Processing

Operations came in the night. They gathered up those who were gaining entry to the caldera and led us through the giant steel doors. The tunnel was dark and dimly lit by torches. The pair of uniformed men at the rear of the procession snuffed out the torches after we passed. There was no turning back.

The tunnel ran for about half a mile. It opened into a great receiving hall with polished concrete floors that looked like granite. In the hall were desks for entering information about each person. I waited while the family were processed.

One of the uniformed came over to me. It was Seth, a friend of my son's, once. "I don't see your family here. Where's Max?"

"I didn't find them."

"You radioed that you did."

"I had to."

"You gave up?"

"It's time for me to change."

Seth shook his head angrily, frowning deeply at my deception.

The family approached me with their housing assignment in hand. "I'll take you to your new home."

We stepped out into the pre-dawn darkness in the bowl of the caldera.