Author: Kate Leslie
Category: Other
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It still did not explain what they were doing here let alone how it would help her. “But we’re not at war.”
Max stared off into the distance and remained silent. Eventually, he looked at Mia again. “No, not yet. But we could soon be in a war.”
“Who would attack us?” Mia asked even though she doubted the answer would help her to solve her problem.
“There could be a war between the New Humans and the natural people. You said it yourself; we live in a world where no one has compassion for their fellow man. There is hardly any work left for natural people. Soon, everything will be done by machines. Desperation is on the rise as is crime. Instead of communities coming together and helping each other, people are alone with their hardships. Not everyone is ready to accept it. There are groups that are fighting the system. They want to overthrow the ruling Machine People as they call them and establish a new system.”
What had she gotten herself into? Like she did not already have enough problems of her own. “Do you belong to such a group?”
“No, not really. I belong to a group of dropouts who have turned their backs on stressful city life. We founded a settlement outside the city, away from all the technology and so-called progress of the modern world. We prefer to live like our ancestors. We grow grains and vegetables, mainly providing for ourselves. Some of us had jobs in the city since we needed money to buy stuff, we can’t make ourselves. When the first rebel groups formed and took action against the system, we suddenly were also declared insurgents since we did not fit the norm. Some members of our community were taken into custody and soon, the authorities came and searched our settlement. Since we did not want to end up in custody too, we went underground. We have been living here ever since. We also continue farming, it’s not like they showed much interest in our fields. Maybe they didn’t even know what they were considering everything nowadays is grown in laboratories.”
Mia recalled the controller’s threat. Perhaps he had already updated her information. “So, you have liberated yourselves from the constraints of our society, yet you’re not free.”
“Regrettably, that is the case.” Max fell silent for a moment, then revealed the reason for their journey. “In the past, we had members of our group join the rebels and participate in their actions. However, the ones who eventually were arrested were never members of the rebel groups. We have not heard from those arrested since. However, a few people in our group still have contact with the rebels who know a lot about the authorities’ schemes.” He smiled at her. “Shall we continue?”
Mia nodded.
They came to a wooded area and Max followed the narrow footpath between the trees. The going was slow for many tree roots spanned the well-trodden path, kind of resembling a staircase. Fascinated Mia looked up at the treetops through whose foliage the sun peeked through here and there. One of her feet promptly became hung up on a root and she stumbled.
Max caught her at the last moment and pulled her back up. “You have to be careful out here. Once we get out of this tiny forest, the path improves. I hope you didn’t hurt yourself.” His hands were still on Mia’s hips.
Too intimate for her. She pushed his hands away. Perhaps that was Max’s intention all along. “Thanks, I’m fine. I should not have taken my eyes off the path.”
Max looked at her thoughtfully and continued. How could she have followed him? Granted, he appeared to be a nice guy, then again, looks could be deceiving.
“Are you coming or what?” Max asked over his shoulder.
Since Mia had no other choice because staying here would not do any good, she nodded and followed. This time she kept her eyes on the ground so she would not stumble again. Did she just hear him snicker? He seemed to be enjoying himself.
Eventually, the distance between the trees grew and they encountered a clearing with a rock formation. A bit further was a small lake or perhaps a pond, for the term lake clearly seemed too large for the body of water.
Max turned to her and pointed in the direction of the rocks. “We are almost there.”
Part of the rock wall was moved by a mechanism, which Max closed again as soon as they entered the cavern-like room. Then he pointed to a staircase.
Once on the first level, there was a well-lit corridor with several doors on either side. Mia would have expected the ground to be uneven, yet the corridor ahead did not differ from the hallways in her building with their straight, whitewashed walls. If anything, it was less gloomy down here. According to Max, it was the common area. The doors to the room at the end of the corridor were open. Voices were heard, so others were here too. Mia hoped the rest of his story would ring true also.
Max jutted his chin in that direction. “Back there is the dining room. We usually eat meals together. Since it’s lunchtime soon, everyone should be there,” he explained as they walked down the corridor side by side.
The dining room had several rows of tables with benches on either side. At the first table sat a group of men and women. Max entered first.
“Max, there you are. What kept you so long? Come, sit here,” one man shouted while the others continued talking excitedly. The man and Max shared certain similarities. He had the same dark hair, though his had fine gray strands. Even his features resembled Max’s, though he lacked the warmth and special glow Max’s attractive face exuded. He fell silent when he noticed Mia. “Who have we here?” The whole room fell silent and everyone stared at her, surprised.
“Hello, Dad,” Max said. “This is Mia. I ran into her in the city as she was getting herself into trouble.”
“So, that’s no reason to bring her here,” a blond man with the features reminiscent of a Greek statue furiously interrupted. “We do not need strangers here.”
“Let Max talk,” Max’s father demanded. “I’m sure he has good reasons.”
“Of course, always defending your son,” the other man protested.
“I’m not defending him.” Max’s father eyed the other challengingly. “When did he ever get us into trouble?”
“He’s doing it right now,” the blond replied smugly.
A few others nodded in agreement.
“Let him explain himself. I’m sure he thought it through.” Max’s father did not sound too convinced himself. So, he really just stepped up to defend his son.
A blond boy at one of the back tables laughed and exchanged glances with the girl sitting across from him. The two had similar features, probably siblings. As appearances went, the worked-up man seemed to be their father.
“So, Max, tell us who she is and why you brought her here,” Max’s father prompted.
“This is Mia...” Max started.
“Mia who? Why bring her here?” the blond man interrupted impatiently.
“I don’t know Mia’s last name,” Max admitted with a sidelong glance at Mia.
The blond boy laughed again.
“Come on now, Markus,” Max’s father snapped at the other man. “Let him speak.”
“Well, let’s hear it then, it should be good, considering he does not even know her last name.” Markus leaned back in his chair in anticipation. More laughter came from the back row.
Mia, who had listened patiently, found Markus’ accusations to be unjust, so she stepped up to defend Max. “My name is Mia Scholl. This morning I heard a news report about an attack on a school in District 2 that was thwarted. But they said for safety reasons, the students were evacuated. So, I went there since my brother goes to that school, but family members were denied any information about the whereabouts of the students. I wanted to take my brother home, but I was turned away. Since the situation threatened to escalate, Max took me along because he thought someone here might have information for me. I merely want my brother back home.”
She glanced up at Max, who smiled at her reassuringly. Now everyone seemed concerned. No more laughter from the back row.
Markus sighed deeply. “Don’t make promises you ca
nnot keep.”
“I thought we were in a better position to figure something out,” Max replied meekly.
A young woman with a brown bob spoke up. “I have something to say. I meant to bring it up anyway,” she said to the group and then looked at Mia. “By the way, I’m Isa.” She put on a warm smile that immediately won Mia’s sympathy. “So, you know my brother has joined the rebels in Porta Deus. They had the same situation there, also heard rumors about a foiled attack on a school and like here, the teenagers were taken away without further explanation. According to well-informed sources, the young people were taken to a military installation to be turned into soldiers.”
Mia turned pale as Isa’s words sunk in. “And who are they supposed to fight?” she asked flatly.
“People like us.”
6
Ben
No one was in the mood to joke around. Ben and his schoolmates were either sitting or lying on their beds lost in thought.
Finally, Lieutenant Becker entered their room to take them for their physical exams. At least something was happening; the undertaking distracted everyone from thinking about their whereabouts and families. Hopefully, their families were okay. Being without any information or a way to contact loved ones was frustrating.
The waiting room, like everything else here, appeared unused and completely without frills. Considering the waiting rooms Ben had been in, most had wall decorations and booklets or something similar on health. None of that was here. Everything was bare and drab.
Benches lined the walls, one of which was occupied by a group of girls. Ben’s heart started to beat faster when he spotted Clara. The space adjacent to her was available. Ben was about to go hide in the opposite corner when Daniel grabbed his elbow and steered him toward the empty seats next to Clara.
Everyone was given a clipboard and a pen along with a questionnaire for personal data, past and present illnesses, and limitations. The students were called according to their numbers. The entire process was fairly quick. For the most part, an examination took no more than five minutes.
Ben glanced at Clara. She was engrossed in the questionnaire and brushing a silky strand of black hair behind her ear. Eventually, she felt she was being watched and looked up at Ben, giving him a friendly, “Hello.”
“Hello,” Ben answered. His cheeks began to burn and he chastised himself for being so shy. Daniel jammed an elbow in his ribs in an attempt to make him start a conversation with Clara. Ben swallowed. “I am Ben.”
“I know,” Clara replied with a smile. “We are in the same math class.”
“Oh.” Ben looked to Daniel for help.
“That’s interesting,” Daniel remarked. “I’m sure you have lots to talk about.” He winked mischievously at both.
Ben rolled his eyes and pointed to his name tag. “D-13. I could not have gotten an unluckier number.”
“I have nothing against the number thirteen. Actually, it’s my lucky number.” Clara smiled at Ben.
Ben returned the smile, then quickly averted his gaze and stared at the drab gray floor at his feet, which visually did not have much to offer.
They sat next to each other in silence before the next student was called. “B-29,” came a voice over the speaker.
“That’s me,” Clara said and stood up. “See you.”
Ben glanced up. “Yeah, see you.” He smiled timidly at her. The ones who were examined left the building through another door, thus he would not see her again for now. See you, she had said. Ben’s smile deepened. Daniel, who was eavesdropping, punched him in the side. “At least somebody is getting something positive out this whole thing.”
“D-13,” the speaker voice said. “Later,” Ben said to Daniel and entered the exam room. He was met by two people. “I am Dr. Miller,” the doctor said, introducing herself. “And this is nurse Moira. Please come here and take a seat.” She pointed to an examination table in the middle of the room. A couple of cupboards with innumerable doors and drawers stood along the back wall, next to them, a sink with a dispenser of disinfectant, not unusual for an exam room. Affixed to the ceiling above the examination table was one of those big lamps on a movable arm like in operating rooms.
Dr. Miller took Ben’s clipboard with his information from him and read his state of health. “You don’t seem to have had any serious illnesses.” She smiled at Ben. It seemed a bit mechanical; then again, she had been seeing one student after another. You would think she was tired, but it did not seem that was the case. She looked at Ben with watchful eyes. “Please lie down. The examination won’t take long.”
When Ben was horizontal, she pressed a switch and a beam came from the telescopic arm lamp, scanning his body from head to toe. A monitor displayed his skeleton, soon after his internal organs, then tendons and muscles. Ben was worried his privates would appear next and was about to cover them with his hands as a precautionary measure. “Remain still,” the doctor snapped. “You’re almost finished.”
The image of Ben’s insides disappeared and displayed in its place was his face with an underlined flashing green text appearing next to it. Release: No concerns.
Dr. Miller pressed a button to confirm. “You can go. Use this door.” No further explanation. Nurse Moira opened the back door that led into the courtyard.
Release: No concerns. No concerns regarding what? Why the examination in the first place?
Since Ben had promised Daniel to wait for him here, he used the opportunity to examine his surroundings. The compound was well guarded. The perimeter fence was at least twenty-feet tall and, as warning signs pointed out, electrified with high voltage. There were watchtowers in each corner as well as two more at even intervals along the sides. All were occupied by guards plus armed soldiers patrolled the fence. The place would certainly be hard to infiltrate as would be escaping, Ben’s inner voice told him. The thought made him shudder.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw an armed guard approaching. The soldier gestured with his weapon for him to move on. Ben was about to say he was waiting for a friend when the door opened, and Daniel walked up next to him. They started to move. The guard stopped in his tracks but continued watching them suspiciously. “I was declared healthy,” Daniel said. “Soon we’ll be home again. Too bad, this is quite an adventure.”
“I can do without such an adventure.” Though Ben was not a little child and capable of being away from home, he’d much rather be home.
“Don’t always be so negative. Things worked out nicely for you.” Daniel grinned broadly.
Ben shrugged, yet also had to smile. “Well, it was a start.” He whistled softly to himself.
Once back in their room, they had to wait for Lieutenant Becker to show up again. He called all the students to the entrance of the barrack for an announcement. “Since everyone has undergone their examination, you’ll go to the canteen for lunch now.”
“Josh is not back yet,” Paul stated. The two were good friends and always sat next to each other, clowning around and laughing. “He did not come out after his physical.”
Lieutenant Becker whipped his head around and stared at Paul. He briefly closed his eyes as if to search his memory for whom he meant. “D-9 was taken to a hospital for further examination.” He turned on his heels. “Follow me!”
Everyone knew Josh suffered from asthma. Why more tests? Did he have a seizure? Ben hoped Josh was all right. And why did Lieutenant Becker insist on addressing them only by their numbers? It made you feel like you were no longer human.
7
Mia
Mia felt her knees grow weak and went to a bench to sit down. “What else can you tell me, miss?”
“Relax, we’re not keen on being formal. Call me Isa.” Isa looked around the room. “Everyone knows the group around Lukas Pohl has grown considerably in size. They even founded their own military base including appropriating weapons and war-ready vehicles. In Porta Deus, they are widely supported by the populati
on. Initially, the government believed they could easily defeat the resistance. It might be bothersome, yet a short incident. However, the rulers in Initio finally realized the problem was not simply regional, so it would take longer to resolve. Since the capital takes them seriously now, they came up with the plan to bring teenagers to military bases and turn them into soldiers. But not only will they be used in combat; they also plan to use them as human shields at strategic points. They assume the insurgents won’t shoot at their own kind. Also, since the rebel attacks led to the internment of young people, they hope the population won’t back them. The propaganda machine has already been set in motion in an attempt to turn the insurgents into scapegoats. The only positive thing about the whole situation, if one can even put a positive spin on it, is that this plan was implemented sooner than originally planned since the government felt pressured by the growing popularity of the insurgents. Therefore, it could be assumed that not all preparations were carried out in time and their undertaking is full of holes. Perhaps the young people can be liberated. Granted, our situation will also become grimmer for we’ll be simply thrown in with the whole lot and declared and persecuted as rebels.”
Markus snorted. “Nowadays, if you criticize, you are declared a rebel.”
“Merely being a human being made entirely of original parts is considered a crime,” the blond boy interjected, who had now come to the front table. His father nodded in agreement.
“And now they want to use students to do the dirty work, to kill their own kind. It’s despicable,” his sister, who stood next to him, interjected.