Even being unexpectedly awoken so much earlier than the start of her normal shift, Mara Peridot retained her trademark cheer as she made her way to the upper floor of the Vault where everyone was being assembled. Weaving through the assembly of people, she tried to make small talk with one of the computationists who happened to be just ahead of her, but he drearily waved her away while sucking a wakeup paste from a small pouch. Oh well, surely this call by the Overseer was something momentous. She sidled into the large room, the available chairs long since gone, and stood near the wall. She could just see the Overseer just over the heads of some of her taller fellow dwellers. He was a stocky older man, with grey hair and a square face. She had only ever talked with him a few times, normally when he had come into the hydroponics garden to discuss some matter with the more senior biological technicians, but she still fondly remembered when he had stopped on the way out to compliment her agrobacterium-mediated recombination work.
"Ah, you're here, good..." His voice cut short her reminiscing and cut quiet the murmurs that had been in the room. He continued now, with all assembled giving him their full attention.
"Well, only good that you're here. We've got a problem. A big one. The controller chip for our water purification system has given up the ghost. We can't make another one and the process is too complicated for a work-around system. Simply put, we're running out of drinking water. No water, no Vault."
Some gasps and stares that were somehow louder followed his pronouncement. Mara's heart jumped. Surely he was going to explain how this was all going to be fixed in short order. She involuntarily dug her nails against the Vault's wall.
"We are going to do something we've never done before. One of you is going to leave the Vault and find a new water chip. I know, I know. This must come as a shock. We don't know what's out there. But this must be done for the good of the entire Vault."
He motioned to one of the security officers who had been waiting before continuing.
"To make this difficult decision fair, we have decided to leave it up to chance. Everyone who is within the appropriate age range, physical condition, and does not hold a critical position is going to draw straws. There are about two hundred of you, and whoever it is, know I have faith in your abilities. Let's begin."
Everyone was shocked, and the closest dwellers to the security officer seemed to pick their straws from his clutched hands in a daze. Eventually a more formal line begin to form. Vault dwellers were used to forming lines. In front of Mara was Albert Cole and she secretly hoped he would get the short straw. He was well liked in the Vault for his ability to get any two people to come to an agreement. He'd probably do fantastically in the out side, and Mara she'd heard him wishing for a chance to go up there anyways.
"Why straws fix Vault?"
Mara turned to look at the source of the deep, booming voice. It was poor, sweet Max. He was strong, but sometimes got a little turned around. She explained it was a contest and that was enough for Max.
The line got shorter and eventually Albert picked his straw. He whistled as he grabbed it, and with no hesitation examined it.
"Dang!" He exclaimed upon seeing it was full length.
Mara got up to the officer holding the straws and hovered her hand over one, but at the last moment darted away and picked another. Whew it was over. She was done and could could put this morning behind her. Just like Albert, she had a full le-
Oh. No.
No. No. No. No.
It was short. Tiny. No mistaking it. Absolutely not a full length straw.
She couldn't hear anything. Her vision hyperfocused on some random distant point in the room. She barely noticed as Max half caught her falling and guided her into one of the now vacant chairs.
