CENTER 82 (RATION)

by Christina J Thompson

  She looked over her shoulder, exhilaration flooding through her veins at the sight of the facility’s silhouette looming up in the dark. It was over―the plan had worked, and the fear she had felt just a few hours ago already seemed like nothing more than a horrible dream. She made a face, remembering Andreas’ lies.

  “There was a problem with the scale at the settlement…”

  Amber scoffed, shifting the supplies on her back as she prepared to run. Everyone at the settlement would have been talking about the discrepancy if Ayn’s true weight had been discovered, but her father’s bragging was proof that no one back home had any idea. The doctor couldn’t possibly know about the fake results, not unless she had verified them herself.

  * * *

  Ayn stepped towards the service entrance at the back of the lab, his heart pounding in his throat as he entered Andreas’ code on the keypad. The lock clicked as it disengaged, and he quietly slipped out through the door and into the dark service stairwell. It was almost one o’clock in the morning—the facility had long since gone to sleep, and he could only hope that he wouldn’t encounter anyone.

  His bare feet quietly pattered on the steps as he made his way down to the lower levels, the sound serving as a reminder of just how unprepared he was. He still didn’t know where he would get shoes or clothes; the labcoat he was wearing wouldn’t work for travel, and the place where ration clothing was kept would be impossible for him to reach. He knew he wasn’t ready yet, he knew it was too soon to risk being caught, but he ignored the voice in his mind that was screaming for him to go back. Finding Amber was more important than anything else, the rest of the plan could wait.

  Ayn reached the service exit that was marked BN19 and paused for a moment, closing his eyes as he pictured the wall in the Project Nine lab. A complete map of the facility had been stenciled on the surface, and he had spent every day of his time in that lab staring at it. Now, as he focused, each line of the map instantly snapped into place before his mind’s eye, and he mentally traced his steps to double-check himself. He was sure he was in the right place, which meant that Amber’s room number should be right outside.

  He took a deep breath and cracked the door open. The wing was silent, and aside from the footlights that lined the walkway, it was completely dark. He slowly eased himself out onto the walkway, his teeth grinding in his ears as he counted the doors he passed.

  2490, 2491, 2492…

  Tears instantly filled his eyes, and he gasped back a sob. This was it, 2493.

  Ayn lifted his hand and quietly knocked, hopeful anticipation burning over his skin as he waited. There was no answer, and he knocked again, huddling his body against the closed door and looking around. Faint voices suddenly echoed towards him from the left, and he squinted in the dark, dread rising in his throat when he realized that guards were patrolling the wing.

  Footsteps rang out on the expanded steel walkway right above his head just as he prepared to knock again; he flinched, dropping his hand as he cowered against the door. They sounded like they were coming closer, and frantic desperation twisted his stomach as he glanced at the keypad next to the door handle. A loud beep would sound if he got it wrong; he knew he should leave, but as he looked back in the direction of the service entrance, he couldn’t bring himself to give up.

  The voices moved towards the stairwell that led to the walkway where he was standing, and Ayn swallowed hard. There were only two codes he could think of that Amber would choose: her sister’s birthday or the day she had decided was his. He hesitated, weighing both options for a moment, then he set his jaw and reached for the buttons.

  The lock clicked a split-second later, and relief surged through his veins as he pushed the door open and darted inside. He heard footsteps walk by only a moment after he closed the door behind him, and he collapsed against the wall, trying to remember to breathe.

  “Amber?”

  The clock on the wall cast a faint glow over the room; his eyes adjusted to the dim, and he cursed under his breath as he looked around. She wasn’t there.

  Ayn sank down onto the bed and buried his face in his hands.

  “Where are you?” he whispered forlornly, his mind racing as he tried to think. There weren’t any jobs for new arrivals that went this late, there was no reason for her to be gone.

  He drew a ragged breath and forced himself to stand up. Nothing could be done tonight, and he knew he needed to get back to the lab. He would have to try again tomorrow night.

  Ayn moved towards the door and reached for the handle, only to hear the keypad beep as the first number of the code was entered. He jumped back, his heart swelling with expectation as a figure stepped into the room.

  “Amber?”

  A startled gasp rang out, followed by the sound of a hand sweeping across the wall. The room flooded with light a moment later, and Ayn’s knees went weak as a fresh wave of tears filled his eyes.

  Amber let out a quiet wail as her eyes locked on Ayn’s face; her book fell to the floor as her hands went limp, her whole body frozen in place as she stared at him.

  “We got a full 250 pounds this harvest…”

  Those words had seared through her mind so many times before, trying to tell her the only detail that mattered, but she had waited to listen until it was almost too late. She should have known from the start that he was still alive, even before the sudden realization that had sent her running back to the facility at the last minute.

  Amber managed to take a step forward. Her hand shook as she reached out to touch his chest, then she slowly moved closer, leaning in to rest her face against him.

  “I’m still here,” Ayn whispered. His voice reverberated through his chest, mingling with the quiet, familiar pulse of the heartbeat she thought she would never hear again, and she closed her eyes as the shock instantly gave way to anguished relief. Her body tensed up, stealing her breath away; the sobs that were building in her chest felt too heavy for her lungs to release, and her knees gave out as her mouth opened in a soundless cry.

  He caught hold of her as she sank to the floor, gathering her into his arms as he sat down and cradled her against him. His face rested on the top of her head, and when Amber felt his tears begin to soak through her hair, her own tears finally broke free.

  “I’m so sorry,” she gasped between halting breaths. “I should have known, Ayn…”

  “I’m here, Amber, it’s okay. Don’t worry, everything’s going to be okay.”

  She could hear his voice waver as his shoulders heaved, and she clutched at him, guilt pouring through her veins. She had almost left him.

  “I…I shouldn’t have given up,” she sobbed, burying her face against his chest. “I should have known…”

  Ayn barely heard her, closing his eyes as he breathed in the scent of her skin. His whole body relaxed for the first time since he had left her at the grid that day, and he swallowed hard, fighting to control himself as he released her and placed his hand on her cheek.

  “I can’t believe I found you,” he chuckled through his tears, brushing her hair back from her forehead. “That day I left—I never thought I’d hold you again.”

  Amber’s heart wrenched as she gazed up at him.

  “How are you here? How are you still alive?”

  He bent his head, pressing his lips to her cheek for a long moment, and she could feel him tremble.

  “The researchers,” Ayn finally replied. His voice was hushed, but she could hear the anguish in his words. “They wanted to study me, they told everyone I had been harvested so no one would start wondering if there was a problem.”

  Amber’s mind flashed back to the conversation she had had with him at the grid, remembering what he had said about the danger of his awareness being discovered.

  “They would dissect me then kill me the moment they found out…”

  “I should have known,” she whispered, shame burning through her soul. “I almost left you behind, I al
most didn’t make it back.”

  His green eyes filled with confusion.

  “Make it back?” he echoed, lifting his hands and gently brushing the tears from her face. “What do you mean?”

  She drew a ragged breath.

  “I took supplies from TPM, I was going to go to the mountains like we planned.”

  “When?”

  “Tonight, just a little while ago,” she answered. “One of the doctors here talked to me today, she knew about the weight check we faked. She said there was something wrong with the scale at the settlement, and I started thinking about it after I got outside―”

  “You were outside?” Ayn gasped. “You actually made it out?”

  Amber nodded as she continued.

  “The first thing my father told me when I woke up was that we got a full harvest from you, but it takes almost a month to process a compensation request when a guaranteed strain is underweight. He didn’t have to do that and no one back home knew that the weight check was off, so you definitely weren’t weighed at the settlement. That doctor couldn’t know about the real weight unless―”

  “You shouldn’t have come back,” he quietly interrupted, his voice grim. “You didn’t know that I was still alive, what if they had just waited to kill me until after I got here? That could have been your only chance to get out.”

  Amber scoffed incredulously, her expression instantly hardening into a scowl as she glared up at him.

  “I was right, wasn’t I?” she demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. “As if you wouldn’t have done the same thing!”

  Ayn sighed, studying the fiery defiance he could see in her eyes. It would have been a relief to hear that she had gone missing, but he was still glad that she had come back. He smiled and bent down to kiss her.

  “How did you do it?” he asked. “How did no one catch you?”

  “I just walked out,” Amber replied, turning in his arms to lean back against his chest. “There were a bunch of people leaving for that Coastal One place, and I went out at the same time.”

  Ayn cocked his head.

  “There weren’t any guards there?” he asked.

  “Not that I saw.”

  “That’s interesting,” he mused. “Guards are supposed to stand by every time an exterior door opens. What about getting back in, how did that work?”

  “I just waited until the door opened again. The woman who works there is really nice, I told her that someone shoved me out when the groups were leaving and she believed me.”

  “But you had supplies, didn’t you? How did you explain that?”

  “I said I was carrying them when I was pushed outside, the shelves that hold the bags are right next to the door.”

  Ayn’s heart swelled with pride as he listened, and he glanced down at her, his eyes sparkling.

  “I saw you talking with Andreas today. Your answers were perfect, she doesn’t have a clue how much you know.”

  She gasped, sitting up and twisting around to face him.

  “You saw that? How?”

  “The mirror on the wall of the entry room you were in,” he answered. “It’s one-way glass, I could see you from inside the lab on the other side.”

  Amber frowned; he had been so close, and she hadn’t even realized it. She touched his cheek, studying his face as she finally noticed how tired he looked. Small circles of skin had been torn from his shaved scalp, and when she took his hand, she saw that his fingers were covered in bruises. Her eyes drifted towards his arm; there was a dark stain leaking through the sleeve of the gray labcoat he was wearing, and she knew that it was blood.

  “What happened to you?” she asked. He rolled his eyes.

  “Andreas. She’s been trying to prove that the supplements don’t work on me.”

  Amber’s throat closed up, but she swallowed hard and tried to force a smile.

  “Well, she got to me, too. She even shaved a little of my hair, see?”

  She turned her head, pointing at the bare spot on the base of her neck, and a moment later, she felt his lips touch her skin. Goosebumps scattered across her body, and she drew a deep breath.

  “I talked to John,” she whispered. “He gave me your message, he said…he said that you love me.”

  Ayn’s breath was warm against her neck as he sighed.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t say it sooner,” he murmured. “I think…I think I was afraid.”

  “Afraid? Of what?”

  She felt him shrug.

  “That you wouldn’t say it back.”

  Amber turned to face him.

  “Did you really think I wouldn’t?”

  Ayn gave her a mischievous grin.

  “I don’t know. I’m still waiting to find out.”

  She scoffed in feigned indignance, but she couldn’t help smiling.

  “I…”

  Her throat closed up the moment she tried to speak; she had imagined herself saying those three simple words so many times before, but now that she finally had her chance, her voice seemed to vanish. Her face flushed hot, and she swallowed hard as she quickly glanced away. For some reason, she suddenly found herself unable to look him in the eye.

  Ayn touched her cheek; he could see a wave of shy vulnerability spreading across her skin in a crimson blush, and he leaned in closer, gently lifting her face.

  “I love you,” he whispered, his voice trembling.

  Amber’s heart skipped a beat as she finally met his gaze. The butterflies that had filled her chest were soaking up all the air in her lungs, drowning her words with their frenzied excitement, and she had to force herself to draw a breath past their fluttering wings.

  “I love you, Ayn.”

  His hand moved to the back of her neck as he drew her into his arms; he kissed her, holding her in place for a long moment before letting go. He smiled sadly, his bruised fingertips gently tracing the curves of her face.

  “I wish I could stay here with you forever,” he said. “I wish all of this was over.”

  Amber saw his eyes glance up to look behind her; he was checking the time, and she knew their small reprieve from the rest of the world was drawing to an end. Sorrow seeped in to darken the momentary peace; as safe as she felt in the sanctuary of her room, the severity of their situation couldn’t be ignored.

  “What are we going to do?” she breathed, hopelessness washing over her. “How are we going to get out of this place?”

  Ayn kissed her again, then he sighed as he pulled her into his arms.

  “I’ve been trying to work that out,” he said quietly. “I know the codes to get out of the lab, so that’s not a problem, but I need to know more about TPM. I thought it closed by eleven every night—it’s almost two in the morning now.”

  “It was because of the alarm today,” Amber told him. “I guess that delayed everything, groups were supposed to leave at nightfall but it took a lot longer.”

  “Will it close at the normal time tomorrow? We need a big head start to get far enough away before they discover us missing.”

  She nodded.

  “That’s what Teresa said, anyway. She said I helped her get caught up, so we won’t have to stay late again.”

  “That means we can leave tomorrow, then,” he said. “All I need are shoes and real clothes, I won’t last long out there in just this thing.”

  He gestured at the labcoat, and Amber couldn’t help giggling as she sat up. It was embarrassingly small, barely reaching mid-thigh on his thick, muscular legs.

  “Where can I get clothes for you?” she asked.

  Ayn pursed his lips.

  “Requisitions is where the ration clothes are kept, but you’d need a wrist scan to get in. The laundry unit won’t work, either, it’s a massive area and it’ll take too long to search. Any chance you’ve seen someone close to my size wandering around?”

  “No, not that I remember,” she answered. “I mean, I haven’t been here for ve
ry long and it’s not something I’ve paid much attention to, but everyone I’ve seen so far is either too skinny or too short.”

  “Probably for the best,” Ayn sighed. “You’re more likely to get caught sneaking into someone’s private room, they’ll notice something missing much faster than the administration would.”

  He fell silent for a moment, then his face darkened with dread. He eyed her.

  “The best option is Recycling B, but it’s also the worst option. You’re not going to like it, it’s where they―”

  “I don’t care what it is,” Amber interrupted. “I’ll do whatever it takes. What else?”

  “That’s all,” Ayn said, standing to his feet. “I think you’ve managed to figure everything else out for me.”

  He stepped towards the door, and Amber’s heart sank.

  “You’re leaving already?”

  “I have to, but I’ll see you tomorrow,” he told her, his eyes bright. “TPM at 11:30, wait for me there and I’ll use Andreas’ code to get in.”

  Yearning tore through her stomach, and she found herself instantly fighting back a sob.

  “I don’t want you to go.”

  Ayn smiled.

  “You could always come with me, but I think Andreas would notice if you were in my cage in the morning.”

  Amber’s eyes grew wide.

  “Cage? She locks you in a cage?”

  “She tries to,” he chuckled. He leaned down, kissing her again. “Tomorrow night, Amber. Just a few more hours.”

  Just a few more hours…for something to go wrong.

  She cringed with dread, but she forced herself to stay calm as Ayn reached out to turn the light off.

  “Let me check for the guards first,” she said. “I’ll make sure it’s safe.”

  He gave her a worried look.

  “What if they see you and want to know why you’re outside your room?”

  “Brian’s room is right next door, I’ll just say I’m going there.”

  “Brian?” he echoed, raising a brow. She scoffed.

  “My escort. I’ll tell you about it tomorrow, it’s a long story.”

  Amber cracked the door open and looked out, then she stepped onto the walkway. She strained her ears, listening for voices or footsteps, but from what she could tell, it seemed safe. She grabbed Ayn’s hand.