The Project E-Book

Kate Leslie

• Herausgeber: BookRix
• Kategorie: Für Kinder und Jugendliche
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020

Beschreibung

"You worked for the machines. It should be the other way around, machines should be making our jobs easier, but no, we work for them."   Man 2.0. A sinister plan. Humanity lost? Would you trade your emotions against an eternal life?   In a society ruled by a new generation of people who are more machine than human, where emotions are considered a weakness, 17-year-old Mia and her two-year younger brother Ben are left on their own after the death of their parents. While Mia takes a job to support them, Ben stays in school. On a day that begins like any other, there is talk of an attack. The target: Ben's school. By the time Mia arrives, Ben has already been taken to an undisclosed location and Mia is not given any information about it. A stranger offers to help and, in her desperation, Mia accepts. He introduces her to a group of drop-outs, where Mia meets the witty and rebellious siblings Vi and Phil, who become allies in her search for her brother.   Meanwhile Ben and his classmates are taken to a military base to be trained as soldiers. To fight who? Their own kind. With a system of punishment and reward, the students are manipulated to obey orders and even report on their friends.

Leseprobe

The Project

Kate Leslie

Translation: Holger and Lori Flock (buchuebersetzer.webs.com)

Cover: Geopherae

Copyright © 2020 Kate Leslie.

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

“You worked for the machines. It should be the other way around, machines should be making our jobs easier, but no, we work for them.”

Man 2.0. A sinister plan. Humanity lost?

Would you trade your emotions against an eternal life?

In a society ruled by a new generation of people who are more machine than human, where emotions are considered a weakness, 17-year-old Mia and her two-year younger brother Ben are left on their own after the death of their parents. While Mia takes a job to support them, Ben stays in school. On a day that begins like any other, there is talk of an attack. The target: Ben’s school. By the time Mia arrives, Ben has already been taken to an undisclosed location and Mia is not given any information about it. A stranger offers to help and, in her desperation, Mia accepts. He introduces her to a group of drop-outs, where Mia meets the witty and rebellious siblings Vi and Phil, who become allies in her search for her brother.

Meanwhile Ben and his classmates are taken to a military base to be trained as soldiers. To fight who? Their own kind. With a system of punishment and reward, the students are manipulated to obey orders and even report on their friends.

Julian

“Lukas Pohl and his group of terrorists are quickly gaining influence.”

Julian leaned back in his chair and fixed the man who had just spoken with an observant stare. Severin Will, one of his longtime friends. Severin’s brow was creased with worry. There were dark circles under his eyes. Julian could not help but notice that Severin was becoming increasingly negligent with his appearance.

Julian raised his gaze to the mirror on the opposite wall. His eyes met with those of a young, handsome man, appearing no older than twenty-one.

It was all that mattered in this shallow society. If you had the looks, success was almost inevitable. And a little money on the side opened every door. The money was the only thing he felt grateful for towards his father. He had left Julian with quite a fortune and with it the possibility to arrange life according to his wishes. But beyond that, he had left him little else.

“Severin, you look tired. You should take a couple of days off. You need to relax,” Julian said.

“How am I to rest? Pohl and his gang of criminals are causing me a severe headache.” Severin leaned forward and rested an elbow on Julian’s writing desk, which Julian noted with a raised eyebrow.

“Julian,” Severin pleaded, “you ought not to take them lightly. They start to pose a serious threat.”

Julian remained unfazed. He allowed himself a little smile, upsetting Severin even more.

„You know as well as I do,“ Severin continued, “in numbers, the filth is still superior to us. If Pohl manages to get them on his side, we will lose everything.”

Julian’s mind was drawn to Emilie. She was one of them. Filth – as Severin referred to them. Simple people, people without technical enhancements. They were a dying breed and stubborn Emilie would soon be dead too. It gave him a moment of regret on her behalf, not on that of the others. You could not hold back progress. You had to embrace the future. Progress in science had created a new race. Stronger, with a longer lifespan. However, Earth’s resources were limited and man’s longer lifespan would lead to overpopulation. Only one race could survive. As nature had always intended, it was the survival of the fittest.

Pohl and his followers had armed themselves and occupied a military base at the coastline near Porta Deus. The military had not yet managed to end their reign there. The base was located at a spot where it was hard to attack and heavily armed. Porta Deus was the main production site of the defense industry. It was Pohl’s hometown and he had many underground contacts there. Recently, he had tried to win over the public by addressing them in a broadcasted message, sowing dissatisfaction. Protests followed which where nipped in the bud. The population where too scared of repressions. A public display of strength, namely an execution or two, was all that it took to keep the common people in check.

It should have been impossible for Pohl to air the message. Still he had succeeded. The communication engineers had managed to intercept all following attempts. Naturally, Pohl could not be allowed to continue along this path. Luckily, he was still only a local disturbance. Should he reach more people, he could infect the whole country.

However, this “crises”, as Severin liked to call it, had brought Severin to the edge and had revealed his true nature. Severin was a weakling, an embarrassment. He was hardly better than those he called “filth”, but he was rich and knew the right people. So, Julian had to put up with him.

Julian sighed. “Don’t worry. The terrorists will be dealt with. A plan has been in the works for a while. We just need to implement it faster.” He pressed a button on the intercom integrated in his writing desk and asked to be connected to General Roth, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

“President DeWitt,” Roth answered the call almost immediately.

“I want you to set our project in motion,” replied Julian.

For a long moment, there was silence on the other end of the line. Roth cleared his throat. “We are not ready yet. We need a little more time”, he said hesitantly.

“It starts tomorrow,” commanded Julian with finality and ended the call. With a smirk, he eyed Severin again. “If Pohl wants to play war, I will build an army to meet his.”

1

Mia

“Ben!” Mia faced the door of her brother’s room and knocked. “Ben,” she called out louder. When she still did not receive an answer, she entered his room. Ben was asleep in his bed. He obviously had not heard her knock. Walking to the window to open the curtains, she stumbled over his school uniform that lay discarded on the floor. “Oh, Ben,” she groaned. "How many times do I have to remind you to hang up your clothes properly, especially your school uniform?” Sullenly, she picked them up. The clothes were all wrinkled. Now who was going to iron them, certainly not her because she had to leave for work right away. A glance at Ben’s bed told her he was still sleeping soundly, which she would put an end to now. Mia yanked the curtains apart and purposefully marched to his bed. How could anyone sleep so deeply? Ben had most likely spent half the night in front of his computer, as he did too often. He planned to become a programmer once he finished school. It would have made their parents so proud.

Mia’s gaze was drawn to the framed family photo on the shelf above Ben’s bed. It had been taken on one of her mother’s birthdays. Everyone was beaming at the camera. It had been a happy day. To celebrate, their father had taken them out to a restaurant. That had not happened often since money had always been tight. Although they had done relatively well compared to other families in District 2 for both parents had earned wages.

Three years ago, Mia’s parents had died in an explosion at the chemical plant where they had both worked. Mia and Ben had been left alone with no relatives to lend a hand. Ben had just turned twelve and Mia had been fourteen. Though they had received compensation from the company, it had not lasted long. They had had to give up the apartment and move into a smaller place in a cramped residential complex. The new place was on the fifth floor. It consisted of two small bedrooms, a main room that was the living room, kitchen, and foyer all in one, and a tiny bathroom the size of a shower stall.

Soon after, Mia had quit school to start a job. She gained employment at a supermarket where she had been an unskilled laborer performing tasks such as stocking shelves. Once the compensation had been exhausted, they could not make ends meet and Mia had to take a second job working three night shifts a week at the local hospital. Through a doctor, she became a nanny for a family from District 1.

The majority of residents in District 1 in her hometown of Filiae were new generation people, so-called New Humans. New Humans had improved their capabilities through technical enhancements, which covered just about everything.

It had begun with implants from the entertainment industry that stimulated the senses, allowing people to immerse themselves in virtual worlds. Soon after, artificial limbs indistinguishable from real ones were introduced and then artificial organs that extended life expectancies. So, if an organ failed, it only needed to be replaced. Lastly, an implantable cerebral interface was developed that allowed the transfer of memories so humans were no longer bound to their physical form. Now anything was possible.

However, enhancements were only available to those with financial means. The New Human was superior to original mankind, also called natural man, in terms of strength and efficiency. Since New Humans considered natural man inferior due to susceptibility to diseases, and incapable to function properly, they were looked down upon and banished to live on the margins of society.

The Ahlers family, for whom Mia worked, were New Humans. Though the parents had undergone several enhancements, their daughter Ava, who Mia looked after, was, for the most part, original as far as that could be said about new generation children. After all, a child’s physical characteristics and capabilities could be selected. Children were “grown in a lab” with genetic material from their parents.

August Ahlers was employed by the city administration. Mia barely saw him. His wife Mara Ahlers did not work. Her purpose in life was parties and the latest gossip. Ava, the little daughter, was a nice girl. All in all, it was a good job, even though Mara Ahlers made life hard for Mia. The most important aspect was that the job paid the bills.

Mia took her eyes off the photograph and instead, looked at Ben’s face, which resembled hers, with his high cheekbones, straight nose and full lips. As an adolescent, Ben was currently in a difficult period in his life. Not a child anymore, yet not grown up. Mia gently shook his shoulder. “Ben.”

“Mmmm.” Ben finally moved yet made no effort to get up.

Once again, Mia shook his shoulder, albeit this time with more force. “Ben! Get up!”

“It’s way too early,” Ben grumbled, though at least he made eye contact. “Let me snooze a little longer.”

Mia sighed. “And when I come home from work you will still be lying in bed or sitting in front of your computer.”

At last, Ben sat up and glared at Mia through sleepy eyes. His brown hair was disheveled and stood out at all angles, definitely time for a cut. It was too long according to the dress code at school. He rubbed his eyes. “Come on, Mia, don’t be so strict.”

“One of us needs to be.” Frustrated, Mia shook her head and turned away. At least Ben should have the opportunity to get off the treadmill and make something out of his life. And in order to get a good job, he needed a degree. Mia went to the door and turned to face him. “So, now what, Ben? You know I can’t be late. Mrs. Ahlers does not appreciate it.”

Ben stifled a yawn. “Your boss treats you like a slave.”

“Perhaps, but the job pays the rent.” Mia went to her room, put on her jacket, and grabbed her bag.

When she faced the door, Ben was leaning against the doorframe. “I know. I’m sorry, Mia,” he said ruefully. He flattened his hair with his hands. At the age of 15, Ben was as tall as Mia, but soon he would tower over her.

Walking by him, she ran her fingers through his hair and messed it up again. “You can’t look too neat or you might not be recognized.”

“You’re always picking on me.” Ben could not resist a grin.

Mia patted his shoulder. “Hurry up, you have to leave soon too. I’ll see you tonight.” She hurried to the door. “And don’t forget your lunch.”

“Yes, Mia. No need to remind me of that. I’m not a child anymore,” Ben called after her.

As Mia stepped outside, she was instantly enveloped by a warm haze. This part of the city was constantly polluted since the big factories here shot soot out their tall chimneys around the clock, even the facades of the congested skyscrapers had a permanent coating. Respiratory diseases were not uncommon.

Mia hurried to the subway and scrambled down the stairs two at a time to the platforms. Below ground, the smells were even more uncomfortable than at street level. It reeked of cheap booze, urine, and every effluvium the human body could produce.

Mia managed to hop on the train just before the doors closed. Puffing, she dropped onto the next empty seat and retrieved a book from her bag. She used the commute to educate herself, wanting to earn a GED as a self-taught student. She had quit school at 14, a year younger than Ben was now. Most likely, he would graduate first.

“You’re reading a printed book? That’s rare nowadays. Back in my youth, there were printed books. Today, everything is digital.” Mia stopped reading and looked up. Across from her sat an elderly gentleman with gray hair and a benevolent smile.

“This is an old math book. I bought it from a used bookshop.” Mia held up the cover so he could read it. “That has not changed over time.”

“You are right. Two and two still equals four.” he smiled. “I miss the old books,” he said wistfully, “having actual pages to turn and the smell. It’s like missing old friends. Hardly anyone reads nowadays. I loved to read adventure stories when I was a kid. I immersed myself in the stories, it was like I was living another life. Nowadays, it’s all about gathering information. Everything has become too impersonal. Do you read many books?”

Mia shook her head. “Only textbooks. And most are in digital form. My brother still goes to school. Sometimes I borrow his tablet.” She thoughtfully caressed the cover of the math book. “Sadly, we cannot afford to buy books for pleasure.”

“That’s too bad.” The gentleman’s voice was full of regret. “That’s the problem nowadays: Life is a struggle for survival and we’ve accepted it.”

The conversation was interrupted when they reached the checkpoint for District 1. The two districts were separated to protect the inhabitants of District 1 and naturally, their possessions. As was common, two controllers accompanied by several guards boarded the train to scan ID cards and, providing there were no complaints or a conviction of a criminal offense, you could continue the journey and enter District 1. New Humans were in charge of the judiciary system since they were not guided by emotions in their judgments. Usually, trials lasted one day, which ended with the judgments. Sentences were harsh to discourage violating the law.

Though there was nothing wrong with Mia’s ID card, she was still nervous every time she went through the checkpoint. She might have permission to enter District 1 since she worked for the Ahlers household, but the privilege could always be taken away from her, at which time, she would lose her job too.

The controller stopped at the bench where Mia sat and wordlessly held out his hand. Mia handed him her identification card. He scanned it with his reader and instantly a humming sounded. Her card had been accepted. Without looking at Mia, the controller handed her ID card back, then held out his hand for the identity card of the elderly gentleman and scanned it. No humming sounded; instead, the scanner displayed a message. The controller signaled two guards to come over, who grabbed and pulled up the older man by the shoulders. The controller sternly eyed Mia. “Are you two traveling together?”

Before Mia could reply, the old man shook his head. “No, we are strangers.”

The controller continued staring at Mia thoughtfully. “You have been cleared,” he finally said. “So, everything should be fine for you, just make sure you do not attract attention again. I’ll add a note to your data.”

As soon as the older gentleman was removed from the train, it continued its journey. The remaining passengers started to whisper assumptions. Mia leaned forward, put her elbows on her knees, and buried her face in her hands. Adding a note to her data could cost her permission to enter District 1, resulting in the loss of her job.

The train pulled into Mia’s station and she exited on wobbly legs. Once outside the station, she took a deep breath and continued her commute on foot. The stark contrast between the streets of District 1 and those in her neighborhood never failed to surprise her. Here, streets were bright and spacious and the houses had shiny glass facades. There were also many green areas, thus fresh air. You immediately felt free.

Along the right side of the road was a park that Mia never walked through since following the road was shorter. Today, however, she felt the urge to enter and involuntarily slowed her pace. The path cut through green grounds with bushes and trees pruned into geometric shapes. A statue stood in the middle of the park surrounded by flowerbeds with ornamental plants. The statue portrayed President Julian DeWitt. Mia knew his face from the public news channel that broadcasted all over the city. She and Ben did not own a TV. The president gave speeches on important occasions and holidays, which were basically the same each time. He praised the achievements of their society, the opportunities technical enhancements provided each individual, and all the freedom people had. Mia wondered if he was even aware of natural humans’ poor living conditions, the ones who could not afford technical enhancements, the ones who faced poverty and spreading diseases. Disgusted, she turned away from the statue.

Even between New Humans there was a class distinction between those who had physical enhancements, like Mia’s employer, and those who had performed a memory transfer. The president had the latter. His father had been the founder of Project 2045, but he had passed away before its entire introduction. His son Julian had completed his life’s work and made himself the leader of the new society. The actual age of the president was unknown. Viewing his appearance, you would think he was in his early twenties.

A glance at her watch told Mia she would be late. She hastened her pace and crossed one of the bridges spanning the artificially constructed canal that ran through the entire park. So early in the morning, she pretty much had the park to herself. Later on, it would get busy with people strolling about, sitting on the park benches along the paths, or renting boats on the canal. No one would take any interest in the green spaces or plants for such things were taken for granted. It was about socializing and being seen. Everyone was young, everyone was beautiful. If something was no longer fashionable, they simple underwent changes. That could apply to the hairstyle, but also the nose, mouth, or eye color. The possibilities were limitless.

Mia exited the park and entered the street on which her employers lived. It was a quiet residential cul-de-sac. The houses resembled glass cubes. The one-way glass offered no glimpse of the interior. Each lot was surrounded by a white wall that provided privacy from the neighbors. All in all, bright colors were preferred.

Mia stopped in front of the Ahlers’ gate and was scrutinized by the security camera above. Its integrated face recognition identified her and a buzzer sounded. Mia pushed open the gate and hurried up the white flagstone path to the front door. Ava, the little daughter, stood waiting in the open door and greeted Mia joyfully. Mia suspected her parents did not spend much time with her. Mara Ahlers had a friend over and was busy chatting on the sofa in the sprawling white-tiled living room. As usual, some trivial soap opera was on the big screen embedded in the wall. The whole house was stylishly furnished in black and white.

Ava’s cheerfulness at Mia’s arrival alerted Mara’s friend of her presence. She gave Mia a disparaging look. She obviously disapproved of her, too ordinary, too natural. Clearly, her olive skin tone and her simple clothes gave her away. Quite in contrast to Mara and her friend who both wore colorful and expensive fabrics and had an alabaster skin. Mia forced a smile so as not to provoke Mara’s wrath for she relied on the job. “You still employ natural people?” the friend asked. “Don’t you find them too unreliable?”

“She takes care of Ava during the day,” Mara replied without acknowledging Mia. “We would have replaced her long ago, but Ava insists we keep her.”

Mia knew she should not pay attention to their words, yet hearing them she could not help but feel degraded and hurt. By now, she should be used to being treated like an object instead of a real human.

Ava, who continued babbling cheerfully, tugged on Mia’s sleeve while peering up at her worriedly. “Is something wrong?”

“Huh?” Mia turned away from Mara and her visitor. “No, my dear, everything is fine. Go grab your coat and we’ll go to the park.”

As Mia waited for Ava, she tried to ignore the women gossiping about the shortcomings of natural people and focused her attention on the banal soap opera on TV. Just then, the television program was interrupted by a breaking news story. Even Mara and her friend fell silent and listened. Breaking news was never good. Mia took a few steps and stopped in the doorway.

The news reporter described a crisis in District 2. Apparently, diligent work by the authorities had alerted them to a planned coup against the government. Since the terrorists had not yet been arrested, instructions were given to evacuate the planned target.

Mia’s heart skipped a beat when she recognized Ben’s school. “They are talking about my brother’s school.”

Mara turned to Mia. “Did you say something?” she asked, irritated.

“That’s my brother’s school,” Mia repeated louder. “I must leave.”

“You can’t leave now. You’ve just arrived and late on top of it,” Mara declared accusingly. “You told Ava you’d go to the park.” That was the end of it and she turned back to her friend.

Mia’s throat was dry, so she cleared it. “I’m truly sorry, but I have to go check on Ben.”

“Who is Ben?” Mara asked, turning to Mia once more, impatiently and narrowed her eyes. “You are standing us up because of a boy? You can meet your boyfriend in your free time.”

In the past, Mia had mentioned Ben several times. Mara had probably not listened or simply forgotten. “Ben is my brother. I must go to his school and make sure he is alright.”

Mara glanced at the TV, then back to Mia, apparently just making the connection. “Oh, you mean the breaking news. They stated the authorities have complete control of the situation. You being there won’t do any good.” She exchanged glances with her friend, who seemed reassured about her criticism of employing natural humans. Mara rose and faced Mia. “And what about Ava? Who will watch her? I have an appointment with my beautician. She is incredibly popular. I can’t simply cancel and make a new one, who knows how long I might have to wait.” A fold formed between her eyebrows. Apparently, her beautician was not that good after all.

Wordlessly, Mia turned and walked to the door.

“If you leave now, don’t bother coming back,” Mara called after her. “And I’ll deduct the cost of finding a replacement from your outstanding pay.”

Mia paused a moment. Had she lost her job? She could not worry about that now. Once Mara calmed down, she would realize Mia had no choice.

2

Ben

Mia was right, only with a good education would they have a chance to improve their living conditions. Once Ben finished school, he would try to get a job as a programmer. It was good work, probably also well paid. Besides, programming was Ben’s passion.

Mia had had no choice but to grow up early. Much too early. She did not even have time for former school friends and Ben, well, he was not exactly making her life easier either. Like this morning, he really should start helping her. He was resolute in his decision; he would take on an after-school job. Mia always stressed he should focus solely on school, well, that was no longer possible.

“Hello, Ben.” His best friend Daniel greeted Ben in front of the school gate. Like many buildings in their district, the school was in desperate need of renovation. Missing or crumbling plaster was everywhere, exposing raw gray concrete. At least the school’s appearance was in line with the streetscape. Grays in all shades prevailed. “You’re quite late today. Did you oversleep again?”

Ben rubbed his neck with a guilty look. “No, why do you ask?”

“I’m asking because I know you,” Daniel replied with a mischievous sidelong glance.

Both grinned. “You’re right. I stayed up too late last night. I was writing a program routine. Thankfully, Mia woke me in time. You know, she won’t leave the house unless I’m up.”

“Let me guess, as soon as she was out the door, you crawled back into bed,” Daniel said playfully. He probably would have done the same.

“Me, I would never do something like that,” Ben said with a grin.

“I’m sure you would. So, why stand me up? We’ll be late for class.” Daniel started moving.

“I remembered something else about yesterday’s program script and made a few notes,” Ben explained as they walked down the dimly lit corridor to their classroom. Some ceiling fixtures needed to be replaced, but since the budget was tight and they were reliant on the city administration, which did not place any priority when it came to a school in District 2, they had to make do.

“Oh, Ben! You’re killing me. Can’t you act like a normal teenager for once?” Daniel nudged Ben in the side.

“And you consider normal to be what?” Ben glanced down for he had an idea what Daniel was referring to.

“Oh, you know.” Daniel leaned over to Ben to make eye contact. “What’s going on with Clara?”

Ben blushed somewhat. “Clara? To her, I don’t even exist.”

Daniel nudged him again, this time in the ribs. “You should change that as soon as possible.”

Ben’s blush deepened. Just the thought of talking to Clara made his pulse race. She was in the same math class and was one of the most popular girls in school. She certainly had no shortage of admirers and it was not possible she’d be interested in a bookworm like Ben.

“And what about you and Lena?” Ben changed the subject. For a few weeks now, Daniel had been raving about Lena, a classmate. Then again, it was hard to keep track of Daniel’s love interests for he had many. “You should not commit too early,” was his motto. Daniel exuded such natural self-confidence; Ben wished he had just a little of it.

“We are doing okay. Yesterday, we met at the mall. We had a nice talk. After school, we’re going to meet up and study.” Daniel winked at Ben. That was typical of Daniel. Girls flocked after him.

The two reached their classroom and entered. The interior was, despite the cracks in the walls and blinking light fixtures, a bit friendlier due to the east-facing windows that let in the morning light. At least they had gotten that right during the construction of the school for they were big, almost floor to ceiling. They gave the room a little warmth that the rest of the building lacked.

In fact, most of their classmates were already present. Some glanced at the last-minute arrivals, but most were too engrossed in their conversations to notice. Ben made his way between the tables to his place in the back row. He preferred to sit in back because he did not like being called by the teacher. Daniel also preferred to sit in the back. However, his reason was entirely different, he did not mind speaking in front of the class, it was just that most of the time he was ill-prepared.

The class started as it did every day. But, not long after the second period started, they were asked to leave the room and gather outside in the courtyard. They were told about some planned attack, all of which made no sense to Ben. “Their story sounds fishy to me,” Ben whispered to Daniel. “Why would attacking students make the population favor their government less? It’s obvious the government does not care about the well-being of natural people. You’d think anti-government groups would have no problem making natural people their allies. Pretty much everywhere, people are fed up with their living conditions.”

District 2 was located on the southern side of the city of Filiae. It was larger than District 1, which applied to land size as well as the number of inhabitants. It was also the home of industrial areas. Residential areas were cramped with one high-rise built to the next.

District 1 occupied the northern side. Mia had gained employment there in a family household. According to her, the streets there were bright and green areas were everywhere. People did not live in tenement buildings in tiny apartments; instead, everyone had their own pretty family house with all the luxuries and a private garden. Each household also had at least one vehicle. That was something nobody in District 2 could afford. They were dependent on public transportation or, like Ben, walked. Ben would love to see the other district with his own eyes, but unlike his sister, he had no authorization to enter. Sometimes he envied Mia for it. However, knowing how Mia was treated by those people kept his envy in check.

“Ben, you worry too much.” Daniel ripped Ben out of his reverie and back to their current issue. “Overthinking won’t do any good; let’s just go with the flow.”

Ben glanced around. His classmates seemed as insecure as he felt. “That’s easy for you to say.”

“Well, it is easy!” Daniel sounded as confident as ever. He was not rattled so easily.

Several buses were parked in the schoolyard. A barrier had been erected in front of the school, before which a crowd began to gather. At the main doors of the school, they were met by an officer who instructed everyone to follow him. He stopped at the door of one of the buses and ordered the students to board. One by one, the students entered and filled the seats. Since certain students wanted to sit together, chaos quickly ensued. Some tried to fight their way to the back rows while others blocked the aisle chitchatting. Someone tried to climb over the backrests when Mrs. Wiest, their class teacher, called for her students to behave. Then everything went quiet when the officer shoved his way inside, pushed her out of the way, and bellowed like a drill sergeant, “Everyone, take the nearest seat, NOW!”

“I want to sit with my friends. I can’t get to them,” one of Ben’s classmates exclaimed.

“I don’t care, take whatever seat is available, that goes for everyone, end of discussion!” the officer ordered in a tone that left no room for argument.

Still, the students grumbled.

“I ordered you to sit down. NOW GET TO IT. I don’t want to hear any more complaints, or I’ll take more drastic measures.” His hand went to his holstered weapon for emphasis.

Suddenly, everyone was in their seats. As Mrs. Wiest tried to take her seat, the officer hindered her. “But I must stay with my students,” she protested. “I am responsible for them.”

“No, from now on, the military is responsible. Please disembark at once!” The officer rudely forced her out the door.

Mrs. Wiest attempted to formulate a rebuke when the doors closed, the engine started, and the bus departed. Mrs. Wiest was left behind, standing there pale and helpless. Daniel shrugged and turned from the window. He too was a little leery now especially when he saw the accompanying officer eyeing the students with cold expressionless eyes.

3

Mia

Mia sprinted back to the subway station. Her lungs were burning and her heart raced, but she could not afford to take a break. Not yet. She reached the station and boarded the first train heading for District 2. She used the time on the train to catch her breath and replay the news report in her head. It made no sense to her. Why attack a school?

The train arrived at the checkpoint, but since they were unconcerned with those leaving District 1, the controller waved Mia through as if she was an annoying mosquito.

By the time Mia disembarked, she was rested, at least physically, and started to sprint again. Ben’s school was only two blocks down the road.

A barricade was erected around the school and guarded by soldiers in black uniforms. The sight made Mia stop dead in her tracks. A common reaction for people from District 2 since they avoided any confrontation with government authorities. Whenever the military was present, danger was expected. Mia took a deep breath and started walking again. She wove through the crowd that had gathered and addressed a soldier. “Excuse me; my brother goes to this school. I’m here to take him home.” The soldier’s expression remained unmoved as if he had not heard her. “The news report stated,” Mia made another attempt, “a planned attack on this school was supposedly foiled. So, if it’s okay, I’d like to take my brother home with me.”

“I cannot help you.” Finally, a reaction, unfortunately, not the one Mia had hoped for.

“The news report stated the situation is under control. So, there should be no problem if I take my brother home.”

“Girl, don’t cause trouble. Just go home.” The soldier’s gaze swept over the assembled people. “That goes for all of you, go home.”

“I’m not leaving until I see my brother.” A murmur of approval rose from those around her.

The soldier scowled at Mia. “You are a troublemaker.” He held out his hand. “Let me see your ID.”

Instinctively, Mia stepped back. If the controller had followed through with his threat of adding a note to her data, she could actually get in trouble. “I’m merely worried about my brother,” she stated as calmly as possible.

Unperturbed, the soldier gestured with his hand. “Hurry up. You’re wasting my time.”

Mia rummaged through her bag, searching for her ID. She hardly ever found at once what she actually needed.

“What’re you waiting for?” the soldier asked. “I can just take you away for questioning right now.”

“Sorry, I do have it.” As Mia continued to search in her bag, someone grabbed her elbow.

It was a young man. “Excuse me, she does not want to cause trouble. Come on, Mel.” He pulled Mia away from the barrier and maneuvered her into a narrow alley.

Mia had been too stunned to put up any resistance but now freed herself from his grip. “Let go of me!” She attempted to walk around him, but he moved sideways and blocked her way. He was a little over six feet tall, thus had a good seven inches on her and an athletic figure. Physically, he was superior to her. Then again, she could shout for help and alert the people at the barrier, but what about the soldiers... One of them had already threatened to detain her.

Mia crossed her arms and stared defiantly up at the stranger. “What do you want from me?”

His assuredness seemed to crumble. “I merely wanted to help you.”

“Do I look like I need help?” Mia glared at him.

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Just now, yeah, you did.”

If the situation had not been so dire, Mia might have found him attractive with his dark hair and sea blue eyes. She groaned inwardly and looked away from his mesmerizing eyes that befuddled her. She again attempted to get by him. However, he had chosen the right alley, for it was too narrow for an easy escape. Actually, calling it an alley was an overstatement. It was more of a gap between two houses. Mia huffed to express her annoyance. “Just so you know, I don’t need your help. Now let me go.”

“I can’t let you get yourself into trouble.” He touched her arm and she quickly shook his hand off.

“Why not? What’s it to you?” Earlier he called her Mel, perhaps he had mistaken her for someone else. “I’m not Mel.”

“So, I see,” he replied with a chuckle.

“Since you see you were mistaken, you might as well let me go now.” She returned his smile, but with raised eyebrows.

He tilted his head to one side. “I’m not so sure about that.”

Mia grimaced. “If that Mel person allows herself to be patronized by you, she must be incredibly patient.”

His smile became more pronounced. “Mel was a classmate of mine.”

“Okay,” Mia exclaimed, “and you’re telling me this why?” He looked at her searchingly and did not move to let her pass. Maybe a reasonable explanation would make him understand. “Listen, my brother...”

“Yes, I know,” he interrupted her, “your brother goes to this school and you’re worried about him.”

Mia sighed in annoyance. “Well, since you know what’s going on, there’s no reason to keep me trapped in this alley!”

Now he started to laugh, infuriating Mia further. Either the guy was crazy or he wanted to rob her. Mia searched behind her for an escape route, but all she saw was a yard with a dead end. Slowly, her annoyance gave way to dire discomfort.

Unfortunately, it did not escape his notice. “Don’t worry, I am not going to harm you. I simply wanted...” he started to calmly explain.

“You simply wanted to help me,” Mia interrupted him. “I know and that’s nice of you, but I don’t need help. I get along fine on my own. I do it every day.”

“I believe you.” He said with regret. “You don’t appear to be someone who would ask for help,” he added unnecessarily. “But why not take my help. I only mean well.”

“Why are you so concerned about me? Why offer to help? You don’t even know me!”

“Maybe I like helping damsels in distress.” A grin snuck across his face.

For a long moment, Mia eyed him in silence. Whatever he was up to, she did not intend to let him continue. She pushed by him, surprisingly, without encountering any resistance. She breathed a sigh of relief when suddenly he was at her side. “I will not let you ruin yourself alone.”

Enough was enough! Mia halted. Why was he still bothering her? She opened her mouth only to immediately shut it again. She decided to ignore him and started walking again. Though he tried to grab her arm, she managed to pull away in time.

The crowd at the barrier was much larger now. A woman in the front was inquiring about her daughter. “I will not be dismissed like that. I won’t leave without my daughter.”

The same soldier who had given Mia the brush off was now close to losing his composure after having to listen to so many. He pushed the woman away from him. “No more discussions. From now on, anyone who bothers us will be detained.”

Since the crowd did not disperse, he discharged his weapon twice in the air. Startled, the people finally moved back.

“Where can we learn more? Where were they taken?” a man inquired. Instead of answering, the soldier aimed his weapon at him. The man mumbled an apology and withdrew with the dissolving crowd.

“They can’t treat us like this,” Mia said, outraged, though more to herself.

“Sure, they can, as you can see for yourself,” the stranger stated.

The resignation in his voice made Mia glance up at him. “What’s this all about? The news reported a planned attack that was foiled. So, why not let the students go home if they have everything under control? And why would anyone even attack a school? Especially in this district. To actually achieve something, they should focus on District 1. It would create bigger headlines. No one cares whether we live or die!”

As Mia spoke, the stranger looked at her attentively. “I do not know what is going on, but it seems the students are no longer here. So, come on, let’s go.”

Mia’s distrust made itself known again. So, come on, let’s go? His tone was too confident! She would go, but not with him. “Why should I go with you? I don’t even know you.”

“Let me rectify that; my name is Max. Maximilian Berger. And you are?” He offered to shake hands.

Mia considered pointing out that it was none of his business, but answered after all, “Mia.”

She did not shake his hand, so he withdrew it and shoved both hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Mia. Just Mia?”

She crossed her arms. “It’ll have to do.”

He gazed probingly into her eyes as if he would find the answer there. “I guess it has to for now. So, does that mean you’ll come with me now?”

Mia opened her mouth to protest, but he beat her to it. “Now you’re wondering why you should trust me. To ask yourself this question is reasonable, and you seem to be a reasonable girl.” A self-assured grin. “I promise you, Mia, I only have good intentions. As I said, I simply would like to help you.”

“Even though you don’t know me!” She hoped it sounded as dismissive as intended.

“What better way to get to know you! I can read people well and can tell you are a nice girl. So, what’s wrong with wanting to help you?” His words were accompanied by what he must consider a winning smile.

Mia felt a tingling sensation course through her, but he really did look good, especially when he smiled like that. She averted her eyes, not letting herself be distracted. “Nobody is that helpful. Everyone has enough problems of their own.”

“I agree with you, still, wouldn’t it be nice to help another person, a neighbor or whoever, when they need help?” He tried to capture her gaze.

“I don’t need any help,” Mia declared stubbornly.

“Yeah, you already said that. And here I thought you wanted to know where they took the students. Your brother was among them. So, I could take you to where you might get the answers you seek.”

Mia raised her gaze to meet his. Though she was still doubtful, she also felt hope. If Max could help her figure out Ben’s whereabouts, she had no choice but to risk trusting him. “Okay, show me the way.”

“Great! Follow me.” He turned and started to walk. Mia shook her head as she considered what she had gotten herself into. It would be naive to trust him completely, yet she had no other option, and after a moment’s hesitation, she hurried after him.

4

Ben

Someone started a conversation with their neighbor and immediately, they were ordered to remain silent. Ben turned and checked out the occupants of the bus. Clara was not among them. Would she question this undertaking? In class, she always had an answer for everything. She was intelligent. Ben liked that about her. Obviously, she was also pretty, but appearances alone did not matter all that much to Ben, a girl should also be outspoken and voice her opinions. When Ben glanced back up front, he found the officer’s gaze on him. He stared Ben down for a while and then turned his attention to someone else.

Ben had managed to get a window seat and watched as they drove by the narrow rows of houses in his district. One street looked like any other, dreary and gray. Such an environment did not promote dreams.

Soon after, they left the residential areas and drove through an industrial complex, and finally left the city behind. They were still on the same road, getting farther and farther away. Since Ben never stepped foot out of District 2, the ride should be interesting for him. He actually saw some grassy areas, bushes, and wildflowers next to the road. All of it looked pretty. However, his eyes darkened as soon as he saw the officer still closely eyeing the students. This was certainly not a joyride.

They were taken to a military base outside the city, of which they did not see much of, just some buildings, military vehicles, and many soldiers from a distance. Instead, they were taken to the airfield to a waiting helicopter, something Ben had only seen before in pictures. He was excited. Perhaps the trip would be interesting after all. They were ordered to switch vehicles. Ben took a vacant seat in the helicopter and searched for a seatbelt. There was none. Safety was obviously neglected. he watched Daniel, who sat next to him.

Now it was Daniel who appeared insecure, seemingly not keen on the prospect of flying. As the rotor blades began to move, Daniel grasped his seat with both hands for support. “What do they have planned for us? Are they going to kill us?”

Ben suppressed a grin and peered out the window. It seemed their journey was not yet over. Ben could not make sense of why they were taken away in the first place, let alone such a great distance. Now the explanation about the attack sounded even more far-fetched. He attempted to express his doubts to Daniel, however, now that his friend had overcome his initial fear of flying, he was his old confidant self again and would have none of it. He believed they should regard the whole incident as an adventure. It was not like they ever left the boundaries of Filiae.

Ben had to admit Daniel had a point. Looking at the world from above was a whole new experience. He leaned closer to the window for a better view. They had already left several cities behind them and were currently flying over a vast uninhabited-looking area, passed a wooded area and came up to a clearing with a military base, apparently, their destination.

The helicopter landed and they disembarked. The base was spacious. Away from the airfield were several buildings, to their right, barracks, probably where the soldiers and their families lived. However, the gray unadorned blocks seemed completely uninhabited. Actually, they seemed brand new, as if they had been erected in record time. Yet you would think the remote location was impractical because of logistics. And the overall offered sight was even less inviting than the streets and buildings of District 2, which might be old, but at least time had provided them with some character.

A bunch of grumpy-looking soldiers met them. Given the environment, it was no wonder that not one of them had a smile on his face.

The students were led into a hall and separated by sex into groups of thirty. Each group was assigned a lieutenant they had to follow. The group Ben was in was taken to one of the barracks.

Once inside, they were addressed by the lieutenant. “Students, I am First Lieutenant Becker. I am in charge of you for the time you are here. This barrack has five rooms, six beds to a room. In the rooms, you will find fresh underwear and coveralls that you will put on. Your clothes will be laundered. I will take each room’s occupants for an examination, after that, you will return to your rooms. At 13:00 hours, you will assemble in our canteen for lunch. If you have any problems, please contact me.” Lieutenant Becker looked at them one by one. “Anyone have a question?”

“Do we have to stay here long?” Paul asked, who was usually the class clown, yet even he seemed to have lost his humor.

“Unfortunately, I do not know. I’d say until the situation is resolved,” Lieutenant Becker explained. It was not an answer at all, definitely nothing satisfactory. Then he assigned them to their rooms. “I’ll pick you up when it’s your turn to be examined.” The lieutenant left. He appeared to be quite nice, still, Ben found the overall situation more than disturbing.

The rooms, as expected, were functional. Each had three bunk beds, six lockers, and a table surrounded by a couple of chairs. Adjacent to each room was a small private bathroom. As the lieutenant said, on each bed were olive green overalls, a fresh pair of underwear, and on the floor, a pair laced boots.

“Top or bottom?” Daniel asked, gesturing to one of the bunk beds.

“Bottom,” Ben replied and grabbed his overalls. “I guess I’m D-13 now.” He pointed to the nametag on his uniform.

“And I’m D-14. That’s fine, I like even numbers.” Daniel grinned.

“You think we’ll have to stay overnight?” Ben asked as he surveyed the room.

Paul joined them and put his arms around their shoulders. “Gentlemen, it seems we’ll be spending some time here, so let me introduce myself, I’m D-17.”

5

Mia

Max led Mia down some winding alleys to a gloomy corner where no other human soul seemed to be lost. “Why did you bring me here?” Mia asked as she stared up at one of the crumbling facades with missing windowpanes. “Are we sightseeing?” She felt a bit uneasy.

Max laughed, “Don’t worry, I did not bring you here to rob you. This is where I parked.”

Mia surveyed her surroundings and could not discover a vehicle. It did not make her feel any better.

Max seemed to notice her discomfort and pointed to a container.

Mia was about to protest when she caught a glimpse of a tire. She took two steps and peeked behind the container to find a motorcycle. He couldn’t be serious? Naturally, she had seen a vehicle like it, although she had never sat on one, let alone rode one. She eyed the machine skeptically.

Again, Max seemed to notice her state of mind and tried to reassure her. “I’m a good driver. There’s nothing to be scared of.”

“I’m not scared.” Mia tried to be convincing but failed miserably.

He grinned unabashedly. “That look on your face says differently. Don’t worry, I’ll drive slowly.”

Mia frowned. “You don’t have to worry about me.”

“As you wish.” He tossed her his helmet. “Put it on.”

Mia caught the helmet and inspected it.

“It goes on your head, preferably with the visor forward.” He grinned again.

“Thanks, I would have never guessed.” Mia rolled her eyes.

Max did not seem impressed. “I’m glad I could be of help.”

Mia put the helmet on and could not suppress a smirk sneaking across her face.

“Did you just smile?” His eyes twinkled mischievously.

Mia tried to appear serious and ignored his remark. “Where are you taking me anyway?”

“Get on, you’ll see soon enough.” He was already sitting on the bike waiting for her to climb on behind him. “You have to hold on to me.”

Mia grabbed the seat with both hands. “I’m fine.”

He chuckled softly and started his machine. As he drove off, Mia lost her balance and frightened, quickly wrapped her arms around his waist for support. He took his left hand off the handlebar and briefly touched her hands. She could imagine his self-satisfied grin.

The ride went on and on. It seemed an eternity since they had left the city’s closely packed row houses. Where was he taking her? On each side of the road were wild meadows with colorful flowers. In many places though, the grass had turned brownish, but the foliage of the trees was an intense green. The environment simply made one feel free. Mia flipped the visor of her helmet up to feel the wind on her face. A while ago, they passed a vehicle or two every so often, whereas now they seemed to be completely alone on the road. Nobody ventured that far out.

Back when their parents were still alive, they sometimes took Ben and Mia on weekend outings. They brought along supplies and had nice picnics. When their parents were relaxing on a blanket, Ben and Mia busily explored the area. They had pretended to be scientists, collecting stones and plants they proudly presented to their parents, who had always shown admiration. Nowadays, Mia knew they had not found anything extraordinary, but their parents had acted like it was something special.

Since their parents’ death, Ben and Mia had not left the city. They had neither the opportunity due to the lack of transportation, nor the time. They had too much to do providing for their own survival. Making sure there was food on the table and a roof over their heads was more important than Sunday outings, where you stared up at the clouds and imagined what they resembled.