05/24/2368

Bunker BP-25

In the depths of BP-25. The cheerful sound of a melody filled Aryah's room, pulling her out of deep slumber. Her eyes slowly opened, adjusting to the light from the activated lighting system. With a yawn, she stretched her body and sat up in bed, rubbing her eyelids to clear the last traces of tiredness.

Just then, a soft metallic buzz resonated from the wall, indicating that her clean clothes had been deposited by the centralized laundry system of Bunker BP-25. Aryah got up and walked to the aperture, extracting her freshly laundered work jumpsuit, with bright orange panels on the shoulders and sleeves. She quickly dressed, adjusting the closures and straps for a comfortable fit. She tied her hair into a ponytail and slipped on her black boots, getting ready for another day of work at the Hidrolife Complex.

Walking through the main hallway of the house, Aryah stopped in front of Nake's room door. She smiled at the sight of her brother sprawled on his bed, with the sheets tousled and one leg hanging off the edge. Clearly, he had come home late the previous night after his surveillance shift. Perhaps he still felt the weight of the council's decision to dismiss him.

In the kitchen, her father, Ekhrem, was already seated at the table, enjoying a steaming cup of coffee and a plate of freshly baked donuts. Upon seeing Aryah enter, he looked up and frowned.

—Good morning, sweety,— he greeted her. —Why are you dressed like that? —

Aryah looked at him confusedly as she headed to the refrigerator to find something for breakfast. —What do you mean why? It's my work clothes, Dad —

Ekhrem shook his head and placed his cup on the table. —Have you forgotten already? You don't work anymore; the council has no assigned tasks for you. You must report to Counselor Mafius —

Aryah's face twisted with a subtle grimace at her mouth. The meeting with the Counselor, the potential nomination to the Council... It had all been pushed to the back of her mind after the conversation the night before. Aryah remained motionless, her hand frozen on the refrigerator handle.

—Oh, right...— she murmured, feeling a sudden wave of nervousness. —I completely forgot—

Ekhrem gave her a compassionate smile. —Don't worry, daughter. I know it's a strange, unique situation,— he said. —But I trust that you'll do the right thing; a Velsen always does the right thing. Just be yourself. It's just a private chat with Mafius, don't worry. You're sure to be chosen —

Aryah nodded slowly, closing the refrigerator without taking anything. Suddenly, she had lost her appetite. Instead, she poured herself a glass of cold water and drank it in one gulp, trying to calm the nerves that were beginning to overtake her. —I don't want to be chosen, Dad, we talked about it last night. I'm not interested in politics; I'm not good at it... Why don't they talk to Morth, or someone else in charge of maintenance? —

—Morth? — her father asked, confused, then chuckled. —Morth is an asshole —

—But he's the head of maintenance, Dad. He must know more than I do —

—No, daughter, didn't you see how he tries to flirt with all the women?... He's even done it with you —

—Well, yeah...— Aryah lowered her head. "But that doesn't mean he's not more capable than me."

—Sweetheart... There's a reason why the council was interested in involving you. They have records of all the bunker residents. Plus, they know you had very good grades in school in debate and conflict resolution — Ekhrem replied as his daughter glanced sideways at him, looking at the ground.

She looked at her father, who gave her an encouraging look, and gathered her courage. Although the prospect of joining the Council terrified her. After taking a deep breath, Aryah headed for the door of the home. But she was stopped by her father, who looked at her with a kindly challenging gesture. —Your clothes — She looked down and responded innocently amidst laughter. —Oh, that’s right...— and she went back to her room to put on something more formal.

Later in the morning

Office of Counselor Mafius

Aryah stood outside Counselor Mafius's office door. Her hands were sweaty, and her heart was racing a mile a minute; nerves were eating her up inside. Trying to calm herself down, she greeted everyone passing by in the hallway, offering a tense smile that was rarely reciprocated. At one point, a guard with a stern face walked past her without even looking. Aryah smiled automatically, but receiving no response, embarrassment flooded over her. She blinked several times, lowered her gaze, nervously scratching her eye as her cheeks flushed slightly.

After what felt like an eternity, the sliding door of the office opened with a soft hum. Aryah held her breath, mentally preparing to face Counselor Mafius. However, the voice that greeted her did not belong to a real human being.

—Welcome, citizen of tomorrow... Ary...ah... Vel...se...n,— greeted a robotic but friendly voice. —I am Unit Assistant MK200 at your service, or as my friends call me, Doctor Makcain. Please, come in... The counselor is eagerly awaiting you —

Aryah blinked in surprise at the sight of the assistant robot, a machine with a rectangular and cylindrical design simultaneously, an intense black color of highly polished metal almost like a mirror. A red light on one side served as a sensor and eye for its surroundings, a golden strip at the bottom served as a cover to hide its rubber track system. Despite its cumbersome appearance, the robot moved with grace and fluidity, bumping into objects in the office as it gestured with thin tool extensions on its sides as if they were hands while speaking. Aryah couldn't help but smile, captivated by the unexpected presence of Doctor Makcain.

—Oh, hello...— she responded with a mix of innocence and excitement. —It's a pleasure to meet you, Doctor... Makcain.—

The robot nodded, blinking its red eye twice. —The pleasure is all mine, citizen Vel...se.n... Please, follow me. Counselor Mafius is waiting for you —

Aryah nodded and followed "Doctor Makcain" into the office, suddenly feeling more relaxed thanks to the friendly presence of the assistant robot. As she walked, she curiously observed the objects in the office and at the same time the counselor's home.

—So... how long have you been the counselor's assistant?— she asked curiously, trying to find a conversation that would ease her nervousness.

—Oh, are you talking to me?— the robot asked confusedly as it turned around on its own axis and bumped into a small table full of things that fell to the floor.

—Oh, how silly of me... I'm sorry, citizen Ary...ah. What was your question? —

Aryah tried to ask again but was interrupted by the sudden appearance of a male figure under the archway on the other side of the room. It was Counselor Mafius.

An elderly man, he had a peculiar and almost intimidating appearance. His skull was completely devoid of hair, with no trace of hair or eyebrows. Instead of conventional eyes, two phosphorescent yellow spheres glowed in their sockets, embedded in his face like a kind of glasses. One of his arms had been replaced by a robotic prosthesis.

Aryah knew Mafius's reputation as one of the few citizens who ventured into the realm of physical modifications and implants from the old world, something that was generally frowned upon in bunker society. However, his position as Counselor granted him certain privileges and freedoms to carry out his experiments.

Counselor Mafius approached her with firm steps, his gaze fixed on Doctor Makcain. —Miss... I apologize for the clumsiness of my robotic friend,— he said in a deep voice. —It's an old translator and interpreter model that I modified decades ago to serve as an assistant, but it always ends up failing, this scrap —

He stopped in front of the robot and looked at it disdainfully. —Everything okay, Mr. Ma...fiu..s? Would you like something to drink?— asked Doctor Makcain with his robotic voice.

Before he could finish the sentence, Mafius lifted his leg and delivered a powerful kick to the robot, hitting it in a key point in the rear area of the machine. Doctor Makcain shut down instantly, aggravating his voice.

—It's nothing but a piece of junk, they always fail,— said Mafius, jumping to his side, bipolar with joy and excitement. —Hungry?— he asked with a penetrating look and a marked smile that released an involuntary guttural sound that escaped between his teeth, making the already nervous Aryah uncomfortable.

—Uh.. no thanks, I just had breakfast, I'm fine, thanks —

—Oh.. Okey, a diligent girl. My spreadsheet didn't lie —

—Mhmm.. yeah — Aryah seemed to not fully understand and went along with it.

—Oh, come with me, dear, come, come — Mafius walked somewhat hunched and excited, pointing with his arms for her to follow him to his office. Aryah blinked nervously, trying to formulate something to say but could only accept the invitation. The counselor smiled once inside and invited her to sit. Which she did as he adjusted her seat and they both smiled, her uncomfortably accompanied by a thank you.

Mafius sat behind his desk, his hands closed over a device displaying a photo of her and personal information. —So, no water then? — 

—Huh?... Oh, sorry, yes, water — Aryah responded clumsily, feeling confused. She couldn't help but stare at the man's eyes. It was something that made her uncomfortable yet also made her want to keep looking at them. —Since exactly 18 years old —

—How lovely...— 

Mafius stared at Aryah with a penetrating smile. Aryah returned it with a smile of her own, which didn't last long before slowly turning back, thinking that perhaps there was someone else behind her. Doubtful and uncomfortable, she looked back at Mafius again, who clapped loudly, giving her a big fright.

—Perfect!... Now tell me, Miss Velsen...— He began, taking the device, and those spherical eyes created a bizarre spiral effect of different shades of yellow and orange, zooming in to read Aryah's personal file better.

—Your grades during your school years are excellent, your teachers have left very good reviews about your performance, they have rated you as a future person suitable for debates and conflict resolution— he commented as his eyes rotated on their own axis while looking at Aryah.

—Hmm, yes, it seems so — she responded, confused yet flattered.

—You have perfectly fulfilled your role in Hidrolife since you finished your studies. A good record, excellent references from your superiors, you could practically be promoted to deputy head —

—It's tiring, but I always give my 100% for all of us — Aryah replied.

—It's a pity that yesterday you left fifteen minutes before your shift ended — he commented with a serious tone, Aryah looked away, seeking escape. —But it's understandable, it was Friday. And a great citizen, it's forgivable —

—It's not something I usually do, but thank you for understanding — she responded apologetically.

—And also, your medical record says that you're a good candidate for fertility... Do you already have a partner or someone to inseminate you with their sperm? —

—What!? —she exclaimed, taken aback.

—Technical questions... Are you willing to have children? —

—Um... I don't know, it's not in my plans currently— Aryah said, scratching her neck.

—Excellent, because we're facing a serious overpopulation problem, perhaps you've heard something about it... But at the same time, it would be good to have a woman in the Council, a strong image, representing the family with her children and good husband—

—Excuse me... But I'm not understanding why all this —

Mafius lowered the device and looked her in the eyes, or that seemed to be what he was doing. —I think it would be better if everyone sees you—

Aryah looked confused, and a bit of nervousness began to rise within her —Everyone? —

—Yeah, yeah... Come... Follow me — Mafius said, standing up from his desk.

Aryah followed him with distrust through a series of hallways and passages of the bunker, feeling increasingly confused and nervous. Finally, she knew where they were heading. They arrived at a large metal door that the Counselor opened with an access code. Upon crossing the threshold, Aryah was breathless. They were in the Government Hall, a place she had only heard about from comments from her father and brother; she had never been to this part of the bunker. It was an imposing circular room, with a synthetic wood lining that gave it a more luxurious appearance than the rest of the BP-25. Deep red carpets covered the metal floor, muffling the echo of their footsteps.

Despite the minimal touches of luxury, the original bunker aesthetic still prevailed in the walls and the curved steel ceiling. In a circular arrangement, ten desks with their respective tables pointed towards the center of the room, where an annular desk filled with papers and a central computer occupied the place of the president.

Aryah held her breath as she saw that all the seats were occupied. All the Councilors were at their desks, flanked by their respective advisors sitting in small chairs behind them. Even President Hook himself was present, observing her from his central position.

Aryah felt a chilling cold run down her spine as she realized that all these people were waiting for her. She stood still at the entrance, feeling small and insignificant under the scrutinizing gazes of the bunker's leaders. The innocence that had accompanied her upon entering evaporated, replaced by an overwhelming sense of vulnerability. But seeing her father present made her feel somewhat safer, especially with his look of complicit happiness.