The Amplified

by Lauren M. Flauding

  The ascent up to the barge was absolutely exhilarating. Being hauled 500 feet into the air with only a cord to hold on to really has a way of heightening your senses. I could see our Community sprawling out below me, for the first time able to see its spider shape for myself instead of just in an image or film. I had glanced around at all the other trainees dangling in mid air as the cables slowly clicked back into the barge, inching us upward in unison. I started to sway a little bit to see what would happen, but when I bumped into Alia next to me, her severe stare was enough to make me stop. When we reached the edge of the barge, several Restrainers reached over and helped us onto the deck.

  And now, we wait. I lean forward to look down the long row of trainees, arranged in alphabetical order, all of us clad in our pale green uniforms. We stand silently at attention as we watch new trainees emerge over the sides of the air barge, about 20 or so from each compound. They used to have to do Training separately for each compound, but over the last few decades, less and less people have been having children, so it's just been more efficient to combine all the trainees from the Community into one Training group.

  I gaze out across the expanse of the barge. It seems almost empty with only us trainees and a handful of Restrainers lining a small corner of the massive structure. It's a bit eerie, actually, like a floating ghost town. We're completely exposed to the open sky, standing just a couple feet away from the precarious edges. I keep glancing at the squat buildings scattered across the gray surface, half-expecting something or someone to jump out at us. Joby, who is several feet down from me, is shuffling his feet over one of the many uniform fissures in the floor. He never was any good at holding still. Across from me, I see Alia eyeing a tall blonde boy next to her.

  Scanning the faces of my fellow trainees, I see various expressions of fear, anxiety, boredom, and curiosity. Some are staring with wide eyes, taking everything in, and others are trying to adjust their ears to this new altitude or fight off fatigue. I guess I'm not the only one who had a restless night. I meet the eyes of a conspicuously chubby boy who looks like he's trying very hard to make himself look smaller. It's unusual for anyone to be overweight, but I noticed a few of the trainees from his compound were pretty large. Maybe they have different kinds of nutrition capsules. I smile at him and his eyes light up. He seems nice.

  Suddenly, the relatively quiet atmosphere goes silent. A tall woman, apparently our head trainer, emerges from the building closest to us. She looks about 30, but it's hard to pin down ages in Amplified people, especially when they manipulate their aging processes. Her long, dark hair is pulled back, accenting her sharp green eyes and revealing the angles in her face. Her dark blue uniform fits tightly over her stunning body. Her expression is cold and unwelcoming, but it's difficult to look away from her — she commands attention.

  She walks toward us briskly, her eyes scanning everyone but not looking at anyone directly. She nods at the Restrainers, who promptly vacate the barge by jumping over the side. I'd be alarmed, but I'm sure they have some kind of mechanism on their suits to help them reach the ground safely. Once the woman has reached the center of our formation, she narrows her eyes and speaks.

  "Talina, deliver the orientation speech."

  Her eyes lose their severity as her Amplifier takes over. Her voice, which a second ago was shrill and direct, becomes a lazy monotone as she recites stored information.

  "The Amplification project was founded approximately two centuries ago in an effort to assist persons with paralysis, rehabilitation, and other illnesses."

  I remember watching the film of the first Amplifier in school. No matter how many times I watched it, I never got sick of it. The man they tested was paralyzed from the neck down, and the Amplifier was a huge apparatus he wore around his head, long before they streamlined the technology down to a small implant behind the ear. When he commanded himself to stand up and walk, his body responded, and he looked so overwhelmed. Everyone in the room with him was cheering and crying.

  I pull myself out of my memories and concentrate on listening to Talina as she drones on.

  "Over time, those with Amplifiers became far more capable than ordinary humans, creating a large disparity in advantages and opportunities between the two groups. Therefore, the Equality Movement was instituted, allowing every qualified individual the choice to receive Amplification, conditional upon their agreement to 4 years of Service and 35 years in work rotations."

  I cringe a little. Of course I always knew that these were the terms, but hearing the numbers formally makes my mouth go sour. That's almost 40 years of my life planned out for me! I suppose that's the price I'll have to pay in order to be ultimately capable.

  "You have the right to request the removal of your Amplifier at any time, but be advised that once the implant has been extracted, you will not have another opportunity for Amplification."

  I hear someone snicker. I can imagine what they're thinking. Why would anyone choose to go back to being normal once they'd experienced being superior?

  "You are expected to comply with all Training regulations and procedures. If you are found in violation of any of the rules set forth by the Community or by your trainers, your Amplifier will be removed and you will be sent home. Furthermore, should you fail to conform to the standards of Amplification, your Amplifier will be removed, and you will be sent home. This Training will culminate in a final assessment. If you fail the assessment, your Amplifier will be removed, and you will be sent home. "

  I stifle a yawn. It's hard to keep myself awake when I've heard all of this information hundreds of times before. At least I'm doing better than the boy on my left, who seems to keep swaying back and forth. I steal a sideways glance at him and notice that his face is completely pale. Just as I'm trying to decide if I should be worried about him, his eyes roll up into his head and he starts falling straight back toward the edge of the barge.

  I should alert Talina. I should make a plan. I should ask for help. There's a million things I should do, but there's no time. This guy is about to go over the edge and nobody's doing anything. So I move.

  Chapter 6

  The boy is still unconscious and falling quickly as I dive at him and grab his arm. I manage to jerk his body sideways as we slam to the floor of the barge, but the momentum of his fall causes him to roll over the edge and he's taking me with him. I feel his hand grip my arm and hear frantic screaming coming from below the deck where he's dangling. He must have regained consciousness. I'm sliding, struggling to find something for my feet to grip, but the surface is too slick.

  Why isn't anybody helping? I wonder, desperately trying to find a way to hold on. Are they all just going to watch us fall thousands of feet to our death? He's heavier than me, and with no hold, our fate seems inevitable. I'm almost halfway over when I see a small green button right underneath the ledge. I can just make out the words: "CABLE RELEASE." Hoping it means what I think it does, and with no other immediate option, I slam the button with my fist as we slip completely over the edge.

  For a split-second it seems like I will die, falling head first into the silent, endless air. And then I glimpse the looped end of a cable emerging from a small compartment under the barge. I twist around and try to grasp it with my free hand, but it's beyond my reach. It's just as well, my grip wouldn't have been strong enough to hold both of us anyway. Looking back up at the cable, I concentrate all my effort on getting my foot in the loop and pray for a miracle.

  My left foot catches, and I feel the cable give a little as it absorbs our weight. That's lucky, I think, otherwise I probably would have broken my ankle. But I don't have much time to bask in my answered prayer. I feel sharp pains in my wrist and look down to see the boy clawing hysterically up my arm.

  "Help me! I'm slipping! I'm going to die!" He shrieks in between shallow breaths. He's holding my arm in a vice-like grip with both of his hands, and his beady eyes dart around wildly. I have a fleeting thought that maybe this kid wasn't worth saving, b
ut it's overshadowed by a more pressing thought: If this guy keeps climbing up my arm, he'll probably tear my head off.

  "Calm down!" I yell at him. I look around and notice all the other cables inching out around us, and I get an idea. "Listen, I'm going to swing you over to another cable. You'll be able to hold on better and it will be safer for both of us."

  "What?" He squeals. "No! I can't do it! You're just trying to get rid of me!"

  I decide not to expend my energy trying to talk sense into him. Instead, I put my other foot into the loop of the cable to secure my hold, and start swaying my upside-down body back and forth, despite loud and vicious protests from my obstinate cargo. We pick up speed, and are soon swinging within grasping range of some of the other cables.

  "Just reach out on the next pass and grab hold of one of the loops, okay?" I relay hopefully. I'm not sure if it's all the blood rushing to my head or the actual state of things, but he looks like he's twitching. He makes a feeble attempt on the first pass, barely allowing his hand to leave my arm. On the next pass he flings one arm out violently and successfully grabs a cable, but still holds fast to my arm with his other hand.

  His death grip on my arm pries me loose from my cable, and I flip down, smashing right into him. He releases me at the impact, and I have to scramble to grab onto his legs. I smell urine. Of course, I think. Of course he wet himself.

  "Hey! Get off me!" He screams, shaking his legs viciously. My extreme dislike for this guy is growing by the minute. But I have to act fast, because if he insists on using all of his strength trying to get rid of me, he'll lose his grip on his cable and it'll be over for both of us.

  I take a deep breath and once again start rocking my body back and forth, building up the momentum needed to get me close to the other cables. The kid is writhing and screaming with hysteria, but I do my best to ignore him. Just as I'm cresting and planning to jump on the next pass, the boy gives me a fierce kick in the face and I'm abruptly dislodged, floating backwards though the air.

  For a moment, I experience a feeling of complete euphoria; pure, weightless, freedom. But in the next moment, the full gravity of my situation turns my elation into terror. I struggle to look behind me, trying to locate any cables nearby, but I can't see any. I get a sinking feeling (literally) that I've fallen too far below the cables to be able to reach anything.

  Then I see something pass by my ear, and I grab at it instinctively. My hands burn as I grasp the cable, the grooves in the metal ripping through my fingers, but I don't let go. Finally, I slide to a stop just above the loop at the end. I use my last bit of energy to pull myself up and plant my feet in the loop to give my now raw fingers a rest.

  Several cables away, the boy is yelling at me, but I can't hear what he's saying. I watch his flushed, swollen face with mild interest, wondering what profanities he might be screaming. His white-blonde hair is plastered to his face with sweat, and he looks like an angry baby. After a few minutes, the cables catch and start inching us back up toward the barge. I close my eyes and review the events of the last few minutes. I am so lucky I'm still alive.

  _________

  "There they are!"

  I hear shouting and chatter as we near the deck of the barge. I look up to see everyone crowded at the edge, peeking over cautiously and pointing at us. A dozen hands reach out to help me over the side. Through the melee, Talina breaks through and looks me over, apparently checking me for injuries. She's saying something, but I can't make it out. I focus harder on the words, but they still don't make sense.

  "When in combat, or in other emergency situations where exact cooperation is required, you will be subjected to an Authoritative Override... "

  Finally, I understand. She's still giving the orientation lecture. The command she gave herself will stay in effect until its completion. Until then, she can't speak independently, but the anger in her eyes conveys exactly how she's feeling. Still speaking, she turns, motions to everyone to stay where they are, and disappears into the squat building from which she entered.

  Before I can even collect myself, somebody crashes into my side, knocking me to the ground.

  "What were you trying to do, kill me?" The blonde kid is on top of me, spraying me with spit as he shouts in my face. Thoroughly annoyed now, I shove the guy off of me and stand up.

  "I saved your life, you idiot! You passed out!"

  "Are you kidding? You attacked me!"

  "To keep you from falling off the edge!"

  I notice some of the others are eyeing me suspiciously. I'm defensive, but I suppose it might have looked like I attacked him if they hadn't seen the whole situation from the beginning.

  Suddenly, everyone straightens. Talina has emerged from the building, looking stern.

  "Marianna Quillen and Tristan Prewitt, come with me," she barks. "Everyone else will follow Justin to the dormitories."

  At least now I have a name to put with the face I've come to hate. I should have known it'd be something lame like Tristan. I follow Talina into the building while the others file off after a stocky guy with long hair. I'm guessing he's the assistant trainer. We descend a narrow flight of stairs into a small, dark room. Two of the walls are covered in controls and screens. It smells acidic.

  Talina turns to face us, her expression more perturbed than ever.

  "Tell me what happened."

  Tristan is the first to open his stupid mouth.

  "I was just standing there, listening, when out of nowhere she attacks me and pushes me over the side!"

  Talina raises her eyebrow at me. I sigh and offer my version of the story.

  "I noticed he was losing consciousness and was starting to fall off the barge. So I grabbed him, but we both went over the edge anyway."

  "Oh, please!" Tristan interjects. "No one risks their life to save a stranger!" I roll my eyes, but Talina is nodding in agreement.

  "True, but the other alternative is that she risked her life to kill you, which also doesn't seem likely."

  There are a million things I want to say, but I force myself to be silent. Somehow, I've become the irrational one in the room.

  "Unfortunately," Talina continues, "I won't be able to make any conclusions until they send me a copy of the camera surveillance tomorrow morning. Until then, both of your Amplifications will be delayed."

  "What?" Tristan exclaims. "This isn't fair! First I'm nearly killed and then I have to wait to be Amplified?"

  Although I refuse to whine about it, I share Tristan's sentiments exactly.

  Chapter 7

  I feel out of place. The recreation lounge is full of laughing, hopeful, excited teenagers, trying out their newly Amplified skills in the trampoline rooms and on the aerial obstacle course. Tonight is supposed to be a relaxing, social mixer before Training officially starts tomorrow, but I've never felt more on edge. Mostly everyone is avoiding me, even Alia abandoned me to talk to the blonde boy she was standing next to earlier today. Although, she did ask me several times if I'd mind before she did. I watch her flirting with him across the room and realize I can't blame her, she always follows her heart, and he is pretty good looking.

  Tristan doesn't seem to be here, which is a relief. He's probably in his room moping. Or plotting revenge. I search the lounge to find something to distract me from the memory of what happened earlier, but it's difficult when everything reminds me that I'm the only one in here that's not Amplified.

  "It's been quite the day, hasn't it?"

  I jump at the sound of Joby's voice. Sometimes he can be so quiet. I didn't hear him come up behind me.

  "Yeah," I respond bitterly, "it's definitely exceeded all my expectations."

  "I wouldn't worry about it," Joby says as he sits down next to me. "I bet it'll make a really good story later on."

  I appreciate his effort, and he's probably right, but somehow I just can't be so confident about it right now. I look over at Joby, glad to finally have some company. His red, curly hair is so long, it falls over his half-cl
osed eyes, but he doesn't make any effort to brush it out of the way. Instead he taps his pale fingers restlessly on the side of the chair. That's the thing about Joby, he's always moving, but never in a way that accomplishes anything.

  "So, how was it?" I ask.

  "How was what?"

  "Getting Amplified this afternoon?"

  "It hurt a little, but the pain went away after a couple hours."

  I know Joby is downplaying it for my benefit, but I really am curious.

  "But how does iffeel to be Amplified?" I probe. "Did you do anything cool?"

  "Well..."

  "Come on, just tell me!"

  Joby smiles slyly.

  "Ok," he concedes excitedly, "the first thing I did after I got my Amplifier was tell myself to go to sleep."

  I burst out laughing. He looks at me defensively, but I can't help it.

  "Joby, you had the opportunity to try almost anything and you choose to make yourself fall asleep?"

  He looks down at his feet, clearly hurt. I feel guilty now. This is no way to treat the one person who's being nice to me tonight.

  "I'm sorry I laughed," I murmur apologetically. "But of all things, why did you choose that?"

  "I've always had a really hard time falling asleep," Joby confesses. "Sometimes I'll lay awake in bed for four or five hours before I doze off. Sometimes I'll stay awake the whole night. So being able to tell myself to sleep and having it happen immediately was miraculous for me."

  Now I feel even more guilty. Not only did I laugh at something that has been a huge struggle for him, I've also never asked him why he is so tired all the time. I just figured he was lazy. Some friend I am.

  "That's really incredible, Joby," I admit. "I'm glad you'll be able to sleep better."

  "I guess it was kinda lame," Joby says, trying to lighten the mood. "I didn't wake up until someone tripped over me in the dorm room."

  "Wait, you fell asleep on the floor?"

  "Yeah, I didn't want to wait to find my bed."