by Sadie Turner
I’ve never done martial arts; luckily I pick it up unusually quickly. I learn better by observing, and I realize that combat is less about my own strength than anticipating my opponent’s moves. Within a few days, I can beat everyone, including Radar. I’m not sure why I’ve absorbed the skill so quickly, but I know that if I look into my opponent’s eyes, I can predict their moves just seconds before they act. So I react and deftly take them out. Kai is the most fun to beat and I flatten him every time. His cockiness irritates me, and on the mat, I can let out my aggression.
Inelia instructs us in all things physical: archery, martial arts, rock climbing, cliff rappelling, and swimming. I’m the best at swimming, naturally, and easily win every race. Kai is a distant second simply because he’s a good athlete and the rest of the Anomalies don’t even come close. Most of us lap Mikaela, who can barely doggie paddle. Seriously, what kind of fifteen-year-old doesn’t know how to swim? Though I’m not sure how being a great swimmer is going to help me imprint. It just proves that I belong in the Ocean Community. As far as imprinting, well, the prospects of who I can imprint with are weak.
Max is the other instructor. As kind as Inelia is, Max is the polar opposite. Tall, dark, and extremely handsome, Max’s beauty belies his brutality. He too carries a cane, but it isn’t to help him walk. If we hesitate even slightly during mental acuity tests, he whacks the back of our legs and arms with the stick. It is a sadistic and antiquated form of punishment, but Max prefers it over the more sophisticated methods, such as electric shocks or neurotransmitter therapy. Most Protectors are old-school barbaric that way. They prefer the intimacy and immediacy of inflicting physical pain. It’s why all executions, and they are quite rare, are hangings. There are gallows in every city to remind citizens of the consequences if they challenge the Global Governance.
The last three hangings all involved people from the Academic Community who questioned Sobek’s authority. Poor Burton, clearly a product of his community, suffers the brunt of Max’s wrath because he drives Max crazy with his ceaseless questions. Burton’s skinny little legs are covered with welts from Max’s stick. It’s savage, but Protectors have a reputation of being savage. Kai has somehow become Max’s favorite, and the rest of us fall somewhere in between the two extremes.
What I like most about Max’s lessons, however brutish they may be, is that they challenge my mind. Each day, he concentrates on a different skill which I have never learned. Which I never thought important. Skills the average fifteen-year-old would have no clue how to handle.
“What is your name?” Max snarls as I sit across from him at the class on Interview Skills.
“Keeva Tee.” I respond, looking out the window where Blue is giggling with Kai. I can’t explain why she bothers me so much. Maybe, it’s because she seems to be throwing herself at him. It’s gross.
“Focus.” Max snaps. “When you interrogate someone, eye contact is important at all times.”
“I thought this was a lesson on interviews, not an interrogation.” I respond.
“What’s the difference?”
“Well, an interview is to learn about someone and an interrogation is … .” I hesitate. I’ve only seen interrogations on vids. Usually it involves terrorizing a helpless victim to get information from them. I’m not sure what to say.
Max stands up, waiting for me to answer. He walks around the table, standing behind me. I am sufficiently intimidated and can feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand straight up as he leans on my chair, breathing down my back. I cannot see him, but imagine the scowl on his face.
“It’s … an interrogation is … .”
Thwap. Max’s cane comes down on my hand causing the skin to immediately welt up. “What’s an interrogation, Keeva?”
“It’s when someone uses scare tactics to gather information.” I try to control my breath, I don’t want to cry in front of this man. In front of this monster.
“Now was that so hard?” he says.
I leave my hand on the table. I won’t give him the satisfaction of seeing me in pain.
“Interviews are standard Q-and-A sessions where you get information. Interrogations are where you get the truth,” Max says simply as if the earlier moment had not transpired. “They are interchangeable when you learn how to do them correctly, and the key skill, on either side of the table, is eye contact. When you look someone in the eye you can tell if they are lying. Now, lie to me.”
“What?” Is this guy for real? Is he looking for another excuse to smack me with his cane?
“I’m going to show you how I know you are lying. I’m going to ask you three questions. Lie in two of them, and tell me the truth in one. First question: what is the name of your best friend?”
“Um … Cecily.”
“No.” Max snaps, “I’m not going to even count that one. Don’t ‘um’ before you answer, it immediately gives away the fact that you are lying. You also had a verbal disconnect. You were nodding as if to convince me it was the truth. It was not. Next question. Who is your least favorite person at Monarch Camp?”
“You.”
Max laughs, surprised and seemingly impressed by my answer. “Truth. Tell me about a time you did something you shouldn’t have done.”
“My father said not to swim past the reef until I was ten, but once at the age of eight, someone challenged to see if swimming past the reef was possible. And it was hard to resist. The current was really strong and a fisherman had to come to my rescue.”
“Lie.”
“How do you know?” I am amazed. I had looked into Max’s eyes and felt very convinced as I told the story. It could have happened. My father did warn me not to swim past the reefs, and a fisherman had saved Annika once from almost drowning. I just combined the stories.
“You rarely used the word “I.” Most teenagers start every sentence with I. You were psychologically distancing yourself from the lie. You also fidgeted. Next question. Tell me your scariest memory and why.”
I answer immediately, careful to use I in my sentences, and not to nod my head or fidget, “I am terrified of snakes. I was once hiking in the caves with Rane, and when we sat down to rest, a snake was coiled up next to me. I was so scared, I screamed. It wasn’t a poisonous snake. Rane knew because she knows everything, but I was terrified.”
“Lie.”
“How can you tell?” I am now annoyed. I thought I was lying perfectly.
“One. You cleared your throat before you started as if you were performing. Two, you pulled on your ear.”
“I don’t understand, you could tell I was lying by the way I pulled on my ear?”
“Ear, hand, lips … any of those are a tell. A change in your behavior that gives clues to what you’re doing. I asked you a question, you had anxiety when coming up with the lie, and anxiety triggered your autonomic nervous system to go to work to dissipate the anxiety. So, while you were lying, blood drained from the surface of your face, ears, and extremities and created a sensation of itchiness. You didn’t realize it, but your hand inadvertently went to the area.” Max is so smug that I want to grab his cane and hit him. Instead I obediently thank him.
“Lesson over for the day. Now send the next Anomaly in.”
On the seventh day, I finally get to see my friends. They do their best to cover their disappointment that I’m an Anomaly, but I can see it etched in their faces. I bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from crying.
“I’m so sorry,” Rane and Annika say in unison, rushing up to me. It’s cinema night, and it is the first time we are allowed to mingle with the general camp population. Most of the kids are inside the theater with their imprinted partners, but we remain outside. Inside the auditorium, I can hear their terrified screams. They are watching some old-fashioned vid involving chainsaws and blood. I’m not in the mood for a horror film, especially when my own life is turning into a horror story.
I’ve been so lonely that when I hug my friends, I don’t want to let go. I have
so little in common with the other Anomalies. Mikaela, when she’s not crying, is fairly stuck-up and narcissistic. Blue is so busy playing the game of who she is going to imprint with that she has little time for me. She has her sights on Kai because he’s cheeky and fun; however, Genesis is handsome and down to earth, and she seems to like him too, so she’s playing for both of them. I’m not drawn to any of the boys. Burton talks too much, Radar only has eyes for Mikaela, Genesis is too shy to get a read on, and Kai is … well Kai is the most irritating boy I’ve ever met in my life. It is as if he has made it his life’s mission to antagonize me.
“It’s fine. It will all work out,” I say stoically to my best friends, knowing that my life will never be the same again. Sure, for the next three years I’ll go back to the Ocean Community to finish secondary school, but once I turn eighteen I will be reassigned to my new partner and my new life. Anomalies never follow protocol and instead are usually reassigned to a different community.
I sit on the picnic bench and look down. Even I don’t believe my lie. It won’t work out. There is no way I will be assigned to my beloved Ocean Community.
My friends hold my hands, silently giving me strength. I have to figure something out. I can’t just wait for my life to be dictated to me, I have to take some action. At least Genesis lives in West America, which is sort of close to the Ocean Community. He works on a farm in a place called Cabo San Lucas; it’s only a few hours on the bullet train. I convince myself that it doesn’t matter if I don’t connect with the shy boy from the Ecosystem Community; he will have to do.
“I’m probably going to be imprinted with Genesis. He’s nice. Quiet, but nice.” I hesitate as I think about the possibilities of sharing a life with Genesis. I know it could be a lot worse. “He’s very kind. I mean, he’s always helping everyone else and he’s also cute. He’s definitely the cutest of everyone. He’s strong and it would be nice to have an intended partner who could carry me over the threshold when we get married.” I can’t help myself as I giggle over the antiquated notion.
“But Keeva,” Annika whines, holding the sound of the ‘a’ at the end of my name like a screaming banshee, “We’re all supposed to stay in Ocean together.”
“I know,” I say trying to keep a stiff upper lip. “So, no chance in you guys switching to Ecosystem, is there?” I ask hopefully, knowing their answer.
“Dante’s from Renewable Energy, but he wants to come to Ocean,” Annika says, almost apologetically.
“And Edward’s already an Ocean, so …” Rane leaves the obvious answer hanging in the air.
“I know,” I say, forcing an enthusiasm I don’t feel, “Just thought it was worth a shot. Hey, at least I’ll still be near the water. There’s an Anomaly who actually lives in Mid-America. Landlocked, ugh.”
“He’s not the tall boy, is he?” Annika asks.
“Yeah, the rude one who bumped into me that first day. Why?”
“He’s gorgeous.” Annika blushes before quickly adding, “I mean, my Dante is handsome, and I’ll be completely devoted to him, but … wow, that guy is so good looking. I mean, he’s gorgeous.”
“He is?” I ask in disbelief. I’ve never thought of Kai as gorgeous.
“Have you even looked at him?” Annika asks incredulously.
“Looked and listened. He never shuts up and he thinks he’s so much smarter than everyone else.”
“Who’s so much smarter than everyone else?” Kai walks by and interrupts our conversation.
“You are,” I say, turning my back to him.
“Actually, Keeva was just talking about you,” Annika says mischievously.
“She was?” Kai grins and my friends practically swoon. I have no idea why they think he is so cute. I just don’t see it. He’s tall, and I suppose there is something charming about his crooked smile. Maybe I just can’t get past his arrogance.
“Well, I hope she’s not boring you by talking about how much she likes me.” He playfully pushes me on the shoulder and starts to leave.
“Shouldn’t you be watching the vid?” I ask.
“Shouldn’t you?” he grins.
“Where are you going?” I ask.
“I want to check out MC-5.” He points to the Victorian building, which stands ominously in the distance. “I mean, aren’t you guys curious what goes on in there? Why it’s off limits?”
“No,” Rane says. “We were told not to go there, so why would we?”
“Wait,” I turn to my friend. “The first day of camp you said you wanted to check it out. You were insistent.”
“No I wasn’t.” Rane looks at me like a stranger.
“Rane, it was one of the first things you wanted to do. You told me you were definitely going to go there. You hate when people tell you that you can’t do something.”
“I didn’t.”
“But …”
“Don’t put words into my mouth, Keeva.” Her words are clipped, tinged with an anger I haven’t heard before.
“OK, my mistake.” I say carefully, unsure of what has happened to my once overly curious friend. I was standing next to her exactly a week ago when she was determined to check out the building where we spent time when we were five.
“So, you guys coming or not?” Kai asks.
“Not,” Annika and Rane say in unison.
“Not,” I repeat, although a part of me wants to. I’m not as comfortable with my friends as I thought I’d be. Something is off with them.
“Suit yourself, Beanpole.” Kai smiles and walks toward the building.
“Ha,” Rane giggles. “He has a crush on you. You guys would be perfect together.”
I don’t understand. A second ago, Rane was yelling at me for putting words into her mouth and now she’s pushing me together with Kai.
“First,” I say angrily, “Kai Loren is the last person in the world, I would ever imprint with, and second, he’s an Anomaly. He couldn’t have a crush on anyone if he tried. Neither can I. We don’t fit in. Our Thirds don’t buzz. We won’t achieve true happiness and tranquility. Until we’re fixed, we’re enemies to the Global Governance. Worse than that … we don’t count.”
I guess my retort is a little angrier and more pathetic than I think because both Annika and Rane give me a funny look. Maybe it’s the first time that it really sinks in how different I am. How different my future will be. We hug goodbye, and they go into the building to find Dante and Edward. In a few minutes, they’ll be screaming like everyone else. In a few hours, they’ll be back in their beds with the other normal campers. Tomorrow, they’ll participate in usual camp activities like bonding on the rope courses, building fires and making macramé bracelets: activities regular campers do. And I’ll go back to my indoctrination. Claudia’s lectures. Inelia’s workouts. Max’s mental tests.
So much for a relaxing summer camp experience.
“WHAT DO YOU INTEND TO DO with your last summer before graduation?” Sobek asked. He sipped the tea his third assistant Rika brought him. He liked the girl. She was young and ambitious. The way he wished his son were. “I’m waiting.”
“I’ve been working on my technologies,” Calix said excitedly. He had inherited his father’s scientific skills, and he loved engineering new technology in his workroom. He also loved hacking into the palace’s mainframe computer, but he elected not to share that particular information.
“The time for play is over,” Sobek announced.
“It’s not play, father, I’m discovering–”
“The only thing you have to discover is your place in this world. And this summer, I’m taking it upon myself to educate you … properly.”
“What does that mean?”
Sobek tossed his tablet to his son. Calix caught it easily, snatching it out of the air with his left hand. He had always had lightning-quick reactions, a skill that helped him in his favorite mental and physical games.
“Type in 09-21-2047,” Sobek instructed.
“That’s my birthday,” Cali
x said, quickly typing in the number.
“And people accuse me of not being sentimental,” Sobek grinned as he looked at his watch, typing in a few numbers himself.
“What are you doing?”
“Transferring the data from my watch to the tablet. It’s just about time. Now, type in Academic. That’s 2-2-2-3-36-4-2.”
“About time for what?” Calix said as he typed.
“Your first lesson.” Sobek smiled and looked up at the monitors as the thousands of holos disappeared, giving way to one image.
Calix looked up at the holo. He saw a lone young woman standing on a platform with a noose ringed around her throat. She was in her early twenties and stood fearlessly, her face set in a rigid mask. Calix could not identify exactly where she was, but there were mountains behind her. A group of citizens, mostly clad in yellow, stood around the platform, and Calix’s eyes immediately went to a man, not much older than he was, who was standing off to the side. He was trying to remain stoic; yet Calix could see his red-rimmed eyes beneath his spectacles.
“What has she done?” Calix asked his father.
“Dissented,” Sobek replied. “She is a secondary-school teacher who was advocating revolt. She was the head organizer of an insurrection against the Global Governance.”
“She’s so young.” Calix could not get over how proud she looked. Unapologetic. He had never seen anyone face death before, and he hadn’t imagined it would be like this.
“Do not let her youth fool you. She is extremely dangerous. The woman was tried by the Protectors and found guilty. Her act of rebellion will be a lesson that her community will learn the hard way.”
“What lesson is that?”
“Type in your name, son: 2-2-5-4-9.”
Calix did so. When he punched in the last number, the trap door under the condemned woman’s feet slid open. Before Calix realized what he had done, before he digested the atrocity his father allowed him to commit with his own hand, the condemned woman fell through the trap door.