As they walked in, Violet blinked against the harshness of the light. It seemed brighter today, but it was fairly dark outside. Both teens put their bags into the lockers and headed down to the assembly hall for the presentation. As they walked, the announcements cut on. All students in grades 9-13, please head to the assembly hall. Do not bring anything with you.
“Odd...” Alex commented as the duo headed across the building. “Usually, the assemblies are for all grades instead of just a select few.”
“I wonder why they changed it. Perhaps there is something important for us about the future of the city?” Both teenagers walked into the auditorium with the rest of the crowd, falling silent. As they took their assigned seats, the governor walked on stage, tapping the microphone.
“Good morning students. You may be wondering why I have come to talk with you all this fine morning. As you may know, today is the anniversary of the war that rampaged the lands 150 years ago. It left them devastated, with all wildlife killed in an instant. The only survivors were those in this city and select others. I’m here today to talk to you all on the history of the Final World War, how it came to be, and how we prevent another.” The governor set up a presentation on screen with old pictures and videos of the lands prior to the war. “Almost 160 years ago, the lands were green. Trees were everywhere and you could hear wildlife behind every bush. Then, some people got greedy, cutting down these precious trees quickly to build factories. They polluted the rivers and lands, killing many great creatures. Then, they came for our home. With great weapons and deadly bombs, they massacred the people. A population of 10 billion was reduced to 80 million in little over a week.”
Although the audience had heard parts of this before, they had never heard the scale for deaths. They knew many had died but didn’t expect it to be over 9 billion. They silenced their quiet murmurs as the governor continued.
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“The enemies wiped themselves out in their greed. They may have killed most of the population, but they didn’t account for the ones hidden in bunkers. After the war ended, we built this city to give the survivors a chance to heal. We made the rules to prevent future battles and anger, while also limiting the negative effects large cities had in the past. We fixed major problems, becoming a unified town. Now, can those in the audience tell me our most important laws?”
Many students in the 13th grade raised their hands. They knew the laws best due to studying them every year. The governor picked a teen near the front, who replied with “Do not question the laws, as questioning them is a threat to our safety and is seen as traitorous to the city.”
“Correct, now I need some more volunteers. Who can share the next rules?”
Some of the rules stated were: “Do not run or talk in the streets, as doing so delays traffic and causes problems for our neighbors,” “Avoid expressing opinions, through words, clothing, or art pieces, that will offend anyone,” “Maintain your schedules to keep the city running smoothly,” and “Do not steal or take others’ belongings, nor be greedy.” The rules were very strict and kept the city uniform, but it was to prevent any problems from arising.
“The final law is to not leave the city. Doing so will result in your death as the outside land was left deadly after the war. These laws are for your safety as well as your peers’. Disobeying them results in imprisonment. It is thanks to the laws that we have no hunger, no homelessness, no sickness, and it is why our city is so advanced. Other cities deal with famine, in-fighting, thievery, and traitorous criminals. Heed my words, children, they will be important to keep in mind. In light of the anniversary, you may have the rest of the school day off. I foresee you doing great things.”
After finishing, the governor stood up and left the room. The students also got up, exiting through the doors in the back. On the way out, the quiet students started talking with one another. Most of the conversations were on their excitement on being released from class early, although two people were discussing the laws.