STOPLIGHT

The green light from Patrick’s phone screen illuminated his face in the darkness of his living complex. Everyone was issued one of the same size at the age of 21. His living room suddenly became lit despite it being the middle of the night, and loud shuttering noises were heard from outside the walls of the complex.

“It’s time to go!” A metallic voice emitted from the phone, and the lights of the living space turned a royal green, “You’ve matched with David Pearson.”

The shuttering of the walls began to slow and dull clanking sounds could now be heard along the wall. The space where a green light stood on the wall split open in two ways. A man walked into Patrick’s complex. He was dressed in grey linen pajamas, an outfit Patrick had in his closet too. He was tall and white, with dark brown hair, broad shoulders, and a jawline for days. Patrick was very pleased with his match.

“So I’m guessing you’re more of a night owl too,” The man said, he reached out his hand to Patrick, “David Pearson. At your service.”

Patrick downed the rest of the drink he was having and took David’s hand to shake it, “Patrick Richardson. At yours.”

There was a moment of silence between the two where they studied each other’s faces. But when Patrick’s eyes went from David’s lips to his hair, to his eyes - the lust was blatant. David was the one to go in for a kiss first, and Patrick accepted it with a longing. They made out fiercely for a few minutes, allowing themselves the luxury of human touch for a few hot seconds. Once David had taken his shirt off and revealed his impeccable physique, that was when Patrick stopped.

“How long has it been for you?” Patrick asked David.

“Two years,” David replied, “You?”

“Three,” Patrick stated. Three years since his last contact with another human being.

“Well,” David said, picking Patrick up into his arms, “Let’s break your fast, at your pace of course.”

“Thank you, but I need time,” Patrick said, “Why do you think they keep us alone until we’re matched? How does that allow us to create a personality at all?”

“It’s time to slow down,” Patrick’s phone rang, and the lights in the living space turned yellow.

“Listen,” David said, “We all want out but let’s just enjoy what we have for the time being, yeah?”

The lights in the living space returned to green and then a normal white fluorescent. The screen that covered two walls was showing a landscape of beautiful mountains, a remnant of the past as informed by their phones when both people moved into their own living space.

“Yeah, okay,” Patrick stated, and then he kissed David again for a shorter time, breaking away in thoughtfulness. They continued a back and forth of affection and questions, short make out sessions followed by a question of routine, and then long periods of slow, intimate love-making on Patrick’s grey couch that allowed them to feel at one with each other, even if the system was going to likely tear them apart.

After this, they did a short tour of both living apartments. David had been allowed some luxury with the size of his bathroom and Patrick with the size of his bed. It was like the two living spaces fit together like puzzle pieces, connected by a chute of replenishing food. It was always greens and a lump of some meat that both Patrick and David hadn’t been alive, at the time, to name. David prepared the protein side of dinner given the spices of salt and pepper, and Patrick prepared a side of salad for both to eat. They had a small table with chairs that and they both ate in silence.

“It’s time to go!” David’s phone rang in his pocket and the walls of the duplex began to shutter, the lights turning green once more, “You have matched with Ava Brown.”

“What?” Patrick asked, and he looked at his phone to see that David and his light were both still green as well.

The shuttering slowed and another opening formed in one of the walls. From behind the opening came Ava, a porcelain faced girl with striking red hair.

“What does this mean?” Patrick asked.

“I think it means I have to choose,” David responded, “or they do.” He approached the girl and asked how she was doing.

“Fine, I suppose,” she said simply, “Don’t suppose anyone wants to get out of here?”

“Time to slow down,” Ava’s phone said as the lights flashed yellow.

“Actually,” David looked back to Patrick and whispered to Ava, “That’s what we all want.”

“Time to slow down,” said David’s phone with another bright yellow flash.

“Escape plan time?” Patrick asked David and Ava.

“Hell yeah,” David replied.

“Time to slow down,” this time coming from Patrick’s phone with a third flash of the yellow lights.

“How long has it been for you?” David asked Ava.

She began to choke up as she responded, “It’s been 5 years since I was taken from my family unit. I haven’t seen anyone since.”

“Well here, eat some food and we’ll think of something,” Patrick said, offering up the rest of his meal to Ava.

“It’s time to stop,” All three phones emanated, and the lights turned red. All three people were struck with terror, “Please report to your separate living areas.”

“Fuck that!” David exclaimed and almost at once the living complex they were eating in – which was David’s – began to shutter and all doors closed.

“Um, what’s happening?” Patrick asked wearily as the living complex began to shake in movement.

“I think we’re about to find a way out of here.” David said.

The living complex stopped moving all at once, causing them all to fall to the ground. The wall facing them opened up and the barrel of the gun could be seen. David dove behind the table, grabbing Ava and Patrick as he did. The turret began shooting at them, damaging but not penetrating the metal table.

“We can do this,” David said, “I’m going to run out and make a scene, and you two book it towards the door, get around that turret and figure out a way to stop it.

“That’s suicide!” Ava protested.

“It’s suicide to just stay here.” David said, “We have to do this now!”

Patrick grabbed Ava’s arms and they both looked at each other knowingly, it had to be done.

“On three,” David said, “One, two, go!”

They rushed out and the turret locked onto David, shooting him dead in the heart. There was a small splatter of blood that appeared black under the red lights. The turret turned on Patrick and Ava, but they got to it in to push it over. When they were clear of the turret, they checked their surroundings. There were three men dressed in metal armor already waiting for them. They both used their nightsticks to knock Patrick and Ava out.

When Patrick came too, he was sitting in a chair in a stark white room with another person sitting across from him. She was elderly, and the age of her years showed through the gleam in her eyes as well. She was dressed neatly in business attire.

“Do you really want to know what’s out there?” She said, stone-faced looking at him, “Because I can confirm for you that it is not people.”

“Where’s Ava?” Patrick asked.

“Are you aware of what war is?” The woman asked, still stone-faced, “Are you aware of the consequences of war?”

“Of course not, you know I don’t know,” Patrick said.

“Then enjoy finding out,” She said, and looked to a uniformed man behind him and nodded. The man flipped Patrick around so he was glancing at a door that led to a place similar to what he had seen on his screen in his living quarters. Only this time it was brown and barren, stripped of all life. And the clouds were grey and brown too. Patrick was shoved out of the room and into the outside. The doors closed behind him.