Something Different

I remember the stories told to me in my youth. Stories about what it was like when we could go outside. I’m told that the air isn’t breathable, that the trees and most of the plant life are gone. When the plants died, most of the animals died too. What’s left are the carnivores...and they’ll eat anything.  

Now we must live underground. Scientists are working on ways to regenerate the earth. It isn’t going well. If anyone does venture outside, they must wear protective gear and use some of our dwindling oxygen tank supplies. 

Life in this underground cavern turned bunker is strictly regulated. Everyone must follow strict regulations. We must keep our distance even in this god-forsaken place. Social interactions are kept to a minimum...we’re told it’s for population control. Resources are limited so procreation is strictly on a need basis. That means that there are very few children and they are raised by the government. That was something I never really understood, but just accepted.

I’m one of the few that are allowed social interactions. The government has deemed it necessary. After all, someone has to make clothing for people to wear. I just happen to have the skills necessary to do that. I’m a tailor. I spend my days measuring people and making their clothes. Sometimes I get to take old clothes apart and make new ones out of them. I even get to take the scraps and make other fabric based useful items. Nothing is wasted. Even the discarded threads I have must be put to good use. 

Now, back to those stories. I remember my grandmother and curling up in her lap and listening to the stories. Back then, it was the beginning of the end of families. The government decided to let them naturally die off. They even restricted how a person could die. The stories I heard told me of a beautiful place where everything was green, the sky was blue, and people lived in houses, at least I think that was what they were called. I live in a tiny room where I have one of the few remaining treadle sewing machines. I am required to have it in my quarters. I have to guard it day and night because it is both useful and scarce. The stories of my youth give me hope that the scientists will soon resolve the problem with the earth. However the news broadcasts are bleak. They keep sending drones out to measure the pollutants and they are not breaking down as predicted.

What happened to make us retreat to underground life? Man’s unwillingness to pay attention to the environment. Men chose to exploit the natural resources until there wasn’t enough to sustain life. Then they started creating chemical ways to take the place of nature. That was unsuccessful and eventually backfired. Nature started fighting back! Earthquakes, hurricanes, blizzards, and more. Nature threw it all at us at one time. All the viruses that were being studied by scientists broke loose and killed off most of the people. Eventually it was decided to retreat to this bunker where space and resources are limited.

Every day I wake up, scavenge a meal from the meager supplies I have, and open the front of my quarters so I can meet the few people who need new clothes or need their existing ones mended. Every day it is the same. Sew...sew...sew. Nothing new ever happens. Why should today be different?

I’m working on some repairs when a stranger enters my quarters.

“I hear that you’re a tailor,” he said.

I stop working, look up from the jacket I’m repairing and see the tall man who had entered my quarters. Without putting the jacked down or removing the pins from my mouth, I nod my head and mumble “How may I help you?”

“I need you to come with me,” he said.

I waved my hand over the jacket and said, “Can’t...I have work to do.”

He took the jacket from me and said, “that wasn’t a request.” And he pulled me to my feet and ushered me out of my quarters. We stopped long enough for me to close the door to my quarters before we were off again.

I seldom left my quarters during what I presume was the day. I had no way of knowing whether it was day or night because I don’t have access to a window...just electric lights. He pulled me by my arm and led me down the hall towards where the merchants were. We passed the marketplace and went deeper into the bunker...further than I had ever been before. Eventually we got to where he wanted me to be. It was a brightly lit room with people who were wearing white clothes were working...not too close together, either. Even here, people had to keep their distance. He dropped my arm as we entered the room. I stopped moving and just stood there taking it all in. He motioned for me to follow, but I couldn’t move. There was too much to look at!

“Come with me,” he ordered as he walked off towards the large screens that were at the far end of the room. Numbly I followed him. I wasn’t sure what was going on and wanted to get as much information as I possibly could. I just knew that this chance was a one time event. The man ducked behind one of the screens and I cautiously followed. We went into a smaller room that was just as brilliantly lit. There was a large table in the middle of the room and a smaller table off to my right that had an electric sewing machine on it. There was a young girl sitting at the sewing machine that seemed to be having trouble with the machine.

“You help her,” the man barked as he left the room.

I slowly approached her and looked at what she was doing. 

“I have to make protective clothing for the scientists to wear.” she sobbed. “I don’t know what I’m doing and they say that the gear is needed by tomorrow.”

“It’s really not that hard,” I said in a soothing voice. “I’ll show you how.” Together we worked for the next few hours on the gear. Once she understood the basics, it was easy and she gained confidence. Eventually two suits were completed. We had four more to go. We were about to cut the next suit out when we were interrupted by another woman. 

“It’s time to eat,” she said and the girl followed the woman at a distance towards the door. She turned and motioned for me to follow her. I did. I was curious about this place and what I could make of it. For once it was nice to not have to scrounge for food. The meal we were offered was the largest I had ever seen! I was allowed to eat my fill. After dining, the man who brought me here took me back to my quarters. We walked in silence. I had questions swirling around in my head. As we approached my quarters, he slowed his pace and eventually stopped. It was clear that he was mulling something over. After a few minutes, he spoke.

“What I’m about to tell you is to be kept to yourself,” he said. “We are near to getting out of here. We need those suits to verify that what we did last year by drone has taken root. You are to report back to the sewing area tomorrow and every day until the project is completed. We will give you provisions for your time and expertise.” And with that, he left and headed back towards where we had been.

I returned to my dark, dreary quarters. I was hoping to finish the work that was so brutally interrupted earlier. My customers would never understand why their clothes were not ready. I settled myself into my one chair and resumed the work on the jacket. I was grateful that the jacket was the only order I had to work on and could take a few days off. I planned on returning the jacket to its owner in a few hours.

Jacket finished, now to sleep. I pulled the work table off my bed,  turned off two of the three lamps in my quarters and climbed into my bed and finally turned off the one remaining lamp. The usual darkness did nothing to lull me to sleep like it usually does. Thoughts of the day were tumbling around in my head. 

The next three days were gloriously busy ones! I revelled in having so much light and space to work in! It was even a pleasure to teach the young girl all I could about sewing. By the end of the third day, all the gear was made and there was no longer a need for my skills. After the last meal, I walked by myself out of the work area and back to my former existence. Life was not going to be so pleasing as it once was now that I had a taste of something different!