Part 3
The Wall Nordia
Wall Nordia
February, 13th 2220
BRUSSH!
Steams gushed out of the outlets as the man pulled down the lever. He was sweating profusely under his worn out jumpsuit. His jumpsuit was covered in old and new oil stain. Sounds of machines buzzing and metals clunking as the large gears rub into each other fill every corner of that enclosed room, the sound made it impossible to hear other thing and he had gotten used to it for some time. The air was humid and steamy hot, it was worst than smoking a dozen pack of cigarettes. He had to struggle to breathe under a specially designed mask that made him looks like a fire man. The man continued to pull every lever on his way, there were twelve of them. He was rushing to get out of the room as his shift will be over soon and he has not eaten lunch yet. It was past lunch-time anyway, probably almost dinner time by now. The huge iron door at the other end of the room creaked open and another man peered in.
"Eiwald! " he shouted. His voice was swallowed by the endless deafening sound of machines. He cursed and stepped in.
"Hey! Eiwald!! " he shouted again, louder. His friend was just a few pace ahead but he could have been deaf after years of working in that place. He walked towards him and before Eiwald could pull another lever he touched his shoulder. Eiwald looked a little surprised but he stopped.
"Horan! What are you doing here? " he asked, almost shouting. His voice was muffled under his thick mask. On normal silent days, he would not speak that way. He was known with a gold in his mouth.
"Finish off quick and get out of here, " his friend shouted back and signaled that he will wait outside. Eiwald nodded. He pulled the last lever and a massive hissing cloud of steam poured out, filling the air with more humidity. He shivered at the thought of getting caught in those steam. He quickly ran for his toolbox and went out to meet his friend. He pulled his mask down as he stepped out of the door and locked it.
"Damn man! It's super cold outside!" Eiwald exclaimed as he closed the steam chamber's door. Indeed, it was winter outside and thin layer of frozen water droplets lined the massive metal chamber. He wondered whether it was really the winter that had the water frozen or was it because of the difference in temperature between the metal chamber and the atmosphere. Snow had been a rare thing since years ago even during the freezing winter.
"Your skin had gotten used to the heat in there. I'm still sweating," his friend scoffed.
Eiwald grinned. Horan, his best buddy and childhood friend has a point. He had been working with the steam chamber service team for almost five years now and he had gotten used to the high temperature and it somehow made him feel good. The steam chambers were part of the largest industry in Wall Nordia, the refinery. Artificial whiskey. Food and beverages was one of the crisis in Wall Nordia for it was known with it's barren and dry land for many years. The people could not cultivate anything on the land or catch anything from the sea for the mercury level were too high to be edible. Therefore, they became creative and innovative in order to survive. Dr Hunsk, a famous biologist had invented the artificial food cultivator that purifies water and transform microscopic ion into edible food. There were no obesity in Wall Nordia as the food supplies were rationed per head.
“I wonder when are we going to get a raise. I heard that the council is going to add on more taxes by next year,” Horan sighed as they walked away from the steam chamber. He sometimes snickered when the stale mid winter air passes through his nostrils. The air was polluted by hydrogen nitrate as a by-product of the production of artificial food. On their right was the waste chamber. The chamber was tightly sealed but it was too old to contain the piling waste from the factory and some strong gases leaked out sometimes.
“I bet we won’t get any. The company is struggling itself,” Eiwald replied. It was true, the company that runs the factory was thinking of cessation few month ago but luckily they had not made up their mind yet. Something came up but nobody knows what happened.
“The hell, we’ve been working like fools. Maybe we are,” Horan cursed and shrugged.
“Anyway, what’s your plan on weekend?” He continued. They turned to a corner and now heading to a hall with transparent walls and many doors. Each door was a cultivating lab, where all the food and beverages were tested and before they were sent out to the quality control then the distribution chamber for packing.
“Nah, I just need to get some rest. Maybe I’ll just stay at home, watch some old movie or read something,” Eiwald was thinking of his small room in Great Garden Apartment. The only place that he can call a world, peaceful and warm at any time of the year. It was not as great as its name but comfortable enough for a single man whose works requires most of his time outside of the house.
“You should live a little, my friend. You’ve been staring at the same wall for the past five years and still going to stare at it now?” Horan rolled his eyes. Although he knew that his friend was a total shut in and not up to something new person, he wanted him to enjoy his life while he can sometimes. Horan knew his story and he respected him enough to keep pushing him out of his shell.
“I’m just not up to doing anything, really. It’s been a busy week. I need to pile up some energy for Monday,” Eiwald grinned. Horan eyed him and shook his head.
“Well then, see you around later. I have to get home quick, my girl is coming over today,” he smiled.
“Say hi for me, I’ll hang out with you guys later.”
“Sure,” Horan said as he waved him. They parted at the entrance, Horan walked towards the street that lead to the Rumble. He lived alone in his small house in The Rumble that he bought three years ago before he got divorced. His daughter will come once in every two weeks and stay for a few days before returning to her mother’s house in the city center.
Eiwald watched Horan disappear among the crowd and walked towards the opposite direction. The sky was pink and people were rushing out of the industrial area. That area will be closed in another hour and the curfew begins. He could hear less conversation on the street as always, people were conversing only to those they personally knew and they do not talk to strangers very frequently. Trust issues in society. He preferred it that way because he did not want to get stuck in awkward or embarrassing situation with someone he does not know.
He passed through few closing stalls and shops. Everyone was busy wrapping up for the day and he was catching the time himself. He never wanted to be caught up in the curfew for there were bad rumors about the curfew. The housing area was another four hundred yard away and he had to walk another three blocks of industrial building to get to the edge of the town where his apartment was.
The temperature was dropping as the pink glow in the sky turned into reddish purple. He could hear a siren from the observation tower, followed by a long one indicating the curfew will be in another hour. The siren served to rush the people to abandon their day job and return home as soon as possible. Eiwald broke into slow jog. His routine on every weekday. Walking turned into slow jog then running if he had to.
“Damn!” He cursed as he realized that he was again beyond time. He could feel the adrenaline rushing in his veins sweeping the remaining exhaustion from the steam chamber. It did not matter to him, he need to escape the curfew and return to his comfortable bed. He slipped among the crowding people that are heading to the same direction and blended into the stagnant gray colour of the crowd. Trying his best to avoid physical contact with the other people as a precaution of getting into trouble or contracting communicable disease. There had been an out break recently and few people from his neighborhood had been sent to the quarantine camp last week. The city council had decided to keep the patients in the quarantine camp due to the limited hospital space and some speculated that the council do not want to spend unnecessary money on the under privileged resident. The politic inside Wall Nordia was as bad as its sewage system.
Eiwald dodged to his left when a woman pushed her way through and runs straight ahead. He wanted to curse but he swallowed his words when he saw the woman bumped hard onto a stocky man he saw in the factory earlier. He was the new foreman in charge of the distillery section. The woman apologized repeatedly as the man began preaching. Eiwald quickened his pace and passed them trying not to even take a glance, fearing that he would be caught in that super awkward situation. Like everyone else, he did not stopped to see what happened or to offer word of peace. He left them on the roadside to settle their own business for he was rushing himself.
The dark cloud in the sky indicated the prime time is about to end. He need to get home sooner so he started to run, testing his best agility to slip through the crowd without getting into what the woman just get herself in. He headed for the settlement area and turned to the much empty back street. He would not make it in time if he take the front street. Today he had to take the back door to his apartment and he was standing right in front of it.
The red rusty metal door.
P/s:
For those following this story, I’m sorry for the late entry and thank you for being there. I’ve been occupied by a lot of things lately. Don’t worry though, it’s only the beginning. Stay tuned… ;)
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