Controllers (Book 1)

by Lynnie Purcell

  We file into a room that has low, silver tables and squishy mats. The words discipline, service, and self-sacrifice are posted in large letters at the front of the room. They glitter in the bright, sterile light. We sit on the floor behind the tables quietly and look around at each other uncertainly until Honey walks into the room. She brings fear to the silence.

  "Welcome to the first day of your new life. You have taken your first step in becoming a citizen. You must all be very excited."

  We're not excited. We're angry, afraid and resigned but definitely not excited.

  "I hope that you all understand the importance of learning quickly," she adds. "Your future depends on it."

  I wonder if they call her Honey because she's so good at leveling death threats in such a sweet tone. If she were a poison, she would definitely taste sweet. She would also take her time killing you.

  "The next few weeks are pivotal to your education. You will be tested at the end of each week to evaluate your progress. At the end of the two week mark, you will be tested every two weeks until the eighth week. If you have made it to the final test, you will be allowed to progress to the final bit of training. Study hard and be sure you learn as much as you can."

  She finds my eyes last. They hold all the malice of someone who also knows my past. How far has the news of camp spread? Does everyone know? Do they all hate me? Will learning be twice as hard with their malice directed at me?

  She leaves the room and a man passes her in the doorway. He is tall and fit. He could be a guard if he didn't have such a studious air about him. He immediately starts talking. He doesn't introduce himself and he doesn't ask for our names. His lesson is an introduction into the history of the city. He explains how the city was completely destroyed and then rebuilt two-hundred and fifty years ago. He tells us that a country from across the ocean started the war. We finished it, but all of our major cities were completely destroyed in the fight. Then came the hundred-year occupation. It took years after they left to rebuild Washington, only to have the rebels threaten peace and prosperity fifteen years ago. Some of the things I have heard about before but in a more moderate light. From the way he speaks, the city and the now broken nation it sits in is perfect and had made no mistakes in the past. To him, the shining example of the city is proof of this truth.

  He finishes his lesson and tells us to put our hands on our desks. I do so and see a bright blue light read my hand. Writing pops up on the screen. Boxes under the writing where I am supposed to mark answers also pops up. I have no idea what any of it says.

  "Answer the questions to the best of your ability about the lesson I've given you," the man tells us.

  I stare at my desk in consternation. Maria gives a small cough from next to me and I glance over at her. She marks the first box. I do the same. I copy off her until she reaches the last question. I wait several minutes after she's done before turning in my test. I finally click the last box and the screen goes blank.

  After the class is over, we are led to another room where we learn arithmetic. Next, we learn about science, medical studies, and technology. The lessons just keep coming. The classes, though not long, seem never-ending. We're lectured on the different social classes in the city, where immigrants are at the bottom, and how to act in public should a citizen talk to us. We learn about the council of five that runs the city, the city districts that are led by elected representatives, the judges, lawyers, and the police force that make up the government and law system, and finally the Assembly, where the council, representatives and ministers of the various governing agencies meet to talk about the city. We are taught to listen, to obey, and to speak when spoken to.

  I have learned so much by lunchtime that I have trouble keeping all the facts straight. My brain swims with data. And each time I learn something new, they give me a test. Maria is the only reason I'm comfortable with the tests. I copy her, hoping she's answering the questions correctly.

  "I definitely need to learn to read," I tell her at lunch. "Can you teach me?"

  "Right now?" she asks.

  "Yeah," I agree.

  "It'll take you longer than we have for lunch," she points out.

  "The sooner we start the better," I reply.

  "What are you two talking about?" Nathan asks, sitting next to us. Sam and Josh are still getting their food.

  "Talking about reading," Maria says.

  "All those questions," Nathan says. "I feel like I've taken that assessment test all over again."

  Maria nods. She looks at me with pursed lips. She's assessing me, trying to figure out if I have what it takes to learn to read. She finally comes to a decision. She pulls out one of the devices I have learned are called handhelds and taps it open. We all have one. It spirals out so that the screen is square. She taps it again and then finds the screen that lets us write.

  "This is an A..." She goes through the entire alphabet, writing them out for me on the screen. The letters stay on the page so I can go back and look at them again. Nathan watches her teaching me in silence. It's obvious he's startled I can't read, but he doesn't say anything.

  By the time lunch is over I've memorized the alphabet. I have trouble associating the letters with words, but it's a start. Our classes after lunch are more intense. We begin to learn Cantonese. This is the first class where I'm not the only one at a loss. No one else knows the language. We have no reason to. I'm told it's common in the upper society of the city. It's a vanity language. I don't know why. The teacher doesn't explain it. It's expected that we know it, however.

  When all the educational lessons are finished, we're taken to a set of stairs. I don't see Benny or the dead-eyed woman in the group of guards. I'm glad. I don't want to face Benny again. I'm not certain of my reaction should I look into his eyes. I don't want my anger to give me away in a moment of impulsiveness. I recognize the stairs as leading to the room Benny almost killed me in.

  My joy at not seeing Benny is short-lived. He and the dead-eyed woman are in the large room. They're supervising the training of several people wearing red. The people fight and maul each other on the mats. Some of the fighters are advanced, others are just starting. I recognize a few of them as having come to the facility at the same time as me. Benny's eyes find mine but he doesn't approach us. The dead-eyed woman steps in front of us. Her expression remains impassive.

  "Today, we test your fitness levels. I want you to run around the room four times, for a total of a mile. You will be judged on time." She looks down at her watch. "Go."

  There is a second of hesitation, then Nathan starts running. Sam and Josh fall in line behind him. I join the pack, my hand on my ribs. I wince every time my feet hit the ground, but I have finally found something I can do without having to cheat or guess. Running is my forte. I've been doing it all my life. Even with my injuries, I manage to stay squarely in the middle of the pack. Maria falls behind. She's not an athletic person.

  I look around as I run to keep my thoughts away from the pain of my rib. Ace appears on the balcony as I circle the room. He leans against the rail again, and his expression is bored. I have the feeling he's there to assess the training of the people wearing red. His gold jacket is missing. He's wearing a simple t-shirt and loose-fitting pants. Sweat is on his shirt and along his forehead. He's been exercising. His feet are bare, and his hands are wrapped in black fabric. Specks of blood are on his arms. He's been fighting. Benny keeps glancing at him nervously.

  It takes me a minute to put the pieces together. Ace is in charge of the guards, not Benny. Benny and the dead-eyed woman are under Ace's leadership. I wonder if Ace only trains the guards or if he trains the police force as well. Benny said that the people who wear red inevitably go on to serve in the police. I picture the people in red I passed on the way to the facility. Their building is not far from ours. I could walk to it, if three massive gates and hundreds of guards were not in my way.

  The thought that Ace is in charge of them is logical from the way Benny is
acting, but it doesn't make any sense. Ace is too young to be in charge. The police would not answer to someone no older than Max. It has to be something else.

  I don't know why I am so curious. Maybe it's the warning he gave me; maybe it's the fact that he's the most dangerous person in the room. I want to understand him. I want to know how to act if he ever decides to take the violence I sense in his body language and direct it at me. I need to understand the enemy in order to face him intelligently.

  I finish my laps and stand out of the way of the others with Nathan. We watch the fights and the runners in silence. Nathan is busy catching his breath and I'm watching Benny. I did not get a good look at his fighting style the last time we fought. I had been too busy losing. He's all about rushing his opponents. He does not fight for the long haul. He overpowers people and knocks them down. He's like a tank. He has no grace or longevity.

  "I don't think it would be so bad to be in the police force," Nathan muses as he watches the people in red. "It might be exciting."

  "Maybe," I say.

  I wonder how they can trust an immigrant they have bullied and threatened to have a weapon and protect the city. I know I will never find out. It's not my problem. I'm not here to fight or police anything. My eyes search out Ace again. He's disappeared from the balcony. He reappears a minute later. He's on our level now. He walks around the fighters. His walk is calm and centered. He has none of Benny's frantic energy. His feet make no sound on the mats. He corrects people's form and gives approving nods to the people who get it right.

  "Who's that guy?" Nathan asks.

  I frown. "Didn't you meet him before you were brought to the facility?"

  "No. I was taken on a lift and dropped off on the lower level. Honey was the first person I talked to...The first person who answered me back, at any rate."

  "Oh," I say.

  Maria comes to a panting stop next to me. Her face is covered in sweat and she has to grab my arm to keep from falling. I hold her up absently as I think over Nathan's words. Why had Ace come to the hospital? Was it because of Angela's shield? Was it because they think I'm a rebel? Was he the reason I am at the facility instead of dead? I can't make sense of the reason. There isn't one.

  "Push ups! Now!" the dead-eyed woman barks.

  Maria groans in pain. I agree with her. I kneel down obediently despite the pain. My ribs pop and twinge alarmingly, and I barely manage ten before I have to stop.

  "Pathetic," the dead-eyed woman says. She moves past me and continues to throw out insults to the others.

  She works us to the point of collapse, and then she forces us to line up in front of the door that leads to the room of black glass. I have learned a little about the glass in our lessons. It consists of biopolymer nanotechnology, which was also what helped power the shield. It is a multipurpose technology that everyone in the city uses. The glass is manufactured by a plant on the opposite side of the city.

  More people wearing red fill up the large room as we wait at the door. Ace and Benny continue to circle them. The fights are fierce and have no limits. Occasionally, I hear the snap of bone and the cry of someone in pain. I don't look when this happens. I've seen enough blood to last me a lifetime.

  The dead-eyed woman passes black vests out to the twelve of us who came to green at the same time. We put them on and then she gives us small pistols. They have a trigger and a charge, but they don't have bullets.

  "Laser tag," Nathan whispers to me.

  I look down at the pistol. This must be the game everyone has been talking about. They want to see if we have battle skills. I know they will be looking at me the hardest. My past as a rebel makes them suspicious. I look up and immediately find Ace's eyes. He's still stoic, but his eyes hold a warning. I know the warning. I have repeated it to myself often. Don't let them know what I'm capable of.

  "The last person standing at the end of the game doesn't have to run another mile when the game is finished," the dead-eyed woman says. "So be the last person standing."

  Maria's grip on her pistol tightens. So does Nathan's. Neither want to run the mile again. I sigh when I realize there is no way I can win the game. I refuse to be the first person tagged, but I'm not going to win. My rib protests painfully when I realize another mile is in my future.

  The woman opens the door and we file inside. At first, there is nothing but a very big room, with the black glass on all sides, then the glass starts to move. The blue lights flicker once when the glass stops moving and I'm suddenly standing on a city street. It looks like one of the stone streets I passed while in the pod. The others have disappeared. Our separation is part of the game. We have to find each other and tag the person out with our pistols.

  I duck low and find cover in a small doorway. I put my back against the door and look around the street. It's deserted. I wonder if cameras are recording us. I don't like the feeling of being watched. It makes the hair on my neck stand on end. How will I trick the people watching me?

  Two people appear at the end of the street. They're both girls from my class. The smaller girl is running at full speed, while the second one chases her. The smaller girl is looking for cover, but she's not quick enough. The second girl raises her pistol and fires three times. The first two shots miss her target, but the third hits the smaller girl in the vest. The vest lights up with green and the smaller girl vanishes. The second girl smiles triumphantly. She starts to turn away but catches sight of me. She raises her pistol at the same time I do. I'm quicker. Her vest lights up with green on my first try. She stomps her foot in irritation and disappears as well.

  I need a better hiding place. I'm too exposed. I keep close to the buildings, my eyes raking the roofs and doorways for enemies, and head for the end of the street. I hear yelling and catcalls as the others face off from each other. They're two streets over. They're having a lot of fun. I wonder how anyone can have fun while in prison. Have they forgotten their circumstances so easily? Is the game supposed to be fun? Are they leading us into something?

  I round the corner and come face-to-face with Maria. She keeps her pistol pointed at me until she realizes I haven't even attempted to raise mine. I don't mind losing to Maria if it keeps her from running another mile.

  "Truce?" she asks.

  "Yeah," I agree. I move closer to her and frown thoughtfully. "I'll help you win if you shoot me before the game is over," I say quietly.

  She looks at me with wide eyes. "For real?" she whispers back.

  I nod seriously. She's surprised, but she's not as curious as she is eager to win. I look down at my pistol. It makes sense to me that they are recording who is shooting who. I take her pistol from her.

  "Stay behind me," I say.

  She looks uncomfortable at not being armed, but she nods. We quietly sneak our way over to the main battle. It's chaos. Everyone is fighting for themselves. Nathan, Sam and Josh are the same way. They're grinning as they try to shoot each other. Four other people are around the large square. Insults fly through the air. There is a lot of laughing and competitive spirit. I step into the shadows with Maria. I hope the darkness will keep whatever cameras are watching from seeing who takes the shot. I raise Maria's pistol and take aim. I hit a girl squarely in the chest. She disappears, a profanity forming on her lips.

  Nathan takes down a boy while Sam manages to hit Josh. I hit a very large boy in the back and his vest lights up. He looks down in surprise. He doesn't know where the shot came from or why he's out. He disappears. I raise my pistol, figuring that I need to have some scores as well and take aim. I hit a girl and she disappears. There are three people left, not including Maria and me. Nathan hits one of them. Two people left: Sam and Nathan. I know that I need to get rid of Nathan. He's the bigger threat. I hate that I have to disqualify a friend, but Maria can't run another mile. It'll kill her. I'm indebted to her for letting me cheat off her all day, and I don't want to let her down.

  Nathan moves around a pillar. He hasn't realized that there's another shooter
yet. The chaos has kept him from seeing us. I hand Maria her pistol back.

  "When I take out Nathan, shoot me and take out Sam," I say in her ear. "He'll be easy. He can't aim very well."

  Maria nods at me with a small smile. There's something else in her eyes. Is it fear? Does my uncanny aim frighten her? I can't be sure. I don't have time to waste. Nathan is on the move. I raise my pistol and take aim. His vest lights up with green. He looks up and spots me. Instead of being mad, his face transforms into a respectful grin. He likes that I've snuck up on him. Then he vanishes. I step out and keep my back to Maria. I want it to look good. I want them to assume she has betrayed me.

  I take three steps and then my vest lights up. The city flickers with words once. It's strange, alien. The buildings are not built of stone and glass. They're text. I don't see the words properly before they disappear. The moment is quick. Then, I'm at the door to the room again. The black glass is all around me. Light reflects around the screens but the streets are gone. I open the door, my vest still dancing with green, and step outside. The others are already running around the large room. The dead-eyed woman does not make idle threats. She pulls my vest off wordlessly and takes my pistol from me. Her eyes tell me nothing. I have no idea if my trick has worked.

  "Take your laps," she barks.

  I groan inwardly and start shuffling my feet. This run is much harder this time. Everything hurts. I watch the fighting again to keep from focusing on my pain. Benny and Ace are standing on the outskirts. Ace has his arms crossed and looks incredibly relaxed and in charge. Benny also has his arms crossed, but I sense his tension and emotion. He's trying to talk to Ace. The conversation is one-sided.

  "When do you think your assignment here will be over?" Benny is asking as I pass.

  "When my commanding officer assigns me elsewhere," Ace replies coldly.

  "Are they still holding a grudge over...well, what happened?" Benny asks.

  I get the feeling that Benny is being daring by asking. He's reminding Ace that he is not infallible. Ace's expression hardens. "They have a right to," Ace says.

  My run takes me away from them. When I reach them again, Benny is still asking questions. "How is the training at headquarters going?"

  "The new batch is promising," Ace says.

  He is in charge of training the police force. I look at the back of his head as I run around him. How on earth is that possible? The way he moves and his calm makes me think he's probably a good teacher, but it still doesn't make any sense.

  Ace moves away from Benny as I circle the room. I get the impression he does not enjoy talking to him. They're not friends. Benny is beneath Ace in every way possible. Ace moves to a pair of fighters and corrects their stance. He shows the boy a move and tells him to practice it. It could be my imagination, but the room quiets every time he speaks. People are drawn to his words. A whisper is enough to send a shiver down my spine.

  I'm on my fourth lap when Sam walks out of the glass room. He's frowning and does not look happy. Maria is grinning. The dead-eyed woman takes their gear from them and tells Sam to run. Maria gets to sit on the mats along the wall until we're done. Her smile is extremely pleased.

  I finish my last lap and sit down next to her. I'm covered in sweat and panting heavily. My feet have gone numb. I can't be sure they're still attached to my body. Looking down convinces me of nothing. I want to close my eyes and never open them again. I don't want that nearly as much as I want food.

  When the last girl stops running, the dead-eyed woman tells us to meet her in the room at the same time tomorrow and then releases us. Our classes for the day are over. Maria tells me it's six p.m.

  "Nice shot," Nathan tells me as we walk down the stairs.

  "Got lucky," I say.

  Maria shoots me an uncertain glance. I wink at her and she hides her smile.

  "Not as lucky as Maria," Sam says irritably.

  "Don't be a sore loser," Nathan says. "She won fair and square."

  "I don't see how a runt can be such a good shot," Sam adds.

  "I'll show you runt," Maria threatens him.

  "Bring it," Sam says.

  Nathan holds out his hands to Sam. "Be serious," he says. "We can't start fighting each other. We've only got one another now. We can't let them divide us. If they do, they win."

  Sam's expression turns sheepish. He sees Nathan's point. Impressing our captors is not nearly as important as making it through the training alive. We can't lose track of where we are and how we got here. Maria lowers her eyes and I sense her guilt at not winning the game fairly. I move to head off a confession.

  "I'm so hungry," I complain. "I could eat a whole deer, hooves and all."

  "Is it true you came from the woods?" Josh asks curiously.

  I look over at Maria. I haven't told anyone else about where I came from. She frowns at me and shrugs. She's not the one who told him.

  "Benny was talking about it," Josh adds. "I think he was trying to let as many people as possible know..."

  He doesn't have to say why. Benny is trying to turn the others against me. He wants them all to think I'm a rebel. They know better than to ally themselves with the losing side. He wants to make me miserable and friendless.

  "Why does it matter?" Maria asks defensively.

  "It's just unusual," Josh says. "Most people don't live in the woods."

  "Plenty of people live in the woods," Maria argues. "I met lots of people with camps up north. It's better than begging on the edge of the city. Trust me."

  "Yeah, but none of those people have lived so close to Washington," Josh points out. "Or right under the government's nose."

  "I'm not a rebel," I say stiffly, aware that the others are listening in. "I don't care about the war. I don't care who's right and who's wrong. I just care about getting through the training alive."

  "I think we can all agree on that," Nathan says easily.

  The others nod, but I sense a change. They're afraid of me now. They don't know if associating with me will bring them trouble. Being my friend might be as good as declaring themselves rebels. It doesn't matter if I'm not one. If Benny, Honey, and the others think I am, they will make me suffer for it. They will work hard to make sure my rebellious nature is taken from me. I will have to be twice as careful about showing them my strength.

  Two months until I'm free. I have to focus. I have to keep my head down. Maybe if I can get through the first two weeks, they'll leave me alone for the rest of the training. I know better than to hope. I will have to be good. I will have to be silent.

  My life depends on it.

  Chapter 13