Born and Raised

by R A Doty

  Sarah pressed her index finger to her lips. “Shh,”

  “And there is one other thing I’ve been working on that may help,” Bill said. “I think we’ve discovered a way to substantially expedite the nutrimen’s rate of growth. If all goes as planned they will mature fifty percent faster. Their intelligence level would never be able to keep up with their physical growth, but that’s a side effect that doesn’t concern us. After all, we’re not after their brains, although they do make a wonderful pâté.

  “Wouldn’t that ultimately decrease their life expectancy by fifty percent as well?”

  “Yes, it would. But they’ll be harvested long before they reach their biological life expectancy.”

  “When will you start?”

  “Soon. But first we have to choose just the right nutrimen to use as a test subject.”

  “I suppose we have no choice but to initiate the surrogate plan as well,” Donald said. “Jillian’s not going to be happy about that, I can assure you.”

  “I know, Don, and I’m sorry. Melanie’s taking it pretty hard too, has been for the last year now that Sarah’s come of age. But there’s no other choice if we are to survive as part of the last organized colony on the planet. You should contact the Power Elite to see if they’re having similar sustenance problems in other colonies.”

  Don nodded. “I will.”

  The scent of roasted meat wafted into Bill Weston’s office. He inhaled, and suddenly realized how hungry he was. “Smells like dinner’s ready,” he said. “Might as well enjoy it while we can, right?”

  The two men stood.

  “I think I’ll look at my dinner in a whole new light now that meat is becoming a rarity again,” Don said. “We’ll get through this, Bill. Ancada’s strong, and its citizens will do whatever is necessary to survive. And if that means cutting down on our meat consumption then so be it.”

  The two men headed toward the door.

  Sarah tugged Calla’s arm, and they ran down the hall into Sarah’s bedroom. The door quietly closed.

  “What do we do now?” Calla said, nibbling her fingernail. “Poor, April. We can’t just sit back and let them take her away. She’s deserves better than that. She’s not a nutrimen anymore, as far as I’m concerned.”

  Sarah rested her forehead in her hand and closed her eyes to think. “I agree,” she said. After a few seconds, she raised her head. “I don’t know what we could do. Do you have any ideas? And what did they mean by surrogate program, and why was my name mentioned?”

  Calla shook her head. “I don’t know.” She held Sarah’s hands. “Sarah, I’m worried about April. We have to do something.”

  Sarah pulled her hands free. “I know, Calla!” She too, was worried about April, but she couldn’t stop wondering why her name was mentioned. What did any of this have to do with her?

  “Can’t we get her out of there?” Calla said. “I know you removed her from the database, but we can’t take any chances. What if they don’t use the database anymore and they just pick them randomly based on their size?”

  “And where do we take her? She’s not like us, Calla. She’ll never survive outside the kennel.”

  “Well she’s not going to survive in the kennel, either.” Calla sat on the bed, and stared at the floor. She couldn’t believe this was happening. There has to be something we can do.

  Sarah sat next to her. “I’m sorry,” she said, rubbing Calla’s back. “This is all happening so fast I don’t know what to do.” The two girls sat quietly, each trying to come up with something that would save April.

  “Maybe we can find some place to bring her until all this blows over,” Sarah said.

  Calla looked at her. “And then what? Bring her back to the kennel? They’re starting to harvest the smaller, weaker ones immediately.” She shook her head. “There isn’t anything we can do.” Her eyes glossed over.

  “I’m sorry, Calla. That’s why the rules were made—so we don’t become attached to them. You never should’ve started talking to her.”

  Calla rested her face in her hands and began to cry.

  Sarah pulled her friend close, her arm over Calla’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Calla.” After a few seconds of comforting her she said, “If my father wasn’t in charge of the kennels I’d bring her here and pretend she was a friend that needed a place to live.”

  After digesting what Sarah had said, Calla jumped to her feet. “That’s it! You’re a genius.”

  Sarah smiled. “Why? What’d I say?”

  “We can’t bring her to your house, but we can bring her to mine. My father hardly ever goes to the kennels, so he doesn’t know what’s going on there.” Calla paced back and forth thinking. “I can say just what you said. I can pretend she’s homeless or something, like maybe she lived on the other side of the island and her parents died unexpectedly some how, so now she needs a place to live.” She continued to think, her fist pressed to her lips. “I can say her parents died in a car accident.”

  “Calla, nobody dies in car accidents anymore. It just doesn’t happen. Cars are automated, so how could her parents have possibly died in one?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe the car malfunctioned or something.”

  “When’s the last time you heard of a car malfunctioning and killing someone?”

  “All right. Forget about the car accident. All we have to do is come up with a believable way that her parents died, and we got it made.”

  “And what makes you think your parents would let her live with you guys?”

  “Oh come on, Sarah. You know my father. He’s an old softie. How could he possibly turn away a friend of mine looking for a place to live? Remember when he let me keep that baby bird that fell out of its nest?”

  “There’s a big difference between a bird and a nutrimen.”

  “Yeah, but he’ll never know she’s a nutrimen.”

  “Okay. A human. Same difference.”

  There was a knock on the door. “Sarah, dinner’s ready.”

  “Okay, Mother. We’ll be right out.”

  Footsteps were heard walking away. When Calla was sure Sarah’s mother was gone she whispered, “Do you have a better idea?”

  “No. Come on. We better go eat. We’ll talk more about it after dinner.”

  The girls left the bedroom and headed to the dining room where their parents were seated at the table. Two place settings were already prepared for them, each consisting of a thick slice of meat, a side of cauliflower, and a side of carrots. Calla and Sarah glanced at each other when they saw their plates.

  Sarah was the first to slice a small chunk of the meat. She could sense Calla’s stare as she slowly chewed and swallowed it. She quickly drank a sip of water.

  All Calla could think about was April, as she poked at her meat with the fork. She had already decided to become a vegetarian, so taking even the smallest bite of flesh wasn’t an option. She slid it to the side of the plate and ate a piece of the cauliflower, instead.

  “Something wrong with your entrée?” Bill Weston asked, staring at Calla.

  “No, nothing at all, Mr. Weston. I just don’t like to eat meat that much anymore.”

  “May I ask why?”

  Calla shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. I guess I feel as though it’s somewhat inhumane to eat another living creature.”

  “But they were put on this earth to be eaten. Who are we to go against nature?”

  “Were they? Or did we create them for the sole purpose of butchering them?”

  “Calla!” Jillian said. “You don’t talk to Mr. Weston that way. Show some respect.”

  Calla lowered her head. “I’m sorry, Mother.”

  “I encourage our younger generation to speak their mind,” Bill said. “Please, continue, Calla. Maybe you can teach us something.”

  Sarah glared at Calla. She knew how intelligent her father was and how manipulative he could be. Calla had no idea how thin the ice was she was treading on. She needed to change t
he subject before the conversation went any further. “I never got a chance to congratulate you for your promotion, Mr. Wilkinson. You must be so proud to have been chosen by the Power Elite.”

  Bill Weston stared at his daughter, who lowered her head to avoid eye contact.

  “Well thank you, Sarah,” Don said. “I am proud to have been chosen. But with great honor comes great responsibility. I hope I can live up to their expectations.”

  “I’m sure you’ll do just fine, Don,” Melanie said. “They couldn’t have made a better choice.”

  “And what about you?” Bill said, staring at his daughter. “You seem to be avoiding your entrée as well. Are you, too, becoming a vegetarian?”

  “Hardly, Father.” Sarah slice another piece of the flesh and forced it into her mouth. After swallowing, she smiled at her father. As soon as it hit her stomach she had the urge to throw it back up, but she held it down. It’s just meat, she told herself. The same meat I grew up on, and the same meat each and every citizen of Ancada ate every day. She sliced off another chunk and then another, quickly shoving each piece into her mouth without actually looking at it. Her stomach began to turn. What would everyone think if I threw all of it up on the table? The thought sickened her more, and she swallowed repeatedly to hold down the meat. “May I be excused?” She held up her empty plate and smiled. “See Father. I ate it all.”

  Bill studied his daughter through squinted eyes.

  “May I be excused, as well?” Calla said. “I’m sorry for not eating the meat, Mr. and Mrs. Weston, but I did eat all of the vegetables.”

  “That’s fine, dear,” Melanie said. “You girls may be excused.”

  With a forced smile, and a tightly closed mouth, Sarah got up from the table and pushed in her chair. If she had to force it back down one more time her stomach would certainly explode. She casually walked away from the table, trying to conceal her bulged cheeks. Instead of going to her bedroom, she rushed to the bathroom and knelt over the toilet. Calla followed and closed the door behind them as the contents of Sarah’s stomach splashed into the bowl.

  “Are you all right?” Calla asked, rubbing Sarah’s back. She grabbed a towel and handed it to her.

  Sarah nodded and flushed the toilet. She stood and wiped her eyes and mouth with the towel. “Oh my god, that was horrible. What’s happening to me? I used to love meat, and now it makes me sick to even look at it.”

  “The same thing happened to me,” Calla said. “You’ll get used to it, trust me. I can look at meat now, but I’ll never be able to eat it again.”

  “What am I gonna do? My father’s in charge of sustenance, and I can’t even eat meat anymore. What will he think of me? I’ll just have to eat it and then throw it back up the first chance I get.”

  “You can’t do that, Sarah. You’ll get bulimia or something.”

  “We’d better go,” Sarah said.

  The girls went back to Sarah’s bedroom and closed the door. Sarah plopped down on her bed and pushed her hand to her mouth. For a second she thought she was going to vomit again. She removed her hand and took a deep breath. Calla sat on the bed next to her.

  “I’m removing April from the kennel tomorrow,” Calla said. “I’ll bring her a change of clothes and bring her to my house.”

  “You can’t bring her your clothes. Your parents will recognize them. Stop by here on your way, and I’ll give you one of my old outfits.”

  “Okay, thanks.”

  Sarah held Calla’s hand. “I hope it works.”

  THE FOLLOWING MORNING, Calla arrived at the kennel and opened the pens to allow the nutrimen access to the yard. When she opened April’s pen, she went inside and closed the door behind her. April was lying on her bunk with her face to the wall.

  “Are you awake, April?” Calla said, nudging April’s shoulder.

  April was awake but didn’t answer. She just stared at the wall like she had the entire night between short snippets of sleep. Nothing mattered anymore, and she just wanted to be left alone to be what she was meant to be: a caged animal. She felt another nudge to her shoulder, but she chose to ignore it again.

  Calla shook April’s entire body to wake her up. “I’ve got a surprise for you, April. Wake up. I’m taking you out of here for good.”

  April wondered if what she heard was real. It couldn’t have been. She’s waited to hear those words for so long that she had to be imaging it. But what if she had heard it? “What did you say?” she said, her voice somewhat groggy and hoarse.

  “I said, I’m taking you out of here.”

  She rolled over and faced Calla. “Really?”

  A wide smile crossed Calla’s face. “Yes. Really. Now come on. Get up.”

  April sat up. Her eyes brightened. “But how?”

  “Don’t worry about that. Right now we have to get you ready to go.” Calla searched for the change of clothes she was going to bring and then realized she had left them home. “I forgot to bring my bag.”

  “Does that mean I can’t leave?”

  “No. Just not right now. I have to go back home, but it won’t take long. As soon as I get back we’ll get you ready to leave.”

  Before Calla opened the door, she turned back to April. “Remember, if anyone stops by while I’m gone don’t talk to them, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “I’ll be right back.”

  When Calla left the kennel, April lifted her mattress to retrieve the tablet. It wasn’t there. She lifted the other side of the mattress and still no tablet. She dropped it and stared around her pen.

  “Is this what you’re looking for?” Manolin said, holding the tablet, just outside the door.

  April rushed over and took it from him. “Manolin,” she whispered. “Don’t speak so loud. And how did you get this?”

  “When you left with Calla the other day your door was left open. I took it to continue my lessons on my own. I’ve learned much, April. You were right. It is a wonderful world outside the fence.”

  “What about the others? Did you show them?”

  “Yes. But they don’t seem to comprehend it as well as you and I.”

  April wondered if it was a mistake to show Manolin and the others what lies outside the fence. It would inevitably lead to discontent. But is it right for them not to know? Is there a greater force beyond the fence and the outside world that determines right from wrong—a force that controls everything and passes judgment, as it deems appropriate?

  “Did he hurt you?” Manolin said.

  The question pulled April from her thoughts. “Who?”

  “The man that came to you last night. I heard you raise your voice.”

  “No, Manolin. He didn’t hurt me. I think he is someone to trust, but don’t speak to him until we know with certainty.”

  “Why did Calla leave?”

  “There is something you need to know, Manolin. Something that saddens me, but at the same time excites me.”

  “What is it?”

  “I’m leaving. When Calla returns she is taking me away.”

  “Where will you go?”

  “I don’t know.” April held up the tablet. “I will leave this with you so you can continue to learn. But first I have to use it one last time.” She touched Manolin’s arm. “I’m sorry we don’t have more time. I will miss you.”

  The main idea of the Power Elite was to inhibit the nutrimen from speaking—thereby, preventing them from communicating. Without communication relationships could not be formed. Without relationships there would be no need for emotions. A simple plan with one major flaw: love is silent. It can’t be heard and as often as mankind has tried—it can’t be described. It does not discriminate because it’s blind. What Manolin felt, knowing that he would never see April again, would have happened regardless if he or she had learned to speak. It was an emptiness inside that would remind him of her each morning when he awoke and found her gone—an emptiness all the nutrimen felt when one of them was removed and never seen again. Alth
ough he could now speak, Manolin stood silent. No words could describe what he felt.

  April closed the door and brought the tablet to her bunk. She had to try one last time to open the journal. What might Calla have used for the password? What did she like to do? She entered the word READ, without success. What did she like to eat? She remembered when Calla had brought in the cupcake to the tall girl. She entered the word CUPCAKE and the file opened.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  JESSIE THORPE SAT IN the puffy chair with the book Colton gave her propped open on her lap and Walter seemingly resting comfortably under her arm. She studied the words on the page and moved her lips, pretending she could read. When she came to a picture of a water rat and a mole sitting in a boat on a peaceful pond, she stopped pretending she could read and got lost in the scene. She imagined being in the boat with the rat and mole, and joined them as they paddled around the pond for no particular reason other than wasting away the day. The sun was warm, as was every day in her make-believe world, and the air was filled with the sweet scent of the water lilies floating on the pond’s surface. Sometimes she imagined being in the boat all by herself with no one else to share the day with. When she turned the page, a new adventure began as she studied the next picture. This time she was at a tea party in the mole’s house. She smiled when a cup of tea was placed in front of her.

  A tear trickled from Elana Thorpe’s eye, as she sat on the couch watching her daughter. She wiped it away with her thumb. “Why are you smiling, honey?”

  “We’re having tea, Mommy.”

  “Whom are you having tea with?”

  “Ratty and Mole. Mr. Badger and Mr. Toad are on their way over, too. Later, we’re all gonna take a ride in Mr. Toad’s new car.”

  Elana knew her daughter must have flipped through every page of the book at least a hundred times since Colton gave it to her. She wished she had other books to read to her and to teach her with, but the book her daughter gripped so tight in her little hands was the only book in existence as far as she knew. There were no more. Just like there were no other children for her child to play with. No schools for her to attend. And no hospitals to heal her if, and inevitably when, she became ill or injured. These thoughts brought great despair to Elana, but she had no choice but to repress them deep inside. There was nothing she could do about it. Sometimes she wished none of her family had ever survived. She considered Samuel lucky. “Why don’t you go outside and play in the yard for a while, Jess? Some fresh air might do you good.”