this was simply a terrible dream.

My mind was still uncertain about the intentions of our captures. The tests might mean they want us to stay alive and not die in some sick survival game. I could not understand why this had to happen to me. I was nobody special. There was something bigger going on and despite no luck on how to explore without the captures, aka the shadows, knowing it. I lay awake in my bed, looking at even that paneling but how to escape the prying eyes of the creepy smiley face on my screen. Eventually, the smiley face said it was time for bed, but I stayed still. It did say, "need your rest, busy day ahead." "If I do not," but before I could finish the sentence, a small burst of gas entered the room. I was out cold for the remainder of the night.

I was waking up and hoping that all of this would disappear once I opened my eyes. I momentarily sat in bed and hoped this horrible dream was finally over. Then, I peeked with one eye open, and there was the screen with the winking smiley face, and it replied," Good morning, Sadie Amelia Brennan." All I did do was lay back down and wanted to cry. I was living in a nightmare, and nothing would stop, including the train.