The Canadian Empire

VI, Tragedy

Piling factors like its recent fertility crisis and extensive crop loss prompted Kidville to issue a month off for all PU kids. Nearly 50 guards were killed that day, and after finding Ayline's body in the grass, she was dismissed as just another 'case of suicide.'

***

The Party consulted with the High Council on how to present Ferris's death. With an official statement delayed for nearly two weeks now, there was no doubt conspirators paired with their dilemma could ignite a potential conflagration of problems, however, their caution was mandatory, for Ferris's death was far different from Ayline's suicide.

He had become the last person to grace Room 202's doors since Charlotte Blackheart a decade ago.

Alexander writes, quote, "Like an injury, points of penetration say a slip of character or sudden questioning of one's reality can mature into vice. To retain perfect order, this malignance must be tactfully extinguished, so - in the likeness of hazardous injury - immediate reform outweighs stupidity." Only ten rebels to over 250 people have been incarcerated since 1986, which is why the High Council treads carefully for if – at any point – someone discovered this, they would be swallowing a bullet, one that may fracture the foundation of Kidville's legislature.

***

A week after her comrades' sacrifice, Joanne biked home feeling strange, sad, and her rebellion fired up. Ayline's stake and Ferris's sentence represented the lengths they would go to sacrifice for the Rebellion. As the Rebellion's only remaining girl, Joanne had one question: how would she contribute?

The easiest thing to do was begin protesting. 16-years like her had begun peaceful protest due to food shortages during the PU's month-long shutdown. Another option was to commit a bold suicide, but rather than kill herself with nobody around, she could instead burn herself in the watching eyes of her government and its pawns.

Alas, pyrophobia prevented this. She required a better answer.

Joanne hit a flat only five minutes from home. Muttering a curse, she slid off her seat and then stopped. She'd just remembered something Thomas had said to her; it was their backup plan in case Ferris bailed.

"Rudolph was gonna send the bullet, then take me over so I could stage Ferris's role. So basically, I would be sentenced to Room 202, but unlike Ferris, I wouldn't get killed," were his words.

Joanne jumped for joy; she could be Thomas!

However, with Ferris being killed for his rebellion, she being sentenced for their shared belief all within the same timeframe could raise suspicion. And say a different Post Guard caught her instead of Rudolph; what stopped them from shooting her? This called for lovesickness.

This was easy. Almost every PU kid between 13 to 16 knew of her and Ferris's illicit romance. However, if she did not appear to whatever guard capturing her as a meek, limerence-driven Juliet, her time on Earth would end and the Rebellion might go on without her.

If this even was a rebellion. Dammit.

***

When the PU reopened, meetings became more infrequent, spaced sometimes two or even three weeks apart at a time. Despite this, Thomas's way of communicating Kidville lifted attendance numbers. After collecting some curious cats, their beliefs would be challenged by the freedom of a real childhood, their indoctrination, and the Rebellion. Icurisology was a parasite and they were the antidote.

Joanne met Thomas after another meeting.

"What's up?" he asked, beginning to pick at a certain part of his skin.

Joanne breathed, closed her eyes, then began explaining her Juliet role to him. While speaking, his eyes stayed on her. Though Ayline was gone, her contribution remained. Her suicide was a microcosm of their combined sacrifice for the Rebellion.

Once she finished, Thomas reached into his bag and handed her Kidville.

"Here. I know you've denied it already and may consider that again, but this book is the backbone for each meeting; in fact, I memorized entire sections of text for my script material, so I believe it'll serve you at least some good as we prep for the Rebellion. Got that, Joanne?"

"Yup," she nodded, then snatched the book out his hands. This was the only leisure read she'd ever held in her life and it evoked the same air as their meetings: recalcitrance and, weirdly, nutmeg.

"Why does it smell like nutmeg?" she asked Thomas, to which he responded, very naturally, "Think of authors as sort of like chefs, Joanne. To concoct a timeless recipe – or, in their case, a good book concept – they need to use timeless kicks, the sort of "woe is me" and "thou art" phrases which we never have enough of. Enter nutmeg. Spices are like book genres! Timeless stories always suit timeless taste."

A vague, white form approached them, clapping. "Well said, Tom," they heard. This was Rudolph.

"Congrats for pulling a girl, dude!" he said, continuing clapping. "I can sniff out a desperate man's game from a mile away; Joanne, has he told you about spices and books or something?"

"Yeah, just now, actually." She pretended to laugh but deep down shivered. Joanne's throat constricted with the sudden appearance; was she just being used?

Rudolph smiled. "Alright, so you finally gave Barbie her Ken. Now what?" he rebuked, eyeing Thomas in a sort of transactional way.

"Well, Joanne... I suppose you already know what you want done. Explain away.." Thomas mumbled.

Joanne shook off these feelings and nodded. She turned to Rudolph, then said, "I want to play Juliet for Thomas. Get me in trouble so that I can haul some butt to Room 202. Thomas, you always talk about those–"

"—Articles of Knowledge, right? Good idea; what's your excuse? Hope it's clever, being Ferris was up only two weeks ago." Though unintentional, Rudolph's tone when mentioning Ferris was biting.

"I said, Juliet."

It took a minute.

"Romeo is Ferris... Gotcha."