The Initiation

by Chris Babu

  Drayden crossed his arms and frowned.

  Mr. Kale’s face relaxed. “I believe you’ll pass, Drayden. I really do.”

  Drayden scoffed. “Nobody knows what the test is like or if anyone has ever passed. The few kids who entered were either exiled or live in another zone now. The Bureau doesn’t announce the results, and the pledges can’t return to tell everyone what happened, even if they join the Bureau. Supposedly families have moved from the Dorms, but the Bureau could have just exiled them to create this myth that kids pass the Initiation.” Drayden stood and paced.

  Mr. Kale smiled. “Right there, that’s why I believe you’ll pass. How can someone with your brain not pass?”

  Because it’s not just about intelligence.

  “No, there’s no way to know for sure,” Mr. Kale continued. “However, the Bureau is vastly outnumbered by the populace. If the entire premise of the Initiation was revealed as a hoax, they would risk a revolt. They don’t want that. They wish to hold onto power.”

  Drayden leaned on the desk. “Mr. Kale, I’m scared. Okay? I hope I could pass the intelligence portion, but who knows? And the so-called bravery part…what if it’s, like, fighting a lion or something?”

  Mr. Kale stifled a laugh. “Well, there are no lions in New America. In my opinion, the intelligence section won’t be a calculus test. It’ll be like brainteasers or riddles. The Bureau encourages all sixteen-year-olds to enter, and says the test doesn’t require any special skills or studying. So logically, it can’t use any complex math, because some kids haven’t learned it. It must demand only basic arithmetic. The only way to make arithmetic difficult is by burying it in a brainteaser. Remember, there’s always a trick. The answer is never the obvious thing. It’s some gimmick, something outside the box.”

  Mr. Kale’s expression softened. “My advice on bravery is that when people need it, they’ll be surprised to find out it’s there. People don’t necessarily feel fearless or brave on a daily basis. When thrust into an extreme situation, you’d be shocked at what you’re capable of. I think you would be fine.”

  Drayden rested his hands on his hips, and cocked his head. “Oh, gee, thanks. Basically, ‘Don’t worry about it’ is your advice? Easy for you to say. Why does everyone want me to enter, anyway?” He plopped down in the chair, turning his hat backward.

  “You’re the best student I’ve ever had, Drayden. I believe in you. You’re the only one who’s ever become my friend. As your friend, I want you to enter because I crave something better for you. You’re like a son to me. But I have an even greater personal interest beyond just your future.”

  Mr. Kale looked directly into his eyes. “This isn’t right, Drayden. None of this is. History has taught us that you can’t divide humanity. You can’t play God, which the Bureau is doing. With the state of the world, that’s courting extinction of the species. If you can make it to the Palace and join the Bureau, you can change things. One day you might even help overturn the whole system. Do this for all of us.”

  In a sick, ironic twist, the only one who could help Drayden sort all this out was his mother. He was confused, frightened, and a dozen other things at the same time.

  A few buses had parked in front of the school. Thankfully the Guardians weren’t there. Still, to avoid arousing any suspicion that he was the boy in the video, he needed to go on the field trip, although it was the furthest thing from his mind.

  Tim snagged his arm. “C’mon, man. We get to go on a bus. A freaking bus!”

  Electric buses only served people who traveled great distances for work. They included teachers coming to Dorm schools from the Lab, or plumbers leaving the Dorms to work in the Precinct. The students had never ridden on a bus before. While most of their excitement involved seeing the Meadow, the bus itself provided a thrill. Drayden and the other seniors pushed and shoved their way onto them, jockeying for window seats. Drayden scored one near the back of the first bus, and Tim sat beside him.

  “This is so awesome,” Tim said, rubbing his hands together. The bus buzzed with energy. They pulled out, headed up Park Avenue, and everyone cheered.

  While a few kids immediately looked sick from the motion, Drayden found it exhilarating to go so fast. Once they passed Fiftieth Street, he absorbed the fresh sights. Though still in the Dorms, he wasn’t familiar with these city blocks. His life encompassed so little of the city. He wanted to enjoy the trip, to soak in the different world. Unfortunately, his mind wandered.

  Although Mr. Kale was only trying to help, encouraging Drayden to enter the Initiation for the future of New America muddled his message. Not that it wasn’t a good reason; it was. But Mr. Kale wanted to satisfy his own desire to fix this broken system. It inadvertently weakened his plea for Drayden to enter, because it called into question the sincerity of his belief in Drayden’s ability to pass. Yet…doing it to evade the overzealous Guardian did make some sense.

  The bus turned left on Fifty-Seventh Street, passing some towering skyscrapers. The Bureau restricted access to this segment of the Dorms, leaving the streets deserted. They turned right on Sixth Avenue and approached the concrete wall separating the Dorms from the Meadow. The bus stopped at Fifty-Ninth Street before two giant steel doors in the twenty-five-foot-high wall. Heavily armed Guardians swarmed the area. One draped in guns approached the bus, surveyed it, and spoke to the driver.

  It was bizarre the gate was so well guarded, since this part of the Dorms was restricted. It seemed like overkill. Why did they need so much security?

  Mrs. Cartwright, the school’s vice principal and today’s chaperone, appeared frazzled at the front of the bus. Another woman fidgeted beside her. She wore glasses, a white lab coat, her red hair in a ponytail.

  “Alright, everyone, quiet down! Take your seats!” Mrs. Cartwright yelled. “We’re about to enter the Meadow, and I know you’re all excited to see it. To help us understand what we’re observing, we’ve asked Lucy Ravenna to be our guide. She’s a scientist in the food production facilities. Please give her your undivided attention. Thank you. Lucy?”

  “Thank you, Akari. Hello, everyone. If anyone has any questions on the tour, please raise your hand. We’re pulling through the gate now, and if you look to your right, you’ll see the park. Immediately you’ll notice the wind turbines.”

  The whole bus “oohed” and “ahhed,” marveling at the size of the windmills. They rose above the treetops, dominating the skyline.

  Drayden had researched wind power on his own. He could build a wind turbine himself if he had the equipment. For all the Bureau’s restrictions on every aspect of their lives, ironically, they didn’t want to come off as controlling. The Bureau gave the illusion of choice, by allowing kids to do things like go to the library and learn skills such as martial arts. Yet it was freedom within a secure bubble. It was all a facade, which made Drayden wonder what else about the Bureau was an illusion.

  “New America has forty-four wind turbines, each standing three hundred fifty feet tall,” Lucy continued. “As impressive as the turbines are in size, the most amazing part is that we have them at all.”

  She looked embarrassed. “The Bureau insists we stress this point about the wind turbines. There’s only one reason we have them and have the power to run this city. We can all thank the disaster planning of the former New York Office of Emergency Management. In particular, its director at the time, our very own Premier, Eli Holst.

  “When the Aeru bug started ravaging the world, the former leaders planned for a sustained quarantine contingency. They imported most of the materials for the wind turbines. The OEM stockpiled batteries, solar panels, medicine, farm animals, plants—you name it, they thought of it.” Lucy smirked. “But as you all well know, and can see from my unfortunate outfit today, the one thing the OEM forgot was cotton plants.”

  The whole bus erupted in laughter.

  A slight boy with a long neck raise
d his hand. “Why are some of the windmills not running?”

  “Good question. Sometimes we have to shut down the turbines for maintenance,” Lucy replied.

  While Lucy droned on about hydroponic farming and the monstrous agriculture tents, Drayden digested the foreign scenery. The deserted Meadow was vast and eerie.

  The long-necked boy raised his hand again. “Can we see inside the tents?”

  “No,” Lucy said sharply, and the boy flinched. She blushed. “Sorry. We’re not allowed to show that.”

  While Drayden was no expert on human behavior, even he could see Lucy was a terrible poker player. There was definitely something inside the tents she didn’t want them to see.

  Lucy pointed to the left of the bus, changing the subject. “Now, way over there you can see a massive concrete structure. That’s where all of our clean water comes from, and our salt. The Hudson is actually a two-way river. Fresh water comes down from the mountains and saltwater flows in from the ocean. At this point here, the water is salty. We take it in and desalinate it, and put it through other processes to purify it enough to drink.”

  The cows appeared when they neared the northwest corner of Central Park. “These are some of New America’s most famous residents, providing your milk supply.” Two men in gray overalls and red shirts were sprawled out on benches near the barn, fast asleep.

  The long-necked boy raised his hand once again, easily winning the championship for most questions asked. “Who are those guys, and why are they asleep?”

  “Huh. They feed the cows. They clearly should not be sleeping. I’ll report it when I get back to work. Thanks for pointing that out!”

  Drayden wondered whether those men would get into trouble or worse, be exiled. Herein lay the precise problem with all Dorm jobs, and what Drayden feared about his own future. If he worked as a lab tech and would always be one, would he not fall asleep on the job a few times? Besides physically showing up at work to prevent exile, exerting real effort seemed pointless since working hard would never earn you more money or a promotion.

  He sometimes fantasized if he demonstrated exceptional ability as a lab tech, the Bureau would circumvent the rules and promote him to a full-fledged scientist. They could keep it secret and he’d remain in the Dorms. It was only a fantasy, because that would be unprecedented. If he entered the Initiation, he’d have a chance to become a real one.

  First he needed to find out everything he could about his mother’s exile from the Dorms, since he’d never be able to return. One stone remained unturned. Lily Haddad. Wes had said Mom was spending time with her, which was odd. Although they were both senior Dorm members, Drayden didn’t recall them ever socializing.

  The bus headed back down Fifth Avenue, the former Upper East Side. The solar farm on the building tops to the left glistened in the sun. When Lucy announced the end of the tour, the bus broke out in applause.

  This signified their final moment of school, the event they’d anticipated since they were five.

  Drayden’s thoughts circled right back to his mom. She’d been there watching when he left for his first day of school all those years ago. He never imagined she wouldn’t be there to witness his last.

  CHAPTER 7

  Drayden woke up early for a Saturday, threw on his beige tracksuit, and headed around the corner to wait outside Lily Haddad’s office, constantly scanning the area for Guardians.

  The one lingering outside the FDC didn’t look twice at Drayden.

  Lily’s office was in the same plaza as the FDC, two doors up on Second Avenue. The Bureau’s office was adjacent to Lily’s, in an antiquated movie theater. 2:00 p.m. today was the cutoff for entering the Initiation, Drayden noted from the marquee.

  He checked the doorknob to Lily’s office. Finding it locked and dark inside, he sat on the curb. Drayden was laser-focused on the Initiation now. There were so many reasons to enter, although he still wondered if it was a scam, despite Mr. Kale’s assurances. Nobody knew what happened to kids who entered since they were never seen again. Maybe they were all exiled. The risk of the Initiation was not only its content, but the true reason for its existence. It might be a test to determine one’s worthiness to move to the Palace as advertised, or it could be a forced exile in disguise. It didn’t only require bravery to pass; it required bravery to enter. Drayden was not brave.

  A line of people clutching cloth bags began to form at the FDC, which would open any minute.

  Lily’s unmistakable form walked down Second Avenue. Her long, curly hair blew in the breeze, as did her flowing green dress. A young Asian woman accompanying Lily spoke as they walked.

  Drayden sprung up and darted in her direction. He intended on catching her before she reached the office so she wouldn’t have any reason not to speak to him. He cut off her path to the door too abruptly.

  Startled, she stepped back.

  “Oh, sorry.” Drayden raised his hands. “I didn’t mean to scare you. Hello, Ms. Haddad. My name is Drayden Coulson. I believe you knew my mother Maya?”

  “Yes, of course. Hello, Drayden.” She turned to the other woman. “Celeste, please go on ahead and unlock the door. Be a sweetheart and stop by the FDC and pick up some tea, please? Thank you.”

  Celeste unlocked the door and slid by the line to enter the FDC.

  “I’m so terribly sorry about your mother, dear,” Lily said. “It’s a dreadful thing and unfortunately growing more common. How are you doing?” She tilted her head and touched his shoulder, her warm eyes showing genuine concern.

  “I’m hanging in there. Still in shock. That’s actually what I wanted to ask you about. Do you have any idea why she was exiled? I thought you might have some insight.”

  “Unfortunately, I don’t. Your mother was a saint, serving so many people in the community. We’re all just living our lives here in the Dorms, trying to survive. Unfortunately, the Bureau keeps sticking its nose where it doesn’t belong. Lately the Chancellors keep popping in and exiling people with no proof of wrongdoing.”

  Drayden lowered his eyes.

  “You were hoping for more?” Lily asked. “Dear, even if I knew more, or if the allegation were true, nothing can be done. I’ve started intense discussions with the Bureau to put a stop to the exiles. For now, that is the best we can do. And speak of the devil, there is Thomas right now. Thomas!” she called. “Drayden, I’m so very sorry about your mother. I must run now. You hang in there, and if you need anything else please stop by anytime.” She touched his shoulder again and walked past him.

  “But—”

  Lily hurried over to Thomas Cox, a tall, regal man, who was in charge of the Council on Dorm Relations. PreCon, he purportedly owned a computer company.

  Drayden clenched his jaw. He needed answers. Lily wasn’t telling him everything, he was sure of it. She’d done it pleasantly, but she’d brushed him off. He needed to stop being such a pushover. He wasn’t going to be denied this time. He decided to wait in her office. She had said to stop by anytime. When she entered, he would be waiting and demand the truth, refusing to leave until she told him everything. What was the worst that could happen?

  Drayden inched backward toward her door. He peered left and right, doing his best not to appear sketchy. When his hand touched the door behind him, he spun and opened it, bounded through, and eased it shut. He strolled straight past the unoccupied receptionist’s desk into a dark corridor.

  Though the building appeared quaint from outside, it stretched back quite far. He walked, reading the nameplates on the doors, until he saw it the plate reading Lily Haddad. He turned the knob and opened the door, revealing an expansive office.

  Paintings of landscapes adorned the freshly painted white walls. A bulky wooden desk sat in the back of the office, with two black leather chairs facing it.

  Drayden plopped into one of them and waited, studying each painting. After a
short time, the click-clack of footsteps echoed in the hallway, growing louder.

  Drayden rose, his nerves flaring. What should he say when she walked in and discovered him in her private office, uninvited? He should have planned a speech.

  Don’t panic. Think.

  Two voices spoke, Lily’s and a man’s.

  It must be Thomas Cox. What was Drayden thinking? This was a terrible idea. He made a dash for the door, but it was too late. They were almost in the room. Panicking, he ran around the desk and dove underneath it.

  Why the hell did I do that? Please don’t sit down at the desk.

  If she did, or even leaned down, she would bust him.

  The door opened and the footsteps entered the room. Someone walked around behind her desk.

  Drayden hugged his legs to his chest as tight as he could. On top of everything else, he hated cramped spaces. He’d accidentally locked himself in his bedroom closet as a child, and he’d been claustrophobic ever since.

  “That’s a load of crap, Thomas,” Lily said from behind her desk.

  “Watch it, Lily. I’m on your side here. You know that,” Cox said, anger in his voice. “I don’t know what’s happening. I told you: Only the guys at the very top do, and they’re keeping it hush hush.”

  Lily stepped around in front of her desk.

  Drayden exhaled slowly, closing his eyes.

  “People in the Dorms are angry. They’re even turning on me,” Lily said. “I gave a speech two days ago and I thought I was going be killed. You have to give me something. Don’t feed me this baloney about food-growth variability, blah blah blah. What about the power outages? Does the Bureau realize you can see the damn lights of the Palace from up here? Only the Dorms are dark, and everyone knows it.”