by H. J. Lawson
“Seventeen in treatment,” she adds. Her eyes lock with mine; I quickly dart them to the ground.
I peer up when it feels like she’s not looking at me. She says something to the guard; he points at the screen.
Her eyes light up as she looks down at the screen, and then at me. The corners of her mouth curl up a fraction, as if she’s trying to smile, but the stiffness in her Botox face quickly takes over. Any sign of emotions is gone, drained away like the color in her face. I wish I could see what was on the screen. Why did she look as if she was happy to see me?
"Now I understand you will have many questions, which will be answered. Before I answer any questions you have a choice: attend the training or don't," she says as she waves her hand at the train. She says it as if it's simple. A few people look over their shoulders, toward the train. It’s waiting where we left it.
"If you choose to train at Sector 105, your family will continue to be looked after. Any loved ones at Sector 207 will continue to receive their treatment." Before she says the next line, I feel like I already know what it is.
My shoulders slump down in dread as worry grips hold of my stomach. I have no choice—it's the simplest question I’ve ever been ask. Let your loved ones live or die; they will be defenseless without a guardian and treatment.
"If you decide to leave, your parents will not be protected and treatment will stop," she adds simply.
Gasps fill the crowd, people’s mouths gaping open in dread.
I know my choice: Sector 105.
My brain wants to run back to the train and get the hell out of here. My heart won’t let me; my body moves forward to the rhythm of my pounding heart, stepping forward into the unknown. As if we had agreed on it, Kai moves at the same time.
My eyes dart along the line of people waiting to make their decision. Some are like me: however undesirable the decision was, there was no other choice. They have the same blank looks on their faces, staring out at Sector 105.
Commander Cheng nods as she looks at the people moving forward, like she knew we would. No doubt her list has the names of the people in Sector 207, the ones getting treatment.
I feel the rest of the crowd moving forward with me; I guess most of us have someone we want to protect.
My eyes catch Ryder’s. He’s not moving. His family chose work over him years ago. I look down at the ground as he breaks eye contact.
Lakia will come; with her dad dead, all she has is her mom.
"Leave your weapons outside. Follow the guards; they will take you to your quarters. There will be an announcement in sixty minutes with further instructions." With that, Commander Cheng turns away, disappearing into the hangar with her personal guards.
Chapter Seven
There are a few moments of hesitation from the crowd, from kids not knowing what to do.
Then Kai makes the move first, following the guard into the hangar. One after another they follow his lead, dropping their weapons to the ground.
I wait at the edge of the hangar for Lakia. I'm not doing this alone, I think as I find the edge of Aaron’s t-shirt and rub it between my fingers.
I look past the people entering the hangar and over my shoulder at the train.
There is a dusty red cloud approaching the train, and I can make out five people running back to the train.
"Sadie." I hear Lakia's frantic voice as she approaches me with Ryder by her side.
"May as well see what's going on behind these walls," he says as he looks around, trying not to make eye contact with me. Maybe he does care about his family. Then again, judging by the way Lakia's looking up at him, maybe he's doing it for her. She might be the only person other than himself who he really does care about.
"Not like we have much of a choice," Lakia says bluntly.
I look down at my stake for a moment then throw it down on the ground, grateful that I will no longer need it.
Ryder places his arm around Lakia’s shoulder. "Come on then, girls," he says as he walks inside the hangar, taking Lakia in with him. I follow next to them.
My first guess was right: it is an old plane hangar. The floor is cement, with red dust from outside creeping onto the ground.
The hangar is empty, just a few doorways in the corners. There are high metal supports in the roof, holding this giant place together, and that’s it. I bet when it was used as a plane hangar it was full of cool stuff.
The crowd of kids in front of us starts to disappear down a hallway away from the hangar.
I hold my breath. Here we go, I think as I exhale.
This section of Sector 105 is different—it looks newer, cleaner. The floors are clinical white, as are the windowless walls. There is a smell of chemicals in the air, as if it's just been cleaned, like a hospital room: a toxic smell that shouldn’t be there.
At the end of the corridor the sea of black turns.
It’s our turn; I can see that there is row after row of doors. These must be our rooms.
“Take the first empty room you see; they are all the same. One room per person. This will be your room for the stay. Remember your room number. There will be an announcement in forty-two minutes for orientation,” a guard says as we walk past him.
Bodies start to disappear into their rooms, doors slamming behind them. I reach the first empty one. Lakia takes the one next to mine, Ryder the one after that.
We give each other a weary look, and enter our rooms.
The room is small and windowless, with stone walls that make it feel cool. There is a bed with white sheets and a pillow. Where in a normal room there would be a television, there is a large digital clock, red numbers counting down the time. I have forty—no, thirty-nine minutes to change.
Metal hinges creak, followed by a slam as the heavy door closes behind me. The sound propels me into the room. I push down on the door handle to check it's not locked, and release it in relief.
Once in the room, I cannot hear anything. It’s silent, and if I hadn’t seen the other kids walking in front of me I would think I was alone.
Next to the bed there is a metal set of three drawers. I open them to find a change of clothing, the same as what I'm wearing now—the black uniform.
There is one more door. I push down on the cold silver handle. Please let it be a bathroom, I plead to myself.
I let out a sigh of relief; it is a bathroom. I really didn't like the idea of communal bathrooms.
The bathroom looks like one you would see on a prison show: cold metal toilet with black seat. Silver sink to match. The shower has a see-through plastic cover. That's no good to anyone; if anyone walked in they would see me. I inspect the bathroom door; there is no lock on it.
Cameras ... The word quickly runs through my mind. Please, God, not in here. Let me have this tiny space.
I look from corner to corner; the wall is bare. Just brick. There are no vents. I crouch down on my knees and look under the toilet area, where there could be a camera. To my relief it looks like there are none.
There are no mirrors in the room; Lakia is going to be upset about that. Around the sink there is a toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, comb and hair tie. Only the essentials have been supplied: towel and toilet paper. I take a moment to use the restroom with my foot pressed up against the door—I don’t want any surprises.
Once back in my room, I start scanning the space—this has quickly become a habit, always checking my surroundings.
In the corner there is a speaker like the one in the nurse’s room on the train. I stare at it for a few moments, just long enough to see the red light hidden within in.
Quickly I walk over to the chest of drawers and grab the change of clothes, my eyes averted from the camera. Why would there be a camera in here? So we can be watched while we sleep?
I glance over at the clock: thirty minutes’ left. I hope time speeds up when I'm in the shower.
There was me thinking I could spend the remaining minutes in there. Well, I would have if the water wasn'
t freezing. Jesus, you’d think they could add solar panels to the roof for hot water. Hot water must be a luxury, or maybe it's a ploy to keep us out of the bathroom—where they cannot watch us.
I lay on the firm bed, dressed in my black uniform, with the covers over me, staring up at the clock ... twenty-six minutes’ left … twenty-five … It feels like the more I watch it, the slower it gets.
Someone is watching me as I lie here. I pull the blankets over my head. It’s the only thing I can do to block them out.
My mind feels heavy from everything. My world has been completely flipped upside down, and I've lost all control. Now I'm hidden away in what feels like a cell, as others protect my loved ones from vampires.
I close my eyes in the hope that the throbbing headache of confusion will fade, but I know it won’t. Not until I find out what's going on.
Chapter Eight
A loud, obnoxious sound blares out of the clock, startling me.
I peel back the sheet that was hiding my face to reveal the clock is on zero.
Time to get out of this cell.
Lakia looks a little bit better than when I left her as she stands with Ryder outside her room. Her hair is firmly tied back into a high ponytail. Mine is the same, but without the shiny glow which Lakia’s always has. Each hair looks perfectly in place, whereas my hair is wild from the change in climate. I rub my hand over it out of habit, trying to make it a little flatter.
Everyone is heading down a white-walled corridor in the direction of a room. I try to breathe a little slower as anticipation builds inside of me; finally, we are going to find out what the hell is going on.
“Come on then, let’s go see what’s going on,” Ryder announces, with his chest puffed out as if he’s ready for whatever they throw at him.
“Sounds good to me.”
Tired of waiting, we all enter the room. It looks like a school dining hall, filled with tables and chairs. The aroma of roast beef drifts up my nose, making my stomach clench in hunger. It's only then that my body feels weak, as if I haven't eaten for days.
"Take a tray, get food, take a seat," the guard says as I come to the front of the line. Clearly he's said this many times. Another robot in human form. How long has Sector 105 been running? How many other kids have been here?
I follow his instructions, taking a brown tray and grabbing a plate. I pile it high with roast beef, vegetables, mashed potatoes, gravy, bread and a bottle of water. I'm going to get through this; my body and brain need food.
Ryder starts walking toward an empty table; Lakia and I follow, avoiding eye contact with everyone else. I really feel like this is the first day of school. Everyone's head is down, busy eating, accompanied by the rhythmic sound of a school lunchroom, metal cutlery making the ceramic plates clink as they connect, and the squeak of the rubber feet from the chairs as they are pushed in and out by their owners.
I place my plate down and dig into the creamy mashed potatoes. God, they taste good. I cannot stop eating them. The beef is cooked perfectly and the vegetables have a nice bite to them.
Twisting open the water bottle, I gulp it down, a little too fast. I wipe my hand across my mouth, catching the wandering rivulets seeping from the edge of my mouth.
Then I stop gulping and take a small sip. This time it tastes of water—well, of nothing; the metallic taste has gone.
I lean back in the uncomfortable chair, taking a break from eating, and look around the room, which is bare other than the things which we need. There is another digital clock on the wall, with the red glowing numbers all at zero, as if waiting to start up again. There is no way of knowing what time it is; I hate not knowing.
My stomach feels fuller than it's ever felt before; I decide not to eat any more or I might explode like the vampires, except instead of blood and guts pouring out of me it would be mashed potatoes and gravy.
The image puts a smile on my face, which quickly disappears when four men and one woman dressed in the same black uniform walk into the dining hall; all heads turn toward them.
They look like college seniors. The woman is as big as the men, and her face wears a don’t-mess-with-me look.
A crack comes from the corner of the room—another speaker.
“Time for another announcement to inform us of our fate,” Ryder says as he places his hands on the back of his head and leans back in his chair, as if this doesn’t bother him.
“The guards will assign you to groups, then orientation will commence,” Commander Cheng’s voice states flatly, then her voice disappears, leaving a low crackling in its place.
A guard holding a handheld computer steps forward and begins to speak.
“Group one: Lou …” He calls out name after name.
“Follow Cory,” a guard orders. The kids whose names are called out stand and approach their assigned instructor, then leave the room.
The guard continues calling people’s names out and they leave the room; there are around twenty to a group.
“Sadie Meyer.” He calls my name out: it's my turn.
Please call Lakia’s out, I plead. He calls her name and I sigh in relief. It is the last name in the group.
“Follow Theo,” says the guard with the handheld computer. Ryder is not in my group, which I’m glad of, but I know Lakia will be upset.
Our instructor’s lips are thin and pushed together, making a straight line. He has short brown hair, military style like the others—the short style suits him. His eyes are a gray-blue, as if the warmth of color has been taken from them.
"Ouch," I mutter as I feel Lakia's elbow in my rib.
"I wouldn't let Aaron catch you staring at him like that," Lakia whispers into my ear, giggling.
I dart her a nasty look as I bring my eyebrows together.
"Only kidding," she mumbles.
I roll my eyes. I wasn't looking at him. Well, I was, but not for his college guy looks—to see if I could trust him.
"Let's do this," I say as I get to my feet, pushing the chair back under the table with a squeak.
We head over to Theo, but before we get to him, he turns away without giving us a second glance and heads down the hallway.
The members of the group look back and forth between each other as we try to work out if we are meant to follow him, then one kid steps forward, and we all follow, adding a little jog into our step to keep up with him.
"Where are we going?" Lakia ask Theo as we get to his side.
"Orientation," he says flatly.
"What's going to happen when we get there?" Lakia pushes for more answers.
Theo stops walking, bringing us all to an abrupt halt. He turns and glares at Lakia.
"It's your job to listen, so listen. Only ask questions when you are requested to and at no other time," he says, like a parent scolding a child.
Lakia folds her arms and taps her fingers on her wrist.
"Did you hear me?" he says as he grits his teeth together.
"Yes," Lakia mumbles. She looks nervous and embarrassed at the same time as color rises to her face.
"Good. And the same goes for the rest of you," he adds, and his eyes rest on mine. Jesus, we've only been here for a few hours and she's already managed to get me in trouble.
Chapter Nine
Theo turns away and carries on walking, leading us down a corridor and into a room.
The room is stone, with open, rusting beams above us in the ceiling. There are rows of uncomfortable metal chairs with black leather cushions like the ones in the dining area.
In the top far corner of the room there is a speaker, no doubt with a camera in it. I spotted a few in the hallway leading down here. So far the only place without a camera is my bathroom. The only decoration in the room is another digital clock, with numbers already counting down. By the looks of it we will be in here for less than thirty minutes. We are currently twenty-seven minutes in. I guess it was a three-minute walk from the dining room.
"Take a seat," Theo says to us.
Theo takes his seat, spins it around and sits on it the wrong way around, with his arms resting on the back of the chair. Clearly he's learnt that this is the only comfortable way to sit.
"I know you all have many questions. There will be ten minutes at the end to ask them. Please don't interrupt me at any point," he says to the group; we don't say a word, all too keen to hear what he has to say.
He rubs his hands together. "Let's get started at the beginning. Your parents were unable to have or had difficulty conceiving children. You were born with the help of a government foundation. Now this is the important part: your mothers’ eggs, or donor eggs, were injected with a new type of DNA," Theo explains. Heads in the room bob up and down as they agree with him. Wait, what did he say?
"What type of DNA?" I frown worriedly as I finish speaking and add, "Sorry."
He shakes his head and closes his eyes, leaving them closed for a moment before opening them.
"Your mothers’ eggs were injected with vampire DNA." Everyone in the room gasps in horror; my heart races at the thought of vampire blood in my veins.
Theo raises his hands, an indication that we should stop the muttering.
"You are not going to turn into vampires," he laughs, clearly able to read our thoughts on our faces. "Only key DNA was taken, to help you fight against the vampires. Around thirty years ago the government found out that vampires were real and that we had nothing with which to fight against them. They are just too strong for humans, as many of you know," Theo explains. He pauses, then twists open the top of his water bottle and takes a little sip, as if he's tasting it. Then he gulps it down, the same as I do.
My eyes follow his water bottle to the ground. I notice Theo looking at me and then the water bottle. His eyes widen, just for a split second. He knows I know about the water.