Author: Kate Leslie
Category: Other
Go to read content：https://onlinereadfreenovel.com/kate-leslie/page,5,561377-the_project_project_2080_book_1.html
“Ben won’t play along,” Mia stated.
“He might not have a choice but to play along,” the blond boy said. “I’m sure they have means of persuasion. They will...” He did not finish the sentence when he saw Mia’s pale worried expression. “I’m sorry,” he added. “By the way, I’m Phil.”
Max, who stood behind Mia, placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. “I’m sorry,” he said. When she remained silent, he continued, “I know they are only empty words to you.”
Mia struggled for composure and peered up at him. “I want to go home.” Her voice was but a whisper and she left the room.
“What are you planning on doing back home?” Max asked, following her outside. “Where will you start searching? Who will you contact?”
Resigned, Mia dropped her shoulders and leaned against the wall, blowing out air. “I don’t know, but I have to do something.”
Now Phil and his sister joined them.
Max briefly looked at them, then back at Mia. “You should stay with us until we know more and can make a plan.”
“He’s right,” the blonde girl remarked. “Hi, I’m Vi. Well, actually, Viola, but that sounds too much like an old woman.” She made a face to emphasize her dislike.
Mia sighed. “You’re probably right.”
“You bet.” Vi took her hand and with her in tow, went back inside. The boys followed.
“So now what?” Markus asked.
“She stays,” Max answered.
That was not exactly what she said, but Mia was in no mood to argue.
“Tell me, where will she stay?” Markus inquired.
“With me,” Vi replied. “I’m sure there is an available bed somewhere.”
Markus threw up his arms. “That’s probably for the best. Anyway, I give up.”
Mia suspected that was often the case with his daughter.
First, they returned to Mia’s apartment for some of her personal things.
Now that she was accompanied by someone that barely knew her, the apartment never seemed so crowded to Mia as at that moment. Max let his gaze roam about as they stood in the entrance that immediately transitioned into a living room slash kitchen. Two doors led to two small rooms and one to a tiny bathroom.
“Nice place you have here,” Max said.
“If you say so.” Mia left him standing there and quickly disappeared into her room.
Max followed her and leaned against the doorframe. “I was serious. You can be proud to keep a place like this all on your own.” His voice was warm and empathetic like a soft embrace.
Mia lingered, her back to him, she allowed herself to be enveloped in his warm words and his nearness. It was a good feeling. She had not felt secure ever since her parents had passed away. She had not known she had yearned for this feeling that Max managed to evoke. He is a stranger, she told herself.
As Mia quickly gathered some clothes that she stuffed in a bag, Max went to the living room and waited for her on the gray couch with its broken springs. Mia dashed into Ben’s room and packed a few of his clothes as well as his laptop. Ben had not made his bed that morning. Typical! Mia smoothed the sheet and pulled the covers over it. She caught a glimpse of the family photo on the shelf above the headboard and got lost in memories.
“Are you finished yet?” Max’s voice broke the spell and pulled her back to the here and now.
“One sec,” she called back. She grabbed the framed photo and stuffed it into her bag, then stepped out of the room. Together they left the apartment. Mia, as was her habit, double-locked the door as if she had to worry about someone breaking in considering the few possessions they owned.
“Welcome to my broom closet.” Vi greeted Mia at the door to her room. “Perhaps our broom closet would be more appropriate.” Vi and her family shared a little apartment. The main room, which served as a living room, had doors on two sides. Vi’s mother, who had greeted Mia at the door and introduced herself as Edith, first showed Mia the rest of the rooms. On the left was the parents’ bedroom and a bathroom, on the right, the children’s rooms. The decor was simple but a certain quality.
Mia entered the room she would be sharing with Vi from now on. “I’m used to worse.” She dropped her bags on the bed Vi pointed out was hers. “You should see my apartment.” She took out the photograph of her family and put it on the wall shelf. “I hope this is okay.”
Vi sat on her bed. “Of course, it is, make yourself at home. I made some room in the closet for your clothes.”
Mia unpacked the few things she had. Vi had lots of clothes, none of them cheap looking, she noted with surprise. As soon as she was finished, she sat on her bed and eyed the cramped room. There was no furniture except for the two beds and the closet. Who knew what Vi had to do without to make room for a second bed. “And you’re okay sharing your room?” Mia asked.
“Yeah, I think it’s great. We’re going to have so much fun. You have no idea how boring it is without someone to chat with who is your own age.” Vi sighed dramatically. “Believe me, I’m glad you’re here. Soon you’ll be asking me to tone it down,” she added, laughing.
Mia joined Vi in her laughter for she was also glad to have a girl her age to talk to. She hadn’t had a real girlfriend since leaving school.
Since Mia was not in the mood to eat with company in the dining room, Vi brought her a plate back to the room and made good on her promise and talked a lot. But Mia did not mind. It was a welcome distraction from her constant brooding about Ben. She had learned a lot. Markus had been a senior clerk in the building department of Mia’s hometown, Filiae. They had lived in a mansion in District 1 and even employed help. The senior staff had been expected to improve their performance through technical enhancements. Markus had faced more and more pressure, tiny mistakes had been exaggerated; still, he had been adamant about not turning himself into a machine. Once he learned about a small community that lived a simple life outside the city, the family decided to join them.
Mia had a newfound respect for Markus, who thus far, had been rather quick-tempered. He had done the right thing because a person lost more and more of what made them human with enhancements and in the end, their humanity. Like Mia’s employers, who no longer seemed to have compassion or sympathy.
Vi was nineteen. When she had finished school and began socializing more, she had met a young man. She had fallen in love with him and believed he felt likewise. However, when she had criticized enhancements, he dropped her like a hot potato.
Her brother was 18, the same age as Max. A few years ago, Max’s father had resigned and moved his family out of the city to run a farm. There he founded this community. They enjoyed their new life and kept to themselves, however, as their way of life did not correspond to the norm, the authorities considered them insurgents. As she had already learned from Max, even arrests were made. To this day, they were still searching for them, oftentimes with drones. Thus, they avoided spending too much time out in the open for fear their hideout might be discovered. Many had cabin fever.
Mia told Vi about her and Ben’s life and about happier times when their parents had still been alive. They had fun laughing and joking around together. Now, as Mia lay in her bed staring into the darkness, she was glad she had stayed. Everything was easier when you were not alone.
8
Mia
“Good morning to the sloth and her new best friend.” Phil barged into the girls’ room without knocking. “Ouch! Great, I hit my knee. Turn on the light.”
Mia was closest to the light switch and turned it on. Phil glanced around the room, grinning. “It’s nice and cozy in here. It’s only when you have to go out in the middle of the night that you stumble over each other.”
“Ha-ha, very funny,” Vi growled and threw her pillow at him. “You’re not ruining my mood.”
“Me? Never!” Phil acted all innocent.
“Damn straight, it’s what you live for.” Vi huffed and t
urned her back to him.
Phil laughed good-humoredly. “I see Vi put you in charge of the light switch,” he said, facing Mia. “She likes having others do the work for her.”
“Oh, I don’t mind. And if Vi snores at night, I can quickly put an end to it.”
Vi sat up. “Well, you’re in luck, I don’t snore.”
“We’ll see.” Phil winked at Mia. “Now hurry you two. I’ll reserve two seats at the breakfast table.” He nodded at them and left.
Sure enough, by the time Mia and Vi entered the dining room, most tables were already occupied. Phil and Vi’s parents sat at one of the front tables with Max and his parents and a few others. Phil was waving at them from one of the tables in back.
“I reserved the best table in the room for you,” he announced and eyed their parents as the two girls sat down opposite him. “We always sit here. It’s our regular table, away from the important people where we have peace and quiet.” He grinned broadly. “I took the liberty of ordering your food already.” He pointed to the two plates of food on the table. “Oh, I’m just kidding, everyone gets the same meal.” He sighed.
“Good morning.” Max greeted them as he stepped up to their table.
“Good morning,” Mia replied.
“Why we are graced with your presence?” Phil inquired in an obvious cooler tone.
“Am I interrupting something?” Max asked, confused.
“No, please, take a seat. The more the merrier,” Vi replied and shot her brother a warning look.
“I hope you had a pleasant night?” Max, who had sat down next to Phil, asked Mia.
Mia rested her chin on her hand. “Yes, thanks for asking. I slept well.”
“How could it be otherwise!” Vi put her arm around Mia’s shoulders.
“I’m glad I stayed,” Mia added.
Max smiled at her. “I missed you at dinner yesterday.”
Phil rolled his eyes.
“We ate in our room. I wasn’t in the mood for company.” Mia heard a loud rattling at the door and glanced in that direction.
A girl about her age entered the dining room. Surprised, Mia remembered Vi said there wasn’t a girl in their age group. Even though Vi acted completely unmoved, she gave the thumbs down sign under the table.
The girl approached the front tables and, surprised, glanced around.
As her gaze swept over the table where Mia sat, her face lit up and she walked over.
“Good morning.” She beamed at Max.
“Good morning, Becka,” Max replied.
“Why are you sitting in the back?” she asked. He had no time to answer since she immediately continued. “I just finished my kitchen duty, it’s why I’m so late. We prepared breakfast.”
Phil picked up the breadbasket and made a show of presenting it. “I knew there had to be a reason the bread was sliced so evenly. Although, I had hoped we had acquired a bread slicer.” He grinned at Vi, who grinned back.
“It wouldn’t hurt if other people would take their tasks more seriously.” The snide remark was probably aimed at Phil and Vi.
“I take it present company is excluded?” Phil looked back at Vi. “What did you say; the more the merrier?”
Vi sighed. “Don’t take my early morning babbling seriously.”
Mia stole a glance at Max and Becka. So, Max had a girlfriend. She believed Max was single. Why? Simply because he was nice to her? What did she care? Nevertheless, it stung a bit.
Max, who had caught Mia’s eye, smiled and asked, “What are your plans for today?”
Mia set her cup down and dropped both hands under the table. “I wanted to check with Isa if she found out anything new about Ben’s whereabouts.”
“I’m sorry, but you’ll have to do that later,” Becka pointed out. “You may not know this yet, but everyone here is assigned chores. Those who do not have permanent ones assume duties in housekeeping or in the field. My mother is in charge of assigning tasks. She assigned you to kitchen duty, which is the group I’m in. So, I can take you under my wing and show you the ropes.” She smiled pointedly at Mia. “By the way, a current schedule is always posted.” She pointed to a pinboard Mia had not noticed.
The siblings’ faces turned increasingly resentful the longer her speech progressed and finally they voiced their displeasure. “Give her some time to settle in!” “Oh, leave her alone already.”
“It’s okay,” Mia said. “I’ll ask later.”
“Don’t be mad at me! It’s not my fault,” Becka said defensively. “You know as well as I do everyone in a community has their duties and everyone who wants to live in that community has to stick to it.”
Phil raised an eyebrow and Vi groaned theatrically.
Max tried to be the voice of reason. “I’ll take Mia’s kitchen duty, that way she can inquire about her brother and has time to settle in.”
“You will not,” Becka protested crossly. “You have your own chores to do later on, which require you to be rested. Those are the rules.”
Mia spoke up before Max could reply. “That’s not necessary. I’ll do my kitchen duty first. I’m fine with it,” she said candidly and shrugged. “I’ll take care of my personal stuff during break time.”
Becka showed her approval with a curt nod. Max stretched leisurely. “Well then, let me see if I can find something out for you.”
His remark earned him a reproachful glance from Becka.
9
Ben
The next morning, Ben needed some time to get his bearings straight. He was not used to sleeping in a strange bed. He might have stayed overnight at Daniel’s a few times, but he spent lots of time there and it almost seemed like home.
Yesterday afternoon and evening were uneventful. Apart from going to the cantina for lunch and dinner, they sat in their room in the barracks talking.
In the evening, the lights went off relatively early. “All a part of the military,” Lieutenant Becker told them. “We get up real early. You’ll get used to it.”
The wake-up call was supposed to be at 05:00, but Ben had a restless night and awoke early. He could not stop thinking about Mia. She had surely been informed about where he was and why. Although, he didn’t know the reason. That would make her more informed than he. Ben hoped she was fine. Certain she was okay, he calmed down. But then, Mia was not easily beaten.
Ben listened to the steady breathing of his classmates. Someone in the far corner was snoring lightly. It had to be Paul. Something flashed. Ben barely noticed it and almost convinced himself he had blinked, but when he focused his gaze in that direction, there was another flash. What could it be!
Ben craned his head out of his bottom bunk and scanned the room. In other areas, he saw flashes, too. Considering the angles, if those were cameras, they had the entire room covered.
Ben’s stomach knotted up. Why constantly watch a group of students? – Why even bring them here to begin with? If those were cameras, were they also being listened to?
Ben had to tell Daniel about it and get his opinion. Could he risk doing it here given they might be listening?
After breakfast, they returned to their quarters. Unfortunately, so far, Ben did not have an opportunity to speak to Daniel in private. Their conversation would have to be delayed further for they were met by Lieutenant Becker. “Good morning. I hope you had a good night. As you already know, you are on a military base. As for how long you’ll be staying, that is not yet clear. Considering a few military drills will not hurt anyone and exercise is generally good for your health, you’ll join the daily routine.” He instructed them on their future daily routine, which included a workout and weapons training as well as lectures. “I have the daily schedule posted here. Always be punctual. Those who arrive late will be punished.” He offered a friendly smile, saluted, and left.
As soon as Becker was out of earshot, grumbling started. “Great, like we needed this,” Daniel complained.
S
ince Ben was still unsure if someone was listening to them, he preferred to give the conversation a lighter note. “I thought you’d been waiting for an adventure like this?”
“I guess you’re right. We should stay positive,” Daniel replied. “So, let’s get going before we’re late and punished.”
The drills were a sweaty business. They began with some warm-up exercises, followed by running lap after lap. Obviously, their drill sergeant had technical enhancements and did not seem to tire. Ben cast a look around. Did all the soldiers here have technical enhancement or just the officers?
Once finished, they had to do pushups. “For now, do just fifty.” Those who performed them incorrectly had to run a penalty lap and start their 50 push-ups again. The same applied to someone complaining or talking.
“We will separate the wheat from the chaff.” The drill sergeant paced back and forth in front of the assembled students. “I will teach you discipline.”
Everyone was relieved when the drills were over and they entered the classroom where they could catch their breath. First, they were taught the rules of conduct such as proper body posture, how to salute, and how to address officers and privates. “You are no longer in school, best to quickly forget what you learned there.”
As it turned out, it applied not only to behavior but also subject matter because next they were taught history.
Their tutor talked about wars. It was not important to memorize the dates and events like they were taught in school; it was more important to find out why.
They were shown the consequences of war, grisly pictures of dead or mutilated people. Pictures of people dying, pretty much all the suffering a war entails.
It was quite unbearable, you simply wanted to pinch your eyes closed. “Do not close your eyes, face reality,” their tutor thundered. “Wars are led by humans, by people who are weak, who let their emotions dictate their actions. Emotions such as envy, hate, or greed. The goal of every society should be a peaceful coexistence of all people. Our society is close to reaching that goal. In the near future, humans will no longer be guided by emotions. They will be free and no longer bound to their physical form. Our knowledge will be preserved for future generations. We’ll even be able to live forever, free from ailments and imperfections.”