Anomalies

by Sadie Turner

  I follow Kai.

  At first it is a gradual incline and I easily keep up. Yet as the path narrows toward the top, it becomes almost vertical. I glance down and can see the rest of the group starting the ascent. They look like tiny specks in the distance. I quickly turn back to my task so that I don’t get dizzy. I have a slight fear of heights, which I would never let on … especially to Kai. I don’t like anyone to know my weaknesses. Slowly, I scale the rocks, hand over hand, until I reach him. We climb together and, after being cooped up with so many tests, I love feeling the strength of my own body as I navigate up the rocks. Then, as we are nearing the top, I slip. My foot misses the toehold and I am thrown off balance. My arms flail, trying to grab a piece of shrub, a rock, anything. As I am about to fall, several thoughts rush through my head including the fact that I’ll never see my father again, never grow up, never have a family of my own….

  “Got you, Beanpole.” Kai’s large hand grasps my small wrist, preventing me from falling to my death. I start to panic, breathing quick shallow breaths, but he never loses his calm as he reaches for my other hand.

  “Look into my eyes,” he says calmly. “And don’t forget to breathe.”

  Yet, I seem to want to look anywhere but those chocolate brown eyes. Instead, I turn my head and manage to fix my gaze on the ground, which looks a million miles away. I start to feel faint. My other hand feels sweaty, and I am losing my grip. I am going to fall. I don’t have to worry about being an Anomaly because I won’t be around to see what happens.

  “Keeva!” This time Kai is shouting. I can feel him squeezing my hand, his fingers digging into my palm, hurting me. The pain focuses me and I quickly turn my attention back to his eyes. Only then am I able to reach my other hand up to him. Slowly, Kai lifts me up to safety and deposits me in an indentation in the rocks.

  As I catch my breath, Kai’s large hand never leaves mine, quietly steadying me. I am grateful for the support.

  “You OK?” he asks.

  I nod, not trusting my voice. “Thank you,” I finally say shakily. “I think you just saved my life.”

  “I suppose I did.” He grins, “Guess you owe me one.” He resumes climbing. I don’t hesitate too long, afraid if I do that I will lose my courage to continue the climb. I can see the rest of the group behind me. I doubt they even know how close I came to plummeting past them. Slowly, hand over hand, foot over foot, I ascend until I get to the top. Kai wordlessly hands me his canteen and we drink in silence, overlooking the vast expanse as we wait for the rest of the group.

  Inelia is the first to arrive and the rest of the group is just behind her. They have no idea that I almost died and we don’t tell them. Instead, everyone makes small talk until Burton finally brings up the question we are all dying to ask, “Inelia, what happens if we don’t imprint?”

  We all look at our instructor, who hesitates a bit too long before answering. She wipes the sweat from her brow, “There are a few rare reasons that Anomalies don’t imprint. Sometimes your Thirds aren’t functioning properly. Sometimes your DNA is compromised. Sometimes … .” She lets her sentence trail off as if she is lost in thought, but she quickly recovers. “Look, you are all going to be fine.”

  “You didn’t answer my question,” Burton pushes.

  “Didn’t I?” she asks a bit too glibly. “Look, just stick with the program.” Inelia says this as a warning, a way to end the conversation; yet Burton has zero social skills and doesn’t stop talking.

  “What does that mean?”

  My instincts are instantly on high alert and I can suddenly read Inelia’s thoughts. They are clear as the ocean. Burton is going to die. There is a high chance of it. Kai and I are next in line. Genesis and Blue are less likely, but the possibility is there. I look around. Is no one else hearing this? I watch as Inelia purposefully does not answer Burton’s question, instead, she nods to the far side of the mountain. It is an easy jaunt, and the five of us follow her over the makeshift path through the shrubbery and rocks. I spend most of the climb trying to engage Genesis in conversation so that I don’t have to deal with the information I just discovered. How did I hear that? Inelia didn’t talk. She didn’t even look at me; yet, I heard her thoughts … clear as day. I use all of my energy to feign interest as Genesis tells me about his farm. He is a genuinely nice kid, and I concentrate on how to pair up with someone whom I am not in the least bit attracted to. This focus keeps me from questioning my own sanity and the voices I heard.

  Finally, at the far side of the mountain, we rest and wait for Inelia to tell us more. We drink water from our canteens as Inelia furtively looks down at camp and then back to us. She motions for us to cover our Thirds and she does the same. Technically, it is not legal to do this, but since Inelia is a Protector we obey her without question.

  “What’s going on?” Kai asks. He looks silly with his thumb covering his Third.

  “Thirds don’t work on the periphery of Monarch Camp.”

  “I thought they worked everywhere.” Kai says.

  “Sobek would like to make you think so,” Inelia smiles, “But there are certain dead zones. Remote areas the satellites can’t reach. Underground, the desert, certain parts of the forest… .”

  “—But Sobek wouldn’t let that happen.” Blue insists.

  “Technology is a rapidly evolving beast. There is so much data to absorb already that having a few places off the grid isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”

  “But it doesn’t make sense.” Blue says, “How can he run the world if he has blind spots?”

  “Because it also means that Sobek has a few areas where he is unaccountable.” We let that information sit for a bit. What Inelia is saying could be considered treason. It means that Sobek could potentially do things so terrible that even he does not want someone to possibly monitor them.

  “If we’re off the grid, than why are we still covering our Thirds?” I ask. “Because you can never be too careful.” As if heeding her own warning, Inelia lowers her voice. “One of the reasons that the Global Governance has been successful is that there is no dissent,” Inelia whispers even though there is no one around for miles. “In the GG, there is no room for independence or discord. In the rare cases of dissent, people are punished by the Protectors, who operate with impunity. They answer only to Sobek, who is accountable to no one. However,” Inelia lowers her voice even more, as she says, “There are Underground Societies around the world. People who are unhappy with Sobek’s rule. People who want their independence back. They are members of secret societies who are planning a revolt.”

  I am shocked. This information was never given in our history lessons. We’ve always been told that the reason we live in peace is that our society works. Sobek’s Monarch Camps ensure that we imprint with our perfect mate and create perfect children. These successful pairings have ensured a world devoid of violence, disease, hatred or impurity. This is the first time I am hearing about secret underground societies, and I am stunned into silence. So is everyone else.

  “I’ve heard about the Underground Cities,” Burton finally says. “It’s rumored the main one is right in Sabbatical City.”

  “Yes,” Inelia says quietly, even though there is no one around for miles, “It’s led by Sobek’s sister.”

  “What? Whoa. How come we were never told this,” I blurt out. I am shocked my instructor, my Protector instructor, is sharing subversive information.

  “No one knows about the Underground except the Protectors, whose mission is to eradicate it. To stomp it out.”

  “Why would people want to revolt?” Blue asks.

  “Because this world is not meant to be perfect.” Inelia sighs, “Creativity, innovation, and abstract thought all work when people don’t think alike. Sobek is creating a submissive culture of people who all think the same.”

  “What you’re saying could be considered treason,” Kai interrupts.

  “Yes,” Inelia agrees, “it could. That is why I am warning you all tha
t you must conform to the system or you will be—”

  “Recycled.” I find myself saying the word that Inelia is thinking.

  “Yes.” Inelia smiles at me, unconcerned that I have just read her thoughts. “You must assimilate if you want to survive.”

  “Conform or die,” Blue says, echoing the warning in our bunk walls.

  “Yes. You must conform, otherwise, you will be recycled. Sobek will find a place for you, but I promise you that it is a place you never want to be. Physically or mentally. Look, I’ve already said too much, but you need to know that you can choose to fit in. It’s important that you know you have a choice,” Inelia warns before motioning for us to move our hands away from our Thirds.

  And she gives us something to consider that we’ve never had before.

  A choice.

  “Keeva.” I feel someone shaking me. I am sound asleep and I don’t want to get up. “Keeva, get up.” I open my eyes. Kai is standing over me.

  “What are you doing here?” I whisper, quickly looking around the quiet bunk. Blue is sound asleep. “You shouldn’t be here, Kai. You could get into trouble.”

  “I know.” He smiles mischievously. “C’mon, it’s our last night of camp. Let’s go have some fun.” I barely hesitate. I slip into a pair of shoes and pull a sweater on. Even though the days have been hot, the nights have been incredibly cold.

  Kai and I sneak out of the bunk and walk silently through the dark camp.

  “Where are we going?” I ask when we are out of earshot from the bunks.

  “You’ll see.” Kai pulls me past the helipad toward the empty government buildings. Lined up against the closest building is a row of motorglides.

  “I promised you a ride,” Kai says as we get to his bike.

  “Actually, you promised Blue a ride,” I say, remembering their flirtation the first day of camp. Blue has barely left Kai’s side all week, probably hoping that the instructors will take note of how good they look together. I’d be the first to admit that they make a striking couple. So why isn’t Blue here with him instead of me? More importantly, why did I agree to come?

  Kai doesn’t argue. Instead, he smiles his cockeyed smile and pulls off the tarp covering his motorglide, an aerodynamic black machine with silver handlebars. He pulls out two bright red helmets from the tank bag and hands me one.

  “You think I’m gonna trust you to ride that thing?” I say. Am I flirting with him? Where is this coming from?

  “If you can’t trust me, who can you trust?” Kai continues to hold out the helmet. I hesitate.

  “What are you so afraid of?”

  “That I’m going to die,” I say, before realizing how silly that sounds. My fate is going to be decided in just a few hours and death is one of the options awaiting me. I roll my eyes as I realize the irony of my statement. “Sure, why not.” I grab the helmet and put it on.

  I watch as he easily swings his long legs over the sleek machine. I get on behind him, gently putting my hands around him.

  “You’re going to have to hold on tighter than that, Beanpole,” he says as he floors the engine.

  I am almost thrown from the seat by the instant speed, and I wrap my arms tightly around his waist as we fly across the salt flats. It’s exhilarating. Kai drives over a hundred miles an hour, and it’s the closest thing I have ever felt to flying. Every problem, every worry, and every thought flees from my head as I feel the cool wind and the thrill of the speed. Finally, after about twenty minutes, he stops. We are in the middle of nowhere and probably violating every camp rule possible, but I don’t care. Kai climbs off the bike, but instead of helping me down, he gets right back up behind me.

  “What are you doing?”

  “It’s your turn.”

  “No way,” I protest, trying to shimmy off of the bike, but Kai holds me tightly. “Live a little, Keeva. What you don’t try can’t hurt you.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of!” I say, but I relax onto the bike and let Kai teach me. “All you need to know are the clutch and the brake.” Kai moves my left hand over the handlebar. His hand envelopes mine. “This is the gear and this is the clutch. The left side is for shifting.”

  “Let me guess,” I say, “The right side is for braking.”

  “You are a remarkable student, Miss Keeva Tee.”

  “Thank you, Instructor Kai Loren. What else do I need to know?”

  “That’s pretty much it. Release the clutch and hit the accelerator. Oh, and don’t forget to breathe.”

  “Breathe. Sure. No problem,” but I take a deep breath and then slowly let the clutch out. “We’re moving!” I scream.

  “We are,” Kai is amused. “Now, you know how to drive a motorglide. Wanna go faster?”

  “OK.” I let go, relishing the feeling of being in the moment. Most of the time, I feel like an observer. I watch everyone and everything, never quite belonging anywhere. Well, anywhere except for the ocean. But swimming is something I do, riding like this is something I am. I am one hundred percent a part of the action and it is overwhelming … in a wonderful way.

  I feel so alive.

  Finally, I brake the bike, and we both climb off and lay down on the salt flats, looking up at the unadulterated sky. There are billions of stars twinkling above us. It is spectacular.

  I feel free.

  We lie in easy silence for a long time before Kai finally speaks. “These used to be called the Bonneville Salt Flats, and it was one of the best race tracks in the world. Drivers used to come here from all over the world to try out their cars here.”

  “How do you know?” I ask, though I shouldn’t be surprised. Kai has clearly studied history, both the approved and the unapproved version. “My grandfather used to race,” Kai says sadly. “Before the Great Technology War, he was one of the best in the world. Built his own machines. Our family lives so close to the flats that he used to bring my dad here all the time when he was a little boy. Being here, I feel closer to him. I never knew my grandfather, but I don’t think he’d approve of what’s happened with the world.”

  “What do you mean? The world is fine.”

  “Is it?” Kai sighs. “I’m not so sure. I mean, look at the rest of the campers, Keeva. It’s like they’ve been brain-washed. I’ve noticed it with most adults, frankly, with most people after they get back from camp. Their Thirds buzz and then “his voice trails off.

  I want to tell him that I’ve noticed the same thing. Annika and Rane are like different people. Come to think of it, most adults are that way: happy, compliant, satisfied. I sense Kai wants to talk some more. So I just listen.

  “Theoretically, I like the idea of a world without war. But a world without conflict? It scares me to death. As humans, we’re not wired that way. We are meant to feel and think and have opinions and disagree. How can there be progress if everyone’s purpose is to serve the same philosophy? I think … I think Sobek Vesely and the Global Governance are dangerous. After camp, I’m going to try to find the Underground City.”

  “What if something happens to you?” I say before realizing how invested I have become in this boy. I turn and study his gold-speckled brown eyes, trying to figure him out. He’s like an older brother. Why do I suddenly care so much about him? I don’t know, I just do.

  “I can’t keep living this way, Keeva. It’s a lie. I have to do something. I can’t just sit by and watch. I have to take responsibility.”

  I’m not sure how to respond, but when I feel Kai’s hand slip into mine, I don’t resist. We look up at the stars. Holding hands. Thinking. My mind drifts as I connect the stars into patterns, remembering my lessons on planets and constellations. I am aware that I am conflicted with new feelings. Is this possible? Am I suddenly feeling emotions for the arrogant boy who rubbed me the wrong way from the second I met him? No. He is a friend, a brother, a fellow Anomaly. Nothing more. But I feel safe with him, and there is a comfort in that safety.

  We lay there for the next several hours, enjoying the peac
eful quiet. Just before sunrise we get back on Kai’s bike and speed back to camp, getting back to our bunks with minutes to spare before wake-up.

  “MOTHER!” CALIX BURST INTO HIS APARTMENT and immediately wrapped his arms around his mother’s waist. He could not stop crying.

  “Shh. What happened?”

  “He’s a tyrant,” Calix managed to blurt out between sobs.

  “Do you want him to see you like this?” But Anya Vesely did not pry off her son’s arms, instead she let him wail into her. “Shhh. Shhh. It’s going to be fine. You are going to be fine, my boy.”

  “Mother,” Calix said again as he suddenly ripped himself from the protective embrace. His anger was taking center stage over his disgust and horror. “Do you know what he’s capable of? Do you know what he does? Killing innocent people—”

  “How do you know they’re innocent?” Anya asked softly.

  “That’s not the point. He doesn’t even have the courage to kill with his own hand. He’s … he’s a coward.”

  Calix did not expect the slap from his mother that cracked across his jaw.

  “Why did you do that?” Calix reached up to his stinging cheek.

  “Sobek Vesely is not only the world leader; he is your father and I will not have you say anything incendiary about him.” Anya then nodded to her house servant who excused herself and left the living room. Anya returned her attention to her son, kneeling down so that she could look directly into his eyes.

  “Listen to me very carefully, Calix,” Anya said, an urgency entering her voice. “Your father and I had a deal—”

  “What do you mean?”

  Anya sighed. There was no easy way to break the news to her son. She’d been wanting to tell him for weeks, to warn him, but she hated the idea of him losing his innocence, so she remained silent. But now the time was here. Sobek had played his hand by involving Calix in an execution. It was typical of Sobek, not playing by the rules. She sighed again. She had already lost him. Anya stood up and surveyed her boy who was on his path to manhood. “Your father wanted to indoctrinate you into the ways of leadership when you were young, a child of five or six. However, I convinced him to let me raise you until you were well into your teens. I wanted to give you a normal life, son. I wanted you to have normal friends, normal experiences before… .” Anya let her voice trail off. This was not going to be easy.