Iris

by Nick Whitesides

  “Hello,” the woman answers gently.

  “Hello, Abigail. My name is Trenton. I’m the new Arbiter for this section of the city. I’ve been asked by my department to check in with all dependents in my jurisdiction.”

  The woman nods her head in compliance. “Abigail, have you seen or heard anything unusual in your building?” She shakes her head slowly but I see her eyes darting from Trenton to my door and back. She must realize I didn’t leave for training today.

  He cocks his head down the hall towards me. I close the door quickly, trying to avoid making any noise while cursing under my breath. I strain to listen through the door.

  “Thank you for your cooperation, Abigail.” The muffled sentence barely reaches to my ears. I ball my hands into fists and backup, preparing to fight for my life.

  Everything heightens as the footsteps approaching my room get louder. Coming closer and closer. THUD THUD THUD! I jolt from the surprise and stand motionless. Paralyzed with fear, dreading whatever fate would soon be mine.

  As soon as Trenton knows I didn’t check in this morning, I’m dead. Sweat drips down the side of my cheek and forehead. The first bead hits the floor sending my senses into overdrive. I’m sure he heard it! He must know something is wrong.

  I tense up my raised hands and prepare for the worst. Another loud set of knocks followed by a long silence until I hear him speak. “No response. The entrance mechanism is disabled.”

  Then footsteps moving away and down the hall. My arms fall to my side as my body loses all mobility. Leaning against the nearest wall, I let myself slide down to ground. For the moment I’m safe but for how long?

  With a new Arbiter there’s no way for me to contact Jathom. Though I’m not sure I want to involve him. Then a thought pierces through the clutter of my mind; Leina. She could fix this! I’m almost spellbound that the thought hadn’t occurred to me earlier.

  I bounce to my feet, playing the scene out in my mind. I’ll find a way to get into the Triad, then Leina will examine my BAND and I’ll be ok.

  “Ok. This just might work.” Having a plan starts to calm my anxiety. Things will be back to normal soon.

  “This will be nothing more than a bad memory,” I say convincing myself as I dress into my SIO uniform. Once finished, I press my ear to the front door again and listen. Everything is quiet. I grab the latch and pull slowly til I can slip out into the hallway.

  My footsteps echo on the white marble steps leading to the streets below. I hide my BAND with my dark SIO jacket as I step out onto the sidewalk. The familiar buildings tower over me, invading my confidence, as do the empty faces of the men and women walking to and fro.

  The Triad is only a few blocks away. Nearly a mile. The food vendors set up a marketplace all along the streets by the Cathedral. It’s always busy but there’s no other choice. My only chance to prevent Cleansing is to get to Leina.

  I walk the first block without drawing any attention to myself. The streets will become more crowded the closer I get. I stride through the second block eagerly, noticing a skinny teen looking at me strangely. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.

  But I’m nearly halfway there. I pass by the third block unable to stop myself from looking around nervously. Partway through the fourth block, a group of men stare at me from behind a fruit stand. I pull the brim of my hat down and walk quickly with my head low.

  More and more dependents are looking at me as I get closer. A curly haired blonde girl whispers to the wrinkled old woman next to her. Two dirt-covered granger boys point as I walk by. My pace quickens. I can’t make out what they’re saying to each other as I pass. My false confidence wanes while my stomach churns; fighting the urge to break into a run. But that would be suspicious.

  I can’t stop now. I’m in too deep and this is the only option I left. I force myself to take a breath as it comes into view. The Triad, just across the street. I stop at the corner waiting for an opportunity to cross. Through the bustling going on around me, I hear a man shout, “Hey you!”

  The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end as I turn my head. Someone must have recognized me! A heavy man runs down the sidewalk at full speed. I try to move, but my brain won’t respond. Horror-struck, I remain motionless; locked up, my brain completely overloaded.

  He’s fifteen feet from me and closing. I can see the uniform as he shrinks the distance between us. Is he after me or someone else? If I attack him in the center of the city I’m dead. No more time to think. Before I can react, the SIO runs straight past me and tackles another dependent to the ground.

  The other people around me flinch momentarily before returning to normal. A container of fruit spills out next to the suspect’s body. With assigned incomes, only IRIS workers have the option to purchase rarer foods. Relief sweeps over me as I release the air I unknowingly held in my lungs.

  An opening appears for me to cross. Almost there! I stop suddenly as a loud static sound rings out, then a voice speaks. The voice of the Council. “Dear dependents, this is Artemis; twenty third member of the Council of Pura. I ask for your attention to report a felony.”

  My eyes dart back and forth at my fellow dependents as they pause in place and listen. Breathlessly, I listen for the additional message.

  “Dependent Krys from city section D, occupation third class SIO, has failed to check in for his daily duties. This negligence is treason in the highest degree. He is hereby under arrest for insubordination and noncompliance. All dependents must report to the nearest available BES to be given two-way radio updates in their BANDs. Be well. We thrive together or die together.”

  I couldn’t be more than fifty feet from the stairs to the entrance. As soon as the voice fades away everyone resumes their activities. Any resolution I mustered vanishes in the blink of an eye. It’s like being stuck in thick cement.

  I thought I had more time. We’ve had upgrades like this before. Every person inside in the city will be a walking alarm. I must be out of my mind!

  A familiar hopelessness mixed with desperation, overruns my rationality as my eyes shoot around, paranoid by lingering looks and suspicious movements. I have to abort the plan, it’s too dangerous now. Sliding my foot back, about to retreat, a surprised face in the crowd catches my eye, Maxis.

  Standing twenty feet away, his ragged clothes are covered in dirt. The shock on his face mirrors my own. Wide eyed, mouth dropped open. He looks left, then right, then mouths something at me. I shake my head not understanding what he’s trying to say.

  Frustrated, he does it again this time more exaggerated. “What-are-you-doing?” I motion my head towards the Triad. He looks at the building then to me and mouths “You’re-crazy!” I shrug my shoulders.

  He then flaunts that devilish grin I’ve been missing. It keeps the terror at bay. He nods his head, walks over to the nearest stand, then sinks his teeth into a handful of fruit. He takes bite after bite out of apples, pears, peaches, and strawberries.

  Immediately, his BAND starts the countdown to his first warning. The vendor yells out, trying to grab him but Maxis pulls away just in time. His body starts to twitch violently as he steals another handful.

  Almost immediately, several Atlases give chase as he runs away, his body convulsing from the shocks. Just before they catch up to him, he glances over his shoulder. The look in his eyes stings me with regret for all the times I took Maxis for granted. I found him somewhat annoying but he was a good friend.

  An SIO tackles him, knocking over a few bystanders to the ground. As they raise their fists to attack him he yells, “GO!”

  Wracked with guilt, I make my move and jog across the street. Everyone is so focused on Maxis that I pass by unnoticed. I bound up the stairs and launch in through the front doors. I made it. With a swoop, the doors close and shut out the noise from outside.

  The giant atrium is dark and empty with no one to be found. Where is everybody? I stride across to the main hallway and listen to my steps bounce off the plated walls. For a second
I think my ribs might crack from each beat of my heart.

  How could I just leave Maxis to die for me? But I can’t stop now. I can’t let myself be overcome. Hurriedly, I peak around each hallway corner trying my best to stay stealthy.

  Creeping my way until I get to the main corridor. They must be on lockdown. I try to calm myself down. Each footfall sounds like a bomb going off. I stop to listen as a voice catches my attention, then a door appears right across from me.

  Two SIO’s are talking to each other facing away from me. I dip behind the closet corner as they walk out. The second I get a chance, I slip into their room before the door closes. It’s mostly empty with a few boxes of supplies.

  Jathom mentioned to me a few weeks ago that some sections were to be cleared out to optimize space. My vision becomes fuzzy as I place my hand on the wall. Keeping my emotions under control without my BAND is challenging.

  It takes some time but I catch my breath. Pacing helps clear away my thoughts. “Ok, I know for sure that this whole section is less crowded than the main area. How am I going to find Leina?”

  I put my hands on my hips and look up at the ceiling lights. Nothing comes to mind. “Come on, think.” I close my eyes tight like it might enhance my mental faculties.

  Surprisingly, it hits me, “Leina’s office! She took me there just the other day, it’s not too far from here. But her BAND is the only way in or out. That could be a setback.” I wipe my forehead trying to decide. If I go for her office, there’s a good chance I’ll run into other Atlases.

  Atlases that I don’t fall well with. Who wouldn’t hesitate to shoot me on sight. They’ll be hard to avoid especially if I can’t even get in the room. At this point there’s not much else I can do. I clap my hands together hard to psych myself up.

  “Ok, Ok! Let’s go.” I peak my head out, opening the door manually and take a look. The eerie silence has settled in, putting me on edge. I take another moment to ready myself then tiptoe out. I turn the corner blindly as I run into someone.

  My balance is thrown off for a second, making it hard to regain my posture so I can run.

  “Krys?” I recognize the soft female voice and turn around to confirm that it’s her.

  “Leina!” I sigh, relieved that there might still be a chance.

  “What are you doing here? This is the last place you want to be. What happened? Why didn’t you report in?” I exhale and pull away, releasing my grip.

  Her eyes lock onto me with a fierce concern. “Leina, something happened.” I hold up my arm and expose the lifeless screen. She stares at it without reaction at first.

  Then I see a handful of emotions all at once before they return to a bland default position. It’s bizarre to see it happen, especially to her. Confined to a mental prison.

  I inhale and ask, “Can you fix it?”

  She looks back at me and shakes her head. “Krys, I’m a pretty good BES but this is Keysmith level knowledge. I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

  I lower my arm, my hope diminishing with it until it’s gone. “So… now what?” I shrug my shoulders slightly.

  “You can petition this, I mean after all you came back here. You didn’t run. You can go directly to the Council and let them know that there was a malfunction.”

  I nod in agreement. “That might actually work. I could also explain what happened in the market with Maxis. Maybe they’d be willing to pardon him.”

  It’s reassuring to have another idea. This time, I’m not alone. The thought of Maxis being tortured for treason sends shivers down my spine.

  “We need to go, now!”

  She nods back at me “Alright, we have to be careful. As long as we make sure no one sees y—”

  A figure turns the corner. The new Arbiter of my Priory section. Trenton. He’s looking down at a small black screen then moves his head up slowly. The look on his face is comical. A strange mixture of surprise and confusion.

  It makes sense since this is the last place he would expect to find me. If under different circumstances, I probably would’ve burst out laughing. Instead, I take the opportunity to strike while he’s distracted. I throw a hard right kick to his left temple in an attempt to knock him out.

  He staggers backward, screaming out in pain. His grey coat flails open and I see a holster on the right side of his hip. They’ve already armed the Arbiters? This is bad. I grab at it and pull the gun from his reach.

  He recovers from my attack and whips back around, his perfectly combed hair now draped across his forehead. Seething eyes scan us vehemently, his mind racing to uncover our secret alliance. Then his trembling fingers reach for his uncovered BAND.

  If he presses the new alert update, every Atlas in the city will know where I am. What can I do? Think, there’s got to be something . . . the idea jumps into my mind. I pull Leina in front of me and press the gun to her head.

  His hand stops right over the screen with wide eyes locked on me. If he thinks that I forced Leina to help, there’s a chance she won’t be incriminated. “Back away Trenton, or she’s dead.”

  He straightens up, wiping away the blood running down his temple, then raises his newly stained hands. If this isn’t believable, we’re both dead.

  “Alright Krys, alright. You obviously have the upper hand. But what will you do now?” he asks calmly.

  He’s right. What am I going to do?

  Leina lets out a stifled gasp and pleads with Trenton. “He’s dangerous… please, help me.” She caught on immediately without my having to tell her.

  I wrap my arm around her neck and reposition my grip on the firearm. “Be quiet.” I reply uncomfortably.

  She squeezes my arm, pretends to struggle, then digs her nails into my skin rhythmically. I see.

  “Enough!” I yell out and dig the end of the barrel into her skull. I feel the impact of tears fall onto my forearm. She’s very convincing. The suspicion in his face fades away with a nervous gulp. “Look, Krys. No one has to get hurt.”

  I catch him glancing at my arm, expecting to see the flashing red lights, but there’s nothing. The wrinkles in his forehead deepen with surprise as he says, “I don’t understand, you should be paralyzed by now. Your BAND, it’s… it’s not even on?”

  I point the gun at him, not sure how to respond. The shock intensifies across his face. “What have you done? You disowned yourself from Pura. Death is the only thing awaiting you now.” He’s right. But at least Leina won’t be culpable.

  As I’m about to release her, a voice echoes from behind us. “No, no, no…” The ominous tone chills me to the bone as I recognize its owner. I spin slowly to see him standing nonchalantly, his hands in his pockets watching us.

  Brutus.

  Only… something’s wrong. He’s… smiling. The kind of smile that makes the hair on the back of your neck perk up. “Kill her,” he says softly, almost genteel. “Come on… kill her… KILL HER!”

  I flinch from his sudden ferocity. “Stand down, Atlas!” Trenton calls out.

  “I outrank you, Arbiter. I’m a first class, special elite SIO and this man is a fugitive. He will be put to death for his treachery.” Trenton deflates, seeing the three white strips on the side of Brutus’s gray uniform.

  “I’m sorry, sir, I didn’t realize.” He bows his head slightly. Brutus redirects his attention to me again.

  “You’re not going to kill her . . . You want something more. Don’t you?” Perspiration coats the handle of the gun as I aim it at this psycho.

  “It’s obvious. He took her hostage because he’s been seduced by his lustful desire. That’s why he broke his parole and attempted to take her for himself.”

  I shoot Leina a look, trying to let her know this isn’t true. Brutus bobs his head, licking his lower lip, still smiling.

  I see. He knows she was helping me. Now he’s trying to force my surrender or provoke me into attacking so he can kill her himself and send me to Cleansing. Automatically, images of Brutus dragging her lifeless and bloodie
d body infests my psyche.

  Leina is impressively competent with self-defense, but she doesn’t have a killer’s instincts. Brutus thrives off of the pain of people and watching them suffer. A highly capable, trained sociopath with full SIO access.

  No, I can’t let this happen. There’s only one thing I can do to prevent her death. I steady my aim with the pistol and prepare to take his life. The trigger yields as I squeeze.

  In a split second, I’m pushed into the wall as the gun fires out a round. Trenton wraps his hands around mine, desperately trying to pry the weapon away. Even in his advanced age, I struggle to maintain control of the situation.

  With the gun pointing away from us both, I head-butt him, leaving a dark bruise above his eye. But he refuses to let go.

  He swings our hands side to side then knocks us both to the ground; the gun bouncing out of reach. As he lunges for it, I get him in a choke hold. Slowly, he pushes himself up onto his knees and elbows me in the side.

  We’re both struggling alone together in a barren hallway. Brutus and Leina are gone. No! Trenton grunts as we careen into the wall, which releases his hold on me. His combination of punches lack the previous fervor as I counter them, anxious to know where Leina is.

  If Brutus has her then… I can’t think about it. Trenton jabs my nose then kicks hard at my left shoulder. I shake it off, sending him sailing head first onto the glassy black tile floor. His body crumples as he falls unconscious.

  Still breathing, so I hope he won’t die. I then pick up the gun and look down each of the four hallways in front of me. I have to find Brutus. I have to find Leina.

  Chapter 7 Exile

  I wipe the sweat from my eyes as I sprint, forcing away the flood of frighteningly intrusive thoughts. Each second passes in agonizing uncertainty. I need to know she’s not hurt. My feet pound as hard as they can, not knowing where to go.

  I stop in the middle of one hallway to get my bearings. “Two months later and I still get lost.” I look from the left to the right desperately. “Think, think, where would he take her? Or maybe she snuck away?”