In this country the only way people can survive is if their name is one syllable. My name is Alison and my name is forbidden. I have to work in an underground lab that develops dangerous technology that could destroy our nation as a whole. The lions above the ceiling sometimes scare us at night. The only way that we get food is if our boss, Lan, is in a good mood, and he never is. So, usually we eat leftovers from big feasts, like last week when a lion died. Tomorrow there will be a test to see who out of the six candidates is chosen to be a archetype for the new destructive robot. They say I have the biggest chance of being chosen, but I can die in there. My mother did.
I get ready for the test with my five roommates. For the last time, we practice our hits and jumps on the dummies in our rooms. And to think, if we pass the test, it’s basically a freeway to death.
I enter the screening room. There is a human-like object in the corner, but I can’t quite understand what it was. There’s a metal table in middle. A blonde woman comes in and tells me to get up on the table. I do so. She clicks a series of buttons and the room lights up and turns into a jungle.
“Please select a weapon of your choice on the blue tray above you.” Says a voice coming out of the speakers. On it are scissors, a knife, and a gun. It’s always best to select the least dangerous weapon.
“Now select a book from the green tray.” There is a green tray coming out of the silver wall. There is a fairytale, a dictionary, and an encyclopedia on the tray. This is unusual. They teach us that the smallest, and the lightest always succeed, but I don’t know how a fairytale is supposed to help me. Still, I choose to follow directions. Immediately the light shuts off and I see the blonde again.
“Congrats… You didn't even need to prove your strength, because following directions is always best.” She says, lacking enthusiasm, “you did the best in your class, so that means you get to be the model for the Industry Monee 300. Good for you.”
Being a model for a Monee is the most dangerous job. The Monee could kill me, because it’s most likely to fail. It is made completely from recycled water and sun gas. The blonde tells me that I have to report to the Light station where they will get me ready for the job. I race over behind the bars that lead to our boss' mansion. I passed their test, and now I'm on my way to my death. The only way to escape is to go up. Nobody ever goes up. There's lions and a jungle and unknown danger. But it's better than getting killed by a useless, worthless machine.
I climb up the metal stairs that lead to the opening into the upper part of the lab. The concrete walls seem to be closing in as I climb. My feet stumble a couple times on the stairs. I hear a voice below me. It's just kids, but I still lean against the cold wall. I make my way into the upper part of the lab. From there, I sprint to a white sign that says "Danger! Lions ahead." Surrounding it, are cameras recording every step we make. There has to be at least fifty monitors. I turn around to make sure there's nobody behind me, and curl around the yellow tape around the door to the jungle. I open the steel door. This is it. My final moments of security, but I don't even know why I felt secure. The people never wanted us to feel like we belonged, yet they wanted us to work for them, so they made up all of these stories about how big and bad the world is. But is it really?
I enter the lion area. I make my way through the jungle to the pond. The sun hits the beast that is lying on the cold, hard rock, and another one is finishing up its meal, a zebra. I keep running ahead. There is no one in sight and nothing near me. I am all alone. Maybe they were right. Maybe they did keep us safe. But for all I know, I've never felt more free, strong, and happy in my life.