Finding The Courage

Part 56

We followed Matthew through several hallways each marked with a number and letter. The compound was filled with people all in green or blue uniforms, all who paused to stare at us. Everyone seemed to be carrying a glass device that I had seen Tris with previously.

"What are the numbers for? Just a way to label areas?" Tris asked.

"No, actually they used to be the gates for the airport. Each gate had a door and a walkway that led to an airplane with a specific destination. They were converted when the airport became the Bureau and all the chairs were ripped out and replaced with lab equipment. This area is basically a giant laboratory."

"What are you working on? I thought you were just observing the experiments?" Four said as we watched a woman rush from one side of the hallway to the other.

"Some of them are. Everything needs to be recorded and analyzed, that requires a lot of manpower. Some of them are working on a better way to treat the genetic damage, or developing serums of our own use. All you have to do really is come up with an idea, gather a team, and propose to the council that runs this place under David. As long as it's not too risky they usually approve it." Matthew explained as we kept moving.

"Yea, wouldn't want to take any risks." Tris said sarcastically and I snorted before I could stop myself. Matthew and Four both shot me a look and I shrugged with a small smile on my face. Tris rolled her eyes at the reaction from the men.

"They have to have a good reason of course. The experiments used to be under constant attack from inside. The memory serum really helped with that but, well no one is working on it, it's in the weapons lab." Matthew clarified.

"So we got the serums from the Bureau."

"Yes but Erudite kept working on them, we got some of our own serums from watching them work in the lab. The memory serum is the only one they didn't do much with since we created it to be a weapon."

"A weapon." Tris muttered.

"It arms cities against their own rebellions. It erases people's memories so there is no need to kill them. We can also use it against rebels in the fringe."

"Thats-" I started.

"Still kind of awful? You're right it is. But the higher ups see it as our life support." Matthew stopped in front of a door. "Here we are." He scanned a card to the left of the heavy doors we were standing in front of. And we walked down another hallway until we stopped in front of a door marked Gene Therapy Room 1. I peeked inside to see a girl with light brown skin replacing paper on the exam table. She was wearing a green jumper.

"This is Juanita the lab tech."

"Oh I know who they are." Tris and I stiffen at the mention of our whole lives having been on display until recently. "Matthew and his supervisor are the only ones who call me Juanita, just call me Nita." She turned to Matthew. "Do you need three tests?"

"Yes please." Nita opened cabinets across the room and we all shifted awkwardly as she pulled things out. Everything was in plastic and had a white lab.

"How do you guys like it here?"

"It's a-" I started but couldn't find the right word.

"An adjustment." Four saved me.

"I know what you mean. I came from a different experiment, the Indianapolis one that failed." Nita explained. Nita pulled a syringe and needle out of their plastic wrappings and Tris froze.

"What is that for?" I asked.

"It'll let us read your genes. Is she okay?" Matthew asked.

"Yea I'm fine, I just don't like being injected with strange substances."

"It just reads your genes nothing more. Nita can vouch for it." After watching Nita nod, Tris relaxed a little.

"Can I inject it myself?"

"Sure." Nita handed it over after filling it with whatever it was that they used.

"Basically, in the simplest terms I can put it, the fluid is packed with microcomputers that are designed to detect specific genetic markers. That information is the transmitter to the computer. It takes about an hour for me to get all the information I need." Matthew explained to us. Tris then plunged the needle into her arm. I watched the silverish liquid flood into Tris and Four at the same time and then Matthew injected me. His hand lingered a little too long on my arm. Four noticed once again and decided to force Matthew to redirect his attention.

"So these microcomputers, what are they looking for exactly?" He asked.

"They were designed to find the genetic tracker that was placed with the 'corrected' genes your ancestors had. One example would be awareness during simulations. That's why you all take the aptitude test at 16, it allows for us to see if you potentially have healed genes. The only problem is the tracker is that awareness or resistance doesn't necessarily mean a person is divergent. Some people are aware during simulations and still have damaged genes. That's why I'm interested in your genes, Tobias. I'm curious to see if you really are divergent." Matthew turned back to me. "All we can do now is sit and wait. Do any of you want something to eat?"

I shook my head along with the others as Matthew made his way out of the room. Tris sat down on the table. Tris engaged Nita in conversation about her experiment but I tuned them out in favor of a nap. An hour later my brain registered the sound of someone entering the room and I turned to find Matthew standing in the doorway. He sat down at the computer and made several noises as he read through the results. Finally he turned the screen to face us. He pointed out a bunch of different things to us, all of which went right over my head.

"This is a map of Tobias's genes. As you can see he had the right genetic components for simulation awareness but he doesn't have the same 'healed' genes Tris and Wren have."

"What does that mean?" Four asked.

"You have a genetic anomaly that allows you to appear divergent but you in fact are not." I could hear the gear turning in Four's head at this new information. He had spent years believing that he was divergent. I watched his face fall as he realized he was just as damaged as the rest of our friends. As I watched his face I missed Matthew leaving the room, instead I saw the anger spread across his features.

"It's not a big deal." Tris said, trying to comfort him.

"You don't get to tell me it's not a big deal!" He yelled back.

"Yes I do! You are still the same person you were five minutes ago and eighteen years ago. This doesn't change anything about you."

"So you're telling me this affects nothing? The truth affects nothing?" He shouted back.

"What truth? These people tell you there's something wrong with your genes and you believe it?"

"You saw it! It was right there."

"I see you." Tris said as she grabbed his arm. "I know who you are." She repeated the words I had said in the control room when he had been under the simulation and trying to kill me. I froze, anger bubbled in the pit of my stomach and I watched Nita's eyes darken too. I could feel a fire start in the pit of my stomach. How dare she. Four stormed out of the room and Nita took off after him. Tris looked at me with a helpless look in her eyes and for the first time since Four made his choice I turned my anger to her.

"You don't know him." I spit at her and left her alone in the exam room. I saw Nita in the hallway.

"Hey, no offense to your friend but if you want to know more go with Tobias tonight. Your friend is genetically pure and she wouldn't understand. You are too but I have a feeling you have a better idea of how he feels." I nodded my head and continued my way back to where we had come from. Zoe stopped me when she found me.

"Oh good, I was looking for you. Oh Tris! I just told the others I managed to schedule a plane ride for you all in about two hours. Are you both up for it?"

"Yep." we said at the same time.

"We're going to be meeting at B14 just follow the signs." Zoe took off.

I took off before Tris could say anything to me about my remark earlier. She was too caught up staring at the sky anyway.