204
What cause have I to feel glad?
I didn’t close my eyes.
Not anymore. I didn’t need to close my eyes.
The little pegasus was crying for help.
I didn’t care anymore. It was too late anyways.
The big device pumped the spectra into a few of the containers.
“204!” someone behind me shouted.
The origin of the harsh voice was one of the soldiers.
He was wearing one of those black body suits all of the guards had to wear.
“Congratulations, you’re promoted.” He said, this time in a normal volume.
…........................................................................................................................................................
I woke up.
I had a few things in mind as I put on the strong plates.
I thought about my life, my job. My family.
I could barely remember my family.
I had left them in order to start to work in the facility.
…........................................................................................................................................................
The sun was rising. Its rays were slowly filling the streets of Cloudsdale with warm light.
Someone knocked at the door. A grown-up mare with yellow fur and a green mane opened the door.
“Mum you’re back.”
“Yes, I have mail for you. A pony which said it would work in ‘The Factory’ gave it to me.”
…........................................................................................................................................................
That was the day I was chosen to work in the Rainbow Factory.
The last memorie which contained my family.
These memories were my only link to sanity.
These memories, that slowly started to fade away.
Memories that soon would be gone.
After I had put on the last armour-plate, I left my room.
I walked down one of the long corridors.
I had stopped to count the days. I had stopped to count the years.
I had refused to count the years.
It just didn’t fit into my daily routine, didn’t fit into my ‘new’ life.
Every single hallway in the factory looked the same.
It was the last trap for the ones that tried to escape.
The first weeks of training for the newcomers were nothing else but memorize maps of the different floors.
I walked to the left, into the big cafeteria. Unlike everything else inside of the factory, it was made out of white clouds.
The cafeteria was the last friendly looking place in the whole factory.
The last place where you were a pony, not a worker.
I walked over to the table where the other Pegasus-Device-district workers were eating.
“Hey 204! You look like you hadn’t got to sleep in days. Is something wrong?” the blue stallion to my left asked me. He hadn’t put on his armour today.
“I’m fine, what’s about you? What happened to your armour? You know that it’s dangerous not to wear it.” I said.
He gave me a warm smile.
“I always feel like I’m caught in it. Today there will be no new ‘flying-aces’ for the machine.” he stated.
“Really? That’s perfect! I could use a day off.” a red coloured mare on the other end of the desk said.
“It ain’t that easy 325. You know that. We will have to clean the device. The last few years the night-shift was in charge for cleaning the machines.” a grey mare reminded her.
“How often do I have to tell you that my name is Cloudjumper?” 325 replied in anger.
“You’re new. You don’t get it. None of us normal workers has a name in here. If one of the higher ranked workers will hear you shouting your name all over the place, we don’t have to remember it anyways.” the grey one said.
“Don’t be harsh to her 298. There’s no reason in doing that.” I said. “She still needs to accustom to the rules. Besides nobody will listen to us in here. By the way, do you remember your name?”
“Of course I do. Why are you asking?” 298 replied.
“I don’t remember mine. I don’t know when I forgot it.” I said with a slight note of sadness in my voice.
“Don’t be sad 204. I forgot mine too.” the blue stallion said “The only thing you need to know is your number. Mine is 56.”
“You’re working here a pretty long time now, hmm?" 325 asked him.
“Yes, of course I do. I don’t know how long exact, but I was the fifty-sixth worker.” he said.
“Pretty obvious, don’t you think?” I asked. “Don’t you think Cloudjumper?” with the last word 298 gave me a killing glaze.
“Don’t. Say. Her. Name. Loud.” she whispered.
“Yes. Why are we getting numbers? I don’t want to be called with a number instead of my name!”
“Better don’t get mouthy 325.” 56 said. “It’s better for you to forget your name as fast as you can.”
“You still haven’t told me your name 298.” I said.
“You won’t leave me alone with it until I tell you my name, will you? It’s Starstream. If you ever dare to call me like that..” she didn’t need to finish her sentence.
Nobody would care about one or two less workers. Also nobody in here would mind killing someone. That was part of the job.
“I won’t call you like that. I promise.” I said.
A few hours later, we went into the direction of the room with the Pegasus Device.
The several floors still looked the same, only with a few more doors.
The Pegasus Device was positioned in the middle of the factory.
The door to the execution room was in the exact middle of the corridor.
It was guarded by two stallions.
“Stop! Identify yourselves.” one of the guards said.
“56. Chief-engineer.” The stallion with the blue fur shouted.
“204. Engineer and pilot” I said.
“298. Soldier.” Starstream exclaimed.
“Clou.... 325! Soldier!” Cloudjumper said.
“You’re allowed to go through. Learn. Your. Number. 325.” The other guard said as Cloudjumper wanted to go through the big gate.
She blushed and started walking faster. We followed her into the big, dark room.
“This is your first time in the execution room, isn’t it 325?” 56 asked.
“Yes, it is. This room is so... depressing.” Cloudjumper said.
“Better get accustomed to it.” Starstream said.
The big room was quiet.The only voice that echoed through the big room was the clicking of our hooves on the ground.
“What do we do now?” Cloudjumper asked.
“We’ll wait for the others. They should have orders for us.We’ll work soon enough, don’t you worry about that.” 56 said and started to laugh.
“How can you laugh in here? This place is so terrible.” 325 said.
We walked into the middle of the large room.
Now everything we could do was to wait.
“I still think you look somewhat tired or depressed 204. Come on. Smile.” 56 said.
I got angry. I didn’t know how he could take this whole thing so easily.
“What cause have I to feel glad?” I asked, but no one answered. 56 already knew the answer.
