The Facility

by Eliza Green

  She would try.

  She wanted to see Dom again, ask him why her thoughts were crystal clear, why her hands were steady and why her pupils were less dilated than before. He’d given something to her.

  But Dom was like a ghost on their floor, only showing up when Anya or one of the others got shocked. He never talked to her, nor did he reassure her everything would be fine. So Anya did the only thing she could. She watched what Dom did to treat her. A head start for when she rotated to the second floor.

  Anya accepted the first-floor dormitory as her new home. And it wasn’t long before Warren, June, Tahlia, Frank and Jerome called it their home too. She looked around the co-ed space with plain beds on either side, covered in blankets the same cold grey colour as the walls and floor, and white bedside lockers. Some participants had stuck pictures on the wall behind their beds. A reminder of what they had left behind. The space above Anya’s bed was bare.

  Anya stuck to the girl’s side of the room while the boys gravitated to the other. Warren hadn’t mentioned the alliance in a while. Anya wondered if he no longer needed her. No matter. With her mind clearer than before, she could go this alone.

  For nearly three weeks, she’d sprinted between the rooms, sometimes not fast enough. But Tahlia had been slower than the rest of them. Anya had carried her file once, but received a double-shock as punishment.

  The timer that had held steady at eight minutes for almost a week changed suddenly. It was then that Anya noticed the most important rule on the first floor. Speed appeared to be a factor for the controllers of Arcis. If she and the others beat the timer, the time decreased. If anyone was late, the time remained a constant, but the straggler received a shock. With rotation just around the corner, all timers held steady at five minutes.

  A wailing siren signaled the end of Anya’s shift. High up on the ladder and with a file in her hand, she slotted the file back into the hanging folder and released a quiet, tension-filled breath as she dropped down to the floor. She pinched the fat around her belly. Sporadic runs between the rooms did nothing to keep her strong. Not like boxing or running did.

  She yawned and shuffled to the dining room, then queued behind Tahlia for food and selected a plate with one ration of scrambled eggs and toast.

  She passed by the first-floor participants who had managed to avoid the most shocks. Their skill had lowered the timer. But it was Tahlia who had kept the clock steady.

  Her skin hummed at the obvious tension in the room, exacerbated by the shocks and sleepless nights. Best friends Jerome and Frank could barely look at each other. Anya dropped into a seat between them, the only thing that stopped them from having a go at each other.

  June played with her food, yawning between little bites. Tahlia’s pink strands had almost grown out to be replaced by dark brown hair, like her skin. The pink spark reminded Anya of who their group used to be once.

  At least they’d made it through this far.

  ‘Do you know what we need?’ she said.

  Nobody looked at her, except Warren, through fingers on the hand he used to prop up his chin. He held a fork loosely in his other hand, as if bored.

  ‘We need to do something to blow off some steam.’ She turned to the other groups in the room.

  The girl with the wiry blonde hair looked over. Anya had since learned her name: Yasmin. ‘What did you have in mind?’

  Anya hadn’t really thought that far. Anything to break the tension.

  ‘What floors do we have access to?’

  Her heart fluttered when she thought about sneaking up to the second floor to see Dom. But the fluttering dropped to her stomach when she imagined what he might be doing up there, and with whom.

  ‘This one,’ said Frank. ‘We work, eat and crap on this floor.’

  June wrinkled her nose. ‘Why do you have to be so disgusting?’

  ‘Because I’m a guy and that’s what guys do,’ said Frank, half-joking, half-ready to throw something at the wall behind June’s head.

  An idea came to Anya. She looked down at her food and scooped some scrambled eggs into her hand. She flung them at June. June gasped, her mouth hanging open in shock. Anya blushed hard. She was about to apologise when June flung a bread roll at her nose.

  ‘Ow.’

  June’s grin made her laugh.

  Someone giggled at the next table over. Anya saw Frank scoop some meat out of a pot and... aim for her. She leaned back so far she almost fell off the bench. The meat landed square on Jerome’s face.

  Frank stuck out his tongue at Jerome. ‘I’ve wanted to do that all week.’

  Anya slid under the table as the room exploded into fits of laughter. She heard slapping sounds as food landed on tables, on people, on anything other than the plates.

  She felt a hand on her collar. It was Tahlia. ‘Where do you think you’re going? You started this. You need to finish it.’ Mischief flashed in her eyes, and she pulled Anya out from safety.

  Anya escaped her clutches and ran over to the food counter. A splodge of food missed her face but caught her skirt. She pulled her blouse out from her waistband and made it into a bowl, then scooped whatever soft food she could find—more scrambled eggs, stew, bread rolls—into her blouse. Others copied her idea as she flung food at whoever wandered too close. Yasmin smashed something soft into her face, forcing her eyes and mouth closed. She clawed the worst of it away so she could see.

  The floor coated in slimy food became a slippery nightmare. The benches and tables disappeared under a layer of gunk. Anya had banana in her hair, her eyes. Scrambled egg stuck to her skin. She spotted two girls with little food damage hiding in the corner. She ran over to them and squashed food into their hair before they had time to move. They both squealed.

  Next, Anya crept up on Yasmin. She scooped up her remaining food stash, pulled out the back of Yasmin’s blouse and dropped it down her back, pressing her palms against the bulge.

  Yasmin yelped and spun around.

  ‘That’s for being rude to me on my first day.’

  Yasmin stared at her for a moment, then let the food drop from her blouse into her hand. She dashed over to one of the boys and pressed it into his neck.

  Anya smiled at the faces around her, bright and jovial. This was one of her better ideas.

  Ω

  After the fight, some of the boys shook their heads like dogs while Anya and the girls carefully combed food out of their hair with squeals of disgust. They cleaned the dining hall as best as they could, laughing while they worked. Anya ate whatever wasn’t on the floor.

  She entered the girls’ bathroom that was close to the dorms in Tower A and stood beside June and Tahlia others as they stripped.

  ‘That was great fun,’ said June, smiling. ‘I didn’t realise how much I needed it.’

  ‘Me too,’ said Anya.

  Tahlia and June hummed a tune and elbowed each other for space at the sink. Anya soaked her blouse and skirt in a basin of water and changed into her Essention tunic and trousers.

  If rotation occurred every month, that left a week on the first floor. She could handle it.

  ‘I don’t know if we’ll get away with doing that again tomorrow,’ said Tahlia.

  Probably not. Anya squeezed out the excess water from her blouse and skirt.

  ‘See you back in the dorm,’ she said to the pair, who were still scrubbing their clothes.

  The dorm had become everyone’s hangout after shifts ended. Some of the boys would play cards. The girls would try to remember the words of songs they’d heard a long time ago, or passages of books they’d once read.

  Anya walked the short distance from the bathroom to the dorm, down a corridor that took her past a couple of doors to empty rooms. One of the doors opened suddenly. Anya jerked to a stop.

  ‘Hey, Anya. Can you come here for a minute?’

  Yasmin stood at the half-opened door.

  Anya frowned as she entered the small room that had other people in it.

 
The experienced first-floor workers looked at her, but it was the one familiar face that drew her attention. Anya shuddered in the too-quiet room and stared at a clearly nervous Warren.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ she said, her pulse thrumming loud against her throat.

  ‘Anya, we notice you’ve been quick in getting your files,’ said Yasmin.

  She nodded.

  ‘And we’ve noticed that there are a few in your group who haven’t been so fast.’

  She bit her lip.

  ‘Well, you’ve probably figured out that the time decreases if we all make it back on time, but it stays the same if one of us is late.’

  Anya stared at Warren who chewed on his thumb and stared at the wall.

  ‘So what?’

  Yasmin stepped forward. The move made Anya nervous. ‘We’ve been here one rotation more than you. We can’t miss another.’ Yasmin nodded at Warren. ‘And he says you two have formed an alliance to progress.’

  Anya glared at Warren. He glanced at her before looking away.

  Yasmin continued. ‘Warren overheard two supervisors say that they will rotate everyone if someone is consistently last.’

  She hadn’t seen the first-floor supervisor around lately. ‘When? Where?’

  Her question was for Warren, but Yasmin answered her.

  ‘Just now.’

  ‘Where?’ she repeated.

  ‘There were two of them in the elevator room,’ said Warren. ‘The male said the dining hall had been trashed. He said the Collective wanted to move us on because we were causing too much trouble.’

  This didn’t feel right. Anya slid her gaze from Warren to Yasmin. ‘And why am I here?’

  Yasmin took another step towards her. Her wet hair glistened. Anya caught the faint smell of banana on her skin.

  ‘The supervisors said that without a consistent last-place finisher, the Collective will take an average count of all our performances. Any of us could be left behind. Possibly more than one.’

  Anya swallowed down a lump as she realised what Yasmin was asking. ‘You want someone to volunteer for last position?’

  Yasmin nodded. Desperation, an almost pleading look, flashed in her pale-green eyes.

  ‘We want you to make sure someone finishes last,’ she said. ‘And you know who that someone is.’

  Anya shook her head. ‘Tahlia is my friend. I can’t do that to her.’

  ‘Come on, Anya,’ said Warren. ‘We’re in competition with each other. She’s not your friend. She and June talk about you behind your back. She’d do the same to leave this floor.’

  ‘No, she wouldn’t.’

  Warren huffed. ‘We talked about this, Anya. Jerome and Frank have each other. Tahlia and June have paired up. We need to do the same.’

  Anya stared at Warren, Yasmin and the others. When had life become so cheap and friendships so disposable?

  ‘If you don’t do it and we’re left behind,’ said Warren, ‘I’ll make you regret that decision.’

  Anya stepped back; everyone staring at her made her feel uncomfortable. She needed out of the room.

  ‘Can I think about it?’

  ‘Don’t take too long,’ said Warren. ‘We may not have a lot of time left before rotation.’

  Outside, Anya released a shaky breath. She hurried back to the dorm to find Tahlia and June sitting on their beds. Looking secretive.

  ‘Where did you get to?’ said June. Tahlia lay down and closed her eyes.

  ‘I was talking to Yasmin.’ Anya avoided looking at her.

  ‘What about?’

  ‘Nothing. Just about the food fight.’

  June smiled. ‘Yeah, it was good fun, wasn’t it?’ She lay down too.

  Warren entered the room and watched Anya all the way to his bed. He lost interest in her as he joined Frank and Jerome, who played cards on the other side of the room.

  ‘Is something up?’ June glanced behind her at Warren then looked at Anya. ‘What’s going on with you and Warren?’

  ‘Nothing. I’m just tired, that’s all.’

  June propped herself up on one elbow and whispered, ‘Don’t trust him, Anya. He only thinks about himself.’

  Tahlia was snoring.

  Anya leaned in closer. ‘Did Tahlia tell you that? You know she hates him, right?’

  ‘Yeah, but it turns out I have a brain and can make my own mind up about people. Don’t be so quick to trust him.’

  Anya smiled. ‘Like you and Tahlia? You two have been whispering behind my back since the day I met you.’

  ‘Not about you.’

  ‘I don’t care. I’m tired. I want to go to sleep.’

  June lay down again. ‘Just think about what I said. Okay?’

  Anya ground her teeth so hard her jaw hurt. ‘Okay.’

  What the hell was she supposed to do now? She could see the logic in Yasmin’s plan. It wasn’t cruel; Tahlia would rotate eventually.

  Guilt pinched at her heart. Could she do that to Tahlia? Could Warren?

  Tahlia’s snores got louder until Anya’s skin crawled at the sound.

  Tahlia would get over it. She was strong-willed. All would be forgotten by the time she and Anya met up on one of the upper floors.

  If it made so much sense, why wasn’t Anya saying yes to the plan?

  27

  Anya got no sleep. Yasmin and Warren’s plan had her tossing and turning all night. When the morning siren jolted her awake, she shook off the lethargy, dressed and tied her hair up.

  A new day. A new gauntlet run.

  At 9am precisely, Anya’s screen flashed up the file number: 6112.

  The timer began to count back from five minutes; the lowest it had been all week.

  She ran barefoot to the records room to get there faster. But while her start felt strong, seeing Tahlia on her heels shocked her to speed up.

  Anya burst into the records room and skidded to a halt. Her eyes scanned the holographic displays which illuminated a small section on the wooden cabinet. She bristled when Tahlia stood right at her shoulder. The others arrived soon after and their presence jolted Anya into action. She lunged for one of the ladders and pushed herself along. The ladder jerked when someone else climbed on.

  ‘I’m 6330,’ said Tahlia from below. ‘I saw your screen. My file is near yours. I won’t have time to get mine. You have to grab both.’

  They had discussed this strategy among their group: to help each other out if they were close to another’s file. But after Yasmin’s little talk yesterday, Anya had to make a choice.

  Tahlia’s weight on the ladder only slowed her search. She felt Tahlia’s eyes on her.

  Did Anya want to waste her lead by looking for Tahlia’s file? Her decision could risk Tahlia being last again. But if what Yasmin had said about rotation being a lottery was true, Anya could be the loser no matter how well she performed.

  But Tahlia was her friend.

  ‘Get off the ladder first,’ said Anya. ‘I can’t move it with you on the end.’

  But Tahlia never budged.

  Anya’s hand hovered over a bunch of files. She hesitated, knowing hers was in there and she could grab it in a matter of seconds.

  ‘Come on, Anya. It’s right there.’ Tahlia pointed to a shelf two sections over.

  Irritation streaked through her concentration. She grabbed her own file and started to climb down.

  ‘I don’t have time, Tahlia. The sooner you get off the ladder, the faster you can get it yourself.’

  Tahlia hesitated, but saw sense and moved. She glowered at Anya as she passed.

  Anya’s bare feet hit the walkway, but her guilt slowed her down. By the time she had reached the other side, she convinced herself Tahlia would have done the same had Yasmin spoken to her instead.

  She pushed the thought out of her mind and crashed through the double doors. The terminal stopped her forward motion. Thirty seconds remained on the clock. She’d made the right decision to leave Tahlia’s file.

  Anya scanned
the file. Her timer stopped and relief washed over her. She counted the others who had made it back safe. Tahlia wasn’t among them. Anya tensed up.

  The timer on Tahlia’s screen continued to count backwards, puncturing the silence with its mechanical tick, tick, tick. A blur of brown and pink flew past Anya. Tahlia slammed to a stop at her terminal. She stumbled with the scanner causing Anya’s breath to catch in her throat.

  A part of her wanted Tahlia to fail. A bigger part of her didn’t want to see Tahlia get hurt. She stepped towards her friend, but stopped when she caught the warning look Warren gave her.

  Her chest rose and fell too fast. Tahlia pressed the scanner over the barcode. Anya couldn’t see her screen. The mechanical ticking had stopped. Before or after?

  BEFORE OR AFTER?

  The terminal whirred, rumbled, and screeched as though it whispered Tahlia’s name. Tahlia stood there, shocked into silence. She stared blankly at the screen, still holding on to the scanner.

  ‘Drop the scanner!’ Anya shouted at her.

  Yasmin shot her a look.

  Anya ignored her. ‘Drop it, now.’

  Tahlia looked at her, confused, and then down at her own hand. Her eyes widened for a split second before they rolled back into her head. The electrical current pinned her in place. Anya felt her shudder through the cushioned floor, so violent it looked like her bones might break.

  Anya muffled her cries with her hand.

  The shock was bad. Very bad. The current, never lasting more than a few seconds, should have stopped by now. But it still pulsated through a connected Tahlia.

  Tahlia stood rigidly as wave after tiny wave pulsed through her. Bright strands of light jumped from the scanner to her hand. Her pink hair danced as if alive.

  Anya stifled a scream. She glanced at the door. Where were the first-aiders? Nobody was coming. Tahlia was suffering and it was all because of her.

  ‘Tahlia!’

  She glanced at June, Jerome and Frank. Frank took one step forward, but changed his mind. Even Warren and Yasmin looked shocked. Nobody knew what to do.

  It was all Anya’s fault. She had to help.

  Her eyes flitted around the room. She spotted a sweeping brush in one corner, grabbed it and ran to Tahlia. Despite her blurry vision, she extended the brush, edging the top of the handle towards Tahlia’s chest.