by Simone Pond
“I have no idea why the people favor me so dearly.”
“They’ve been following you for eighteen years. And you have pretty hair.” Delilah smiled and her brown almond-shaped eyes lit up.
“But why not pick someone more striking and exotic, like Elizabeth.”
“Elizabeth is scary.”
“Queens are supposed to be scary.”
“Maybe you’ll start a new trend. I don’t know why you’re so worried. You’ll be a wonderful queen.”
“James doesn’t think so. Helena doesn’t think so.”
“But I think so. All of the people in this café think so.”
“Whatever will I do without you?”
“Let’s not think about next week. Let’s eat. You look like you could use some real food.” Delilah pulled up 3D renderings of the day’s specials.
“I really want a double-decker tempeh burger with cashew cheese, but I know Helena will test my blood levels and send me straight to detox. I can’t handle one more body wrap.”
“This is our last week together. Remember Roman Holiday? Pretend this is your special week to do whatever you want!”
“Yes, who cares about an afternoon of torture? You’re worth it.” Ava laughed. She felt relaxed around Delilah. She could let down her guard and stop monitoring every single word, or facial expression—these were minor glimpses of freedom. The food arrived and Ava’s mouth watered; she couldn’t remember the last time she ate a sandwich. She took a huge bite, not caring if anyone was watching, or taking image captures.
“Do you think you’re ready?” Delilah watched Ava devouring the sandwich.
“Probably not after this.” She took another huge bite. “But this is what I call freedom,” she said with her mouth full.
“Your performance is perfection. I should know. It’s not just your technique. When you dance, you connect with yourself. You express emotions, unlike the others. They’re robots programmed to compete and win. They have no heart.”
“And I do?”
“You might have been designed to look and talk like them, but you’re so much more. I wouldn’t risk my reputation hanging out with you if it weren’t true.” Delilah smiled.
One of the many reasons Ava loved Delilah was her fearless ability to express herself. Delilah spent a lot of time with Ava teaching her to connect with her feelings. It was during their clandestine lessons Ava learned how to dig deep. The ability to emotionally connect gave her an advantage during competitions. She couldn’t have achieved that without Delilah.
After lunch they strolled down the main walkway. Ava wanted to savor every single precious second with Delilah. She looked toward the Garden Sector.
“Quick trip to the greenhouse?” Ava asked.
“You got twenty minutes before you’re due back.”
“A little time in my favorite place with my favorite person is better than no time. Last week together, remember… Roman Holiday.”
“Oh, clever girl, using my line.”
“See how much I learn from you?”
They veered off the main walkway, down the cobblestone path toward the giant greenhouse located in the Garden Sector. Ava enjoyed watching the workers tending to their plots of land. James was right about her being happy shoveling dirt. She’d much rather manage a garden than a busy schedule. She loved being around living things. Inside the greenhouse, she felt connected to the pulse of life. It was the opposite of her sterile side of town.
“This is definitely my favorite part of the city,” Ava said, inhaling the scent of dirt and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables.
“But your side has the latest in technologies. All that glittering light.”
“Artificial.”
“True, but isn’t everything?” Delilah looked toward the solar panels high above, protecting the residents against the natural sunlight.
Whenever the topic of sunlight came up, Ava thought about the people living on the Outside. With the constant reports about the deadly air quality and the harmful sun, she questioned how they could survive in the toxic environment outside the City Center walls.
“Do you find it strange they can survive out there?”
“I think they’ve adapted,” Delilah said.
“Do you ever wonder what it’s like?” Ava asked.
“Not this again. For the hundredth time, no, I don’t wonder. You’ve seen the reports. If it were better out there, why do they try to break into the City Center year after year?”
“They seem to be more hostile during our times of ceremony.” Ava had been observing their patterns for years.
“Maybe it’s something in the air. Do we have to talk about this?”
“Do you think something will happen before Graduation Day?”
“Not with Morray keeping security at Level-5.”
“Do you ever wonder about the reports?”
“What’s going on, Ava? Is this pre-grad anxiety? Do you need some relaxa-mist?”
“I’ve been thinking about a lot of things lately. The reports have been erratic, especially the closer we get to the big day, and if the main objective is to keep the City Center in peaceful harmony, whatever is the point in inundating us with an endless stream of distressing information?”
“But, Miss Rhodes, the reports are vital and necessary for our survival. As a precaution, all City Center dwellers must remain abundantly informed,” Delilah mimicked an Info-tainer.
“You do that a bit too well. Interested in a new position after Graduation Day?”
“The last position I want is Info-tainer.”
“But think of the prestige,” Ava teased.
“I’m erasing the last three minutes of our conversation. Come on, let’s get some fresh strawberry-melons.” Delilah took Ava’s hand and they skipped toward the entrance of the greenhouse.
Inside the 50-story greenhouse, Ava breathed in the misty and refreshing air. She slipped off her sandals and let the damp grass spread between her toes. If she had a choice, she’d spend the rest of the afternoon in the greenhouse. They stepped off the main path and walked through a thicket of trees stretching hundreds of feet above ground. Workers in green tracksuits moved about walkways and bridges, collecting colorful fruits from the branches. They approached their friend Daisy, a greenhouse worker.
“Hi Daisy, how about some imperfects?” Delilah gave her a hug.
“Hello, my dears.” Daisy held out two pieces of fruit. “Excited for Graduation Day?”
“Not really.” Ava took the strawberry-melon, inhaling the sweet citrus scent.
“But everyone’s talking about your potential to succeed the throne, dear Ava. That’s exciting. I could be standing in the presence of our very next Queen,” Daisy said.
“I still have the final competition. Speaking of which, I better get back to the Studio or Helena will send out the guards, or worse, Morray’s Officers.”
“I’m going to miss you, Ava. But I’ll be watching you from Ret-Hav.” Daisy held Ava’s hand.
“That’s right. Are you looking forward to a life of leisure?”
“Fresh air and no more work!”
“Where you can dip your toes in crystal waters,” Ava quoted the commercial for Ret-Hav. Ava was happy for Daisy. She had worked hard for retirement. Just like all working-class residents.
Ava and Delilah left the greenhouse and headed toward the nearest transporter.
“Eight minutes until Helena sends out the guards,” Ava said. She wasn’t looking forward to an afternoon of combat training. She was about to say goodbye to Delilah when a warning alarm began screeching throughout the South Sector. Monitors began streaming an emergency report. People huddled around to catch the news feed.
“This is a bit extreme of Helena,” Ava yelled over the noise, laughing.
“We should see what’s going on,” Delilah yelled over the alarm.
“Look,” Ava pointed to a nearby monitor.
The male Info-tainer looked more serious than usua
l. “Attention all residents, the Los Angeles City Center has been breached. We’ve been informed that a terrorist from the Outside has infiltrated our city. This terrorist is currently at large. Chief Morray has his team of Officers working on the situation. All citizens are required to immediately transport to their dwellings until further notice. I’ve been informed. This is not a drill. We repeat…”
“I suppose this means afternoon training is off the agenda.” Ava smiled.
“Ava, this isn’t a joke. We need to get to our dwellings.”
Delilah reached for Ava’s hand and started to pull her down the walkway toward the nearest transporter station.
“What’s the rush?” Ava asked. “This is probably just another one of Planner Dickson’s drills. He is always a bit overly ambitious and protective in the days leading up to high ceremonies. Shall we watch everyone unravel?”
Ava sat down on a bench and watched the residents rushing around, fighting to get to the nearest transporter stations.
“I’m going home. I don’t want to get caught up in this mess. You know the penalties for not following protocol,” Delilah said.
“Perhaps they’ll disqualify me from Graduation Day ceremonies.”
“That’s not funny. Will you contact me later so I know you’re okay?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll call you. Unless the ‘terrorist’ captures me.”
“Be careful.” Delilah hurried down the path, looked back one last time and waved.
The monitors continued streaming emergency reports. “We have been informed by high-level intelligence operatives and have it on good authority that this is the man who broke into the City Center.”
A hologram displayed a man with shaggy brown hair wearing utilitarian clothes. Ava moved closer in and studied his face. He didn’t look like a bad person. Or sick from breathing in toxic air. He was handsome and masculine and reminded her of Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday—except for the thick beard covering up the lower half of his face. Beards were forbidden inside the City Center. She reached out to touch the hologram but her hand swiped through the image.
“Chief Morray has ordered everyone to evacuate the area immediately. This man is armed and toxic. If you get within close proximity, you will be infected. You must avoid any interaction. We repeat, do not attempt any civic heroics. Retreat to your dwelling units immediately. He was last tracked in the South Sector…”
Ava perked up. If the Outsider was last tracked in the South Sector that meant he could be in close proximity. She debated about heading to the transporter station. She didn’t know why, but she wanted to stick around to see what would happen next. Her heartbeat thumped from her chest to her ears. Excitement buzzed through her body and she felt alive. She stood, waiting for whatever would come next. Then the entire City Center shut down. The monitors blacked out and the walkways froze. She had never experienced such an extreme level of silence. She was alone. The most alone she had ever been on the Inside. Something told her this wasn’t a drill. She started walking toward the transporter station a few hundred yards away. The walk seemed a mile long. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and she sensed another presence nearby.
“Hey,” a male’s voice called out.
Ava figured a guard had arrived to escort her home. She turned around. There wasn’t a single person outside. She scanned the area looking for the owner of the voice. Maybe it was the intercom? She caught a glimpse of a shadow next to the mammoth statue of Morray. She didn’t like that statue or any of the others placed throughout the city, his all-seeing eyes peering over everyone.
“Over here,” the voice called out again.
Ava glanced toward the statue where the voice seemed to have come from. Was the statue talking to her?
“Who is there?” Ava yelled out.
“Please, don’t run. I’m here to help you,” he called out. Then he edged his way around the giant foot of Morray’s statue. The man from the reports. Ava’s blood turned to ice.
“Stay where you are! Do not take another step,” Ava yelled.
“I’m not infected.”
“Remain still. I’m calling for help.” Ava pressed her index finger and thumb, but her internal microchip wouldn’t respond. She tried a few more times.
“No use. I blocked the mainframe,” he said.
“What do you want? Don’t you know you’ll be terminated?”
“I don’t care. This is my last chance to help all of you.”
The man moved to the front of Morray’s statue. He clutched a small black bag. Ava wondered why he sounded educated, and what he meant by blocking the mainframe. “Listen to me, I’m here to help you.”
“I’d rather not be helped by a toxic-ridden terrorist.” Ava stood in a warrior stance, preparing for battle.
“Look, I only have a few minutes. I really need you forget everything you’ve been told about the Outsiders. We aren’t terrorists.” He lowered himself to the grass to show submission. This could be a trick, Ava thought.
“Security will arrive in seconds,” she called out.
“Like I said, I’ve taken care of that. We’re running out of time.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m blocking Morray’s mainframe. No cameras.”
“I doubt the Outsiders have the technology to compete with Morray’s mainframe.”
“I don’t have time to argue with you. My name is Joseph. I’m not a terrorist. None of us are. We’ve been trying to help your people for decades.”
“Help us with what? We aren’t the ones with disease and death.”
“Lies. All lies.”
“How do I know you’re speaking the truth now?”
“I need you to take this bag. Read the book inside.”
“Book?” Ava asked, confused. She didn’t think books existed any more. She had seen them only in the movies.
“Yes, a book. I need you to read it.” Joseph tossed the bag toward Ava.
“How do I know this isn’t a trap?”
“Trust me,” he said.
She stood only ten feet away from the Outsider, but didn’t feel threatened by him. Every bit of information ingrained in her since inception vanished. The nagging questions she had accumulated in the back of her mind for years were somehow being answered. A voice inside told her to trust Joseph. She grabbed the bag and opened it with caution, removing a small brown book. She rubbed her fingers over the cover and inhaled the musty scent of old paper. A real book.
“First time holding a book?” Joseph’s voice interrupted.
“What am I supposed to do?”
“Read it.”
“Why me?” she asked, flipping through the pages of senseless etchings.
“You’re the only one ignoring protocol.” Joseph looked down at the device strapped to his wrist.
“You have technology?” she asked.
“We’ve had it for years. More proof of their lies. Listen, the mainframe is rebooting. Read the book.”
“What then?”
“I’m sure you’ll figure out something.”
Ava stared at Joseph. She wanted to touch him to see if he was real. “My name is Ava,” she called out. “If you were wondering.”
He waved her onward. The City Center flashed on and the monitors switched back to the streaming reports. The mainframe was back up. She clutched the book and ran off to the transporter station just as hovercrafts circled overhead. The transporter door slid open and she jumped inside, tucking the book into her tracksuit.
When she stepped inside her dwelling unit, the door bolted shut and locked. She pressed her finger on the entry panel to boot up her system.
“Good afternoon, Ava Rhodes. Please note: we are in a state of lockdown.”
“Remove accent walls. Stream all reports.”
Ava walked to the middle of the main room and set the book down on the lounger. She removed her sweaty tracksuit and splashed cold water over her face while the reports streamed. The wall divided i
nto multiple segments, each streaming a different report about the same thing—the terrorist attack on the City Center.
“Did they capture him?” Ava asked.
“Report loading.”
Ava sat in her lounger and clutched the book against her chest. She needed to know what happened to Joseph before she could focus on the book. The report downloaded and the shimmering face of the female Info-tainer spoke. “The terrorist has been captured. He is now being detained under Planner Dickson’s division until Chief Morray has been thoroughly briefed. The technical glitch in the mainframe was absolutely not due to terrorist activity. The ITs are looking into the cause of the power outage.”
“Have consequences been determined?”
“Stipulations will be determined by Chief Morray. Trial to be set at later time.”
“Are there any additional threats from the Outside?”
“Conditions on the Outside continue to worsen. Security along the perimeter continues to hold a Level-5.”
“Will this affect Graduation Day ceremonies?” Ava hoped for a delay. Anything to give her more time.
“Graduation Day ceremonies are in full swing. The agenda is being finalized and will be distributed later in the week. We’ll stream footage and interviews throughout the week. Would you like to view predictions for this year’s top ten?”
“Exit report,” Ava instructed.
She knew Joseph would be dead by morning. She wondered if Morray would even bother with conducting the ritual trial. He’d most likely go straight to execution. She looked at the book, wondering what could’ve been so important he risked his life to pass it along. She flipped through the pages, knowing she’d never be able to decipher the contents. City Center residents weren’t taught to read. All information was either downloaded directly into their personal microchips or streamed from reports. Reading was considered uncivilized. She’d have to learn how to read. The only way would be to download reading instruction software. Older programs were obsolete and unavailable. She glanced at the book, knowing she couldn’t let Joseph die in vain. There was one option. Delilah could obtain files off the dark-market.
“Contact Delilah,” Ava instructed.
She waited until Delilah’s hologram appeared. “Happy to see you made it home.”
