Let's Face the Future

Lhan takes the corner at a dead run, slowing just enough to not slam into the wall. He makes it past the residence halls before he has to stop to catch his breath. Keeping in shape wasn't particularly important in the bunkers, at least not the one Lhan was born and raised in. The facilitators focused more on farming, animal husbandry, and keeping the populace more or less well-educated. As soon as he doesn't feel like he's going to fall over from physical exertion Lhan takes off running again. Kiele was probably in the park, she practically lived there. She would want to hear about this as soon as possible.

Kiele looks up at the fake sky. She longed to feel the actual sunlight on her skin. "Lhan? You okay?" She gets to her feet when he approaches. The bunker was their only haven when the world above fell to destruction thanks to their own need for control and power. A few decades ago people were driven underground with the hopes that the climate would heal and the air would become breathable again.

"I saw!" Lhan pants. He drops to the ground and holds up a hand. "Give me... a minute..." he takes one breath after the other, focusing on slowing it down. "Okay," he says. "You aren't going to believe this."

"I'm listening..." Kiele searches his face. The look he wore fluttered between excitement and manic, leading her to wonder which rabbit hole of emotions she should be preparing for. "You're scaring me a little."

"I saw the scouts!" Lhan grabs her hands. "They're back, Kiele. And they looked fine!" The scouts were tasked with the special assignment of checking out the world above them. Most came back with hazardous news about the mutated creatures that survived the downfall or developed horrific health problems, and that's if they came back at all.

"Fine?" Kiele perks up. "And … they're for sure fine?" She takes his hands. Her friend tended to offer hope and solace even when the world above shook. She remembered being a small child nestled in her father's arms listening to the winds and the thunder, shaking the very ceiling over her head. "You aren't just saying that."

"I saw them on the vid screens. They walked in looking hale and hearty." Lhan squeezes her hands. "It's safe out there again."

"It's been decades... I never thought it would be possible." Kiele hugs him close. "What do we do now? Did they say anything?"

"They were rushed off to medical for analysis, but there's no way the facilitators will get away with not issuing a statement soon."

"This is amazing." Kiele looks around. "Is there any way we can find out sooner?"

"There's always snooping," Lhan laughs. Kiele's mind races at the suggestion. The two of them weren't exactly what could be defined as noble citizens, often getting into trouble for her fighting or their snooping in on Council meetings.

"Think we can get a way in?" Kiele's mind was already turning. This was their one chance to get out of this bunker and back to the world above.

"I am notorious for my bad health, and you're always getting into fights." Lhan grins. "We can do this."

"Let's do this." Moments later, they stood outside the medical ward. It was nestled in the furthest corner of the bunker. The metal door was heavy and squeaked when it opened, making it hard to sneak in unseen, which is why they had to devise a plan to get a moment inside with the head medic Carla's records.

"You don't look bad, so I guess my lungs hurt," Lhan says offhandedly.

"Sorry I haven't been in any fights this week." She shrugs. Kiele glances around. "I could go pick one."

"That would be a little too on the nose, I think." Lhan grins. "Thanks for the offer though."

Kiele puts his arm around her. "Act winded." She nudges him. "Sell it."

Lhan coughs. "Okay wow, that was unscripted." He pats his chest.

Kiele laughs then gets serious. "Hello! Carla!?" She uses her foot to knock on the door.

"Kiele," Carla groans. Somehow Kiele always came in on her shift. "Why am I not surprised?" She gives the command for the door to open. "You know the way."

"This time it isn't me. Lhan has a cough." Kiele pats his back. "Just to be on the safe side, we thought you should take a look at him."

Lhan smiles weakly. "Hey, Carla."

Carla is on her feet in a flash. "Help him to the table." Carla was a tall and lanky woman in her fifties who has been there through every broken bone and a bad cough. Her hair was graying and often worn in a messy bun or wild curls. She dedicated her life to helping the sick and spent little time on her own appearance, often found saying 'who's going to care down here.'

Kiele helps him sit on the table then as Carla sets to work checking his lungs, she slips casually toward the computers to look for the scouts' records. She does a quick send to her email account before moving back toward him. "Well, is it serious?"

"You don't sound too bad today, Lhan."

"Really?" Lhan makes a sour face. "It hurts though."

"Have you been running lately?" Carla asks, hand on her hip.

Lhan laughs nervously. "Maybe?"

"Lhan, have you been pushing it too far?" Kiele says. "I keep telling him to take it easy."

"You may not be the best role model for taking it easy," Carla says, trying and failing to suppress a smile. She turns from the two to prep a breathing treatment. "You get off easy today Lhan."

"Thank you, Carla," Lhan says, every bit the repentant child.

"I do quite well," Kiele says with a huff. "It's the others that start it."

Lhan laughs and ends up wheezing. "Stupid lie," he grumbles.

"What was that?" Carla asks.

"Stupid lungs!" Lhan says louder.

Kiele gives him a look as she guides him out the door. "That was close but I sent the information to my email. So let's go see what the records say."

"I had to take real medicine," Lhan pouts.

"And you'll survive." Kiele ushers them toward her door. "And next we know we could be out of this place and up there."

The mere thought of leaving the bunker buoyed Lhan. Today could be the day! He laughs like a kid again. Real sky, real trees, real everything! "I feel like I'm dreaming."

"Let's just hope for the best." She sits at her computer and with shaky hands, she brings up the records. "I'm almost too afraid to look."

"I'm not." Lhan leans over her and clicks to open the documents. "They didn't bring back any parasites or diseases that would put the rest of us at risk," he says after a bit of reading. "That's a good sign."

"Their lungs seemed to be a bit damaged but that's to be expected with how we haven't breathed in real air. In some cases, some of us haven't breathed at all." Kiele smiles, feeling hopeful. "I just hope that this means we'll be able to go out soon."

"It has to," Lhan says, though a dark part of his mind worries that he won't be able to physically handle life on the surface.

Kiele takes his hand. "Let's go see about our new lives?"

"I'm ready," Lhan says, straightening to his full height. "Let's face the future."