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  As I walked up the stairs, I passed many others headed off to their labs, each of them wearing long black coats like me. Most people in our building didn’t care to show off as much of our skin as those in the Academy. Our vines weren’t as numerous as theirs, really not much to show. The visible power expressed by vines wasn’t as important to those in the labs. Our power was in our brain. We were smart.

  Training of the new cadets had to be taking place. Rapid gunfire echoed in my ears, which was something only allowed within the Academy walls. Only those with written authorization had clearance to own a gun, unless used for practice within training sessions. Every firearm assigned only functioned with the correct corresponding DNA of its owner. This helped keep the possibility of thievery to a minimum. Of course, there’s always going to be someone selling them illegally to the Lowers.

  The smell of biochemical compounds began filling the staircase as my hands guided up the metal railing. Every floor had a door with a carded electronic entrance. I scanned my nametag hanging around my neck and the green light flashed, unlocking the hefty door.

  I didn’t know why the door had to be so heavy, I had a hard time pushing it open and flinched when it immediately slammed shut. The blonde-haired receptionist sat with her back perfectly straight and wore a solemn look as she nodded me past. I wondered when the day would come for her to acknowledge me with more than a nod. Maybe a wave or a hello of some sort? My rubber sole shoes squeaked against the hallway floors and I turned through the plastic curtains. Doctor Benton removed all but one of the doors on this floor, allowing him quick access in and out of each laboratory room. It was more efficient this way.

  My father works two stories above me, however I never saw him. His job began hours before mine and normally ended hours after mine too. His clearance level exceeded everyone on my floor, and it didn’t matter that I was his daughter, I was not allowed anywhere except for on the eighth floor. When I was first requested to work here, I signed a contract stating my knowledge and understanding that if I were to break any codes, it would be seen as a personal violation, possibly exiling me from this Land.

  “Believe me,” I told the lady and man duet, “I promise, I will not be doing anything I’m unauthorized for.” The last thing I’d ever want is to be sent out on a boat to the other Land. All the kids here learned early on about the other Land. The rumors were it became the home for all the settlers who contracted the plague when our Land was established. The sickness ran rampant, killing massive amounts of people. Rapidly, a vaccine was created to kill the disease. But instead of simply stopping the plague, it permanently restructured our genetic cell makeup, forming the never-ending veiny vines all over our skin. Sadly, the vaccine didn’t work on everyone. For those unfortunate people, they were forced to leave our Land and move to the other. To this day, the rumor is a variety of diseases has taken over that land and anyone who survived the plaque now lives permanently disfigured from a mesh pile of illnesses.

  President Falcon took over after his predecessor appointed him prior to dying of old age, and he is covered from head to toe with dark vines, the strongest of all of us. He probably has abilities we don’t even know about.

  Every once in a while, not often, someone is born without vines. If the lines don’t appear within days of their birth, then the parents are given a choice to either leave with them for the other Land or be executed. Not surprising, most choose the option of sailing to the other Land. But they know no matter what they choose, they’re choosing death. A large body of water, miles wide, is the only thing dividing our two islands. But it’s so far away we can’t even see it.

  President Falcon has expressed more than once his distaste over the decision these families are forced to make. “Nobody deserves this,” he said, “but the last thing this Land can handle is a mass outbreak again. We have no choice. We must uphold the rule.”

  All of us can feel his pain when the former choices have to be made. However, we’re all too aware of what another outbreak could mean. It could kill us all if it were to happen again. Twice a month, President Falcon assigns a few officers the dangerous task of delivering food and supplies to the other Land. I don’t think they actually stop on the Land itself, for fear they’ll catch a disease, but instead anchor far enough away, letting the tide bring the supplies the rest of the way in.

  Chills ran down my back and I shuddered at the mere thought of the other Land. The stench must be overwhelming from all the deceased and diseased.

  I began today in the lab like every other, pulling petri dishes ready for fluorescent examination and placing them in chronological order along Doctor Benton’s rollaway table. Each dish made of glass. If I were to break one by accident, the bacteria we’ve been growing for months would be destroyed. We’re trying to narrow down the search of a specific bacteria strain and in turn create viable medicine. Two years ago, a noticeable influx of sicknesses became apparent. Not many have died, but my fears are heightened nonetheless. It has taken months and months of research before finally narrowing the microorganisms down to the correct form.

  Doctor Benton pushed through the plastic curtain, translucent tablet in hand, as he walked over to the table I was categorizing. He tapped a few buttons on his screen and shut it off before placing it in the desk’s drawer.

  “How are we doing today Miss Penny? I trust everything is in precise sequence and you’ve followed all the safety regulations?”

  “Yes Doctor Benton,” I replied.

  When I first started working here, I found out very quickly never to use the term Mister instead of Doctor. Apparently, the former is a sign of disrespect and every doctor feels the same way.

  “They’re ready now.” I stacked the last dish onto the end of the never-ending rows and helped roll the table out the doorway and down the hall to the only room containing a door. Doctor Benton scanned his ID and instantly the door unlocked, a slight suction sound escaped, as it breathed from the secured fit.

  I became stiff and the cold air from inside the room flowed across my arms causing a shiver down my spine. Once inside, we walked around the table towards the glass box, hanging on the wall, encasing our safety specs—goggles. The goggles are sanitized overnight with an automatic spray and it was another protocol to wear them. The stiff air in the room wasn’t harmful to our lungs but it would cause irritation to our eyes without the goggles. I grabbed mine after the doctor grabbed his and proceeded back to the table. In unison, we rolled it to the contained area at the end of the room.

  The rest of the day, I helped him analyze and study every single dish—it took hours. We skipped lunch just so we could finish by late afternoon.

  “That’ll be all, Miss Penny. Thank you for your help. See you tomorrow, same time.” The doctor gestured away from him with his hands as he continued staring into the microscope. I replaced my goggles in the box and walked back out the door to get my things from the other room. Halfway down the hall, my ID badge beeped as a bright red color flashed in the top right corner.

  Anxiously, my fingertips held the tiny edge and a message scrolled across the screen:

  - LAND MEETING 18:00 HOURS - LAND MEETING 18:00 HOURS - LAND MEETING 18:00 H

  The meeting wasn’t what concerned me as did the red flash. Only three colors were used to inform the Land what type of meeting to expect, and red had never been needed—not in my lifetime. The red meant urgent, attendance mandatory. It even applied to the people residing in the outer areas within the perimeter, the Lowers. According to the law, if a person didn’t attend, individual punishment would be ordered.

  Chapter Two

  With my purse strap slung across my chest, the door to the eighth floor didn’t seem heavy anymore and I paused at the bottom of the winding staircase, wondering where the last few minutes had disappeared to. My mind coexisted with bombarding questions about tonight’s meeting, and the sun’s ray hit my eyes with a fierce, sudden blindness upon opening the last door. Immediately, my hands flung out to
block the light, letting my eyes readjust and I squinted across the courtyard.

  James was nowhere in sight, not unusual, but I knew his ID would be flashing, causing him the same curiosity. Four guards stood outside the Academy’s main entrance, arms by their sides with black, sleeveless shirts exposing all of their vines. They looked like quadruplets, matching haircuts and clothing attire.

  I looked down at my watch, large digital numbers flashed four o’clock; two hours left until the meeting. Trying to banish the rush of thoughts, I picked up my pace towards home. After rounding a few corners, the street became crowded with people tugging anxiously on the flashing cards hanging around their necks. The noise of everyone’s words clanging about, combined with the suffocating, sudden heat, created an overwhelming feeling in the pit of my stomach. Now, more than ever, I wanted to be in my room. I walked faster. Without warning, I was nearly trampled by a kid, freckles covering his nose and cheeks, running aimlessly across the street towards his friend jumping up and down on the other side. The same message scrolled across the tiny card clipped neatly to his collar as he passed me.

  The more I walked, the more people began filling the streets. A few older ones hugged one another and others sat in driveways drinking, mingling like nothing big was about to take place. And they might be right. Perhaps this meeting was just an important informational gathering—though I highly doubted it.

  Jessie’s house was only a few blocks away and I contemplated passing by to see if she was home yet, a second later, I decided against it. What can she tell me that I didn’t already know?

  Three homes left until I reached my street.

  As I turned the last corner, my chest sunk with relief. James was sitting on the porch. Seeing him washed away any anxieties I had for the moment.

  “Hey!” I hollered, running and wrapping my arms around his neck. The feeling of being tiny within his large, warm chest, was one I loved. He cupped my chin and followed it with a short, quick kiss.

  “So are you done for the day? Do you want to hang out…? Walk with me to the meeting tonight?” I asked.

  “I’d like to, but the officers only allowed an hour off and I stopped by your house on my way back. Evidently, extra guards are needed on the scene during the meeting.”

  As he spoke, I took a step back. “Why would they want extra guards?” There were plenty of guards, and President Falcon was capable of taking care of himself even without the extra security.

  James glanced down at his boot, spit shining a spot off with his hands. “I’m not exactly sure…probably just for appearances. They don’t want the crowd getting out of hand.” He stood back up once his boot reflected the sun correctly. “Superiors have been in and out of meetings all day, but they won’t give us any details.”

  “What could be so important?”

  “I don’t know. That’s what I’m going to find out. Just wanted to stop by and see you before I headed back. Love you.” He gave me another big kiss and I told him I’d see him later. Then he jogged down the street and disappeared around the corner.

  The rest of the evening I was alone in my room, and my parents never came home, probably somewhere eating before the big meeting or in a conference. I waited until my ID read 17:50 hours before I changed out of my comfy reading clothes into more appropriate apparel and then I headed out the door along with the rest of the crowd, walking in the same direction down the street. A light breeze began to pick up outside and I was glad I opted for longer sleeves.

  A pair of twins held their parents’ hands, swinging back and forth between them over the pavement. An elderly gentleman was pushed on wheels out to the side of the street where it was less crowded. Massive amounts of vines climbed the family next to me and in front of them were a group of kids with thin ones a lighter shade of black, greyish in color. So far I hadn’t seen any of the Lowers. The crowd became denser as each street came closer to the courtyard. By the time I rounded the last corner, every inch of space was taken up—shoulder to shoulder. Immediately, I started searching for anyone my age, but it was hard to see through the mass of people, and my height didn’t help any.

  I jumped up and down, scanning left to right as I peered across the sea of heads and finally spotted Jessie. Quickly, I made my way under and around elbows towards the direction that I saw her. The meeting hadn’t begun, and the noise from everyone talking was too loud to shout over. So I just kept searching until I finally saw her long, fiery red hair blazing from behind a group of young boys.

  “Jessie!” I yelled, grabbing her shoulder.

  She didn’t notice me at first and gazed straight ahead.

  “Jessie!” I tugged again, startling her.

  “Ah! Penny! I wondered where you were. Do you know what’s going on?” she asked, observing the front of the courtyard marked off. We stood near the front allowing us to see a long row of tables with doctors sitting behind them—my dad included.

  When I saw him, his eyes locked on mine. Then I mouthed, “W-H-E-R-E I-S M-O-M?”

  He turned his head and pointed down the long row of doctors to the end where a few people sat behind a marked-off area. She was in the middle of the group. I didn’t spot her at first because the person in front of her was substantially taller and thicker than she was.

  I tried waving, but it was no use. She couldn’t spot me through the enormous amount of people surrounding me, I was like an ant in a sea of larger ants.

  Just then, Jessie nudged me and pointed to her ID hanging around her neck. The red light stopped flashing. The time blinked 18:00.

  A line of guards walked out from around the stage behind the tables, each holding a large gun across their chest. Every one of them marched in unity, one after the other. I counted ten, then twenty, and then thirty. James was in the middle of the line. As the guards stopped, they turned forward facing us together and stomped their feet in place, making any type of access into the marked-off area impossible. I looked at James, but he didn’t look at me. He didn’t know where I was standing.

  Another group of ten guards walked out on stage, President Falcon in the center of the group. The crowd became instantly quite and Falcon started talking. His voice vibrated loudly through the speakers surrounding us from above.

  “Hello,” he nodded to the audience and lowered his hands in front, greeting the crowd. “I know you’re wondering why all of you are here tonight. You know this meeting wouldn’t have been called unless I felt it was truly necessary.” Everyone shook their head in support because we trusted President Falcon completely. He continued, “Something terrible had been brought to my attention. Over the past two years, there’s been a small increase in the number of deaths. Many by old age, but others due to a specific illness. This is of a major concern to me.” What he said wasn’t news to me, but some people may not have recognized the significance.

  “Because of this, I have ordered a full mandatory testing to be completed tonight.” As the words left his mouth, gasps soared across the mass of people. Testing. It was something only specific infants went through as a final examination, determining whether they inherited the genetic material preventing the plague. And even then, it was only performed on the infants that didn’t present a visible sign of vines. President Falcon raised his hands patiently, quieting the crowds’ questions, “I think we can all agree when I say… we need to find out what the exact illness is that has killed a few already. It’s only a small few, but we don’t want it to become worse. We gathered samples from their bodies and have narrowed down the virus at the forefront of the illness. This is for your protection. If your test results come back positive, you’ll be quarantined and given the vaccine created. Please do not worry,” he put his hands back down as the crowds’ whispers gradually subsided.

  Instantly, the rope dividing the crowd from the tables dropped to the ground, and each guard turned sideways, allowing a space to walk by them.

  “Please, in an orderly fashion, continue forward to a table for testing.” Pres
ident Falcon ended his speech, walked to the side of the stage, and sat in a chair, observing the disciplined mass.

  Slowly people made their way in between the guards. I walked over to James and gave him a quick glance as I passed. He looked at me, but didn’t say anything. The guards weren’t allowed to converse when they were on duty, unless directly to another guard or if they were restraining a person. A few broke the rules, but James took his job seriously and wanted to move up the ranks without any problems—a work ethic I suitably understood.

  Many people were ahead of me. I watched blood being drawn from their wrists and small pieces of flesh snipped from the sides of their torsos. Children screamed and cried during the painful process. Tears rolled down the moms’ faces in response to their child’s pain. Luckily, the doctors were precise, making the slice of flesh fast and as painless as possible.

  It was my turn next. I walked forward. My dad sat next to the doctor in front of me.

  “It’s okay, Doctor Sabin. I have it here,” my dad indicated to the doctor and waved for me to slide over.

  “Don’t make a fuss—it’s fine. I have her,” the doctor replied. “Trust me, I’ll be swift. Promise.”

  Before I responded, he grabbed my ID and scanned it into his translucent tablet. Once my name appeared on the screen, he grabbed my wrist and jabbed my vein, filling a tiny glass capsule with the midnight blood, then put it off to the side and asked me to lift my shirt as he took a slice of flesh. I jerked from the discomfort, put my shirt down, and waved to my dad, letting him know I’d see him at the house. I rather hang out with James or any of our other friends after all of this, but I knew James would be busy at the Academy and Jessie had a date.

  Large amounts of people still stood in line when I left the courtyard and I imagined it’d take hours for everyone to finish, and then days for all the results to run through the labs. Maybe I’d be allowed to help with the results? Probably too high of an expectation, but it wouldn’t hurt to let Doctor Benton know I was willing.