The next day, Jason left the house, knowing he wouldn't be coming back. He was extremely relieved that he was not going to die. He made sure to wear clean clothes, then he placed the key on the mat in front of the house. Hopefully, someone in need of shelter will see it and want to live here.
It was eight in the morning and Jason immediately made his way to East Hawk. He walked quickly, not sure if he was early or late. A time was not stipulated in the letter but he hoped he was on time.
Twenty minutes later, after stealthily dodging Pragichoros that were on the hunt on the streets, he had arrived at East Hawk and the first word that popped up in his head when he entered the huge facility was chaos.
It was chaotic, as he entered he witnessed a huge crowd of people, some were covered in blood, some were wearing rough clothes, some,were dirty and all of them were shouting and clamoring.
The queue was so congested that Jadon could hardly see what was going but he could certainly hear the screams, the begs, and curses.
He made sure that the envelope was in his pocket before he began to advance into the queue. Now the shouts and screams were more intelligible and he could finally see properly. In front of the queue was a huge metal platform, there were approximately twenty soldiers on top of it wearing sleek exo-armor. There was a huge technological barrier in front of them and each time they picked a person, the barrier would open allowing the person to come on the platform.
Jason also noticed that they each had an envelope in their hands. Immediately, he removed the envelope from his pocket and began to push himself forward. It was strenuous, desperate people struggling with him to be picked. Most didn't have an envelope and were begging desperately.
"Please, sir!" A man with a swollen eye, was pleading as he held his daughter who looked like she was six years old. "Please take my daughter with you. If you can't take me, take her! I want her to live!"
A woman with one arm gone was crying as she struggled then she began to scream. "Take me, please sir! I don't want to die here! You can't do this to us!"
"Soldiers, you have to fucking pick all of us! You can't do this! This is oppression! We all want to live!"
The screams were endless, but the Soldiers had no expression on their face as they continued picking people with envelopes. Teenagers and young adults were the ,most getting picked. There were at least thirty people who were picked.
Jason had to act fast, he immediately began to raise the envelope and walked forward in the struggling queue for the soldiers to see him.
"Hey, that kid has a fucking envelope!" Someone yelled in the crowd.
Immediately, eyes were on Jason. He ignored them and continued moving forward waving desperately for the soldiers to notice him.
"Hey, kid!" A man beside him was tapping him. "Give me the seal and I'll pay you a thousand dollars."
'As if I'm a fool.' Jason thought as he ignored the man without saying a word.
"Hey, I'm talking to you., you bitch!" The man yelled angrily, before swiping at the envelope. Instantly, Jason kicked him in the stomach, the force bulging the man's eye out before he crumpled to the floor in a heap.
Jason turned back to the platform just in time as a soldier looked at him. Immediately, he pressed a button on his wrist, and the blue barrier was disabled for a split second for the soldiers to pull him in the the barrier was back on.
"Your name?" The soldier asked, holding a tablet in his hand.
"Jason Xenophyte," Jason replied, clenching the envelope tightly.
The soldier checked the tablet , nodded as he tapped a button then he stretched his hand for the envelope which Jason gave it to him. The soldier scanned it with a tablet before giving it back.
"Please, follow me." The soldier nodded and walked over to where his fellow soldiers were.
Jason saw that the people who had been picked were attached with a circular device on their chests. Some were smiling, some were really calm. Outside the barrier, people who still wanted to be picked were crying, screaming, cursing, and hitting the barrier.
The soldier who was attending to him had returned holding the same circular device that the other people who were wearing ad picked up.
"This is a Calitet." The soldier explained. "I will attach it to your chest right now and you'll feel a sting. It's only for a second. "
Jason nodded and the soldier stepped forward and attached it to his chest. As soon as it was attached, Jason winced as he felt something enter his heart, and the ing was gone.
"Is that the last one, Barry?" Another soldier appeared, talking to the soldier who had attached the Calitet.
"Yes, sir," Barry replied. "That's the last one and he's the last one on the list."
"Then it appears it's time to move, then." The other soldier replied, pressing an intercom on his wrist, and began to speak. "I'm tired of this fucking planet."
Jason was directed to stand with the other people and it was then that thecrowd's screaming had intensified. Both men and women were repeatedly slamming the barrier and trying to go in.
"No! Please don't leave!"
"I don't want to die here!"
"Fuck you, you fucking government!"
"We hope you all burn in hell!"
Jason didn't say a word. It was survival of the fittest here and he was lucky. And now he was going to make the most of it and try to survive.
"Jason!! Jason! Please look at me!"
Jason breathed heavily when he heard that voice. His head snapped in the direction of the voice and then he saw her. It was a blonde young girl, but she was in a terrible mess. Her clothes were torn, her left breast showing, some teeth were gone from her mouth, one swollen eye, and blood on her chin and bruises around her neck.
Jason gasped as he saw her and couldn't believe her eyes. It was Rose, his former girlfriend who had dumped him a year ago before the Pragichoros arrived on earth. Back then, he was still in high school and then he found out she was cheating on him with the most popular guy in school. After he confronted her, he got dumped in front of the whole class. He had not seen her since then.
"Please, Jason!" Rose was sobbing badly as she struggled to reach the barrier. "I'm so sorry for the horrible things I did to you! Please, look at me! Please, take me with you! I promise I'll be by your side! I swear on my life!"
Jason just stared at her then he simply turned his head to the other side.
Rose's eyes widened as she saw him. She pushed forward. "No, Jason! Don't look away! Look at me! Please don't do this! Not you, too! Have mercy on me! I don't want to die here!"
A man pushed her to the ground as the crowd surged. She collapsed on the floor, sobbing her life out. "Jason! Please! I'm really sorry!"
Suddenly, the Calite on Jason's chest began to glow and so did everybody on the platform including the soldiers. It was certain that the teleportation was going to happen.
Rose saw it and began to circle again, shouting. "Take me with you, Jason! Fuck you! You can't do this! We were once together! Don't you have a heart!"
Jason frowned before he slowly raised the middle finger at her. As a blinding flash appeared, surrounding him and everybody on the platform, he saw a Pragichoro on the glass roof of the facility staring at the crowd below then he was gone and so was everybody on the platform.