post_apocalypse_story/03-A_Simple_Errand-Annie_li...

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<!DOCTYPE html><html><head><title> A Simple Errand </title><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="html_resources/style.css"></head><body><a href="index.html"><button class="back">&lt;</button></a>
<h1> A Simple Errand</h1>
<p class="comment">
If you are here for reading, skip past the outline.
</p>
<ul>
<li class="comment">
Next day, Annie only has to be at work in the afternoon so she goes to
the library.
</li>
<li class="comment">
Arrival at the library
</li>
<li class="comment">
Ask for the manual
<ul>
<li class="comment">
it&apos;s recently been classified due to a bunch of ppl trying to
leave the dome
</li>
<li class="comment">
Librarian behind the counter says something like &quot;I have to
write down your details, let me get the list rq&quot; while
scribbling a note on her library card, then he winks at her and nods
to the door
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="comment">
Annie leaves
</li>
<li class="comment">
Outside, she hears the Librarian say &quot;Dorothy, she took her
library card and ran, what do I do?&quot;
</li>
<li class="comment">
Annie hurries back to the station and gets on the next train
</li>
<li class="comment">
she reads the note on her library card: Meet at xyz metro station,
10:30 PM
</li>
</ul>
<p>
<span class="speech">Next stop: Central Square</span><br />
Annie looks up. That&apos;s the station she has to get off at. She only
needs to be at work in the afternoon so she decided to get that manual
for Jack.
</p>
<p>
The train comes to a halt in the station. Annie steps out onto the
platform. Few people are around at this time. She glances at the clock
next to the train display: 10:17 AM. The light on the display switches to
the next train and the digits for the time of arrival start flipping over.
<span class="comment"> Is there a more elegant way to describe the train
station displays of yesteryear? </span> The door chime sounds and the
doors close. Annie starts to walk. The train begins to hum and starts to
move. She follows the roughly three other people towards the exit.
</p>
<p>
Annie walks down the stairs and steps onto the square. It is brightly
illuminated by a large glowing sphere made of yellow and brown glass
tiles, suspended on steel cables that hang from four office complexes
towering over the rest of the buildings. To the right is the library,
a large building with a facade of sandstone blocks. The front features
large pillars and a staircase spanning the entire width of the building
giving it the look of an ancient temple. The wall behind the pillars has
multiple rows of windows.
</p>
<p>
Annie makes her way up the stairs and enters through the large wooden
doors. She walks up to the counter. <br />
<span class="speech">Hello, how may I help you today?</span><br />
The guy behind the counter smiles.<br />
<span class="speech">Borrowing the next stack of fantasy books?</span>,
he asks. <br />
<span class="speech">Uhm... Actually, no</span>, Annie replies as she
takes her library card and a piece of paper out of her bag.<br />
<span class="speech">I have a quite unusual request. I am looking
for</span> &ndash; she glances at the piece of paper &ndash;
<span class="speech">a manual for a B three three F Y dash A F bunker
door.</span><br />
The guy types into his terminal for a moment. Annie places her library
card on the counter. With a worried look, he turns back to her: <br />
<span class="speech">I&apos;m afraid, that it has recently been
classified. There is a note about terrorism in here.</span><br />
<span class="speech">So there is no way to get it?</span><br />
He musters her for a second, then he takes the card and scribbles
something on it before putting it back. <br />
<span class="speech">I can check you against a list of people with
security clearance. One moment, I&apos;ll get it.</span><br />
He gestures towards the exit. Then, he turns around and walks towards a
door to the left, seemingly taking his sweet time. Annie gets the
message, grabs her library card and makes a swift exit. Just as she
leaves, she hears him call out to someone else: <br />
<span class="speech">Dorothy, she left. What do I put on the list?</span>
<br />
<span class="comment"> Input on how to format this dialog is appreciated.
</span>
</p>
<p>
Annie is already half-way down the stairs by the time the heavy door
falls shut. Quickly, she walks back to the station. A train is coming.
She hurries up the stairs and gets on. The doors close and it begins to
move. Annie catches her breath and takes her library card out to look at
it. The note written on it reads: &quot;Meet me at 10:30PM tonight,
&lt;metro station&gt;&quot;.
</p>
<p class="copyright">Copyright &#169; 2023 Jan Danielzick (aka. BodgeMaster) &ndash; All rights reserved.</p><script>let spans = ["<span class=\"paper_green\">", "<span>"];let paper_sections = document.getElementsByClassName("paper");for (let i = 0; i < paper_sections.length; i++) {let lines = paper_sections[i].innerHTML.split("\n");let result = "";for (let j = 0; j < lines.length; j++) {result = result + spans[j%2] + lines[j] + " ".repeat(80-lines[j].length) + "</span>\n";}paper_sections[i].innerHTML = result;}</script></body></html>