Meke turned and watched Doctor Ball as he sat at his table. His shoulders curved over his belly as he looked down at the desk. His eyes didn’t focus on anything in particular, making him seem very far away even though he only sat a few meters away from Meke.
Arya stood with two people—one man and one woman—all in black. Arya pointed at a large handheld as the other two nodded. They didn’t glance up from their handhelds, transfixed.
Meke wondered why they bothered having Doctor Ball there. Prosperon’s trials operated very differently. The accused, usually Equis and Zeroes, didn’t even appear for their trials. Prosperon would run their DNA samples and assess their genetic predisposition to criminal behavior. If the accused were in any way predisposed, she or he would be sent to a penitentiary, never to be seen again.
Meke didn’t have to testify for another few hours, but she wanted to see how this proceeded. Arya and Sterling made sure that she would get some real-time transcription of the trial.
A woman walked to the middle of the empty space and started speaking. Meke’s handheld flashed with the words of the speakers. “Citizens of Prosperon, we address you today to tell you about a great injustice that has occurred. Life has now become meaningless. Prosperon has started a program that massacred hundreds of innocents. We must rise up and cry out against this injustice.”
“We are all human. We all feel pain. We all live and die on this planet. We are all citizens. We all share the bond of humanity and emotions.”
“We’re not separate because of some arbitrary signs on our hands. We are all human.”
“Prosperon cannot and won't take these things away from us. Efficiency is dead. Efficiency is killing us. Efficiency means that we no longer stay human. We must take back what we’ve lost. We must remember those who have lost their lives in a misguided, misjudged quest for inhumanity. We are not machines. We are more than this.”
“We all live and breathe.”
The woman pointed a long finger at the stooped man. Meke felt the air in the room vibrate as everyone around her clapped and cheered. She clenched her teeth; the tumultuous movements reverberated through her brain. She closed her eyes, but it didn’t help.
“This man, this sorry excuse of a man, Aster Ball, threw away lives as if they amounted to nothing. We will show you how he used and abused human life to the point of criminality.”
“He forgot that we are all human. But we remember.”
The two continued railing against Prosperon’s infamy. They displayed photographs of the dead bodies. Meke’s throat tightened at the sight of these bodies again. She couldn’t excise the memory of their clammy skins. Meke frowned at the words in front of her. They looked all nice and fancy. Inspiring, even. Her own heart beat faster as she read the words. Some people may even cry out and join into the call for a more just, more equal society. Not enough people, Meke thought. Too many people saw only the Zero on the hands. Yesterday nobody cared about the Zeroes dying in the streets, why would they care today?
When the two sat down, Meke exhaled a long sigh of relief. The camerapeople walked over to Doctor Ball, who blinked slowly at them. Meke could feel him trembling. He exhaled in such a way that his body seemed to deflate into a withered version of its old self.
“I didn’t do this. I was just trying to do the right thing. I just—” he furrowed his brow. “I was trying to help people, improve them. Why wouldn’t anyone want that? It was for the greater good. Sometimes, you need to sacrifice for progress.”
The room stilled; the only thing that moved was the faintest breeze from people breathing. Then people started shaking their heads, almost in unison.
Doctor Ball hunched over, his head in his hands. As his body slackened, only the faint rise and fall of his back betrayed his still-living status. It was almost like the short burst of speech proved too much for him.
Meke held out her hands in front of her, staring at the empty Zeroes in front of her. This time, they looked like placid eyes looking aback at her, instead of an angry accusation. It felt odd, both believing and disbelieving in this cause. She wanted the world that her parents had dreamed of. A world of blank hands and choice. Still, she didn’t think this would lead them to that world.
Meke still winced as she got up and walked to the chair.
◆ ◆ ◆
The chair’s hardness pressed on Meke’s backside, making her want to fidget. The cameras focused on her, so Meke stayed still. She kept her eyes on a point above everyone’s heads. Her stomach seemed to move, first up and then down. Meke closed her eyes for a brief moment, trying to focus on the task at hand. It was more difficult than she had thought. The slight vibrations in the room felt bad enough, but the idea of a nation that she didn’t know watching her was the worst. The faceless people beyond the camera loomed unseen.
Meke opened her eyes and smiled. Maybe it was a charming smile, maybe not. Meke didn’t really care at this point. It took all of her strength not to fidget and frown.
Arya stood off the camera’s side, carefully out of view. The woman who had spoken these fiery words—a woman in her thirties with sharp cheekbones and chin-length black hair—stood only a few steps away. Her eyes looked at Meke expectantly, waiting for a signal of Meke’s readiness.
She wasn’t ready even though she knew what she needed to do. This was happening, whether she was ready or not. Meke nodded her readiness.
They had already gone over the logistics. The woman would ask the questions, and Arya would translate. The process would cycle backward—Meke would sign her answer and then Arya would translate for everyone.
“What’s your name?”
That was easy. Meke could do that. The subsequent questions proved almost as simple. The only sticking point was when Meke had to describe the experiments that she had endured. The side effects. The reason why she had willingly returned to Doctor Ball for treatment of an imaginary sickness.
“What kind of man is Doctor Ball?”
The question made Meke flinch. She still thought it was an unfair question. What did her opinion matter? It did matter. Despite everything, her testimony was her mark on the world. Training and exercising wouldn’t earn her respect. If she followed what everyone told her, they may look upon her with acceptance rather than suspicion. Maybe. Knowing what she had to do to earn everyone’s admiration and respect made her not want it anymore. She needed respect from someone far more important, herself.
“I think…” her hands paused mid-air, still unsure of their user’s intent, “the man is a coward.”
The woman’s forehead creased. This wasn’t in the script. Then she stood there, waiting for more damning words.
Sucking in air, Meke’s eyes traveled over the audience. Nobody noticed the friction, except for one pair of eyes. Trove’s eyes fixed upon hers. Instead of the fear that everyone else inspired, Trove’s gaze steeled Meke’s insides. She imagined herself outside under the trees, just talking to Trove.
“I think that he’s a coward because he didn’t look up and see what was happening. He’s not a bad man. He thought he was helping, but he was being used. The man who we should blame is Lucio Donner. Not only did he start this all, but he killed Equis, Squares, Fivers and even some Stars with his experiments. He won’t stop at Zeroes. He’ll kill anyone to get what he wants. Are you really prepared to have a man like that rule you?”
Meke realized that Arya’s lips had stopped moving. The small caramel-skinned woman stood, frozen, by the cameras. The black-haired woman looked toward Arya, waiting for her words. “Please, Arya,” Meke said, willing the woman to choose her, not the revolution.
Arya’s eyes shifted between Meke and Doctor Ball. She opened her mouth, closed it and shook her head. “I can’t. I’m sorry,” Arya signed and then looked away.
Arya had made her choice and Meke wasn’t it. Meke closed her eyes. It had all been for nothing. Her words meant nothing now that nobody could hear them.
People started to fidget, their eyes shi
fting between Meke and the black-haired woman. Meke pushed herself from the chair, ready to leave. She hovered halfway out of the chair as someone stood up in the audience. It took Meke a few moments to process what was happening. Everyone leaned back and looked up at Trove. He gave Meke a small smile as his lips started moving.
Meke only needed to see a few words to understand what he was doing. He said everything that she had said. Word for word.
Then he sat down, becoming one in a sea of faces. Meke remained half in and out of her chair, caught between the desire to run and hug Trove and the need to sit. For a few moments, nothing moved. Meke could only feel a few soft breaths spread in the air. Once Meke collapsed back into the chair, unable to keep hovering, everything happened at once.
The woman twirled around to Arya, who was pointing at the cameras. The cameras all turned away and the operators stood, confused, waiting for directions. The audience erupted into motion. Some stood. Others ran out of the room. Still others remained seated, shaking their heads. The air rippled with their movements, overwhelming Meke. She closed her eyes, knowing it would do nothing. The sensations washed over her.
She had done it. She had told everyone what she thought of this whole farce. The thrill of achievement dissipated in a second. All of the revolutionaries hated her now. She had gone off-script.
That one thing that she had wanted from the beginning. The simple little thing called respect now drifted far out of her grasp. She had known what she was doing, but it didn’t ease the hurt. Not at all. To some, despite everything, she remained a Zero. She would do her best to accept that.
Exhaustion filled her body. Even if she wanted to run, she couldn’t. She sat still as Arya approached. It was no surprise when Arya’s hand closed around her arm.
Now was the time for consequences. She didn’t need much encouragement to follow Arya. Running now would say that she felt ashamed. She didn’t. Sterling wouldn’t be happy. Meke accepted that fact. After all, she was a Zero saying that a Star had made a mistake.
Meke straightened, looking outward. Despite the circumstances, she smiled. In an odd way, she had filled that emptiness inside of her. She had become something.
She only regretted that she couldn’t see Trove. The pulsating crowd surrounded him so tightly that he couldn’t move. Despite everything, he had proven himself a friend. She could feel his silhouette, but it wasn’t quite the same.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
ARYA KEPT her grip firm as they walked to Sterling’s office. It was for naught. Meke didn’t have anywhere to run to. It wasn’t like she could open the door and saunter outside. Despite everything, this forsaken place felt like the closest thing to home that she had.
Meke had no idea what would happen. She had disobeyed Sterling. Not just that, but she may have ruined the entire exposé, ruined a chance for a riot. This realization finally settled upon her mind. In a belated response, her stomach pressed against her intestines, wanting to drop to the floor. Meke released a stuttering breath. Regardless of consequences, she would accept them.
She had done what she had done because she had to. Despite everything, despite Doctor Ball’s cowardice, despite his willful blindness, he was still not the evil one. Doctor Ball was just convenient. Hiding the truth of these bodies seemed wrong and misguided.
Meke could feel Sterling and several other bodies in the room. The only difference from before was that Sterling’s calm veneer had disappeared. He hunched forward, shaking his head as the other people shifted on their feet. The soldiers’ heads hung loosely.
Meke glanced at Arya, whose face betrayed nothing, making Meke more uneasy. Arya noticed Meke’s gaze and released her arm. Blood rushed to the sore spot where Arya had gripped too tightly.
“Sorry,” Arya said, looking at Meke’s arm. Her eyes shifted upward. “You know that Sterling isn’t happy with you, right?” Meke nodded.
“Why? How could you make me choose between—“
Arya broke off. “We’re doing the right thing here. You know that.”
“Maybe you have the right end in mind, but I didn’t think you were doing the right thing.”
“That’s not for you to decide.”
“It is, when it’s me doing these things.”
Arya flinched. “Meke, I—” her finger shook. “I couldn’t.”
“Yeah, I know,” Meke said. She knew exactly why Arya couldn’t have chosen her, even if Meke had wanted her to. Meke didn’t feel angry, just emptiness. Since they both understood each other now, there was nothing more to say. They both looked at the large gray door.
Meke focused on the moving bodies in the room. Now Sterling was sitting back in his chair, rubbing his forehead. The soldiers—Meke couldn’t tell who they were—still stood, looking down. With a jerk of his hand, Sterling waved them out. The soldiers, after a quick nod, turned and marched out of the door. Meke stepped aside to let them through, or they would have knocked her over. None of them looked her in the eye.
A twinge of regret wound through her. Meke hadn’t meant to get them into trouble. It was too late now. The only thing left for her to do was to walk in with her head up. So, Meke stiffened her spine. She didn’t wait for Arya’s signal before walking in. Sterling exhaled, his chest rising and falling in grand strokes. With an impatient wave, he motioned for Arya to close the door.
Sterling’s hands, large with long, delicately formed fingers, were splayed on his desk. His eyes remained fixed on Meke’s feet. His head jerked up. Meke had been too absorbed in Sterling’s reaction to notice the man knocking outside. Trove’s silhouette was unmistakable. As he filled the room, Meke couldn’t stop the relief from snaking its way through her. No matter what happened, at least he was there.
Sterling remained still for a few moments, watching both Trove and Meke. “What did you both think you were doing?”
Trove clasped his hands behind his back. “It wasn’t planned. She said something as a witness. She was there to say something, so I just…facilitated.”
Sterling leaned his head back. “Truly, Trove? You’re getting very close to the very thing you didn’t want to be.”
Trove flushed. “You never gave me orders,” he said after a pause.
“Are you a lawyer now? That’s splitting hairs if I’ve ever seen it.” Trove’s posture stiffened. “I’ll deal with you later, Mr. Anderson.” Sterling turned to face Meke. “Now it’s your turn to explain.”
Meke stared at her hands and exhaled softly. “What you were doing wasn’t working,” she said.
Sterling leaned forward, his nose almost past the edge of his desk. “Why would you think that?”
“You think that people care about equality right now. Maybe some of them do, but not enough. Maybe someday, but not today.” Meke jutted out her chin.
“So, you thought I was doing something wrong?”
Meke clenched her jaw to stop it from quivering. “Lucio Donner is the one behind all of this.”
“Undoubtedly.”
“You knew? So, why would you just blame Doctor Ball?”
Sterling straightened. “I know Lucio. I’ve known him since childhood. Accusing him would just make things worse. You’re also forgetting that he’s one of the most respected men in Prosperon, even though he’s the worst.” Sterling pressed his hand on the desk, as if he needed to brace himself. “In the end, maybe it doesn’t matter.”
Meke blinked in utter confusion. Sterling sighed, so long and deep that his body crumpled inward. “Your little speech started riots all across the nation. Stars, Fivers, Squares, even the Equis are banding together and marching the streets. They’re all angry that Mr. Donner here killed their precious Stars and Fivers.”
Meke took a few steps back and sat down so hard that the back almost tipped over. “Really?”
“Yes. So, things worked out well enough. Even some people high up are protesting. Riots will cost us some lives, but it’s the step in the right direction. We’re sending our people to try to coordinat
e this mess.”
A wheezy laugh escaped Meke’s chest. She pressed her lips together, but the small huffs of laughter pushed through. She, a Zero, had been right. That idea seemed too wondrous to be real. She had done it. She had made her parents’ dreams a reality, almost.
Sterling’s cold stare made her smile fade. “I just hope this ends at the right point,” he said. Stony-faced, he glanced at Arya and Trove. “If you two will please excuse us. I need to speak with her privately.”
Meke froze, the remnants of her smile gone.
Trove jolted upright. His mouth opened, all Meke could see was one word, “Wait—” before he closed it after Sterling raised his hand. “Out. Please.”
Trove stiffened, his shoulder straightening and his jaw muscles jumping. Slowly, almost painfully, he inclined his head before turning to the door. His eyes focused on some distant, unseen point for a moment as he walked past her. Before he got too far away, he stopped and laid a hand on her shoulder. A moment later, the hand and Trove were gone, along with Arya, who shot a worried glance behind her.
When the warmth from Trove’s touch faded, panic set in. What did Sterling want with her?
Sterling propped his elbows on the desk and interlaced his fingers. Nothing happened for long seconds as Sterling studied her. Meke folded her hands in her lap, willing herself to stay still.
Sterling sighed and unlaced his fingers. His mouth moved slowly and clearly. “Can you understand me?”
Meke nodded, hating that all she could do was nod.
“Okay. I needed to tell you this in private.” Sterling leaned back, weariness etching lines where there had been no lines before. “Maybe you were right about the whole thing. I suppose the results prove themselves.” He grimaced as he spoke the word right. Meke relaxed a bit. “But.” He gave her a hard look. “You disobeyed me in public. I’ve had my trust broken before, and it’s unpleasant.”
The lump in Meke’s throat was too painful for her to swallow. Was this what it came to? Pride? Meke wondered if this was a Star quality.
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