True Calling

by Siobhan Davis

  “I’m coming,” he calls out as his blond head appears at the top of the stairs.

  “Quick, before it leaves without you,” I say as I grab his coat, and hurriedly pull his arms through the sleeves. I reach down and lift up his schoolbag and fix it securely around his shoulders. “Right, little muffin, off you go. Have a good day,” I tell him as I kiss the top of his head. He runs out the door and onto the bus. I watch until it has driven off down the road and around the corner.

  Lily and I grab our backpacks and pull the front door shut behind us. We turn left and begin the short walk to the Velo station. Velo’s are the main form of mass transit on Novo. They are high velocity shuttles, modelled to look like sleek trains, which transport us all over the planet, through an intricate network of tubes and tunnels. They run above and below ground, and they’re super fast; I still get a rush whenever I use them.

  “So Lily, what’s on the curriculum today in school?” I ask. I love to listen to Lily talk about her studies. She’s so passionate about medicine, so keen to have the knowledge and expertise to enable her to help others. It warms my heart.

  “We’re studying the anatomy of the central nervous system, it’s a continuation of our research on the brain. It’s fascinating how the brain controls so much more than we think. On Friday, we are going to the R & D Laboratory to see the work they’re doing on the Vita advancement. I cannot wait,” she says excitedly.

  “Sounds riveting,” I tease, as I deftly squat down to avoid her arm while she playfully attempts to push me. “I’m only joking Lil, I love that you’re so into it. I feel comforted knowing I will have someone to look after me when I’m old and decrepit,” I admit, somewhat in jest.

  We have arrived at the Velo station, and we scan our wrists at the data panel on the electronic entry barrier. It automatically registers us and slowly lifts to allow entry into the station. We go down to the platform and wait for the next Velo to arrive. I press a button on my data-cuff and identify that it’s due in thirty seconds. Sure enough, the Velo then appears in the distance, and in the blink of an eye it’s static in front of us on the platform.

  We enter as the doors glide open and find two adjoining seats on our left. As soon as we sit down, the electronic harness automatically lifts from behind and fastens over my shoulders, across my chest and locks on both sides of my waist. This activity always serves to remind me of the countless rollercoaster rides I have been on. Happy memories of holidays in Orlando flicker through my mind and I suddenly feel unbearably bereft. Lily takes my hand and looks at me with a puzzled and worried expression.

  “I’m fine.”

  “More bad dreams?” she asks.

  “No, and I wouldn’t call the dreams bad dreams as such, more confusing than anything else. Anyway let’s not discuss this here,” I say as I look at her with raised eyebrows, and she understands that the subject is closed.

  The doors shut and an electronic voice says, “Acceleration in ten seconds.” I take a deep breath in readiness before we take off, like a bullet in a gun, whizzing rapidly through the tunnels until we come to a swift but smooth stop. We are in Region 3, or Prism as it’s generally referred to. This is Lily’s stop. She presses a button to release her harness and rises.

  “Love you big sis, have a great day.” And with that she’s gone.

  Immediately I feel someone sit down beside me. Without pausing for thought, I look to my left into the brightest, most intense blue eyes, staring straight into mine. I know the owner: Cal Remus. He is the best Cadet in our year, a natural athlete, destined for greatness in NSAF. He also thinks he’s god’s gift to women and the way in which my female classmates fall at his feet makes me sick. He is unnaturally beautiful; golden blond hair gelled back off his forehead, sparkling blue eyes, sculpted jawline and perfectly proportioned features. He is tall and strong, as a result of all the physical training we undergo in the Academy, and he has a natural prowess and passion for all kinds of sports. He loves the sound of his own voice and can usually be relied upon to make some kind of contentious or witty remark during class. I know he pushes some of the Instructors to breaking point at times. I sometimes see him at the running track, but I always go out of my way to take the opposite course to him. He has this uncanny ability to completely unnerve me, just as he’s doing at this moment.

  “Good morning, Ariana,” he says, pronouncing my name slowly and distinctly.

  “Good morning Cal,” I say politely.

  “You look gorgeous today,” he says grinning sarcastically at me.

  I suppose you could call me pretty, but I definitely wouldn’t label myself as gorgeous. Everyone says my eyes are my best feature; big, bright blue, with a wide fringe of long lashes. They complement my long dark brown hair, pale skin and heart shaped face. I am curvy, but thin and toned, thanks to my natural athleticism and passion for jogging. I scowl at him. He is constantly teasing me like this, and I really don’t know what I’ve done to deserve it. I avoid him like the plague, and I’m never part of the group of girls who hang off his every word, and follow him around campus like lovesick puppies.

  “Are you going to be difficult? Because I’m not in the mood for your banter today. Why don’t you sit with one of your groupies and tease them mercilessly?” I reply.

  “Because it’s much more fun sitting here, torturing you,” he says grinning.

  He’s so smug; I cannot stand him. I’m grateful when the announcer communicates our imminent departure and in mere seconds we’re on our way. The silence is golden. We quickly stop at Regions 4, 5, 6 and 7 to allow more passengers alight and exit. Because Regions 8 through 14 are still under construction, the Velo travels without further stops, all the way to Militia.

  All of Novo’s armed forces infrastructure are housed in Region 15, Militia, including the Training Academy. Militia is a miniature replica of the Grand Canyon. It’s rugged, dusty terrain combines with steep inclines and voluminous, colorful rock formations. NSAF occupies a prime position at the forefront of the Region. It’s a huge facility spanning fifty thousand acres in size; it totally dominates the landscape. There are several separate units dotted around the ground, including a massive warehouse which is the main stealth-craft hangar. Military barracks are located to the western front. The new penitentiary is nearing completion; it’s built into the rock-face, directly underneath the NSAF building. My dad says it’s been deliberately constructed to the highest security specification; however, I struggle to understand the necessity for a prison of this magnitude. The Training Academy, my home from home, is to the far east of the Region, on a huge plot which has enabled the authorities to build a state of the art campus. We want for nothing there.

  I release the harness and swiftly rise but stagger to my left unsteadily. Cal quickly places his arm across my back and clutches me at my waist, to help steady me. “My very presence makes you weak at the knees,” he says. He releases me, once he sees that I can stand without falling over, and strides out the door, grinning to himself. I shake my head in severe frustration.

  “Aaaggghh,” I say out loud before I can stop myself.

  “Fun ride?” asks Eve, coming up alongside me as we exit the Velo. She loops her arm amiably through mine.

  “Cal is so annoying!” I exclaim.

  “Well, you know my theory,” she says.

  I sigh inwardly; Eve is convinced that Cal has the hots for me. It’s the most ridiculous assumption I’ve ever heard. Someone like him would never be interested in someone like me, especially when there are so many other gorgeous girls who would literally give their right arm to be with him. My theory is much more plausible; I’m an easy target, someone he can make fun of without even trying. I feel myself getting annoyed at my own ineptitude. I have always considered myself to be strong and resilient, but he makes me feel foolish and weak, and I hate him for it. Even if Eve’s theory is correct, which I doubt, I have no interest in someone so arrogant and vain and selfish.

  “Any more dreams?” ask
s Eve.

  I rub my left temple subconsciously. “Ssshh,” I hiss, “not out here.”

  “I don’t know what you’re so suspicious of, you need to learn to be more trusting,” she says bluntly.

  “Eve, I’m not like you, there are many times when I wish I was, but I can’t be something I’m not.” I mean it; Eve is the gentlest soul, so caring, warm and genuine. The best friend a girl could hope for. Nonetheless, I’ve come to trust my inner sixth sense, my ability to tune into feelings and senses has been perceptive in the past. I’m not going to start ignoring it now.

  “Come on,” she says, “we don’t want to be late and incur any offences.”

  The Training Academy foundation is built on rules, if you break one you’re issued with an immediate offence. Penalties apply if you accumulate more than a reasonable amount, and potential suspension if you acquire more than twenty. We both have perfect records so far this semester; it’s a position I’m desperate to hold onto so I grasp Eve’s hand and make a hasty exit. We sprint rapidly down the road towards the Academy. We are at the top of the steps when the siren rings out, announcing the thirty second warning, before the front doors are permanently closed for the day.

  As we enter the building we join the queue for body scanning, DNA screening and health check. They are ridiculously identity and security conscious in Novo. That must be how my father developed his preoccupation with my safety, I think. My sixth sense tingles in response.

  Eve is directed to the left lane and I walk straight forward, as the Ranger calls me to him. I remove my backpack and set it on the scanning belt to my right. I stand completely still as the Ranger runs the hand scanner over my Vita, which confirms my identity; he then guides me forward through the body scanning unit. I walk into a large steel scanner and stand motionless while a laser scans my full body and displays an image of my skeleton on the nearby screen. I daren’t move until he tells me the scanning is complete and I can proceed to the next station. I grab my backpack and head over to the Medicet for my health check. I place my wrist against the hand-held device and a green light flashes brightly. The Medicet moves slowly aside to allow me pass, and I walk into the large, brightly lit entrance hall.

  Eve is waiting by the nearest pillar for me.

  “There’s a change of plan,” she says.

  I look at her questioningly as we hear the announcement. “All those eligible for ‘The Calling’ must report to room 4101 immediately.”

  I stand rooted to the spot; this is the moment I have been dreading.

  CHAPTER 2

  I walk silently down the hall with Eve ambling companionably by my side, she knows better than to state the obvious. Since the government formally announced the introduction of their new policy, ‘The Calling’, some three months ago, I’ve been absolutely dreading this moment. Not that we know too much about it, but I’m sure all that’s about to change.

  Everyone knows one of the biggest concerns for the authorities is the continuation of the human race. Our numbers were severely depleted in the atrocities on Earth and our current population doesn’t even occupy thirty percent of the landmass of Novo. In order to build a new world, the government needs to significantly increase the population, and they have been mulling over various ideas for the last two years.

  I still remember the day the official announcement was streamed on the commiboard. All boys and girls are required to participate in an assessment pageant, ‘The Calling’, once they reach age seventeen. The process will identify the person—or suitor as the authorities have proclaimed it—with whom they are most ideally matched, to become his or her spouse. This arranged marriage must happen before each suitor turns eighteen and all newly married couples must produce at least three children by the time they are aged twenty-two. So, I will basically become an official baby-making machine, whether I like it or not. I am aghast at the brutality and unfairness of it.

  I have big ambitions for my military career, and boys just weren’t factored into my plan, well not yet. I do want to get married and start a family one day, but on my terms, in my own time, when I’m good and ready. I always took it for granted that I had the freedom to choose my life partner, now everything has been turned on its head, and I've lost control over my future. I am both devastated and terrified. I’ve had recurring nightmares for weeks, too often there’s been a need to sedate me, and the Medicet is like my new BFF.

  On certain days, my overwhelming devastation has brought me close to the edge of inflicting violence. My father has gone into super charm mode to quiet me down, but I can tell that even he’s disconcerted by the whole notion. It’s not that I don’t understand the necessity, but forcing young adults into marriage and babies is surely not the answer. Eroding basic human rights is no way to advance society. The president has appealed to the nation for understanding and sacrifice, telling us that everything needs to be redefined in the context of our new world. The fact that it seems so easy for him and his cabinet to accept and promote this new standard makes me very uneasy.

  Eve and I enter the elevator along with some of our other classmates and someone pushes the button for the fourth floor. The elevator soars silently upwards. No one speaks, we’re all too engrossed in our own thoughts. It comes to a sudden halt and we file out one at a time. We follow the crowd down the hall; Eve remains close beside me.

  “Don’t worry Ari, we’ll find out everything we need to know now,” she says as she pats my arm.

  I wish I could share her natural enthusiasm and positivity, but I don’t. Considerate of the fact that I must seem so negative to her all the time, and conscious of the many cameras that stalk our every move, I force a smile on my face and whisper, “I hope so.”

  We enter room 4101 which is one of the bigger lecture halls in the Academy. Eve, eager as ever, starts descending the stairs towards the front of the room. “Eve,” I call after her, ”I’m not sitting at the front like some goody two shoes.”

  Eve turns and takes one look at my face and says, “Sure” in a pleasant tone.

  We move down a few rows and I identify seats that look precisely center stage. “Happy?” I ask.

  “Completely,” Eve says with a smile. It’s practically impossible to dampen Eve’s natural sunny disposition. For the second time today, I wish I could be more like her.

  I look all around me as other Cadets take their seats. I recognize some Cadets from my class, but there are a lot of faces that I don’t know. There is a mixture of expressions on display in the room—anxiety, inquisitiveness, fear, apathy.

  Two tall men appear on the podium from the left hand side of the room. “Good morning Cadets, I require your complete attention please. My name is Commander Remus and you have been invited to this session today to explain the process involved in ‘The Calling’ and how it will apply to you. Firstly, I need to ensure that everyone is aged seventeen at this time.” He nods to the other man who promptly rises and moves forward to the front. It strikes me instantly that Commander Remus must be Cal’s father—the similarity is uncanny.

  The unidentified man extends a hand-held device, no bigger than the size of a data-cuff, and presses a button which emits a thin green light that spans out over the whole crowd. An electronic map of the room lights up in front of the Commander, and a few red lights flash brightly, indicating some individuals who don’t belong here. They immediately get up and leave. Why they were here in the first place confounds me; curiosity must have gotten the better of them, or possibly they were confused over the qualifying criteria. Confident in the knowledge that only those eligible for ‘The Calling’ are in the room, Commander Remus begins the formal presentation.

  He starts by introducing the other man as Zolt Rada, Operations Director for the pageant. He is tall and rail thin, with black hair, green eyes and a neatly trimmed beard. He looks like a real stickler for the rules and I bet he will not tolerate any infraction. He is intensely scrutinising the crowd when suddenly his eyes lock on mine; I bravely hold his
stare until he reluctantly retracts.

  Slightly shaken, I force myself to focus my full attention on Commander Remus, as he begins to describe the format for ‘The Calling’. He clicks a button on his data-cuff and the display flickers to life on a large screen at the back of the podium. President Calavero stares at us from the screen as he explains the context within which the pageant has been introduced. He reinforces the message that humanity must evolve and grow. Novo’s motto then flashes in front of our eyes: LIVE. LOVE. PROSPER. Slide after slide is unveiled, outlining details of the process.

  The initial assessment process will take place separately within each Region, culminating in the matching of male and female suitors. There is a variety of different assessments to be completed at the outset of the process. Physical strength, virility/fertility testing, skills and hobbies, a talent showcase, personality screening and intelligence testing. Every suitor will be appointed their own personal pageant coordinator, who will help beautify and prepare them for the televised dating stage, which commences immediately after the assessment phase has concluded.

  Participants can only date from their published Top Ten list of potential suitors, and all dates must be rated and ranked by both parties. Results will be uploaded to the centralized pageant e-portal, which is a fully interactive intranet that Region residents will have full access to. The final matchmaking process takes place at the termination of the dating stage. The ultimate result is reached based on all the data available to inform the decision-making process. The voting public have a say, as well as the pageant authorities, each suitor and their parents. In the event of a conflict, the results of the compatibility test will determine the overriding outcome.

  In order to embed the pageant culture into Novo society, a nationwide annual pageant will be hosted in Region 1, Illumina. Known as the ‘Amor Regale’ each Region must choose a matched couple to represent them in this prestigious contest. All voting will be conducted via the pageant portal, accessible through the commiboard network. The winning suitors, named Novo Silentium couple, will be showered with gifts, bring pride to their Region and set a perfect example for future generations. This couple will also have the 'privilege' of attending to official duties as decided by the authorities.