Solstice

by Jane Redd

  The woman opened her mouth to answer, and I was appalled to see that she had several broken teeth in her mouth. Weren’t the C Level people taught to care for their teeth?

  “Who wants t’ know?” the woman whispered back, seeming to understand I didn’t want to be overheard.

  “She used to be at the University with me. She was Demoted.”

  The woman’s eyes glimmered. She actually looked excited. There was more emotion on her face then all the other women put together. “We don’t ’ave any University people on my team. No one’s new.” She glanced over at the other women, but they didn’t seem to be paying attention. “When someone’s Demoted, it takes ’em a while to recover from punishment.”

  “Punishment?” Wasn’t living under the conditions these women were in punishment enough? I looked down the row of women, seeing anew their damaged skin, limp hair, pale complexions, thin bodies, and expressionless eyes.

  The woman laughed, actually laughed. No one seemed to notice—perhaps they were used to this woman’s display of behavior. “Never ’eard about the punishments, eh?” Her voice remained low, so I had to stay close to hear, even though my nose wrinkled at her odor. “Maybe less of you’d break rules if you knew ’bout the punishments.” She gave me a broken-toothed grin.

  “What type of punishments?”

  Her green eyes brightened. “Break you hard . . . s’you don’t get any mighty ideas of moving up to no higher level.”

  I shivered. Break you hard . . . Serah was nearly finished with her five women. I had fallen behind. I wanted to question the woman further, but I settled for asking, “If you see my friend Chalice, can you let me know in your report?”

  The woman gazed at me, distrust in her eyes.

  “I’ll bring you a gift next time—something from the University,” I said.

  The woman’s eyes brightened, but still she looked like she was considering.

  “My name is Jezebel,” I said. “What’s yours?”

  She hesitated, then finally said, “Ruth.”

  “Thank you, Ruth.” I touched her hand, and she raised her brows.

  I moved onto the next woman and hurried to catch up with Serah. When I finished with the others, Serah and Daniel were waiting for me.

  Daniel went through the reporting procedure until all the women seemed to understand. The official who’d accompanied them agreed to help them if there were any problems. We watched the women leave the room, their little packets of cream in their hands. Just before stepping through the door, Ruth looked back at me.

  We followed the professor out the way we’d come, and I slowed when the ocean came into view. There seemed to be even more boats now, all heading in different directions, but no sign of the raft. Fog had crept in, clinging to the edges of the docks. Soon, the afternoon would fade to dark, and it would be impossible to see the ocean.

  As pre-approved by the University board, we’d be allowed to visit our test subjects in two more weeks. They’d fill out their reports daily, and on the fourteenth day, we’d complete our observations and record the progress in person.

  On the tram ride back to the University, I stared out the window at the gray, hardly processing the passing buildings. I couldn’t get what Ruth had said about the Demoted out of my mind. What kind of punishments were they subjected to? Were they sent to an experimental lab like I had been? Were they altered?

  My eyes stung. I missed Chalice, and knowing what might be happening to her made me want to find her all the more. Was it true what Sol said? That if this science project was successful, I might be able to make a special request?

  But if Chalice was ‘broken’ and had no desire to return to a higher level, or was incapable of it . . . I shuddered. I’d seen her when she was altered—she hadn’t remembered me then.

  Would she remember anything now?

  Thirty-four

  We were nearing the University when the tram came to an abrupt stop. Daniel, Serah, and I jerked forward. Dr. Luke looked up from his tablet, bracing himself against his seat.

  Two officials stepped onto the tram, carrying small transponders. The tram was nearly full with passengers by now. At each stop farther from the ocean, more and more people had boarded.

  The serious look on the officials’ faces told me not to ask any questions. They approached each person, holding the transponders to each shoulder and scanning their Harmony implants.

  They were identifying us.

  They were looking for someone.

  My heart raced as the officials moved through the crowd, starting on the opposite side of the tram from where I sat, checking Harmony implants one by one. I heard Serah inhale sharply next to me, and Daniel was gripping the sides of his seat, his hands turning blotchy red and white. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think both of them were afraid. And then I started noticing other people’s reactions. Most were dead calm, but a handful looked genuinely nervous.

  Had Rueben been right? Were there Clinicals all over the city? Did some of these people, like me, have a secret they were worried about being uncovered?

  As the officials moved to the middle of the tram, my mouth went dry. I looked out the window toward the University. Even from a block away, I could see that there was a crowd gathered in front of the gates.

  Something big was happening. They must be looking for someone connected with the University. I looked at the people inside the tram.

  One official stopped in front of our professor across the aisle and held up the transponder. For a split second, I thought I saw a trace of nervousness cross Dr. Luke’s brow, but it was gone as quickly as it’d come.

  “What’s going on?” Serah whispered next to me. “Why are they blocking the University entrance?”

  “I don’t know,” I whispered back, but dread had pooled in my stomach. The officials were getting closer. Then, on the outskirts of the crowd, I saw Sol. His tall form stood out clearly among the officials. He wore a black coat, matching his dark hair. It looked as if he’d been standing in the rain for a while with no umbrella or hood.

  And he was staring right at the tram.

  My throat tightened. Did he know which tram I was on? Was he with the officials on another manhunt like he’d been for the cult members?

  Fear surged through me. Everyone on the tram had noticed the crowd at the University by now and had started to murmur, their voices questioning.

  I glanced over at the officials. They had moved on from our professor; who had returned to looking almost bored. Had I imagined his anxiety?

  One of the officials reached Daniel. Soon it would be my turn. My hands felt slippery with perspiration.

  Everything seemed to slow as I thought about what they could possibly arrest me for. I’d done some research, yes, but it was all explainable under the guise of science project. I had kept every curfew and every rule for weeks. Besides, anything else might be a test, right?

  I had controlled my emotions, and if anyone knew what Sol had said to me, he wouldn’t be out in that crowd. The transponder readout must have been satisfactory for Daniel because now the official was moving onto someone else.

  Instinctively, I scooted away from Serah and sidestepped my way toward the door. Sol was still watching the tram, his eyes so focused that I imagined he could see right through the metal sides and into my heart.

  No matter how I tried to talk myself out of it, I was sure this had something to do with me. Had I asked Ruth too many questions? Had they found Rueben, and he named me as an accomplice after all? Or had Sol confessed his secret to the University and they were waiting to arrest us together?

  I slipped through the people as slowly as possible, trying to avoid attracting any attention. The doors to the tram now stood open, but there were several officials just outside, their eyes searching for something. Or someone.

  I froze. It would be impossible to leave the tram. I looked up the street again. Sol was on the other side of it now, standing near a building. Our eyes met, and
I knew for sure he’d seen me this time.

  The tram started up suddenly, and the officials shouted for it to stop. We were thrown against each other as the tram jerked to a stop again. I used the jostling to move to the other side of the tram, hoping I could escape the transponder reading. One of the officials announced, “If you’ve been cleared you can leave. This tram is now out of service.”

  I moved with those leaving, my heart pounding so hard in my ears that I couldn’t decipher the conversations around me. One glance behind told me that Serah had noticed my escape. She stared after me, her eyes hard and small.

  I turned from her quickly, hoping to get off before she could alert anyone. Sol was watching me climb off the tram. I met his gaze and wished that I could ask him what was happening. He gave me a slight nod and then suddenly disappeared into the group of officials. Where had he gone? Was he going to turn me in now?

  I exhaled and continued walking toward the University, relieved my implant hadn’t been read, but knowing there was really no place to hide now. They could find me in my room or track me.

  More people were leaving the tram, and we moved as a unit toward the University gates. It looked as if the officials had set up check points to evaluate each person before entering. I could see another tram beyond the University, facing the opposite direction. It had been detained as well. People were coming off that tram and being divided up, some of them ushered to the gates.

  I glanced behind me. I couldn’t see Daniel or Serah yet, or even Dr. Luke. I didn’t know what I’d say to explain my actions to Serah. I was now about half a block from the University gates, and didn’t know what to do. If I was who they were looking for, I’d surely be caught at the next check point.

  Everything in my body screamed to run, but there was nowhere to go. I tried to keep my pace normal, acting as if I had no worries.

  Then I saw Sol. He was coming straight toward me, threading his way against the crowd. I didn’t know whether to get out of his way or to wait and face him. There was no expression in his eyes as he walked toward me, but he stared straight at me.

  It was starting to grow dark and the twilight hour was a dirty gray as the rain drizzled from the endless clouds above.

  Then Sol took a hard right, straight into an alley between two buildings.

  I nearly stopped walking, but forced myself to move. He had been looking right at me before he turned. Did he want me to follow him?

  My stomach gripped as I tried to decide what to do.

  As the crowd moved past the alley, I turned and went into it, too. I didn’t dare look behind me. Up ahead, Sol was nearing the end of the alley. Without looking back, he turned toward the right.

  I hurried down the narrow street, wanting to run, but if I were caught I’d have to come up with some explanation and running wouldn’t help my case.

  When I reached the end of the alley, Sol was nearly half a block ahead of me down the small tree-lined street. It was the neighborhood where the professors lived and in between the apartment buildings were small parks filled with trees and unused benches. Some architect had been overly optimistic that anyone would actually use these areas in the drizzling rain. The ones in the B section had been renovated into more apartment buildings years ago.

  Sol’s dark jacket disappeared in the foliage up ahead. I slowed my step even more and glanced around. The street was empty; it seemed all the excitement was reserved for the University.

  I moved toward the spot where he’d disappeared. I kept glancing around as I approached the area, expecting officials to burst through the alley at any moment, or for a professor to come out of his apartment building and question me.

  With a deep breath, I crossed the street and stepped into the trees. The street lamps hadn’t come on yet, and in between the trees it was as dark as night.

  Something grabbed my hand. I gasped. “Sol?”

  His other hand was on my waist. I inhaled sharply as my heart stuttered. “What are you doing? What’s going on?”

  “I had to talk to you,” he whispered, his mouth close to my ear.

  I shivered, not from cold, but from his nearness. His hand moved to my back as he pulled me into a hug. I was so surprised that I held my breath, not knowing what to think.

  “Are they looking for me?” I asked.

  But he didn’t release me; in fact, he held me tighter. This wasn’t good. I thought the weeks of separation would have put more distance between us, would have helped him forget. Maybe he had. But there was something wrong now, and he seemed scared.

  “Sol,” I said, reluctantly pulling way. “What’s going on?”

  He let me move away, but still leaned close. “It’s Chalice.”

  Chalice . . . not me. “Where is she?” My heart thumped in dread, but at the same time I was relieved that this wasn’t about me. Had she escaped? Why were they searching for her at the University?

  “She was Banished,” Sol said.

  My stomach twisted. I’d expected him to tell me that she was in a prison somewhere, being punished, or questioned, or that she’d escaped and they were looking for her. As horrible as it would be to learn that about Chalice, hearing about her being Banished was not what I expected. I grabbed at Sol’s shirt, feeling as if I might blackout. “What do you mean?” The words themselves seemed self-explanatory, but I hoped with all my heart I hadn’t understood.

  “She was Banished from the city,” Sol said.

  “I thought she was Demoted.” And then punished. But at least that sounded better than Banished.

  “I found the listing on a professor’s tablet,” he said. “I read the full report.”

  “What did it say?” I wondered how he came to be on a professor’s tablet.

  Sol looked around at the darkness, then lowered his head to mine, and spoke quietly. “I don’t have time to tell you everything, but she confessed while she was being held—something about how she’d reversed her altering.”

  I inhaled. They must have tortured the information out of her.

  “Do you know anything about what she confessed?” Sol said.

  I hesitated only for a second. “Yes.” I felt Sol’s gaze on me, but I couldn’t meet his eyes. “We reversed the altering by . . . accident.”

  He groaned. “That explains it.”

  I was afraid to ask what he meant. I was afraid to think about it.

  “You and Chalice have some very dangerous information. Chalice is gone now. About an hour ago, a notice went out to the University that you’re under criminal investigation.”

  “So the tram stop and the officials at the gate . . . are for me?” My mind reeled—the officials, the transponders, the blocked gates—everyone was looking for me.

  “Yes.” Sol’s voice was thick with concern.

  I wanted to throw up. I would be Demoted, maybe Banished. “When was Chalice Banished?” I choked out.

  “Yesterday.” He watched me intently.

  Tears burned in my eyes, but I forced myself to stay composed. “What else did the report say?” I took a step away from him, putting distance between us. I had to think; I needed as much information as possible before I had to face questioning.

  “Jez, we only have a few minutes before they find us,” Sol said.

  I swallowed against the thick dread in my throat. Would they Banish me, too? “It isn’t right they Banished Chalice. It was my fault that it happened. We agreed not to tell anyone.” I looked up at Sol. “Even you.”

  And just like that, Chalice’s final message to me was suddenly clear: Don’t talk to Sol. Chalice knew that if Sol learned our secret, he could be implicated, too. And by standing here, with Sol, I was doing just that.

  “Don’t you see, Jez,” he said quickly, “if we knew how to reverse the altering by ourselves, the people could become more powerful than the Legislature.”

  “So they’ll do anything to stop this information.” I exhaled. “And all the people they’ve altered could be reversed.” Tears gathered
in my eyes. I thought of Chalice and wondered what was happening to her. Was she floating on a raft in the vast waters, traveling aimlessly at the mercy of the great swells? Suddenly I understood why she went with the cult. She was trying to hide the reversal. She was trying to protect me.

  “She . . .” my voice faltered, “was trying to protect me.” Tears fell onto my cheeks now. “She thought if she got Demoted and put enough distance between us, there would be no connection between us, nothing to link me to the crime.”

  Sol’s fingers touched my tears, absorbing them. I leaned into his warm hand. The temperature was dropping fast as the darkness settled in. I had missed Sol so much, missed seeing him, talking to him. With him so close I was experiencing the pain anew. My heart hurt for Sol, for Chalice. “Don’t you see, Sol? She was Banished because of me.”

  “Don’t say that.”

  “It’s true . . .” Suddenly I wanted to tell Sol everything. “She went through punishment after she left.” I took a deep breath. “A woman in the C Level told me today. We were there applying our test cream and I asked if anyone that had been Demoted was in their group. She told me about the punishments. She said they break you.”

  Sol was quiet for a moment. “They must have dragged the information out of Chalice.”

  “When she gave herself up as a cult member, it must have become obvious that she was no longer altered. And someone got her to admit how it happened.” My chest hurt, and it was hard to breathe.

  We probably only had minutes left before someone discovered us, but all I wanted to do with whatever time I had left was lean into Sol and wrap my arms around him. I wanted to feel safe, even if it was for only a moment. Even if it wasn’t real.

  What if this was our final moment together? I hadn’t known when my last would be with Chalice or with Rueben. And now, I was facing Sol. We could be caught in a matter of minutes—seconds. There was nowhere to hide.

  Anger burned through my chest. We were all just waiting to be caught. We were all one infraction away from Demotion or Banishment. The image of the Lake People on the crude raft and the group of officials who’d refused to help them kept coming to my mind.