Cole woke up to Zach's face hovering over him. He flinched.
"Sorry, man." Zach said.
Cole rubbed his eyes. "What the hell happened?"
"Remember that gas they shot into the crowd?"
The moment came back to him. Green smoke. Crowds screaming. Two had told him it was just a sedative. He nodded.
"Turns out some people are more sensitive to it than others." The smile on his face grew bigger. "You're one of the lucky few."
The cot groaned under the shifting weight of Cole's body. He sat and dropped his head into his hands. He could feel his heartbeat in his forehead.
"Tough, huh? That's what I've heard at least." Zach stood up. "I'll grab you some water."
Cole's lips stuck together as he tried to open them to say something, so he decided to stay quiet until Zach returned.
"Can't say myself, it didn't have that affect on me." He handed Cole a rusty cup half-full of murky water. "Best I can do for now."
Cole threw it into his mouth and swished it around. He swallowed and cleared his throat. "How long was I out?"
"An hour, give or take."
Cole shook his head. This had been the longest day of his life. It seemed like years ago when the accident happened on his part. "What happened?"
"About half the people got knocked out, it was weird, man. Everyone just fell over, it was bizarre." Zach stared into space like he was reflecting on the moment. "And the enforcers came through and started telling everyone who was left where they needed to be. I didn't stick around too long, but I think they pulled out some wagons and started dragging people like you to their new barracks."
New barracks. Cole remembered more now. He remembered One talking about the attack, and how everyone would get "new accommodations." He remembered them so clearly, because it was an odd thing. It had never happened before. The shoveler barracks had been around since the beginning of town. To move them now was an unprecedented process.
"Where are we?" Cole asked.
Zach looked around. "Old cafeteria, they said." He sat on the cot across from Cole. "Pretty weird sight, though. It's in a part of town we're usually forbidden from entering."
Cole knew the areas of town well, specifically because if you were caught in the wrong section, you were punished. It was very strict, and he had a few close calls as a child. Shovelers spent most of their time in the lower levels of town, where the machine parts were.
"We're on the main level, Cole."
"The main level?" Cole had to make sure he heard it right, and Zach confirmed with a nod. The main level was above the shoveler barracks, above the machine, even above town hall. Cole had never been this far up in town before. He had heard rumors, but didn't believe most of them. It was where leadership lived. It was where the supplies came in. It was where he wasn't allowed to go before. Being on the main level meant something was very, very wrong. "Did they say why?"
Zach shrugged. "Just said to go here, and we'll travel down to our parts to keep feeding the machine. They stressed that we had to keep our schedules no matter what."
"Well yeah, we always have to."
"I know," Zach said. "But they just kept mentioning it."
"Did something... happen?" Cole asked.
"They won't say anything, just that we're going to keep operating as normal."
"Will we go back at some point?"
"Don't know. They said they think the old barracks will be ready at in the future, but they weren't sure when."
"Hm." Cole wasn't sure what to say. It was like starting anew. They were on the main level, something was happening with the elders, and they wouldn't say anything. Maybe Root was right in prison, maybe there was something else going on, something else was happening that they didn't want anyone to know about.
Cole started to stand, but the pain in his head forced him to sit back down on the edge of the cot.
"I have to go back to my part," Zach said. "Got about 30 minutes, but now that we're here, it's going to take me 20 or so to get down there."
Cole hadn't even thought of that. Now that they weren't close to the machine parts, they'd have even less down time than before, and given he had been ordered to start at level 1 all over again, it meant he'd have to live there for the time being. He slammed his fist into the scratchy fabric.
"I think they're going to be around to lead you to your new part soon," Zach said as he started walking away. "We'll catch up about it, later. I'll find you."
Cole waved him off without mentioning there would be no catching up. He'd see Zach again, but he wasn't sure when. He knew where Zach's part was, but wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to travel there. He had doubts if Zach would be able to find him. He would be stuck at his own part, until some group decided he could move up. He'd have to feed the machine every 30 minutes, and live there, breathing in fuel and exhaust all day, every day.
He'd be stuck feeding the machine until someone said otherwise.
He'd be stuck feeding the machine until his hands bled.
He'd be stuck feeding the machine until he died.
He'd be stuck feeding the machine until he didn't.
His eyes wandered to the ceiling, and a grin formed across his still-dry lips.
They may have demoted me to level 1 to feed the machine constantly, he thought. But that doesn't mean I have to.
"Cole," the enforcer said. "I have to lead you to your new part. Come with me."
Cole stood and the grin on his face grew larger. He followed the enforcer, ready to sabotage the machine and see if the world really would end.
Oooh. Someone is getting rebellious.