Epilogue: Into a New Future- Until the Generation We Rise Out into the Sun

The Bunker had become an entirely different world in the aftermath of Chairman Jefferson’s announcement. Overnight, the structured and orderly society that Ai had carefully cultivated crumbled to dust and wild celebrations broke out among the populace. Even the shadows of the chairman’s past crimes were forgotten in the wake of their exuberance.

The Earth was survivable!

No longer were the citizens of the Bunker forced to live beneath the ground; all who wished it could set out onto the surface and begin building a new society, one with priorities beyond “ensuring the survival of the human race for the next generation.”

“Jason, Moira, I have excellent news!” Ai addressed them with a smile from the Punishment Box’s telescreen. “By unanimous vote of the council, it’s been decided that the Bunker will transition from sustainability protocol to exodus protocol! This means all previous rules regarding Partners are officially abolished!”

“Wait, seriously?” Jason couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He look to Moira, who was as shocked as he was.

“Then… does that mean…?” Moira’s eyes began to water. If this was a dream, she didn’t want to wake up.

“Moderating resources and ensuring genetic inheritance are no longer priorities,” Ai confirmed with a nod. “If you wish to use the system to continue determining your most efficient match, that is acceptable, but otherwise, all citizens are free to choose whoever they like as their Partner! And of course, that means any violations of the rules are expunged as well. So you both are free to go!”

The cage doors jolted open.

Jason stepped outside, turning to Moira. They could barely see each other through their tears, but that didn’t stop them. They leapt into each other’s arms and cried with joy.

“Congratulations,” Sylvia murmured, leaning back on her bed and staring up at the ceiling. Her cell was opened as well, but she didn’t bother leaving.

…

The couple walked hand in hand out of the Punishment Box with giant grins on their faces. People were rushing this way and that through the halls, desperately organizing everything for the upcoming exodus to the surface.

“Jason!”

It was Skye. She was one of the few people still obeying the rules, of course, approaching the two of them with a small smile on her face. She waved.

“Skye!” Moira broke away from Jason and threw herself at the other girl, pulling her into a tight hug.

“M-Moira! Let go, contact like this is against the… oh, well, wait… I guess not…”

Moira pulled away from the flustered Skye, and laughed.

“Now that all those stuffy rules are gone, I can do this as much as I want!” She hugged Skye again just to prove her point.

“Y-Yes, well, I believe personal space should still be maintained in order to be polite,” Skye said as she pulled herself free. The pleased expression on her face didn’t go unnoticed by Jason or Moira though.

“Yeah, it looks like there are going to be a lot of changes, huh?” Jason murmured. “Once we get out onto the surface, we’re going to be in for a rough couple of months.”

“I’m glad they let you two out. I suppose it was the right thing to do, now that the rules are… well, honestly, I’m not sure what to make of it,” Skye said with a small laugh. She scratched her head. “I’ve gotten so used to life with Ai’s rules that now, well… I don’t know anymore.”

“Well, there’s still going to be rules and stuff, right?” Moira shrugged. “Just the important ones, though, not those dumb stupid ones about not holding hands or kissing.”

Jason and Skye glanced at each other and shared a groan.

“Moira, it’s not that simple.”

“He’s right. When you start deciding which rules are stupid and which aren’t, then the entire system falls apart.”

Moira placed her hands on her hips and puffed up her cheeks. “Well, if you ask me, any rule that says I can’t be with the boy I love is a stupid rule, so there!”

She turned and tightly hugged Jason’s arm, resting her cheek on his shoulder. Jason turned bright red and frantically looked around, still not used to the fact that they could do this sort of thing in public now.

Skye watched them with a sad smile on her face.

“You two… seem very happy together,” she murmured. “Hopefully… maybe now that we aren’t beholden to our ‘Partners’… I wonder if maybe I can find someone like that, too.”

“You betcha!” Moira cheered, grabbing Skye’s hands and squeezing them tight. Her eyes were shining. “You’re a great girl, Skye! I’m sure you’ll find a guy who’s perfect for you!”

Skye blinked, and her face turned bright red. She quickly shook her hands free. “Y-Yes, well, maybe. I-I suppose I might find someone eventually, but for now! Um… I think I should turn my attention to life on the surface first.”

“Yeah, now that you mention it… the chairman said there’s a forest out there, right? With trees and stuff…” Jason stared up at the ceiling, trying to picture the world above his head. It wouldn’t be anything like the organized oxygen farm, he knew that much. Forests were wild, untamed things. He couldn’t wait to see.

“I can’t wait! The forest! The sun! And we can even go to a real beach! Every day is going to be an adventure!” Moira cheered, pumping her fist into the air.

“Hmm,” Skye nodded, a whimsical look in her eye. It was so strange, seeing her excited like this.

“…I wonder… perhaps I’ll even find a river somewhere…”

“Gah!” Moira suddenly cried, pointing at a telescreen. “Look at the time! I need to go see my folks, let ‘em know Ai let us out!”

She doubled back to run the other way, but skidded to a stop a few seconds later. She turned and ran over to Jason, giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

“See you soon, okay?” She giggled, face as red as her hair. “Then we’ll go up to the surface together!”

And with that, she was gone, leaving a lingering warmth on Jason’s cheek.

“…I should probably be going myself,” Skye said. The smile on her face was still a little sad, but it was bright. “See you up there.”

With that, she turned and strolled down the hallway.

Jason took a deep breath, and wondered about his own parents. The last time he saw them, they were upset by his decision to stay with Moira. What would they think now?

…

“Mom! Have you seen my book?!” Kate shouted from the living room. “I know I left it here last night!”

“I haven’t seen it, honey!” Jason’s mother shouted back. “Go ask your father, I’m helping your brother get ready for the exodus!”

It had been a week since Jason was let out of the Punishment Box. And things had returned to… well, “normal” wasn’t quite the right word.

“Mom, you don’t have to brush my hair!” Jason said, turning red.

“Nonsense!” She scoffed. “This is going to be our first time stepping out onto the surface! You need to look your best!”

“I-I know, but-“

“Besides, you’re seeing that cute girlfriend of yours first, right?” She said with a sly smile.

He didn’t have a reply, so he just looked down with a bashful smile.

“Once we’re all on the surface, you must bring her over for dinner sometime,” she continued. “Oh, listen to me! Dinner! Eating on the surface, how exciting! Why, I remember the first meal I shared with your father…”

“Okay, my hair’s fine, I’m going!” Jason said, pulling away from his mom and grabbing his bag.

“Make sure you two meet us at the entrance!” Jason’s father called after him as he dashed out the door.

Jason felt light as a feather as he ran down the hallway. And there she was. Moira was as beautiful as ever, wearing a long green sundress that made her hair shine. When she saw him, she smiled shyly.

“Wow, Moira, you look… wow.”

“Thanks, I did my best,” Moira said, spinning a little to make her skirt flair up. “We’re still going to the oxygen farm, right?”

“Yep. I just want to see it one last time.”

Their fingers intertwined as they headed down the hall. It was a brilliant day, and the last one the spent together in the Bunker. They filled the oxygen farm with wonders about what the surface would be like, what they’d do there together.

“They’re still going to need engineers on the surface, right? I wonder what I should do for a job…”

“I’m not sure if I want to keep being an artist, but what should I do instead?”

“I’m worried about living without my medication…”

“You’ll shine even brighter! I know it.”

“Everyone’s going to build their own houses, so… should we build ours next to each other? You know, so we can see each other whenever we want?”

“Well… what if we built just one?”

“Hey, so, um… about our first kiss on the surface… where were you thinking it should be? …No, I mean what location do you want us to kiss at, dummy!”

They whiled away the hours with questions like those, until the time finally came to leave, and there was only one question left to ask.

“…Do you think… we’ll still be together? You know… 10 years from now? Or 20?”

It was a question neither one could answer for sure. But as they stood at the entrance to the Bunker, their hands shared a comforting warmth between them. They gazed into each other’s eyes and then, as the large door cracked open, they turned and looked out at the new world ahead and stepped into the sun.