Compliant

by M. J. Kaestli

  “Why is it only me they can’t find someone for, in this so-called theory of yours?” she asked dryly. “I’ll be working in the personal home of the head of State, and you’ll still be a self-aware, babbling idiot.”

  “Freya, I’m hilarious. I know you don’t realize this because you have no sense of humor, but, here’s another piece of the puzzle you don’t know. Females love me. They all freaking love me,” he said, more animated than before. “In the common rooms, there were always at least ten of them fighting for my attention. I’m irresistible.”

  “And your point is?”

  “My point is that I never once saw you in any of those common rooms, nor did I hear your name from any of the other guys. In fact, the only time I ever saw you was when you were on your way to the Medical Center to be sterilized.” As soon as the words left his mouth, a look of discomfort crossed his face, as if he regretted sharing that last part.

  Gee, I guess he’s right about that brain-mouth filter thing, Freya thought with a scowl. “You remember seeing me on camera?” she asked, a bit shocked. “Why would you? I mean, surely Security personnel see lots of people.”

  “I, uh… Yeah, I, um… I remember you. You’re just so pretty, and, um… Well, that day, you looked so scared. That’s why I remember you.” His head was tilted slightly off to the side, looking up at her through his eyelashes.

  Freya observed him for a moment in silence, then came to the conclusion that he was lying. “Nice try, and buttering up may work with other females, but it doesn’t work with me. Why do you really remember me, and where did you really see me?” No sooner than the words escaped her lips, the pieces of the puzzle came together. “Wait! It wasn’t on camera. You were that boy cleaning the skylight, weren’t you?” she demanded. “I mentioned you to the doctor, and he said you did something bad. You already have an offense on your record. What did you do, Colin?” She crossed her arms and looked at him sternly, as if to let him know he was not going to leave that room without giving her a satisfactory explanation.

  He sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed, not wanting to look at her. “Fine. I’ll tell you. You already hate me, so what difference will it make?”

  Freya rolled her eyes. His act of being the wounded little boy was likely something that had worked on other girls in the past. What a piece of work, sitting there sulking, like he wants me to feel sorry for him, she thought. She had to admit, though, that he was probably telling the truth when he said there was a line of females demanding his attention. Colin was quite the little manipulator, and easy on the eyes. She was sure his ploy probably worked like a charm on females of lesser intelligence than hers.

  He turned to her. “Can I lie down? I mean, do you mind sharing?” He looked up at her timidly.

  “Well, technically, it’s your bed too. You have as much claim to it as I do,” she said, acting as if she was going to move over. When he lay down, though, Freya swung her legs off the bed and moved farther away, till she was sitting on the foot of the bed, and Colin’s jaw clenched tightly when she did so. She was highly amused. He really thought this whole routine was going to work on me? He’s more of a moron than I thought.

  Colin rolled his eyes and shook his head. He interlocked his fingers and looked up at the ceiling, seemingly accepting his defeat. “The thing you have to understand, Freya, is that I’m in Security, and we live under slightly different conduct than most people.” He hesitated for a moment and then continued, “I mean, yes, we have the same rules as everybody, but we don’t have to follow them as strictly as most people. I knew when I saw you the only reason you were up so early was to head to the Medical Center. You are…the right age.” He paused, thinking carefully about his words.

  “If you live under a different code of conduct, with looser rules, why were you up there to begin with? Wasn’t it some sort of punishment?” she asked rather frankly.

  “I’ll get to that. Just let me get this part out first.” He threw his hands up in frustration and sighed. “I’m having a bit of a hard time here, since I’ve never told a female any of this before. It feels like I am breaking a strict code or something.”

  “I don’t get the impression that breaking codes would be a problem for you,” Freya said, not willing to play into his little games. “Weren’t you trying to encourage me to be a rebel just a little bit ago?”

  “It’s not that kind of code. It isn’t the State I am referring to. It’s something Security officers just do, something only Security knows about. I’m afraid of what will happen if they find out I’m telling you. They already have enough on me.”

  Freya looked at him curiously, starting to realize he wasn’t playing. He was struggling to tell her something, a truth or some sort of secret, and she was curious as to what it was. “Well, you said this room isn’t bugged, and lucky for you, I don’t have any friends to tell—so just spill it.”

  He smirked a little at her admission, looking at her doubtfully. “You promise you’ll never repeat this to another living soul?”

  Freya was thoroughly intrigued, wondering what the big secret could possibly be. She nodded and tried to contain her excitement.

  Colin took a deep breath and continued, “Well, you know the law about fraternization before coupling?”

  She nodded again, but her eyes narrowed. Freya could not understand how that could possibly relate to what they were talking about. “Everybody knows that rule. If two uncoupled people copulate, it is punishable by death.”

  “See, that’s just it. That’s what people think, but actually, it’s not that black and white. If we were coupled and chosen for reproduction, and you just so happened to get pregnant with another man’s child, or if two young, uncoupled people have a child, it’s punishable by death. Having a child who is not commissioned by the State is treason, which is why it is punished so severely. If you were to participate in, um…well, activity, knowing no child could come of it, you would still be punished, just not as severely,” Colin said, then paused to look at her, as if he was waiting for her to comprehend what he was saying. When she offered him no expression whatsoever, he uncomfortably continued. “Well, being in Security, we have some extra insight into the law, and we kind of found a little loophole. We pay attention to the females that have already had the procedure done and, basically, we choose wisely when it comes to who we want to spend time with.”

  Just like that, the awful truth came to light. He made a mental note of me so he could look for me in the common rooms, Freya realized. If I was willing, he would have gotten away with it with just a slap on the wrist, since I’m sterile and can’t have an unsanctioned child. So many thoughts flooded her mind. For one thing, she assumed Calix must have had the same game plan. That’s why he kept talking to me. Since I can’t produce a child, he was hoping we could, fool around before I was coupled. Ick!

  She looked at Colin, who was watching her with a pained expression on his face, obviously waiting for her to lash out at him. She wasn’t angry though. On the contrary, Freya was glad to know, because it explained a lot. “Well, I don’t think Security is the only group who are wise to this,” she said in an even, knowing manner. She wanted to know more, wanted to see what else he would tell her.

  His body relaxed a little, and when he saw there was going to be no outburst, he spoke again. “Yeah, now that you mention it, probably not.” He nodded.

  “Aren’t you still a little afraid of getting caught? What happens when you… Oh!” said Freya. “So that’s why you were cleaning the skylights—it was a punishment!”

  Colin began to laugh and blushed with embarrassment. “Yep, sure was. I’m still a little mad about it, to be honest,” he said, nervously laughing again and shaking his head. “Anyway, this is not the way I envisioned my first night of coupling, telling you all my dirty little secrets.”

  Freya couldn’t help but smile at that. Most of those giggling girls in the common rooms probably would have chosen to spend their first night together quite
differently, but learning things was the norm for Freya, what she most preferred to do. She glanced at him again, silently urging him to continue.

  “Freya, this is the part that’s really bad. I’ll tell you, but you have to promise to please, please protect his secret with your life,” he pleaded.

  Wait. It gets worse? she thought, surprised. She was dying to know more, though, so she nodded and said, “I promise.”

  “The thing is, Security blows the whistle when anyone is anywhere they aren’t supposed to be. Security officers can visit females’ apartments—or invite them into ours—because other Security officers tend to look the other way. We have sort of an unspoken agreement to never rat out our own.”

  Freya gasped, for that revelation really was much worse. Not only were they breaking rules in their free time, but they were also helping their friends break the same rules. If the State ever found out about such blatant noncompliance, she wasn’t sure what would happen to them. “That’s so, so risky and dangerous. Isn’t anyone afraid that they will find out that they know and aren’t reporting it?”

  “No, not at all. You have to understand the way Security works. We can’t monitor all apartments at all times. We periodically scan the videos, but there are twelve live streams playing at once. If we miss something, we can’t be blamed for it, right? I mean, if they want complete control, half the population would have to be Security officers. We really just look for patterns, and if we’re notified of suspicious activity, we watch that area or person closer. Those nosy bastards I work with are watching us on purpose, and from the sound of it, a lot of them were peeking in on the show.”

  “So what you are saying is that I could walk up to someone and murder them in a walkway, and it may or may not be noticed? Technically speaking, I could just kill someone and get away with it?” None of it made any sense, because Freya had been told her whole life that everything she did was being monitored and recorded.

  “Well, no, that’s not the case. There is always video footage to look back on. For instance, if you keep showing up late to your civil duty, it will be reported, and we’ll have to keep a closer eye on you. The videos are even sent to psychologists sometimes, so they can observe patters and behavior, especially during someone’s first year of independent living. I doubt anyone monitored you past your first year, because they already saw how compliant you are. Your camera might have even been turned off, as that happens sometimes. They want us to focus on people who are at high risk of doing something wrong. That’s why I was so mad I got caught. The chances are so slim. Someone has to be watching that apartment at just the right time, and whoever was watching me certainly wasn’t a friend,” he said, shaking his head again.

  “Wait, that was you!” she said as the memory came back to her, surprised that she didn’t recognize him. “I saw you on the monitor, when you got caught.”

  “Yeah, I suppose that would have been your building,” he said, face reddening. “Thanks for rubbing it in.”

  “Let me see if I have this straight. You got caught in a female’s apartment and were then put on that cleaning duty as punishment. You saw me walking and thought, Gee, maybe I’ll try her next time, since you couldn’t possibly return to the apartment you were already in, or chance taking that girl to your place, knowing you were both being watched more closely after you got caught. Is that right?”

  “Well, when you put it that way, it sounds pretty bad,” he said with a chuckle. “But sure, I guess that’s a way to sum it up.”

  “So what happened when you got caught?” Freya knew she should be angry at him, but his answers piqued more curiosities than emotions. She had always asked her parents questions about matters of the State, but they seldom gave her any answers. No one had ever revealed so much about the State and Security before, and she was fascinated and hungry for more. She wasn’t about to let her personal judgment of Colin get in the way of him divulging such juicy secrets to her.

  “Well, after you saw me on the monitor, I headed to the underground. The lights in the hallway led me to an interrogation room, really just a little box underground, not far from the Medical Center. Inside, there was a table, and there was a monitor on the wall, just like the one in this apartment. I was interrogated for a while by someone on the monitor, but then they told me I was to continue with my civil duty. I asked one of the other Security officers to check in on her, since I had no way of contacting her. I guess her punishment was similar to mine. I told them we were interrupted before anything too serious happened. We mostly just kissed before we were caught.”

  Freya mulled his confession over for a moment, while Colin continued to look at the ceiling. “Then what?” she finally said.

  “Well, after my story checked out, we were sent out on our unpleasant extra duties. I had to get up and work for two hours in the morning, which was when I saw you. I lost all my free time for a month, and I had to take my meals in my apartment, rather than socializing in the common rooms.” He sat up and looked at his watch. “Speaking of meals, I’m starving. Aren’t you? I bet our meals have already been delivered. You wanna go check it out?”

  Freya nodded, then slowly got up to head for the door. She put her hand on the doorknob, but suddenly turned around, staring at Colin with a look of panic on her face.

  “What is it?” he asked. “I mean, the food’s not great, but it isn’t that bad.”

  “No, it’s not that. I just can’t go out there, not while your, uh…friends are still watching us.”

  Colin got up off the bed and pointed at her. “Good call, Freya, good call. I’ll go get our food and bring it in here. You sit tight, ‘kay?” He moved past her to open the door.

  Since he left the door ajar, Freya stood back a little. She didn’t want to be in view of the prying eyes.

  “Colin,” Security said over the loudspeaker, “your compliance in this matter has been noted.”

  Again, it sounded like a chorus of laughter erupted in the background.

  “Congratulations on your coupling—try not to fight with her all night. There are far more enjoyable activities the two of you should participate in.”

  “Oh, suck it, Rufus!” Colin yelled at the camera, while making a crude hand gesture.

  Freya was surprised the Security personnel so blatantly abused their power. She wondered if anyone from the State would see the video of Colin cursing and making gestures. Maybe he’s right, she thought. Maybe the chances of being caught by Security really are rare. Maybe the psychologists watched our fight but stopped watching as soon as we went in the bedroom.

  Colin hurried into the bedroom with the two plates of food. He wore an angry look on his face the whole time they ate, and neither of them said a word as they quickly devoured the food. Freya could tell Colin was deep in thought, because he wasn’t his usual chatty self. She was glad to have a break, as she now had a lot of information to work out in her mind. She drifted off in thoughts of her own, replaying the events of the day, trying to figure it all out. She was jolted back to reality when Colin started to speak again.

  “Freya, I-I know you’re not happy about this and that you really don’t want me here, but I… Well, as I see it, we’re stuck. I’m gonna be harassed so badly at work, for who even knows how long.” He let out a sigh. “We also have the State to worry about. Considering all that, I think it’s best that we both sleep in here. If the guys see me sleeping on the sofa… Well, I wouldn’t put it past them to report it, just so they can make fun of me even more.”

  Freya felt nauseous, as she had not worked that far through her thoughts. She got up and looked out the window and saw the dome structure attached to the building below the apartment. Part of her marveled at the view, as it was so different and far more interesting than the dull view from her former dwelling place. She knew what Colin said was right; it wasn’t just one of his ploys or attempts at manipulation. They were already at risk of being found noncompliant in their coupling, and if he slept on the sofa, it would o
nly make matters worse. “Have you seen this view, Colin?” Freya asked. “It’s really quite spectacular. What a beautiful prison the State has put us in.”

  Colin looked around the room, darting his eyes to and fro, almost as if he was looking for something. “Did you hear that?” he asked, still looking around.

  Freya shook her head. “Hear what?”

  “I’m not sure. It sounded sort of like a massive number of posters being torn up,” he said, trying to keep a serious look on his face. He couldn’t hold it for very long before he cracked up. “My, my, Freya 117. Listen to that mouth of yours! The State ended world hunger and poverty. The almighty State ever so graciously provides our food, our clothing, and our shelter. All they ask in return is for us to play our part, to support the common good, and you have the nerve, nay, the audacity, to call this a prison!”

  Freya rolled her eyes at him. In spite of herself, she started to giggle.

  “I have to say, that’s kinda hot. I’m, like, way more attracted to you now. One of these days, my girl’s gonna be a real lawbreaker, a fugitive! I’ll have my own little outlaw,” he said with a laugh. He got up, grabbed the dirty plates, and headed out of the bedroom.