Tier Trilogy: Books 1-3

by Cindy Gunderson

  “I missed!” he laughs, letting go and moving back before I can smack him.

  “You are lucky you missed,” I tease. He picks up the bucket and we repeat the process with the other four goats. By the end, our bucket is completely full. Being in the evening air and doing something repetitive has calmed my senses. As we gather our things and walk back to the main shelter for clean-up, I feel more centered than I have in weeks.

  “Thanks, Kate,” Nick says softly.

  “For what?” I laugh. “You’re a natural.”

  “For letting me be with you guys today. I loved it. I haven’t felt this, I don’t know, comfortable, I guess? Really ever. It’s nice.”

  I smile. We meet up with the boys and finish our tasks. I felt fairly comfortable today, too. For that moment, I don’t allow the ‘buts’ and ‘what ifs’ to enter into my experience. I give myself permission to have a nice moment, no strings attached.

  Chapter 21

  The ceremony is tonight. I have spent all day with the boys, making sure to have enough face time together so they won’t be upset when I have to leave before dinner. They are playing happily now, and Stephen should be here in about a half an hour. Just enough time to get dressed and make sure I present myself well. I fuss with my hair for a few minutes, becoming frustrated when I can’t get it to sit right. Why am I stressing? I have my introductions downloaded, and I am good at public speaking. I take a few deep breaths to calm my nerves. I probably should have showered, I think. My hair is flat. My eyes stare back at me from the mirror, and for a moment, I see a scared, pleading little girl. I am acting as if I have something to prove, that somehow looking beautiful will solve all of this. My heart drops, and I brace myself, hands firmly planted on the counter top. I haven’t gone out with Eric in months; we had previously been too busy to plan anything, nor did I understand that it was time sensitive. Now, I haven’t had any attention, or felt loved by anyone in weeks. Well, anyone over the age of ten, that is.

  This thought crushes me. My body aches to be held, to be wanted. I wipe away an errant tear that has trickled down, along my cheekbone. I force myself to breathe deeply and look at myself squarely in the mirror. The face I see is hollow, a shell of a person right now. That won’t be fixed in the time I have left. Eric isn’t going to be there tonight, so it really doesn’t matter how I look. Then, the thought crosses my mind that Eric might not be the only one I’m trying to impress. I quickly finish up and exit the washroom. This will be fine, and I am being ridiculous.

  I walk into the kitchen to grab a snack. A boiled egg and blueberries will have to do. Berg will serve an actual dinner at the ceremony, so it doesn’t have to hold me for long. My sensor dings, just as the soft white hits my teeth. I attempt to chew and swallow, but boiled egg is not the easiest thing to get down quickly. Quickly downing some water, I head to the door to let Stephen and Liz in.

  “Hi, sorry, I was eating and it took me a minute to get to the door.” I wipe my finger across my lips, just to make sure I don’t have any pieces of egg stuck there.

  “Wow, Kate. You look beautiful,” Liz says, admiring my dress. I really like having another girl around. The compliment makes me blush, again confirming how desperate I am for someone to notice me. My stomach turns. I am not someone who struggles with confidence and I know who I am. At least, I thought I did. Maybe I only know who I am with Eric.

  “Thanks, Liz. I appreciate it. I am feeling oddly anxious about tonight.”

  “I’ve heard you speak before,” Stephen says. “You will do great.” Stephen’s hair has gotten long enough that he is able to pull it up in a small bun at the top of his head. It suits him. I give it two weeks before Tal decides he needs to start growing his hair out.

  I usher them in, and the boys peek their heads out of their room to say their hellos.

  “Looks like I won’t need to pry them off me tonight. They seem pretty happy to keep playing,” I laugh.

  “Perfect.” Stephen smiles. “Get out of here, before they remember you are leaving.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll sneak out. I shouldn’t be too late, but I’ll message you if something changes.”

  I head to the car and hear a pitter-patter of feet behind me. I turn around to see Bentley running down the hall. He collides with my legs and squeezes tight.

  “I love you, Mom,” he says, running back to play.

  The contact was so brief, and yet it filled my soul to the brim. I blink back tears, not even worrying about his slipping pants, and walk out the back door.

  The Capitol Building looks especially regal tonight, its broad columns lit up, dropping dramatic shadows along the veranda. A true relic of past civilization. I step out of the car and walk up the steps, making my way to the ballroom entrance. My arms wrap protectively around each other, somehow trying to disguise the fact that I am entering alone. As soon as I walk through the main foyer doors, I see Nick. My breath catches, taking in his tan skin against his grey suit. He looks incredible. I have never seen him in anything but a button-up shirt and jeans. As he walks over to me, I suddenly feel awkward, not knowing whether to shake his hand or give him a hug. In typical fashion, I decide on nothing.

  “Well, you certainly clean up nice,” I say.

  He smiles and his eyes shine, reflecting the lights overhead. “I could say the same about you. C’mon, I’ll show you where we are sitting.” He gently places his hand on the small of my back, causing instant heat. At first, I walk a little faster instead of settling into it, but as we enter the ballroom, I stop. It’s breathtaking. It reminds me of old videos I have seen of award programs, honoring celebrated public figures. Being so frugal with our resources now, events like this are extremely uncommon. I suddenly feel foolish for not attending the ceremony in the past. And my heart hurts because now, I am experiencing it without Eric.

  Nick points me toward a table in the middle of the room where I find my name tag and take a seat. Having looked over the schedule earlier this week, I generally know what to expect. Some of the initiates will be seated at our table, which will allow us to put them at ease. Hopefully, focusing on them will have the same effect on me. Dinner will be served, and then the ceremony will begin. Grace will be introducing Tier 1 and, after she finishes, Nick and I will do our portion. Last week, while Eric was gone, I distracted myself by putting together some photos to display during our presentation. Should be a nice touch.

  Feeling a tap on my shoulder, I turn around and freeze, trying to process the person in front of me. It’s Eric. I jump out of my seat, almost knocking it over, and embrace him. He kisses me. Not softly. His hands grip my back, and heat rises through my body, leaving me breathless. I pull away and search his eyes. There is an intensity there that makes me want to ditch this dinner and walk out with him right now.

  Nick clears his throat. “Eric, I thought you were down at headquarters?” he says, looking awkwardly at his hands.

  “I wasn’t supposed to get back for a few days, but I just couldn’t miss this. I know Kate has worked so hard on it. I will have to fly back down tomorrow.”

  Knowing he only has one night makes me want to escape even more desperately. I know I can’t, but it can’t hurt to imagine it for a minute. Nick’s voice brings me back to reality.

  “Since we weren’t expecting you, I don’t think we have a seat available.”

  “I know, I talked with Grace just a few minutes ago. I will need to sit over there.” Eric motions to a table in the back corner. “You both have work to do, and I don’t want to be a distraction. Just wanted to come say hi before it started.”

  “You should say hi like that more often,” I whisper. He smiles, and I feel his hand move slightly below my waist.

  “More later,” he whispers, moving a stray strand of hair behind my ear. To the group he says, “Can’t wait to see the introductions. See you both after the ceremony.” I release his hand slowly and watch him walk toward his table, all of my fears melt away in his path. That felt like Eric and
me—the real version of us. I sit down, almost giddy. My hands are restless, so I reach into my purse and pull out some lip balm. As I’m applying it, I look at Nick, who is staring at me with a grin on his face.

  “What?” I ask, grinning back.

  “What was that?” he asks, with raised eyebrows.

  “That? That was me not seeing my pair for a month.” I grin sheepishly.

  “Are you guys doing okay?” he asks more gently. I can’t figure out how to give an appropriate answer. I don’t know that I want to talk about it with Nick, but it feels wrong not to give him some information, when we have been spending so much time together.

  “I mean, yes? That felt okay.” I laugh. Trying to avoid a serious answer.

  “I’m guessing it did,” he chuckles uncomfortably.

  “No, honestly, I don’t know. Eric has been so absorbed with work, and we haven’t really talked in weeks. I don’t know how things are going to work out or what is going to happen in the future.”

  I really don’t. I have been whipped back and forth this last month. One day we were normal, the next completely backward. The catalyst was obviously Eric’s discovery, but the excuse of intense stress still doesn’t sit right with me. There has to be some other explanation.

  “I didn’t expect any of this. I had life all mapped out and now...I don’t know.” The worries gain traction, my chest constricting, and a little bit of giddiness seeps out of me. I cling to that kiss.

  Nick doesn’t get a chance to respond as we see a couple of people making their way toward us. One of them is Cassidy. I wave to her, and she smiles nervously. When she is close, I rise from my seat and embrace her warmly.

  “I have missed you! I need to hear all about how the last month has gone,” I say.

  “It’s been crazy, but so good,” she grins.

  “Are you at our table? I haven’t even had a chance to check the name tags.” I start glancing around at the cards. Nick finds it across from us and motions for her to sit.

  “I’m so glad we will get to catch up!” I say, lowering myself back into my seat. Cassidy hangs her handbag on the back of the chair and sits down.

  “Fill me in before our table fills up,” I say conspiratorially, leaning toward her.

  “There’s not much to tell, really. I packed up my approved items, spent as much time with my mom as possible, and then moved into my new place,” she says, positively glowing.

  “Do they have you on any of your new programs? Diet, exercise, conditioning?”

  “They usually start with diet first, then move on, one by one, over time,” Nick pipes in.

  “Yep, that’s how it’s been for me so far,” Cassidy agrees.

  “Are you liking it?” I ask. It must be so strange to suddenly move to a more restrictive setting. It’s really more freedom in the long run, but I wonder how it feels to someone coming in cold.

  “I am. It’s actually so much easier. I love having things spelled out for me. I have obviously been eating really deliberately for the last few years as I have been trying to heal, but I structured most of that myself. I had to make the menus, and I had to work with the foods that were available to me. Now I just go and pick up my food for the week, and I know exactly when and what to eat. Maybe some people would feel restricted, but I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. They are still doing some testing to find my ideal macro and micro nutrient values, but I think we are in the right range. I feel great.”

  “I think that’s the whole point,” I say. “The goal of Tier 1 is to provide needed resources to help people function at their best, which leaves more brain space and energy for innovation, creativity, efficiency, and social responsibility. I am sure Grace will talk more about that tonight.” I smile.

  “I love it so far,” Cassidy says.

  Servers are setting salads at our table now. Two more people are behind our table, waiting for the food to be placed so they can sit. Nick recognizes them and helps them find their seats. From here on out, it will be small talk. I am grateful and slightly disappointed at the same time.

  “Hey, Cassidy, can we get together at some point in the next week or so? I really would love to learn more about Tier 2, and I felt like you would be the perfect person to ask, if that’s alright.”

  “Absolutely. I have some things I wanted to ask you about, too. Let’s do it,” she says, as she reaches for her water.

  Nick hasn’t said much since Cassidy arrived. I put my fork to my lips, observing, and allow the others to take care of the introductions. Glancing back at Eric’s table, I catch his eye, and we exchange smiles. In that moment, I sense Nick looking my direction. Lowering my head, I continue picking at the lettuce on my plate, pretending I am none the wiser.

  Chapter 22

  A few minutes after we receive our main course, Grace takes the stage. She moves to the side of a large display and addresses the room.

  “Thank you so much to everyone for coming tonight. We are especially pleased to welcome our new initiates.” At that, the room erupts with applause. Grace is smiling and nodding at the initiate tables. “I wanted to take a few minutes to talk about Tier 1 and what you are accepting and receiving by joining us here. I know some of this information will be familiar to many of you, but now that you have progressed to the point of transitioning, we feel like we can be a bit more candid.” A large chart appears on the display.

  “This chart reflects real resource counts at the time that the Berg Committee was asked to take control of the government back in 2091. Obviously, the entire world was in flux, so this is the best data they had at the time. The first thing that the Committee did after quarantining those affected by the virus was to take inventory of all available resources. People were terrified. They were dying, starving, infected, or scared of becoming infected. There was no time to waste; they simply had to act.” A large map appears with three highlighted areas.

  “Those who had not been exposed were immediately set up in safety zones, and people from around the world were rapidly migrating to what then constituted the Central United States, Southern Italy, and Central Asia. These safety zones were instituted through the help of the UN and world military leaders. The world population was decreasing dramatically every day. Anyone wanting to come in or out of these safe zones was tested for exposure. Individuals who had been exposed had to wait weeks to be cleared, before entering. Unfortunately, many people from around the world did not have the time or resources necessary to reach these zones. The virus had a death rate of over sixty percent, and it quickly spread to every corner of the earth. Global travel at the time made it impossible to contain. The Committee tried to assist people, but again, in a crisis situation, there was only so much that could be done.” I hear some errant chatter throughout the room. Grace waits for silence before continuing. A picture comes into focus, showing queues of people receiving food at a rations table.

  “Available resources were few. People couldn’t risk going outside of the safety zones for months. The Berg Committee immediately initiated testing on the virus that had been released. They needed to know more about the replication cycle, possible mutations, and potential treatments. Life expectancy during the Crisis was already low, due to the unhealthy habits we know all too much about, but the decrease of inoculations in the general population left people particularly weak, and therefore susceptible to this virus. Berg was tasked with not only learning the weaknesses of the virus, but also determining how to strengthen immune systems in the survivors and those fighting the infection. In the meantime, people within the safety zones needed food, water, and places to sleep.”

  Numbers appear on the display. “In the two weeks after the virus, we went from a world population of 8 billion people to approximately 3 billion. Our world was absolutely devastated and in chaos. I am sure you can imagine the fear and widespread panic.”

  She clicks ahead to the next image. “Weeks after that, we were left with an estimated 1.8 billion total population,
many of those on their own and unable to seek help. Our Central United States safe zone held only 3 million people.” The display goes dark and the room is eerily silent.

  “With limited resources, the Committee had to determine a way to allocate them. Who should receive food? Water? Medical help? These were not determinations that Berg took lightly. With initial data collected in the safe zones, they projected that 90% of individuals residing there were age 9-28. As we would expect, the virus had affected those beyond their physical prime most severely. Using the available genetic data and research, Berg put together a proposal for resource allocation. Individuals who were clean, the top disease markers absent, and who were within the age range of 9-18 years old would be given first priority to ensure survival of the species. Some of you may recognize this as the original Tier 1. Tier 2, comprised of those ages 9-24 who had no more than ten disease markers, or those age 19 or older who were clean, would receive up to seventy-five percent of the resources they needed. This, of course, would be limited by availability after Tier 1 received their share. Tier 3 was anyone outside of these limits. They would receive the remainder of available resources.”

  I scan our table to see how the initiates are receiving this information. Tier 2 is taught this history, but I doubt they have heard it in such depth. Cassidy is completely engrossed, her body leaning toward the podium, lips slightly parted.

  Grace continues. “As you know, this system was successful in that it allowed for repopulation and growth. Years later, after the safety zones were dissolved, the decision had to be made whether to keep this Tier system or go back to the way things were previously.

  The Committee debated and reviewed their research extensively, ultimately deciding that continuing on was the best way to avoid the pitfalls that had created the Crisis in the first place. By centralizing resources, Berg could ensure low waste, sustainability, environmental healing, and specific practices to begin healing our own bodies and minds. They could also ensure that those who had the greatest chance of living healthy lives, contributing to society in meaningful ways, and creating viable offspring would receive society’s greatest assistance.”