Dispersion

Very still, Jonah asks, “What do you mean by that?”

  “There’s nothing left of the territories but the destruction the infection left behind,” Allison responds.

  Despite his tough persona, some surprise filters through. “Is that what happened?”

  “Do you not know what’s happened?” I ask. “How have you been protecting your people from the Letum?” He looks confused at my word choice, so I try again. “From the creatures?”

  “We knew that they came from the territories based on their overall physical appearance. Well, from their assumed past physical appearance. Their clothing suggested the product of the territories.” He lets out a deep breath. “We didn’t know the extent of the damage.”

  The entire atmosphere of the room shifts completely. Instead of trying to intimidate and impress us with the power he has over here, his shock tears down the power play.

  He rubs his right hand on the back of his neck. “Are all three of the territories gone?”

  “I suspect that the infection took out ninety percent of the population within the first month of exposure and since then, has only left about two to three percent of the territories’ citizens alive,” Dominic says in an even tone, somehow managing to keep any emotion out of his response even though he’s discussing the deaths of the society we grew up in.

  Jonah stands up and gestures toward the door, revealing a gun holster on his belt. “I’ll take you to Silas.”

  “I thought he was busy?” Allison asks, head tilted.

  “He needs to hear this,” Jonah says.

  Chapter Nine

  When we’re led into Silas’s office down the hallway, I hide my surprise at his appearance. Slightly older than Jonah, he looks like his complete opposite. While Jonah is dark, short, and rounded, Silas still has a thick head of blond hair. With his broad shoulders and blue eyes, he has more of the recessive genes that the territories placed in high regard.

  Silas listens intently to Jonah as he recaps our conversation and what we’ve already told him. After he finishes speaking, Jonah is silent. Silas studies each of us with a piercing gaze, his expression softening slightly at the sight of Josie in Allison’s protective arms.

  When he finally speaks, his voice is quiet and controlled. “If the infection that caused the population to change originated from the territories, why did you bring it here?”

  “It is not an airborne illness. Though your people have been fortunate enough to not have much exposure to it, it is transferred through a special enzyme that the infected produce in their saliva. Only if someone is bitten will they turn,” Dominic says.

  Jonah raises his eyebrows and looks nervously toward Dominic.

  Silas rubs his strong chin and asks, “What caused the infection in the first place?”

  “It was a result of genetic engineering,” Dominic replies, keeping his shoulders squared.

  Something flickers across Silas’s eyes. It’s almost like satisfaction.

  “You seem fairly knowledgeable on this subject, boy,” Silas starts. “Why is that?”

  Dominic shrugs. “To be honest, I wish I knew more about it and what caused the infection to take place. Before my brother and I got out of Potentia, I overheard genetic engineers speaking amongst each other on the public transportation. That is when I knew we had to leave,” he lies.

  I hold my breath, waiting to see if they’re going to accept this part of our story.

  Silas asks, “Why are you here?”

  Still acting as the leader and spokesman for our group, Dominic responds, “For safety. The territories and outer regions are overrun with the Letum. We have all lost someone, most recently the child’s father, and we want a place where we can feel secure enough to start over.”

  “All I’m hearing right now is why you all need us. Why do we need you?” Jonah asks, shifting when Silas’s gaze focuses on him.

  “You don’t know what it’s truly like out there and what you’re up against.” I answer. “I’ve lost my grandparents, mother, childhood friends, and a very dear friend.” I pause and look down toward Josie. “The Letum are only going to explore farther and farther out as time goes on. We know that the walls of Vis got opened and let all of the infected out. That may happen with the other two territories at any moment.”

  I let out a deep breath and finish. “When that happens and they get here, you’re going to need all the help you can get to protect your people. This relative peace that you’ve been experiencing isn’t going to last. If your people don’t know how to properly defend themselves because you wouldn’t let us in, that blood is going to be on your hands.”

  “If I let you in, you’ll spread panic and fear throughout the compound. That won’t benefit us,” Silas replies.

  Carly died because her brothers didn’t want to burden her with the knowledge of what had happened. I can’t let someone else make the same mistake. “Keeping your people oblivious to the danger out there isn’t going to make it any less real.”

  Silas stands, moves away from his chair, and turns his back to us, looking out his tall window. From the way the outside looked, this is probably one of the few windows they built in. The scene it reveals isn’t special, only the empty grounds beyond the compound.

  “When my grandfather founded Veritas, he dreamed of providing a community where everyone could heal from the Civil War in a safe environment. He knew there had to be a better way. He didn’t want a group of strangers living and working together, but rather, wanted a culture where we would all be family.”

  Silas turns back around and places his hands on his desk. “After he passed, my dad led us until his heart attack took him from us three years ago. Since then, I’ve sworn my life to the betterment of Veritas and devotion to God. One day, when my son leads Veritas, I want to leave a legacy for him that he can be proud of.”

  God was never a significant part of life at Potentia. In all of the territories, religion took a heavy back seat to science and what that could offer. I sneak a glance at Dominic. His expression betrays none of his thoughts, which, to me at least, tells me he has a reason to hide them.

  Silas focuses his attention on Josie. “I don’t want to create an environment where we don’t help people most in need of it. You will be permitted to enter our compound on a probationary basis.”

  “We don’t have to leave?” Allison asks, the relief in her voice apparent.

  Silas smiles warmly at her. “Your child will have a safe home.” His eyes shift to Callie, who is sitting loyally next to Jess. “As for the dog…”

  Jess jerks her head up. “She won’t cause any trouble, and she can hunt for herself.”

  In reaction to hearing Jess’s voice, Callie licks her hand in acknowledgment.

  “Very well. Jonah, take them through onboarding. It’s only midafternoon, so you have plenty of time to help get them settled. I expect them to become functioning members of Veritas by tomorrow morning.”

  Dominic nods while a small alarm echoes through my body at his words. It’s so similar to what my educator had told everyone in class. In the territories, there’s a belief that everyone must serve a purpose.

  Silas shifts his gaze between all of us. “Please, don’t hesitate to reach out if there’s anything I can do to ease you into this transition.”

  “Thank you so much—for everything,” Allison says.

  “Of course,” Silas says and smiles down at Josie one more time.

  Jonah exits the doorway and motions for us all to follow him. We file out of Silas’s office, one by one, with Dominic taking up the rear.

  He leads us down the hallway into a room with a large table that looks as if it was meant for a much grander audience. Jonah sits at the head of the table and we all sit with him, Callie faithfully standing behind Jess.

  “I imagine you all are tired after your journey on the road, so I’ll try to be as brief as possible. Once we get done here, Isaac, who helps me out on the operations side of Veritas, will go through the l
ogistics of everything, such as where you will live and what your work will be.”

  Jonah’s entire demeanor from earlier has changed. He smiles at us with a charm that doesn’t meet his eyes. Even Dominic seems thrown off by this change in his attitude and taps his fingers on his thigh.

  “What do we need to know?” Dominic asks.

  “Let’s get started with our history. From your skewed education, there will be some areas we need to clear up. Your whole life you have called our compound Acroisia, which if my memory serves me correctly, is Latin for blindness, right?”

  Dominic says, “That is correct.”

  Jonah continues, “Here, we refer to our compound as Veritas, which stands for truth. The Civil War began as a result of the territories pushing technology and science, which eventually led to the desire for ungodly genetic manipulation. Which, as you shared with us, was the destruction of the territories, so we were clearly justified in starting the Civil War to escape the scientists’ pursuit to surpass what God intended for us to know.”

  The educators of Potentia periodically would mention that back when we were a unified country, we were founded on a religious system. It was presented as a justification people used when they were afraid of scientific advancement.

  I shift in my chair. I was still raised to value science above any form of religious thought. In Potentia, there was no true organized religion. While some people would meet on occasion, it was always on a small scale and the understanding was always perfectly clear: the society came above all.

  Jonah, seeming to enjoy listening to himself speak, continues his spiel. “In the past, we’ve had some territory members join us and they’ve spoken about how abortion is used as population control against Unplanned.” He shakes his head in disgust. “Here, we understand that every person is created in God’s image and, therefore, sacred and must be honored. God has a plan for every person and that’s why everyone is created so differently—and naturally. Children are meant to be blessings, not a scientific achievement. Do you all understand that?”

  He makes eye contact and waits for us all to mutter in agreement. I sneak a glance at Josie and feel at ease for the first time since getting here. This is a place where they will value people as people, not only if their parents Planned them or not. My life would have been so different if I had been born here.

  “Myself,” he continues, “I’ve been fortunate enough that my wife has given me two wonderful sons. It’s one of life’s greatest joys to watch them grow up.”

  Jonah’s eyes glaze over as he stares past us. After a few seconds of silence, Dominic clears his throat, bringing Jonah back to the present.

  “And as we place such high value on all human life,” he continues, “we have a zero-tolerance policy for any acts of violence. If you become a threat to someone else’s life, we have the power to quickly rectify that situation.”

  “What exactly do you mean by that?” Allison asks.

  “We must ensure the protection of the greater population. If we deem banishing you will protect another’s life, we won’t hesitate,” Jonah answers, his tone low and harsh. “By joining Veritas, you will be subjected to all of our laws and beliefs. Knowing this, do you still wish to stay?”

  “Who upholds it all?” Jess’s quiet voice calls out.

  Jonah, looking surprised that Jess spoke, answers immediately. “Silas of course, though I’m here to guide him on many decisions.”

  Dominic scratches the back of his head. “To make sure I understood you properly,” he says, “residents of Veritas believe that every life is so valuable that if anyone threatens another human being, you will banish and disregard them completely from your compound?”

  Jonah smiles. “That’s correct. It’s all for the best, don’t you understand?”

  His rhetorical question, or at least I hope it’s rhetorical because none of us respond, lingers through the air. He’s said everything confidently and seems so sure of himself and its assumed truth. But, how can he claim to value life so much when he’s willing to get rid of it so easily? What if his truth isn’t the same as mine?

  “Do you all agree to uphold our beliefs and laws to the best of your ability?” he asks again.

  Dominic turns his head, and the two of us look at each other. There’s a sense of indecision on his face and I sense it as well. What other option do we have? Though, one more glance at Allison and Josie and I know this is what we have to do. I promised Matt I would protect them, and this is their best chance at safety. We no longer will have to live watching over our backs. Josie can grow up—safely.

  Dominic shifts his attention back toward Jonah and seals our fate. “Yes, we do.”

  Jonah clasps his hands together in excitement that, once again, doesn’t seem to reach his eyes. “Excellent. There is more that we’ll eventually need to discuss, but I have another important meeting I must attend. I’ll walk you over to Isaac, so he can get you settled and entered into our system.”

  Jonah smiles unnaturally at us again. “And, of course, let me know if you ever need anything.”

  Without even waiting for us to respond, he walks out of the room. We all scurry to our feet to follow in the direction he went.

  Once again, he guides us through a maze of hallways that he is obviously familiar with. He passes through a set of double doors into a room with excessively bright lights.

  There’s a large wooden desk in the middle of the room with papers scattered all over it. It’s much messier than the two offices we’ve been to so far.

  “Isaac, you need to finish the logistical side of onboarding this group into our compound. Silas wants them to be fully functional by tomorrow morning,” Jonah commands and walks out without any words of farewell.

  A young, good-natured face peers out from a computer screen. He moves his chair to give us his full attention. “Welcome to Veritas. We’re glad to have you here. Where are you from?” Isaac asks.

  I automatically return his broad smile. He’s already a lot more genuine than Jonah.

  “We came from the territories,” Dominic replies, still focused on the hallway where Jonah disappeared.

  Isaac’s eyebrows shoot up and disappear beneath his shaggy, dark hair. “Wow, I’m glad you were able to get out of there and join us.”

  Allison shifts Josie over to her other arm, catching Isaac’s attention.

  “I’ll hold her for a bit, Allison. Your arms must be getting tired,” I say. She smiles gratefully and gives her to me.

  The solid, healthy weight of Josie in my arms is reassuring. No matter what else we can do to each other, she’s innocent. Who knows what she could do with her life. That’s still open.

  “Oh, how old is your baby?” Isaac asks, his enthusiasm causing Josie to cry out tiredly until she settles back down.

  Allison looks down at Josie in my arms, with such love and tenderness in her expression. “She’s four weeks old today, actually.”

  “Well, congratulations! That’s awesome. My older sister had a son about three months ago. The two of you should meet.”

  “That’d be great,” Allison says and smiles at Isaac, who happily returns the gesture.

  “What do you need from us right now?” Dominic asks.

  Isaac chuckles, showing off his dimples. “Of course. You all look like you’ve been on the road for a while. I bet you’re pretty tired. Let’s get you settled, so you can clean up and rest before tomorrow.”

  Isaac rolls his chair over to his big monitor and clicks his mouse, waiting for it to turn on. Though his computer is similar enough to what we used at Potentia, it’s still different. It looks clunky.

  Isaac rolls his fingers on his desk as we all wait for his computer to start up.

  “Sorry.” He looks up. “I’ve been waiting on an update for the last few months, but it hasn’t come through yet…” he tapers off and continues to beat on the desk.

  Luckily, Isaac’s back is to Dominic, so he doesn’t see my brother smirk and shake
his head.

  Still hidden from Isaac’s view, I nudge Dominic and mouth, “Don’t.”

  “Okay, here we go. First of all, we need to get you into our system so we can assign your living suites, get a meal card, and sign up for work assignments.”

  “That soon?” I ask, unable to hide the surprise in my voice. Without even getting to know me, he’s about to decide my future here, like they did back in the territories.

  Isaac reacts with such a genuine grin, I relax. “I want you all to be comfortable and happy here as quickly as possible. This is to get you started. If you’re unhappy with anything, all you need to do is come tell me and we’ll work something out.”

  “If I don’t like my work assignment, it can change?” I ask.

  He chuckles at my expression. “Of course. Why couldn’t it?”

  Allison and I make eye contact, the wonder in her expression apparent. As an Unplanned in the territories, our fates were sealed with our birth. I never thought I’d actually have a choice.

  I tentatively return his smile, happy to be away from the oppressive territories and their preconceived notions of the value they thought I could add.

  “Let’s start with you,” Isaac tilts his head toward Dominic. “What’s your full name?”

  “Dominic Greer,” my brother replies.

  Typing into his computer, Isaac asks, “Age and birthday?”

  “Twenty-eight. My birthday is January twenty-fifth.”

  “Room preference? Is there anyone you’d like to be with?”

  Dominic shakes his head. “No, I would prefer to be alone.”

  Isaac looks toward Jess before returning his attention to his computer. “Work preference?”

  “I would like to assist in security or the military,” Dominic answers.

  I’m surprised he doesn’t want to get involved in their science department, though judging by Jonah’s earlier comments, I doubt science is valued much over here. Dominic probably didn’t want to raise any suspicion or stand out by requesting that work assignment.

  “Okay, next,” Isaac says and looks at me briefly.

  “Elliot Greer, twenty-two, and my birthday is October eleventh.”