What’s the date today? Write it down, remove all dashes and slashes, and write a post that mentions that number.

He picked up the token number at the counter at the Official Migration Bureau when it was his turn as they called his name. He felt the smoothness of the plastic of the token as his finger glided on the surface. The token read “18042015” and the only other words on it were the symbol of the Bureau. He said the number again and again in his mind until he had memorized it. The promise of the day coming soon.

He then went into a much larger room, showed his identification documents on his tab and that of his family – his wife, 2 kids, a cat and 2 dogs and a turtle. One unit, the lady at the desk said after she checked the authentication of the documents. She worked behind her desk and worked out the details which took about 10 minutes. During those 10 minutes, all thoughts of feelings went through his mind. Mostly relief and also excitement. It was finally happening. His family and he would be leaving the earth soon. Our planet was slowly becoming a wasteland and it was getting more & more difficult to breath without respirators fitted to everyone. It was ok for humans but the animals they kept as pets struggled and had to be restrained or tied up on leashed during the 10 hours it was recommended to breath through the respirators.

The evacuation project had started 2 years ago and the governments of the world came together to arrange the mass migration – of all humans and most of the animal world – from Earth to Earth 2; a supersized earth like planet in another galaxy. The exodus would take place in multiple phases and house people & pets in several large bioships that would put the living inhabitants in statis for the year long journey that it would take to get from Earth to their new home. He and his wife had counted the days and waited until it was their turn; 18042015. His would be the 18,042,015th person to be evacuated and as his immediate family his wife was 18,042,016, his older son 18,042,017 & daughter 18,042,018 in number. The 2 dogs, cat & turtle just about fit the maximum limit they could for pets – any more and they would have to keep them with another family, perhaps his brother-in-laws whenever their turn was up. His own brother and his family had already left on the previous phase.

As he finally got his documents in order and was about to leave, the lady at the counter grabbed his hand with both of hers and said “Good luck, have a safe trip!” He wondered what her number and her family’s numbers would be. Probably much later as she worked for the official migration group. He thanked her with tears in his eyes as he pocketed his token and his documents and left the Bureau to go home and tell his wife the good news – one week from now, they would be leaving their home forever and move on to the long journey to their next. Earth 2! As he stepped outside to start his walk back home one large number kept repeating in his mind over & over again – “18042015!!

Prompt from The Daily Post at WordPress.com