by Ramona Finn
Our transport flew slowly past the first cluster of Sky Labs, the ones at the outermost perimeter. Even though we were at least twenty transport lengths away from the closest one, I could tell that Ben was piloting carefully past them as if he didn’t want to cause any disturbance to their peaceful floating existence.
Each Sky Lab city filled my entire window-view as we crossed past them. Each had a distinct shape. Some were tall and rectangular, with several levels to them. Others were short and cubical as if they were used for one purpose only. In between, the cities were connected by glass bridges that were multi-floored. Hand-sized people—that’s what they looked like from this distance—in light-colored clothing, the Elites, walked leisurely back and forth, up and down flights of stairs, looking as if they hadn’t a care in the world. Others walked with great purpose, as if they knew how important they were. After all, their job was to find the Cure to the Virus that made it impossible to survive on the Earth’s surface. Gazing in envy at each of these perfectly created Labs, I couldn’t help wonder if some day, my people would be able to live up here with the Elites—once we were cleared of any infectious diseases like the Cough. R.L. Farrow had mentioned it in passing once, a very long time ago. Nothing had ever come of his comment, but now, standing here, I wondered if perhaps I could help to bring that promise about.
Kev gasped pulling me out of my thoughts, and I followed his gaze. Our transport was now crossing a large gap between two larger Labs, and towards the next cluster. There, farther out in the distance, loomed the largest city of all—the one we were headed to—the main city they called the Greens.
“Look at the dome!” I cried. “It’s so green.”
Kev snorted, and I laughed in response, realizing how silly that must have sounded. Of course, the Greens were green.
As we flew closer, the Greens grew larger. This city was the central city of all the Sky Labs. It was where Ben lived with his father, the leader of our world, R.L. Farrow. It was where they filmed The Cure so that we in the Geos could watch as the scientists worked together to find a cure for the Virus. It was the only city in the Labs topped by a giant dome that gleamed green in the bright sunlight. There were so many plants inside the dome—plants I’d never even imagined from the confines of our dark underground world. It was beyond beautiful.
“Paradise!” Kev sighed with an air of reverence.
Yes. It was paradise.
I lingered at the window, my chin resting on the cool glass sill. This should’ve been the moment all my dreams came true. This was where I’d always wanted my family to live out the rest of our lives together—without strife, without hunger, without disease. This was the reason I’d hacked my way into the trials. This was why I’d fought so hard to survive.
How things had changed.
What felt like a heavy mineral rock crystallized inside my chest, taking up so much room that I could barely breathe. This dream was going to be short-lived, and well it should be. This paradise, as Kev had called it, thrived on the backs of the poor, downtrodden inhabitants of the Geos, most of whom would never even be able to glimpse this place with their own eyes. I thought of all the people I’d known who had lived and died in the Geos, hoping for a better future for the next generations. And all those people who had tried to survive the Acceptance in order to get a chance to live up here. It was all a pipe dream, a giant life-sucking lie.
Because I’d seen what the EFs had done to the potential survivors—the rest of the contestants who I’d seen alive at the end of the trial. We’d all grown up believing that no one could survive, which we’d thought of as the reason we’d had no victors for years. Yet, several of us had survived. And now, with Kev, there were two survivors who’d been presented to our people. That’s because we’d been hidden when we’d seen the truth—that, under R.L.’s command, the EFs were ordered to kill every last one of those who made it through the trials. If Kev and I hadn’t hidden and discovered this terrible secret, we wouldn’t be in this transport at all. We would’ve been lying somewhere down below, on the surface, becoming fodder for the wild animals that lived in the forests. I’d seen the faces of the others who had begun the trial with us, and now I pushed away the image of them being torn apart and eaten.
The rock inside me turned, and I was nauseated.
I slid back down into the seat below me and shut my eyes for a few moments. I saw Skylar and his beautiful smile. I heard his voice explaining his fierce belief that our factions could come together to defeat this all-powerful despot.
A sniffle distracted me from my thoughts. I looked over to see Kev, elbows on his knees, head in his hands.
“What’s the matter?” I asked.
Kev said nothing for several seconds. Then, with a deep sigh, he leaned back against his seat. His gaze stayed on the ceiling as he spoke. “What am I doing here? How am I going to fit in? I’ve been a farmer my whole life. My parents are farmers. Even in the Geos, people look down on us… they treat us like scum. How am I supposed to rise above that and live here like I belong?”
I sighed. “That’s a lot…”
He looked at me. “I mean, you, I can understand. You’re smart. You’ll make your way here. People will respect you.”
“What are you talking about?” I wanted to tell him that I’d cheated to be there. I didn’t deserve it. He did. “You’re smart. You made it to the trials, and you survived.” I lowered my voice and continued, “You even survived the EFs killing our friends.”
I reached over and touched his arm. “If anyone truly deserves to be here in the Labs, it’s you, Kev. You’ve always been a great friend to me. I’m the one who doesn’t deserve this place or your friendship.”
Kev blinked rapidly for several seconds. He put his hand over mine and squeezed. “You know, that day I fell into the vat… when everyone laughed at me? I saw you laugh.”
My cheeks burned. I had laughed. I was stupid.
The corner of his mouth curled upwards. “You were laughing because it was funny, and I admit, in hindsight, it was. The others were mocking me, but you were just having fun. And afterwards, you were kind, like you were sorry that you’d laughed. I could feel that. That’s how I knew you and I could be friends. Tylia, I’m so glad it’s you and me that won. I couldn’t imagine moving up to the Labs with anyone better.”
I returned Kev’s gaze with an encouraging smile, trying desperately not to show my true feelings. To be honest, I was a mess inside. I was excited to be there, but terrified that I would be discovered to be the cheat I really was. I had to succeed because I had this new mission, and yet I didn’t know if I had what it took to accomplish it. I wanted so badly to experience the luxury of life in the Labs, but at the same time I knew that I was there to upend it all. Even though I had no idea how I was going to do that, I knew it had to be done. And, somewhere deep inside, I was sad. Did that make me a terrible person? Was I just being selfish?
“Oh, did you hear that?” Kev had his hand over his stomach. “That was the loudest growl my stomach has ever made.”
“Didn’t we just have breakfast?” I laughed. Kev, like me, had needed to get used to all the food they served us after we’d won. It was the strangest thing. The more we ate, the hungrier we got, as if we were making up for the years of starvation. Kev was living proof of the phenomenon.
He got to his feet and headed to the back end of the transport. There was a counter there with cupboards and drawers. Curious, I followed.
“I bet there’s food in here,” Kev said, opening a drawer to find paper napkins and eating utensils. “I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if we helped ourselves to some.”
I looked over to the EFs at the front. They were both staring straight ahead, strapped into their seats. I wondered if they had learned to sleep sitting up, behind their dark-visor-helmets. They hadn’t moved since we’d begun this trip.
“No one’s stopping us,” I said to Kev. “But I wonder if we’re still on TV, and if we are, what will our friends
say?”
“Since when did you care what people said about you?” Kev grinned, opening and shutting drawers, but not finding anything to eat. “Just wave at them and they’ll cheer us on.”
I looked for cameras in the transport but couldn’t find any obvious ones. Perhaps they were small and hidden. So, we both waved in several general directions and hoped that was enough.
Kev chuckled as he finally opened a cupboard that turned out to be stocked with snack foods. He helped himself to a couple of bags of dried greens. He handed me one that said “Popped Corn” on the bag. I’d never heard of such a thing.
“I’ll give it a try,” I said, “but we’d better not take too much. We don’t want to appear greedy.”
Kev stuffed a handful of crunchy, dried greens into his mouth, chewed, and grinned. “You know, Ty, we’ve lived our entire lives scrounging up food vouchers or eating scraps of produce the Elite threw away. We won the Acceptance. We made it to the Labs. We’re Elites now. We deserve to think of ourselves for a while.”
“I guess,” I said uncertainly. “I just wish our friends could share in this, as well. I can’t help thinking of them down below.”
“Well…” Kev rubbed his tummy. “The way I see it is, you have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others. So, stock up, my friend. You’ll need the energy to help our old compatriots in the Geos.” Then he let out a loud burp and we laughed.
“We’re about to cross a section of sky that may be a little bumpy,” Ben’s voice came over the intercom once more. “Seatbelts on. Nothing to worry about, though. It’s temporary.”
As we strapped ourselves back into our seats, I couldn’t help thinking about Kev’s words. In a way, he was right. I wouldn’t be able to help my friends in the Geos or my new friends, the Rejs, unless I was rested and strong again. I’d have to fit in in the Labs, be no trouble to anyone, so that my mother could continue to get the medical attention she needed. I would have to think of myself for a time while I figured out what I could do to unite our factions and stand up to the Farrows. Still, I was just one person who was unusually good at hacking computers. How could that change an entire civilization?
And yet, something felt wrong about Kev’s philosophy. I was not the same person who’d hacked into the Acceptance to save my mother. I was now a Rej, and I was a GEO, and now also an Elite. I represented all people, and I had the backing of the Rejs. Somehow, the different factions would have to find common ground so that everyone would have the opportunity to live safely and prosper. The Elites weren’t a special variety of human. They were merely lucky to have ancestors who’d had the means to buy their way into the Labs. But that happened generations ago, and the Rejs had convinced me there has to be a better way. I was here for a purpose. They backed me for a reason. And even though my people in the Geos didn’t know all this, they were in need of help too. I couldn’t afford to simply think of myself or my family anymore. Bigger things were at stake.
My head throbbed. This was too much to work out right now. I turned to say something to Kev, but before I could open my mouth, a terrifying boom exploded through our transport. Windows shattered, spraying glass into the cabin. The ship shook more than I imagined a machine could tolerate. A scream filled the air, and it was a few seconds before I realized I was the one screaming. The ship tilted to one side and the engines wailed. I had the strangest sensation that we were falling out of the sky as the straps over my shoulders bit hard into my flesh
This couldn’t be the turbulence Ben had been talking about. I reached for Kev, looking for reassurance, but he had his eyes shut tight and he was hanging on to his seatbelt straps for dear life.
The EFs at the front of the transport were still strapped to their seats. Their bodies shook like rag dolls in the wind. One of them began to desperately try to get out of his restraints, pulling at the straps with both hands. The other yelled something at him, but I couldn’t make out what he was saying. Then Ben’s voice came over the intercom. This time, it wasn’t the calm, amused voice of a confident pilot. He was clearly as panicked as I was.
“Everyone, strap down and lean forward!” he yelled. “We’ve been hit! Brace for impact!”
Get your copy of The Labs
Available August 12th 2020
www.RamonaFinn.com
BLURB
The secret is locked in her mind—and they’ll do anything to get it.
Generations ago, humanity was devastated by a virus that wiped billions from the planet. If not for AmeriGlobe’s rigid control over society’s remnants, and VaxWell’s immunity-boosting biomods, humans would’ve gone the way of the dinosaurs. But a sinister purpose underlies the need for adherence to the strict rules—and it has nothing to do with the ZERO Virus.
Lora Flannigan has sought to conform to the rules throughout her eighteen years, but now she stands on the brink of a prestigious pairing with a high-caste young man. Accepting the match will change her lower-class circumstances and also help her hard-working father, who’s sacrificed so much for her since her mother’s suicide.
But Lora never counted on the sparks that ignite when she meets her intended’s striking brother—the fact that he has secrets which are directly entangled with his brother and even her own life only makes him all the more intriguing. But before she’s managed to make sense of her feelings, he’s embroiled her in the rebellion underworld.
It turns out that Lora’s perfect memory is exactly what the rebels need in order to infiltrate VaxWell and discover their sinister purposes, and the rebellion itself may also be the key to the secrets mounting in Lora’s own life.
As Lora’s involvement in the rebellion deepens, more and more shocking discoveries emerge to challenge everything Lora believes.
And when still darker truths come to light, Lora realizes the purpose behind not only her advantageous pairing… but her very existence.
Grab your copy of The Pairings (The Pairings Book One) at
www.RamonaFinn.com
EXCERPT
CHAPTER ONE
You can do this one last time, I thought to myself while staring at the biomod kiosk station. Other teens rushed by me to get into the domed glass structure as quickly as possible. It was busiest after school, with kids as young as twelve wanting to check their ImmunoAlgorithms before their friends. Their obsession with the kiosks made my stomach churn. I’d tried to avoid them for as long as possible, but I couldn’t today. My score had to be as high as it could be by tomorrow.
I shoved my hair from my shoulders and then dug into the pocket of my navy pants for a bobby pin. There were always at least four of them in any given outfit—I needed them to tame my wild red hair. I twirled a particularly stubborn chunk off the side of my face and pinned it all back. Much better. Still anxious, I smoothed my hands over my shirt and sucked in a breath.
My best friend Jeremy Chan bumped my arm with his. “Are you just going to stand out here all day?” His thick black hair stuck out at all angles as usual. Even though he had the rumpled look down, he was rarely stressed or phased by much.
“Maybe,” I said to him.
The line already pushed to the sidewalk. And across the street, another had formed—as they did at most corners of the kiosk hot spots each afternoon. It didn’t matter if the location was an apartment building or a shopping center; they were the cornerstone of our young lives. The VaxWell corporation made them available to score our immune systems. The score determined how well our vaccines worked against Virus Zero, helping establish if we were worthy of a pairing when we turned eighteen.
“You don’t have to do, this, Lora,” he said.
We stood closer to the curb while the lines outside the station grew. I narrowed my eyes, noticing that frustrated teens were moving away from the docking stations inside—back toward the growing line. It looked like they were out of order; a blinking notice flashed on the kiosk screens.
“I do have to do this,” I said. “You know why.”
&
nbsp; Jeremy snorted. “Since when do you care about the pairings?”
“I can’t disappoint Dad.” The only reason we were alive was because of the immunizations, and the pairings were a way to keep the virus from spreading and taking out the rest of humanity. My mother had committed suicide because she couldn’t stand the world we’d lived in since Zero had decimated the country. I had to work with the system instead of against it, or else my dad might fear losing me, too. The pairing would set me on the right course for the rest of my life.
“The paired sound like they have miserable lives anyway,” he said, hoping I would agree with him.
“Are you going to take the job at VaxWell?” I asked, changing the subject. It was all he could talk about since they wanted to hire him straight out of school. That was less than a month away. VaxWell was also coincidently the corporation that ran New Manhattan and administered the testing of the biomods.
“You don’t need to call me a hypocrite.”
“I didn’t,” I said, lifting my eyes to the clear blue sky above us. Jeremy rarely checked his score at a kiosk, never mind received a biomod injection.
He sighed. “The money is good. Really good.”
“You’ve mentioned that,” I said with a smirk. When Jeremy received the offer, he’d blurted out the salary. To anyone else, it would have seemed like bragging, but something like that was a serious factor for anyone in our level. “The waiver on your pairing helps, too, huh?”
“It is a perk.” Those working in certain areas of VaxWell could waive their pairing in order to dedicate their lives to the corporation. “The work on immunizations seems important, too.”