The Amplified

by Lauren M. Flauding

  "Alia," I begin, "I know we haven't talked very much lately, but I still consider you one of my closest friends, and if you — "

  I'm cut off by a loud snore from Alia. Since my attempt at consoling her is futile, I leave the room and head to the recreation lounge, wondering at Alia's transformation. I almost liked her better when she was with Jaren all the time. I had considered telling her about almost being strangled in the hover chamber, but she generally hasn't been in a listening mood. Plus, I kind of just want to forget about the whole thing. I check a clock in the hallway. I only have about 30 minutes before lectures this afternoon.

  The lounge is empty except for a few people messing around at the aerial obstacle course. I find a couch in the corner and apply the Adhesive from my mom onto my temple. Immediately I'm surrounded by the dusty recording room from my compound, with my mother and Daniel's faces in front of me. The room is dull and drab as usual, but for some reason it makes me homesick.

  "Mari, we were so thrilled to finally hear from you!" My mother exclaims. She looks beautiful and confident as always, except for some faint lines at the corners of her mouth that make me wonder if her smile is as fake as mine was.

  "Everything's been pretty normal here," she continues, "except for a minor incident with the Restrainers."

  "Oh, man you should have s-s-seen it, Mari!" Daniel interrupts excitedly. "They were running through a-all the fields at the farm, trampling d-d-d-down all the crops, and they were so fast! But they n-never found — "

  "It blew over in a week," my mother says quickly, "it was just a misunderstanding." She has a tone of strict finality in her voice. Daniel looks like he might have added something, but quickly shuts his mouth. I'm unaccustomed to seeing my mother so tense.

  "Anyway, " my mother says, forcing a smile, "we really miss having you around here. It gets lonely with just the two of us."

  "Yeah," Daniel cuts in again, "we spend m-m-most nights cleaning or doing puzzles or boring stuff l-like that."

  "It's not all bad," my mom counters, "we still play plenty of games."

  "Yeah, but y-y-you always let me w-win. At least when M-Mari was here it was a challenge."

  "Well, I guess I'll have to do something about that," my mom teases as she reaches over and squeezes Daniel's shoulder.

  I sigh. I knew I missed my family, but I didn't realize just how much until now.

  "Th-they switched out the holograph machine at s-s-s-school!" Daniel pipes up, shrugging off my mom's hand. "Now the films look e-e-even more real and it projects all around us so it f-feels like w-we're in the movies! And we g-got new uniforms, and they t-took away the outdoor equipment a-a-and built big walls all around that are r-really fun to climb, even though we're not supposed to," he finishes in one breath.

  "Yes, they've made a lot of changes at the school," my mother adds, furrowing her brow. There's that tense look again. "But our time is almost up," she announces. "We'd love to hear more about the friends you've made. Have you met any boys?" She adds mischievously. Daniel makes a face that mirrors the way I feel. "Anyway, we love you, honey, " she looks straight into the camera, "andI hope you're staying true to who you are."

  "Bye Mari!" Daniel shouts. The image dissolves slowly until I'm left staring at a wall in the recreation lounge.

  I feel unsettled. It was wonderful to see my mom and brother, but something is definitely off back at our compound. What were the Restrainers looking for? And why were they at the farm of all places? I can't imagine what they would have found threatening there. Maybe it's like my mother said, just a misunderstanding. But what about building walls around the school? Almost sounds like they're making a prison. Which, incidentally, wouldn't be that far off the mark in my opinion.

  I look around for a clock. I can't see any from where I'm sitting. I don't know how much time I have before our afternoon lecture. Maybe my Amplifier can find one.

  "Mari, find out what time it is."

  I expect for my body to go locate a clock, but instead my eyes quickly locate all the shadows in the room and my brain runs through various calculations until I hear myself say: "It is 4:17pm." I shake my head to rid myself of the invasive feeling of having my mind accessed by the Amplifier again. I should have worded the command more carefully. Next time I'll tell myself to go find a clock.

  I sit back and stick Adrian's Adhesive onto my temple. Adrian's face appears in front of me. His bulk still surprises me. It looks like he's in an office at one of the factories.

  "Hey sis! Are you loving being Amplified? Let me tell ya, it's totally worth it. Last week I was a bouncer for one of the clubs. I didn't mind that at all," he hints, grinning slyly. Yeah, I'll bet, I think. He probably had his pick of dopey, admiring girls. "But this week I'm running the medical supplies factory! I'm in charge of so many people! It's incredible! There have been a couple of problems, but I can always work them out with the Amplifier. " I bite the side of my mouth as I imagine Adrian fixing machinery or working out disagreements among the factory workers. How much is he letting his Amplifier do for him?

  "So you're having trouble fitting in, huh?" He says with a smirk. "I'm glad you came to your big brother for advice. Listen, I know what you're talking about. I felt the same way when I started Training. Let's face it, we were raised differently. Mom and dad taught us things in a way that don't really coincide with the Community 's expectations. I mean, I know they meant well, what with the games and all, but they kind of put us at a disadvantage. Don't worry, though, you'll assimilate soon enough. Well, gotta get back to work. People need direction, and those supplies aren't going to assemble themselves!" Adrian stands to leave and the office dissolves.

  I lean forward and rub my temples. I think my jovial brother has just given me a headache. Assimilate? That sounds like a term straight from the Equality Movement. But maybe that's my problem. Why am I trying so hard to be different? Because I was raised contrary to the Community's guidelines? Did my parents do us a disservice by having us play those games?

  I reflect on those evenings with my family. We always knew when it was time to play the games. Every night between 7 and 8 o' clock the steady whir of the cameras in our house would shut off. I don't know if the Community was trying to save energy or what, but regardless, we were left with an hour each evening with no threat of intrusion into our private lives.

  It started out with stupid things Adrian and I did, like seeing who could make the other laugh first or who could hold their breath longer. Then my mother formalized our activities and we started having nightly competitions. The minute the cameras turned off we'd race to my mom to find out what she had planned. She'd place a Hydration capsule in front of us after we ran laps around the house and instruct us not to take it. Or we'd see who could stand on one foot or hold a rock in their outstretched hand the longest. One time she walked around the house and knocked things over or dropped things at random, and we'd jump up and try to be the first to find whatever is was to set it straight again. My mom had new games almost every night. They were all different, but most had a common theme: don't give in.

  Sometimes my dad would come up with games too, but they'd usually involve helping one of the neighbors. Adrian hated when we did this, but I always thought it was kind of fun. Most nights near the end of that hour my parents would pray. I'd see them in their room, kneeling together and taking turns talking out loud. Sometimes I'd be confused at some of the things they said, but I never asked them about it. I didn't even know that what they were doing was called praying until Adrian explained it to me. Once I asked my mom who she and dad were talking to. She smiled, and after some hesitation, she said: "someone who cares."

  After my father died, we stopped playing the games for a while. But my mother kept praying, all by herself. Some days she'd spend that whole hour when the cameras shut off praying in her room while I took care of Daniel. He was only 3 then. I remember hoping that the person she was talking to still cared.

  A year later, when Adrian started
his Service, my mother suddenly started the games again. It was almost comical to watch Daniel try to grasp the concepts. I felt bad competing against him, but soon enough he began to understand, and I often found myself struggling to beat a toddler. I guess, in a way, the games were how the three of us were able to cope with the loss of my father. They were a reminder that we are in charge of how we react to the tests life presents to us.

  I jump up as I realize no one else is in the lounge anymore. I don't know how long I've been sitting here reminiscing about my family. I might already be late for the lecture. Hoping there's still time, I take a chance with my Amplifier.

  "Mari, get into your seat in the lecture room by 4:30."

  My body explodes into a run. I clear out of the recreation lounge in seconds and wince as I realize that I haven't been running in weeks. Once outside, my body goes into a series of gymnastic maneuvers, allowing me to cover the distance with flips and jumps much faster than I would have by merely running. I finish with an elaborate spin through the air as I reach the doors of the building. I sprint down the hall and catch a glimpse of a clock. I only have a few seconds.

  The door to the lecture room is just starting to close as it comes into view. I dart through the opening. Almost everyone is already in their seats, meaning that I'll have to climb over quite a few people to get to my chair. However, the Amplifier apparently doesn't see this as a problem. I jump onto the table nearest me, startling the people who are sitting at it, and then leap animal-like from table to table until I land conspicuously in my seat next to Alia in the third row.

  I wish I would have just chosen to be late.

  Talina is fuming, and everyone is staring at me in disbelief. I feel my cheeks reddening. I look down and nervously rub the end of my shortened finger. I'm wishing I could just crawl under the table.

  "Mari," Talina says coldly, "this isn't the Coliseum. There is no need for elaborate displays in the classroom."

  "I'm sorry, I was just running late and I wanted to get here on time," I reply feebly.

  "Well, I appreciate your commitment," she remarks, although she says it in a way that makes it clear that she does not appreciate my commitment. "Next time, try to keep in mind — "

  She is cut short by someone bursting through the door. Everyone turns around in their seats to see the latecomer.

  It's Liam, but it takes me a few seconds to recognize him.

  "Wow," Alia whispers, "he looks good."

  And he does look good. Apart from the fact that he looks like he's going to collapse, he's actually very attractive. His facial features are sharper and more handsome now that his chubby cheeks are gone, and he's wearing a smaller, tighter uniform that shows off his defined upper body and newly flattened stomach. It really is impressive. And a little unnerving.

  There are gasps and whispers from around the room. I look back at Talina, wondering how she's going to react. To my surprise, she's smiling.

  "Liam, go get some sleep," she tells him, "you deserve it."

  For a minute, it seems like Liam might just stay because he's enjoying all the attention of his peers. But after a moment, he concedes.

  "Ok, thanks," he says simply as he turns to leave. It might be my imagination, but I'm pretty sure he flexed his buttocks before walking out.

  "All right, everyone," Talina announces, still smiling a little, "let's talk about how to diffuse explosives."

  Everyone's looking at Talina, but it's obvious that we're all still a little distracted. For my part, I'm just grateful that Liam's transformation was shocking enough to make everyone forget about my extravagant entrance.

  Chapter 18

  I wince as I watch Cassidy make contact with the live cables a second time. She screams and starts flailing around, apparently losing all resolve to free herself. After a few seconds, Justin shuts off the power to the room and Cassidy goes limp, hanging over a low cable.

  We've finally found out the purpose of the electrocution-jungle room: to test our agility and flexibility by maneuvering through the cables without getting shocked. When we reach the other side of the room, we're supposed to press a button that retracts the cables so we can easily cross back to the entrance. Justin, in his overbearing way, has been monitoring our progress. Although, I can't say his help is unwelcome. No one wants to be stuck in dozens of jolt-infused cables, and so far, not one of us has made it to the button.

  Cassidy groans and half-falls off the cable, looking drained as she limps back to the group. She stands behind me and says, "At first I kinda liked the shocks, but then they just started wiping me out." I give her an odd look and she shrugs her shoulders.

  "You guys have got to think harder!" Justin growls, turning the power back on and reigniting the electricity of the dangerous cables. "You have unlimited possibilities with your Amplifiers, use them! You're all being too narrow-minded!"

  "Will you give us a hint?" Someone asks from the back of the group.

  "No!" Justin spits. "That's the problem! You're used to being given everything! You've got to think for yourselves!"

  We all fall silent. So far, we've watched dozens of trainees climb walls, do intricate acrobatics, shimmy across the floor, and execute massive feats of strength in an attempt to get past the cables, all to no avail. I'm starting to wonder what kind of mental creativity is needed to overcome this course. Suddenly, a girl near me breaks the silence.

  "But, aren't inventive ideas contrary to the Equality Movement?" She ventures. "I mean, if it's really important, then we can just rely on the Override, right?" Justin stares at her blankly, then exhales deeply, shakes his head, and walks away.

  We all look around at each other awkwardly, I guess searching for a clue as to what to do next. Eventually, the group starts to disperse, wandering off to various other parts of the Coliseum. I linger behind, studying the cable jungle and thinking about what that girl said. She did have a point; the Equality Movement does discourage extraordinary behavior and we've been conditioned to receive answers and special skills just for the asking. So why would anyone go to any length to excel or succeed?

  I glance around. Everyone from the group has left and the people closest to me are busy watching two people fighting in the pool. I peer through the cables again, trying to see a path to the button on the wall, but every clear route ends in an almost solid tangle of cables. I walk forward almost involuntarily, knowing with every step that I'm probably making a huge mistake. Am I really going to try to get through this room without someone here to shut off the power?

  I look at the angles of the cables, trying to figure out how I'm going to have to contort my body to get through them. I remember watching an old movie on our holograph machine about a school group that competed in a unique type of dance. What was it called again? After a moment I remember.

  "Mari, break dance through the cables to get to the button."

  I drop to the floor and my body wriggles in a wavelike motion underneath the first two cables. My legs kick up and suddenly I'm upright again, clearing several more cables by hopping from one foot to the other. I bend backwards and slide underneath a particularly low-hanging wire, then plant my hands on the floor behind me and spin my body past a group of tightly clumped cords. I jump in between a set of low and high cables, noticing that they sway dangerously close to my head when I pass through. I do a flip off of one hand, and land directly on top of one of the cables.

  The shocks course through my body. It's not strong enough to knock me out, but it hurts like crazy and makes it hard to think straight. I fall to the floor, thankfully in a spot clear of the cables, but I'm in the middle of the room and my body is still attempting to dance. I kick up again and go into a spinning flip, rotating one and a half times and landing in a low handstand. My legs lower to pass through a couple wires, but don't get low enough and instead get twisted up in them.

  I cry out as my body starts convulsing, a combination of the electrocution of the cables and my body still trying to complete the command. I
'm hanging upside down, becoming more tangled in the wires with every move I make, like a fly caught in a spider web. I'm in agony, and the repeated jolts from the wires are starting to burn through the pants of my uniform. I'm beginning to lose consciousness when suddenly the electric shocks cease.

  I let myself hang there for a moment, trying to get up the energy to detach myself from the cords. I crane my neck to look behind me and see that someone is standing by the power switch. The person walks toward me and soon I can see that it's Liam.

  "You really like to get yourself into dangerous situations, don't you?" Liam comments, with just a slight hint of mockery in his voice. I barely have the energy to respond.

  "Help," I croak. My throat is dry. I must have been yelling more than I realized. Liam gingerly pulls my feet out of the cables and sets them on the floor.

  "Looks like you'll need a new uniform," Liam says, eyeing the burnt holes in my pant legs.

  "Yeah," I say weakly, "maybe I can have your old one."

  Liam snickers. "Sure, if you want to wear a tent."

  I look up at him. It's still weird to see him all toned and trim. I slowly get to my feet.

  "How is it that you're always the one to come to my rescue?" I ask him.

  "Maybe I'm your guardian angel," he jokes, winking. "Plus, you're someone I don't want to lose," he adds more seriously. I smile, but I don't really know what to make of that comment. He's saved me twice now, but that could just be a coincidence. Maybe he's just observant and happens to help a lot of people out. In any case, I want to change the subject.