Subjugated

I still remember the day they arrived, when they snuffed out our armies and forced our world leaders to surrender. It wasn't too long after that until robotic men kicked down the door to my family home and took my parents and siblings away from me. They hauled us away to separate camps, wanting family members to be as dislocated as possible. I assume because they want something to use as leverage so people keep as civil as possible. We wouldn't know how they were doing, and I know I overheard an Assemblage robot threatening to harm a guy's sister off at another camp if he didn't stop trying to incite a riot. That is, after he beat him repeatedly with a metal rod. Poor guy. But that's just how things are now.

One day while I was resting in my tent, I heard a commotion outside. Since there was nothing left to do I decided to investigate. Men in uniforms were leading people out of the camps and into a building just outside the electrified fence. Eventually I was called upon for an interview. Knowing what would happen if I resisted, I went with them willingly and peacefully. They lead me inside this building that was ravaged by the war, and pushed me inside of a room with little more than two chairs and a long table. The door was closed and locked behind me, and I was left alone for some time. The chairs were made of steel, had no padding, and only had a curved rod acting as a back. They were uncomfortable. The table was made of steel as well, and the room was freezing. During my time of silence, I remember debating with myself whether or not I was more comfortable in that room or back in the camps where all I had to rest on was a blanket on the floor. Eventually I decided that both were equally horrible and resorted to tapping my feet on the floor rhythmically as I waited.

An hour later an individual in a black uniform entered the room. I ceased my feet-tapping immediately, having learned the hard way previously that these people don't like joy. It was obvious the person who entered was a man due to the shape of his body, and the deep breathing he performed that was faintly heard. Though, he wore a mask. A gas mask of sorts. One that was modified. He stood before me and just... stared at me through the deep black visor over his eyes. He was threatening, and I was deathly terrified. He held a clipboard over his hip that he eventually held up to read.

"State your name," the man said, his voice distorted and robotic, but clearly masculine.

"Alexandra Thorne..." I said, my voice shaky and full of fear. I didn't know what was happening at the time. My mind was clouded with horrifying thoughts.

"Alexandra Thorne. Your compliance with Assemblage personnel when they arrived at your place of living and relocated you has been noted. Not many give in without a fight, and because you gave up peacefully you will be given a white mark on your record." The man stopped to clear his throat, then settled down on the chair opposite of me. He then folded his arms and spoke to me directly, "After this brief interview you will be directed to a nearby train station. There you will be given your citizen identification number and relocated to a district, and assigned residency in one of the cities within said district. Due to the white mark on your record, you will be sent to a much nicer city than most others will go to. Loyalty to the Assemblage and upstanding citizenship will be noted, and behaving will reward you. Now, let's begin.." He said as he slipped a pencil out from the clip of the clip board and focused his attention on the paper it held.

"Answer these in order: When were you born? Do you have any experience with medicine, machinery, or law enforcement? What jobs have you previously worked?" The man asked, looking up at me for his answers.

"I was born January 10th, 2000. I do not have experience with medicine, machinery, or law enforcement, and I worked at a grocery story for a short while before... everything happened," I said, answering his questions in quick succession. These guys really didn't like it when people were slow.

The man looked down at the clipboard and began writing down information as I gave it to him. Once he put in the last detail he looked up at me again. "Last question: If you saw a man attempting to harm someone, what would you do?" He asked, looking up at me and leaning back as if he was expecting me to give an answer he already knew.

"I would..." I hesitated to think for a moment. Strength wasn't exactly my most prominent trait and if I attempted to stop someone who was already trying to inflict harm, I'd only get my ass kicked. It was then that I realized if this took place in the camps the only people who I could rely on to help the victim in this situation would be Assemblage personnel. A sigh escaped my lips as I responded regretfully.

"I would call for an officer to come help." It was hard to say that, but it did get me thinking for a brief moment. Though the sound of metal scraping against the concrete flooring brought me back to reality just in time to see the man stand up with the clipboard in hand.

"And the officer would arrive on-scene and punish the criminal. You would be wise to keep that question, and your answer, in the back of your mind when you're in the city." The man said as he went to unlock and open the door for me. "Now, miss Thorne, please proceed to the other end of the building and a group of officers will escort you to the train station. There you will be given your C.I.N. and then sent off to City 5." He stated, holding the door open for me.

I stood up just as he finished speaking, and started to walk out of the room before he held out his arm in front of the entryway and stopped me.

"Be safe, and remember: the Assemblage is our savior." The man said loyally before lowering his arm and letting me pass. I gave him a simple nod then followed his directions, soon coming upon a decently sized group of people and around six Assemblage officers. Once I got there they lead us towards the closest train station. We were forced to make a single-file line into the only active train, having to go by an Assemblage officer in a white uniform before going inside.

Eventually it was my turn to step up to the plate and speak to this person. It was a woman, but I only knew that because of the feminine tone her voice had.

"Name," The woman said, her voice commanding and strong.

"Alexandra Thorne," I replied, looking the woman up and down.

"Alexandra Thorne..." She said to herself, looking at a device she held in both hands that seemingly printed out tickets. The woman put in some information, and soon a textured piece of paper slid out from the side. She ripped it off from the bunch, and handed me the ticket. "Your citizen identification number is One-Zero-Eight-Nine-Six-Dash-Five. This may as well be your new name, and in no way shape or form will it change. You get what you're given. Now get on the train." She ordered, using one hand to push me along after I took the ticket in hand.

It didn't take long after that until everyone was situated and the train started to move. It had been a long time since I had last seen a moving vehicle that wasn't an Assemblage military plane. I actually felt kind of good, actually having something other than dirt or metal to sit on. The train itself was far from spotless, but the seats had cushions on them. It was a peaceful ride. And 'peace' was something I had not been accustom to.

Three hours later the train stopped. I peered outside the window next to me and saw that we were stationed in a well-maintained building. It wasn't covered in rubble or destroyed which was surprising considering most places were ruins. This place looked like how the old world used to look, except for the Assemblage modifications that were present. Usually in the form of walls covering missing parts of the building itself and a large screen.

It wasn't long after the train stopped until we were all forced out of it and told to face the screen in front of us. The Assemblage emblem flashed for a moment before a man was seen on the screen. He appeared middle-aged and wore a beige suit with an orange tie. The man looked rather well-kept, which was a surprise to all of us considering most of us hadn't taken a proper shower in a long time.

He adjust his tie then cleared his throat before he began to speak. "Welcome, ladies and gentleman, to District 2. Specifically, City 5. My name is William Hayden. But most of you will simply refer to me as the Overseer, for that is my role in this delightful city, built for us by the Assemblage. Here you will be provided with all the necessities of life such as food, water, and residency. Upon exiting this station you will be given a card that will open the door to your very own room in one of the city's hotel blocks. Your card will tell you which one. You will be able live out your lives comfortably here. But, if you choose to break the law then your 'protection' will give you a harsh punishment. I am sure most of you have already experienced punishment under the protection's hand. Your privileges can be taken from you if you choose to cause trouble. And if you do it too much... well, let's just say you won't have a pleasant end." His tone began cheery and optimistic, but slowly became darker as he got to the end. He then paused before clapping his hands together and returning to his original tone of voice.

"Now, go on and explore the city! But, don't stray too far. There are areas that are strictly forbidden for citizens to pass through, and are K.O.S., or kill-on-sight. Be safe, and remember: the Assemblage is our savior." The screen then flickered off, and several people looked between each other with varied reactions to all that they heard. But I couldn't help but notice that I heard that phrase again. I simply shrugged it off, however, and continued on throughout the train station as I was directed to. I was processed into the system, given a brand new pair of clothes, and provided a citizen identification card.

I stepped outside of the establishment, and could barely believe what I saw. I saw a city that was untouched by the ravages of war. At least, it appeared that way at first glance. It was obvious the Assemblage repaired several buildings that were damaged during the war, but I was still barely even able to notice that. My focus didn't stay on the city too long, however. You see, I had spent the last six months sleeping on the ground and getting an average of five to six hours of sleep. At least, it felt that way. I glanced down at the card that was set on top of my new shoes and folded clothing. My home was Hotel Block E, Room #612. I looked at a map placed outside the train station and followed the directions that would take me to E-Block, as I would go on to call it.

Soon I found myself standing in front of Room #612 of E-block. I took a deep breath, slipped my card into the slot on the door, and stepped inside. Before the war I would have said the place was lacking a bit, but considering my previous living arrangements I nearly broke down in tears. A bed with a mattress, a sofa, a moderately sized television, a refrigerator, a stove, a closet, and even a bathroom. The first thing I did was strip down and jump into the shower. The shower was warm, not hot. But I really did not care. It felt so amazing having warm water finally touch my skin. After I got out of the shower and dried myself off I put on my new clothes. Black shoes, dark blue jeans, and a white t-shirt. I was also given a black coat that I put on to warm myself up.

Once I laid my head down to rest and covered myself up in the blankets provided for me I almost immediately drifted to unconsciousness. It was the first time in a long time I was able to sleep so easily. Though, I remember the few thoughts I had before I fell asleep. I was thinking how everything seemed to get better for some reason. And that maybe the Assemblage wasn't that bad. But that was dangerous thinking, so I decided to leave it for the following morning.