The Sorting Room

by Angelina Singer

  “Oh no, my wrist is glowing again…” Onyx taps it for her. “Uh, hello?” “Hi Luna, it’s Jade. I was just wondering where you are. I contacted you fifteen minutes ago. Is there a reason why you aren’t here yet? There are many orbs to be sorted, we need your help…” “Oh, I’m sorry, I… um…” Onyx interrupts her, and starts speaking into her wrist for her. “Jade, Onyx here. Luna, as you know, is a very new recruit, and is in the midst of an emotional episode. I would politely like to request that you please try to manage without her for just a bit. I’m here with her, and I’m going to try to help her reconcile her concerns. It’s better for the process that way, anyway - you wouldn’t want her to be distracted in the midst of such crucially important work.” Jade is silent for a moment, but then responds in a reluctantly courteous manner. “Hmmm… yes, of course. If you feel that is truly necessary. Please make haste though. She is needed here at the earliest convenience.” “Yes, of course.” And Onyx squeezes her wrist to end the call.

  “Now, would you like to tell me why you’re so scared? There’s no reason to be, really. I just want to be able to help you, but I can’t do that if you don’t tell me what’s bothering you.” Luna nods her head through the tears, hoping her face doesn’t look as gross as it feels.

  “I just… I can’t make sense of the pressure that’s on me. I’m paralyzed by fear and I feel sick inside. I can’t do this… can you tell Jade that I can’t? That I just can’t.” Onyx strokes her wet cheek with his soft hand, and for a few minutes, he just sits next to her on the floor in the middle of her habitation pod, letting her cry, as she buries her wet face in his broad shoulder.

  After a small eternity of pain and fear erupting in Luna’s small, frail body, Onyx releases his embrace. Luna looks up at him with a level of confusion more akin to hurt than lack of understanding. “Would you, stay with me a bit longer?” Her deep violet eyes glowed with a deep fear that seemed to surpass even the best of any and all encouragement.

  “Well, you know I can’t hold you forever. You’ll have to be brave eventually.” Luna pouts her lower lip. “Why? Why do I have to?” Onyx brushes a stray hair off of her face. “Because being a Sorter is your role. Everyone follows their role. It’s your destined job in the Upperworld and you just… have to do it. It’s really not as bad as you think. I’m sorry if Jade scared you - I’ve been meaning to talk to her about being less harsh to our new recruits - you’re not the first one to be pretty upset by her antics.” Although I’ve never seen one be completely debilitated on the floor before. There is a first time for everything, I suppose. It’s as if Luna experiences emotions… more powerfully than other recruits.

  CHAPTER 7

  “So I really have to get up now?” Onyx smiles at her and rubs her back. “Well, if not right now, then perhaps quite soon. Just think: the sooner you get to the Sorting Room, the sooner you’ll get used to everything, and you won’t be scared anymore. And before you know it, your shift will be over, and you can come back here if you want. So how about we get to it?”

  Luna is none too happy about the arrangement, but nods her head slowly, as if testing the idea in her own mind before verbally expressing it out loud. “Wonderful. Let’s go.” Luna opens the door, and they both exit her habitation pod.

  “Okay, so if you’ll follow me out of the New Arrivals District, we’ll get back onto the main path, and be in the Sorting Room shortly. Do you have any more questions for me while we’re walking?” Luna shakes her head. “I really don’t want to think about it.”

  The purple sky was shimmering the way it always does, but Luna found it to be a bit blinding. Even the pleasantly tepid air typical of the Upperworld around Luna had more of a suffocating effect. Something just wasn’t feeling right, but she has no idea how to talk to Onyx about it. She can sense something is very, very off. But she has no idea what. And even if she did, what could she possibly do about it?

  For some unknown reason even to her, Luna grabs Onyx’s hand as they walk - likely as a source of comfort and security, each of her dainty fingers entwined with his. He offers her a gentle squeeze, and her small, frail, pale hand in his larger, stronger one suddenly feels protected and safe.

  ✷✷✷

  “Okay, Luna. Here we are. If you need me at any time, just - ” “No!” Luna stops him mid-sentence with a desperate plea and a desperate arm around his waist. “I mean, would you, maybe, if you don’t mind… could you please stay with me for a bit while I work? Make sure I do it correctly? I’m still trying to figure out how this works, and I’d feel safer if I wasn’t alone. Please?”

  Onyx could sense the desperation in her voice, the way her tone has a certain higher-pitched lilt that signals her immediate need without wanting to look pathetic. He knows Luna has already managed to build a successful facade which casts a shadow for her to cower in. The poor girl needs to gain some confidence, and he was set on giving it to her. As much as he wants to baby her and just make every fear disappear into the thin haze of the Sorting Room, he knew that she would have to learn to fly on her own, and his over-abundant presence would only prolong and hamper the necessary process. But for some reason, this was one recruit that he couldn’t seem to shake. Usually with a new recruit (as he’s trained many in his four hundred years of existence), he sends them off on their merry way shortly after they are settled into their home and all their questions have been answered. Luna was… different somehow. There was something about her that was subconsciously drawing him to her. It was deeply embedded in his spirit, like an old habit that’s hard to break. There seemed to be greater powers at work that were causing Luna to cling to him for dear life like an abandoned child, and him to cling right back to her as if she was… something equally as meaningful to him. But unlike every other recruit and every other post he’s held in the Upperworld, there was nothing logical about her. The inherently strange hold she had on him made him question everything, and he had to force himself to be careful about clipping her proverbial wings before she even has a chance to fly.

  “Well, I really shouldn’t - ” Luna’s puffy lip made him question his resolve. He wanted her to figure things out on her own. It was so obvious that something about her experience just wasn’t right. There was something cooking under Luna’s dark-as-raven hair that even she likely couldn’t even detect. But he breaks his resolve, as the tears she shed earlier proved that she may be an appropriate candidate for further guidance.

  “Okay, I will. But just for a bit. I want you to be able to operate autonomously as soon as possible. I can’t stay with you forever…”

  “What? What do you mean you ‘can’t stay with me forever’? You told me in the utero chamber that you ‘won’t leave’ me. That’s my earliest memory of you. Why did you change your mind? Was I not what you thought I was? Did I do something wrong? What’s going on, Onyx?”

  Onyx scratched his head in clear discomfort. “I… uh… that’s what I say to all the new recruits. You were… in pain. Molecular bonding is one of the worst things you’ll experience in the Upperworld. I wanted to ease your suffering, and I suppose I should have been more careful before I promised something that I couldn’t keep. I’m sorry, Luna.”

  The hurt in her bright violet eyes is palpable. Onyx feels hurt to see her suffer this way. “Luna, I’ll do whatever you need me to. But you must realize that realistically, you’ll have to grow beyond my assistance at some point. Only when you don’t need me anymore will I leave you. Until then, I’m all yours. Just… try to learn things. Don’t let the fear trap you like this. Your job requires a certain level of strength and intuition. Let your essence guide you. What you need is already inside of you.”

  “But Onyx…” “Shush. Just compose yourself. It is high time to face your fear. I’ll stay with you for a bit until you get the hang of things, even though it is quite unorthodox.”

  Luna, though still troubled by Onyx’s strained promise and odd reaction, seems pleased with his response. She is still nervous, but manages to d
ry her tears and heads into the Sorting Room with Onyx by her side.

  “Well look who decided to show up. Welcome, Luna.” Jade’s snide greeting is immediately met with Onyx’s defense. “Jade, go easy on her. She’s had… a difficult time adjusting and is still lacking inner confidence.” Jade is annoyed at his rebuttal but holds her tongue, as the hierarchy dictates that Onyx is stationed over her. “Alrighty then. We’ll take good care of her here. On your way, Onyx…” She’s basically pushing him out the main entrance when he stops her dead in her tracks. “No, actually, Luna has requested that I stay with her while she’s figuring out her job. I’ll leave when she’s comfortable.”

  Jade shakes her head. “Oh, but that’s quite unheard of. We need her to - ” Onyx raises a hand in front of Jade’s flapping lips. “She needs what I say she needs. I am her guide. And I will assert myself less politely if challenged any further. Have I made myself clear?” Jade scowls back at him, her already plain-jane face becoming even more ghastly with a good measure of disgust thrown in.

  “As you wish.” She turns abruptly away from them both, likely to manage another area of the Sorting Room.

  “Okay, Luna. Let’s get you acclimated now. Go on, go get an orb. You can do this.” Luna slowly nods, biting her lip to stop the tears before they slide down her face yet again.

  Slowly, yet with a clear intent, Luna marches to the opposite side of the Sorting Room, Onyx silently following her, to the distributor pipe. She slowly, yet deliberately, raises her hand under the pipe, until a small, wet, orb makes contact with her skin. The tiny being was yet unmade, unborn, and nearly inexistent, and yet she was immediately compelled by the importance of it all. The life she held in her hand left a lasting impression in her mind, an impression that would not soon be forgotten, no matter how many centuries she lived for.

  “Okay, now take it to the tagging station. Let’s learn a bit about this being, shall we?” Luna nods, focusing all her attention on not dropping the small creature she held in the palm of her hand. The orb rolls slightly as she walks to the tagging station, and she flinches, trying desperately not to drop the beginnings of this person on the harsh, cruel floor of the Sorting Room. “So I just scan it right here?” Onyx nods. “Yes, exactly like that.” Luna looks up at the screen which is suddenly buzzing with life.

  HUMANOID: #100000000000000000000067584982847483

  MONIKER: EDWARD ALLEN FORESTIER

  BIRTH DATE: 1987

  DEATH DATE: 2055

  GENDER: MALE / HETEROSEXUAL

  RACE: EUROPEAN

  ABILITIES:

  HUNTING, ATHLETICS, DANCING

  PROGENY: NONE

  PARTNER: #1000000000000000000008937463

  COMRADE: #1000000000000000000000000758

  “And now, is it time for me to sort him?” Onyx nods his head. “Not to worry though - you can do this.” Luna takes a good look at the tiny orb in her hand, as if staring at it long enough would get it to reveal where it should end up. “How?” Onyx places his hand on her shoulder, an affectionate sign of support and encouragement. “Close your eyes, let the orb speak to you. Let the fibers of your hand merge with the orb barrier. It will be revealed to you. Relax… breathe.” Luna does as she is told, and then looks gingerly around the Sorting Room for a sign. And then she notices something.

  “Onyx… that tube over there… it’s glowing. Why is it glowing?” Onyx smiles. “Well, from what I can see… it’s not glowing at all.” Luna’s face looks quite confused and twisted with frustration at this point. “What do you mean? It’s obviously glowing… how do you not see it?” “Luna, only the one holding the orb can see where it is supposed to go. The orb is telling you to bring it to that one - that’s a very strong signal you’ve got there. Most Sorters merely notice a slight pulse in the back of their head, or occasionally a sparkle. That glowing, as you say… I’ve never heard that from someone before.” Luna smiles broadly. “Well, go on. Drop it in.”

  With renewed confidence, Luna brings the orb to the glowing tube and drops it in. It is immediately received, and the screen above it lights up with images of a little boy swaddled in a blue blanket. “Look - there he is!” Onyx is once again pointing to the screen excitedly. “You did that, Luna. Congratulations on your first successful sorting!”

  CHAPTER 8

  “Is that really him?” Luna couldn’t stop staring at the being on the screen, the little boy wrapped up in a blanket. She blinks, and he’s a toddler holding the hand of a parent, with a little pack on his back. His smile lit up the screen, his eyes twinkling with the energy of a life well-purposed. “I just… I can’t believe it. I did it correctly… so I don’t have to worry… I can do this!”

  Onyx nods his head, smiling at Luna and patting her on the back. “I’m so proud of you. And if you said that the tube really did glow as you say it did… you should know… that exhibits real power indeed. You have so much potential, Luna. You will be an important asset to the Sorting Room, I just know it.”

  Luna cannot contain the smile spreading on her lips - her entire being was filling with glee. “I think… I’m okay now. If you need to go, I think I’ll be all right.” Onyx is proud of her… more than even he truly knows, but he isn’t too quick to leave her side. Primarily, because leaving a new recruit too quickly could incur serious mistakes. In the lowest, most intimate sanctions of his complex mind, he does not leave her too quickly simply because he inexplicably does not want to.

  “Only if you truly think you are ready. If you need me, just call me on your implanted device anytime.” Luna nods her head. “Yes, I think I can handle this.” Onyx slowly nods. “Okay. Good luck. Sort wisely.” And with that, Onyx leaves the room, hoping with every inch of his mental faculties that Luna would not make any mistakes. He knew that she could handle the responsibility… but would she get caught up in it all?

  ✷✷✷

  As Onyx leaves the room, Luna decides to get to work on her own. She turns to the orb dispenser on the wall, which suddenly becomes all the more ominous now that she is on her own. Luna freezes in the moment, her hand glued to her side, unable to reach out and grab the orb from the receptacle. She stands there, motionless, for a solid few minutes, and is just about to call Onyx back for help when…

  “Hello there. Are you okay?” Luna turns around to see a small girl, much like herself, looking at her with kind eyes and a sweet smile. “Well, are you? Okay, that is.” Luna shakes herself out of her paralyzed state to verbally respond to this new acquaintance. “Oh, uh, yes, I’m fine. Just a little… hesitant, I guess? It’s my first official day in the Sorting Room.” The small girl looking back at her nods her head. “Actually, it’s my first day too. I’m Delphine.” She outstretches a small, frail hand, just like Luna’s. Her hair is pale pink, and tied up into a curt pony tail with a delicate white ribbon. “Uh, I think you’re supposed to shake it.” Luna smiles out of desperation and reaches her hand to Delphine’s outstretched one. “Oh, right. I’m still trying to learn all this stuff. It’s… hard to grasp everything, when you’re new here.” Delphine nods emphatically. “Oh my gosh, I feel exactly the same way! When were you created?” “Uh… well, the whole lack of time thing here kind of confuses me. Recently, I suppose.” Delphine nods. “Me too, I think. Well, Luna, we’re going to figure this out together.” Luna smiles. “So, who is your guide?” Delphine thinks for a minute. “Oh yeah, his name is Evander.” Luna nods courteously, even though she doesn’t know him at all. “Well, I don’t think I’ve met him. But anyway, my guide is Onyx.” Delphine doesn’t seem to recognize that name either, so the two just stare at each other in silence for a moment, simultaneously trying to figure out why they met and thinking about how lucky they are to have each other.

  “Hey, you two slackers over there! Get to work. I know you’re both new and all, but there is much to be done. Get to it!” Luna and Delphine snap out of their silent conversation and nervously face Jade who snuck up behind them. “Oh, uh, sorry Jade. We, uh, we just�
��” “No excuses, newbie! Get to it!” And with that sudden outburst of annoyance, Jade zips past them to the other end of the Sorting Room, in a major huff.

  “Well, she’s kind of…” “Horrible. Wretched. Banefully idiotic?” Luna blushes at Delphine’s fearless lack of tact, but quietly nods anyway. “Well, yeah, pretty much. But yeah, we should definitely get to it. Here goes nothing! Have you sorted one yet, Delphine?” Delphine shakes her head. “Well, not me, per se. My guide, Evander, sorted one and let me watch while he explained the process. But this will be my first ever, and I’m terrified. If something goes wrong… I’m so scared.” “That’s how I felt this morning. Onyx had to nearly drag me out of my habitation pod. But then, when I successfully sorted one with him nearby, I felt better. That’s when I told him that he could leave if he wanted to. He was a little hesitant about it, since I was so worried before. But then he left, so I’m on my own, and you caught me in the middle of another meltdown, actually. I’ll demonstrate for you again, maybe that’ll help?”

  Delphine slowly nods, her soft pink hair bouncing at the nape of her neck. Her frail physique had even a more helpless appearance than Luna - somehow, Luna had gotten stronger while Delphine remained weak and worried. In that moment, Luna vowed to help Delphine, no matter what that entailed. Although they were roughly of the same chronological “age”, she felt older, wiser, and stronger than her new friend. Her relatively more-experienced status gave Luna hope that she not only could do this, but perhaps help someone else too.