Author: Kate Leslie
Category: Other
Go to read content：https://onlinereadfreenovel.com/kate-leslie/page,7,561377-the_project_project_2080_book_1.html
Mia was grateful to hear those words. However, Edith’s compassion made her emotional and she could no longer hold back the tears. Energetically, she wiped them away.
Edith placed a hand on Mia’s. “Don’t be embarrassed for crying. It’s good, it’s natural. Let it all out, you’ll feel better afterward.”
As Mia lay in bed, she thought about what had happened during the day. She had let her tears run freely and confided in Edith about her concerns. Everyone had stayed quiet and listened to her issues. Once all her tears were spent and she was at a loss for words, she actually felt better. Sharing her burden had taken a load off her shoulders. She had newfound courage.
The entire family had decided to spend the evening in their quarters. Phil had been sent to grab and bring home food for everyone. To everyone’s surprise, he followed through without as much as a grumble. They relaxed for the rest of the evening and enjoyed talking and laughing together. Even Phil, who was usually rather reserved in his father’s presence, participated in the conversation and even made his father laugh.
Vi returned from her bedtime bathroom visit. She sat down on her bed and regarded Mia. “Feel better?”
“I’m fine. It was a nice evening, exactly what I needed.” Mia set the picture of her family back on the shelf. “It was nice to be surrounded by family again.”
“We aren’t always as harmonious. Oftentimes, Dad and Phil argue.” Vi also lay down on her bed with her head resting on her hands. “My dad thinks Phil lacks seriousness.” She sighed. “Perhaps he’s not entirely wrong, Phil is quite thoughtless at times and only thinks about having fun. Then again, he doesn’t know any better. In our former life, he did not have responsibilities, everything was taken care of, and Dad was too lenient with him. He’s still very young. At times, I think younger than his actual years. He is young and wants to enjoy his life and gain experience. He might not always choose the right path, but since we came to live in this closed community, Dad criticizes him more than he praises. And always mentioning Max as the shining example of responsibility does not help. Though Max and Phil are about the same age and could be friends, always being compared to Max has Phil seeing him as a rival rather than a good influence. I’m sure you did not miss that he picks on Max nonstop.”
It was hard to miss for anyone. Mia had wondered about their beef. She shared Vi’s concern about how sad it was that the boys did not get along better. Considering the confined living space, they were sharing, it was important for everyone to get along. Each person was dependent on the others.
12
Ben
After the meal, they attended weapons training. First, they were shown how to handle a gun then practiced shooting it and afterward, learned to disassemble, clean, oil, and assemble it again. “Make sure to familiarize yourself with your weapon. It will be what keeps you alive. Always keep it well-maintained and ready to use.”
Ben stopped and took a closer look at the gun’s parts before putting it back together. He made sure his weapon was properly cleaned. It would serve him well. Then again, did he want to use it? Later on, they would practice target shooting. Would they ever be in a situation where they had to shoot a human? Their instructor seemed to imply that exactly that would be the case. But shooting a human was entirely different... Ben sat cross-legged with the pieces lying on the floor in front of him. He peered over at his friend Daniel, who sat with his weapon assembled, looking through the sight at no specific point.
“What is it?” Daniel asked. “Out with it, we’re leaving for the shooting range soon.”
It was not the first time that day that Ben believed his friend was way too careless. Brandishing a weapon that had been made to kill people. How could Daniel be so cold?
Sighing, he picked up the pieces and reassembled his weapon.
“Are you finished yet?” the instructor asked. “You took too long. You must become faster. Follow me. Now we’re really going to have fun with your hardware.”
As it turned out, like Daniel, most of Ben’s classmates were enthusiastic to fire their weapons.
Sullen, Ben trotted after them. The shooting range was made up of five counters from which one could fire at retractable targets that were spaced next to each other. The boys in Ben’s group split up into lines behind the counters. Ben, who hesitated, stood at the end of one. The person in front was to fire his five shots, then move to the back of the line while the second fired his and so on. While Ben glanced at the front of his row, another group entered the facility.
“Hello, Ben,” he heard Clara’s voice behind him. Ben froze and felt himself blush. Why couldn’t he talk as easily with girls as other boys did?
He faced her. “Hello, Clara.”
Briefly, they eyed each other silently. “How was your day?” Ben broke the silence.
“I’m afraid no better than yours,” Clara replied with a sigh. Again, they looked at each other.
“Can you two move up?” a girl in the back of the line asked impatiently.
“Sorry,” Ben stammered, feeling himself blushing deeper now.
Soon it was Ben’s turn. The target was quite close for the first attempt. That would certainly change. Ben took a deep breath, picked up his gun, aimed and fired. He felt the recoil, then fired four more times. Every shot hit the target. Though not all were well placed, his aim was fairly good. “Very good,” their instructor roared. Ben glanced over to see who was being praised. It was Daniel, basking in the admiration of his schoolmates.
Clara tapped Ben on the shoulder. “Your aim is great. Hopefully you’ll never have a reason to shoot at me.”
Now Ben’s cheeks must look like ripe red apples. “Never, I promise.” Not even if my life was on the line, he silently added.
Clara did her five practice shots and went to the back of the line.
“You were good.” Ben resumed the conversation.
“M’m, so-so. Can you imagine yourself as a soldier?” Clara asked.
Ben glanced at the weapon in his hand. “No, I detest violence.”
“What were your plans?” Clara wanted to know.
“I always wanted to be a programmer. I’m a typical nerd, most comfortable sitting in front of a monitor.” Timidly, Ben looked at Clara.
“Sounds good to me. That’s better than those guys who roam the streets all day searching for trouble.” Clara laughed.
Ben agreed. “And you, what do you want to do?”
“Oh, this and that. They always say you have the rest of your life to look forward to, but what are our options? From the beginning, our lives are predetermined.” She made a face. “Basically, we have no choice.”
Ben could only nod in agreement.
Once everyone went through another round, practice was over. Next was a class, hopefully not another lecture on history. The one that morning was enough for Ben.
He was lost in thought when Daniel approached. “Did you see how great a shot I am?”
“Yes, very good.” Ben was not quite there.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if you missed it, you seemed hard at work,” Daniel remarked, obviously referring to Clara.
Ben blushed slightly. “We only talked.”
“Oh bull, you came on to her. I don’t believe you were only talking. You’re always understating things.” Daniel grinned. Before Ben could protest, Daniel continued, "The instructor praised me.”
“Yeah, I saw that.” Ben tried to sound enthusiastic.
“He approached me at the end and said I was the best. He’ll definitely inform Lieutenant Becker.” Daniel’s voice oozed pride.
“Congratulations,” Ben replied, still brooding over the weapon he had held and the purpose it had been built for.
“Ben, are you even listening to me?” Daniel sounded offended.
“Of course, I’m listening. I didn’t mean to poop on your parade.” Ben looked apologetically at him.
“I know you’re not like that.”
Daniel put his arm around Ben’s shoulders. “Let’s see what comes next.”
The class went pretty well. The topic was the structure of the state body and each individual’s place in society. The tutor emphasized that every one of them had the opportunity to make something out of themselves. Success was available to those who were willing to work for it.
Ben recalled his conversation with Clara. Despite what he heard, no matter how positive it sounded, he believed her statement that their path was predetermined. They had no choice. The system gave them no choice.
Later that evening in bed, Ben recalled the day and felt depressed. No one explained why exactly they were here. He had never really believed the story of a planned attack. To him, it did not seem they were here to play war, more like to prepare them for war. But against whom, Ben asked himself.
He deliberately turned his back to the camera. It gave him a sense of privacy.
13
Mia
Mia woke the next morning feeling refreshed. Her first thought was about Ben, but now everything no longer seemed so hopeless. Edith was probably right. For the time being, Ben would be safe. But intuition told her his time was running out. It was important to act as soon as possible. However, what exactly could she do, she did not even know where Ben was being held. Who could she turn to? Would asking the authorities solve anything? That would require a trip back to the city.
Mia was startled out of her reverie when Phil burst in the door. It seemed knocking was not his thing.
“Good morning, sleepyheads,” Phil said cheerfully.
Though Mia had been lying awake in bed for quite a while, Vi was still asleep. She moaned. “Phil, do you have to be so loud?”
“Yes, I do, it gets you out of bed and you won’t miss breakfast.” In the beam of light that came through the door, you could see him grinning broadly.
Since Vi was awake now anyway, Mia turned on the ceiling light.
“Get lost, Phil.” Vi tugged the blanket over her head.
Phil seemed pleased. His wakeup call was a success. “I’ll see you two at breakfast,” and he was off.
Mia rose and disappeared into the bathroom. Vi was still in bed when Mia returned. She truly was not an early riser. Mia tugged on her blanket. Vi grumbled before reluctantly getting up and trotting to the bathroom. When both were dressed, they went to the dining room.
They were late. It seemed everyone else was already there. Phil had prepared them each a plate. “Enjoy, ladies,” he said, welcoming them.
“Thanks, how considerate of you,” Mia said as she sat down.
Her appreciation seemed to make Phil genuinely happy. Vi was right. Phil received more criticism than praise.
Mia, still considering inquiring with the authorities about Ben, asked, “How does one get to Filiae?”
Vi and Phil eyed her, irritated. “By car,” Phil replied after a moment’s hesitation.
Rather obvious, perhaps she did not phrase her question correctly. She had to trust them with her plan. “I was asking because I need to go to Filiae.”
“You want to go home?” Vi appeared disappointed.
Mia shook her head. “No, I want to go and inquire about Ben. I can’t sit here waiting for something to happen.” She glanced from one to the other. “What arrangement do you have? Does someone drive to the city every day?”
“No.” Phil straightened up. “We make it a rule to stay away from the city as much as possible. We might draw attention to ourselves and be followed back here.” His tone expressed disapproval. “The grownups forget that young people cannot be kept locked up in a place forever. We also have the right to a life.”
Vi rolled her eyes. Maybe she had heard his lament many times before. “Phil, she’s not talking about a joy ride. Mia has a valid reason.”
“I get that. I just explained the situation.” Phil made a face. “I’m not saying she doesn’t have a good cause; I’m simply saying be cautious. And our situation, imprisoned, spending our life living in this confined space also has to change. We should put a stop to being held back. We must do something.”
Vi nodded impatiently. “Yes, you’re right. But I’m sure we won’t arrive at a solution today. We could, however, work on solving Mia’s problem.” She turned to Mia. “I take it you can’t drive?” Mia shook her head. Vi lowered her voice. “So, someone needs to drive you,” she continued. “Phil is correct; we try to avoid the city and being seen. For obvious reasons. Still, your issue is important. Though it should not get around. The more who know about it, the more they want to express their opinions. Like too many cooks in the kitchen,” she whispered conspiratorially. “We only go to the city when we really need something. That’s common knowledge. I’m not aware of a planned trip into town. So, no one will notice the car missing. However, you must wait until after you’re done with your shift or someone might come looking for you. I can’t drive you since my shift starts when yours ends, so Phil would have to.”
“It would be my pleasure,” Phil said.
“He has disappeared many times without leaving word. No one will miss him,” Vi added with a meaningful expression.
“Nice,” Phil interjected.
Vi did not let him continue. “Just make sure you’re back by lunch or you’ll get in trouble.” She leaned back in her seat, satisfied.
“That would be great. Thanks.” Only one more kitchen duty shift. Mia was getting excited. Finally, she was about to do something.
Finished eating, Phil excused himself to get an alibi, wishing Mia “a fun time” with kitchen duty. Vi, who had nothing else to do, announced she would accompany her.
“To what do we owe this honor,” Becka greeted them, looking pointedly at Vi.
“I’m not in the way sitting here,” Vi stated as she sat down in a chair that was placed along the length of a small table. Becka, clearly thrown off track, instructed Mia to peel and dice apples. Mia sat down next to Vi and started her task. This time, Becka did not come and look over Mia’s shoulder to criticize she was not doing it right. Perhaps she was worried about being told off by Vi.
Like yesterday, Max appeared in the door. As he greeted Becka, her face lit up. They talked briefly. It seemed Becka could be nice if she wanted. Mia wondered if Max visited Becka here often. Not wanting to stare at them, she turned back to her work.
“Hello, you two,” Max said. Mia jumped. She had been so focused on peeling apples and ignoring Max and Becka that she had not noticed he was standing next to her. “Hello, Max,” Vi replied.
Max pulled up a chair and sat down at the head of the table on Mia’s side. “You’re working an extra shift, Vi.” He could barely suppress a grin. “Now that’s commitment, I commend you.”
“You know me. I help wherever I can,” Vi replied just as lightheartedly while tapping the table with perfectly manicured nails.
Max laughed, then turned to Mia. “The offer to show you around still stands. How about when you’re done?”
The two girls exchanged a look. “Sounds good. Unfortunately, afterward, I have to help Edith. I promised.” The lie came easily out of Mia’s mouth. Way too easily for her taste. She wondered if telling Max the truth would put them at risk. But as Vi said, you can’t have too many cooks in the kitchen.
Max gave her a searching look. “Well, look at you two, both ready to be helpful.”
The two addressed chose to remain silent. Feeling awkward, Mia glanced at the table, Vi at her nails.
Becka joined them and they were spared from explaining further. She sat down on Max’s other side, on the chair opposite Mia, and looked around. She was probably aware of the tension at the table. She addressed Max. “Max, can you help me when I’m finished...” A stifled laugh was heard coming from Vi. “What’s so funny?” Becka said defensively.
Vi tried to appear serious but could not quite pull it off. She still displayed a hint of a smile. “Nothing. I’m sure Max will be happy to help.”
Another stifled laugh from Vi. “Max simply likes to be helpful.”
“Nothing wrong with that. One should always offer one’s help.” Becka eyed the three again in an attempt to figure out what they were up to.
“My sentiments exactly,” Vi said with finality in her tone. The conversation was over.
Mia noticed Max’s eyes on her. The fact she had lied to him made her guilty conscience flare up again and she promptly slipped with the knife.
Apparently, Becka was waiting for just such an opportunity. “Look here, that’s not how you peel apples. You are still cutting too much off, typical you.” As if she witnessed it frequently. It was merely the second time Mia had to peel. Regardless, it needed to be pointed out. “I told you yesterday. Haven’t you ever cooked?” Becka raised her eyebrows.
Mia shook her head. “No, my brother takes care of it.”
Max opened his mouth to say something, but Becka beat him to it. “So, it’s good you’re learning it now. Your future husband will appreciate it.”
Vi burst out laughing without attempting to stifle it.
“You seem to find everything funny. Since you’re already here, you might as well help,” Becka said venomously.
Vi got up. “I can tell when I’m not wanted.” Irritated, she left the kitchen.
Becka huffed. “Typical!”
So as not to break out in laughter herself and annoy Becka further, Mia eyed a spot in front of her on the table.
Max turned back to Mia. “I guess my cooking skills come in handy.”
“Max, that’s not helpful,” Becka immediately reprimanded him.
Max leaned back in his chair with his hands linked behind his head. “On the contrary. I think it is helpful when young ladies cannot cook.” He grinned at Mia.