by Eliza Taye
Opal thought of reminding him that that was the reason why she had continued to pressure him about writing his Life Plan weeks and months ago. Something about seeing him cradle his head in his hands, bent over in stress and confusion made her decide against it. Once again looking at the pile of shredded paper that filled over half the trash can, she felt sympathy for Garrett. “Okay, if you feel like it will help you, you can accompany me to City Hall. I was going to go today after I visited you anyway.”
Garrett lifted his head, grateful that she’d fallen for it. Part of him felt bad that he was using his friend, but the other part of him that was intent on finding answers quieted the other half. “Thank you, Opal. You really are my best friend.”
“I know.” Opal patted him once on the back. “Why don’t we go ahead and go now. We can work on your Life Plan after that.”
“Awesome.”
“Although, I think you should at least change your clothes and comb your hair. You really do look like you slept in your clothes and just climbed out of bed.”
Garrett looked down at himself and he had to agree with her. “All right, I’ll get ready and see you downstairs in a bit.”
Opal left the room as Garrett began to gather clothes from his closet to take into the bathroom. Shutting the door behind her, she walked down the narrow staircase and down into the living room.
“Hi, Opal, are you two done with his Life Plan already?”
Opal let out a small laugh. “Not yet, Mrs. Gibbons. Garrett’s going to go with me to pick up my pre-approved Life Plan at City Hall and then we’re going to come back here to work on it. He seems pretty overwhelmed. He worked on his Life Plan all last night and fell asleep at his desk.”
“Really?” The genuine shock on Mrs. Gibbons’ face morphed into worry for her son. “I was afraid he’d wait until the last minute and stress himself out like this. Last night I caught him looking for a Life Plan he’d drafted in academy when he was a little kid. He’d torn up the room and was insistent on finding it. Poor thing.”
Sitting on the couch, Opal nodded in agreement.
“Oh, I completely forget to tell you congratulations when you greeted me this morning on your way inside! Congratulations, Opal. We’re all so proud of you. We knew you were destined to achieve everything you wanted in life. You’ve worked so hard ever since you were little. I remember when I first met you at Garrett’s academy. You were the most studious child there.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Gibbons. I do work hard and it’s good to feel like it’s finally paying off.”
Opal couldn’t help smiling to herself as she recalled how she first met Garrett in the third grade. She had just moved from her old home into the one she lived in now and was forced to change academies in the middle of the year. In the chaos of the move and her dad starting his new job, her mom had forgotten to pack her lunch. Opal didn’t have any trecins to buy food in the cafeteria, so she’d sat in the corner alone and reviewed the notes she’d taken in class, trying not to feel so alone and out of place.
Three boys had approached her while she sat reading. They began bullying her and making fun of her for not having a lunch to eat. Garrett had stepped in and told the boys to take a hike and then offered his last piece of soven to her. At first, she’d been surprised that another kid had stood up for her. But as he sat with her until the end of lunch talking with her a mile a minute about how he couldn’t stand those bullies and how they’d bullied him until he finally stood up to them, she began to feel less lonely. At the end of the day when his mother picked him up from school, he introduced Opal to her as his new friend. From then on, they’d become the best of friends.
“Okay, I’m ready,” announced Garrett from the top of the staircase, pulling down a slate gray shirt over his head.
“What are you rushing for, Garrett? You could have taken your time getting dressed upstairs,” admonished his mother, throwing her hands into the air in defeat. It seemed that her son never listened to her.
“No time, Mom. There’s lots to do today. I have an entire Life Plan to write.”
“Yes, Mrs. Gibbons. I have to admit that I’m extremely excited to pick up my Life Plan.” Opal flashed a barely contained smile.
“Very well, get going.” Mrs. Gibbons threw her thumb behind her in the direction of the door as she returned to the study.
Without another word, Opal and Garrett left the house.
Chapter 11
Together Opal and Garrett made their way to the transport station and took the nearest line to City Hall. The government buildings were scattered across the city almost as if they were an afterthought to the city’s planners. City Hall sat toward the outer edge with a large park in front of it. Garrett and Opal exited the transporter on the far side of the park and walked the rest of the way to City Hall.
Today was Sixth Moon, the only day of rest the city had where no one had to go to primary academy and most people didn’t work. For Opal, it was always her catch up day. Whatever she couldn’t finish during the week was pushed to this day. Clearly, it was the same for others as well because there was an ever-flowing stream of people walking in and out of the city hall building. Only a mere second or two passed by before someone else exited the building.
“Why is it so busy today?” wondered Garrett.
“For one, some people our age are submitting their Life Plans for pre-approval. Others are family members of the pre-submitters who are trying to solidify official preparations for the transfer of the pre-submitters from their households. There’s a lot to do before Declaration Day and the whole city feels it,” explained Opal reaching the first step.
Garrett pondered Opal’s words, but then he remembered he should be scouting City Hall. Craning his neck back like he was stretching, he looked at the pillars holding up the roof of the second story overhang of City Hall. There were no monitoring cameras or other surveillance of the sort in the area.
Satisfied, he followed Opal into the inside of City Hall and unabashedly turned around and looked at the entire place as if he’d never been there before. He took a mental note of all the doors, hallways, and other passageways within the building from his line of sight. He searched for cameras, monitors, or guard stations and found nothing of the sort. To lower Opal’s suspicions about his odd behavior, he stated, “I forgot what this place looked like. It’s been so long since I’ve been here.”
“Well, then pay close attention. You don’t want to write and finalize your Life Plan just to have it late because you got lost in City Hall on Submission Day.”
Garrett smiled to himself. Paying close attention was exactly what he intended to do.
Opal led them both around a corner and Garrett found himself face-to-face with the one thing he dreaded.
Reflective glass-like walls formed a circular room. Hallways branched out from the central hub of the room but could only be accessed by a door that slid up into a hidden cavity above the doorframe and then came back down, preserving the seamless appearance of the room. The mirror-like walls gave the room a sense of infinite space, while at the same time allowing the person sitting at the central desk to see every inch of the room. A security guard sat gazing at a monitor in front of him on the desk. He looked up as someone approached him.
Garrett’s heart sank. The featureless front of the building must have been riddled with unseen cameras.
Opal ignored the security desk and made straight for the hallway at the far end of the circular room. The doorway stood open for her and Garrett followed, keeping his head down and turned away from the guard at the front desk. No need for the guard to see him now and be able to easily identify that he’d been there earlier that day looking suspicious.
“Hey, Opal, why does this building have a security guard?”
She frowned as they walked down the brightly lit blue-gray corridor. “What do you mean?”
“What I mean is why does City Hall have a security guard when most places don’t?”
“Yo
u’re kidding me, right?”
“No, I’m not.” Garrett furrowed his brow as Opal opened the door to a room with a single window on the left and a row of four chairs against the wall on the right.
“When a representative of The Council is in the city, a security guard is always present at City Hall. It’s for the representative’s protection.”
“Protection?”
“Yes,” Opal’s gaze turned from puzzled to confused. “Don’t you remember that we learned about this on our field trip?”
“No.”
“Several decades ago, an Undecided who was frustrated with their miserable life tried to kidnap a representative of The Council. No one knew how he identified the council member or when they would be arriving, but it was such a close call that security guards are mandated to be present wherever a representative of The Council is.”
Garrett nodded, the wheels in his head turning. A member of the council representatives was here in the city. If he wanted to gain access to Anaxia Library, this would be the time to do it. All he had to do was find some kind of authorization given to a representative of the council and that would allow him into the secret room. The only issue with his plan was that he didn’t know whether he only needed a security code, or the physical presence of the council representative was required. Just one more thing he would have to figure out in the remaining time before Submission Day.
“Hello, I’m here to pick up my Life Plan. My name is Opal Carneth.”
“Very well, let me see where it is.” A shuffling could be heard behind the window as the curly-haired woman searched several files.
Opal waited eagerly, tapping her fingers against her thigh in anticipation.
“Ah, here it is, Opal Carneth. It appears as if you are one of the lucky few to not only have yours in early but also be approved.”
Stretching out both hands and receiving the small packet of papers, Opal cradled them in her hands like they were made from solid gold. “Thank you very much!”
“You’re welcome, dear. Good luck with your life. It looks like you’ll have nothing to worry about on Declaration Day.” The woman smiled kindly at Opal and waved goodbye.
“Is that it?” wondered Garrett as they walked out of the room.
Not looking up from the Life Plan cradled in her hands, Opal replied, “Yes, that’s it. The hardest part is writing the Life Plan. The easiest thing is submitting it.”
Garrett glanced back at the door they’d just exited, committing it to memory.
Crushing the papers to her chest, Opal squeezed her eyes shut and said, “I can’t believe it! All my hard work and it’s finally paid off.”
“Woah, Opal, slow down. We haven’t even made it to Declaration Day yet. And you still have to submit your final Life Plan on Submission Day.”
“I know, I know.” Opal smoothed the sheets and held them out at arm’s length. “I’m just so excited!”
A wide smile spread across Garrett’s lips. Opal’s excitement was infectious. He couldn’t help being happy for her. Still, as they made their way toward the front of the building, Garrett paid close attention to every hall, doorway, and corner through the maze that was City Hall. The council representative had to be in one of those rooms.
Oblivious to Garrett’s intense studying of the city hall building, Opal beamed as she stepped out into the moonlit day surrounded by the familiar city streetlights. The blue stamp of approval situated at the top righthand corner of her Life Plan filled her with such glee every time she looked at it, that she couldn’t help reading the three words again and again: Life Plan Approved
Only the voice of Garrett brought her out of her internal celebratory dance. “Do you want to drop that off at your house before we go back to mine?”
Opal had almost forgotten she’d promised to help Garrett with his Life Plan next. “Uh, sure. That’s probably a good idea. I don’t want anything happening to it.”
On the way back to Garrett’s house, they dropped by Opal’s and he waited while she stowed her precious Life Plan safely in her room where no harm could come to it.
“Were your parents home?” asked Garrett as she came back outside.
“No, both they and Gabby had gone out for something. It’s okay, I’ll show it to them later tonight. For now, we need to focus on helping you with your Life Plan so you can have the same feelings of joy I’m experiencing right now.”
Garrett laughed so hard that he threw his head back, then bent at the knees to catch his breath.
“What’s so funny?” Opal put her hands on her hips and watched him until he could speak.
“I don’t think having my Life Plan completed would make me as joyful as you are right now. I can’t see myself re-reading the approval stamp a thousand times and jumping up and down with excitement.
Opal felt heat rise to her face as she glanced over and noticed the curtains in their house were open. As soon as she’d entered the house and found out no one was home, she’d began jumping up and down and emitting muted screams throughout the house. Garrett could have seen her just as plain as day through the window.
Noticing Opal’s reaction, Garrett placed an arm around her shoulder and flashed her a grin. “It’s okay, Opal. You have every right to be excited.”
Opal removed Garrett’s arm but smiled in return. “I’m glad you understand me. So, what do you want to put down as your profession? We can start making an outline for your Life Plan as we walk to your house.”
An idea sprang into Garrett’s mind and before he could consider the implications of voicing it aloud, he asked, “How does someone become a council representative? That sounds like a fun job. You get to travel around the world and work closely with The Council.”
The question stumped Opal. Not only had she never considered that particular career path, but she didn’t know anything about it either. It was one of the few professions they didn’t go over in their Choosing Class. It felt like they’d toured and shadowed every profession imaginable. But why not that one? How did someone become a right-hand person of The Council?
Turning to Garrett, she admitted, “You know what, Garrett? I don’t know.”
“Why wouldn’t anyone tell us? Now that’s something I would be interested in. What kind of education or qualifications allow them to pre-approve other people’s Life Plans?”
“From what I understand, they are more like couriers than actual approvers. They give the plans to the council member who then approves them.”
“But how do they do it? And why is it that The Council can approve the Life Plans of an entire world of sixteen-year-old individuals in one day, but it takes several days to pre-approve?”
Once again, the question stumped Opal. It was yet another thing she hadn’t thought of. “I don’t know, Garrett,” irked, she pondered the various reasons to herself.
“Sometimes I wonder if The Council is even real.”
“They have to be real. Our society wouldn’t exist if they weren’t.”
“But why is it that no one’s seen them and anything and everything having to do with them is shrouded in secrecy?” To keep Opal from becoming too suspicious about his intentions, Garrett added. “Just imagine the kind of life you would have being privy to such information. The representatives of The Council would have just that. I think that’s what I want to do.”
Startled, Opal examined her friend’s face for any hint of a joke. Garrett didn’t seem to be joking at all. “Are you really serious about that?”
Garrett’s brown eyes fixed on hers. “Yes, I am.”
Thinking for a second, Opal responded, “All right, although I’m unsure how to help you write such a Life Plan. I mean, which college would you go to? What would you major in? Mine was easy because I knew I wanted to be a lawyer, so I would need to go to law school. But to be the representative of a council member?”
“Is there anyone you know who could help me?”
“The only thing I can think of is to use our sciorbs
to look it up on the dataweb. Perhaps one of our teachers would know. Although, if our teachers knew, surely they would have told us about it.” Opal began staring off into space, lost in thought.
“Why don’t we start with the dataweb.” Garrett reached into his pocket and pulled out his sciorb.
“You brought that with you?”
“Yeah, I had a feeling it might come in handy.” Garrett strode to a bench about ten feet from where they stood and sat down.
Opal joined him and waited while he typed in his login and brought up the dataweb. “Let me know if you find anything.”
Nodding, Garrett typed in Council Representative into the search bar and hit enter. The dataweb loaded for a moment then sputtered out a handful of results. Garrett scrolled down the short list of results. “There’s not much here.”
“Well, what do they have?”
“There’s an article about a council representative going to a province in the north called Scyenvar and visiting the cities Setherith and Bayenar. Nothing about one here in Galaxcion, though.”
“What about the duties of a council representative?”
“Nothing. They only mention visitations by them, not a word on anything else.” Garrett tapped on one of the articles to open them up and scanned the entire thing. “Nope, nothing.”
Garrett sighed in frustration, almost ready to pull his hair out.
“There’s only one other place that might have the information we need,” stated Opal.
In unison, both Opal and Garrett exclaimed, “Anaxia Library!”
“Where would we even start?” wondered Opal, gazing around at the thousands of books upon the library shelves.
“Well, we could just search around aimlessly until we find what we’re looking for?” suggested Garrett with a wink.
Opal stared side-long at him shaking her head slightly. “Garrett, that would take forever! We’d be here for a million years and we’d both miss our Submission and Declaration Day.”