CENTER 82 (RATION)

by Christina J Thompson

  “I love you,” she whispered. “Be careful.”

  “I love you, too. I’ll see you soon, Amber.”

  She watched his shadow hurry towards the service entrance nearby, and a moment later, he was gone. Determination rose up inside of her as she turned around and headed in the opposite direction. She had to figure out how to get to Recycling B, and she knew just the people to talk to.

  †‡†

  DAY FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Andreas hurried up the stairs that led to level twelve, anxiety rising in her heart as she stopped in front of Executive Smith’s office. It was early—just a little after six in the morning—and part of her was afraid to find out what could have prompted him to summon her like this.

  Janelle was already sitting at her desk, and she glanced up as Andreas entered.

  “He’s waiting for you,” the woman said, gesturing across the room. “Knock first this time.”

  Andreas swallowed hard and stepped forward, her hand shaking as she quietly rapped on the door.

  “Come in,” Smith’s voice answered, and she reached for the handle.

  “You wanted to see me, sir?”

  Smith’s eyes narrowed, and he pointed at the chair on the other side of the desk.

  “Have a seat, Dr. Andreas.”

  She obeyed, her heart racing at the sight of the dismayed looked he was giving her.

  “The…the eradication is moving forward,” she stammered, glancing away. “The board voted yesterday, it’s scheduled for three months from now. It’s a bigger settlement than 109 because of how many rations were lost, we’re eliminating five hundred families to make sure―”

  “That’s not why I called you here,” Smith growled, glaring at her. “I know about your test results, you have a ration that isn’t responding to the pain control compound.”

  Her eyes grew wide.

  “How do you know about that already?”

  He smirked.

  “I know everything that happens in my facility, Andreas. Whether you tell me or not.”

  She clenched her teeth, her face instantly flushing hot with rage. Noah.

  “I still haven’t determined the cause of the ration’s tolerance to the supplements,” Andreas answered. “My results are just supporting evidence, I haven’t proven the―”

  “And you’re not going to prove it,” Smith snapped. “The impact this could have on the ration program is more than we can handle right now with everything else that’s going on. The last thing I need is another reason for Base One to think me incompetent.”

  She gave him a long, incredulous look.

  “Why would they think you’re incompetent for identifying a potential problem?”

  “You mean another problem—I’m not in a hurry to add to the list of what they already know I’m dealing with. We lost eight piers, Andreas, that alone is going to draw more than enough unwanted attention!”

  It took everything in her power not to scoff at his ignorant attempt at logic.

  “We weren’t the only facility to suffer losses, sir,” she said. “I don’t see how they could hold that against you. Reports are still coming in from around the region, so far the ration domes at all of the neighboring resource centers were also affected―”

  “And the sympathizers behind the actions there were caught before they could do much damage!” Smith shot back. “We lost more than anyone else so far, and I still don’t know who did it!”

  “It’s only been a day. These things take time to investigate―”

  “The only thing that stands to save me is Dr. Trent’s announcement about the half-cycle strain, but even that won’t make a difference if I have to tell Base One that we’ve discovered a defect like the one you’re searching for. I won’t have my term as executive remembered for something like that.”

  Loathing rose up in Andreas’ throat, and this time, she couldn’t hide her contempt.

  “So what, you’re just going to ignore it instead? You’d rather be remembered as the executive who turned a blind eye to a serious problem?”

  “Careful, Monica,” he cautioned, his eyes flashing. “There’s nothing to ignore right now, and it’s going to stay that way. Some other facility can worry about this if necessary, but you’re done. I want the project resolved today, the ration needs to be destroyed.”

  Andreas gasped as her heart skipped a beat.

  “Sir, my results show that the ration is unaffected by at least one supplement compound! This needs to be explored further, it stands to reason that the resistance extends to other processes as well! Its behavior indicates―”

  “Did you not hear me?” Smith hissed. “Resolve the goddamn project, Monica! It’s done, I won’t let this continue!”

  Andreas stared at him for a moment, studying the look on his face, then she lifted her chin as she set her jaw.

  “No.”

  He cocked his head, his eyes gleaming dangerously.

  “What did you say to me?”

  She gulped as she steadied her nerves.

  “I said no.”

  Smith leaned over and opened a drawer beside him, producing a file folder.

  “My statement on Project Nine,” he spat, angrily throwing the folder on the desk. “I’m amending it, Andreas, we’re done.”

  She shoved the chair back and stood to her feet, crossing her arms over her chest as she sneered at him.

  “Go ahead, I don’t care. I have more than enough to show the board that my results deserve to be looked at.”

  “Are you sure you want to test me?” he asked slowly. “You said yourself that you haven’t proven a defect yet.”

  Andreas smiled at him as her heart swelled with confidence. She was done dealing with this man.

  “But I will,” she told him, chuckling under her breath. “The board has to wait at least a day before they can refile the old charges, and I’ll be ready for them. You go ahead and amend your report, Executive Smith. I have work to do.”

  She spun on her heel and marched towards the door.

  Smith watched her go, his mouth agape in shock. On the other side of the room, he heard the bathroom door open.

  “Well, I told you that would happen,” Brenda sighed, joining him at his desk. “And she’s not wrong—even with the amended statement, the board is required to give her a twenty-four hour notice before taking any action.”

  Smith eyed her.

  “Surely you have a way around that.”

  “The rules that govern the scientific community are very strict, Jeremy,” she answered as she shook her head. “Even I can’t circumvent our guidelines, she’s entitled to twenty-four hours. If the oversight committee discovered that I had denied her that, I would face immediate removal for violating policy―without the right to appeal.”

  “But you said she’s continuing Project Nine—that project was resolved, wasn’t it?”

  Brenda sighed.

  “It’s not that simple. Violating a resolution order usually gives me grounds for immediate removal, yes, but I don’t have actual proof that her work is really violating that order. I have to call a hearing, but it will take a full week to bring her up on those charges unless I’m renewing a previous charge. That’s why I need the amended statement from you.”

  “I’m not sure how that’s going to fix things,” Smith growled. “You said yourself that she has enough evidence to get around the removal vote again.”

  “Andreas’ evidence is compelling by itself,” she clarified. “But it’s not enough to protect her if you amend your statement. My burden of proof will be lighter if I can recharge her as a sympathizer in addition to the resolution order violation, the first charge will support the second. As long as she doesn’t somehow prove the rest of her wild ideas by tomorrow, I’m confident that I can secure enough votes to have her removed and the project resolved before she does irreversible damage to your standing with Base
One.”

  He rolled his eyes.

  “I’m no fool, Brenda, stop patronizing me. You don’t give a damn what happens to me, you’re doing this for your own gain.”

  She raised a brow, pursing her lips as she studied him for a long moment.

  “Fair enough,” she answered. “I have my reasons, and Andreas has been a thorn in my side since the day she decided to give confidential research files to you.”

  Smith scoffed.

  “I’m not sure what you’re talking about―”

  “I’m not planning to file a complaint against you, so don’t worry,” Brenda quickly reassured him, but he gave her a cold look.

  “Like I said, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he repeated. “Andreas has only shared minor details of her own work with me, and certainly nothing confidential. I think this is about getting back at her for beating you when you tried to remove her.”

  Brenda shrugged.

  “Let’s just say that you’re not the only one who stands to lose something if she manages to prove David’s theories correct. Now, if you don’t mind, the clock is ticking. I already called the other board members in, they’re waiting for me now. I can have the charges signed off on in less than half an hour if I hurry.”

  She gave him an impatient look, and Smith muttered a curse as he opened the file and grabbed a pen.

  ≈

  Amber sighed with frustration, clenching her fists as she glared at Brian and Darren. They had been sitting in her room for the last two hours, and despite her efforts, they still didn’t seem to grasp the importance of her request.

  “I just don’t see why you would need to go to Recycling B,” Darren said. “I feel like there’s something you’re not telling us.”

  “Obviously!” Amber snapped. “I already said that I couldn’t give you all the details!”

  “We don’t want all of them, though,” Brian told her. “We just need to understand why you have to get clothes from there of all places. Giving you an access code could get us into a lot of trouble, Amber, especially after what happened in the ration dome. Darren’s life is at risk, they’ll know you had help if you get caught.”

  “And someone else’s life is at risk if you don’t help me,” she retorted. “I kept my mouth shut about you even when I didn’t have to, and now I need a favor. You owe me that much, at least!”

  Darren frowned.

  “I can’t do it,” he said. “I’m sorry, but there’s too much at stake for me to lose my job right now.”

  “Forget your job, what about your life?” Brian huffed. “Your job isn’t useful anymore, not after—you know.”

  “Please,” Amber begged. “I can’t do this alone, I need your help! I’m running out of time!”

  “What about Paul Pearce?” Brian suggested. “He was flirting with you during the tour, and I heard him tell you that he would show you around―”

  “Recycling B is above the researcher training unit,” Darren interrupted. “Paul’s codes won’t get him back there, only a few people other than the researchers are authorized to access that area. The workers don’t even have their own codes, they have to be escorted back and forth by someone else.”

  Amber bit her lip, her mind racing.

  “What about…what about a lab assistant’s code?”

  Darren raised a brow.

  “One of those would work, sure. Researchers and their assistants can go anywhere they want to, but I can’t give you―”

  “I already have one,” she told him. “I saw the lab assistant enter it yesterday, so if I’m caught, I’ll have an excuse.”

  Brian frowned, his eyes filling with concern.

  “Even if you manage to get away with it, they’ll figure out it was you within a week,” he warned. “Don’t do it, it’s not a good idea.”

  Amber shrugged; she would be long gone by then.

  “Let me worry about that,” she said. “Just tell me how to get there.”

  Brian and Darren exchanged a look, then they both sighed heavily.

  “You’re sure about this?” Darren asked. “You do realize what will happen to you if you’re caught?”

  “Where do I need to go?”

  “Head towards the incubation dome,” Brian told her. “You remember where that is?”

  “I think so.”

  “You’re going to take the last hallway to the left just before you get to the doors. Follow that until you see a sign that says ‘training unit’, there’s a door beside it. The access corridor is inside.”

  Amber focused on what he was saying, trying to memorize each word.

  “Okay, then what?”

  “Go to level R-5,” Darren said. “Recycling will be the red door with a ‘B’ next to it.”

  She nodded and turned to leave.

  “Wait, you’re going now?” Brian gasped, leaping to his feet. “At least wait until tonight!”

  “I don’t have time to wait,” she answered as she opened the door. “I need to get this done before everyone finishes breakfast.”

  He put his hand out to stop her.

  “It’s going to take too long, Amber, it’s already almost seven. You won’t make it―”

  “Are you in some kind of trouble?” Darren asked, standing up and moving to her side. “Just tell us what’s going on―”

  “I can’t,” Amber snapped in annoyance. “I’ve already told you more than I should have, just believe me when I say I have to do this.”

  Brian studied her face for a moment before glancing at Darren.

  “You need to go with her,” he said. “Just to the access corridor, then wait for her outside.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Darren answered grimly. “I don’t have an excuse for being in that wing.”

  “You don’t need one, not after your promotion,” Brian reminded him. “No one is going to care about some random member of security hanging around.”

  “Let’s go, then,” Amber huffed impatiently. “Come on.”

  She stepped out onto the walkway, motioning for Darren to hurry.

  “I hope this is really worth it,” he muttered as he led her towards the staircase. “It’s a big risk you’re taking.”

  Amber followed him, her heart racing with anticipation.

  “It is,” she whispered. “More than you’ll ever understand.”

  †‡†

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Andreas threw open the door to her lab, her heart pounding in her chest as she ran inside. She collapsed onto a chair; the board would have Smith’s amended report within an hour, and she knew she would be receiving the mandatory twenty-four-hour notice by no later than ten. She glanced at the clock—she only had three hours to go.

  She frantically tore through her notes as she tried to make a plan. Proving the resistance defect was the only thing that could save her, but as she worked, she could feel a cold shadow of hopeless foreboding creeping up behind her. It hovered over her shoulder, gleefully reminding her over and over of what she already knew—nothing in her notes was going to help. Whatever secret David had discovered had been lost with him.

  The minutes ticked by as Andreas stared at the first page in her notebook; half an hour passed, and she still hadn’t managed to write a single thing. She leaned back, whispering a curse, when she caught sight of Noah’s figure appear on the other side of the entryway’s glass window. Her pen fell from her hand as an uncontrollable fury instantly blistered over her skin, and she swiveled her chair around, crossing her arms as he walked in.

  “Good morning, Dr. Andreas,” Noah sang, smiling as he stepped towards her. “This was on the floor outside the lab, you must have missed it when you got here.”

  He was clutching a folded page, and Andreas couldn’t even bring herself to look at him as she stood up and snatched it from his hand.

  NOTICE OF HEARING FOR 8:00AM, January 30th

  CHARGES:


  Named co-conspirator in the matter of Project Nine…

  Andreas clenched her teeth; the board must have assembled early to have had this ready so soon. She didn’t bother reading any more, crumpling the page and tossing it on the floor as she finally managed to lift her gaze.

  “Get out of my lab,” she whispered dangerously, her voice barely audible. “Now.”

  Noah’s face froze.

  “Why?”

  Her body trembled as she imagined tearing his eyes out, and she drew a slow breath as she forced herself to keep her distance. She didn’t trust what she would do if she got within arms’ reach of him.

  “You went to Smith with my results, Mr. Meyers.”

  “No…no I didn’t,” he gulped nervously. “I haven’t talked to anyone.”

  Andreas closed her eyes for a moment, and when she looked at him again, she saw fear awaken in his expression.

  “Please, Mr. Meyers, make me repeat myself,” she seethed. “Go ahead, I dare you.”

  Noah’s eyes filled with panic as his mouth gaped, then, a moment later, his demeanor suddenly relaxed. He smiled.

  “Threaten me all you want,” he told her smugly. “You’re going to be removed tomorrow and this ridiculous project is going to be resolved.”

  Andreas bared her teeth in a cold grin.

  “You better hope they remove me, Noah, because if they don’t, I’m going to make sure you never step foot in another lab again.”

  “Whatever you say, doctor,” he shrugged, turning to leave. He glanced back at her. “Oh, and the board diverted the rest of your weekly power allotment to Dr. Trent. I just wanted to make sure you knew that before you tried turning your equipment on for the day.”

  Andreas held her breath as she watched him go, then she whirled around, slamming her fists on the desk.

  “Goddammit!”

  Her shoulders heaved as she tried to think—if what he had said was true, she wouldn’t be able so much as monitor the ration’s heart rate. Desperation burned in her throat, then a sudden thought occurred to her. There was one lab that always had power, and even though the equipment there wasn’t what she actually needed, perhaps it would offer her some kind of insight. She glanced up at the cage; the ration was sitting motionless on the floor inside, and she whispered another curse as she marched towards it. She had to at least try.