It had been saved by the right people taking the correct actions when necessary. Sometimes the individual taking incisive actions may look like a monster to the commoner, but he knew better. The world was now an oasis, thanks to the State.
His last mission had ended the previous evening, getting extracted through a medical clinic then spending the night in a bunk-room on the city’s southwest end. It was a rather long commute back to the main hub. That commute was what put such a spring in his step, filling him with intrigue.
If he were to be sent on another trivial type of mission—spying on certain individuals to test their compliance—there would be no cause for him to travel all the way back to the main hub underneath the State House. He would simply receive his assignment and identification, the State would place him in a new building and civil duty, with a different set of Security officers watching.
Heading back to the hub held the potential for something greater than assessing ordinary civilians’ loyalty to the State. This time, there was a chance he could receive a new role, one higher profile and better suited to his talents. Although he had not been given specifics, he somehow knew this meeting would be with someone higher ranking than his usual superior.
He arrived at the door, gave a curt knock and stood back. Within seconds, the door opened by another military personnel, and it wasn’t anyone he knew.
They both raised their hand in a customary salute.
“00590?”
“Yes, sir, reporting in.”
He stepped back, gesturing for him to enter. “Follow me.”
He nodded and walked through the door. The room was a standard training facility complete with a combat training room and a firing range. They passed through the training space, ending at what he thought was a storage closet. Without hesitation, he followed the personnel inside.
The room appeared to have spare training materials: boxing gloves, floor mats, and old limp punching bags waiting on repair. Although in his training he had not been required to step foot inside this room, he could already tell it was a ruse.
There was another door at the far side of the room. The personnel led him through the storage space and opened the adjacent door, stepping off to the side. He stepped forward into the room and his escort closed the door behind him. He froze in place momentarily.
The room was nothing more than an interrogation room—identical to that which Security used for questioning civilians who were suspected of non-compliance. There was nothing more than a monitor secured on the opposing wall to the door and a chair for him to sit.
He took a seat. A small red light lit in the monitor. Even though the monitor remained blank, he knew he was being watched.
“Good afternoon, 00590.”
He nodded respectfully to the monitor. “Good afternoon.”
“Thank you for meeting with us. We realize this request came about rather abruptly from your mission, as you have not yet had time to properly report in or have an adequate rest.”
His lips upturned slightly. If they had brought him to this secret location, it could only mean one thing: this summon came from the High Council. For all he knew, the Head of State himself could be one of the viewers behind this blank screen.
“I’m happy to be here. I don’t require any type of sabbatical between missions.”
“Yes, we have noticed your outstanding work ethic. I’m afraid you might be too ambitious to take kindly to the new assignment we have for you. It seems trivial, small, yet I can’t find another candidate I feel more confident in.”
He nodded, working to keep his face neutral. If he was, in fact, speaking directly to the High Council, it wouldn’t matter where they placed him. The fact he was on their radar would make any mission take precedence.
“I understand that even the smallest of screws carries as much importance in any machine as the power supply. My duty is to serve the State in the best way you deem fit.”
“It fills us with great joy to hear you speak those words and confidence that we have found the right candidate.”
They are being too humble, as if they would need to grovel to me. If they feel the need to flatter me, this is most certainly a high-profile mission, he surmised.
He nodded to the screen. “I am perfectly happy to mop floors if that’s what you need of me.”
A chorus of laughter came rippling through the monitor. “Well, your task isn’t terribly far off from janitorial services. We need to you work as a caretaker of the State House grounds.”
He struggled to conceal a smile threatening to expose his delight.
I knew this would be high profile.
“Am I a part of a team? Or will I be working alone?”
Without a morsel of hesitation, they responded. “Working alone.”
Even better. My time to shine.
“How long is this mission projected to take?”
A pause, showing their first sign of hesitation. “That is yet to be determined. We cannot share any information with you at this time.”
He nodded reflectively. “What is my objective? Is there a suspicion of a conspiracy? A disloyal working inside the house?”
“We cannot share any information with you at this time,” they repeated in a calm, patient fashion. “For all intents and purposes, you are a groundskeeper. Act like one. Make friends with the workers. Blend in. You will use a military access near your new home to report in upon our request, sent through our secure line to your tablet. You will live in independent living as a widower whose wife died in childbirth.”
He laughed. “I’m curious. Has any woman ever died in childbirth?”
No laughter reciprocated through the monitor, but their tone was jovial. “Of course not—not with our careful breeding selection over the generations. But since we use it so often as a convenient cover story for our military personnel, the masses think it still happens sporadically.”
He grinned and nodded. “I look forward to my new assignment. As I am to interact with the State House workers, do I have a new identity to go with this mission?”
“Yes. We have prepared your identity and have an iron-clad file on your fabricated life. Not even the Head of State will know your history.”
He nearly flinched.
This confirms it, I am speaking directly to the High Council, and they are bringing me in to conspire against the Head of State.
He knew instantly what his mission truly was—when the time was right, he was to be the assassin who retired the current Head of State.
High profile indeed. I will be in constant communication with him. A relationship might form between us. The weaker among us can’t kill someone they have formed an attachment to, whereas I, form no attachments.
His eyes twinkled as he asked, “Great. And what will my new name be?”
“Please excuse the irony, but we chose your name in the hopes you will lead us to victory. Your name will be Victor.”
He beamed. “Wonderful. I have always liked that name.”
Chapter 9
1 Year Later
Chastity
She laughed a full-bellied laugh and slapped her hand down on the table in the common room. “Alright, you guys. That’s enough. I better get back to my studies.” She stood from the table.
“Your studies?” One of her peers asked. “It’s scheduled free time. Why are you studying?”
Chastity smiled softly. Although her years spent in Cora’s stewardship had left a bad taste in her mouth, it had taught her the value of her studies. “I like to keep on top of my work.”
The girl moaned. “That’s so dumb. We do enough school work as it is. You should keep playing games with us.”
Chastity shook her head. “No. I want to ensure I get a good civil duty. I need to have the grades for it.”
“Why do you care? They test you, then just tell you what your civil duty is. We should get our results any time now. There is nothing you can do to change what they give you.”
; Chastity shrugged. “Maybe you can, maybe you can’t. I don’t think it hurts to be prepared.”
She turned from the table and left the room. It had been nice to make new friends, but not a single one of them held a candle to Ursa. She had taken Cora’s sentiments to heart and worked hard, trying to get the best civil duty possible.
She rode the lift to her apartment and saw the monitor flashing the moment she walked in the door. As her classmate had stated, their results could be in at any moment. She activated the monitor and quickly read the message in front of her.
Chastity 319,
We are pleased to inform you that your civil duty assignment has been made. You have been selected to serve your fellow citizens and your government as an administrator. You are allotted an extra conference with your family this evening to share the news personally with them.
Please find your new education schedule and classroom assignments attached.
Regards,
The State
She sat down heavily on the sofa. Her eyes rapidly ran over the message again, and again, and again. No matter how many times she read the message, the words kept leading her to the same conclusion. No matter her supposedly superior genetics, her hard work, her focus and diligence, she had still somehow managed to wind up with a menial, low-level civil duty.
The monitor on her wall flashed again. Although her limbs felt as though they were made of lead, she rose to the monitor and activated it. Her mother's beaming face instantly filled the screen. To her surprise and revulsion, Cora was there as well.
“Hi Chastity!” Her mom nearly bounced. “We couldn’t wait for you to call us. Did you get your assignment yet?”
Her shoulders slumped. She sat with her hands curled in her lap, looking down.
“Yes, I did.”
Her mother’s face fell. “Chastity, what is the matter? Are you not pleased with the results?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know what to think. I… I am, ah, I’m going to be an administrator.”
“What’s wrong with that? Did you have your heart set on something else?”
Her mother looked to Cora, but Cora rose from the sofa with a scowl, as though a putrid scent lingered in the air. “Perhaps I should leave the two of you to talk.”
Without another word, look, or nod, Cora walked out of the room. Chastity knew somehow deep down, she had not only walked out of the room, but out of her life, forever.
As Chastity could never become someone of importance as an administrator, Cora would have no reason to speak to her. Both girls she had raised failed her, and now she would have no use for either of them.
Hope waited until Cora closed the door behind her before she resumed. “I’m sorry if you are disappointed.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I don’t understand. What’s wrong with being an administrator? It makes perfect sense to me. You have always been incredibly organized. Your communication skills, both orally and written are far above average. I think you will do quite well at this, my dear.”
Chastity shook her head, eyes filling with tears.
How did this happen? I’ve worked so hard. How did I turn out so… ordinary?
She couldn’t process the information before her. She spoke aloud with no regard to her audience. “But I am the daughter of two brilliant scientists. I worked so hard at school.”
Her mother moved closer to the monitor. “Chastity, that has very little to do with it. Your civil duty assignment isn’t simply about how smart you are, it’s also about what types of tasks you will enjoy. There are factors to consider such as motor skills and coordination. This is a holistic look at what you are best suited for, not simply based on your IQ.”
She shook her head, wiping away a few rogue tears. “I thought I would be someone important, like you and dad.”
Hope scrunched her face. “Who’s to say you won’t be?”
“Cora. She looked down on the administrators at the medical clinics.”
Her mother groaned. “Chastity, that woman is a miserable old bat. She looks down on everybody.”
Chastity’s head snapped up towards the monitor.
“I’m sorry, that is not a nice thing to say, but it is true. I’ve never met anyone more miserable in my life. She tries to make everyone around her as miserable as she is.”
Hope returned to the sofa, perched on the edge. “Don’t listen to her. Your civil duty, your life, it is what you make of it. You’ve been working hard in school because you wanted to do something important—so keep going.”
Chastity shook her head, but her mother persisted.
“Our civilization couldn’t operate if it weren’t for the administrators who keep it organized. Cora may have looked down on them at the clinic, well, what would she have done if the administrator didn’t stock the medications or equipment needed to treat a patient? If a civil duty wasn’t important, then it wouldn’t exist.”
Chastity huffed, but Hope refused to back down.
“I don’t care if someone is a cook, an administrator, or the Head of State. We need all these kinds of jobs to keep our world running. I’m afraid Cora has tainted your view of what a civil duty should look like.”
Chastity shook her head. Of course all civil duties were necessary, but that wasn’t really the point. “But I’m not special. Not like you and dad were.”
Her mother finally backed down, slumping back into the sofa. Her gaze cast off to the side until she returned to the conversation with a new, more humble approach.
“Chastity, did I ever tell you what my parents did as their civil duty?”
Chastity thought for a moment and shook her head.
“Did I tell you what happened to my classmates after they finished our project, after your father was killed?”
Chastity’s head rose; her posture straightened. She didn’t know where her mother was going with this but was intrigued to hear this new information. “No. You didn’t.”
Hope nodded. “Well, you know I was working on a project which killed your father. We were part of a larger team which was assembled when we were only 13. While I was recovering from the accident, our team finished our project and it was dismantled.”
Chastity shrugged and scrunched her face, completely underwhelmed by this revelation. “Yeah, then they got sent on another assignment, like you.”
“No.” Hope shook her head. “They didn’t. They were sent off to a breeding center to have multiple children.”
She flinched. “Really? Why didn’t you?” The moment the words escaped her lips, she knew the answer. “Because dad died.”
“Yes. They sent my team members off to become parents. Nothing more, nothing less. Because of our high IQ, our DNA was deemed valuable. I believe they are still having and raising children, not performing a civil duty.”
“You don’t think the State will give them another job when they finish having children?”
“They will have civil duties, but nothing like what we had before. You see, my parents had a similar life. They were brought onto a special project at an early age. When the project was complete, they were sent to a breeding center. My father became an instructor until their third child was born and returned to that role when only two children remained under my mother's stewardship. My mother died shortly after her youngest child moved away to be educated.”
Chastity sat in silence. She immediately knew why her mother had never shared the information. It was too depressing to pass along. “I’m sorry.”
“I know what your father and I did sounds exciting—special—but it was just another civil duty. If he had lived, I would have worked for a short time, and then given birth to children until my heart became too weak to continue. My life only looks special from an outsider looking in.”
Hope paused, nodding reflectively. “I’m sure Cora thought I was more important than she was, but the truth is, I was envious of her. There is nothing I wanted more than to stay home and raise you myself. You are my greatest joy,
accomplishment, and my greatest duty was to give birth to you. Nothing I have ever done or could ever do will be as important as you.”
Chastity nodded and wiped the tears from her cheeks. Although her mother’s words had given her some comfort, it wasn’t enough to smother her own disappointment.
Chapter 10
Betrayed: Book Five of the State Series Page 5