Compliant

by M. J. Kaestli

  “This is temporary, Freya. I am certain that after you get over the shock, after you sort things out, you will come to see that you are capable of this. You can keep your close, loving relationship with your partner and still serve the greater good of humanity,” he said, then stood from the table. “I have already had a room prepared for you, and Chastity will show you to it. You are free to take the afternoon off, as long as you stay inside this house or that room.” He picked up his tablet, typed something out on it, and right on cue, Chastity arrived at the door.

  Chapter 13

  Freya could not gain control of her emotions before she had to leave the room. Chastity made no mention of her emotional state, and Freya was grateful that she merely escorted her down the hall in silence. Freya kept trying to hide her face, as she didn’t want to have to explain to the others why she was upset, but there was no one around. She began to wonder if the entire event had been staged, since it was as if Victor chose the exact point in time when no one would see her leave the room.

  Chastity came to a door, scanned in, and instructed Freya to do the same. “This room is set up for your use, and no one else has access. You will find everything you need in here. The rest of the day is yours to enjoy, unless you would rather work.”

  Freya simply nodded and walked inside. The room was almost identical to the apartment she lived in before being coupled, the only real difference was the window. Instead of being in a high-rise, she was now overlooking the grounds. That was a great improvement over her first apartment, but she still felt the place was cold and isolated. The view should have made her happy, yet now, she could find no enjoyment in it. The bed was folded into a sofa, but she did not have enough drive to change it back to a bed, so she simply plopped down on it.

  She still didn’t know how she could possibly keep such a big secret from Colin. She was sure he would know something was off with her, and he would probably think it had something to do with him. He often told her confidential things he was not supposed to share, and she did not feel right about withholding information from him in return. Furthermore, Freya could understand why she wasn’t supposed to tell him. If the Councilmembers’ identities were well concealed, it made sense that not even their partners knew who they were, but she didn’t understand how they hid it from them. Did they all feel like I do now? Did they all worry they would not be able to conceal the information? Then another thought came to her: What if they do tell their partners but somehow conceal it from the State? Freya herself was aware of the private spots where she could escape the electronic eyes and ears, so she was sure that others were aware as well, and she knew they could be divulging their secrets to their loved ones.

  A sense of hope returned to her. She trusted Colin completely, and she knew he could be trusted with the information. She decided they would talk in the shower or bedroom, like they normally did when they did not want to be overheard. Her emotions began to level out and return closer to normal. There were still a lot of things for her to mentally sort out though. She wasn’t sure she wanted to accept the invitation to the Council, but she worried it might reflect poorly on her if she turned it down. The offer held some slight appeal. While she loved working in the gardens, she had a growing hunger in her for more. On the Council, she would be part of important decisions, those that would affect the entire population. She could help people, perhaps even find a way to help the rebellion see the truth about the State. Maybe then, I can really make a difference.

  Freya began to feel a bit better, but she didn’t feel like going back to work just yet. Not only that, but she definitely didn’t want to leave the room and bump into Victor. Her emotions had simmered down, but it would still take some time. She looked around the small apartment, trying to think of something to do. There was a generic tablet there, as in all other homes. She picked it up and began to look through the games. It had been so long since she had done puzzles, since Colin had been occupying most of her time. Again, her mind drifted back to when they were first coupled, when he challenged her to puzzles as a way to get her to talk to him. Her heart ached, and right then, she knew what she had to do: She would take a day or two, then tell Victor she was ready to become a Councilmember. Of course she was planning to tell Colin, but being honest with Victor was only going to keep Colin away from her longer.

  Looking at puzzles did not help her feel any better, so she began to explore the tablet. There were so many tabs she had never scrolled through. There was even a history of humanity, but she wondered who would want to read that on their limited free time. Freya felt she had sat through enough boring, mandatory classes while being educated. That very thought made her mind flip, though, and she was suddenly intrigued as to what was stored in the tablet. There were many topics to choose from, but a lot of them did sound a little dogmatic. One tab was labeled, “The Waste of an Inefficient Society.” Freya thought back to what Victor said about the rebellion, and she could kind of see their point about propaganda. There were many subtabs under that one, and she began to scroll through them until one caught her eye:

  Pet: Noun. Plural: Pets – a domestic or tamed animal kept for companionship and treated with care and affection. Pets were commonplace in many households. Studies showed that pets could have positive effects on humans, psychologically and emotionally. Most pets were kept in the home and were cared for and fed by humans, including waste management. Many owners of pets took great pride in them, showering them with affection and gifts. Unfortunately, unhealthy treats caused an epidemic of obesity, similar to the one that afflicted humans at the time. The most popular pets were cats and dogs, and some owners spent copious amounts of time making videos of their pets to post on the internet and social media. More surprising was that millions of people worldwide watched the videos of strangers’ pets (see examples below). The State deemed that food and waste management for these animals, which were not being used as a food source, was an improper use of our limited resources. The State does acknowledge the positive mental effects of having pets, however, and if food sources were less scarce, they would consider looking into the option in certain circumstances.

  After reading the article, Freya could not imagine why anyone would choose to care for an unnecessary animal, but then she scrolled down to the video samples. The first one she clicked on was a clip of cats trying to jump from one piece of furniture to the next but falling instead. She couldn’t help but smile, because the animals looked cute and fun. They really were funny creatures, and it didn’t surprise her that they helped humans feel better.

  An idea struck her just then. Perhaps this is something I can work on as a Councilmember. She could understand why people did not respond well to the literature. The information was good, and it was easy to see why the State could not provide for both people and their pets when they took power, but titling it the way they did made it seem demeaning. She really was a poster child in many ways, and even she thought it sounded like the State was trying to brainwash people. She was suddenly filled with a greater sense of purpose. Maybe I can really make a difference, even help stop the rebellion. She knew if the State kept ruling with fear, there would always be a rebellion. Perhaps if they stop making everything so dogmatic, if they just focus on teaching the truth, it will change things.

  Freya read more and began taking notes. She was sure the information could be presented in a different way, a way that would appeal to their intelligence instead of just dictating to the masses. She worked diligently through the rest of the afternoon and was even startled when the evening meal was delivered. The information had so completely consumed her that she was unaware that time had passed, and she was even distracted from the pain of Colin’s absence, at least for a while.

  She worked long into the night, until she felt her eyelids no longer wanted to stay open. Her eyes were dry and tired from so much reading on the tablet, but her spirit was uplifted. Tiring herself out like that was the best thing she could have done that night. Rather than tos
sing and turning and obsessing over Colin’s absence, she almost instantly fell into a dreamless sleep the second her head hit the pillow, and she didn’t move again until she was startled awake by the blaring alarm the next morning.

  She looked at the time and was surprised that the alarm had awoken her thirty minutes later than usual. The realization settled in that she was already at the State House, and there was no Colin to slow her down in her morning routine. The dull pain in her chest began to rise again, but she pushed it down, telling herself he would be back soon enough.

  Freya hoped she would not have to interact with Victor that day. She only needed to avoid him for the day, and then she could approach him the next. It was a daunting task to prepare oneself to lie to the head of State. If only Colin could see me now. He’d be so impressed, she thought with a grin. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself, knowing she needed to remain in control of her emotions if she was going to pull off her plan. Freya had never lied before, as she’d never had a need to, but this was a new chapter of her life, a new game, and she had to learn to play by different rules. It was not just for her own benefit; she wanted to help the State, to do something for the greater good. She was a fresh set of eyes, and that was just what they needed. They would not understand what she needed in return, so it was necessary to conceal her intentions from them.

  Feeling justified and filled with purpose, she quickly showered and dressed for the day. A high bun was her hairdo of choice. She grabbed her breakfast rations and headed out the door. It was odd to just need to walk down the hallway to grab her tablet. She was grateful she had no run-in with Victor between the house and grounds. She wasn’t sure he would believe she’d had a complete change of heart that quickly; he was expecting enough of a reaction from her to send Colin away after all.

  The grounds were still a mess, and she had not made much progress with the half-day of work before. There was much to do, and Freya did it joyfully. For her, there was nothing better than being in the trees. There, she often forgot they were enclosed in a dome.

  Freya had not checked near the wall of the dome in quite some time, so she worked her way closer to the glass. She figured she could take a few soil samples while she cleaned up. While gathering the samples, she heard a sound that startled her. She looked up and saw an animal, standing just on the other side of the glass. Her entire body froze, and she was momentarily paralyzed with fear, as she had never seen a live animal before. There was something graceful and beautiful about the creature. It was tan in color, with large, elegant antlers. Her mind ran through the pictures she had seen while being educated, and she realized she was looking at a deer. Mesmerized by the animal, she moved closer to the glass. As soon as she did, the animal took off, running in the opposite direction. Disappointment fell on Freya; she could have studied that creature all day. It seemed the animal was even more afraid of her than she initially was of it. She moved closer to the glass, searching for more animals, but she saw none.

  She continued to work until the afternoon mealtime alarm sounded on the tablet. There was a bit of a walk for her to get to the house, and she hoped they would not wait for her. Mostly, she wished she would not see Victor. The less time she had to spend with him, the better off she would be.

  By the time she got to the house and washed up, most of the diners were almost finished. That was a relief to Freya, because it meant there would be fewer interrogations about why she was staying at the house. It appeared as though Victor had opted to take his meal in his office again, and Freya was glad for that as well. Everyone offered polite nods and hellos to her, but no one engaged her in conversation; they simply finished eating, then returned to their work. Freya finished quickly herself, as she really did have much work to catch up on.

  After the midday meal, she sent off the soil samples, then returned to the grounds, where she worked until the alarm on the tablet told her it was time to stop. After cleaning up, she crept past Victor’s office and headed down the hall to her temporary apartment. The evening meal was waiting for her there, and she tucked in with the tablet and got back to work, nibbling on her food. She knew it would be difficult to find time to do so much research with Colin around, so she wanted to get as much done as possible in his absence. It also took some of the sting out of missing him, and keeping her mind busy and occupied was essential.

  It was another late night for Freya, but she had a great sense of accomplishment. This time, it was not as easy for her to fall asleep, as she kept mentally rehearsing what she had to say to Victor the next day. Over and over again, she reassured herself she could do it, that she could say the right things to convince Victor to call Colin back home. If she presented the information she had gathered in her research for the last two nights, she could show she was ready and serious about making a contribution to the Council. If she could show enough dedication to the cause, she could hopefully convince him that this newfound interest had given her the strength to keep the secret from Colin.

  Sleep finally took her, and the next morning went much like the day before. She got up, worked in the grounds, then went for mealtime. Victor was absent once again, this time to her disappointment. That threw a wrench in her plan, as she wasn’t sure how she was going to speak to him if she never saw him.

  Feeling agitated, she returned to the grounds for the rest of the afternoon. She wondered if it would be too forward for her to approach his office. It kept eating at her, because she desperately needed to speak to him, and she had no idea how long he would be absent. If he didn’t come out of his office for several days, that was several days longer for her to wait to see Colin again. She took some deep breaths and began to work again, trying to clear her mind, knowing that falling into an emotional state would only keep her from thinking clearly. Victor did say she should go to him when she had made her decision, so she thought perhaps going to his office and knocking on the door was not such a bad idea.

  She continued her work throughout the day, remaining mindful of the time. Usually, she was quite content to keep working until the alarm chimed, but as she was not familiar enough with Victor’s schedule to know when he would be in his office, she left the grounds a little early and headed back to the State House.

  The work tablet was docked, her hands were clean, and all tools and samples had been dealt with, so Freya started what felt like a very long walk to Victor’s office. She managed to keep her emotions even, but her heart was beating rapidly. When she got to his office, she couldn’t knock, because Chastity was standing in the doorway, speaking to Victor. Freya let out a sigh of relief; it would be much easier to start a conversation at an open door rather than requesting a conversation through a closed one.

  “Hello, Freya. Believe it or not, we were just talking about you. Would you like to join Victor and me for the evening meal tonight?”

  “Uh…sure,” Freya answered awkwardly. It would put a bit of a kink in her plan, but she thought it would at least give her a chance to speak to Victor once Chastity excused herself.

  “Great. Go ahead and change, then meet us back here,” Victor replied with a smile.

  Freya simply nodded and walked past them, to the room she was staying in. She changed into free time clothing and headed back to Victor’s office. They had set the small table by the window where Freya had recently dined with Victor, this time with three chairs. She took her place and hoped a few things would be explained without her having to ask.

  “And how are you enjoying your stay in the State House?” Chastity asked politely.

  “It is quite like the apartment I lived in before I came to work here, only with a much better view.” She felt it was best to not bring up Colin, as she still did not know why she had been invited.

  “Yes, it is a lovely view. I prefer it over any apartment building,” said Chastity. “I have greatly enjoyed living here myself.”

  “You’ve been living here?” Freya asked, more abruptly than she intended.

  “Yes. I am surp
rised no one has ever mentioned it to you. This has been my home for quite some time.”

  “I’m sorry, but I don’t understand. You’re not coupled, like everyone else?” Freya asked, but she regretted it the very moment the question left her lips.

  “I was, Freya, but unfortunately, he met and untimely death. I chose to not be recoupled afterward and was offered a home here, since this is the location of my civil duty.”

  “I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”

  “It is quite alright, Freya. I just assumed you’d heard about it in passing conversation. That was a miscalculation on my part, as I suppose you do not interact with the staff here as much, since you are often out on the grounds. I was speaking to Victor, and we both thought since the three of us are currently residents here, it would be nice to share our mealtime.”

  “We also want to know what on Earth you have been doing on your tablet at night,” Victor said with a smile. “Have you decided you’d like another civil duty? Are you trying to self-educate?”

  Freya blushed, knowing it would be difficult to explain her actions without exposing anything to Chastity.