Copyright
Copyright © Siobhan Davis 2014.
Siobhan Davis asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions.
Work of Fiction
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, incidents and dialogues are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictiously. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or events is entirely coincidential.
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E-Book edition © August 2014 ISBN: 978-0-9929304-1-7
PART I - ARIANA
CHAPTER 1
He runs quickly and quietly through the dense woodland, his breathing is shallow yet steady. Beads of sweat glisten on the translucent skin of his forehead. His intense brown eyes drink in the surroundings of the forest as they flash by. The muscles flex in his arms and legs as he runs and the sun reflects the contours of his body, showcasing his strong physique.
I wake with a start; I can feel the blood pumping ferociously through my veins and a ringing in my ears. My heart is pounding so loudly that I’m sure it will wake Mom, Dad, Lily and Deacon. I take deep breaths, slowly inhaling and exhaling, in an attempt to calm my beating heart.
This is the tenth night in a row that I’ve dreamt of him: Zane. I’m surprised we’ve retained the ability to dream, that they hadn’t programmed it into the Vita. I have no idea what the dreams mean, or if they mean anything at all. No doubt I’ll spend the rest of today thinking of him, instead of concentrating on my classes and maneuvers.
A slight movement in the corner of my eye catches my attention. The Medicet has entered the room so quietly that it startles me, my heart pounds again in response. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to these medical drones, sophisticated robots that work with assigned doctors; to provide the high quality medical care essential to ensure the continuation of the human race. It’s just one of the many changes that we’ve had to get accustomed to on Novo. I obediently hold out my arm and the Medicet administers the shot. I instantly feel relaxed, my previous anxiety over the dream a distant memory. I immediately fall back asleep.
When I wake again, I reach out to my left, to the panel over my bedside locker and press the top right-hand button. 5.30 a.m. displays on the commiboard in the corner of the room. It’s too early, but I know there’s no point in trying to go back to sleep. I pull off the covers and swing my legs over the side of the bed. I get up slowly and stretch my arms out over my head, I gently twist my neck from side to side. As I move I can feel the slight metal edge of the Vita, it rests at the base of my neck just above my spinal cord. I remember how difficult it was to get used to the sensation of it at first, but now it’s practically seamless, it has become an accepted part of my body. It’s only my daily morning stretch that reminds me of its existence. I think back to the day it was inserted—the day we had to vacate Earth. I still can’t believe the events of the last two years, it almost feels like it was something straight out of a Hollywood movie.
I shake myself from my melancholy, pull off my pajamas and head straight for the shower. As I stand under the steaming hot water, my mind wanders back to Zane. Is he a figment of my imagination? A memory fighting to be restored? Or is there something else at play here? Except Dr. Victus says it’s impossible, the whole point of the nostalgia elixir was to make the transition from Earth to Novo as easy as possible. Its sole function to wipe our memories of those left behind.
So who is Zane? And why am I dreaming of him? I visualize him as I’ve seen him in my sleep. Chocolate brown eyes, short dark hair, average height. On his right upper arm is an apparent tattoo, it’s too indistinct in my dreams to decipher. He’s clearly athletic and very fit. My heart quickens as I recall the images of him showering and dressing, and I feel a natural stirring throughout my body. There’s no one else in the room, but I still blush furiously—I have to stop this! Maybe I am going crazy and it’s my minds way of saying ‘enough’! I step out of the shower and pull on my jogging pants and top, I lace my sneakers tight. I swiftly dry my hair and tie it up, before heading out of my room.
I tiptoe down the stairs as quietly as I can, no point in disturbing my family this early. As I enter our living space, I see that my father is already up and dressed for work. I look at him with pride, so handsome, so strong in his uniform. My father is the center of my universe. Period. He’s standing at the far end of the large circular glass wall that spans the entire structure of our home, overlooking the man-made lake, staring pensively at the calm water outside. “Hey Dad, why are you up so early? Penny for your thoughts?” I ask. My father turns around, a frown quickly forming on his face.
“Ariana, I could ask you the same thing.”
“Weird dreams again,” I say by way of explanation. “What’s your excuse?”
“We’re piloting the latest model stealth-craft this morning. We thought it least disruptive to the citizens of Novo if we conducted our tests early,” he says. “Are you going out for a run?”
“Yes, I thought it might help clear my head.”
“Well, make sure to stick to the running track and keep safe.”
I inwardly laugh; Novo is about the safest place you could live. All citizens have been carefully chosen from Earth based on a variety of specific assessments including personal characteristics, medical status, age and possession of—at least one—desired talent from the requisite ‘skills list’. No one is older than forty-five, apparently there’s no place in the new world order for the elderly or the sick. I’m fairly certain they didn’t do any recruiting in prisons either, and the intense personality screening ruled out any supposed ‘undesirables’.
There’s also the Magna Superiore: an invisible force field that surrounds Novo, shaped like a dome, it acts as a protective shield. No one can enter or exit without permission. It’s practically invisible to the naked eye except where it glints in parts and reminds us of its existence. Dad says it’s to protect us from unknown enemies. I think it’s further evidence of the extent to which the authorities desire to control everyone and everything in Novo.
My father has always been very protective of his family, because of all the things he has seen as a Command Major Sergeant in the Army. He’s now a Level 1 Commander, which is a position of high seniority and great responsibility; I see it weighing on his shoulders, as if the stress is a real living thing. My sixth sense goes into overdrive again as I get the feeling there’s more to this than meets the eye. I wonder what has him so preoccupied lately. There’s no point asking him though, he has a natural ability to easily deflect any uncomfortable topics. I know he’ll confide in me when he feels the time is right.
I cross to the kitchen, at the center of our large open living space, and find my water vest. I deftly fill it and pull the vest on, one arm at a time, securing it tightly in the middle. I position the tube down along my arm until it clicks into place on the data-cuff on my left wrist. The data-cuff is another new addition to modern life. It’s a fully interactive communications device which looks like a high-tech watch, but is actually a cell phone, GPS device, video communicator, notice board and channel for receiving official government communications. It enables mobile access to my n-mails and personal photos, and I can download books, music and movies o
n the go. It also serves as an identifier, once scanned at an official entry gate, to any of the facilities and services in Novo.
“Don’t worry, I’ll stay safe,” I placate him as I leave while simultaneously blowing him a kiss. He raises his hand and catches the kiss in one swift motion, we both smile. We’ve been doing this since I was a little girl and I cherish the comfort, closeness and familiarity of the gesture; I’ll never get too old for it. My mom says the term ‘Daddy’s girl’ was invented for us. I smile as I think of my father, the love I feel for him knows no bounds. If only I had the same closeness with my mother, but the dynamic of that relationship couldn’t be more different at the moment. I sigh as I shut the door behind me and start the short walk to the running track. I allow myself to reflect on the events that brought us here.
Disaster upon disaster wreaked havoc on Earth, completely wiping out most countries and landmass, making it largely uninhabitable; except for parts of America which survived to this day. What I hadn’t known, until that fateful day, was that the alliance had been formed between some of the key nations on Earth in preparation for doomsday. Novo had been under construction since the 1960’s.
Novo is the name of our new planet, nestled in space approximately twelve hundred miles above the surface of Earth. This planet was chosen for its proximity to our original homeland and the Sun, the consistency of its climate and the pliable terrain. The Magna Minore securely encloses our environment and maintains the synthetic atmospheric composition which is aligned to Earth.
There are 15 Regions on Novo, we live in Region 2, or Aqua as it’s more commonly known. All of the Regions have been given their own identity and each has been created in the likeness of different places we knew back on Earth. While I appreciate the efforts being made to retain this element of familiarity, the resulting outcome is a planet with a dual persona. The manufactured edges are too austere and hard to ignore, it’s like looking at a life-size model replica of Earth.
Aqua has been modelled on one of the Great Lakes of North America and there’s a huge artificial lake taking center stage in the middle of the Region. The architects and engineers are busy constructing other uninhabited Regions in preparation for the projected population growth. At the moment, only Regions 1 through 7 are occupied and we have huge capacity to develop as a new society. One of the key stated aims of our government is to increase the population size and see the human race grow and evolve under their command. At all costs it would seem, as I think of their latest policy. A shudder runs involuntarily down my spine.
I look up and see that I’ve already reached the entrance to the running track. I scan my wrist at the data panel on the gate. Instantly my credentials flash up on the screen and I’m granted access. I walk down the steps to the ground level running track and press the button on the data panel to access the scenery grid. I don’t need to review the options: I know which scenery I prefer. I touch the screen where it displays ‘Woodland’ and instantly the running track disappears and the woods materialize before my eyes.
Except, of course, that it’s not real; it’s another Novo initiative thought up by Team Reminiscence. This team exists purely to ensure that we don’t lose our humanity, our memories of Earth and to replicate as much of our home as possible. This is one of their better ideas, and as I run it feels like I’m in the woods back home in Connecticut. I hear the birds singing in the trees, smell the pine needles, feel the cool breeze on my face, and detect the crunch under my foot as I run across imaginary branches, twigs and the undergrowth of the woods. This is one of the few places in Novo where I can lose myself and feel like me again. So much of what we do now is controlled and contrived, part of the great master plan to ensure that humanity flourishes in our new regime. I try and shake all concerns of our new government and their grand schemes from my mind, I will only become frustrated and anxious at how powerless we all are when it comes to our future, and our destiny. Instead, I allow my thoughts drift back to Zane and try to make sense of what I have seen in my fragmented dreams.
It feels so real, he feels so real. Did I know him? What was his relationship to me? Does he reside on modern day Earth or are my visions a recall of Earth as I remember it? It’s all so confusing. Dr. Victus is certain it’s my imagination playing tricks on my mind. He’s adamant it isn’t a regurgitated memory and the fact that the dream isn’t recurring—they are always different—is indeed perplexing. Dr. Victus says the nostalgia elixir we were injected with represented years of research and development, and was subject to rigorous testing. Every unique elixir contained identifiers and transmitters that wiped programmed memories for each person. According to the good doctor, it’s impossible to remember wiped memories, once the elixir is administered the memories are permanently erased—never to be recovered.
I wonder if I should mention to him, at my next check up, that I’ve had another dream. While he assures me that our conversations are private, my mind is naturally distrustful, and my sixth sense tells me that I shouldn’t have been so open. I wonder now of the wisdom in confiding in him at all. The last thing I need on my record is any reference to, or statement of, mental instability. I have no idea what they do if you’re deemed mentally unsound or delusional. Probably cart you off to some asylum or force other foreign objects into your body, in an attempt to control the part of your brain causing the malfunction. I shudder at the thought and subconsciously press the Vita at the back of my neck.
The Vita was inserted in all residents of Novo on the day of our evacuation from Earth. It’s a small metal device the size of a fingernail, circular in shape, and minutely thin so that it’s barely detectable under the skin. It contains a unique, personal tracker that can locate us whenever and wherever we are. It also conveys messages to our doctors, alerting him or her to any changes or irregularities in our health. Being supremely healthy is of vital importance on Novo.
The human race was decimated in the near destruction of Earth, yet only those in peak health were granted access to Novo. It didn’t matter if you aced the other assessments with flying colors, only those who successfully passed the stringent medical exam was given permission to reside on our new planet. Once on Novo, each resident was assigned a doctor, medical team and team of Medicets. Between them all, they monitor the health of the nation on a daily basis. Finally, free healthcare for everyone yet I’m not jumping for joy. It’s degrading being routinely subjected to a battery of medical tests, to ensure I continue to deserve my place in this new world.
All of a sudden the woodland disappears. I have completed the circuit and I’m back at the access stairwell. I press my data-cuff; it reads 6.25 a.m., time to head home and get ready for NSAFTA. NSAFTA is the Novo Special Armed Forces Training Academy, which is my daily home for ten hours each day. Sunday, thankfully, is still viewed as a day of rest. It’s the only day of the week when I don’t have any set agenda, and I have the freedom to choose what I want to do with my time.
I sprint home and immediately smell the fresh orange juice as soon as I open the door. Lily, my fourteen-year-old sister, and Deacon, my ten-year-old brother are sitting at the breakfast counter in their pajamas. “Hey Lil, where’s Mom?” I ask.
“In bed, she said to get ourselves ready today.”
Predictable. It would be laughable if it weren’t so heartbreaking. My mom used to be so energetic, but she took the move to Novo badly, and things are definitely going from bad to worse. I worry what will become of her. If it wasn’t for my father and his value to NSAF, I doubt she would even have received her access pass to Novo in the first place. NSAF is the Novo Special Armed Forces, located in Militia or Region 15. NSAF maintains law and order on Novo and Earth, and its responsibilities include military planning, security, peacekeeping and policing. As time goes on, I think the chances of our mother returning to us get slimmer and slimmer.
“No sweat Lil, we can eat and walk to school together.” I go up to my room and jump quickly in the shower, to freshen up after my run, takin
g care not to get my hair wet.
Once I’m towelled dry, I grab my Cadet uniform from the wardrobe and pull it on, zipping it fully from top to bottom. It’s not too bad as school uniforms go. It’s a black fitted jumpsuit with red moulding on the shoulders and a slim gray metallic belt that clips into place at my navel. There is a light hood fitted under the uppermost part of the suit for when it rains, which isn’t that often. Soft leather, calf length boots complete the look. I don’t know what the suit is made of, but the material is porous and adapts to the weather conditions. It’s part of the new textiles being manufactured on Earth for our consumption in Novo.
I stride downstairs and bound into the kitchen. Lily has made eggs and bacon for breakfast; yum. We don’t have access to the same variety of foodstuffs anymore, but food production is one of the key activities and primary source of work on Earth now. In time, our government promises that the food choices will be more diverse. I miss Earth so much and welcome the weekly official information bulletins we receive with updates on the latest developments. The government is investing heavily in rebuilding the economy, and new technology and infrastructure projects have been commissioned. Rebooting employment and industry is well underway, and each state has been awarded separate distinctive status as subject matter experts in a particular field. Connecticut, where I was born and raised, has been classified as a military infrastructure and pharmaceutical center of expertise.
I see that Lily has also changed into her school uniform. Unlike me, Lily has chosen to attend the Novo Medical Facility, NMF, and she’s training to be a doctor. A good career choice given the importance placed on health in Novo. She regularly tries to tag along when I am studying at Eve’s. Her parents are doctors, and they are an invaluable source of information for Lily—unofficial mentors you might say. Eve is my best and only friend here.
I hear the school bus pull up outside our house, and I shout out to Deacon.
True Calling Page 1