Reset: A Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Fantasy (Contaminant Series Book 1) Read Free Page B

and Chris were on their way to lunch.

Chapter Three
    Mess was relatively empty by the time the three arrived.  However, a line of people ran out of Mess and part of the way down the hall.  This is where they got in line.  Rosenthird rocked back and forth from his heel to his toes, with his sleeves rolled up and his hands in his pocket.  Chris was texting on her phone. 
    When the public outrage became physical, the State and local governments did everything they could to maintain peace and uphold society.  But each month without adequate food supply saw many people leaving their homes, jobs, and communities.  Entire cities became hollowed shells devoid of utilities and communications.  The government contracted a few wireless companies to maintain operations in return for bonds.  People even switched carriers to have access to a cellular network.  White House employees, federal employees, and large cities on the state level were on a government contract.  It’s not like that bill would be due anytime soon.
    Michael checked his phone… for no reason at all.  His folks never called.  He scrolled through his contacts and stopped at ‘Mom’.  After the brief generic conversation he had with her in his head, he felt bad that he considered his own mother a chore and a bore.  But, he didn’t really see the point in frivolities either.  After a quick ponder, he called her.
    The phone only rang twice before it was picked up and a rather vibrant voice on the other end of the line said, “Hello? Michael?”
    “Hey, Ma, I was just thinking about you.  I thought I would call you up.”
    “Oh, that’s nice Michael, I was thinking of you just earlier today.  Are you okay?”
    “Of course, Ma.”  Michael shook his head in resignation as she went through the usual questions.
    “You getting enough sleep?  You sound tired.  Are you getting enough sleep?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Are they feeding you there?”
    “Of course, Ma.”
    “Did they find a cure?”
    “… No… No, Ma.  Let’s talk about you.  How are you?”
    “You talk to your father?”
    There was a short pause, “No...” His reply was drawn out and defensive.
    “Michael, in a time like this, how can you hold a grudge?”
    “It’s not a grudge, Ma.  I got nothing to say to him, alright?”
    “He called me up just the other day.  He called me up, Michael.  He says you don’t call.”
    This was Michael’s cue to get off the phone, “Ma, we’ve been through this.  When he can have an adult conversation, then I’ll talk to him.  Always with the insults… he thinks I’m a lap dog… a..a..a butler.  I can’t talk to him.  If he calls back, send my love.  I gotta go, Ma.  I love you.”
    Michael could hear her protesting even as he hung up the phone.  Now that it was done, he could breathe for another month or so.  While Michael was on the phone, the line had been moving forward steadily.  In a few moments, he would get his lunch tray, sit down, zone out and eat.  That’s what most people did in Mess.  There wasn’t anything to talk about unless it was a solution to their problem.  Some class clowns just couldn’t resist, but the majority of people had nothing to say.
    Rosenthird always picked an empty table away from people.  He gave the illusion that it more for the bodyguards.  No one really bothered him anyways, but people always sought out his advisors and presidential aides in an attempt to get face time.  It didn’t bother Michael anymore. 
    This day, Chris followed Michael to an empty table.  They were joined by Anna and Peter of the ABC.  After brief pleasantries and even briefer small talk, they ate in silence.
    ***
    The food came and went fast as it did every meal.  The four of them sat around the table and silently contemplated their own thoughts.  There was an hour allotted for the daily lunch break and the amount of time left over after eating played tricks on the mind.
    Michael waited for either Peter