Author: Kate Leslie
Category: Other
Go to read content：https://onlinereadfreenovel.com/kate-leslie/page,9,561377-the_project_project_2080_book_1.html
Mia remained silent. Speaking to a government agency usually got you into more trouble than it was worth. Not to mention, they would at least make a note of it when your ID was scanned. Mia had always been careful not to attract attention, especially since she worked in District 1. She could not afford to jeopardize her permission to commute between districts or she would lose her job. However, what difference did it make now? She had already lost her job. Still, the idea made her uncomfortable. A simple note could quickly turn into more. She looked at Phil. “To the registration office.”
Phil raised his eyebrows. “You are sure about that?”
“What other choice is there?” Resignation resonated in her voice.
Phil eyed her intensely before starting the engine. “As you wish.”
The registration office was located in an unsightly gray concrete box with small windows. The sight alone was depressing. Imagine working here day in day out. Mia had no idea if new or natural people were in charge here. The latter would probably be easier to deal with. Perhaps someone who also lived in the district would be sympathetic to her situation. Mia had been here before when she and her brother had moved out of the bigger apartment they had lived in with their parents and moved into a smaller one. Although, she had never set foot in the building since everyday issues were taken care of by an automated teller next to the entrance. Your ID was scanned, the relevant matter selected from a menu, and the change was made automatically. She doubted she would find something on the menu regarding her issue. She nodded to Phil. They got out and approached the building. Phil stood at the entrance door, Mia in front of the automated teller.
“Closed,” Phil stated. “But I see light in some windows. Someone has to be inside.” He came over to Mia. “Did you hear me?”
Mia replied, “H’m.”
Phil motioned with his head toward the machine. “What’s that?”
“It’s where you select your issue.” Mia pointed at the display. “There is no choice for my inquiry. Let me see what ‘Other’ has to offer.” She touched “Other’ on the menu and a message appeared: “Please insert your ID.” She pulled out her ID card.
Before she could insert it, Phil put his hand over the slot. “What are you up to? I don’t think it’s a good idea to identify yourself before asking unpleasant questions.”
“What other option is there?” Mia protested.
“I think it is best we leave.” Phil turned and walked away.
Indecisive, Mia stared after him. She had to try. She owed it to Ben. She inserted her ID. The display flashed. She probably activated the camera. Next, a voice asked, “What is your issue?”
Phil stopped and turned to look at Mia. His face expressed surprise before changing to disapproval when he heard Mia say, “I’m searching for my brother. He was taken from his school...” Before she could continue, Phil grabbed her arm and, despite her resistance, pulled her to the car and pushed her into the passenger seat before getting in himself.
“Why did you do that?” Mia asked angrily and tried to get out again. Phil grabbed her arm. Mia tried to pull it out of his grasp. “My ID card is still in the automated teller.”
“I don’t think you’ll get it back.” Phil nodded his chin in the direction of the registration office as he started the engine.
Mia peered out the window and saw two armed men in uniform. One took her ID card from the machine as the other scanned the area. “They could not possibly want to arrest me for being worried about my brother?”
“Sometimes less is enough,” Phil said resignedly as he steered the car through the streets. “If I were you, I would make sure to stay away from Filiae.” He looked at her regretfully. “What?” he asked when he noticed her contemplative expression.
Mia reluctantly told him about the incident on the train, when the controller had threatened to make an entry.
Phil groaned. “Had I known that I would have never brought you here.” But his gaze immediately softened as he briefly laid a hand reassuringly on her arm.
They parked the car in its spot in the barn and hurried up the path to the entrance of their hideout. As if their predicament was not bad enough, they were also late for lunch, which would raise questions. Questions neither one of them wanted to answer.
16
Ben
In the canteen, Ben and Daniel stood in line to receive their rations and then searched for an empty table. Most table conversations were about what they had heard in class. Again, Ben preferred to keep his opinions to himself. He was slowly growing paranoid. He was afraid that even here, someone was listening to them. To truly speak his mind, he only felt comfortable out in the open and then only in a whisper.
His classmates were worried about a possible war. Many spoke out against the rebels, holding them responsible for everything. Ben sighed and focused on his meal.
Lieutenant Becker entered the canteen and looked around. His gaze fell on the table where Ben sat and he approached. “Recruits,” he greeted, seriously studying them.
The students rose and saluted. Ben joined after a brief delay.
“At ease,” the lieutenant said. “Continue enjoying your meal.” He glanced around the tables and finally at Ben.
Ben grew restless. He wondered if he had done something wrong. Was it his tardy salute? Or, perhaps he overheard the remarks he had made outside about what they had learned in class. Now his paranoia was taking hold of him. Ben, who so far had withstood the lieutenant’s gaze, lowered his eyes. Apparently, Becker had been waiting for it because he finally addressed him. “D-13, please follow me.”
“Where to?” Ben asked. He was afraid of being punished and hoped they would at least tell him why.
“Did I not make myself clear? I told you to follow me. I’m not here for small talk.” He observed Ben closely. Despite his harsh words, his expression was neutral. Ben could not see any emotion in his face. He stood up. Lieutenant Becker took off without a word. Before he followed Becker, Ben glanced back at his classmates, who were watching him wide-eyed.
Ben was led by Lieutenant Becker to a small room in one of the administration buildings. In it was a table with a chair on either side. The walls were bare. One chair was occupied by an unknown officer whose gray eyes scrutinized Ben. He pointed to the other chair. Lieutenant Becker remained standing with his back to the door.
Ben sat down and uncertain, glanced at one then the other. No one said a word. To Ben, it seemed as if the unknown officer was trying to read his mind. Now he was truly paranoid. Surely, the man did not have that ability.
Finally, the officer broke the silence. “You have a sister.” It was a statement, not a question.
Why were they inquiring about Mia? Did something happen to her? Ben felt panic. “Is something wrong with Mia?” he asked.
The officer’s expression remained emotionless. “Where is your sister?”
Again, Ben glanced from one to the other. Lieutenant Becker was eyeing a spot on the wall. He was gazing straight ahead as if it was none of his business. The unknown officer was still looking at Ben.
“At home, I would think.” Why was he inquiring about Mia’s whereabouts? Where else would she be? Did they try to reach her but could not find her? Mia should either be at work or at home. She could not afford the life of a regular teenager, one who goes out and meets up with friends. Besides, she no longer had any contact with people her own age.
The officer’s gaze was still on Ben, actually, he had his eyes on him ever since he stepped foot into the room, never so much as wavered or blinked. “Do you have relatives?”
“Not that I know about,” Ben replied and just to say something for no one else spoke, he added, “It would be nice to have relatives, their help would have made it easier.”
The officer still showed no emotions. “Where does she usually go?”
Ben could no longer hold back. “Why do you want to know? Did something happen to her?” he asked.
His questions remained unanswered and his interrogator remained completely unmoved. “Answer my question.”
“She goes to work and back,” Ben answered.
“She must go other places too.” When Ben did not answer right away, he prodded, “Well, speak up!”
“Yes, shopping.” Ben slid restlessly in his chair.
“Where does she shop?”
Why would that be important? “Why do you want to know? What happened to her?” Now Ben wanted an answer. But none was given.
“Answer the questions and you’ll be out of here again.”
“The shops near our apartment. Only groceries because money is tight.” Ben could not judge if he answered satisfactorily. The officer was unreadable. “Who does she meet with?” he inquired.
“Nobody.”
“She has to know someone,” the interrogator insisted.
To what was he referring? He behaved as if Mia had done something wrong. “She does not meet anyone. Soon after she left school, all contact with former classmates ceased. She was too busy, always working.” Ben lowered his eyes. He regretted that his sister had given up everything to take care of him. He still had the life of a teenager, met with friends, went to school, and wooed a girl. He should have helped her.
“Do you know this boy?” The officer placed a photo on the table in front of Ben. It was a picture of a blond mane of hair cut fashionably and the back of a boy. Ben shook his head. He did not know anyone who looked like that boy. At least, as far as he could tell from behind.
“Are you sure?” The officer leaned forward a bit. Instinctively, Ben promptly retreated and nodded. Not knowing why they were asking him questions, he was in no mood to answer. “What’s with my sister? Is something wrong? Is she okay?”
The officer stared intently at Ben. He still had not averted his eyes or so much as blinked. Ben tried to hold his gaze but eventually turned away. When he looked up again, he caught the unknown officer exchanging a glance with Lieutenant Becker. “Yes, everything is fine. You can leave.”
Ben wanted to inquire about his sister again, but the officer had already risen and was exiting the room. Lieutenant Becker motioned for Ben to follow. They stopped in front of the building. Becker looked at him intently. “Go attend training.” Ben was about to leave when he added, “Stay out of trouble.”
17
Mia
Together, Mia and Phil entered the dining room. Max glanced up in surprise and quickly looked away. Seeing them together, he had to conclude she had stood him up to meet Phil and she had not even been honest with him and instead, used a lame excuse.
Mia and Phil sat down with an expectant and impatient looking Vi at their table. “What took you so long? I had to make up an excuse for our parents. I said you went for a walk. They did not seem too thrilled about it. Did you at least find out something?” When no answer was given, she added, “Why don’t you say anything?”
Mia sighed. “Unfortunately, we did not learn anything.” She told Vi about everything they did and to whom they spoke. When she described their experience at the registration office, Vi looked at her, shocked. “Now they might be searching for you. So, I hope you like it here for you’re not going anywhere in the foreseeable future.”
“I thought as much,” Mia confirmed.
Depressed, they ate their meals. As soon as they finished, everyone quickly disappeared into their rooms to avoid any questions.
Mia lay on her bed, brooding. Their outing had certainly gone wrong. Now what could she do? She could not hide here forever. She had to do something for Ben. She should not give up on him. At the moment though, she could not come up with anything. She considered asking Vi, but she seemed deep in thought too. Besides, she had put her through enough for one day.
Mia was concerned about Phil. Hopefully she had not gotten him involved in something that would have serious consequences for him. She recalled that he was not standing beside her when the camera turned on, reassuring her. She would not be able to live with herself if he got into trouble.
She had one depressing thought after the next. She had seen the disappointment in Max’s eyes. She had lied to him. He had already been onto her that morning. Now she had confirmed it. She would have to talk to him. She owed him an explanation. What could she say? She could not tell him the truth. They had agreed to keep it between themselves. She could say she ran into Phil outside the door, but then she would be adding another lie. That was the problem with lies. One quickly told another and, before long, had spun a web of lies.
She hoped to get an opportunity to talk to him at dinner though she was not yet sure what to say. She immediately rejected the idea of searching for him now. She lacked the necessary courage.
An opportunity to speak with Max had not come up. After dinner, Mia was depressed and spent the evening with Vi in their room. Phil joined them. They talked about today’s experience, which did nothing to improve their state of mind.
“I cannot simply give up on my brother,” Mia said emphatically.
“No one says you should,” Phil replied reassuringly. “All of us have had to put up with a lot for far too long. It cannot continue like this.”
“Well, Mia can no longer go around asking questions,” Vi remarked gloomily. “We don’t have that many possibilities left open to us.”
Phil, who was sitting next to Mia on her bed, impatiently drummed his fingers on his thigh. “Asking around was doomed from the start. We must demand that we be told what’s going on.”
“And, who would listen to you?” his sister inquired.
Frustrated, Phil dropped his hand onto the bed. “Nobody.”
They were silent.
“Of course, nobody would listen to us,” Mia mused aloud. “Not if it’s only the three of us. All parents would have to join forces, or even better yet, all residents of District 2.”
“And how are you going to accomplish that?” Phil asked. “It’s not like you can go from door to door. Remember, you shouldn’t show yourself in Filiae for some time.”
That was true. Mia puffed out her cheeks and blew the air out. “We have to think of something that would reach a lot of people. The three of us going from door to door would not work anyway. Places frequented by numerous people, that’s where they should be approached.”
“Sounds reasonable, I’m in,” Phil said. “We have to figure out where those places are and how to address the crowd. Approaching each one individually is not possible.” Phil’s mood improved noticeably. “All of us have been idle for far too long. It’s time to take action.” He looked at his sister, who nodded thoughtfully. “By the way, Vi, you are a great liar, better than all of us put together. Our parents never questioned my absence this morning.” He laughed.
Vi gently nudged him with her foot. “Watch what you say. After all, I learned such behavior from you.”
They racked their brains about how to best approach a crowd for a while longer. Since no reasonable conclusion presented itself, they postponed the meeting until the next day.
18
Ben
Why would Becker tell him to stay out of trouble? Ben made it a habit to stay out of trouble. He was boring in that regard. Had Mia gotten involved in something that could be regarded as trouble? What could it be? Mia was always careful in her undertakings. She made sure to behave so her permission to enter District 1 would not be revoked, otherwise, she would lose her job. Getting your permission revoked could happen at any time. Merely saying the wrong word to the wrong person could make that happen. Mia knew that all too well. So far, she had endured a lot and never complained when she was treated badly.
During weapons training, they went through the usual routine of disassembling, cleaning, oiling, and reassembling their weapons repeatedly. Daniel eyed him questioningly. Ben shook his head. They were not supposed to talk during training. He did not intend to be reprimanded. Becker’s warning to stay out of trouble was s
till fresh in his memory. Perhaps he considered getting admonished a qualifier. “Later,” he mouthed silently.
Who was that boy? Did Mia know him and, if so, for how long? She never mentioned him to Ben. Did Becker consider him ‘trouble’? Ben did not notice that the instructor had stopped beside him. He leaned down to Ben to get a look at his nameplate. “D-13, what’s taking so long? Do you think we have nothing better to do than wait for you?”
Ripped out of his thoughts, Ben glanced around. His classmates’ eyes were glued to him. It seemed they were actually waiting for him. Ben tried to assemble his weapon quickly. Yesterday, he was quite good at it, today, he seemed to have two left hands. He laid the pieces on the ground in front of him and rubbed a hand over his forehead. He took a deep breath before he made another attempt. Finally, it worked.
“You have to work on that. You lack the necessary coordination. You must improve.” The instructor led them to the shooting range. The girls’ group was already there. Ben’s group was late, probably because of him. Once again, they lined up in five rows. When Ben took his place, Clara waved him over from the line next to the last. Ben looked around to make sure she had meant him. It certainly appeared that way. So, he went over to her. “Hello,” she greeted softly.
“Hello,” he replied.
Clara cautiously surveyed the area and leaned over to him. “I saw you called out of the canteen this afternoon. What was that about?”
In a whisper, Ben conveyed his conversation with the unknown officer. As they spoke, they made sure to move along with the line so as not to attract attention. The instructor could be heard praising someone up front. Like yesterday, the recipient was Daniel.
Now it was Clara’s turn. Her aim was good. Then Ben moved into position. His shots were okay. Then again, the targets had not yet been moved further back. Ben assumed that would soon be the case. He went to stand back in line, where Clara turned to face him. “Is your sister in trouble?”