CYPHER: A Dystopian Novel

by Barbara Winkes

  “They will kill you, and the girl.”

  Ami woke up, her heart pounding. That wasn’t what had happened five years ago—or was it? Her memories of those days were hazy. She’d been crying a lot, caught in the insane dilemma of doing what was best for her daughter—as everybody told her—or what she felt was right. She’d given up, bent under the pressure. She was still paying for it.

  * * * *

  Slowly, routine returned to the IdA. Katlena was less worried about getting blown up on the way to work, and increasingly concerned about the mess Drago had left her. On paper, it all looked fine: Every cypher cared for with housing, clothes and food deliveries. In reality, those deliveries had often been late. There was evidence of leisurely handled investigations of employees. Some had stolen. Some had traded extras for favors. Katlena thought of Ami, a young woman trapped in the spider web of an unjust system with no visible way out. She remembered how the offer of a glass of good wine had made her cry. Ami had pride, but there was a lot that could have happened in five years, as these files showed. That was something Katlena didn’t want to consider, at least not at the moment.

  She thought about Ami a lot of the time. They hadn’t spoken in almost two weeks. Trenton kept saying it was safer that way for both of them, and at the moment, she had no way of proving him wrong. It wasn’t like she didn’t have any doubts. It was all too convenient, the Committee stepping in and helping her career along at this moment. Truth was, they could have kicked Drago out any time they wanted to. Part of her regretted she hadn’t taken the chance and followed them, get the hell out of the City while she still could, but who would be sitting in her chair then?

  Katlena frowned. Maybe she’d been fooling herself and Noelle, or even Hale, would have done as good a job. She shook her head to herself. Noelle had said it before: She had no ambitions to go further than where she was, which granted her a considerable responsibility and salary. Hale—no. He might be worse than Drago.

  She couldn’t relax and think that everything would be all right in the end. Baby steps had been achieved. She had signed the ban of the three-year-clause with the Committee’s approval. This afternoon, she’d take care of reversing the Ami/Cynthia case which would return three identities to the women who owned them in the first place. She knew one of them would not be happy about it.

  Something could still happen. Life in the City appeared stable on the outside, people going about their lives. A new IdA chief didn’t seem to be a big deal in the lives of many, though to some it would make a great difference. She’d met with a cranky woman from Organizational Affairs and informed her that she wanted to look into working conditions for all cyphers.

  Giving people a schedule like Ami’s was simply insane and it increased the unemployment numbers among non-cyphers, causing further dissatisfaction.

  Lastly, Katlena knew that one day she’d completely change the cypher program. She hadn’t considered how much of a difference a term could make, until she had been up close with the reality of the program’s beneficiaries. She wanted a culture of respect.

  So much more than that, she wanted Ami back by her side, her embrace to chase away the nightmares of failure.

  * * * *

  “Chief Cervantes, IdA. Ms. Cynthia Webber?”

  It was the acronym IdA that always put a look of suspicion on their faces, still, Katlena noticed. She couldn’t blame them.

  “Yes…Is something wrong?”

  Like Ami, she wasn’t even thirty yet. So much for the fiction that most cyphers were at an age close to retirement, and difficult to employ for various reasons.

  “No, not at all. We came to bring you something.”

  The woman peeked into the envelope then looked up at Katlena, paling.

  “Then it’s true what they say in the papers?”

  “We messed up a few times. We try to do better.”

  “Oh my God,” Cynthia said. “Someone told me about the clause, and I thought this is it, I’ll never get out now. I…I don’t have the money yet.”

  Katlena remembered with a bit of a guilty conscience how she had used the same clause she was overturning for a quick, if temporary fix, for Ami. Drago had never had that many reservations. These people had been betrayed over and over again. No wonder anger and fear created a dangerous ambience. Not that it justified every means.

  “We are still working on the details of the new laws, but these documents are yours. They’re the same you gave to the IdA. Your employer has been notified, so your next paycheck will go to you entirely. You might want to shop for some clothes.”

  Cynthia’s face lit up. “Thank you so much, Chief!” She threw her arms around Katlena then stepped back, smiling awkwardly. “I need to tell my parents!”

  “I ask you not to do that just yet. It would be better if you kept a low profile for a little longer,” Katlena warned her. Disappointment replaced joy in Cynthia’s face.

  “My family needs to know.”

  “I understand. Once you have that paycheck cashed in, you can start telling people. Don’t worry. This is for real, but we can’t make it happen for everyone all at once. People could get jealous.”

  Cynthia nodded, understanding dawning in her expression.

  “Why me?” she asked.

  Katlena shrugged. “Not everything about the program is wrong, but the three-year-clause was completely unnecessary. No one even benefited from it, so…we need to start somewhere.”

  “Thank you so much.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  * * * *

  “You can’t do this! You have no right, I’m gonna sue your ass!”

  “Whoa. Somebody got up on the wrong side of the bed.” Katlena gave a wry grin to the officer who had accompanied her. He chuckled.

  “You may try, but I’ll have you know that the law under which you obtained this identity, doesn’t exist anymore. From today, you are obliged to carry your own name and documents, so is Ami Moore.”

  “It’s all because you’re sleeping with the cypher whore! You can’t do this!”

  Katlena congratulated herself on her self-restraint. Seldom had she wanted to slap a person this much, but she had better arguments than violence.

  “Go ahead. I could take you in just for that.”

  “You can’t do this!”

  “You’re repeating yourself,” Katlena said coldly. “Please hand over those documents. Now. You might do whatever you like with the money Drago paid you for your false statement. Do us, and yourself a favor: shut up.”

  Red-faced and flustered, the woman went to open a drawer that held papers.

  “This will have consequences for you. You just can’t change laws as you please.”

  “True,” Katlena ascertained. “I can though, when it’s for the better of all people in the City.”

  When they were back in the car, she was aware of the glances sent her way by the young officer. Hanson was fairly familiar. He had done an internship for Noelle last year.

  “You’re not afraid to stir up controversy,” he said with a trace of admiration.

  “Believe me, controversy is really the last thing I need, but sometimes it can’t be helped. Three years, and they can never be a real person in front of the law, if someone lucky enough buys their papers?”

  “I know.” He sighed. “Our family’s been saving up for almost that long to get my sister out.”

  The surprise must have shown in her face.

  “Everybody’s got a cypher story, right?” he said.

  Katlena hadn’t, not until recently, but she was beginning to understand how true this was. The cypher program, once initiated to increase the chances at a better life for some who couldn’t create those chances themselves, had caused an impact, on many individuals and families.

  “Well, your sister won’t have to worry about the clause.”

  “We are grateful for that, Chief. You must know we are behind you.”

  She allowed a smile on her face, realizin
g that she hadn’t had a lot of reason to smile lately. It would all be better at some point. Hopefully.

  “Thanks, Hanson. That’s good to know.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Caroline Rivera, formerly 16439, walked into the office and put the padded envelope on the desk. Even though he knew what was inside, Paul Trenton asked.

  “Ms. Moore’s papers?”

  “As requested. No questions from Cervantes or anyone else.”

  “Good.” He got up to open a safe behind him, put the envelope inside without checking its contents, and closed the safe again. He was aware of Caroline’s gaze following his every move.

  “We talked about this.”

  “Yes, we did. She’ll get them eventually, when everybody, including Jean and Teresa, are safe and settled.”

  “Yes. Is there anything else? I’m sorry, Caro, I have to prepare for the meeting, so.”

  “I’m afraid there is. I found these.”

  With a sigh, Caroline handed a folded printout to him. He read it, his eyes widening.

  “That’s what I thought. Ami will take this hard.”

  “Then don’t tell her. We can’t afford to have her distracted.”

  Caroline leaned back in her seat. “So now we have to go all the way,” she said thoughtfully.

  “It looks that way. She had some good ideas though. They should be carried through.”

  “We’ll see to that. Do you think Ami can handle it? She’s still young.”

  “She has proven herself. I’m confident that she’ll be okay, and once this is over, her story will help many others. That is worth a few sacrifices, Caro. The ones you made exceed hers by far.”

  “I guess the safe line is not an issue yet?”

  “No,” he simply said.

  Caroline got up from her chair. “Good luck with that meeting.”

  * * * *

  She could have been satisfied. Some important work had been done today, including checking in on Noelle and her partner to learn the undercover operation was still going well. Katlena had decided not to call it off, even though the mission had changed slightly. If there were still any of Drago’s cohorts out there, she wanted to know about it, and separate them from the rebels who actually had a cause. She wanted to negotiate with the more moderate representatives of those who had worked to challenge the system. As far as she was concerned, running away from home and hiding in the woods might not be the smartest solution, but it wasn’t a crime either. She could work with them, and she’d told Noelle to find someone who might be helpful with that.

  She rolled over in bed to look at the digital clock on the nightstand. 2:50 a.m. Things were going well, no reason for sleepless nights, but Katlena was well aware that it wasn’t the job causing her insomnia. Maybe she would have to make a decision at some point. Katlena was scared either way. Ami was young, with many opportunities now that she had her identity back. She could go back to school, apply for a scholarship and have the career she always wanted. She might not want to wait for someone whose future was uncertain. Katlena wasn’t fooling herself. She knew that even if she did her job well, it had been created in the context of a crumbling system. Certainly her skills would be applicable elsewhere, but…too many changes were happening too soon.

  Once upon a time it had been so much easier to be alone. The problem was, Katlena couldn’t seem to remember.

  * * * *

  Lily had taken a liking to her quickly, her face lighting up whenever Ami was around. As far as she was concerned, Ami was another friendly playmate. They’d watch cartoons, and Lily would cuddle close to her, trusting that this adult would not harm her. Being with her, Ami experienced the connection like she’d always known she would, a deeply felt contentment. There was something wrong with this picture though. Two weeks into living in the safe house, Lily still went by the name of Teresa. Jean Davidson was stalling her, and so did Trenton and Cara. She hadn’t talked to Katlena, even though she’d been assured that things were going according to plan and Katlena’s agenda to clean up the IdA was well on its way.

  If everything was fine, Ami wondered, why were they still hiding out here? She imagined what would happen if she took Lily and went back to the City with her. Katlena had been worried about the possible danger, but that didn’t seem to be an issue at the moment. As much as she had hated working at Shelton’s, and distrusted everyone at the IdA, Ami missed structure in her life. She missed Katlena, and part of her was upholding the fantasy that a life together, her, Katlena and Lily, was still possible. Katlena said the Davidsons had broken City law. Lily was hers.

  Meanwhile, the Trentons, Cara and a group of ex-cyphers were working on publicity issues. Ami wasn’t sure what that meant exactly or why they thought she could help them. The rebels weren’t really needed anymore now that the IdA was changing from the inside, and neither could she help them with anything.

  Drago, and Katlena at some point, had thought there was a big mystery surrounding her because of the sealed addendum. In fact, probably every spy for the Committee had one. There was no mystery, just the bare facts. At one point in her life, she’d been desperate and had made questionable decisions under pressure. She’d been naïve, thinking that in a couple of years and with an additional job, she could get Lily back and pretend nothing had ever happened.

  Now, three additional years later, all she wanted was peace, but it didn’t look like her wish would be granted anytime soon.

  * * * *

  The meeting lasted through the night. Katlena was impressed with Kenneth Raymond, Noelle’s brother, who obviously had been making plans for a better future as long as she had. Katlena had once seen a mug shot of him, a young man on a downward spiral between detox and the cypher program. That had been years ago. Noelle could be proud of her kid brother now.

  She had invited him and half a dozen representatives in order to hear their demands. Once upon a time, she had thought of all of them as unreasonable and delusional. That was what Drago’s leadership had done. She wanted to do so much better.

  “We’ve been getting an idea lately how things were handled at the IdA, and in the cypher program. I think we all agree that a lot of changes are in order. I want to work with you on this.”

  “You’d be the first IdA chief who wants to do that.” Raymond spoke in a calm deliberate tone. “I heard you put a ban on the three-year-clause. How can we know it’s not just a temporary thing?”

  “Drago did whatever the hell he wanted to. I intend to do things differently, so now the measure will go through all the motions, signed, sealed and delivered. The process to return identities to those who were taken because of the clause has already started.”

  “Will all identities be returned?”

  “Eventually, yes. I didn’t know about this clause until a few weeks ago.”

  “No, Chief, what I meant is, will all identities be returned to every person you currently call a ‘cypher’, a non-identity?”

  Katlena took a deep breath, aware of the challenge he’d just presented to her.

  “I want to do what’s right for the people in the City. I think I know what you’re asking. If every cypher has their name back, what use is there for the IdA? I’m not worried about my job, Mr. Raymond. The City’s still going to need governing, police and intelligence. So yes, the long-term plan is to end the cypher program. No one should be living their life as a number, no matter how dire the circumstances.”

  She saw nods in her small audience, relaxing a little. The smoke was clearing. She had the Committee on her side, and these people seemed to be honest regarding their aspirations, and hers.

  “All of that sounds better than we expected,” Raymond said. “Still, there are some insecurities regarding the law. You are aware that most of the people I speak for fled the program at some point, or they fled from the City because they’d been thrown out. You have heard about allies who helped them escape and communicate. What will happen to those who want to return?”


  “Well, they might be charged for making a fire in the woods,” Katlena said dryly, earning some laughs. “As long as they haven’t committed any crime, they may come here, no problem. There will be no $20,000 rule anymore, as there was almost nobody able to pay that anyway. For now, it’s mostly a tedious administrative task for which we’ll need more people. If anyone of you wants to apply…”

  Katlena got tired smiles in reaction. It had been long, tense hours for all of them.

  “You’ll get all of this in writing. I know you’re eager to see all the flaws in the system fixed. I am too. It’ll take time. I talked to Organizational Affairs. They are to take complaints more seriously.”

  She flashed back on the day, seemingly a lifetime ago, when she had to attend the OA meeting. Katlena remembered the woman drinking her coffee, chatting about “the lazy girl” who wanted to avoid work by giving her more. She remembered feeling awkward, not wanting to be there, her mind already filled with high and haughty plans for when she’d be leading the IdA. She’d known nothing.

  “We will get there,” she promised.

  “I sure hope so.”

  One by one, members of the group left the room. Katlena was cleaning up the papers, looking up to realize that Kenneth Raymond was still standing in the doorway, watching her.

  “Is there anything else, Mr. Raymond?”

  He pushed himself off of the doorframe, walking closer. “I was going to ask you to recommend a place to grab a bite to eat, but I’m afraid everything’s closed.”

  “You want to come have dinner with me? I’m afraid I don’t have enough in the fridge for eight,” she said dryly.

  “No, thank you, Chief.” He smiled. “You’re aware that Noelle Raymond is my half sister.”

  “Yes, and she’s working for me. It doesn’t really make any difference for everything we’ve talked about.”

  “I agree. Chief Cervantes, would you allow me a curious question though?”

  “Depends on how curious it is, but you may try.” It was cute, at best. Katlena estimated him to be in his late twenties. Then again, Ami was even younger. Oh well. She couldn’t wait to see her again.