BIRD

It doesn't always work out in the end,

at least not for humanity.

Bird was only 8 when her grandmother pushed the intricately engraved, heart-shaped locket into her hand. She remembered how cold the silver felt on her palm as she clasped it tightly. Bird was still a boy then; she hadn’t yet come into her own and embraced her truth.

“You wear this with pride,” her grandmother said, “it has lived more lives than all our tribes combined.”

“I’ll remember...” Bird whispered with tears in her eyes. She had heard many stories about the locket. It had been passed down from the first female in their family who was from The Surface.

She was about Bird’s age when the shift started. Climate change had taken its toll over The Surface. That’s when humanity sought refuge below in natural caverns, or built massive underground bunkers and tunnels that interconnected. As the air became more toxic and airborne viruses began killing off more people, they moved their lives underground and have lived in Subterra ever since.

Every woman from Bird’s lineage would wear the locket as a reminder to never give up hope for The Surface. When Bird’s mother passed away, her grandmother had kept it safe until she was too old and dying.

Bird was not ready to watch her grandmother die, as she had watched so many others.

“You are so soft, Bird, and so, so strong. You will lead our tribe to greatness.”

Those were the last words her grandmother had said to her before she passed away. Bird often thought about her, especially while working in the gardens.

Now, as an adult, Bird spent most of her waking life in them.

Artificial lighting. Hundreds of long ultra violet tubes hung above her. Ancient technology that was delicately monitored by the chosen scientists. They studied ancient texts, books that were older than Bird’s locket. She reveled in it, loving every moment she had reading books on Botany. Being in the garden was her passion.

Bird yearned to know more about life before, what life was like when The Surface was at its prime. Everyone who knew her thought she was insane.

They were all too scared of The Surface now.

Going up was forbidden, but Bird heard of those that had done so in secret, including her childhood friend, Arden.

Behind the waterfalls in Subterra was a small cave-like tunnel. It was their hiding spot, where Bird and Arden would go to talk about The Surface or their crushes.

Arden was even more obsessed with The Surface than Bird was. She hated living underground and constantly spoke of running away.

“Don’t you dream of seeing an Oak Tree, Bird?” Arden pleaded with her, once again trying to convince Bird to leave with her.

Bird said nothing, instead she continued to tie a green braided bracelet, made from rope around Arden’s small wrist.

“Don’t you wonder what the sky feels like? Or grass?” Arden smiled and sighed at the thought before taking Bird’s hand into her own and neatly tying a pink twin bracelet to Bird’s wrist.

Bird shrugged her shoulders, “Well, I don’t think it is worth getting cancer, or burning up! You know, River said he heard there are monsters up there…”

Arden playfully slapped Bird’s arm, “You’re too old to believe in monsters!”

They held hands and laughed together. Bird smiled down at her pink bracelet and thought the idea would eventually leave Arden’s thoughts, but one morning Arden was gone.

Since then it had been difficult for Bird to make friends, so she focused on her career.

In a year’s time, she would be in a select group of students who are eligible to work with the lead scientists. The ones responsible for everything that made life possible for her tribe. They made the oxygen they breathe, the fruit and vegetables they grow, the plants for the animals to eat, and so much more.

Everyone in her tribe had a place, something to contribute. The tribe was large, but they were not the only humans left. The leaders had their ways to keep in contact with the others. They share information and sometimes audio over wireless with distant tribes they had been isolated from when humanity moved to Subterra.

When humanity started to go below it was impossible for countries to stay united, so cities and towns broke off and established their own underground communities. They had to move deep underground, living too close to The Surface would expose them to harmful radiation, and harsh chemicals they couldn't breathe.

The cavern where Bird lived was approximately 2000 meters below The Surface. Subterra was hot and humid, but they had plenty of room and water for her tribe to survive. Between Bird’s cavern and the surface were dozens of other caverns and tunnels the tribe had lived in years before but have since been abandoned.

Bird’s mother and father were a part of a large group of workers that kept the tribe's homes and their structures safe and secure - or as safe as they could make them under their circumstances.

That’s how Bird’s mother passed, how many of their people passed.

Structures crumbling because of the underground shifting. It wasn’t a constant thing, but when it happened it often caused an incredible amount of destruction and life lost.

So it wasn’t a surprise when Bird scrambled to her feet as the plates shook and the ground beneath her crumbled. She ran as fast as she could toward the market and away from the education center. The ground shook and split, making Bird fall forward. Screams came from all around her as her fingers barely grasped the edge of the ground. Hands met hers, pulling her up and away from the abyss.

“River!” She cried, holding onto the man that had saved her, “It’s all gone…” she looked back at where the education center had once been, nothing was left of it. Rocks and sand and a large, gaping hole had replaced it.

In the middle of the market, their leader, the Governess shouted. People were wailing and panic was rising.

“Our oxygen-hydrogen processing system was badly damaged. Our safeguards failed.” She closed her eyes before continuing, taking a deep breath, “We don’t know how long it will take to fix the processor or if we even can. We need to seek an alternate solution. We need to go to The Surface and see if it can sustain life.”

“That’s insane!” One man shouted.

“Just fix the processor, we can hold out!” Another added.

The Governess shook her head, “There is no time. If our calculations are correct we will all be dead within 2 to 4 weeks. Our scientists are trying to fix the damage, but they do not know how long it will take. They do know it will be a lot longer than that. We can’t take any risks.” She looked out to the sea of worried faces, “I need volunteers to go to The Surface.”

For a moment, there were only quiet whispers of protests.

“I’ll go,” Came River’s voice, “I know these tunnels like the back of my hand.” The Governess nodded her agreement.

“I’ll go,” Bird stood tall next to him, “I am a scientist in training, I can make sure it’s habitable.”

“I work with River,” came another voice. “I handle the dynamite we use for mining.”

“That’s settled then,” The Governess said. “Come with me, we’ll gear you up for travel.”

Bird had never been inside of the Science Center. It was the cleanest building in their city, even with the broken glass and flickering lights, it was just as Bird had imagined it.

The scientists got to work handing the three of them their gear, it wasn’t much, just a simple ventilation mask and some protective gloves and pants. The scientists told them about the dangers of the tunnels. River and his work-mate nodded, knowingly, but Bird had no clue what the tunnels were like. He handed them backpacks full of testing equipment, and told them things they needed to check to make sure The Surface was a habitable place for them.

Bird realized as she followed behind River entering the first tunnel of their journey, that she hadn’t said goodbye to her father. She clutched her locket.

The tunnel started off large enough, she was able to walk through it easily enough without any issues, but as they walked on the tunnels sizes varied. Sometimes it was fine, but other times the three of them had to crawl. It had almost immediately become pitch black. Bird and River’s work-mate, Saul, were both holding lanterns to help light their way.

They had no real sense of time after hours of walking, occasionally they would take a break to sleep.

Hours turned into what Bird could only assume was days. As they walked on the air became thinner and odd smells emerged from the tunnels, like sulphur.

River was in front of Bird when suddenly hot steam exploded from the side of the tunnel wall, spraying him in the face. He screamed, toppling over holding his face. Then he was still. Bird went to help him, but Saul stopped her.

"He's gone, there's no coming back from that. That spot killed someone else, look," he pointed at River’s body. Bird could see a skeleton next to him.

It was a small skeleton, like a child. On its wrist was Arden’s green bracelet. Bird had lost her pink one years ago. Arden had liked River so Bird thought it was a tragic happenstance that they would end up together in the end.

"Let's keep going." Said Saul as he led Bird away from the morbid scene

It must have been at least another day. Bird woke up with her head leaning against Saul's shoulder. He didn't seem to mind her next to him so she stayed there next to him for a little while longer.

"I thought I found an opening a bit further on, but then it closed off after that. Caved in possibly, but it kind of looks like a door. Either way… we'll have to blast through it."

Bird's brows furrowed, "Have you done that before?"

Saul nodded, "Not this high up, though."

They packed their things and put on their ventilation masks.

Saul pulled the dynamite out of his pack and delicately placed it by an ancient looking door that blocked their path.

"Ready?" Saul lit the dynamite.

They ran back aways before they heard the explosion go off, loud and roaring, then the clouds of dust. Bird was grateful for the simple mask.

After a moment Saul grabbed Bird's hand and led her through the dust filled tunnel, through the door they had just destroyed.

They climbed up into another tunnel, and then another, but it was cramped and steeper than the others had been. Bird started to feel claustrophobic. Saul had noticed.

"I think this is the last tunnel, Bird," he said, looking back at her, "just a bit more and we'll be at The Surface… You stay there and I'll blow up the opening." He said, climbing up and out of sight.

Bird was left in the dark for a few moments before she heard the explosion.

"Saul?" She yelled up the tunnel, "Saul?" Bird began climbing up after him, dust was everywhere and he was laying motionless in front of her.

Suddenly the dust clouds cleared. Her eyes took a moment to adjust from a blinding light before she saw they were surrounded by lush vegetation and greenery.

Saul started to cough and Bird felt relief wash over her as she helped him up.

They looked around in wonder seeing trees and the sky for the first time ever. Saul looked at Bird and took off his ventilator and breathed in with a smile.

Bird clutched her locket as she removed hers and let the Surface air fill her lungs.