by Sage Sask
“Failure is when you are no longer in the game. This,” she motions around us, “was a step forward. At the Circle, in your duty, there will be many starts and stops. Don’t let the disappointments keep you from success.”
THIRTY-FIVE
SERAFINA
Serafina sits at the head of the Circle’s boardroom table and assesses Ryan and David. She ignores Harrison, who watches her.
“Have the senior agents decided their placements?” Serafina asks.
“Coin toss,” Ryan answers. “I have Cassia and Samira.”
“Derrick and Jackie won the toss,” David says. “They got me.”
“I have difficulty believing they saw it that way,” Serafina answers, causing the other Council members to chuckle. “Let’s move forward with the choices.”
Serafina reads silently through the sheet of scores. Everyone except Alexia passed at least one of the two tests with high marks. She is the only one who barely passed both. Sighing, Serafina hands copies of the results to Ryan and David and the rest of the table.
“Well, well, looks like Shiny New Penny disappointed yet again,” David says.
“A true leader never judges others, because he knows one day, if not already, he may fall far from grace.” Rochelle’s voice is soft but stern. “Understand, young David?”
David squirms under her scrutiny. “Yes.”
“Be an example,” she continues, “not an embarrassment.”
David glances at Harrison with a silent plea to intervene, but Harrison ignores him. Though Harrison stands as the head of the agents, Rochelle’s accomplishments inspire trust and reverence.
“Am I clear, David?” Rochelle catches his unanswered plea to Harrison. On his reluctant nod, she says, “Excellent.”
The other Council members bite back a smile. David has built up a reputation as a troublemaker. Though his skills easily could have made him lead agent, his attitude guaranteed votes for Ryan. The final and necessary one was David’s father. He cast his vote for Ryan to the shock of the Council. Only Serafina knew the real reason why.
“As per the rules of the Council, the lead agent has the first choice of venue, and the second agent in charge has the first choice of participant,” Serafina says. “Ryan, make your choice — venue one or venue two?”
The two venues were ranked based on risk and difficulty. Venue one was easier, giving Ryan’s group a higher chance to win and come home. The losing group would be forced to stay behind and repeat the Evaluation until they successfully completed another set of tasks. Each time a group went through an Evaluation, they chanced losing members. It was the government’s insistence on how it had to be done.
“Ryan?” Serafina prompts. Ryan examines the sheets with the results. “We need your decision.”
Ryan lays down the sheet and speaks directly to David. “I will exchange the first choice of venue for the first choice of participant.”
Ryan stays stoic to the shocked gasps around the room. David’s eyes narrow and then he smirks knowingly. From his seat, Harrison stares at his son but remains quiet.
“Why, Ryan?” David asks. “What possible reason could you have for the exchange?”
“Because my father will have you kill her,” Ryan says. The Council members glance between Ryan and Harrison, all remaining silent in the face of the declaration. “Agree or not? I’ll only make the offer once. I am not invested enough to make it twice.”
“So just trying to look like you’re doing the right thing?” David seems half disgusted, half impressed. “Venue one or the opportunity to see Alexia fail?” David cups his chin, seeming to consider his options. “I’m almost tempted to take your offer.”
“As you should,” Harrison says. All eyes turn toward him. He leans back in his chair and casually props an ankle over his other knee. “I fear Serafina has poisoned the mind of my son and the Council into thinking that you or I wish Alexia harm when that is furthest from the truth.” He waves a hand in David’s direction. “Do right by your group, David, since Ryan isn’t. Take the venue and give your team a better chance of a safe return home. I believe Ryan has overestimated Alexia’s importance.”
David glances back at Harrison. Whatever he sees there has him nodding yes to Ryan. “I’ll take the exchange. Venue one,” he says as his choice. “You choose the first participant.”
“Alexia Edmonds,” Ryan returns.
David makes the next choice, the top scorer, and then back to Ryan. After Alexia, they choose as expected, from those ranking the highest in their scores to the lowest, until everyone is in a group.
“Finished,” Serafina says. “We will announce the teams to the others. Good luck, gentlemen. I wish you both all the best and Godspeed.”
She waits until everyone is out of the room before turning to Harrison. “That was a brave display of indifference. I’m trying to figure out your play. Is it that you don’t care enough that your son is heading for venue two or that you care so much about covering your tracks that you insisted on the exchange?”
“You assume I care what you or the Council thinks, Serafina. Once again, a fatal mistake in judgment.” He leans close until his face is in hers. “Don’t ever try to outplay me. You will lose every time.”
THIRTY-SIX
I wait with the others for our group assignments. Nervous energy permeates the air. Though Phoenix and Gavin offered me a smile, even they, like the others, were lost in their thoughts. Shane, the only one seemingly unbothered, peruses the various options of food that have been laid out. He nibbles on some crackers and cheese while we wait. Melanie glances at him with frustration every few minutes but tempers it with an eye roll and smile.
“You’re not nervous?” she asks him.
Shane shrugs. “We’ve been preparing for this since birth. We’re fine.”
Melanie relaxes at his words, while I tense up. He’s right — they have been preparing while I was lost in the orphanage. Each one of them has a tactical advantage over me. I have little chance of success in comparison.
Serafina enters, and everyone falls silent. Ryan and David, along with various Council members, follow her in. Having no desire to see either of them, I shift my focus to Serafina.
“The groups are decided as well as the venues,” Serafina says by way of greeting. “David’s group is venue one, and Ryan’s group venue two.”
There are shocked glances and murmurs among the crowd. Confused, I try to overhear an explanation for the reaction when Levi speaks up.
“As lead agent, Ryan should have venue one,” he says. “What’s changed?”
“A decision was made.” Serafina refuses any additional details.
Victoria passes me as she makes her way to David. Next to him, she drops her hand onto his arm. Her eyes dilate. David immediately pulls back, but in seconds, she had her reading. Her eyes cloud over as her face tightens with fury.
Oblivious, Serafina begins to call out Ryan’s group. “Agents Cassia and Samira.” She continues to call out agents then starts with readers. “Alexia Edmonds — Ryan’s group.”
After my name is called, Victoria steps forward. “I would like to add my name as a participant.”
On her announcement, Ryan’s head jerks up. He moves toward her at the same time as he yells back at Serafina, “Absolutely not. She is exempt.”
Ryan reaches for Victoria’s hand, but she yanks it back. Speaking directly to Serafina, she says, “And I would like to join venue one.”
“What are you doing?” Ryan asks her.
She finally looks at him. “The same thing as you — protecting the people I care about.”
Like actors on a stage, their interactions and emotions play out for the rest of us to see. Ryan’s eyes close for a brief second. At that moment, they are blind to each other, both lost in the darkness — one by choice, one not.
“Don’t do this.” He lowers his voice, as if aware of their audience but helpless to do anything about it. “It’s not what you think.”
“No,” she says. “It’s worse.” She moves past him toward Serafina. The others step back, clearing a path for her as if she were royalty. “Am I accepted?”
“Ryan is correct, Victoria. You are exempt,” Serafina says.
“I would like to assist my brother and his team,” Victoria replies. “I must.”
Serafina doesn’t seek Ryan’s approval. “Your decision will be respected. Consider yourself a member of team two.”
David’s face shows the same worry as Ryan’s, but neither acknowledges the other. Instead, David grasps his sister’s hand and holds on tight. Next to them, Ryan looks the outsider. His face downcast, I can almost feel his pain, and wonder at the reason for Victoria’s actions.
***
Members bring in boxes of food packets and bins filled with accessories. They set them next to tables filled with identical backpacks. Each one has a sleeping bag attached.
“Each one of you will receive a backpack and attached sleeping bag.” Serafina motions toward the supplies. “You will pick packs of food and accessories. Every backpack has a knife and an ax.” She pauses before adding, “You have been divided into two groups. From previous years, you know only one group can come back victorious.”
“What happens to the losing group?” Ian asks.
“They will be taken to another zone to retake the test.”
“How do we win?” Hudson asks.
“Each team will be transported into a different part of the zone,” Serafina explains. “The team will receive a map and clue for their first crystal. It is then up to each team to get to their second crystal. There is only one final crystal. The team that gets the final crystal wins.”
“Use your strongest reader, and trust their instincts,” Michael adds. “The government requires you to be put into a zone for the Evaluation to mimic real-life conditions. Do the job you are meant to do.”
Leif holds up a small portable phone. “You will receive four of these. Two for each team. Each one makes a single call. They are for when a member is in dire circumstances. When we receive the call, a capsule will be sent to your coordinates to pick up the injured member.” He pauses before saying, “I would caution you to use it before death is imminent. If you wait too long, there is nothing we will be able to do.”
“How long between the phone call and help arriving?” Cassia asks.
“It can take between two and ten minutes for us to get to you.” Celeste waits for the murmurs to quiet down. “Do not waste the call in an impossible situation.”
“Who carries the phones?” Henry asks.
Serafina steps forward to answer the question. “The leading agents automatically get one each. In years past, the members took a vote for the remaining two. Our recommendation has always been the command agents in each group. In this case, Cassia and Derrick.” Serafina asks for a show of hands. By a landslide, they are voted to carry the phones. Pleased, Serafina says, “It’s decided.”
“They make the decision when to make the call?” Zoe, an agent, speaks up.
“A vote if there’s time.” Michael’s crystal ring adorns his fingers. “If not, yes, they make the decision.” He pauses. “Each one of you is used to standing alone, as a single person, but we must live together in this world. So, as a community, you will choose, in the moment, who is worthy of the call.”
I consider the groups. Though Jackie is on the other team, her betrayal is a shadow that follows. I will have to fight alongside, and against the people, I was foolish enough to trust. Even if I win the battle, I wonder how to come out victorious.
“You’re pitting friends against friends,” Levi calls out, furious. “How is that working together?”
“Or you’ll come together to save one of your own,” Rochelle contradicts. “There are many options and perspectives. It’s your decision which one to choose.”
The thought of David deciding who lives or dies makes me nauseous.
“You, individually and as a group, are required to prove four traits — intelligence, honesty, courage, and loyalty. Throughout the test, you will prove each one.”
“How long does the test go on?” Samira asks.
“Until you find the three crystals. Previous years, it has ranged from a week to a month,” Michael answers.
“Not everyone will come home.” Serafina makes no apology or excuses for her statement. “Every member has been tested over the years. You will prove yourself to possess all the traits the Circle deems necessary to be a member.”
“It is the only test that tells us you are ready to serve the Circle,” Michael adds. “That you have the skills and fortitude necessary to survive what will be demanded and required of you, both in the field and here at home.” For just a breath, he looks sad, as if, given a choice, he would choose something else. But just as fast the emotion is gone, and he’s once again stern and unapologetic. “We are in a time of war. A war that takes lives though everyone wishes to live in peace. A war that kills at random and doesn’t choose based on gender, age, or race. It is a war that has to be fought before the battle begins. It’s a war that none of us chose, but all of us must fight.”
“You are the future,” Serafina says. “Each one of you has been granted a gift that the founders could never have foreseen.”
She walks to a computer set up on a table and clicks on a file. Behind her, the white screen comes alive with a series of pictures. The first one is a blueprint of empty land and the original building. It looks barely large enough to hold twenty to thirty people.
“The founders came together with limited abilities to sense the future,” she says. “Your generation, through the gift of science and nature, has abilities that surpass anyone’s imagination.”
The next picture is of a group of members working on a chemistry formula in a room. Behind them are a group of men and women. A sign above them reads “Core.” They are clustered together, making it impossible to see their individual faces. But even in the distance, I can see their excitement.
“With these abilities comes great responsibility. You have a duty to help those who are weaker, those who are less able, and those who are innocent. It is not only your calling but your purpose. You were chosen in this life. Now you must prove yourself worthy of that choice.”
THIRTY-SEVEN
I hoist the backpack over my shoulder as I head toward the food table. There is enough space to fit a few clothes and essentials into it. The attached sleeping bag knocks against my hip as I walk.
Michael directs everyone from behind the food table. “There are dried fruits, meat, and grains.” He gestures toward the packets as if they are nuggets of gold. “Just add water, and you’ll have a full meal.”
“How are we supposed to survive on this?” Zoe views the packages with disdain.
“You’re not.” The recently initiated members keep watch to make sure everyone only takes their fair share. “You have to find additional food during the Evaluation.”
“Where do we get the water?” Zoe argues.
“Each of you will have a full water bottle,” Serafina says. “Use it sparingly until you find more.”
“Still sticking with your no vegetable rule?” Shane asks Jackie as she peruses the options. In comparison to everyone else, Shane is calmer, more relaxed. “In case you’re one of the first to go, I’ll know to raid your bag.” He waits patiently for her answer when Gavin pushes him.
“Do you even think before speaking?” Gavin asks. Jackie smacks the back of Shane’s head.
“Hey!” Shane rubs his head. “It was a valid question.”
“The vegetables aren’t real vegetables.” All three show both surprise and interest that I am speaking to them. “These were our meals back
home.” They glance at the packages and then back at me. “They’re colored grains with flavor added.”
“You ate this stuff every day?” Shane asks.
“It was the only food we had.” Tense and on guard, I am careful with my words.
Surprised by the information, Jackie slowly asks, “Did everyone eat this, or just…?”
“Just those of us in the orphanage. Real food was available but expensive.” I can still hear the little kids crying in bed at night from hunger. “You get used to the taste.”
“Really?” Shane asks.
“No.” I don’t want to talk to them as if we are friends. Needing distance, I head toward the accessory bins.
“Two accessories each.” Serafina stands over the weapons to monitor the choices. “Remember to pick ones that you can use in conjunction with your team. Not just the one that’s most powerful.”
I rummage through the options before deciding on a small rope and some matches. Next to the bins, Shane wields his ax, playfully threatening those around him. Serafina gives him a censuring look. Chastised, he slips it back into his pack.
Harrison enters from the side door and stands near the back — a distance from everyone else. Silently, he watches as Serafina hands a phone to Ryan, Derrick, Cassia, and finally, David.
“They have entrusted you with their lives. Make sure you’re worthy.” She waits until they slip them into their pocket before turning to the rest of us. “Every one of you is ready for this. Trust in yourselves, your training, and your instincts. I wish all of you the very best. Good luck.”
***
“Alexia.” Serafina calls for me as I start to follow the others out. “I’d like to speak to you for a moment.” Unsure, I follow her into a secluded room. Serafina closes the door before taking out a phone similar to the one she gave to the agents. “For you.”
