Status: If you loved Hunger Games, Delirium, Unwind, Divergent or Uglies give this a read
The Athena Project
Chapter 1 Athena Day
Athena Day, 2019
"I celebrate all that I am. I vow to pursue learning, cultivate creativity and champion discovery. I must commit myself each day to self-reliance, for I am my greatest source of strength. Anything is attainable when I act in my own best interest." All our voices fill Athena square with promise as the founders take the podium.
"Today is a day to celebrate our achievements, individually and as a whole." Cynthia booms, her long arms outstretched to the crowd.
"Today is a day to remember all we have learned, created and discovered this past year." Vicky declares.
Tara pauses dramatically before shouting, "Today is our day!"
The entire square erupts in cheers and explodes with fireworks. The drums purr, guitars throb and the lead singer of our band belts out, "Dance for me if you dare, dance for me like you're on fire, Dance for me joyously, you are my deepest desire..." All around me dresses swirl, leafy gold headbands twinkle like stars, peaks of skin flash. I see one couple; her hand brushing her lover's long silky hair, her lover's hand gripping her elegant gold armband as their lips graze and their bodies grind. I turn to Midnight and wiggle my eyebrows at her, "Come here sexy." She fakes a sultry look and saunters closer, but bursts out laughing before she can say anything witty. We pull Infinity closer to the stage, throw our hands in the air and scream, "Dance for me like nothing else exists!"
2020
High pitched laughter bubbles past me with a swish of shiny hair as everyone hustles through Athena square. Anticipation jumps from one pink smile to another and adds sparkle to eyes peaking behind long lashes. Athena day is in just a few weeks. I glance up as I pass her statue. The sight never gets old. Marble fabric flows over her elegant body, embracing every curve. Her arms stretch up, body straining forward on her toes, fingertips just grazing the four symbols. Her face glows with determination and her eyes focus on the scroll for learning, the mirror for self-reliance, the magnifying glass for discovery and the palette for creativity. Each of us swipes her hand across Athena’s heel for wisdom as we hustle by, one of our few superstitions. The heel is really the only part of her even those of us in pumps can reach. The square base, etched on each side with the name of one of the three founders, comes up to my eyebrows.
I pass the arts building with its imperial pillars and nod to people streaming in and out. I know every one of them, old and young. Sometimes that feels cozy, like sleeping with the same blanket all through your childhood. Today it just feels tired.
I reach the bright blue tiled labs and scurry in. I’m the only 21 year old who comes here-most are 42, and the experts are nearly all 63. Midnight spends endless hours in the tech building or roaming with her camera, and Infinity chose to be a floater, studying in a variety of fields. Infinity thinks my obsession is a little weird. I’m sure a lot of people do.
I remember my first brain scan so vividly. I must have been about five. All my friends told me how scared they were when they were in the MRI machine-some even cried. But I wasn’t scared, just curious. As soon as it was finished I looked at the experts and asked earnestly, “Can I see it?” Everyone froze for a second, strange expressions on their faces, and then their faces broke into huge smiles. They were excited to show me my brain and explain in kiddy terms what the different colors meant. The pictures were so beautiful-brilliant colors highlighting my brain activity like spotlights. “It controls everything?” I asked in awe. I’ve been trying to figure out the brain ever since.
Lately I’ve been pouring over our files and files of brain scans-especially the maps of neural circuitry. Neural circuitry maps show all the connections between different parts of the brain: how many and how strong those connections are. Most maps are labeled with patient names-all people I know. If they’ve lived here in the past eighty years, I’ve seen their brain. But there are also other unnamed brain images on file, for comparison. These images perplex me. Whereas our brain maps have minor variations between them, the differences between our maps and the unnamed maps are significant. The anonymous maps show strong connections between the front and back regions of the brain-the areas responsible for perception and co-ordination. But all our maps-every single one- show weaker connections between these areas and stronger left/right connections, which are responsible for social skills and memory. Even our athletes do not show connections as strong front to back as the anonymous brains. How is that possible? And how do none of the other brain maps show strong left to right connections? How would these people even multitask? I wonder if perhaps these other samples are from some sort of ill group of people.
I suggest as much today to one of the experts.
Ebony looks at me long and hard, her face twitching as her expression changes to a look I can’t read. “I don’t know,” she finally admits.
That is the only time I’ve ever heard her, or any expert, utter those words. Rather than disturbing me it fills me with excitement.
The unknown is enticing.
"I celebrate all that I am. I vow to pursue learning, cultivate creativity and champion discovery. I must commit myself each day to self-reliance, for I am my greatest source of strength. Anything is attainable when I act in my own best interest." All our voices fill Athena square with promise as the founders take the podium.
"Today is a day to celebrate our achievements, individually and as a whole." Cynthia booms, her long arms outstretched to the crowd.
"Today is a day to remember all we have learned, created and discovered this past year." Vicky declares.
Tara pauses dramatically before shouting, "Today is our day!"
The entire square erupts in cheers and explodes with fireworks. The drums purr, guitars throb and the lead singer of our band belts out, "Dance for me if you dare, dance for me like you're on fire, Dance for me joyously, you are my deepest desire..." All around me dresses swirl, leafy gold headbands twinkle like stars, peaks of skin flash. I see one couple; her hand brushing her lover's long silky hair, her lover's hand gripping her elegant gold armband as their lips graze and their bodies grind. I turn to Midnight and wiggle my eyebrows at her, "Come here sexy." She fakes a sultry look and saunters closer, but bursts out laughing before she can say anything witty. We pull Infinity closer to the stage, throw our hands in the air and scream, "Dance for me like nothing else exists!"
2020
High pitched laughter bubbles past me with a swish of shiny hair as everyone hustles through Athena square. Anticipation jumps from one pink smile to another and adds sparkle to eyes peaking behind long lashes. Athena day is in just a few weeks. I glance up as I pass her statue. The sight never gets old. Marble fabric flows over her elegant body, embracing every curve. Her arms stretch up, body straining forward on her toes, fingertips just grazing the four symbols. Her face glows with determination and her eyes focus on the scroll for learning, the mirror for self-reliance, the magnifying glass for discovery and the palette for creativity. Each of us swipes her hand across Athena’s heel for wisdom as we hustle by, one of our few superstitions. The heel is really the only part of her even those of us in pumps can reach. The square base, etched on each side with the name of one of the three founders, comes up to my eyebrows.
I pass the arts building with its imperial pillars and nod to people streaming in and out. I know every one of them, old and young. Sometimes that feels cozy, like sleeping with the same blanket all through your childhood. Today it just feels tired.
I reach the bright blue tiled labs and scurry in. I’m the only 21 year old who comes here-most are 42, and the experts are nearly all 63. Midnight spends endless hours in the tech building or roaming with her camera, and Infinity chose to be a floater, studying in a variety of fields. Infinity thinks my obsession is a little weird. I’m sure a lot of people do.
I remember my first brain scan so vividly. I must have been about five. All my friends told me how scared they were when they were in the MRI machine-some even cried. But I wasn’t scared, just curious. As soon as it was finished I looked at the experts and asked earnestly, “Can I see it?” Everyone froze for a second, strange expressions on their faces, and then their faces broke into huge smiles. They were excited to show me my brain and explain in kiddy terms what the different colors meant. The pictures were so beautiful-brilliant colors highlighting my brain activity like spotlights. “It controls everything?” I asked in awe. I’ve been trying to figure out the brain ever since.
Lately I’ve been pouring over our files and files of brain scans-especially the maps of neural circuitry. Neural circuitry maps show all the connections between different parts of the brain: how many and how strong those connections are. Most maps are labeled with patient names-all people I know. If they’ve lived here in the past eighty years, I’ve seen their brain. But there are also other unnamed brain images on file, for comparison. These images perplex me. Whereas our brain maps have minor variations between them, the differences between our maps and the unnamed maps are significant. The anonymous maps show strong connections between the front and back regions of the brain-the areas responsible for perception and co-ordination. But all our maps-every single one- show weaker connections between these areas and stronger left/right connections, which are responsible for social skills and memory. Even our athletes do not show connections as strong front to back as the anonymous brains. How is that possible? And how do none of the other brain maps show strong left to right connections? How would these people even multitask? I wonder if perhaps these other samples are from some sort of ill group of people.
I suggest as much today to one of the experts.
Ebony looks at me long and hard, her face twitching as her expression changes to a look I can’t read. “I don’t know,” she finally admits.
That is the only time I’ve ever heard her, or any expert, utter those words. Rather than disturbing me it fills me with excitement.
The unknown is enticing.