Mike C.

Thermos®###

It is hot. But I have this thermos. Water distribution has been put on hold until 17:00. So, I can drink. Many can’t. Many will die today of thirst. Behind me I hear Citizen Sam on the Big Voice:###

“Citizens! Good news! Desalinization of Lake Pacific is complete. We shall soon enable distribution. Until then, sacrifice for the good of the Citizenry and the World! This is Sam, the Marlboro Man, signing off!”###

Citizens of the World. There are no countries now for over a hundred years. Also, there’s no water. That Sam guy, the noise he makes. No different from the dust blowing, blowing. There hasn’t been anything growing to block the dust for a long, long time.###

They say at one time blue oceans covered Earth Planet. There was an Atlantic and Pacific Ocean and others. I found this in forbidden non-electro books with flat images. Paper, they called it. So much water in there. Was it real? Before the BioGene Wars destroyed green things? Before wars went into space, cutting the rest of us off from the Great Exodus from this dead, stinking planet? Wonder where the Exoderes are. They never came back for us.###

What? They can’t probe me in here. This old building material blocks any signal. Don’t worry.###

Where I found that book, I found this thermos. We don’t call them that—thermos, right? I saw that word somewhere. Yeah, here it is. In raised letters on this polymerase container. Thermos®. I wonder what the “®” means. It has been so long since these symbols had a meaning. There has been only thirst. Hunger is defeated! Yes! We have much food—flat, round, big, small, lozenges, patties. We have food.###

But to wash it down: You need water. I have some right here in this thermos. I am not allowed to have it. If I am caught, no execution the first time. The W.P.’s will take it, probably drink it on the spot. My name will be heard on the Big Voice. Others will begin following me, maybe kill me trying to find the water. The World doesn’t have to do it. People will kill me. But they won’t find my water and thermos.###

Why do I trust you? Because they would kill you for just talking to me about this, wouldn’t they? Right.###

Funny, this “thermos”. I like to say that word. Thermos. There, I said it again. It feels good in my mouth that word. The thermos comes from a time when they must have had lots of water. It feels cool with the water inside against my cheek. I could die right here. It is my water in my thermos.###

I thought I heard something outside. No, my imagination. Dust storm coming, probably. I won’t put my air-lung back on. Can still breathe this lousy air, but the oxygen they gave us yesterday is fading a little.###

This thermos. It must have cost many Marlboro to buy because there is this big Marlboro symbol right here on the thermos. See it? Maybe it belonged to a Chief Citizen who made bazillions of Marlboro a year. What? You want to smoke? Are you kidding, I only have 300 Marlboro on me. I could buy a lot of water with that much Marlboro. You know what they say: Too much water is bad for you, if you’re not used to it. They tell us you should always smoke when you get the urge to drink.###

No, you can’t fool me. You can smoke anytime. I can see that look in your eyes. You want my water and you want my thermos. Stay right there, don’t come any closer. It is mine.###