The System (The Bubo Series Book 1) Page 3

  I made my way to the end and then climbed the stairs to the next floor. As the lady promised, there was indeed double doors on my right. I took a deep breath and made my way in.

  Within them was a large lobby-like room, like she said there would be. Another desk was in the centre with another lady sat in the middle on it. To the sides of the room were cream snug looking sofas.

  The women looked similar to the last, except with brown hair and she was taller. Her uniform was identical. "Hello, I've been sent this way," I said as I approached her.

  "Your name please." She didn't even look up as she said it.

  "Daniel Clarance"

  "Thanks," She looked through her computer screen before finally looking up at me. "If you go through the door to your right, that's your dormitory and your bed is number seven. Someone will be along shortly once everyone has arrived with further instructions. Make yourself at home why you wait. You'll be there for a minimum of a month" she directed.

  "Okay thanks" I came to the double door and made my way in, looking for bed seven as I made my way through the room.

  There were about thirty beds in all within this dormitory. All identical beds, each with a small desk with a few draws and a small wardrobe beside it. I opened the wardrobe to see what we had been given. Within there were two sets of uniforms. Trousers, t-shirts and a sweatshirt. They were grey with a red stripe on each arm at the wrist and a red stripe around the chest. It was similar to the uniform the staff I'd seen here wear except the one that they wore was white and made as more of a suit style uniform with a proper shirt as oppose to a t-shirt, and they had a jacket instead of a sweatshirt.

  Our uniform was clearly designed for practical activities compared to their uniform, being made for office work.

  I looked around and saw the place was probably about half full of people. I wonder how many will be here. I heard it doesn't always fill up because it's the pick of the draw as to how many have turned seventeen or how many adults dropped to red. After taking in my surroundings, I decided to unpack my duffel bag whilst I waited for those ‘further instructions’.

  Registration was at eight and it's just about five minutes to that now, so I guess someone will be in here soon enough to get us organised.

  Suddenly, I heard the doors slam open as a tall athletic man stomped down the middle of the room. I was just chilling on the bed waiting when I looked up to see him.

  I quickly sat up ready and saw that he had grey hair, although he looked as if he was only in his mid-forties. His uniform was white and in an athletic style like ours, a t-shirt and a sweatshirt. The trousers were a chino type and the top was a polo shirt. Again, he had a red band around the sleeves and chest. "Everyone up and into the auditorium Please," he hastily grumbled, "and that's the other door in the lobby before anyone asks."

  We all quickly got up and followed him out of the room and into the auditorium. It was a grand looking room with about twenty rows of seats, all of which were red.

  Each row must have consisted of at least twenty-five seats across each and the walls like everything else were white, however, at the front, the stage was wooden. A brown contrast to the white. Unlike the rest of the building, the floor was carpet, the spongy texture bouncing softly beneath my feet as I walked towards to front. It may have been white carpet, but still, it was carpet. It was something I hadn’t seen since before the outbreak.

  You were lucky if you ever saw a carpet in this place. It was a luxury. The Medical and Science quadrant and Politics quadrant probably had carpet in their living quarters though, since they were considered luxury quadrants.

  The lights weren't the normal bright LED lights either, they were more traditional and of an older style like we had on the outside. Much more pleasing on the eyes really and less hospital and asylum like.

  We all took a seat in the centre front two rows. There was only about twenty of us now, and there was quite a mix of seventeen-year-olds and adults.

  I felt myself being surprised to see that many people have dropped to red. I suspected there would be one or two, but there must be about ten of them. That is a rough guess though as I haven't actually counted. I wonder what happened for them to get here?

  "Boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen, please give me your full attention for this introduction and welcome, to The System. There are some important pieces of information I need to go over, mostly regarding your bands which you will soon receive unless you already have one."

  I was caught short in my thoughts by his loud booming voice which was a complete change to his earlier grumble inside the dormitory.

  "My name is Mike and I'll be helping you through your introductory sessions and training which will take about two weeks. I am the leader here at The System, " he said. "Firstly, I'd like to welcome you to our glorious section of The System. We are here to sort through your minds, pick apart the brain-savvy ones to the more hands-on ones. There is no shame in where you are placed. I know those who may make it to Medical and Science will be working towards humanity's future, but all the other quadrants are working towards something just as important. Our society's survival and function.”. Mike looked over at us full of pride in what he was running here.

  “Without our society, there is nobody to save humanity. There is nobody to keep the Safe Zone running. Without the other quadrants, we all would not live. Please remember that."

  What a load of rubbish I found myself thinking. If the others were so important, they would be treated equally as important to the top quadrants, but they are not. This man has clearly never spent a day in the lower quadrants where they are made to work fourteen to fifteen-hour shifts at times. They live in little box rooms which are even worse if they are single, which they then have to live in communal bedrooms and share one bathroom between like, ten people, if not more.

  I am just guessing on what I have been told as I've been fortunate with my upbringing here. Dad said that was common though, especially down in Engineering quadrant.

  The food rations are pretty basic, and restrictions on them occur more often. Can you blame the people for losing motivation? This is why I don't believe in The System and the Politics it has created. They don’t help people and they just seek to make the too quadrants better.

  I will make it to Medical and Science. I need to find this cure or vaccination, just so all these other quadrants can have a choice to leave. If we're immune to the disease, what reason do we have to stay here? Do they even know whether we are? Who from the lower quadrants would want to stay here? I will make it. I have to. I need to.

  "So, let's get to it," he said enthusiastically. I had completely blanked out for a few seconds and missed the end of his, 'everything we do is for the best,' speech.

  "Those without bands will receive them straight after we're done here. You will simply stay seated and wait for your name to be called. You will then be directed to the door to my right. Is that understood? Yes, well very good."

  He didn't even give anyone the chance to object or ask a question.

  "I will now run through the basic timetable for the next two months possibly, for those selected to try out for further training and testing. If not, it will at least be a month. Let me expand on this. Basically, you have two weeks of training. This will prepare you for the tests. They will be a mixture of mental and physical ones as I’m sure you know. You'll get more information during the upcoming training.”

  “The tests will last for two weeks, they are extensive and challenging, designed to push you to the limit. After that, some of you will receive your work quadrants. Those who have tested positive for potential Medical and Science, Politics or Teaching will continue for another month. Again, it will be training and tests, this time, a lot harder and in far more detail. We want the best minds for these quadrants. They shape not only our society but also for humanity. All of you, just try your best and you’ll get placed in the quadrant in which you belong and can contribute the most towards. I don't want any fail
outs."

  "What happens if we fail out?" came a quiet voice from behind me. A small kid with black hair and glasses had his hand raised as he spoke. Everyone looked at him, and then towards Mike. Everyone was thinking the same thing, he was just the only one brave enough to come out and speak it.

  Mike had an intimidating voice and his demeanour wasn’t exactly welcoming.

  "Erm right, good question, one of which I cannot really... Erm… speak much about." He suddenly looked nervous.

  It was as if someone else was watching him, waiting for him to slip up. The colour drained from his face and you could see the sweat forming on his forehead.

  All his professionalism had suddenly been stripped of him. He looked almost vulnerable.

  "Let's just say some,” he paused to consider the correct words to use, “intervention occurs. To fail out means the mind isn't of a healthy state. We must fix that to be able to integrate you back into society." He sighed and glared at us all. "Just don't fail out. Got that everyone."

  There was something odd about his reply. Not so much the words as he barely gave us an answer, but by the way that he had spoken them. It was like he didn't even know for sure what happens to fail outs. Like what he said was a computer-generated answer. A robotically automated reply.

  It had me feeling nervous. The System was definitely hiding something, I could feel it in my gut, but I intend to pass this all the way to the top, then I'll find out the truth and save everyone.

  I'll be doing my part as it is my duty to do so. Just not in the way they necessarily want.

  Three.

  Mike finished his introductory speech and directed those who already had bands – namely the adults, back into the lobby to retrieve their timetables from the desk.

  The rest of the day was free time before our actual training starts tomorrow.

  Those of us without bands were still seated, waiting for our names to be called.

  How do the bands link to our brains? Does it hurt?

  Questions started to flood my brain in the silent moments which passed. How the bands worked was something I was not familiar with.

  Five minutes passed, though it felt like forever, when a lady, dressed the same as the other ladies which I had seen at the desks, appeared through the door. She was tall, thin, and had blonde hair hanging to her shoulders. She looked like one of those old-world Barbie dolls if I was going to stereotype her.

  "Alex Greendon" she paused.

  A quiet, shaky voice came from the left of me. "Here."

  Nobody wants to be the first one to walk into the unknown, and by the sounds of it, Alex sure as hell didn’t.

  "Follow me please."

  Alex slowly got up and nervously approached the lady. We all sat still. The silence throughout the room was almost deafening and the tense atmosphere was contagious. We were wondering what will happen through those doors.

  It was like the woman knew what we were all thinking as she opened her mouth to try and ease the tension throughout the room. "There's no need to be nervous everyone. The bands are just strapped on to your wrist and the sensor is attached to the back of your necks. It's all simple enough."

  Alex disappeared through the door. None of us did relax and the nerves never left.

  The process might be simple, but the bands would dictate the quality of our lives, for the rest of our lives. It was no small matter and it deserved for us to worry about it.

  Ten minutes had passed when the doors flew open once again. Out came Alex with his new band, shining green and he looked... Well, in one piece.

  I released a breath I hadn't even noticed I was holding. At least we weren't being tortured in there.

  Oh, come on Daniel, get a grip.

  Did I honestly think that they were going to torture us? They need us for heaven’s sake otherwise this place wouldn't run.

  "Elizabeth Cawley," was the next name to be called.

  A young girl with dark brown hair stood up, she was tall and quite stunning. She glanced back at us all before heading towards the door. She looked athletic and moved with confidence. I reckon she's aiming for the top like myself. It's just a feeling I get radiating off her.

  Her confidence, the glimmer in her eyes and the way she's holding that arrogant grin. She's my competition. She's in it to win it and I can't let that happen. Having people be better than you in here just makes you look average and I can’t have that. I need a spot in Medical and Science.

  I need to prove myself to be just as good as her, if not better. Of course, it might all be a lie and she might fail or might not even be as good as she thinks.

  Not as good as I think is more like it. One can only hope.

  I don't think that’s the case though.

  That grin, and that sparkle in her eyes. She wants people to know who she is, and that she is better than us all.

  People came and went. The number of people waiting gradually decreased. That’s when I finally heard it. "Daniel Clarance"

  I took a deep breath as I stood up and made my way towards the door.

  Relax, this will all be fine.

  The lady gave me a comforting smile, which failed to have the desired effect. "Hello there Daniel and welcome to The System. I'm Gwen and I'll be setting you up with your band today,"

  The smile never left her face as she continued, "It's a quick and simple procedure and I can assure you that nothing will hurt."

  "Okay," I replied bluntly.

  "I assume you know the purpose of the bands and how they work, yes?"

  I nodded though I don’t think it would have mattered whether I did or didn’t know about the bands. She was going to explain them anyway.

  "Just to confirm and remind you then, the bands pick up on behaviour, attitude, work ethic and health. A small device connects on to the back of your neck which picks up on the electric pulses produced by the brain and the spinal cord and nerve endings. If you're feeling unmotivated, the device, and thus the band, will pick up and reflect that. One bad day won't affect you too much but continuous emotions as such will affect the colour."

  Gwen’s smile never faltered, which was creeping me out a bit. How could someone be happy all the time? A quick glance at her wrist showed she was a solid green. Obviously, she was. You can tell she believes in The System wholeheartedly.

  "It's just to make sure we get the best out of every individual and that everyone does their part for society. It is important. Without you, there is no us."

  I just smiled, however, what I wanted to say was 'oh, dear God, do you hear yourself, women! What a load of rubbish!' though I'm pretty sure I'd fail out straight away if I opened my mouth to say that.

  I have to get my mind under control. Although the band can't pick up on specific thoughts, it can sense attitude and emotion and mine isn't always what they expect or what they want.

  "Now hold out your wrist, whichever one you prefer. Remember that once it's on, it's on to stay.”

  I did as I was told and offered up my right wrist since I was left-handed. The band was then clipped on. It was about one and a half inches wide and quite thin and It was currently displaying a blank screen. Although the band itself was light, I felt as if one-hundred bricks had suddenly been strapped to my arm.

  This band represented the rest of my life, and how well it turned out for me.

  "The band will automatically turn on once this device is attached to your neck."

  Her voice startled me for a moment and pulled my eyes away from the small blank screen.

  I looked up to see that she was holding out a small spider-like...thing. I wasn't too sure how it could be described really. It was just a thing with legs to my eyes.

  “Don't bother trying to remove it. The clasp is quite special indeed, and plus, it requires a special key to unlock it. If you tamper with it, it will automatically turn black. You will fail out. A beacon will pulse from it to indicate your whereabouts and you’ll be taken for, rehabilitation. There's no hiding if you fail ou
t. Now if you could lay face down on the bed over here I can install it."

  She rushed her explanation, and especially once she mentioned rehabilitation. I don’t think anyone actually knows what happened to fail-outs.

  I looked over at the small cushioned bed and then back at her gleaming grin. She nodded, and so I moved over to it and positioned myself with my face down through the hole provided, allowing her access to the back of my neck.

  "Now this shouldn't hurt, however, you'll feel a slight sensation as it engages. The small wires will slip in under your skin and engage with the relevant nerve endings. You may hear a slight buzzing from it whilst it engages. Rest assured, it's nothing to worry about. It can just be uncomfortable, to begin with. The wires are so fine you shouldn't feel them much though."

  I heard her moving some things around. I wasn't sure what, due to my face looking at the white tiled floor. My heart rate increased, and I felt a small sweat beginning to form on my forehead and palms.

  "I'm just about to make a small incision on the top of your neck near the base of your skull. You shouldn't feel it as the scalpel has a strong local anaesthetic on it." She was true to her word as I only felt a tickle.

  "Now the device is about to be attached. It automatically does that itself. A small rod will insert in the incision and that is the part which detects the brain as well as the spinal cord electrical pulses. It won't be touching anything it shouldn’t so there's no risk of any damage. Then the wires will engage with some nerves. Don't worry about it"

  It's hard not to worry when someone's sticking things into your skin which have the potential to dictate how you live for the rest of your life. Plus, the running commentary was really not necessary.

  I felt the rod be inserted, slithering under my skin, even though it was once again, only a tickle.

  I still felt it though.

  Then in a split second, a sharp buzz occurred as I felt the rod pulsate in my neck. It was indeed an uncomfortable experience. Then moments later I only felt a few more tickles of which I assumed were the wires engaging, then just as suddenly as it began, it stopped.