The Solar Energy Collection System

The Solar Energy Collection System

     PaTok went directly home after a long hard day at the HalNa Weapon Manufacturing Plant. He tested each batch of weapons all day. It depended on what the weapon was, they created them all, as to how he tested them. PaTok was the only Tester. He put his life in danger every time he tested a weapon.

     A Transport went through a clear Protective Shield of the HalNa Weapons Manufacturing Plant. PaTok looked up and saw the sign of where he worked. As he passed through that Protective Shield part of it engulfed around that Transport. That Transport now protected PaTok from the death raining down on the city of HalNa.

     He only lived a couple of miles from his work. But because of the war happening around him it took PaTok almost thirty minutes to get to and from work each day. PaTok swerved to avoid some remnants of a house and several dead KaTains. He had to do that several more times before he got home.

     PaTok looked at the row of MiniMonitors in front of him. Each one showed a different side of his transport. After he saw it was all clear PaTok pushed a button on the Control Wheel of his Transport. When he did the normal looking driveway collapsed into a slid that led to an underground parking structure. Once cleared the driveway, it returned to normal.

     After checking the MiniMonitors again PaTok pushed another button. And the door next to him flipped up. PaTok got out and quickly, looking all around him as he did, to a door frame of a door across from him. As he approached the door it disappeared. And after he went through it the door reappeared.

<<<<<>>>>>

     The first thing PaTok did every day when he got home was to check his Solar Energy Collection System. It was located on the other side of his underground living quarters. That where PaTok lived. He filled in the upper part of his house after the war began a few years go. He had been living in his underground shelter ever since.

     PaTok tried to relax after working hard all day. Which he did by working on a giant floor puzzle. He was about halfway through it. Once completed it would look like the beautiful mountain desert of KaTai that he had a picture of on his wall. PaTok looked up at the picture.

     Then he looked at the small tables where he kept the tiny pieces of the puzzle. After carefully looking at the four of the seven table he finally selected a piece. Each table had a specific section of the table: The mountain, the desert, the sky etc. When he put in onto the floor he suddenly doubled his fist. And tried to pound it into the puzzle.

     After a couple of hours of that PaTok would get something to each and drink. His food/drink dispenser was next to the Solar Energy Collection System. And in front of that next to the seamless door was his Sleeper. After he got his evening meal he sat down on his wall Wide Chair. Which was right in front of a large Wall Monitor.

     PaTok liked to watch the thirty-six hours newsfeed that repeat the same thing every couple of hours about the at least six wars that were happening on the planet of KaTai each day. It was the only thing being shown. “I wonder what’s new today.” PaTok said to himself as he started eating.

     The only thing PaTok was interested in was what happened in the HalNa Region. He didn’t care about the rest of the planet. PaTok only halfway listened to the news about the other forty-four Regions around the world. But when it got to the HalNa Region he was all ears. It was just after the HalNa Region news began that it happened. The Announcer had just said, “Heavy Death Bombing in this Region is expected to last for another couple of hours,” when there was a loud explosion overhead.

     That explosion led to a cracking sound. Which led to the ceiling starting to crumble. And finally the Solar Energy Collection System exploding. Now PaTok was in total darkness.

<<<<<>>>>>

     “What happened?” PaTok tried to see within the darkness. But he couldn’t. At first he just sat there. He did that for only a few minutes. “The Secondary System should have come up now.” But it didn’t.

     After about half an hour, he wasn’t sure exactly because he couldn’t see the time on either side of the Wall Monitor, PaTok realized the Secondary System wasn’t coming on. So he got up. And with his arms stretched in front of him, waving erratically, he headed for what he thought was the door. While he tried to get there he stumbled into three of his puzzle piece table. One he just barely tapped. But it was enough to knock over all the pieces on it. The other two he knocked over completely. He could hear the pieces hit the floor. PaTok almost fell over one of them.

     PaTok finally found the door. He knew it was the door because he bumped into his Sleeper. But it didn’t open. “It’s not just darkness. When the Solar Energy Collection System blew so did my power. I’m trapped.”

     Suddenly an eerie humming sound came from the direction of the Wall Monitor. “What’s that?” At first he thought it was static from the newsfeed. But there was no power. Then he realized it sounded familiar. Only he couldn’t remember what it meant. PaTok tried to remember. But he couldn’t. Suddenly he did.

     “I’m dead. That’s the Death Chant.” PaTok looked back at where he was seated before. Even though he couldn’t see in the darkness he did see himself – with a large piece of the ceiling on him. He had been crushed to death. “I should have gotten a Protective Shield for the house too.”