Dr. Victus’ voice calls my name, awakening me from my reverie. I stand up and walk down the corridor to his room.
“Ah Ariana, how nice to see you again,” he says warmly as I enter the room.
“Hey, Dr. Vic, good to see you too,” I reply, as we both articulate our usual weekly greeting.
“So, let’s get the boring bits out of the way first,” he says. I hold out my arm for the Medicet to run the customary tests. Dr. Victus presses a couple of buttons on his screen and my electronic file rapidly appears in front of him. He carefully scrutinizes my latest weekly report. “All the vitals are fine but I notice you’ve been having trouble sleeping all week. Are you having the same dreams again?” he asks.
“No more dreams of Zane, but I am having difficulty sleeping due to nightmares over ‘The Calling’,” I say, not quite truthfully. Let him note that on my report and see what the authorities make of it. He frowns.
“You really have to relax Ariana, worrying unnecessarily over things you can’t control will only damage your health,” he says seriously.
“But this is my future, my life they’re messing with!” I can’t help but shout out.
“Ariana, we’ve been through this already, you need to just accept and support it. You’ll only make yourself ill otherwise,” he says. I remember my promise to myself— to be less selfish—and he’s right on one count; there’s no point resisting, so I reluctantly back down.
“I know, I just wish it wasn’t happening so fast. I’m terrified of the whole thing.” That last part is true—I am scared, really scared of what the future holds.
“What happened to your head?” he asks, deliberately changing the subject.
“I clashed heads with another runner by accident and was knocked out for a few seconds,” I tell him. He applies some gel to my forehead and I wince as he gently rubs it in.
“Well, go home, get into bed, and get a good nights sleep. I’m going to programme the Medicet to give you a strong sleep shot so you get a full undisturbed sleep.” With that, he dismisses me until next week. I walk home fast; eager to get indoors into the warmth and the light.
When my father arrives home, I update him on my strange encounter with Zolt Rada. “Do you know what he meant?” I ask him. He shakes his head.
“I don’t understand why he has singled you out,” he says, but I notice the worry lines form on his forehead.
“Who is he anyway?” I ask.
“Zolt is President Calavero’s brother in law. He was appointed L1 Commander status when we first moved here, but it was immediately obvious that he didn’t have the requisite competency to operate at that level. The president has been at a loss since then, struggling to find an appropriate home for him. When he needed someone to head up the pageant, Zolt made the cut. I don’t know him well, that’s all I can tell you,” he says. I suspect he’s hiding some pertinent information, but I know better than to probe further.
***
The Medicet appears as soon as I’m ready for bed and delivers the shot: I fall into a deep sleep. I wake the next morning feeling more rested and relaxed than I have in ages, and realize I have slept all night undisturbed. I feel a fleeting sense of disappointment that I didn’t dream of Zane. I get up slowly and stretch carefully. I peer nervously in the mirror and closely inspect my forehead, thankfully the swelling seems to have minimized overnight. I have a slight bump and the beginnings of a purplish bruise, which should be easy enough to disguise with a touch of make-up. It’s just as well that the beautification process doesn’t start until next week. I change quickly and make my way downstairs and out of the house towards the running track.
I’ve only gone about half a kilometer when I hear heavy footsteps running speedily behind me.
“Morning Ariana,” says Cal, “sleep well?”
“What business is it of yours—how I slept,” I say grumpily. “And I thought I told you to stop stalking me, I’m seriously considering reporting you to authorities,” I add in for good measure. I am startled when he suddenly grabs my arm and pushes me forcefully to the side of the track.
“Get off me!” I yell at him, as he places one arm either side of my head, effectively trapping me with his body.
“Why are you being so nasty all the time, and so suspicious of everything I say?” he demands.
“Because ... because, I don’t like being made fun of,” I say nervously, feeling very uncomfortable with the proximity of his body, and the way in which he is staring so closely into my eyes.
“Didn’t it ever occur to you that I’m just trying to be nice? To get to know you?” he asks.
“Nice is not a word that I generally attribute to you. Vain, arrogant, selfish are usually more the thoughts that spring to mind,” I say, without stopping to apply any filter. He looks at me intensely, before pausing; as if deciding carefully on his next choice of words. As he stares at me, I feel a frisson of something growing between us and my legs start to quiver.
“If you actually took the time to get to know me, you might discover that you like me,” he says quietly before removing his arms, throwing one last glance my way, and running off along the track.
It takes me a few moments to regain my composure. As I jog I try to decipher my feelings for him. Could Eve be right? Am I falling for him? Or is it just my natural protective instincts that cause me to react so defensively to him all the time? There’s no denying that his physical presence has some weird effect on my body, but I don’t fully understand why. I conclude that I’m confused over my feelings for him and I decide that the next time he talks to me, I’ll make an effort to be nicer, and try to stop my brain before it automatically clicks in and retaliates.
Back home, Lily has already departed; her early start necessitated by the planned visit to the R&D lab. Deacon is still undressed, on the sofa, eating a bowl of cereal as he watches a programme about soccer legends on the commiboard. “Be careful not to spill it,” I call out as I make my way upstairs to get showered and changed.
When I come downstairs, he is dressed and tying his shoelaces. Deacon currently attends the mainstream school in Aqua. When he reaches twelve years of age, he’ll need to decide which career path he wishes to pursue, and enroll in the appropriate training facility. So far he hasn’t indicated a preference for anything specifically, but he’s still young and there’s enough time before he needs to put his 'thinking cap' on. It’s a big responsibility to inflict on children, although Lily and I didn’t have any difficulty in making a decision—our true calling dictated the path we followed.
***
My morning at the Academy flashes by and it’s not long before I’m walking to the canteen for lunch. I scan my wrist to gain access to the line and then pick out an apple and a bottle of water. I head out in search of a seat and grab two, near the window, and sit down beside a few of my classmates while I wait for Eve. I listen idly to their conversation until she plonks herself down on the seat in front of me. She moves a sandwich from her tray to mine.
“You need to eat more than just an apple Ari, remember how sick you felt yesterday,” she says. I’m touched by her concern. It reminds me to tell her of my conversation with my mom. She eats her sandwich as she listens.
“That’s great Ari, I know how much you’ve missed having her to talk to, maybe you should have needed her sooner.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, not quite sure of her implication.
“When we first moved here, you adapted relatively easily, and just got on with things. You’ve always been self-sufficient and life hasn’t been that challenging, until now. I think she knows you’re in turmoil and she’s coming to your aid, like it’s woken up her maternal instinct. I suppose the point I’m making is that you didn’t need her until now; if you had needed her sooner then maybe things would have been different?” I think about what she’s said and there’s a ring of truth to it except...
“But what about Lily and Deacon?” I say, “they needed her too.”
“They had you,” she says. Is Eve right? Did my mother really think I didn’t need her? I resolve to tell her how much she means to me when I get home.
***
Eve and I take seats in the center of the Velo carriage en route to Aqua for our fertility assessment. I look around for Cal and see him positioned at the back of the carriage, deep in conversation with some gorgeous blonde haired girl whom I don’t know, despite a sense of familiarity. She is touching his upper arm with her hand and whispering into his ear; he throws his head back as he laughs. He doesn’t notice me or anyone else for that matter. I feel a surge of irritation, but I can’t fathom why.
Once securely inside the convention center, we’re told to check our data-cuff for information. We are both advised to go to the tenth floor so we ride the elevator together, but separate when we arrive, as our rooms are in opposite directions. After hugging Eve goodbye, I set off in the direction of room 1021. When I enter the room, a virtual receptionist prompts me to scan my wrist and take a seat.
There are a couple of other girls already waiting in the room.
“Does anyone know what’s involved in this procedure?” asks the girl to my left. We all shake our heads. “Guess we’re about to find out,” she says as the first name is called. About ten minutes pass until I hear my name announced. I walk through the door and down a long corridor with numerous cubicles either side. A Medicet moves out in front of me and directs me inside.
I’m pleased to see that it’s a woman doctor attending to me; having a female conduct the assessment seems a little less intimidating. She introduces herself as Phyll Linus as she simultaneously reviews the electronic screen in front of her. I notice that she has access to my full medical file and all my weekly reports. She asks me a ton of diverse questions, and I’m embarrassed when she seeks information about my menstrual cycle, and whether I’ve been intimate with any boys yet. Seemingly satisfied, she asks me to jump up on the bed where she first inspects my tummy with her fingers and then runs a scan over my womb. She explains that I have to present for daily injections while the Medicet takes some blood and injects me with hormone elixir.
“What’s that for?” I ask as my natural inquisition gets the better of me.
“It’s to help prepare your body for motherhood,” she replies concisely. She advises me to check my data-cuff for supplementary information, and to access my next appointment time. Then she ushers me out of the room and calls in the next patient.
I assume that I have to report back to the Academy, but upon checking my schedule I’m thrilled to note that I’m free for the rest of the day. It’s been so long since I’ve had an unexpected half day, that I’m not sure what to do with myself. I decide to hunt Eve down and see if she wants to do something together. Her status still displays as ‘busy’ so I go outside to wait for her.
It’s a fabulous day and I soak up a few rays on my skin as I wait. I look up as Cal exits the building with the same blonde bombshell. This time he notices me but keeps on walking without as much as a wave or nod in my direction. I am livid, and I don’t know whether it’s because he’s purposely avoiding me now, or because I actually wanted him to speak to me. Just then Eve bounds down the steps in my direction and we begin making plans.
***
When I arrive home later, the comforting smell of lasagna greets me as I open the front door. I’m famished, having had nothing but a coffee since lunchtime. Mom is dishing out a serving for me as I enter our living space. “Well, honey, how was your day?” she asks, as she places a glass of water and side salad on the table for me.
“Good actually, my schedule was cleared after my fertility assessment so Eve and I went to see a movie.”
Acting ability wasn’t considered a priority skillset for Novo, so there are no new movies or television shows available yet. We have to make do with re-runs and choosing from the list of back catalog. There are tons of movies available that pre-date my birth so there’s plenty that’s still new to me. We always have great fun mocking the state of the fashions and beauty, which seem so dated in current times. It’s also interesting to see the filmmakers vision for the future and how spot on they were with some of their ideas.
I can, in part, understand the excitement within the Regions for ‘The Calling’—it is the first original piece of television since the move to Novo. My father has often talked to me about the public’s addiction to reality TV; it appears they had a reality show for everything and anything. I’m sure I’d find it entertaining too if it weren’t for the fact that I’m one of the participating puppets.
“Eat up,” says my mom as she places a huge portion of lasagna in front of me.
“Steady with the portion sizes,” I tell her, “I can’t afford to burst out of my glamorous new clothes.” I give her a blow-by-blow account of my walk-in wardrobe and all the fabulous clothes I will get to wear. The normality of the situation reminds me of my earlier promise. I’m not sure where to start. “Mom,” I say.
“Yes, honey.”
“You know what you said the other night, well, I ... I just want to say that I understand. I can look after myself, but you mean so much to me, and I still need you and...” then my voice breaks and I can’t go on.
“I know sweetie,” she says as she wraps her arms around me. “Now finish up before it gets cold.”
***
Zane is going about his daily routine with predictability. Showering, dressing, walking to work at a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant. He is walking outside at the end of the day, with the same blonde haired girl and dark haired boy, when confusion reigns. Numerous NSAF vehicles speedily hurtle over the grass and come to a screeching halt in front of the entrance. Several boys are dragged out by Rangers and beaten bloody before being locked in the back of the vans and driven off.
I awaken with a cry and look at the commiboard, it’s only 3 a.m. The dream had started off so good, before descending into chaos. In my groggy state, I try yet again to make sense of it. The dreams always have a certain banality; I see Zane doing the same things in every dream, but always with some variable element. A bit like that movie ‘Ground Hog Day’ which Eve and I saw last month, with the day panning out slightly differently each time over. They’re not like any other dreams I’ve ever experienced, which are usually pretty bizarre and unconnected with reality; the type that make you wonder what they’re referencing or mean. These dreams feel like I’m an invisible fly on the wall in Zane’s life, seeing each day as it develops. I rack my memory, delving as deep as I can for some shard of a recollection of Zane; to determine if he’s real or not. But as usual, I turn up empty. I shut my eyes in frustration. I sense the movement in the room and automatically extend my arm for the Medicet to administer the shot.
When I wake in the morning the images of my dream pop instantly into my mind.
As I run around the track I decide to conduct some online research later, in the hope of finding some answers.
There is no sign of Cal this morning. I realize I am bitterly disappointed.
CHAPTER 5
There isn’t enough time to start my research when I get back home; I’ll have to take a rain check. I barely have time to shower, change and grab a muffin before I need to leave. I run the entire way to the convention center and once inside, and through all the checkpoints, I’m advised to proceed directly to my room. I take the elevator to the top floor and follow the corridor until I’m standing in front of the door to my room. I pause before opening it and take a few deep breaths to ready myself for the latest onslaught. Smile, check, Enthusiasm, check, Positive mental attitude, check.
I am alone in the room as the commiboard automatically switches on and displays my schedule by the hour. Today is totally devoted to the physical skills assessment which includes a bleep test and physical strength, co-ordination, stamina, combat and survival skills screening. I am advised to report to the training arena and a map with directions is scanned into my data-cuff. Before I leave I’m notified of m
y intelligence testing scores—I determine from the scorecard that my IQ is average and my EQ is high-average. Both scores are already uploaded to my profile page. I’m not too bad of a catch, I think smugly as I make my way outside.
I activate the GPS function on my data-cuff and I’m led all the way downstairs and out the back door of the center, into a vast arena that is split into various separate sections. Several Rangers are scattered around the arena, keeping a close eye on proceedings. I locate the running track for my bleep test and notice a group of about twenty others waiting in the same area. I recognize a couple of boys from my class and say hello as I stand beside them and listen to the instructor explain the drill. Essentially the test involves continuous running within two lines to recorded beeps. The pace accelerates, but it’s not uncomfortable, and I finish the test fully, with relative ease. I notice some of my group drop out midway through and others are clearly struggling to keep going. I am assigned next for the assault course so I continue west, following the clearly marked signs.
The course is huge and stretches out beyond the confines of the arena. It’s encased in a black dome-like structure and we’re all kitted out in waterproof jumpsuits with a belt and clip around the middle. A Ranger hands me a helmet that contains a moveable mesh mask and a light that is securely fixed to the front. The instructor explains there are two lanes on the course, and we will each go head to head with another competitor. He states that the course will test every muscle in our bodies, as well as our stamina and co-ordination. I relish the challenge excitedly—this is right up my street—and I cannot wait to start. I’m fourth in the sequence and paired with an unknown, dark haired girl. We grin at each other. She looks like formidable competition; I can tell from her stature that she’s athletic.
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