Test Subjects: Joy (Subject 23) and Ben (Subject 24) Winterly, Fraternal
Joy Winterly was my name before I was reassigned to the Larks.
Age: 10 weeks
That can't be right. I was assigned to the Larks upon birth, after my immediate establishment as a Level Two.
Treatment: 10 weeks of human genetic engineering to increase intelligence potential. Weekly Injection of Serum 528a to modify alleles to raise cognitive ability.
Suddenly the room grows too warm. My breathing becomes rapid, but I continue reading.
Result: Subject 23, moderate increase of fifteen points. New classification Level Two. To be reassigned.
Compensation: 100,000 credits for the successful upgrade of Subject 23.
Result 2: Subject 24, slight increase of 3 points. Continue with testing.
Compensation: 10,000 credits per agreed on testing round.
At the bottom is an electronic confirmation signed by Bess and Devan, allowing the testing on Ben to continue.
I was born a Level One?
The sound of a familiar whimper permeates my mind and grows into full-blown shrieking. Without a doubt the crying is Ben's. Somehow I know it's the same crying I asked Bess about earlier. The vision‒‒no, memory‒‒from the park overwhelms me, and I throw my hands to my ears to force the sound to stop, but it won't. I've balled up, pulling my legs from the floor onto the chair and hugging myself, rocking back and forth.
What was it the medic said?
"None of them last long."
Eventually, the sounds in my head dissipate. I let out a long sigh and quickly close out the file. I continue putting together the puzzle with quick, shallow breaths.
Direction put Ben and me through some sort of horrific study, and Bess and Devan allowed it for credits. Then Ben died from the virus, and Devan probably couldn't handle the guilt of what he'd conceded to and ran away.
Fury smolders in my center.
Noise from outside the office gives me a start, and I quickly log off the system and unlink my device. I flee to the safety of the sofa, throwing the blankets over my head.
I'm done sleeping. I've been asleep far too long.
5
The light streaming through the living room window can't arrive soon enough. Curfew will lift soon, and I'll leave before Bess wakes. I fold the blankets and look down at my slept-in running clothes, making my heart drop. With everything that happened last night, I hadn't considered the need to go home and change before the first day at GenTech.
I check the time. 5:30. Not enough time remains to chance the extra stop after curfew lifts at 6:00, not for my first day. I'll have to borrow something from Bess.
Feeling trapped, I rub my face. I've spent years hiding emotions though. Hiding my anger with Bess shouldn't be a problem.
As a distraction, and because my stomach is growling, I walk to the kitchen to order breakfast. When Bess finally comes out, I have somehow managed to order bacon, eggs, toast, and orange juice from the food dispenser. I don't know why I ordered food for her as well as myself.
"Morning, Avlyn," she chirps. "I hope the couch was okay."
I wince but muster out an "Acceptable." Countless questions race through my mind, and I ram them away. "I ordered breakfast."
"I see that." She smiles. "What a treat to have another person prepare a meal for me."
Then we stand and stare at each other, the air sucked from the room. This is my standard relationship with Bess. Last night, I let my guard down.
My eyes tighten before she breaks the silence with a "Thank you," paired with a quizzical look. She walks toward the table to sit while eyeing my clothes. "You know we're close to the same size. Want to borrow an outfit?"
I hesitate, but I'm paying the price of staying out too late. It's either take her offer, or arrive at GenTech in running gear.
"Yes." I sigh and wave her away, not looking.
She stands and goes into her room, returning with a smoke-gray outfit similar to the style I wear. I take it and sit, gulping my meal in silence.
"I need to get ready," I say after I've finished.
Bess looks up from her plate. "Sure. You can use my bathroom. The shower's broken in the other."
I snatch the clothes and my bag and head back through her room. Inside, I undress and stuff my dirty clothes into my satchel, then fiddle with the shower controls. The water's cold for some reason, so I make quick work and hop out to brush and dry my hair.
Shivering, I pull on the clean outfit. It's itchy, but a perfect fit. I tug at the collar. The pair of shoes Bess left is a different story. I squeeze them onto my feet, but the toes pinch. Running shoes will have to do.
After finishing, I quietly slip through the bedroom where Bess, her back to me, chooses her own clothes from a drawer. Invisibility would be a superb trait right now.
If only.
Instead, I keep my attention to the floor and tiptoe through the open bedroom door into the living room.
"Oh good! The clothes fit," she announces from behind.
I don't acknowledge her as I grab my handheld from the couch. Without warning, the media viewer bursts on with a morning auto-play of a Direction Initiative Broadcast concerning the function and relevance of each Level. I whip toward the screen and stare for a moment, transfixed.
Ask her about the experiments. About Ben.
The thoughts swirl mercilessly in my head.
"I… I need to leave," I stammer. "I'm counting last night as our last meeting."
As I turn, the corners of her mouth droop. A pang rips through my gut, but I clench my Flexx tighter. The rush of hot blood through my neck urges me to turn and bolt out the front door, but not before I get one last look at the door to Ben's old room.
I take the stairs and sprint out of the building, pausing outside to compose myself. In the daylight, the cracks in the sidewalk and the faded and peeling paint on the buildings show clearly. This part of the city is partially left over from before the Collapse, with few of the upgrades found in Levels Two and Three.
For a moment, I stand, shaking and panting. A man bumps my side. "Sorry," he mutters without turning back.
Half expecting Bess to have followed me out, I check over my shoulder, but she's not there. I turn to move, but the way to work has slipped my mind, despite memorizing the route yesterday. The recovered files and thoughts of Ben continue to spin through my brain instead.
I rub the back of my neck and exhale, long and steady. Reason returns.
I need to get to GenTech.
I lift my Flexx to order an auto taxi and go to scroll for the app, but find it's already open.
Strange. Must have launched it accidently.
I push my finger to confirm. An electric surge moves from the screen up my hand and arm. Everything goes white, and I yank my hand back, but the pain and white is gone. With a gasp, I glance at my hand and the citizens passing me to check if they saw anything, but they only pass as if the morning is like any other.
I gingerly tap the app again. No shock, but it doesn't open.
"Figures," I mutter as a public air shuttle whooshes past. I shudder at the thought of flying. Father took me on it once when I was small. Despite his urging, I screamed until we got off at the next stop. No thanks, the handheld can guide me just fine.
Overhead, the Guardian and Aerrx drones whirl, no longer spectacular. More like jailors. I push past any Level One citizens blocking my way, the scratchiness of Bess's clothes burning my skin.
As I walk, sweat pours down the back of my neck. I wipe it and check the map on the handheld. Suddenly I don't feel well at all, but if I keep focused, the trip to GenTech should take approximately thirty minutes at this current pace. There are forty-five minutes until I'm late.
Staring at the blurry, spinning screen, I make headway through the masses, but bodies seem to press into mine and push me back the other way. Everything takes on a white, hazy appearance.
Where did all these peopl
e come from?
My throat tenses. Gasping, I try to yell, "Stop, please!" but nothing comes out. Their eyes avoid mine, and people continue to press on. I stumble to the ground, but no one stops to help, so I pull in my limbs to avoid trampling feet. Attempting to stand, a hand grabs my upper arm and yanks me against the corner of a building.
I hear a muffled "Avlyn, what's wrong with you? You shouldn't even be here."
I spin to look up at my savior, the boy who was leaning against Bess's building last night. He's still wearing the same black hooded jacket, and his concerned eyes, nearly as dark as the fabric, pierce mine. Behind him, the crowd has disappeared.
I bob to see past him. "Where'd they go?"
"Who?" he asks.
"The crowd of people."
He squints slightly, giving me a confused look. "Avlyn, you need to get to work."
"Wait… you know my name?"
The boy smiles widely. "I gotta go. You'll be fine. GenTech is the right place for you."
He turns and I watch, still stunned, as the tall boy with wavy brown hair rushes down the street. He turns and taps the ancient watch on his wrist.
"You're late," he mouths.
I whip back toward the street leading out of Level One. The pedestrian traffic seems normal. Heavy, but not the same crushing mass of people as before.
Did I imagine the crowd?
Something in me wants to follow him, but he's right. I have to leave.
After a beat, I make it about twenty feet when a crack like thunder sends me flying to the ground again. Hard. With a smack, my device hits the concrete and my hands rake over the sidewalk, stinging my palms. When I look up, I'm not the only one seeing chaos this time.
Two bodies litter the ground around me. Both breathing... not dead. The scent of acrid burning fills the air, and my eyes sting. Heat brushes at my back and shoulders, and Guardian drones swarm the area. Turning, I spot the lobby of a workplace, blown apart, and three, no, at least four large drone units lying on the ground in front of it in flaming pieces.
A bomb?
All around, citizens scramble. Screams break through the ringing in my ears. Across the building behind the drones are the words:
YOU'VE BEEN LIED TO
I swivel my head around to assess the scene. I can't be here, not in Level One. There will be questions. Direction might think I'm involved.
My head clears and I look down at myself to make sure I'm all right, noticing a tiny tear in my pants on the thigh. My back and knees protest from the fall, but the chaos provides me with an opportunity to dash out of Level One. There's no one here to stop me yet.
I grab for my Flexx and bolt.
The buildings streak past, and I check the time again. Ten minutes. I speed up to avoid being late and having to explain being in the wrong part of the city.
The map on the screen marks GenTech at 164 feet away. Right on time. Sweat soaks the back of my shirt, the chilly air nipping at my skin.
Finally, when I bound through the front door, I slow to a stop. Air fights to satisfy the burn in my lungs, and when I decide I'll still live, I walk toward the open lobby.
Sterile walls reflect the polished floors; the scent of antiseptic fills the air. The ceiling extends at least twenty-five floors, and the glass walls and elevator mean there's nowhere to hide. Aerrx delivery drones float through the exposed ceiling and floors, some clinging to packages. Both humans carrying weapons and drone Guardians speckle the room. At this point, I'm unsure if they make me feel safe, or terrified.
The check-in station line waits, and I head toward it. My head pounds with each step, and my body is aching to crawl into a corner and curl up. In the reflection of a mirrored wall, I catch sight of my face, flushed and sweaty. I smooth my flyaway hair and wipe at the streaks of dirt staining my pants. Anyone might think I'd been through a war zone. Perhaps I have.
When I reach the front of the line, a petite woman gives me a once-over, eyebrows raised. I straighten and cover the tear on my thigh, meeting her gaze. Without a word, she turns back to the line. Waiting, I keep my head held high and avoid staring at any one person for too long. A floating Synthetic Intelligence attendant instructs me to touch a pad for an identity scan. Fortunately, SI don't have eyes, and it doesn't concern itself with my appearance.
"Avlyn Lark, please proceed to Suite 846 for orientation," the attendant says.
Immediately, my handheld vibrates, and the screen displays the identical instructions, including directions to 846.
A man behind me clears his throat, prompting me to slip out of the way. I straighten again and move over to the elevator to wait with several other employees. The transparent doors open, and we enter and begin the ascent. At floor eight, I exit the cleared doors, met by a viewer screen ahead displaying an arrow pointing to the left.
NEW PLACEMENT ORIENTATION, SUITE 846
I follow the corridor, running shoes squeaking on the polished tile. I groan and clench my teeth, then pick up my feet the rest of the way.
Inside the room, a young man sits at a table, hair combed perfectly. I don't recognize his face, and assume he must have attended another university. The boy with impeccable caramel hair stops working on a handheld and turns to me, raising an eyebrow.
A viewer screen at the front of the room displays the company logo and slogan:
GENESIS TECHNOLOGIES: MAKING LIFE BETTER
With no place for my hands, I drop them to my side. "Is… is this the place for the orientation?" I ask.
Narrowing his brown eyes, the boy stares at me for a moment. "It is," he replies, then blinks and returns to his Flexx.
After a sigh, I find a seat across from him and try to appear busy on my device, but if anyone looked closely, they'd see I was dragging my fingers across a blank screen. I can't focus. After finding out about the experiments performed on Ben and me, and then the attack I'd just witnessed, it's no wonder. But if I look busy, I look normal.
With a flicker, the logo disappears from the screen and a man with creases around his eyes appears on the viewer.
"Greetings, new citizens," he announces.
We snap straight in our seats and repeat in unison, "Greetings."
"Daniel Carter?" the man reads.
"Present."
"Avlyn Lark?"
I swallow. "Yes."
"Welcome to your first day at Genesis Technologies," the man on the screen says. "We are pleased you will join us in aiding Direction in Making Life Better. My name is Neil Waters, and I will walk you through today prior to meeting your SI assistant for the week."
Making Life Better? My life could certainly get better.
* * *
A few hours later, I not only know the complete history of GenTech, but also what happens if I break their nondisclosure agreement. If found guilty, I'd be labeled undirected, re-educated, and demoted to Level One permanently. We may remove none of the system hardware from the GenTech building. Anything we used during the day must be returned to its proper place by end of day or, at minimum, we will be fined for the loss, or, at worst, relieved of our job.
Daniel looks almost bored from this morning's orientation. He probably did the research I should have. None of this is new information to him.
"Lastly," Mr. Waters says, "as the newest members in Information Security, the two of you will be competing for advancement in the division over the next thirty days. The loser will work without pay for one week, and then your salary will be reassessed. You will not be informed of the specifics, but be aware that your performance is under scrutiny at all times." Mr. Waters' face grows even more serious than it's been all day. "Keep in mind that we do not take false accusations lightly. Sabotage will not be tolerated."
The viewing screen returns to display the GenTech logo, and Daniel straightens and turns to me. "Avlyn, right?"
I nod.
"Up for the challenge?" He smirks. A calculating look washes over his face. This guy is the last thing I need right now.
/> "Daniel, after my morning, working here will not be a problem."
I don't know why I even said it. It's like it wasn't even my voice.
His eyes rake over me, making any bit of bravado shrink back.
"Let's see who gets the promotion then, since you are so confident," he replies.
I open my mouth to respond, but the SI attendants arrive to escort us. Daniel and I silently continue to the Information Security Division. The eight inches he has on me, coupled with the thick air of superiority hanging around him makes me step to the back of the elevator. Direct competition was never part of my training at university, and now I have one more pair of eyes focusing on me.
We step from the cab onto the InfoSec floor, SIs floating alongside us. Our guides direct us to a room of drab cubicles. Daniel locates his station near the front. I'm a few cubicles down. As I move past him, his stare burns into the back of my head. I never should have responded to him that way. Remaining invisible is my way of life, why slip up today?
The other workers sit with headsets on, completely oblivious to the new girl. At least that's something.
My cubicle consists of a viewing screen with a projected keypad in front of it. To the side is a sleek, gray headset for Virtual Reality live coding tasks. I sit on the chair in front of it and connect to my new GenTech account, affixing the headset on top of my eyes. The VR activates.
INFORMATION SECURITY DIVISION DRILLS FOR A. LARK runs along the bottom of my vision as the InfoSec suite disappears and is replaced by a single stark desk with a viewing screen and keypad. No window, no other people, just me and a crude, digital version of my AI assistant. From university, I'm well aware the VR increases our productivity, but I've always hated it. It's so lonely, but that's the point.
"For the first three days, you will learn the Genesis Technologies system through practicing removing network security threats," says the assistant. "Each drill today evaluates your ability to find potential security breaches. Testing will be on speed and accuracy. Additional instructions may be found within the program. After that, you will move on with the primary Information Security team, working to keep the server mainframe protected. In addition, as a new team member, you may be required to perform physical information security. If you need assistance, you may page me." It adds, "You may take two allotted breaks a day, and a thirty-minute lunch. I will accompany you at all times for your first week."
Configured: (Book #1 in the Configured Trilogy) Page 5