4:17pm, Thursday

TM: “I am sitting in this immaculate doctor’s office waiting for the end of my appointment, and it’s making my skin crawl.”

HU: “Why?”

“Tash?” A woman’s voice comes on over the room speaker making me jump. I quickly put my HOL away and push the intercom button just next to the chair armrest.

“Yeh?”

“You’re blood tests have come back clean. The EPC is completely out of your system. You are free to leave now.”

“Thank you.” I open my HOL again.

TM: “I hate the doctor. I hate the sharp glean of the needles when it catches the light; I hate getting poked and prodded like was a pincushion; I hate the harsh lights in the overly clean halls; I hate being looked at like I was some kind of exotic animal from the time of the ancients. By the end of the visit I always want to scream in their faces that I am Tash. I am a person, a human being. Why can’t doctors see that?”

I stared at myself in the mirror. Why can’t they see that? I gently pushed on the area where the face had been. True to Garett’s word, he had gotten her into a good EPC removal facility. There wasn’t a single trace that the EPC had ever been installed on her neck—no residual markings from the malfunction, no scars.

My HOL buzzed. Speak of the devil himself.

GK: “There will be a BubbleME waiting just around the corner when you’re done. So when you finish, come straight out. No messing about in there, got it? We need to discuss the party tonight, so come to my room as soon as you get back.”

I sighed. He didn’t even trust me to get my own transportation…why do you think I got this EPC without your help in the first place, you idiot? I wanted to see if I could do something, anything, without your help. Anything at all…but I guess not.

I gloomily turned from the mirror and picked up my bag. I hesitated by the door and cast one more look at the mirror.

“Now don’t forget: stand tall, be proud and look as condescending as possible and no one will look twice at you…”

I forced my head up high.

“…Be tiny and unauthoritative and everyone will notice that you don’t belong…”

I squared my shoulders.

“…Be Arina while you are in there, Tash…”

I pulled the door open and strode into the hall.

“…As much as you dislike her, be her and nothing will go wrong.”

I knew the theory behind why Garett had told me that. It just hurt that he felt like he had to tell me. To remind me—as if I didn’t know the danger of getting discovered. What a messed up society. I sighed again. As long as everyone here thought I was one of them, one of the Elite Bracket, I would be unnoticed. I would just be another Youngling in the doctor’s office for her monthly checkup. No one will question my about my motives. No one will accost me about bills or insurance or collateral for if my check didn’t go through. No one would notice me. But if I had entered a place like this as “Tash, Mistress of Hanra in training,” I would have been thrown out before I could even request treatment. Mistresses never go out in public, unless for work, because they are hated.

Hated yet desired. I couldn’t suppress my eyes from rolling at the irony. It’s funny how hate and desire often times go hand in hand. Society hates Mistresses, yet men need them. Men need them, so Mistresses are tolerated, as if ignoring them, segregating them, and treating them as subhuman would make them go away altogether. Like a bad dream…

“Don’t you dare ruin this opportunity. This is the only one you will get. Mess this up and even I won’t be able to help you, little cousin.” Garett’s words swirled around in my head.

“No ishnik.” I muttered over the lump in my throat as I moved quickly through the hall and across the reception room. Garett’s words still stung like a barbed nettle that just wouldn’t get out of my skin. A barbed, stinging nettle that leached doubt and the feeling of inadequacy into every corner of my being. I reached for the door, but it flew open before me…almost like I could control it with my mind. I looked up surprised and found myself staring into two strikingly blue eyes.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” The eyes belonged to a man who looked to be in his mid-40s. He was wearing a black suit that complimented his black hair and nicely trimmed beard. However, it also made his eyes stand out in a glaring way, making them the center of attention.

“No…no it’s alright.” I amended, trying to regain my composure. “I wasn’t really looking to see if there was someone on the other side of the door.”

The man smiled at me. “Please,” he moved aside to hold the door open for me and gestured that I should walk out first. I gave a tight smile and small nod in his direction out of polite gratitude, which oddly enough made the man chuckle.

“What?” I ask icily. I was not in the mocked again today.

The man had let go of the door, allowing it to swing silently shut before replying. “You’re not part of the upper brackets, are you?”

I froze, my mind whirling to come up with a retort. “I—”

“Don’t look at me like that. I mean no offense. It’s just that you are too nice to be in the upper brackets.”

“You can be nice and be in the upper brackets.” I said icily.

“Of course, of course. Thera Kushman is like that...” the man stroked his chin in thought. “Have you ever met her? She’s a lovely woman.”

“No. I haven’t had the chance to meet the President’s wife.”

“Ah, so I was right. You’re not from the upper brackets then.” The man’s face suddenly turned stone cold, like Garett’s did when he was extremely angry. A chill ran down my spine.

“What makes you think that?” I fought to keep my voice steady.

“Thera Kushman has made it a point to have every upper bracket family over for dinner at least once. If you were part of the upper bracket, you would have met her already, but you haven’t.”

“I was sick, alright. Get off my back already.”

“What’s your name?”

“Like I would tell you after you accused me like that?”

The man smiled and his face sank back into a congenial state. “Mine is Gary, Gary Hartfield of Gavi Quintar.” Gary did a little half bow, which allowed me to see a few white tendrils in his neatly combed hair.

The advisor to the General of Gavi Quntar. My breath caught in my throat. “D-does it look like I care?” I tried to do my best Arina impersonation.

“It does.”

Now in full Arina mode, I made the most rude hand gesture I had seen and stalked off. I made sure to hold her head high and walk with the same arrogance I had seen Arina do at lunch. As much as you hate her, be her. As much as you hate her, be her. As much as you hate her, be her. I repeated over and over in my mind until I turned the corner. Only then did I run the rest of the way to awaiting BubbleME Garett had programed to wait for me. I hastily punched in the coordinates for the Akademy before looking around to make sure I was still alone.

I was. But I wasn’t going to take any chances. I jammed my finger into button programed to make the clear bubble window frost over so that none could see inside and hunkered down to wait for the ride to be over.

This is so the worst day ever.

I glance out the window as the Bubble passes the office I had just left. Gary was still there, but he was talking with two men. One had dark hair, just as black as Gary’s own, and the other had dirty blond hair. Their backs were turned so that I couldn’t see their faces. However, just as the Bubble passed the men, Gary looked up and smiled.

I jerked my head down. He can’t see in. I reminded herself as the Bubble picked up speed. He doesn’t know that I’m in here…right?

4:37pm, Thursday

I ran to Garett’s room as soon as the BubbleME pulled up to the Akademy. I pushed the doorbell. But no answer. I pushed it again…and again…and again. But he didn’t answer. Seriously? You’re the one that said to come find you as soon as I got back… I gave an annoyed snort. I bet he’s probably in the recording hall. I turned on my heel and quickly walked to the elevator. He could have at least put a note on the door for me. I pushed the button for the Recording Hall floor.

12

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11

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C’mon! I pushed the button for the Recording Hall three more times as if it would make the machine go any faster. I didn’t of course, but I needed to do something. Anything to release the tension in my body that was threatening to boil over.

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10

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X-ing Akad Level 5.

A click reverberated through the elevator as it attached to the pulley system that would carry it sideways into the school portion of the Akademy. Each door we passed lead into a full building designated to the different sectors and subjects in which they specialize.

Bldg 1: Arts Sector

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Bldg 2: Tech Sector

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Annex to West Cafeteria

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Bldg 3: Agriculture and Environment Sector

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Bldg 4: Health Sector

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Annex to East Cafeteria

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Bldg 5: Government Sector

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Annex to South Cafeteria and Recording Hall

There was another groan from the elevator as it once again attached to another pulley system before moving upwards. Down would take me to the cafeteria.

The doors finally opened and I stepped out into the dimly lit Hall. For the past month, this place had been packed with students cramming for the Youngling Tournament. But now that the Tournament was over, it was like a ghost town. My shoes echoed eerily off the walls and archways as I passed from one end of the Hall to the other, checking every room.

Garett wasn’t in any of them.

Where did he go?

I stepped back into the elevator and pushed the Government Sector building. Sometimes he hangs out in the simulation halls to go over who knows what. The history classes used the uploaded three dimensional simulations to teach everything from ancient battles and wars to the agricultural or political or social ways of the ancients. But the Health Sector also used this floor to go over procedures and real-life situations, so Roshcar sometimes went with Garett to the simulations. “Guys time” is what they called it. The other Sectors didn’t have a need for them, so neither Kirosh nor Nathan nor Dryden really came here all that much.

The elevator slowed to a stop and the doors finally open to…

Two brown oval eyes swiveled to stare down at me, yet they didn’t seem to actually focus on me.

Arina… Why do I have to be so short! The stray thought bolted through my mind as I stand there frozen in the elevator.

Arina just looked at me, her eyes not moving from mine.

So creepy.

“Are you going to get out?” She finally broke the silence.

“I, uh…” I scuttled out, turning my body so that I fit past her without touching her. “I, um…” The words stuck in my throat when I saw Arina walk stiffly onto the elevator. Her back was soaked wet from sweat.

Garett like simulations…maybe…

“H-hey.” I blurted out just as the doors started to close. My hand darted before it and stopped the doors from closing. “Where is Garett?”

Arina doesn’t move. Her eyes just kept staring at me.

“Hey, I’m talking to you. At least have the courtesy to answer.” I snapped. I met her stare with my own. Something inside of me stirred and my ears felt like a thousand angry bees were buzzing inside of them.

“Oh, forgive me. I didn’t realize it was an honor to be spoken to.”

My pride flared and I straightened to my full height.

“Where. Is. Garett?”

“How should I know?”

“Cut the crap Arina, I know you like him.”

Arina raised an eyebrow at me, and for the slightest of seconds, I could have sworn I saw a smile twitch at her mouth. Or was it a smirk? “That would be you, Tash, not me.”

“You know my name?” I took a small step back before I could stop myself. “a-and of course I like him. He’s my cousin.”

“…Of course.”

I furrowed my eyebrows at Arina’s cryptic response. Was that an “of course” that she knows my name, or “of course” I like Garett…? “What are you doing here?” I try to change the subject as I stop the elevator doors from closing again. “School’s not in session anymore. Why are you in the simulation area?”

“It’s the middle of the day. There’s no rule that says I can’t be here.”

“No, but you need supervision to run a simulation.” I crossed my arms.

“Who said I didn’t have supervision?”

I opened and closed my mouth. If I left to go check the bird’s nest—a glass command center in the corner to the room that controlled the simulations—then Arina would leave. If I stayed, then I wouldn’t know if she were telling the truth or not. “…You made someone supervise you while everyone else is on vacation? How selfish are you.”

“Then why are you here?” Arina narrowed her eyes ever so slightly.

“I’m trying to find Garett.”

Arina only snorted.

“Do you know where he is?...You know where he is. Tell me where he is!” I demanded, stepping forward into the elevator to grab her arm.

“I have no idea where your cousin is.” Arina hissed, shoving me backwards out of the elevator. I fell, hitting my wrist hard on the cold floor. I cradled it, feeling it to see if anything had broken.

“Don’t think you can get away with everything Arina.” I glared up at her, cradling my wrist. All the pent up emotions from the entire day suddenly flowed into my head, clouding everything. “Someday you will get yourself into something that your precious daddy won’t be able to get you out of, and when that day comes, I. Will. Laugh. In. Your. Face.”

“Take a number.” She leered down at me just as the doors started to close for a third time. “Good luck finding Garett.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Hey, I’m talking to you. Stop the doors…What’s that supposed to mean? Do you know where he is? Is he in your room?—”

The doors closed. Arina answered me, but just waited with those dead looking eyes and emotionless face until the elevator moved. And she was gone.

I winced as I tried to rotate my wrist. Pursing my lips against the pain. Worst day ever, for sure. I stood up slowly and walked down the short hall into the reception area. There was a guard in the bird's nest, just as Arina had said. He was sleeping, but he was technically there. The doors to the twenty simulation rooms were all open. None were in use.

Garett’s not here either. I turned dejectedly back to the elevators. Just as I stepped onto one, my pocket suddenly buzzed. I jumped and quickly fished it out with my good hand.

HU: “Not all doctors are like that, and sometimes people other than doctors are like that. We are all human. Yet, sometimes, we view each other based on not who they are as a person, but what they are associated with. Which bracket they come from, who their friends are…even what Qui Duty they were born into…”

I shoved my HOL back into my pocket and pushed Bldg 4 to go get my hand checkout out. I didn’t want to read philosophy right now…Wait…!

I snatched my HOL and flicked to Garett’s contact icon. It was a lillyvera, of course. I tapped on the icon and the wings fluttered as a shrill ring sounded, but no answer. I tapped it again and the lillyvera took flight, fluttering around a three inch diameter as another shrill ring sounded. Finally the icon dissolved into a face.

“Garett—”

“What? What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“…No nothing—”

“How did the procedure go?”

“It went fine. I just need to talk to you.”

“We can talk when you get back.”

“I am back and I’m—”

“Ah, can we talk later then. I’m in the middle of some—”

“No we can’t talk later.” I snapped. “Did you know that the families in the upper brackets have each been individually invited to eat with the President’s wife?”

“…Yeh.”

“And you didn’t think to tell me?”

“No. It wasn’t important.”

“Wasn’t important? Garett, everything’s important!”

“Not at the Akademy”

“I wasn’t at the Akademy, Garett.”

“…what happened?” Garett narrowed his eyes

“Um…when I came out of the building, I ran into a man.”

“So?”

“He said his name was Gary Hartfield…and he knows I’m not from the upper brackets.”

Garett’s eyes narrowed. “Did he say that he knew, or was he just guessing?

“He asked if I knew Thera Kushman, and I said no. Then he said that because of that he knew that I wasn’t from the upper brackets.”

“What did you say?”

“I told him that I was sick and couldn’t make the dinner, and to get off my back about it.”

Garett cracked a smile for a brief moment before resuming his interrogation, “How do you know that he’s actually Gary Hartfield?”

“Because he said he was.”

“He might have been some guy just been messing with you.”

“I doubt that. You didn’t see his eyes. There wasn’t any messing about when he told me his name.”

Garett frowned. “Did you tell him your name?”

“No! I’m not stupid.”

“Well, if you hadn’t gotten a faulty EPC in the first place, we wouldn’t have even had to be here.”

“Oh, so it’s all my fault?”

“Yeh, kinda is…Is that it?”

I heard laughter in the background.

“…Where are you?” I narrow my eyes.

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Gar—”

“I need to go now. Make sure you show up at the party.”

“Wait, Gare—” But the signal had already cut off.