The Amplified

by Lauren M. Flauding

  This time Joby laughs along with me. Maybe I wasn't completely wrong about him being lazy.

  "Have you tried that yet?" I ask him, pointing to the aerial course.

  "No, there were too many people on it," Joby hedges.

  "Maybe before," I observe, "but now there's hardly anyone. You should try it."

  Joby gulps.

  "Hey, you can do anything, remember?" I tease, tapping behind his ear where the Amplifier is embedded. He flinches, the skin is probably still a little raw, but then he resolutely stands and walks to the platform at the beginning of the obstacle course.

  He straps himself into the bungee harness, then walks a few steps back, causing the bungee line to tighten. His eyes scan the course and he says something to himself, probably making a command through his Amplifier. He pushes the launch button. The platform pulls him back several feet, and then he is abruptly launched into the air, sailing toward the first obstacle, which is a grouping of several large hoops suspended from the high ceiling.

  I hold my breath as he maneuvers expertly through the hoops. It really is odd to see Joby, who rarely moves more than is absolutely necessary, display such amazing athleticism. He reaches the small platform that precedes the tightrope. Well, "tightrope" is a loose term for this contraption; a taut line that vibrates, jerks, and loosens at random. He pauses to give himself a command, then steps forward.

  Almost instantly the rope jolts to the side and he is thrown off, but he catches the rope with one hand and swings himself back to stand upright on the line. He flings his arms wildly back and forth for a few moments, trying to find his balance, then sets his face and begins to run across the rope. Every step is sure and nimble, even when the rope loosens so dramatically that he is momentarily running through the air. He picks up speed to the end of the line and falls right into the Plunge, an aptly named portion of the course that drops you 80 feet into a hole in the floor. Joby disappears into the hole, and I wonder how much farther the drop continues. I can't imagine the air barge is very deep, but I suppose I have yet to learn all the mysteries of this structure.

  Just as I start to worry, I hear the turbines gear up, and a second later, Joby comes shooting out of the floor. He jerks around in the air, trying to get himself oriented. The turbines shut off, and he starts to fall back down again, going into the hole for the second time. Some barricades prevent anyone from standing too close to the course, but I walk over and stand right next to them. I crane my neck, trying to peer down into the hole, but all I can see is blackness.

  The next moment I'm knocked backwards by the force of the turbines turning on. I fall to the floor as Joby launches into view, much more composed in the air this time. He rolls forward to escape the air stream and grabs the first of several metal bars, placed at varying heights and unevenly spaced. I watch Joby performing intricate acrobatics to get from one bar to the next. I'm in awe.

  "I bet everything looks impressive to someone who's not Amplified."

  I look behind me and see the boy Alia was flirting with earlier. His otherwise handsome face is ruined by an ugly sneer. I look around and see that everyone in the room is staring at me. I quickly get to my feet.

  "Yes, it is impressive," I retort. "Seeing a normal person do extraordinary things through an Amplifier is incredible."

  "Well, I guess we need to have someone around to marvel at the rest of us, clam."

  I hear a few snickers coming from behind him. I move in a little closer.

  "Well, oh mighty, Amplified one," I whisper sarcastically, "don't expect me to come after you when you fall off the barge."

  His face goes slack. I turn around and walk quickly out of the lounge. Just what I need, I think. More people that hate me.

  I've almost made it to the hall that leads to my dorm when I hear Joby call out behind me.

  "Mari, are you all right?"

  I exhale slowly. There are so many things I want to say, but it wouldn't be fair to take my frustrations out on Joby, who seems like my only friend right now.

  "I'm fine," I respond evenly without turning around. I remember that I didn't see Joby finish the course, and I note with some disgust at myself that I don't care.

  "Well," Joby adds uncertainly, "everything is going to work out."

  It seems like such a trite thing to say, but I know Joby means it, so I turn to him and smile.

  "Thanks, Joby. See you tomorrow."

  But as I lay in bed in my empty dorm, I can't help but feel that everything is not going to work out. Even if they do allow me to be Amplified, it seems like I'm entering a world with entirely different rules, procedures, and moral codes. A world where it's a crime to risk your life to save someone else.

  Chapter 8

  When Talina said, "early in the morning," she wasn't lying.

  It seemed like I had just drifted off to sleep when a few seconds later, someone was shaking me awake, telling me it was time for my review. I'm pretty groggy from two nights of bad sleep, but the cold morning air jerks me from my sluggishness as I wait outside the building we met in with Talina yesterday. Tristan stands across from me, looking sour. He seems to be focusing on a small spot by his feet.

  Finally, the doors open and Talina steps out, looking nearly immaculate despite the heavy circles under her eyes. She gestures for us to follow her into the building. We descend to the same room, and everything looks identical to the way it was yesterday except for one thing: Governor Plenaris.

  The sight of our Governor used to make me excited; I would imagine ways to show my loyalty, to make him proud. But now, seeing him standing in front of me in the flesh, with his slicked back hair and prominent nose, all I feel is an intense fear. Was our incident really so extraordinary that it warrants a visit from the Community's highest official? The man who oversees all Amplification?

  "Tristan, Marianna, take a seat," Talina instructs. We sit down on chairs that are so uncomfortable, it seems intentional. Talina sits on a table across the room, but the Governor remains standing.

  "Of course you'll recognize Governor Plenaris," she adds coolly. "Because this circumstance is so extraneous, he's come to review the situation." The Governor's detached expression does not change as he gives a slight nod in our direction. Talina continues. "We have already gone over yesterday's surveillance, but we'd like to watch it again with the two of you present."

  Talina presses a few buttons on the control panel next to her, and suddenly my face is on every screen in the room. I shrink back in my chair. It's a little unnerving to be staring back at myself from every angle. The surveillance pans out to reveal Tristan, pale and dazed, intermittently swaying next to me. We watch his eyes roll back and his body stiffen as he starts to topple over the edge. In the footage, my eyes widen and I quickly glance around before propelling myself toward him.

  The surveillance clearly illustrates a rescue attempt, and Tristan probably realizes this because I notice he reddens and sinks in his chair. I try not to show too much relief. I can feel Talina and the Governor watching me closely for my reaction, so I try to assume an appropriately concerned expression as the rest of the footage is replayed. When it shows us being pulled back onto the barge, Talina hits a button and the screens go blank.

  "Well, Mr. Prewitt," Talina says, looking at Tristan, "it seems the altitude affected you. Luckily, that is something that can be easily fixed with Amplification. Please report to the Implantation Building immediately. Miss Quillen, please remain here, we'd like to speak with you a moment."

  Here we go, I think, wondering how I'm going to explain to my mother that I got sent home for helping someone. Tristan stands sheepishly, but smirks at me before he leaves. Once he's gone, Talina turns to me.

  "We're interested, Marianna," she says my name sharply, like she's slapping me in the face with her voice, "in how you knew to react so quickly."

  How I knew to react? Several possible answers run through my mind. Practicing fighting moves with Miles, the games my parents would have us p
lay, building speed and strength from running all the time ... but I don't feel comfortable giving them any of those explanations, so I play dumb instead.

  "I don't know," I answer.

  "So you didn't receive any special training or education prior to coming here?"

  "No. Ma'am," I add, and regret it almost instantly. Who says ma'am? But Talina seems unfazed.

  "Did you have any advantage in going after Tristan? Did you know him?"

  "I'd never seen him before yesterday."

  "Then why did you go to extreme measures to save him?"

  "I don't know," I repeat, "it just seemed like the right thing to do."

  Talina sighs and looks at Governor Plenaris. He nods and turns to address me.

  "As you know, we look down on anyone striving to set themselves apart through unnecessary heroics, as set forth in the guidelines of the Equality Movement," he states. His voice is a little more shrill than I'm used to. They must alter it for the holograms.

  "We've not seen this kind of behavior from a non-Amplified individual for a long time, and we are taking precautions, as this type of behavior is a threat to the Amplification system."

  Well, that explains why no one else moved an inch yesterday. I know I'm different, but I didn't think my actions would be viewed as "unnecessary heroics." Someone was about to fall to their death, so I acted.

  "With all due respect, sir," I begin shakily, "I don't understand why these circumstances should keep me from becoming Amplified."

  "You will be Amplified, Marianna," he assures, "but you will be heavily monitored. Even though you are a risk, you can be a strong addition to the Community, granted that you align to certain standards of conformity."

  "Oh, okay," I respond as I nod my head slowly, uncertain how to react. I'll get my Amplifier, which is good, but I wish everyone would stop treating me like I have some kind of disease. The Governor turns quickly to Talina, his crisp black suit rustling with the sudden movement.

  "I expect a weekly report on Miss Quillen's progress and activities," he asserts. "I will return in several weeks to personally assess her situation."

  "Noted," Talina answers grimly.

  Governor Plenaris glances at each of us, his bright eyes flashing as he looks at me, then turns and swiftly exits the room. When we hear the door shut at the top of the stairs, Talina exhales, apparently in relief. She faces me and smiles. It's the first time I've seen her look friendly.

  "Okay, then," she announces, "let's get you Amplified."

  _________

  The administrator has a unibrow. I try not to stare at it as she prepares my Amplifier, but it takes a great deal of effort. I attempt to distract myself with something else, but there aren't many things of interest in the brightly lit, sterile operating room. Sitting in the lone chair, I scan the blank white walls, the drab ceiling, and the spotless tiled floor. The space is immaculate. The administrator, I think she said her name was Lisa, works over a small cart, assembling instruments and entering data into a Transcriber.

  I'm still a little overwhelmed at all the events that have transpired in the last two days. I'm thrilled to finally be getting Amplified, but I'm wary about the heavy monitoring I'll be under and the general disapproval I received from Governor Plenaris. There was a time that I would have been ecstatic to have seen him face to face, much less spoken with him, but now, thinking about our meeting just leaves me with a stale taste in my mouth.

  Lisa, now finished with her preparations, approaches me with a large needle.

  "I'm going to inject a numbing agent behind your ear."

  Now I'm grateful for her unibrow - I have something to focus on while the needle goes into my skin. Soon I notice all the feeling leaving the area she injected, but I know exactly what she's doing thanks to her verbalized commands. She makes a small incision and cuts away some tissue. She then inserts the Amplifier, which is a flat, tiny square with dozens of almost invisible wires that automatically attach themselves to my nerves and glands. I get goosebumps as I imagine the minuscule tentacles wrapping around parts of my nervous system, taking a relentless hold that won't be interrupted unless the Amplifier is deactivated or broken.

  Finally, she seals up the incision, disposes of her instruments, and retrieves the Transcriber.

  "Full name?" She asks.

  "Marianna Quillen."

  "And the name you will use to direct your Amplifier?"

  "Mari."

  "Good." She enters the information into the device. "Please give yourself a command to activate your Amplifier."

  I hesitate. I know what I want to do as my first act of Amplification - it's something I decided on years ago. But after meeting with the Governor, I wonder if it would be considered too much. I don't want to set myself apart more than I already have. Lisa is looking at me expectantly. Would she care? I wonder. Certainly this woman with a unibrow has seen far more elaborate stunts than the one I plan to do. I decide to go for it. I stand and walk a few paces away from the chair.

  "Mari, do a double back flip."

  My body comes to life. I feel myself go into a deep squat, and just as I'm wondering if the ceilings are high enough, my legs spring upward and my back arches. My knees snap up to my chest and my neck forces my head down, even though I'm straining to see the room as it spins around me. I catch a glimpse of Lisa once, twice, and then my feet hit the floor and my body straightens.

  My shins are burning from the hard landing, but adrenaline pulses through me. I look up at Lisa with a goofy, openmouthed smile, but she is expressionless. She enters something into her Transcriber.

  "You may go," she states indifferently. "I believe your Training has already started in building 119."

  I nod and turn to leave. Clearly, mine wasn't the most outrageous move she's seen, which is a relief. At least I know this probably won't raise any flags in my report. But I can't help feeling a little bit disappointed that I didn't stand out. Maybe their accusation of "unnecessary heroics" wasn't that far off the mark.

  Chapter 9

  "What was he like? Did you talk to him? Is his hair really that stiff in person?"

  I've made the mistake of divulging the details of my meeting this morning to Alia, and now she's excitedly bombarding me with questions. We're all on our way to the nutrition hall for a welcome break after listening to Talina's lectures for the past 4 hours. I now know more about the history and technology of Amplification than I could have ever imagined.

  "I'll tell you when we get into the hall," I whisper to Alia. I'm secretly hoping she'll forget about it by the time we get there, but it's not likely. Alia is pretty tenacious when it comes to finding out juicy information.

  The nutrition hall looks like any other building on the barge, just bigger. And it smells like chemicals. Large capsule dispensers line the far wall, and roughly 20 tables are scattered around the room, but there are no chairs. I don't mind, though. I've been sitting long enough today.

  We line up behind all the other trainees at the dispensers. As we move slowly forward, I wonder why it's taking so long. Then I realize that every dispenser holds a different type of capsule. Close enough to read the labels now, I can only really understand about half of them. I pick up a small bowl and take one capsule from each dispenser: Regular, Protein, Energy, Stamina, Pacify, Satisfy, Pleasure, and Digest.

  Alia and I find an empty table farthest from the dispensers. We set down our bowls, almost identical in their contents, and Alia looks at me expectantly.

  "What?"

  "Governor Plenaris?" Alia prompts.

  "Oh, yeah," I sigh. While I was considering all the different capsules, I had momentarily forgotten about the unpleasantness of my review. But Alia is staring at me in anticipation, so I reluctantly recount my morning.

  "I guess what happened was pretty unusual, and that's why the Governor had to be called in."

  "What was he wearing?" Alia interjects.

  "Um ... a nice black suit..."

  "What about his s
hoes?"

  "Some kind of boots, I think ... they had heels..."

  "Heels?"

  "Well, not heels, really. But they were raised."

  Suddenly, a voice from behind interrupts our conversation.

  "Mind if we join you?"

  We turn around to see Joby and the overweight boy I had noticed during orientation yesterday approaching our table.

  "Not at all!" I exclaim, grateful for a reprieve from Alia's interrogation of the Governor's wardrobe. She glares at me, but I pretend not to notice.

  "This is Liam," Joby announces, gesturing to the rotund boy as they slide their bowls across the table. I notice Liam's bowl is overflowing with pink Pleasure capsules.

  "Have you tried these?" Liam asks, nodding at his bowl. He must have noticed me looking at them.

  "No, not yet," I respond a little sheepishly, even though there was no accusation in his voice.

  "They're addictive," he admits. "In our compound, they give these as rewards for good behavior."

  "Then you must have been a very good boy," Alia hints rudely, looking pointedly at his large stomach. I want to kick her leg under the table, but she's too far away. Liam, however, doesn't seem to take any offense.

  "I was a perfect boy," he jokes, patting his protruding belly and winking. Alia bursts into laughter and we all join in. I'm glad that some people here aren't as sensitive as Tristan.

  "Did you have all these different capsules in your compound?" I ask Liam.

  "All except for the Digest ones," he answers. "Those are only available to the Amplified."

  "Oh. What do they do?"

  "They do what they're named to do; speed up your digestion."

  "You mean — " I start, but I can't quite find the words to finish.

  "They make sure everything that goes in the top comes out the bottom within an hour," Liam explains impishly.

  "Gross," Alia blurts out, but I can see her eyeing her Digest capsule with interest. I set mine aside to try later, I don't want to be running to the bathroom in the middle of Talina's lectures. I turn to my bowl of colorful capsules as the others carry on about Digestion.