Karma Police
Test.
Attempt to fight Beckett. We first stand there, watching each other, but Beckett makes the first move. He throws a punch, and I grab his arm. I try to swing it behind him, but he wraps an arm around my waist. I let go of his arm, and he holds my hands back. I jerk my head back in order to hit him, but he's much taller than I. Beckett dodges my head, and I kick him in the groin. He kneels on the ground, obviously in pain. The men laugh.
"This isn't over," Beckett manages to say, trying his best to stand up again. He puts up his arms. "No more cheap shots, Rory." I nod, putting my arms up.
I kick him again, but he grabs my leg and flips me onto the floor. He holds my arms back and sits on my legs. "You can give up whenever, Rory," Beckett said pleasantly. He didn't sound disappointed. Still the same cheery voice.
I struggle to no avail. Beckett finally gets up and walks away, thinking I have given up. Instead, I kick his lower back, which causes him to turn back around.
Too late.
I grab his arms and jab my knee into his lower back. He winces, but still stands his ground. He lifts his leg to kick me, but I trip him. I sit on his legs and hold back his arms.
The men laugh again, and Mrotek is counting down the seconds. After ten grueling seconds, I stand up and let go of Beckett's arms. He stands up too and laughs. "That was interesting," he says, throwing his shirt over his shoulder. "You pass, Rory." Beckett reaches for my hand. "We're done for today. Since I've already tested you on the manuals you've read, I believe you're ready."
We step out of the sparring room, and the six of us depart. I take a shower and change, immediately realizing that I had nothing to do. I see a note on my nightstand, and I read it:
Meet me in the library
Siska
I shrug and stroll down to the library, where Beckett and Siska are waiting for me. They grin and motion for me to sit down. "What's going on?" I ask, sitting down in a chair. They look at each other, and Beckett nods. Siska turns back to me and takes in a deep breath.
"We're going to defeat Big Brother once and for all. We have already formulated a plan, and we are executing it tomorrow. Chislett and Carden have it all taken care of." Siska frowns slightly upon seeing the children. They are going to take a swim, like they always do. "Beckett, do you have anything to add?"
"We leave early tomorrow morning. Set your alarm. And dress in black. Carden will be dying your hair today." Beckett smiles, reaching over the table and for my neck. The necklace. "I'm glad you're wearing this."
I look at his long, thin fingers. His pale skin. Beckett lets go of the silver heart and sits back down in his seat. "I think I'm going to search for Carden." I excuse myself, and Siska tells me to meet him in the exercise room three hours after lunch.
Laboratory. Carden and Chislett stand over a white table, looking at something, most likely another computer screen. They greet me monotonously as I walk in. Don't turn around. They murmur things to each other and jot down more notes, typing things into the computer. I turn around to leave, but Carden says my name. I turn back around.
"We need to dye your hair." Carden shakes a bottle with a thick ebony liquid. Chislett puts on latex gloves. He points to the faucet area. "Put your hair in the sink." My hair is now down to my shoulder. Carden hands Chislett the dye and goes to retrieve a shower cap. Chislett squirts the black substance into my roots, brushing my hair in order to spread the dye around. Once he finishes, Carden places all of my hair into the shower cap. We wait for several hours, going over the plan to make sure there were no faults.
Finally, Carden and Chislett tell me to take a shower and sleep early. I nod, striding out of the laboratory and into my own room. I take a shower and stare at myself in the mirror:
Pale skin. Blue eyes. Shoulder-length ebony hair. High cheek bones. Thin lips. Toned.
I step out of the bathroom after changing into my jeans and shirt. On the nightstand is another note. I open the note and read the contents:
Sleep well, Rory. We have a big day ahead of us. Be ready for anything.
Love, William.
I touch the necklace he had given me, the heart between my fingers. I trace the words, remembering what they say. I shake my head, realizing I have yet to meet Siska in the exercise room. He is waiting for me there, drinking water. "We aren't going to run. I just wanted to tell you something." He sighs. "This has to do with how dangerous this mission is. Beckett didn't emphasize the amount of danger there is to all of this scheming. Rory, if you want to, you could quit right now. We could torture you into submitting to Big Brother, and you can live." Siska looks at me, his eyes sad.
I shake my head. I would never want to live like that again.
He shrugs. "Rory, if we're caught, we will die. There's no doubt about that. We will be publicly executed in front of all of these people. The whole world will be watching on LCD projectors." Siska turns to me again. "It's your choice: Come with us and risk your life, or become number 30742106 again."
"...I'll take my chances," I tell Siska, exiting the room. I could never go back to believing the motto of Big Brother:
WAR IS PEACE. FREEDOM IS SLAVERY. IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.
"This isn't over," Beckett manages to say, trying his best to stand up again. He puts up his arms. "No more cheap shots, Rory." I nod, putting my arms up.
I kick him again, but he grabs my leg and flips me onto the floor. He holds my arms back and sits on my legs. "You can give up whenever, Rory," Beckett said pleasantly. He didn't sound disappointed. Still the same cheery voice.
I struggle to no avail. Beckett finally gets up and walks away, thinking I have given up. Instead, I kick his lower back, which causes him to turn back around.
Too late.
I grab his arms and jab my knee into his lower back. He winces, but still stands his ground. He lifts his leg to kick me, but I trip him. I sit on his legs and hold back his arms.
The men laugh again, and Mrotek is counting down the seconds. After ten grueling seconds, I stand up and let go of Beckett's arms. He stands up too and laughs. "That was interesting," he says, throwing his shirt over his shoulder. "You pass, Rory." Beckett reaches for my hand. "We're done for today. Since I've already tested you on the manuals you've read, I believe you're ready."
We step out of the sparring room, and the six of us depart. I take a shower and change, immediately realizing that I had nothing to do. I see a note on my nightstand, and I read it:
Meet me in the library
Siska
I shrug and stroll down to the library, where Beckett and Siska are waiting for me. They grin and motion for me to sit down. "What's going on?" I ask, sitting down in a chair. They look at each other, and Beckett nods. Siska turns back to me and takes in a deep breath.
"We're going to defeat Big Brother once and for all. We have already formulated a plan, and we are executing it tomorrow. Chislett and Carden have it all taken care of." Siska frowns slightly upon seeing the children. They are going to take a swim, like they always do. "Beckett, do you have anything to add?"
"We leave early tomorrow morning. Set your alarm. And dress in black. Carden will be dying your hair today." Beckett smiles, reaching over the table and for my neck. The necklace. "I'm glad you're wearing this."
I look at his long, thin fingers. His pale skin. Beckett lets go of the silver heart and sits back down in his seat. "I think I'm going to search for Carden." I excuse myself, and Siska tells me to meet him in the exercise room three hours after lunch.
Laboratory. Carden and Chislett stand over a white table, looking at something, most likely another computer screen. They greet me monotonously as I walk in. Don't turn around. They murmur things to each other and jot down more notes, typing things into the computer. I turn around to leave, but Carden says my name. I turn back around.
"We need to dye your hair." Carden shakes a bottle with a thick ebony liquid. Chislett puts on latex gloves. He points to the faucet area. "Put your hair in the sink." My hair is now down to my shoulder. Carden hands Chislett the dye and goes to retrieve a shower cap. Chislett squirts the black substance into my roots, brushing my hair in order to spread the dye around. Once he finishes, Carden places all of my hair into the shower cap. We wait for several hours, going over the plan to make sure there were no faults.
Finally, Carden and Chislett tell me to take a shower and sleep early. I nod, striding out of the laboratory and into my own room. I take a shower and stare at myself in the mirror:
Pale skin. Blue eyes. Shoulder-length ebony hair. High cheek bones. Thin lips. Toned.
I step out of the bathroom after changing into my jeans and shirt. On the nightstand is another note. I open the note and read the contents:
Sleep well, Rory. We have a big day ahead of us. Be ready for anything.
Love, William.
I touch the necklace he had given me, the heart between my fingers. I trace the words, remembering what they say. I shake my head, realizing I have yet to meet Siska in the exercise room. He is waiting for me there, drinking water. "We aren't going to run. I just wanted to tell you something." He sighs. "This has to do with how dangerous this mission is. Beckett didn't emphasize the amount of danger there is to all of this scheming. Rory, if you want to, you could quit right now. We could torture you into submitting to Big Brother, and you can live." Siska looks at me, his eyes sad.
I shake my head. I would never want to live like that again.
He shrugs. "Rory, if we're caught, we will die. There's no doubt about that. We will be publicly executed in front of all of these people. The whole world will be watching on LCD projectors." Siska turns to me again. "It's your choice: Come with us and risk your life, or become number 30742106 again."
"...I'll take my chances," I tell Siska, exiting the room. I could never go back to believing the motto of Big Brother:
WAR IS PEACE. FREEDOM IS SLAVERY. IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.
♠ ♠ ♠
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