Two Tickets to The Green New World

They carved my stomach and left me hallow. As I played with my scar, a message appeared on my bracelet. Two tickets are available. Thanks for your donation. I opened the screen, the QR Codes popped up above my bracelet.

Two tickets to The Green New World!

I smiled. “It will be okay.” I thought. The building rumbled. The alarms went off, a notification popped up.

Nuclear storm approaching!

I fastened my mask as I walked to my son’s room. “Nathan?” I nudged him awake, placed the mask over his face. He fixed the straps as I carried him to the closet. I walk in, the door shuts, there is a HISSS sound. The sign blinked green.

Air clean.

We sit in the corner.

“Gets some rest Nathan, tomorrow we are going on a ship.”

“What do you think it will be like?”

“I don’t know…I used to go to this pond, there were living trees, with long vines and green grass. I think it will be like that but the whole planet.”

“Yea… I hope there are dinosaurs.”

“Why do you want that?”

“So, I can have a pet.”

“They would eat you up.” I pretend to be a dinosaur to eat him.

He laughed, “Bad dinosaur.”

We got to the launching point by the break of dawn. Families in D class or lower stood in a line miles long with nothing but the clothes on their back. Above us, anyone with a C class ticket or higher flew in. No line, just an appointment.

It was almost noon when the hostess looked at me with her dead smile. “Tickets?”

She Scanned my bracelet. Nathan ran through the scanner. A green light appears. I walkthrough. A light turns red.

“Ma’am,” said the hostess, “E class tickets do not support parental insurance.”

“So,” I replied.

“We do not have a seat for any children born during the flight.”

I look at her confused.

“Your pregnant.”

“What… so can I get an upgrade?”

“Only C class has parental insurance.”

“What if I use my ticket for just the baby.”

“A Fetus ticket is 6,000 bits.”

“That’s like two tickets!” I yelled.

“Ma’am we ensure the proper development for your child.”

“But who is going to watch Nathan!”

“He will be in fine care with the E class education program.”

“I gave you my eggs and I can’t even be there to raise my children!” I slam my hand on her desk.

“Ma’am, do I need to call security?”

I shake my head and look over to Nathan, his eyes were red.

“Don’t go!” he cried.

“Nathan, you have to go on this ship.” I forced out.

“NO!”

“You have to care for your siblings.”

He looked at me through his tears. I kiss him on the cheek and hugged him so tight I was scared I was hurting him. But he squeezed back.

“I love you, Nathan.”

Security pulled us apart. Nathan screamed as I watched my son dragged out of my life.