SHATTERED

by S. C. Deutsch

  Ana had never considered teaching Jax violence, so this rule was not a problem. However, she planned on teaching Jax to communicate and that was something she wanted to keep secret. Having no choice but to agree, she nodded, deciding she would have to teach Jax privately.

  “First, let us discuss the killing of the Cham-vars.”

  Ana had no idea what a Cham-var was, but the fact the Vice Premier used the plural form told her he meant the dragons. She knew the killing was going to be brought up but decided to let the Vice Premier talk, taking her cues from him. She just had to remember to keep the answers the same as those Snick was going to give.

  “You interfered in another detainee’s sentence. The only time that is allowed is if the detainee’s life is in imminent danger. But the detainee is supposed to handle the situation first. You did not allow the boy to do that. Instead, you took him in, told him what to expect, then drew the Cham-vars away, not allowing him to properly serve his sentence and thereby making it uncertain as to whether he learned the lesson he was supposed to.

  “However, we are a bit surprised at your actions. We’ve never had a detainee offer themselves up to save another. You had no idea if your actions would work or if you would survive. But you never hesitated, willing to sacrifice yourself to save a boy you didn’t know. The officers in charge of presiding over the island were in conflict about how to handle it. The directives are clear, and you failed to follow them. But you did something no one else ever has, and they feel you should not be punished for doing what you felt was morally right.”

  Ana was surprised. She thought saving Snick would go very, very badly, and the fact the government respected her actions was unbelievable.

  “What about Nickai?” she asked, worried they might still punish him.

  “Mr. Burson will suffer no consequences, although he will be lectured about what happened. Should he commit another offense, we will not be so lenient again.”

  Ana wasn’t sure she believed the Vice Premier. Having no other option, she decided to take him at his word but sincerely hoped Snick chose to leave with Jan, not confident with the Vice Premier’s promises.

  “On to the vines. You killed fish but didn’t eat them. You fed them to the vines.”

  “The directive said I could kill for food. But it never said who the food had to be for. I was faced with a puzzle and found a solution. Without breaking the rules.”

  “Well played, Miss Swift,” the Vice Premier said, tenting his hands over his half-eaten meal. “Well played, indeed. We were wondering how you would get around that little test and you performed well beyond our expectations. I am impressed. Both with how you did it and how you defended your solution. You will not be punished for this.”

  Ana smiled inwardly. She knew she was going to win this one.

  “However, the next few offenses are much more serious. The first was your direct disobedience about searching for information on the island.”

  Ana felt the ground tilt. This was going to be much more complicated.

  “Please explain why you disobeyed a direct order, Miss Swift.”

  “I’ve always liked geography and the island intrigued me,” she replied, offering a half-truth. “Before going, I had never heard anything about it. I was researching something for a history class, saw a map from the Great War, and began to think about the location of different places, including the island. I certainly didn’t mean to give the appearance of something bad.”

  “Hmmm,” the Vice Premier responded, tapping his lip. “That sounds reasonable, but you still did something you knew was expressly forbidden. We will get back to the punishment later.

  “You made contact with someone from the camp.”

  Ana felt the ground slip a little more and struggled to keep her wits about her.

  “The list of directives gave explicit instructions regarding your interactions with the camp residents. Yet you still managed to convince the leader to come to the glade where you left him a message.”

  Ana knew her explanation might not work but had to try.

  “You said I couldn’t talk to anyone from the camp. I never spoke to the leader. I left a message.”

  “Miss Swift, while we were willing to allow you some leeway with the directive regarding the food, we cannot with this one. You knew you were not supposed to contact anyone, yet you did. The fact it was done in writing makes it no less serious.”

  “The directive said I couldn’t talk to anyone. Or seek help. I didn’t do either.”

  “What did the message say.”

  Ana felt the ground slip again and tried to grasp onto something that would keep her from falling.

  “I had no idea if anyone knew I was in the glade and wanted to stay there until it was time to leave. I left a message for the leader, telling him not to come find me, not to contact me, and to walk away if he saw me.”

  “Anything else?”

  “I told him I missed him and was sorry we couldn’t meet,” she replied, hoping to convince the Vice Premier further. “And I told him to stay safe.”

  “Did he respond?”

  Ana wasn’t sure how to answer. This looked like another trap. Time to tell another half-truth.

  “Yes. He said he was sorry we couldn’t talk, he would honor my wishes, and he missed me, too.”

  “Nothing else?”

  “Maybe. It rained heavily and by the time I got back, the writing had started to wash away. What I told you was all I could see. There might have been more, but I don’t know.”

  “Did he honor your request?”

  The ground now at almost a ninety-degree angle, Ana felt like she was hanging on by a thread. Thinking furiously, she decided to admit one last thing, knowing Jan would be out of the Vice Premier’s reach soon.

  “He showed up this morning, right before I left.”

  The Vice Premier looked surprised, but Ana wasn’t sure if it was because Jan had met with her or that she admitted it.

  “What happened? Remember, you were still on the island and forbidden to talk to him. Did you say anything? And if so, why would you decide to break that rule, knowing you were minutes from leaving?”

  “Yes, I spoke to him. Because I couldn’t run. The yacht was already offshore and if I fled, I’d miss my ride.”

  “What did you do?”

  “I told him to leave. I was mad he hadn’t listened. And it hurt that he insisted on seeing me, knowing it would be the last time.”

  “And?”

  Ana lowered her head as if embarrassed. Which she was, a little. But what she was about to say would only make her story more believable.

  “He kissed me.”

  “Really, now,” the Vice Premier said, a tone of slight disbelief tinging his words.

  Ana felt her temper rising. How dare he mock her for admitting something so personal.

  “Yes, sir, he kissed me. And I kissed him back. Then I told him good-bye, grabbed the pack and Jax, and left.”

  The Vice Premier sat for a few moments, mulling the information over. Coming to a decision, he flipped another couple of pages before looking at Ana again.

  “Well, Miss Swift, it seems you do indeed have a problem with authority. On the one hand, you knowingly disobeyed orders. But on the other, you have done so with cunning, creative thinking, and the best intentions. Because of this, we are now going to offer you a choice.”

  “A choice? What kind of choice?”

  “You now get to decide the direction your life will take. Are you willing to hear the choices?”

  Ana busied herself with a cup of tea, noticing the yacht had started moving. She knew she should probably eat, but the stress of navigating the Vice Premier’s questions as well as the fear over what the choices might be made her nauseous. She hoped the tea settled her stomach, not wanting to be sick in front of this man.

  “Why am I being given a choice?” she asked, both to buy some time and because she really did want to know. “Why not just punish me and be
done with it?”

  “I will be honest with you, Miss Swift,” he replied. “There are several reasons. First, you didn’t learn your lesson the first time. You disobeyed a rule, were punished, but continued disobeying more rules. We don’t believe normal punishment will have a lasting effect.

  “Second, you are incredibly smart, unbelievably clever, and one of the most intriguing persons I’ve ever met. Punishing you severely might break a spirit that could be very useful elsewhere.

  “Third, there is the matter of the Ra-mur. The bonding you have with the animal is something never seen before. The scientists had given up hope when it was discovered the creatures refused to harm humans. They were released on the island, left to survive or not. They have become useful, in their own way, but your interactions with it as well as the relationship it was building with your brother have reawakened an interest in them and we would like to see where that relationship leads.

  “Finally, we believe you could have a very long, very lucrative career working with us. Your intelligence, tenacity, and high ethical standards are just the type of things we are always looking for. Therefore, we are giving you a choice. One that will ultimately decide your fate.”

  Ana was shocked. The Vice Premier was giving her information usually kept hidden. She wondered what the choices were, having no desire to work for a government that was so cruel. She assumed neither choice would be desirable and now understood what the pilot and Jan had meant. Her life was about to change drastically. Again.

  “I’m ready,” she said somewhat reluctantly.

  “You can attend the Atlantica Academy for Progressive Studies. The one where the best and brightest are sent. You will have some say in what you study, but we will ultimately decide which jobs we believe you are best suited for. We will try to work on matching you with something in your range of interest, of course.”

  “And Jax?”

  “We are making an exception for the Ra-mur. Usually, no animals are allowed. But in this instance, we want the animal with you as much as possible. It will also make it easier to keep tabs on the animal, making sure she is safe and monitoring her progress.”

  “She won’t be hurt, will she? You guys aren’t going to start experimenting on her, right?”

  “Of course not. That would defeat the entire purpose of any scientific studies. She will stay with you but will not be allowed to attend classes or enter the commissary. We are looking into special on-on-one instruction to see if your connection is something that will enhance each other’s learning.”

  “And the other choice?”

  “You go back to the island. On the opposite side of the river. Forever. To survive as long as you can, engaging any person you come across in battle.”

  The ground finally tilted so far Ana fell. The Vice Premier’s announcement rendered her speechless, her mouth dropping in horror and shock.

  “Like Mikal,” she whispered once she got her voice back.

  “Yes.”

  Ana started crying. She couldn’t help it. Already feeling enormous guilt over the killing, the cruel actions of the government made it a thousand times worse. MIkal had been forced to fight her and the inevitable outcome was one, or both, would end up dead. She had killed in self-defense, but the entire thing had been a set-up. Ana knew this was going to haunt her for the rest of her life.

  “Why?”

  “The island is a testing ground. But it has multiple purposes. First, it’s a way of trying to convince the younger generation to obey the rules. Incarceration almost never works, but we have found this does. Second, we can test different biowarfare creations in a setting far removed from spying eyes. Third, and most important, we can discover new talent, young people who will help make Atlantica strong while adhering to the principles that guide us. You, my dear, have performed better than anyone else ever has. We absolutely do not want to lose you, but we do not want it to be forced. Therefore, a choice.”

  “If the reason for the island is all three, what was the two-day ordeal all about? I can understand fighting the dog-bear and being separated from Jax. But the ghosts, the fire, and the inability to find a way out don’t make sense.”

  “Think, Miss Swift. What did the two-day ordeal force you to do?”

  “Fight. Run. Panic.”

  “Come, now, my dear. You’re not thinking. The things you faced. What is the connection between all of them and you?”

  Ana took several minutes to try and work it out. When it finally hit her, she looked up in both anger and disbelief.

  “You made me face my fears. That’s what it was. A test to see how I handled my deepest fears.”

  “Very good, Miss Swift. Yes. Part of what we look for in those we feel have the most potential is their ability to overcome the things that scare them the most. We researched your history, discovering your fear of ghosts from when you were quite small and your complete terror regarding anything that has to do with fire.”

  “And the dog-bear? How did you know about that?”

  “We didn’t, actually. We looked at the different things you faced on your first visit, trying to decide which one you feared more. You bested the cat, so that was already out. It came down to the Canurso or the Supyth. A consensus couldn’t be reached, so we placed a picture of each on the table, face down. I selected a picture and the Canurso was the one chosen.”

  The Vice Premier seemed proud of deciding which monster she fought, infuriating Ana. However, losing her temper would serve no purpose, so she buried it instead, vowing to pay this man back for what he had done.

  “But I failed. I didn’t overcome my fear of the fire. I couldn’t escape. It was a test with no solution. And I almost died. Not because of the fire, but because I did something stupid.”

  “And that is where you are wrong, Miss Swift. You didn’t fail. You passed. With flying colors. You never gave up trying. Had it not been for the unfortunate incident when you dove back in, we are sure you would have continued seeking a way out. That is the type of person we are looking for. Someone who never gives up, even when the odds are against them and there is no chance to survive. That is why we are willing to overlook your transgressions and offer you a choice very few are ever given.”

  “But there really is no choice, is there?” Ana asked, tears streaming down her face.

  “Miss Swift, there is always a choice. Only you can decide which course you think is best.”

  “You already know, don’t you? You know which path I’ll take.”

  “We hope you’ll join us. But you continue to surprise us with your actions, so no, we are not one-hundred percent sure.”

  Ana sighed. Despite what Vice Premier Drake said, there really was no choice.

  “I will attend the Academy. But on one condition. If you want to work with Jax and I, then I get to choose my own career when I am done.”

  The Vice Premier sat back, surprised Ana was already pushing the limits. He realized he had been more than correct. This girl was the perfect candidate for the plans the government had spent years making. He was sure they would be able to nudge her in the right direction once she began her training. If not, they could always find a way to make her do as they wished. For now, though, it was important she believe she still had some say in her life.

  “I am sure we can come to an agreement that suits everyone.”

  “Then I will go. With Jax.”

  “Excellent, excellent. Glad to have you on our team. I look forward to a long and fruitful relationship.” Vice Premier Drake reached a hand across the table, inviting Ana to shake it. Grasping it, she held it in a firm grip. His eyes lit up in amusement and he winked, earning a hard look. This was business and she wanted him to know she wouldn’t forget it.

  “Now, on to the particulars.” Vice Premier Drake closed the file and pushed it aside. “You will have ten days in your new home before a transport will arrive to take to you to the Academy. A list of what you may bring will be supplied. You will be measured for uni
forms once we reach the detention center. We already have your sizes, but those are from before your most recent stay on the island. Once you have reached your ideal weight, we will supply new uniforms that fit.

  “You will receive a package with vitamins and ingredients for the protein shake. Please follow the directions precisely. We want you healthy when you arrive at the Academy. The Ra-mur will receive a package of vitamins as well. Both of you will undergo a physical consisting of a full blood work-up, a psychological test, and diagnostics to determine if there are any undiagnosed issues. You will be contacted with the date and time and we will come to you. Please make sure you are available and do not fight or try to bluff your way through the testing.

  “During your ten days at home, you are free to do as you please, within limits. Again, you cannot speak about your experiences, you are not to engage in any research on the island or the academy, and you are not to try and contact any of the previous detainees.

  “Any deviation from these guidelines will result in your being forced to live out choice number two. Do you understand?”

  Ana was starting to feel sleepy. The effects of the shake were wearing off and her weakened condition was becoming more pronounced. Unable to handle any more questioning, she nodded, then yawned hugely.

  “I see your need for rest is reasserting itself. I was going to ask if you had any questions, but I don’t believe you will last long enough to hear the answers. Should you wake before we reach the detention center, just touch the button next to the door and Marcus will summon me. Otherwise, I will bid you farewell, although I fully intend on seeing you again. I wish you the greatest success, Miss Swift. I have high hopes for you.”

  Ana did have questions. A lot. But her exhaustion was overwhelming, and she was asleep before Vice Premier Drake finished his good-byes.

  “Yes, Miss Swift. We have very high hopes for you,” he said softly, covering Ana once again with the blanket. Jax watched through half-lidded eyes before snuggling down as the blanket fell.