Karma Police
Gift.
WAR IS PEACE. FREEDOM IS SLAVERY. IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.
Carden motions to the grotesque pictures. "These gorgeous creatures are the results of the fatal or incredibly impressive super human DNA." Carden's computer switches to 3-D computer-generated photos of humans in competitions. Simulations. "The perfected DNA is supposed to contain blond hair, blue eyes, lanky bodies, perfect faces, photographic memory...all that good stuff." Carden turns back to me, and his computer screen morphs back into a screen saver.
We walk over to the scantily-clothed woman. "Even you, Rory, are not perfect. When you were jump roping, you became tired after what Mrotek assigned you." He taps the glass. Still, the woman is unresponsive. Carden sighs. "Naturally, we thought you were one of them. We were scared. But now, we're a little disappointed." He touches my hair. I stare at his hand as the strands fall back into place. "We will be dying your hair black, simply because you can't be noticed. Sorry Rory, but blonds are too noticeable."
I nod, wondering what I would look like: Imagine myself with shoulder length hair. Dark hair. Bright blue eyes.
"Anyway, I think it's time for you to hit the books again." Carden and I step out of the laboratory. We go back to the library, and it's empty. No children. No Chislett. No Beckett. The lights are off, but the light from the hallway shines in onto the bookshelves. Carden turns on a lamp on a large wooden table. "Here you go. Happy studying," he says, walking towards the exit.
I say goodbye and go back to finishing up the manuals. When dinner comes around, Beckett escorts me to the dining room. We eat in silence, and he escorts me back to the library. By midnight, Chislett comes by to tell me it's lights out. I trudge back to my room, take a shower, and sleep.
Next morning, I wake up and dress in shorts and a t-shirt. I go into the sparring room, where Mrotek is already waiting for me. I take off my shoes and start with jump roping. Again, I hit the punching mits and finally the bag. Mrotek yells at me to work harder, to punch faster. To push passed the pain.
Lifting weights. Mrotek tells me I must bench 90 to 100 pounds by the end of the week. If not, I must run three miles on the treadmill as punishment. Before noon, I take a quick shower and finish reading the last couple of pages in the third volume. Beckett and I eat lunch, and afterwards, he quizzes me in the library. I pass, remembering the tiny details Beckett asks about. More books are given to me, and Chislett pats me on the back. "Good luck," he says, leading all of the children elsewhere.
Carden teaches me about human anatomy. He shows me in great detail what I have or do not have, compared to them. "But I do need to run some tests, to see what they've done to you." He walks over to the white table and pulls out a drawer. A new syringe is inserted into my arm, and Carden draws blood. It's a bright red, and Carden raises his eyebrows. "That's different," he mutters, removing the needle and holding a cotton ball on the spot where the needle pierced my skin.
He squirts the contents into a vile and corks it. Carden swishes it around, watching the bright red stain the glass. I stare at it, bewildered. Blood.
My blood.
Carden ushers me off to dinner, where I meet Beckett and Siska this time. Beckett asks me a few questions about what Carden and I were doing in the lab. Siska tells me I have to run on the treadmill tonight for at least half an hour. He says I must run five miles in at most 50 to 55 minutes. If not, then I must do 100 push ups as punishment.
Once dinner is over, I finish reading a volume and start another manual. Once three hours pass since I had eaten, I go run on the treadmill. I run until I am out of breath, and I decide to take a shower. But when I arrive in my room, Beckett is sitting on my bed. He looks up at me.
"We have three and a half months for you to become one of us. If you don't finish your training in this time frame, we will torture you until you submit to Big Brother. You will never speak of this to anyone. And if you do, we will find you." Beckett does not smile like he usually does. I feel fear for the first time I'm here. "Rory, I have no doubt in my mind that three and a half months is enough time. In fact, I think it's more than you need." He stands up, handing something to me. It's wrapped in gray paper with a bright blue bow on it.
"What's this?" I ask, staring at the gift. "Does this have to do with tomorrow?"
Beckett laughs and shakes his head. "No, it doesn't. It's for you." He grins and is back to his normal self. The one I see most often. The cold-hearted leader is something I hate seeing in him. Something I could never get used to. "I really think you're going to like it."
We say goodnight to each other, and Beckett explains that after tomorrow's exercise routine with Mrotek, I will meet his apprentices. I had only seen one, and I didn't know his name. Maybe it was "munchkin", or that was just a pet name Beckett referred to him as.
I take a shower and dress in comfortable clothing. At night, it's freezing because of the lack of sunlight. Pollution has made our skies cloudy and red. Most nights, the moon does not exist.
I reach for Beckett's gift and carefully open the packaging. A thin box slips out, and I stare at it for a minute. It's gold and brown and expensive looking. I'm surprised it wasn't gray. I open the box and study the contents. I pull out a silver chain necklace with a heart in the middle. I read the inscription:
"To Rory: Love William"
Carden motions to the grotesque pictures. "These gorgeous creatures are the results of the fatal or incredibly impressive super human DNA." Carden's computer switches to 3-D computer-generated photos of humans in competitions. Simulations. "The perfected DNA is supposed to contain blond hair, blue eyes, lanky bodies, perfect faces, photographic memory...all that good stuff." Carden turns back to me, and his computer screen morphs back into a screen saver.
We walk over to the scantily-clothed woman. "Even you, Rory, are not perfect. When you were jump roping, you became tired after what Mrotek assigned you." He taps the glass. Still, the woman is unresponsive. Carden sighs. "Naturally, we thought you were one of them. We were scared. But now, we're a little disappointed." He touches my hair. I stare at his hand as the strands fall back into place. "We will be dying your hair black, simply because you can't be noticed. Sorry Rory, but blonds are too noticeable."
I nod, wondering what I would look like: Imagine myself with shoulder length hair. Dark hair. Bright blue eyes.
"Anyway, I think it's time for you to hit the books again." Carden and I step out of the laboratory. We go back to the library, and it's empty. No children. No Chislett. No Beckett. The lights are off, but the light from the hallway shines in onto the bookshelves. Carden turns on a lamp on a large wooden table. "Here you go. Happy studying," he says, walking towards the exit.
I say goodbye and go back to finishing up the manuals. When dinner comes around, Beckett escorts me to the dining room. We eat in silence, and he escorts me back to the library. By midnight, Chislett comes by to tell me it's lights out. I trudge back to my room, take a shower, and sleep.
Next morning, I wake up and dress in shorts and a t-shirt. I go into the sparring room, where Mrotek is already waiting for me. I take off my shoes and start with jump roping. Again, I hit the punching mits and finally the bag. Mrotek yells at me to work harder, to punch faster. To push passed the pain.
Lifting weights. Mrotek tells me I must bench 90 to 100 pounds by the end of the week. If not, I must run three miles on the treadmill as punishment. Before noon, I take a quick shower and finish reading the last couple of pages in the third volume. Beckett and I eat lunch, and afterwards, he quizzes me in the library. I pass, remembering the tiny details Beckett asks about. More books are given to me, and Chislett pats me on the back. "Good luck," he says, leading all of the children elsewhere.
Carden teaches me about human anatomy. He shows me in great detail what I have or do not have, compared to them. "But I do need to run some tests, to see what they've done to you." He walks over to the white table and pulls out a drawer. A new syringe is inserted into my arm, and Carden draws blood. It's a bright red, and Carden raises his eyebrows. "That's different," he mutters, removing the needle and holding a cotton ball on the spot where the needle pierced my skin.
He squirts the contents into a vile and corks it. Carden swishes it around, watching the bright red stain the glass. I stare at it, bewildered. Blood.
My blood.
Carden ushers me off to dinner, where I meet Beckett and Siska this time. Beckett asks me a few questions about what Carden and I were doing in the lab. Siska tells me I have to run on the treadmill tonight for at least half an hour. He says I must run five miles in at most 50 to 55 minutes. If not, then I must do 100 push ups as punishment.
Once dinner is over, I finish reading a volume and start another manual. Once three hours pass since I had eaten, I go run on the treadmill. I run until I am out of breath, and I decide to take a shower. But when I arrive in my room, Beckett is sitting on my bed. He looks up at me.
"We have three and a half months for you to become one of us. If you don't finish your training in this time frame, we will torture you until you submit to Big Brother. You will never speak of this to anyone. And if you do, we will find you." Beckett does not smile like he usually does. I feel fear for the first time I'm here. "Rory, I have no doubt in my mind that three and a half months is enough time. In fact, I think it's more than you need." He stands up, handing something to me. It's wrapped in gray paper with a bright blue bow on it.
"What's this?" I ask, staring at the gift. "Does this have to do with tomorrow?"
Beckett laughs and shakes his head. "No, it doesn't. It's for you." He grins and is back to his normal self. The one I see most often. The cold-hearted leader is something I hate seeing in him. Something I could never get used to. "I really think you're going to like it."
We say goodnight to each other, and Beckett explains that after tomorrow's exercise routine with Mrotek, I will meet his apprentices. I had only seen one, and I didn't know his name. Maybe it was "munchkin", or that was just a pet name Beckett referred to him as.
I take a shower and dress in comfortable clothing. At night, it's freezing because of the lack of sunlight. Pollution has made our skies cloudy and red. Most nights, the moon does not exist.
I reach for Beckett's gift and carefully open the packaging. A thin box slips out, and I stare at it for a minute. It's gold and brown and expensive looking. I'm surprised it wasn't gray. I open the box and study the contents. I pull out a silver chain necklace with a heart in the middle. I read the inscription:
"To Rory: Love William"
♠ ♠ ♠
Sappy, I know. Comments? Thank you for reading :)