“We all know what happened next.”
Another flick. The next paper, early 2033. Mysterious Disease Decimating Europe, Asia And North America. Six months after that, New York Times Final Edition - Stay Safe, Good Luck.
Another flick, mass graves, carts of emaciated, hollow-eyed bodies. Then war and famine… Back to the Armstrong I.
Things went better after that until I looked up. Everyone was quiet, listening for once. Crap. Why’d I look? It was going so well... Deep breath.
“Thanks to the stability of the GDR and economic growth the last few decades, we’re nearing a point where humanity might once again consider the stars. Well, not animotes...” I added before anyone laughed. “But for cynetics, emulates and maybe even enhancers. And I for one, hope to one day see the stars, to live in a place where we’re equal and free. Maybe space is that place. Umm, the end...”
I turned to Professor Fitz, holding my breath. He was smiling to himself. “Let’s give Raek a hand, everyone. Good job, Raek. Thanks for sharing. And… oh, wait. We’re out of time. You’re dismissed. Remember, one of you will have to present tomorrow, so be prepared.” My band buzzed, time for Manufacturing.
Mrs. Olup’s class never held my attention, and before I knew it, my wrist buzzed. Time for lunch. As long as she didn’t check today’s biomarkers. Didn’t need the importance of good grades and a safe factory job speech again.
Mom didn’t have much schooling, times were even tougher and she’d needed to help put food on the table. Speaking of... Wow, was I hungry. On the way, I bumped into Toras. I hadn’t seen him since he bailed yesterday.
He elbowed me. “Man, tell me what happened? Everyone’s talking about it. That’s Toras for you—rabbitish in general—direct and to the point. Guess that’s the rabbit in him, like the big ears.
“They’re saying you saw the six-clawed beast,” he whispered. “They’re saying it’s a multi-species splice: a bear, a wolf and a tiger—a genetic freak.” He spoke faster and faster, brown eyes burning with a need to know.
The rumor mill was crazier than I’d thought. I tried to downplay it but he asked again.
I nodded.
He smacked the table and smiled. “I knew it!”
“Shhh! Don’t go telling everyone,” I said in a hushed voice as we sat at our usual table—the wooden clunker in the corner with our initials carved into the center. Mikey had chosen it years ago and we’d never deviated. “Mr. C and Mr. Ilt don’t want to cause a panic.”
Where were Mikey and Pavel? I scanned the cafeteria, if you could call it that, the makeshift thermal tarp covered area, the most the school could afford. Nothing.
“The usual?” I asked as he pulled out a small, recycled biobox, eager to change the topic.
He nodded and popped the top, dipping a cucumber into the guac.
Ugh. I’d go crazy with just veggies. Across from us, Elly was sitting with Vovi, as usual. Vovi’s little sister Merie walked toward them and I chuckled.
We were talking about the weekend when Pavel and Mikey appeared, the two, a funny pair, as always—Mikey’s long blond mane and solid physique next to tiny Pavel, whose big eyes never missed a thing.
“Is it true?” Mikey asked before he’d even sat. “Come on, Raek. Spill.”
“Sort of.” I told them everything. At the end, they were all riled.
“You guys hear the news?” Toras asked without warning. What news? My ears perked up. “Emulates gained the upper hand in the Lower Government. Polls are in, web’s saying they’ll outrank the cynetics sixty-to-forty next term. Dad was watching the WNN last night.”
Pavel’s round eyes narrowed to slits. “So what? Sure, things might change in the cities, new policies and all, but out here... You think they care? We can’t vote. Think anything will change?” He shook his head. “Besides, Board’s three-to-two for the emulates. That’s where the real power is. By the way, did you guys finish the Housing project? I needed help with—”
The alarm sounded.
3
A Pin Drop
Not another inspection. Ugh. I fought to stay straight-faced, doing my best not to look at Pavel as he winced, hand going to the scars snaking across his back.
The Education Department liked to show up unannounced and cause trouble. It was the government’s way of keeping animotes less advanced. They didn’t want us learning anything that could cause problems, only things core to the jobs they needed us to do.
So recent history wasn’t taught; no advanced math or science either. Sure, we studied the classics and knew the basics of the Bioplague and The Experiments, but most of that was from parents and rumors. Too controversial and radical, at least for animote students.
The air speaker blared, a voice exploding everywhere at once. “RETURN TO YOUR CLASSROOMS! WALK SINGLE FILE. NO TALKING, NO EATING, NO DRINKING. SIT DOWN, DO NOT SPEAK. READ UNTIL YOU RECEIVE ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS. TEACHERS, REPORT TO YOUR ASSIGNED EXAMINATION ROOMS FOR QUESTIONING!”
We rose without a word, hurrying, no one daring to be last. We’d seen what happened to Pavel a month ago.
Back in the cramped room, we sat with our heads down, books open, all fifty of us. You could have heard a pin drop; the silence was deafening. I’d started my manufacturing homework when the door opened. Next to me, a sharp intake of breath. That was Myrtha, the teacher’s pet—always on her best behavior, best grades in class. I couldn’t stand her.
“Attention, everyone.” Ms. Hetly stood, taut arms crossed her little body, a dull red sweater over her shoulder. She brushed a shaking hand through her auburn hair and tried to put on a smile. “We’ll be having a visitor today, so be on your best behavior.”
She swallowed, eyes flittering around the room. I didn’t know if anyone else noticed little things like that, but I always did.
A man stepped in. He was tall, tan and what Elly would call handsome. Slicked-back blond hair and a comic book square jaw spoke of engineered enhancer heritage and his shoulders said he could handle himself in a fight.
We locked eyes, and I felt something emanating from him. A cold indifference, maybe? No, that wasn’t it. He looked away and it hit me. Scorn.
He sauntered to Ms. Hetly’s desk and made himself comfortable, a smug superiority plastered across his perfect face. Jerk.
Keep your head down, Raek.
Ms. Hetly turned. “Open your books to page ninety-seven. I hope you all did your homework.”
Books clattered and pages flipped. Not a peep. I snuck a glance at the enhancer but couldn’t see what he was doing. He was typing away at a shimmering, 3D holographic display and looked bored.
Really? I felt a tinge of envy. If our school had more funding, we wouldn’t be stuck with these old-fashioned, out-of-date paper books for half our halfass classes. But who was I kidding?
Grandpa explained it once, “If animotes had access to the same information and tech and upgrades as elites, think we’d be happy as laborers and underlings? Course not, and we’d catch up. That’s dangerous for them elites. Information’s power, boy. Never forget that.”
I was just glad we could access the internet again. The sixties must have been horrible...