Ash

by Shani Petroff

  “Get lost, Sol,” Klay said, as he continued to pass out bottles, never missing a beat. Not that that surprised me. Klay never stopped handing out water. Part of having a destiny that was extracted too late for a time stamp was that he didn’t know when he was supposed to give water or who he was supposed to give it to. As a result, his Destiny Specialist, someone just like Link, had decided he should do it all the time. It got pretty bad for him in school—especially when we were younger. The Purples would say they were thirsty, just to watch him race up and get them something to drink. It didn’t help that he was the only Slate at Spectrum. The higher rings were pretty merciless.

  “I’m hurt,” Sol said, slapping his hand over his heart. “But I’ll forgive you. I know destiny is at stake.”

  Klay rolled his eyes. He knew Sol didn’t mean anything by the ribbing, but it was clear he had enough for one day.

  “Let’s go,” I said.

  “Are you asking me to join you for the race? Like, a date? How forward of you, Dax.” Sol matched my stride as we approached the entrance and gave me an appreciative look. “You didn’t need to dress up for me, but I have to say I like it. So shall we make it official? Want to hold my hand?”

  “What? No!” I said, smacking his outreached hand from mine.

  “Oh Dax, didn’t your dad tell you about the lady and protesting too much.”

  If Sol wasn’t an equal opportunity flirt I might have read something into his words, but it was just his way, so I rolled my eyes. “You can’t trust Hamlet, Sol. I hear he was nuts.” But I admit I was secretly happy he noticed my dress. Hopefully that meant Theron would too when I saw him at the after party.

  “Let’s go in, Laira,” I said and pulled out my ticket.

  “You’ll be back,” Sol called after us. “You’ll see. You won’t be able to resist me.”

  “Keep dreaming,” I said, handing my ticket to Eather Vanley, a sophomore Green from school, who was collecting them.

  “Sorry,” she said, giving it back. “The Ash area is full.”

  “But I have a ticket. I have to get inside.”

  She didn’t even bother giving me a response, instead turning to another Green handing her a ticket.

  “You don’t understand. I have to get in. Aldan is my brother!”

  Eather shrugged. “Sorry, we’re full,” she repeated.

  “It’s okay,” Laira said, putting her hand on my arm. I shook it off.

  “No, it’s not,” I replied. My whole body began to shake. “I have to watch him race.”

  “There are the screens. We can watch it here.”

  “That’s not the same.” My words caught in my throat, as I witnessed Sol handing Eather his ticket.

  He winked at me. “Ms. Vanley, these ladies are with me. Do you mind?”

  Eather shrugged again, but stepped aside for the three of us to slip into the arena.

  “Told you I was irresistible,” he said smugly.

  “How did you do that?” I asked, following him through the crowd. Sol had no pull. He was an Ash, just like me. He might have had a destiny—but the worst kind.

  “My little secret,” he said, as we squeezed ourselves onto one of the bleachers.

  “What did you do?” Laira asked. “Give her better odds in your gambling ring?” She whispered the word gambling as if she was afraid that someone from the PAE would come and detain her just for saying it out loud.

  “Let’s just say,” Sol began, “that the C-minus Ms. Vanley received in World History last year somehow got switched to an A.” He gave me one of his lopsided grins. “You’re welcome.”

  “Thank you,” I said, and I meant it. While I may not have had romantic feelings for Sol, I did like him. And if he was a little blunt sometimes, I could hardly blame him. Sol was destined to die. His Destiny Specialist hadn’t been able to pinpoint his time stamp to the exact date, but they did know he would die by his eighteenth birthday. That left him just under a year. Maybe. I couldn’t imagine what it was like, living each day knowing that it might be your last. It wasn’t something Sol really talked about.

  Around us the benches were mostly filled and separated by color. The back rows, where we’d squeezed in, were occupied by Ashes. The Ash ring was the largest, and the row upon row of light gray-clad bodies filling the back of the stadium reflected that. A dozen rows in front of us, the color began to darken where Ash met Slate. Slate was the second largest ring, and at least another dozen rows of charcoal clothing passed before the colors flowed to brown, then yellow, then brightened to green, then crimson. The front row was exclusively purple. It was a perfect representation of our society.

  Another image flashed on one of the screens overhead. It was Madden again. Only this time she was sitting next to my brother. “Poor Link,” I groaned.

  “Are you kidding me?” Laira shrieked. “It would be ultra if your brother got back together with her. If they got married, you’d be Madden’s sister-in-law. That’s almost better than a destiny.”

  “Careful, Laira,” Sol warned. “Keep saying stuff like that and the Removers may come and take you away.”

  Laira looked at him in horror. “How could you joke about something like that?” she said, shocked. “I just completed my destiny this morning. You were there!”

  “Relax,” I reassured her. “Sol’s just messing with you. Everyone knows how important the destiny system is to you. Right, Sol?”

  “Mmhmmm,” he answered, barely listening to me. I looked over at him. He was mesmerized by the screen.

  Really? Even him? “Don’t tell me you’re a Madden fan too?”

  He ripped his eyes away. “Jealous?”

  “Hardly. I just think you can do better.”

  Laira snorted, and I elbowed her.

  “Yeah,” he said. “Who wouldn’t want a guy with an automatic expiration date? She’d barely have a chance to get sick of me.”

  Once again, Sol left me not knowing how to answer.

  “Shhhh,” Laira told us. “It’s starting.”

  An image of Dr. Og appeared on the screens. The minister was as old as the destiny system, and he looked it. No one was surprised to see his image projected in from a cozy living room instead of from the Box. He’d been sick for years. Still, it was too bad. He was the only minister who seemed to care about all people. From all rings. Madden would take his place when he retired next year. Poor trade, if you asked me.

  Dr. Og smiled, making the folds of skin around his eyes ripple. “I want to take a moment to congratulate the athletes standing before you,” he began, a slight wheeze accenting his voice. “Take a long look at these young men and women. They represent the best Loop Racers of our time. And I’m sure I don’t need to remind any of you that one of tonight’s racers is here by way of destiny.”

  A cheer rang out, and I chanted Aldan’s name along with the crowd. Dr. Og smiled patiently until we quieted.

  “But it’s important to remember that every single athlete tonight is a role model. A champion. A beacon of hope as we continue to rebuild after the great pandemic. These men and women are heroes who have touched our lives, and inspired us with their unfailing dedication to the game, and to our way of life.” He paused to cough into a handkerchief before continuing. “So to all of tonight’s competitors, congratulations. And thank you. To all of those watching the game—from those seated in the stands, to those tuning in from home like myself—prepare to be amazed. Let the games begin!”

  A roar went through the stadium. The projections changed from that of Dr. Og to the competitors taking their places at the start of the loop track. The screen in the center, along with several more on the side, was devoted to my brother.

  “Go, Aldan!” I yelled out, with just about everyone else.

  “If I can have your attention, please.” Theron’s voice filled the arena, and I shook my head in disbelief. I still couldn’t believe that he’d managed to talk his way into announcing the race. Having a destiny like ‘make the minister
closest to your age laugh’ came with privileges I couldn’t begin to fathom. “Before we begin, we have a special message. So if I can have a moment of silence.”

  Theron sounded serious, and he was never serious when there was an audience around. Laira gave me a questioning look, but I just shrugged. I was as confused as she was.

  “As many of you know,” Theron began, “Aldan Harris’s whole life has been leading up to this moment. As a result, his brothers would like to share a special tribute with the audience today.”

  The cameras turned to show five of my older brothers, Carlen, Shay, Strom, Pel, and Kai. A large purple “1” was painted on each of their faces, for Aldan’s jersey number. They were laughing so hard that they could barely hold up their individual signs, which read together: BEEP BEEP. LOOP RACER. COMING THROUGH. WHOA! WHOA!

  “Oh no,” I said, starting to laugh. “Poor Aldan.”

  Laira and Sol both turned to me in confusion.

  “What does it mean?” Laira asked.

  “You’ll find out,” I said between giggles. “Look,” I pointed to the screens overhead.

  They showed a projection of Aldan at four-years-old, splashing in the bathtub. He sang enthusiastically through the soapy beard that bubbled from his chin. “Beep, beep,” he crooned, honking an imaginary horn. “I’m a loop racer, and I’m coming through, whoa whoa. Beep beep,” he began again, singing another round.

  A second camera zoomed in for a close-up of Aldan, who was laughing hysterically from the track. He began singing along with his younger, wetter self and the crowd joined his laughter.

  I couldn’t believe Theron had gotten this broadcast approved. I looked up toward the Box with a grin, and a tiny flutter of the heart. Knowing Theron, he probably hadn’t. My mother must be seething. The after-party would be interesting. I could almost hear her now. How could you disgrace such a noble and prestigious event? I laughed again.

  When Aldan’s song came to an end he pressed an imaginary horn and hollered out a final “beep beep.” The audience howled with laughter, chanting my brother’s name.

  Everything quieted down when the clock tower chimed five o’clock. The race was set to begin and we all gave a moment of silence to mark the occasion. Then the eight competitors took their places.

  “Eight, seven, six, five, four, ” Theron counted down, his voice increasing in excitement. “three, two, one!” He sounded the horn and the racers rocketed off of the ramp. They were on the first leg of the track, trying to gain whatever speed they could for the first incline. It was the smallest, only fifty feet, but that was plenty of room to still get hurt. If one of the players fell from the tracks, their board would repel against the stadium’s metal flooring to stop their fall. But if they didn’t brace themselves properly, they could still get seriously injured. No matter how many times I watched Aldan race, I still found myself holding my breath from the moment he took off until the moment he crossed the finish line.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, there’s no surprise here,” Theron announced over the speakers. “Aldan Harris is already in the lead. Followed closely—although not too closely—by Tred Nier and Lemad Loring. The other five, come on guys, speed it up. I’m looking at you Reiner Walley. Some people have you as a shoo-in for second, though my bets are on Lemad. That is if I were a betting man. Which, of course, I’m not. Though to be clear, if I was, I’d have Aldan finishing the race in three minutes, fifty-two seconds.”

  The middle screen displayed Theron giving the ministers a huge grin and thumbs up sign. Minister Worthington scowled at him. That is until he realized a hovercam was on him. Then he shook his head and gave a hearty laugh. “Boys will be boys,” he said.

  “Yeah,” Sol said, his eyes glued to his plexi. He was tracking all eight racers with eight grids on the screen. “That’s why he said anyone caught gambling would pay severe fines. A minimum of one thousand ostows.”

  I looked at him in shock. That was a crazy amount of money. Almost the amount of my Blank tax for a full month. “What will you do if you get caught?”

  “I won’t.”

  “Yeah, because you’re so inconspicuous sitting there keeping track of all your bets.”

  He looked up. “Like anyone is paying attention to me. And even if they did, what are they going to do? Send me to prison? Remove me? My destiny will take care of that soon enough. It’s not like the ministry would let anything get in the way.”

  Sol didn’t talk about his destiny that much. I was surprised he was bringing it up again. And sorry there weren’t words to give him that would make it any easier. Instead I kept my sympathy to myself. I knew from experience it was easier to deal with an empty future when people weren’t dousing you with pity.

  Laira grabbed my arm and squeezed, distracting me from my thoughts. “Dax, this is so exciting. That’s your brother out there! Look how fast he is!”

  I watched as Aldan easily pulled ahead of the pack. No surprise there. He’d broken every time on record for loop racing.

  “The track looks weird,” Laira shouted over the cheering. “Are there more loops than usual?”

  “Customized for the race,” I shouted back. “Usually there’s an odd number of loops and twists, but they added an extra to this one.” I pointed up to the biggest loop, the third on the track. “See, the loops are designed for racers to be able to pass one another. More loops create extra chances for stealing a position.”

  Theron interrupted my loop lesson. “Ladies and gentlemen, here’s Aldan about to take the first loop. And if I’m not mistaken… Yes! He did it. He broke the record. He’s out of there and onto the first twist in under a minute. Cha ching! Kidding, ministers.”

  The crowd cheered, but I could still make out Sol’s mumbles. “He’s so not kidding,” he said in irritation, and quickly punched new numbers into his game screen.

  I wasn’t exactly surprised. It was just like Theron to bet that my brother could beat the odds. He believed in my brother just as much as I did. And Aldan wasn’t letting anyone down. He was racing at top speed. He didn’t bother to stop for any fancy tricks—not yet anyway. The winner would be the first to cross the finish line. Still, it wouldn’t be like Aldan if he didn’t win the secondary score for technique, too.

  I didn’t want to take my eyes off of my brother as he approached the second loop, but the action behind him was pretty ultra.

  Reiner had caught up to Tred and Lemad as they were about to take the first loop. There was only room for them to go through one at a time, but none of them was about to give an inch. They headed for the loop together. Reiner on the left, Tred in the middle, and Lemad on the right. With everyone refusing to move, the body-slamming started. Tred shoved out his elbows to knock into the two men at his side, while Reiner thrust his body toward his opponents. The move threw Tred off-balance sending him into Lemad, who tried to stand firm. But Reiner wouldn’t let up.

  “Someone’s going to have to give in or go over. Who will it be?” Theron asked. “No, he’s not! But he is!” The excitement in Theron’s voice was rising. “Lemad Loring is trying the flamingo. It’s only been done successfully once in competition, and I bet you can all guess by who. Good luck, man you’re going to need it!” Lemad crouched down and demagnetized his left shoe. It was no longer attached to the board. It would give him more flexibility to maneuver but a lot less stability. With the inclines and pushing, it was a brash move for any racer to not keep both feet planted on their board. Lemad switched his body so his left foot was now leading the way and he was able pull out in front of Tred, but his momentary victory didn’t last long. Reiner surged forward, his board knocking into Lemad’s, then with a shove, Reiner sent the “flamingo” over the side of the track. Lemad braced himself, ricocheting off the magnetized floor of the track with nothing more serious than a scowl on his face.

  “Man down,” Theron called.

  Aldan was just about to go down the third loop but came to a halt right before the decline. I’d stopped asking ho
w Aldan did the tricks he did. He’d made me try a bunny coaster once, and I never went back. Those loops are freaky. Racers are attached to their boards through magnets and that same tech work keeps the boards in line with the track. The magnets pull the board along, so stopping is anything but easy. It’s a skill, and if you don’t have it, you either crash, fall over the side, or miraculously get pulled to the end of the track. But my brother’s gifted. He’s always been able to stop on a hair. And this time as he did it, he saluted Lemad and then dove down the incline of the loop.

  “A classy move by Aldan Harris,” Theron said, “even if it did cost him five seconds. But a good attempt by Lemad Loring. And we’re down to seven.”

  Reiner had pulled ahead of Tred for the second loop, but by this point they were three loops behind Aldan. Still, none of them were about to give up. Second place was a big deal—especially when you already knew who was guaranteed to take first. And these guys were taking it seriously.

  Theron kept everyone up on the play by play. “Aldan is on his sixth loop. While Tred and Reiner are pulling out of their third. And what about Wybalt Morley, Analise Chorter, Zuma Pipin, and Nelo Hebert? No, they didn’t fall over the side. They’re chugging along about to take the second loop. But the real action is going on with our second place frontrunners. Reiner is still in the lead, but Tred is getting ready for a move. Look at the way he’s rocking his body. That can only mean one thing. He’s going for the leap!”

  And just as Theron said it, Tred jumped into the air, over Reiner’s head, and landed directly in front of him. The crowd broke out in applause.

  Theron let out a whistle. “Impressive move by Tred! Hear that crowd, Aldan? They’re cheering, clapping, yelling, and it’s not for you. I say you need to do something about it!”

  Aldan gave a thumbs-up to the hovercam following his every move. He had that glint in his eye. The one that meant he was going to do something stupid. Or what he and Theron called an ultra rush. I gripped my arm, squeezing the purple cuff under my sleeve hard.