The Dissenters

by Lauren M. Flauding

  The funeral was awful. Hundreds of people died from the virus, and the Community held a mass funeral for all of the victims. They were mostly children, since the virus started in the schools. There were also a few Amplified people who were killed by it, mainly those who were intoxicated, meaning their Amplifiers were useless. Daniel was the only non-Amplified person to survive the virus.

  I was almost too late that night when I stole the Digest capsules. Daniel maybe only had minutes to live when I walked in and found him lifeless on the floor. But I forced the capsules into his mouth and then dragged him to the bathroom for the very unpleasant business of the virus eradicating itself from his body. He was so weak at the end of it that I gave him half of my week's ration of Nutrition capsules.

  They buried the bodies in a field just outside of Compound T, right next to the graves from the last epidemic six years ago. After the funeral, I searched through the modest headstones until I found my father's grave. I stood there talking to the cement slab with his name engraved on it as if it were actually my father. I rambled on for an hour, talking about how much I missed him, and about having my Amplification removed and how sometimes I wished I hadn't, about my true feelings for Miles, and finally about how Daniel almost died from the virus. I don't know if he was listening, but somehow I felt better when I left.

  They've suspended school and labor on account of the virus, as well as numerous complications with the war. The attack at the Outer Reaches was supposed to inflict a huge amount of damage on the enemy, but it turns out the mission was extremely ineffective. The North knew our soldiers were coming and cleared out their weapons and resources hours before they arrived. Then the North managed to steal all of the trucks, leaving our troops without transportation. Now there are hundreds of soldiers stranded in the Outer Reaches and the Community is tied up trying to bring them back. As for me, I'm using my free time to search for the Dissenter base.

  It's probably a futile search. All I know for certain is that the base is underground. I'm walking in the direction that Miles drove off the other night, guessing that he was heading there, but for the most part, I'm just wandering around in the desert, listening to the music on my ancient device, and hoping that I miraculously stumble upon it.

  I don't know why I feel such an urge to find the Dissenter base. I don't even know if I want to be a Dissenter, or if they'll even let me become one. I guess I just want the facts on what's actually happening with this war, and I'd like to read more of my ancestor's journal. All right, and I'd like to see Miles again, I admit to myself. He's still my friend even if he is dating that dumb Sabrina girl.

  After about 3 miles I come upon a sign stating that I'm crossing out of the Community's perimeter and that Amplifiers are not effective beyond this point. Good thing I'm not Amplified, then, I think with a slight twinge of bitterness. Less than a mile after I pass the sign, I trip on something and fall flat on my face. When I look back to see what brought me down, I almost scream. It's a human skull.

  I stagger away from the skull only to find that there are dozens of human skeletons strewn all over the place, some more intact than others. I walk slowly past the bones, trying not to think too hard about what I'm seeing. I've heard stories about things like this, but I never believed them. Stories about people who got intoxicated or lost and went beyond the range of the central control tower, rendering their Amplifiers useless, and didn't have enough personal willpower to get themselves back inside the perimeter. I didn't think anyone could be that dependent on an Amplifier. Apparently I'm wrong.

  The skeletons become more sparse as I continue forward, but my skin still crawls at the memory of them. Guess I'll have a story to tell Daniel when I get home. He's been a little stir crazy since my mom has made him rest for the past week to recover from the virus. I've never seen the kid so aggravated. I don't blame him, though. I wouldn't want to lay around having to think about how a bunch of my classmates died while I survived. I know he's grateful to still be living, but it comes with a lot of irrational guilt. He and my mom were both gone when I left the house this morning. They probably went to visit Adrian or something.

  I've walked about five miles and I'm thinking about turning back when I spot a structure roughly a quarter mile off to my right. I head toward it and as I get closer I see it's a small shack. I approach it hesitantly. It's really too small for anyone to be living in, but with the war going on, it's hard to tell what's probable anymore. There are several sets of footprints surrounding the small hut, and I feel my heart rate quickening, hoping that I've finally found something that will lead me to the base.

  The small door opens easily and I step into the cramped space. I inhale the stale air and inspect the room. The only things of significance are a broken cabinet and what looks to be a trap door in the floor. I crouch down and lift the wooden board with trembling fingers, catching my breath when it opens to reveal what might be a small tunnel.

  This is it! I think excitedly, pulling a flashlight out of my pocket. I shine the beam down the tunnel and see... a hole. I jump down into it. It's so shallow I'm only in it up to my hips. I blow my hair out of my face, frustrated that I've come to a literal dead end. I go over every inch of the three-foot hole to make sure I'm not missing anything, but all I see is compacted, unyielding dirt.

  I finally leave the shack and begin trudging back to my compound, wishing I hadn't gotten my hopes up. But something feels off. I stop and look back at the structure one last time. The footprints, the trap door... it seems so contrived, as if it were intentionally there to mislead. On a hunch I start walking in the opposite direction of the shack, which takes me up a small hill. I'm just past the crest of the hill when I fall into a hole.

  And this one is much deeper than three feet.

  Chapter 13

  I come up out of the water gasping, my body tingling from the impact of hitting the lake's surface so hard. It's incredibly cold, especially compared to the desert heat I was in moments ago. I'm numb and my body aches, but I'm overcome with a feeling of triumph. I've found it! I'm in the Dissenter base! There's no question I've fallen into the cavernous lake I saw when I was at the base before; it'd be hard to forget these beautiful limestone walls. I pull the ancient music device out of my pocket and feel a twinge of sadness as I realize it's probably ruined. I start to swim toward the lighted hallway of the base when suddenly my sense of triumph turns into terror.

  I feel something big swim past my leg. A few moments later something slides across my back. I swim to the nearest wall, hoping I can get out of the water, but the walls are too slick. I put my back against the smooth stone and watch the lake nervously. There is movement everywhere, but I still can't tell what is in the water with me.

  Suddenly, the head of a massive snake breaks the surface and comes straight at me. I scream and instinctively kick at the creature. My foot miraculously connects with the side of its head. The snake retreats, but as I look across the lake, I see the water teeming with what I can only imagine are dozens more of these monstrous reptiles. I'm absolutely terrified, but I can't stay where I am. My best and only course of action is to try to make it to the base opening.

  I push off from the wall and swim furiously toward the hallway. After only a few strokes, I feel something wrap around my legs. I manage to shake it off, but the next time I'm not so lucky. A snake emerges in front of my face, its mouth open wide. I lunge back in horror, choking on water and desperately flailing my arms, trying to get as far away as possible from its intimidating fangs. It wraps its slick body around my waist and pulls me under the water.

  I struggle to free myself, but with every move the serpent squeezes me tighter. I wish I were Amplified, I think desperately, although I can't be sure that even an Amplifier could save me in this situation. I'm starting to black out when all at once the creature releases me. With my last bit of strength I push up to the surface. Glorious air fills my lungs as I come out of the water. I've never been so grateful to breathe. There's some sort
of large, floating ball near me. I grab on to it and feel myself being pulled to the base.

  Someone helps me over a low wall and I collapse on the ground, wheezing and sputtering as I try to catch my breath. My vision slowly clears and I see a familiar young face with a turned up nose and curly, black hair.

  "Mari Quillen, you sure put yourself in a lot of dangerous situations."

  "Felix?"

  "You remember me!" He exclaims, beaming.

  I slowly get to my feet and look at Felix, who's holding a rope with the floating ball in one hand and a harpoon in the other.

  "You killed it?" I ask him shakily, trying to rid my mind of the images of the horrific snakes.

  "Probably."

  "What are those things?"

  "They're python-anaconda hybrids," Felix responds easily. "They're not venomous, though, so they're really not that bad."

  I stare wide-eyed at Felix. I don't know what a python or an anaconda is, but I do know those creatures in the lake are deadly, with or without venom.

  "Well, thanks for rescuing me," I state gratefully, "I was drowning out there."

  "No problem," Felix answers. He seems to be blushing a little.

  "Hey Felix!" A voice calls out from down the hall. "What are you doing?" Felix freezes and suddenly looks terrified. I follow his stare and wonder why he'd be so afraid of the woman hobbling toward us. She has deep wrinkles in her face and long white hair that falls past her shoulders, but her blue eyes are bright and alarmingly fierce. "You have about 30 seconds to get that girl out of sight," she barks at Felix.

  "What's going on?" I ask, but Felix is so flustered he doesn't answer.

  The woman continues to lumber forward, struggling to move faster than she is capable.

  "Young lady, you need to come with me," she commands, grabbing my arm.

  "Who are you?"

  "Who I am is unimportant," she mutters, attempting to drag me into a side room, "but you are Marianna Quillen, and it is imperative that you leave this hallway right now."

  "Hold on," I respond, resisting her pull, "I'd like to know why-"

  But the rest of my request is drowned out by the noise of hundreds of Dissenters pouring into the hallway from both sides. The woman releases me and throws her hands in the air.

  "Well, it was only a matter of time," she concedes, shaking her head as she fades into the converging crowd.

  The first person I recognize is Blaine, my unofficial tour guide from my first visit. I raise my hand to wave at him, but when he sees me, his face fills with anger. He turns to Felix.

  "How did she get in here?" He demands.

  "I was watching on the monitors, I promise!" Felix replies earnestly. "She went to the shack and then it looked like she was heading home, so I stepped out for a minute. The next thing I know, she's in the lake, and I couldn't just let her die!"

  "Oh yes, you could have," Blaine fires back sharply.

  I stare at him in disbelief, but he is unapologetic.

  "Security and secrecy are our greatest advantage, which you have compromised," he states.

  I want to defend myself, but I'm distracted when I see Talina, my former head trainer, in the crowd. She catches my eye and winks at me, although she looks a little concerned. I'm shocked to see her here. I wonder how long she's been with the Dissenters.

  It grows increasingly quiet as more people become aware of my presence. The general chatter gives way to nervous whispering and I'm becoming self conscious from all the staring. I search for Miles among all the faces and finally spot him near a wall, standing next to Sabrina. He looks like he can't decide whether to laugh or cry. I turn around to find Felix, but he's not there. What I find instead is something that shakes me to my core.

  If I thought seeing Talina here was shocking, it was nothing compared to this. Standing in front of me, one looking serene and the other looking sheepish, are my mother and my little brother, Daniel.

  Chapter 14

  "Well, this is awkward," Daniel observes, even though he actually looks thrilled about the situation. My mom reaches out and pulls me into her embrace.

  "Honey, I'm sorry you had to find out this way," she says gently. "It was just too dangerous with you having been Amplified and the special attention you were receiving from the Governor."

  I am speechless. How could I not have known? Was I really so preoccupied with Amplification and my own problems that I failed to notice that my mom and brother were part of a dangerous, anti-Community group being hunted by the Governor and the Restrainers? This is so surreal. I'm trying to process everything that this new revelation entails, but my head is reeling. All I can manage to get out is: "How long?"

  "Well, mom and dad were with the Dissenters before any of us were born," Daniel pipes up, "but I only joined a couple years ago."

  This new piece of information grounds me, but something else is off. It's the way my brother's acting. Or rather, speaking.

  "Daniel, your stutter..."

  "Oh, that," he answers with a sly grin. "I fake a speech impediment so that I'm less likely to be suspected in the Community."

  "What?" I exclaim louder than I mean to, making my voice echo off the walls of the cavern. I look back and forth between the two of them, who both smile at me innocently. I feel betrayed. I can't believe Daniel has been deceiving me all this time with a fake stutter. And my own mother, who I should be able to trust implicitly, has been leading a double life with the Dissenters. I mean, they're my family, and I love them, but I kind of want to punch them both in the face right now.

  "How about you three head over to the library," interrupts the old woman who tried to hide me. "It appears you have a lot to talk about."

  "Thank you, Roxy," my mom responds as she gently takes hold of me and Daniel and starts walking forward. I look around and see that the other Dissenters are staring at us. I guess this Roxy lady doesn't want us discussing our family issues in front of everyone. Miles raises his eyebrows at me as we pass, but I don't have the capacity to worry about him right now, I'm too absorbed with my deceitful family.

  I've calmed down a little by the time we reach the library, but I'm still pretty irritated about the situation.

  "Why did you keep this from me?" I ask, turning to face my mother.

  "It was for your protection," my mom states, "and quite frankly, for ours as well. You were so enamored with the Amplifiers for so long, I didn't know if it'd be safe to let you know about our affiliation."

  "What, you thought I'd turn you in?"

  "Of course I hoped you wouldn't, Mari, but people change. You must see that with your older brother. Plus, I wanted you to come to your own decision about the Amplifiers. I didn't want you to be swayed by my involvement with the Dissenters."

  "So what about Daniel, then," I counter, gesturing to my brother, "why did you tell him? Doesn't he also have a right to an unbiased view of Amplification?"

  "Daniel decided he wanted to join the Dissenters before he even knew I was with them."

  "Yeah," Daniel interjects, defending himself, "I saw too many people become completely dependent on the Amplifiers, and I didn't want to be part of that."

  I stare at Daniel, still stunned at how smoothly he's speaking. I can't help shaking my head in disbelief.

  "You've seriously been faking a stutter all this time?"

  "No, I really did have trouble talking when I was young," he admits, "but I got over it when I was 7. Mom convinced me to keep pretending I had a stutter."

  "To make you less of a target," I say. "Does it really work?"

  "Of course," my mother cuts in. "Why do you think I've chosen to stay blind all these years?"

  I sigh and fall into an old armchair, sending up a small cloud of dust.

  "So what exactly is it that you guys do for the Dissenters?" I ask wearily, not sure I want to know the answer.

  "We're spies," my mother responds simply, as if being an agent for a secretive organization attempting to destroy the Community was the
most natural thing in the world. "Well, I'm a spy," she corrects, "Daniel's more of a messenger."

  "Like a spy in training," Daniel adds.

  They're both just standing there, smiling at me, like I should be happy about this. I mean, sure, my view of the Dissenters has lightened up a bit since I was in Training, but I'm still a little uncomfortable that half of my family has been in league with rebel forces behind my back. I lean forward and put my head in my hands. It's still a little too much to process.

  "Well, this will make for some interesting conversations back at home," I mutter. My mother and Daniel both shift uncomfortably. I stare at them expectantly, wondering what I said that suddenly made them so hesitant.

  "Mari," my mother starts, "we're usually only here at the base once or twice a month to deliver information, and for big meetings, like today. But since school and labor are suspended and the war is becoming so dangerous, we've decided to move here permanently."

  This is just too much.

  "Are you serious?" I yell. "Were you planning on telling me this or were you just going to abandon me at the house?"

  "Of course we were going to tell you."

  "When?"

  But before my mom can answer, the door opens and Roxy comes hobbling in.

  "We've come to a consensus about how to deal with her," she announces, pointing a knobby finger at me." She'll defend her actions before the committee tomorrow morning. Until that time, she can stay in one of the holding cells."

  "Roxy, couldn't she stay in one of the vacant dwelling spaces?" My mother pleads. "You shouldn't treat her like a prisoner."

  "Well, Felicia, she shouldn't have come looking for our base," Roxy counters. "Now come on, it's time for dinner."

  ____________

  "Hey Jerry, would you pass the rolls?"

  "Sure, as long as you dish me up some of that chicken."

  I watch in shock as the Dissenters eat, loading up their plates with fruits, vegetables, and a lot of other weird substances I'm not familiar with. I remember seeing films in school about when people used to eat real food, before there were any capsules, but I never imagined I'd see it happen in real life.