by Dawn Norwell
But I knew that I couldn’t do that. There were innocent people on the cusp of death, patients whose lives might be saved by my expertise. I couldn’t turn a blind eye when others needed help.
My instincts kicked in as I began triaging the injured. For hours upon hours, I stitched, stanched, sterilized, and sutured. I set broken bones and tied tourniquets until my fingers were raw with blisters. I did anything and everything that I could to keep people alive, emotionally detaching myself from the ones that I couldn’t save.
It didn’t matter that Nova didn’t have the medical advances of Concord, or that the people I was treating were unsuits who I’d been taught to hate. In those critical moments, I was just an ordinary doctor, helping the injured like I had been created to do from my very conception.
I was in the middle of checking a patient’s vital signs when, all of a sudden, I felt a tug on my shirt sleeve. I glanced down to see a small girl, maybe seven or eight years old, with blonde curls and a bashful smile.
“Hi. I’m Dahlia,” her sweet voice said as I released the air from a blood pressure cuff. “That’s my mom,” she said sadly, pointing to the unconscious woman I was working on. My stomach did a nervous somersault- who was watching after this girl? Why was she here? She shouldn’t be seeing her mother in such a vulnerable state.
“Hello, Dahlia,” I said softly, squatting down to her level, working to keep my voice calm. “My name is Kai, and I’m a doctor. I’m going to do everything I can to help your mom,” I reassured her. She gave a small nod, tears in her eyes. I placed my hand on hers. “It will all be okay. I promise.”
Out of nowhere, a woman came barreling out of the crowd, running to the little girl’s side. ”Who the hell are you? Get away from my niece!” she screamed, pulling the girl’s hand from mine.
The movement jostled my arm slightly. My sweatshirt slipped, exposing my forearm, and rendering my barcode visible for the world to see. I yanked my sleeve down to hide it the tattoo, but I was too late; the damage had already been done.
The woman gasped, her eyes widening with fear. “Suit! She’s a suit!” Her shaking index finger pointed accusingly at me.
So much for keeping a low profile, I thought, as the woman’s unearthing spread through the crowd like wildfire.
Hisses and heated curses resonated from the multitude as they gawked at the enemy in their midst. They watched at me with terror on their faces, backing away as though being too near my presence might cause them physical pain. I was reminded of similar reactions from the people of Concord when, on rare occasions, civilians happened upon an unsuit.
“That’s enough,” Athena called over the noise, calming the riot. She forced her way through the hoard, coming to stand defensively by my side. Zander was right on her heels, his eyes darting defensively to the faces of the unsuits, and his muscles tensed with stress.
“Yes, Kai is a suit,” Athena confirmed. “But she means us no harm. She came to Nova in peace.”
Gasps echoed through the crowd. “You knew about this, Athena?” someone asked, outraged.
“Yes, I knew, and I allowed it,” she admitted. Whispers rippled through the crowd at her revelation. Her face remained calm. “If not for Ms. Markavitch, we would have never learned about the Syndicate’s plans to attack. Though it took great sacrifice on her part, she saved all of our lives. Please, show her kindness and compassion.”
People’s faces contorted with anger and disgust. Remarks such as ‘like hell I will,’ and, ‘over my dead body,’ resonated around the room.
“Well, she didn’t save everyone, now did she?” someone called from the group. “Why didn’t you secure Compartment A before the attack, Athena? Hundreds of our people were hurt and killed!” Others in the crowd mumbled in agreement.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Zander stiffen, his body on high alert as the crowd grew unruly. He’d tried to warn Athena that the compartment was unstable, that she was putting people in danger, but she didn’t take him seriously. Now many of their citizens were lying dead and injured, and their families wanted answers, answers that they wouldn’t like.
This was the moment that Zander had feared- a potential mutiny. If the unsuits learned the truth about Athena’s decision, I did not doubt that they would want to see a punishment carried out. If ever she were ousted from her position, it would be now.
Athena opened her mouth to answer the question, but quickly closed it, unable to form words. Her face was composed, but I could see the fear in her eyes: fear that this incident would cause an uprising in Nova, fear that she was in danger from her own people because they needed someone to blame, fear that the lives lost in Compartment A really were on her hands.
I felt sorry for her; I could only imagine the pressure she must have been under, standing before the angry horde, trying to justify her actions as their accusing eyes stared dangers through her.
Before I fully understood what I was doing, I stepped between Athena and the irate crowd. “It’s my fault,” I called out.
The room fell silent as everyone turned to look at me. Even Zander’s wandering eyes, filled with apprehension and curiosity, finally focused on mine.
I took a deep breath, trying to assemble my courage before continuing.
“When I warned Athena of the attack, I left out some information. Information that, if needed, I could use in a negotiation,” I lied. “I knew that the Syndicate would target the upper levels of the bunker. Athena was unaware of this, or she would have immediately evacuated Compartment A. Athena did everything in her power to protect her people, and shouldn’t be held accountable for my actions. If you have to blame someone, blame me.”
For a moment, the room was dead silent. Even the injured stop their pain-filled woes long enough to absorb my words. Slowly, as though everyone was coming back to life, the crowd began murmuring amongst themselves. The voices grew progressively louder until they became full-blown shouts, full of anger and resentment. Not only was I a suit, I was a suit who had caused them to lose the people they cared for. This was unforgivable.
“Lock her up!” someone yelled.
“She deserves to die for her crimes!” another voice screamed.
Athena grabbed my arm gently, pulling me safely behind her. “What are you doing, Kai,” she asked, her eyes filled with outrage.
I shrugged. “They’re going to hate me for being a suit anyway. What’s the harm in adding a little fuel to the fire?”
Athena shook her head. “I can’t let you do this. It’s not right. You don’t deserve to pay the price for my transgressions.”
No, I didn’t deserve this. But Athena had taken me in when she didn’t have to. She and her people rescued me from the wastelands, gave me medical treatment, lodging, and trusted me with her injured citizens. She could have had me killed me as retribution for the Syndicate’s actions, but instead, she saved my life. Now it was my turn to save hers.
“It’s already done,” I said, surprised at the steadiness in my voice. The crowd grew more and more restless as Athena regarded me with cautious eyes, unsure. I looked firmly in her face, trying to communicate the crucial necessity of my decision. “If Nova is truly as fragile as Zander suggests, you need to do everything within your power to repair it. You can’t do that if you’re in chains. Just let me take the fall for this.”
“She’s right, Mom,” Zander mumbled, his tall stature towering over my petite frame. His bright blue eyes looked deep into mine, questioning my motive. I gave him a small, encouraging smile to show that I could be his ally if he would let me, but this just seems to confuse him more.
“Kai,” Athena began, hesitation in her voice. I grabbed her hand gently to cut her off.
“It’s clear you’re the glue that holds this community together. If you’re dismissed, then Nova will fall, and the suits would get what they wanted all along. I didn’t risk my life escaping Concord to let that happen. You’ve done so much for me, Athena. Let me do this for you.”
With a defeated sigh and a troubled expression, Athena turned away. She faced the incensed crowd and raised her hand for silence. “Given this newfound information, I have no choice but to recommend imprisonment for Ms. Markavitch, effective immediately,” she said, pain in her voice.
The crowd exploded with satisfied cheers. Athena gave a somber nod, and Zander placed handcuffs around my wrists. The cold metal irritated my delicate bruises.
He led me through the angry throng as they heckled, screamed, and spit at me. The hatred in their eyes caused my stomach to twist into knots, and I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep the tears from overflowing.
As we passed through the angry crowd, the enormity of my situation sank in. Perhaps it had been a bad idea to take the blame, but what other choice did I have? Yes, Athena should have listened to Zander. But she didn’t. She’ll have to live with that guilt for the rest of her life, but it didn’t mean that she should be punished just because she made a grave mistake. Nova needed her too much for me to let her accept responsibility for this.
On the way out of the auditorium, we passed by Ximea, her face filled with indignation and disapproval. I looked away, unable to bear her scrutiny. I had made my bed, now I would have to lie in it.
We walked in silence while Zander steered me away from the crowd and toward the deepest, darkest, most desolate corners of the underground world, where the warmth and comforts of the rest of Nova were lost. A cold crept inside me so intensely that I could feel it in the innermost part of my bones.
Illumination was far and few in between in this area. The sporadic sconces put off minimal light, making the hallway so dim that I could barely see a foot in front of me. Even the air seemed less concentrated here, with no trees to produce the life-sustaining air. I wondered idly if the oxygen was purposefully diminished in this forbidden cavern to add to the prisoners’ misery.
“Wait here,” Zander said, opening a barred door in the wall and releasing me from the handcuffs. “Mom will want to talk to you.”
He guided me into the cell and paused, torn, before closing the iron bars with a vociferous bang. With a final glimpse in my direction, he shook his head and walked away. I heard the echo of his footsteps as he strode through the dreary hallway and back to the warm environment of the auditorium, leaving me alone in the soul-sucking room.
I glanced around the cell with trepidation. There was no light here to breach through the hair-raising darkness to get a good view of my new home. Best I could tell, the prison cell was small, smaller than my bunk with Ximea. The inside was wet from some unknown liquid that was seeming in, causing mold to form on one of the walls. Perhaps it was just paranoia setting in, but I could swear that I smelled the decomposing bodies of the inmates who left here before me.
What have I gotten myself into? I wondered, sitting on the dirt floor and wrapping my arms around myself to retain what little body heat I could manage to produce in the arctic dungeon. I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing, trying not to hyperventilate in the oxygen-deprived cell as I waited for the verdict that would determine my future.
CHAPTER TWELVE: PRISON & PARADISE
T he hours passed slowly in the gloomy confines of the cell, as I waited, and waited, and waited some more for someone, anyone to free me. But no one showed up.
I busied myself by counting the stones in the walls of the penitentiary, hoping it would pass the time. Five hundred and thirty-seven, five hundred and thirty-eight, five hundred and thirty-nine, I counted. It was a dull activity, but effective at helping me preserve what little remained of my sanity.
My teeth chattered as I stared at the cell door, hoping and waiting for liberation, but no one came to release me from the unbearable solitary confinement. The more time that passed, the more concerned I became. What if this was my life now, a mundane existence of excruciating silence and everlasting cold? The notion made it harder to breathe in the already suffocating room. I assured myself that Athena wouldn’t leave to rot in this prison, knowing that I was innocent, but as time went by, the concept seemed more and more plausible.
Many hours later, I heard the echo of footsteps in the hallway beyond my cell. I jumped to my feet and ran to the door, grasping the bars in desperation as I squinted into the darkness. My bruised and broken ribs protested the movement, but I hardly noticed. At that moment, all I could think about was pleading for my freedom.
“I am so sorry for the holdup!” Athena’s voice resounded through the dark dungeon as she came into my view. “I would have been here sooner, but I had to finish taking the death toll. Then we had a meeting with the board to discuss our… situation,” she said, looking contrite.
She unlocked the bars, opening the cell door with a bang that resonated through the empty cavern.
“What did they decide?” I asked, my voice cracking from lack of use. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know the answer.
She sighed. “Many voted for execution, others voted deportation. After much debate, I convinced them that those two options would make us no better than the Syndicate. That hit a nerve; no one in Nova likes being compared to the suits,” she said. “But it was effective at changing their stance.
“We finally agreed that you were to remain imprisoned in Nova until you regained our trust. At that time, you will be evaluated for refugee status.”
Imprisoned… the word echoed in my mind. I gazed ominously at the cell around me. This was about to be my home for God knows how long.
“Can… can I ask for one thing?” I stuttered, my voice deadened.
“Of course,” Athena said, her brows furrowed with concern at the change in my mood.
“Would I be allowed to have some sort of light, at least? I think I’ve gotten a handle on breathing down here, and I’ve become numb to the cold, but I’m not sure how much longer I can stand the dark,” I admitted, shivering.
“Oh, Kai… no,” Athena said, her hand falling consolingly on my arm.
My heart sank at her words. I glanced to the ground in disappointment, but looked up when I heard… laughter? Athena covered her mouth to stifle her chortling. I stared at her incredulously. Was she so cruel as to not only imprison a guiltless person but to mock their misery?
“I’m sorry, Kai. There’s been a misunderstanding. You’re not staying down here,” she said, gesturing to the cell. “The dungeons are for delinquents, not brave souls like you. When I say that you will be imprisoned, it’s more like house arrest. You’ll be upstairs in a comfortable suite, where you can enjoy your time in Nova. I would never keep you down here for something you didn’t do,” she said, caressing my face gently with her hand. The warmth radiating from her skin felt nice against my icy cheek.
“But what about Nova?” I asked. “Won’t people be upset?”
“What they don’t know won’t hurt them.” She gave a mischievous smile. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get you upstairs. I think you’ve been through more than your fair share of misery in Nova. It’s time to show you some hospitality, for a change.”
**********
My mouth popped open in shock when Athena led me into the foyer of my new residence. Even in Concord, with all of its resources and technology, I had been in such luxurious living quarters before. The suite was massive. It could easily fit five of my Concord apartments within its walls, with room to spare. It was especially warm and welcoming after my time spent in the dungeons.
My body ached, still recuperating from my injuries, and the added stress of my short imprisonment. I wanted to lie down, but I was too mesmerized by the room to do so.
By the sheer size and extravagance of the space, it was hard to fathom that I was hundreds of feet beneath the Earth’s surface. The lustrous bamboo floors were light tan, the color of the sand on the translucent, turquoise beaches in pictures of the oceans from before they were depleted.
The foyer gave way to a vast living room, far larger than any one person would ever need. The walls donned silver wallpaper with floral patterns th
at shimmered beneath the glow of a crystal chandelier. A sleek brown sectional couch accentuated the middle of the room, big enough to comfortably seat at least fifteen people.
In the corner of the windowless suite, a large bed took up an entire room by itself. It was accentuated with so many pillows, it was a wonder there was room for anyone to actually sleep on it.
The bedroom led into a huge bathroom, with a porcelain tub so deep, I could nearly stand up inside of it, across from which was a large walk-in closet with clothes of every shade. I allowed my hand to graze over the material, amazed by the feel of the various fabrics. I had only ever been able to wear the standard Concord uniform during my youth, so in my eyes, the vibrant clothing was the most amazing part of the apartment.
Large paintings decorated the walls of every room, each framed portrait nearly as tall as I was. To my delight, they depicted different world attractions from before the Dominant War destroyed it all. I gawked, wide-eyed and amazed, as the Eiffel Tower twinkled beneath distant stars, as the Great Wall of China soared high overhead, as dolphins swam in the mysterious depths of the Coral Reefs, and as the Statue of Liberty welcomed the wary and lost into the Land of Opportunity. Though I wasn’t alive to experience the old world in its glory, the paintings made me miss the simple times when people didn’t have to fight and scrape for survival. A part of me longed for the way things could have been.
“This is the Athena Suite, named after myself, of course. It has been reserved for the noblest visitors in Nova, not that we’ve had any. In fact, you’re the first person to use it,” Athena said. “Glamorous as it may be, this room is constructed solely of recycled resources, just like the majority of Nova.
“Our founders were resourceful, you see,” she explained. “They gathered things that others viewed as useless and turned them into incredible objects. Our people pride ourselves on making beautiful and practical items from everyday garbage. Our resourcefulness is our best attribute as a people and is the sole reason we are alive today.