Utopia

Chapter Two

As I walk down the street to the market two years after the first announcement, people around me are still talking about it in voices as if it is a deadly secret.

I reached the market just in time before they closed even though I had walked for hours. With my legs burning from the exercise I went and bought the food that Poppy and I would need for the week with the little money I had from doing jobs here and there. Not much work was available during this time as many companies had gone broke from lack of business. This made finding work very difficult as I had little experience and was of a young age which was not everyone's first choice.

I had to do something though because Poppy needed someone to support her and since we were left on our own we had to be brave and fend for ourselves. I don't mind working hard as it gives me the pleasure of feeling like I have contributed something and that means so much to me as helping people is what I love.

I was walking on my way home when I saw an old woman begging in the dirt. She wore white clothes black with mud and blood, her skin was wrinkled to an extent that it look like scrunched up paper but even worse than the stench of death was the look of desperation of the woman's face. Even though this is the kind of thing that I see every day in the main part of my small town I still felt compassion towards this woman. She must have known this because she locked eyes with me liked she knew that if she filled her eyes with hopelessness so that I would give her the little I had. It is said that wisdom comes with age and this saying had never been truer because the woman had assumed right.

I conceded and gave the woman a piece of bread that Poppy and I could spare. I would even have gone without to help this woman. The look of thanks on her face would be worth a rumbling stomach for one night as it made me feel inspired to help more. She didn't even say anything, I don't think she could have but her smile and wet eyes said enough.

After I wished the woman well and told her it was going to be okay, I nearly ran into a war Officer as I wasn't watching where I was going. "I am so sorry Officer, please excuse me." I said as I desperately tried to defend myself as the look on the Officer's face could kill a man. When my heart was just about to explode out of my body because I was so frightened to receive a penalty for doing the wrong thing, I stepped back and was about to leave. The Officer's expression softened as my fear must have been deadly obvious. When he spoke his voice came out gentler than he appeared. "Please, no apology needed. Excuse me, but how old are you?" This question surprised me because if he wanted to press charges he could have just asked my name but instead he was inquiring about my age. I was very confused.

"My name is Adeline Parker, I was born in 1996 and I live with my younger sister in Town 214." I said as if I was reciting a famous poem, not that I had done so recently. Giving out personal information to an Officer was like breathing, very natural. Ever since the war started I had been told that there were Officers patrolling the streets and charging people for even the smallest things. It's the one thing that nobody wants to say out loud as it could end with you dead. The most controversial thought ever would be to say that the Officers are more violent than the rebels and terrorist fighting the war.

Everyone has become tense and scared ever since the last attack by the "enemies" which was over ten years ago. This has made everyone scared as you never know when they might hit again or what it could do to your family. The excuse that the Officers have for ruling our lives is that they are protecting us and keeping us safe but I know many are doubt of this. The reason for most people's unease towards the Officers is not just their lack of emotion or their bulk bodies, it is the brutal way of their punishment. I don't know of anyone personally who had been a victim of the Officers but even if they seem extreme I wouldn't put it past them to do what they say they will.

The Officer, who looked old enough to be my father, replied to me, "Do you mind if I scan your chip."

Everyone had a chip implanted into their neck when they were born and if you were lucky you never needed it to be scanned. A reason you may need your chip scanned in our society would only be to be identified, meaning that the Officer did not believe I was who I said I am.

I agreed and lifted my long, natural curls to expose my neck so he could scan it with his device. When I heard a few beeping noises from the machine, my nervous energy scale sored off the chart as I still had no idea why I was being tested and questioned.

Once the Officer was finished I let my hair fall back down, shaping my face. I looked towards the Officer who stared back at me with questioning eyes and my stomach drop as I knew I was in trouble.

"Why don't you have any numbers?" the Officer said as he got in a stance that looked like he was about to give chase and needed to move quickly. I had no idea as to why he did this since I had nothing hide. Even as I tell myself this over and over my head keeps thumping making me feel dizzy because I know that even if I haven't done anything I could still be in trouble.

Every chip has a number that shows all your details from birth to marriage records and overall health. They are updated regularly and made so they can't be changed. For most people their numbers don't mean much but to an Officer who notices something strange the numbers can tell them all they need to know.

"I am not sure Officer." I say as I fidget with my short bitten nails, a nervous habit I have when I am lying. Technically I don't know exactly what Vince did to my chip to make it show nothing, so it makes me feel slightly better about my little lie but I still felt horrible.

"I think you are lying to me and I am going to have to take you to the base to see what you are not telling me." As the Officer said this he took out his cuffs and spun me around so that my hands were behind my back. With my back to the Officer he cuffed my hands together and I felt as though I was going to throw up. What was going to happen to Poppy if I don't come home? I could handle whatever they gave me because in some ways I would deserve it for lying and messing with my chip but if something was to happen to Poppy as a result of my actions, I don't know what I would do. Even if they let me go home without charge, no one would want to hire me after my arrest as they would be frightened for their safety thinking that the Officers might investigate them as well. If I was not able to get work I would have to go on the streets or resort to stealing like most orphaned children who need money did. However unlike most of them I would not be able to bring myself to commit a crime willingly.

The Officer directs me towards his car which is a very alternate mode of transport in my town as the roads were destroy long ago and were never repaired. Even still the Officer drives his car very steadily and smooth but it still makes me feel sick as I have never felt this kind of motion before but I don't believe it is the car that is the primary reason. The car came to a stop at the base which is in one of the biggest buildings in the town, being double storey and stretched across the majority of the main street of Town 214.

As I walk up the old, crumbling stairs to get to the base I nearly trip as I wasn't paying attention to anything but my fate. The Officer doesn't flinch or offer to help me as I continue to struggle up the stairs but it doesn't offend me at all because I know that is how they are, they don't get involved, they just do their job. When I walk inside the base with the arresting Officer still hanging behind me, I was unsure where I was going so I looked back at the Officer and he pointed to direct me towards a small room which looked like an integration room. As I made my way towards the room I get the feeling everyone is watching me and as I looked around this was confirmed when I met many eyes staring at me. I don't think I ever really grasped how dangerous this could be until I saw the looks of pity and confusion in the other Officers' eyes.

AUTHORS NOTE: Hi everyone thank you so much for reading my book so far. I would appreciate if you vote and comment on this book as I would love to here what we think about it. This is the first book that I have written so I apologise if it not very good. Thanks heaps!