Prologue

They had been riding in the plane for God knows how long? Hours? A day? More? She couldn't tell. She slowly turned her head and looked at the three men dressed in black, the Enforcers, talking quietly. Her eyes focusing on the tranq guns they had in the holsters on their waists. The Enforcers looked over at her and she turned to the man in front of her, dressed in rags a little dirtier than her own.

"When do you think we'll get there," she whispered quietly, as much to herself as to her one and only friend, Gorge, "do you think the rumors are true?"

The man huffed, "What rumors? The ones about the gold paved streets or the ones about the diamond studded houses? No, I don't believe in stupid rumors, I believe in a place where we can finally have a home, a place where we can live without fearing some crazy freak with a knife will slit our throats when we sleep, a place where you will be safe," he leaned forward, "that's what I believe in."

That shut her up. She turned around and peered out the closest window, one of the few on the old cargo plane. This time she looked out and saw that the ocean was gone, and was replaced with a white wasteland dotted with rocks.

She jumped when one of the Enforcers laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Get ready, we're going to land soon," he said with a kind look in his eyes, "it might be a little bumpy." She nodded, stole one last glance out the window, and buckled the straps like they showed her when they first got on the plane.

The Enforcer nodded and turned to Gorge, but he was already buckled in.

The plane lurched as it began to descend.

The girl felt her stomach churn with excitement.

Soon she would be safe.

Soon she would be in her new home.

Soon she would be in Utopia.

She looked up as the Enforcer handed her and Gorge a set of snow gear. "Put these on," the Enforcer ordered. They complied and quickly put on the snow pants, boots and jackets. Once they were outfitted, the rear door opened, revealing the bright snow, and the cold, blistering wind. The Enforcers lead the passengers into the nearby building, which at a distance, looked like just a small administrative office. The girl looked confused. She thought to herself, this can't be it, there has to be more. Her anxiety increased slightly, worried if it really was too good to be true.

They reached the door to the building when an Enforcer opened the door for them. They walked inside shaking off the cold. They stood quietly, patiently waiting in the room. Suddenly, a man wearing a black suit came out, and politely waved to them.

"Hello. I'm Greg Anderson; I'll be your Sorter for this evening, if you would follow me please". They followed the man towards a set of elevator doors. He pushed a button on the side, and the doors slowly slid open. They all stepped inside. There were three windows in the walls but their view was blocked by the cement on the other side of the panes. The doors closed behind them and they began their descent. Slowly they descended down into the city, within a few seconds, the cement walls disappeared, and a grand sight appeared before them.

They looked out at the lit city, rows upon rows of buildings. Weaving through the city were monorail tracks, with trains riding all over the city. She looked down as she saw bustling streets, with people moving from one place to the other. The girl smiled, there were no fights, no fires, and not a single building was broken or run down. Her smile grew, her eyes getting watery at the glorious sight. She knew this was the safe home she always wanted. She looked over at Gorge, noticing his eyes were getting watery as well.

"We did it Catherine," Gorge murmured. "We're here."

Mr. Anderson put comforting hands on the shoulders of the new arrivals. With that he said three words.

"Welcome to Utopia."