Markom

15: Onwards and Upwards | Perri

Atlas hadn't a comforting bone in her body, and yet, she had become Perri's confident. Of sorts. No one else could share Perri's concerns for Placement. Yet, despite her best efforts, Atlas's presence did nothing to soothe Perri's angst. Being surrounded by thousands of other Fives awaiting their Orientation didn't help either. 

"It's just a job..." Atlas let out, irritated as ever. She liked to be the center of attention and always seemed to lose steam when her comfort didn't lead to an outpouring of appreciation.

"It's not any job!" Perri hissed, lowering her voice. She didn't need any more rumors surrounding her perplexing assignment.

"I know, I know, Maid to the Lady..." Atlas mocked. Perri elbowed her in the soft spot of her stomach. Despite her annoyance, Perri didn't mind having Atlas close, she didn't mind the teasing either.

"I don't think I can do it. It must be a mistake. I'm better off raising babies or working the seasons in the fields..."

"Just because that's all the jobs you know of, doesn't mean they're meant for you."

"They were fine for my Pappa and Mamaa." Perri stumbled over her words, pushing away the memories of her parents. She didn't need another reason to break into tears.

"And somehow they left you severely undernourished and with an anxiety disorder."

Perri stomped on Atlas's foot.

"Ow!" She exclaimed. They were growing an audience now and Atlas beamed. 

"They did their best," Perri said, mostly to herself. "Life by the Edge was never easy." Her heart pulsed at the memories but rather than sadness, all she could feel was anger. Until she arrived at the Towers, Perri had no idea how rough she had had it growing up. One of the first things she did after arrival was write to Aanli that it would get better. No wonder Moniq never found the time to visit! 

"And now you have the chance to make a better life. You'd be a fool not to embrace it!"

"Not that I have a choice," Perri mumbled. This time Atlas was the one with the sharp elbow. 

"Ouch! That hurt." Perri caressed her ribcage.

"Sorry, I'm a sadist." Perri smirked. As the pain in her side ceased, Perri was reminded of her very own sadist. The One who had beat her to a pulp without a shred of remorse. She wondered if this was their sick game to bring them back together. If that was the case, Perri would be ready with more than a punch.

A very old man took center stage of the auditorium. He wore frayed slacks and a casual blue t-shirt. Upon his wrinkly face was a pair of tortoiseshell glasses. His eyes glinted with the knowledge of what had been, though completely devoid of any perception of what may be.

When he spoke, the entire room went still. 

"I am Ted, welcome to my pep talk," the man said with a small smile. His gravelly and quiet voice fit his demeanor. The Fives leaned in, drinking his every word. A projection appeared behind him.

"Why does your class exist?" He asked the room. Perri's heartbeat quickened. Fives weren't proficient in answering questions, a conclusion gathered from their inability to ask. But, assumptions could be broken.

"To serve," Atlas called out from their perch on the second-row balcony. The man looked up at them and Atlas feigned a little bow, happy to take on the attention of the room. Perri rolled her eyes.

"An obvious answer to a complicated question." The Scientist mused. "Anyone else?"

Before she could stop herself, Perri was calling out. "Because someone has to be at the bottom--" She said harshly, covering her mouth before she was finished. The room erupted in whispers and Perri winced, expecting a punishment that never followed. The man cleared his throat and the whispers ceased.

"Correct." He said in surprise, placing his hands behind his back as the images behind him erupted into snippets of vignettes that painted a picture of life in Markom: A cheerful man shoveling dirt in the fields, a woman in rags feeding a giggling baby, a group of smiling faces serving breakfast to young Fives in the Towers... The man spoke again. "You, my friends - are the slowest, the most unintelligible, and the least likely to ever succeed. But, you are also the most hardworking, the grittiest, and the most important residents of Markom. You are the backbone of society... and what is more - this particular group - has been deemed good enough to interface with our world's elites. You have roles that your peers would die for, kill for even. It is a privilege that you must not take for granted. If any of you are to make poor decisions that take advantage of your status - the consequences to you and your groupings will be severe and final. Am I understood?"

The room was silent. "Am I understood?" The man shouted, louder than anyone could imagine from his frail demeanor.

"Yes!" Was the unanimous response from the room.

"Good! Now onto the boring stuff. This morning you received your identification papers. Guard them with your lives." An image of an ID card on a black lanyard flashed on the screen.

"Each morning, depending on your assignments, you will report to the immigration headquarters to the East of the Towers. There, you will join the hoards of other Fours and Fives commuting to their Placements. As the most intelligible Fives, I need not remind you that you will need to leave ample time for crossing. Only after immigration, will you be admitted into the Upper Territory. Any Five who overstays their welcome will be collected. While the Iurers have no jurisdiction in the Upper Terrirories, they have full authority to carry out a punishment that fits the crime accordant to their own Proclamation." The images that flashed on the screen then featured a mother and her child being separated by the ring of Iurers, feet dragging through the mud, before being collected by a white van. Perri averted her eyes, her heart beating steadily. Perri had seen that van before. She was determined to never see it again.

"Ahem. That's my time. You know the rules... Oh, and have fun. Sorry, that's just from me."

The room buzzed as the man left the podium, filing out from their rows and exiting through a series of doors on the sides of the amphitheater.

"That was a snooze fest." Atlas muttered as they joined the crowds. The whole orientation felt like a waste, like it was more to stroke the ego of the Scientists than to provide them with anything helpful. Interesting. Perri supposed that they wanted to placate them with the knowledge that despite their low status, they were somehow better than the rest. Perri didn't buy it. It seemed like they provided a framework that was sure to lead to chaos.

Atlas grabbed her hand as they entered the crowd of peers marching towards Immigration. Perri looked back at the Scientist. She could have sworn that he winked at her as they exited the Hall. She felt her face grow hot.

Atlas tugged at her as they headed forward. With its huge entry chamber and helpful arrows, the Immigration building was easy enough to navigate. The grandeur of the building with its colorfully painted ceilings and marble columns felt out of place beside the meandering Fives. Perri couldn't help but gasp as she looked at the intricate tableaus above. They followed the masses into a snaking queue under a bronze number One. Perri's heartbeat quickened, until this moment, her assignment hadn't felt real.

"Go!" Atlas snickered as she pushed Perri forward. An Iurer beckoned her in front of his small booth, a dangerous smile on his grey features. She handed him her ID card and he scoffed at the tiny letters of instruction.

"I bet you think you're so special..." He cooed. She saw his jaw go tight and Perri recoiled. She hadn't seen an Iurer this close-up in the daylight before. Their fang-like teeth were as dangerous as ever. Perri could still feel the memory of the bruised and battered bones that one of his friends was responsible for. He held onto her papers for longer than he ought to, finally spitting on her card before handing it back.

She wiped the slick card onto her light blue uniform, hoping it wouldn't stain. Disgusting. Atlas grabbed her on the other side.

"Took you long enough!" She cried as they followed a snaking line into a large room full of Scientists. They inspected each Five as they entered. "Stand tall." Atlas hissed. Perri obeyed as she noticed that some of the more nervous Fives got called into interrogation rooms.

The whole setup was absurd. They had full authorization to travel for work, yet were being treated like garbage - as if completing their duty somehow made them dirty!

A small tram greeted them on the other side of the chamber and they took it onward and upwards towards their new lives.