Infinity Born UNEDITED

Valient Beginnings~Chapter 4

"Phlox!" Posee ran after Matty and I, tears in her eyes, "Phlox... I am scared! She is angry! Phlox please don't make me go in there again!"

My aunt stared at me through the clear glass surrounding her hospital room. Her pale white sheets glowing in the iridescent light.

Infinity Brooke hospital was much less inviting once you got inside. The doctors all wore cruel faces obviously engineered by the infinity designers.

Infinity designers engineer every human being on this planet. After birth they surgically remove all of your bones and replace them with ultra strong infinity bones, then at three they perform several tests to improve vision, organ performance, and physical skills, in other words they make us invincible, making us stronger, faster, smarter and more clever.

Infinity designers are also known to perform, perfection surgeries, in these surgeries they rub down the victims face and completely reorganize them. They give them sharper more chiseled cheekbones or rounder more soft noses, etc. etc. They often perform this surgery on doctors to give them a more "welcoming" look. But if you ask me, I think it makes them look more like they are wearing the face of some demon placed on this earth to kill all human existence.

Often the surgeries are optional. But in some situations they give you no choice, but to let them make your face into a mask of perfect "beauty." I would much rather keep my face and not be their definition of "beautiful."

"Phlox?" Matty looks at me with worry.

"Posee, we are going to go home okay?" Posee nods as I pick her up and walk towards the doorway. Matty follows putting his arm around my shoulder.

"I'm in if you are." He whispers these words just loud enough for me to hear.

Looks like it will be Valiant beginnings from here.

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The sunshine blurs everyone's view as they pile into the glass dome.

Sweaty acne faced teenagers give each other nervous glances as they eye the podiums on the stage at the head of the room. At each podium stands the leader of each house. 

The Bright, Sir I.R. Sullivan. The leader of The Bright for "I was to young to notice when he got voted in"  years. I always thought he looked like my father.

The Inquisitive, Mackelan "Mac n' Cheese" Moss, the rather plump leader of The Inquisitive since he was nineteen. That was nineteen years ago.

The Valiance, Miranda Risbin, Valiant leader for ten years. My mother. In disguise.

I wink at her as a voice booms in my cranium.

"Phlox Sixteen, Mathew Sixteen. Are you ready." Just as we nod a static sound quiets the room.

I tuck my locket into my shirt and grab Posee's hand.

"Good afternoon Infinity people! Today is the day our future teachers, soldiers, doctors, engineers, and more will choose their houses and begin their future. They will be brave, and kind. They are not only choosing their future, but our future. Now for the pledge. Thirteens please make your way to the stage." Our white haired elector, Arnold F. Victin, motions us onto the stage.

I move slowly Posee at my hip. She tucks her head into my shirt and closes her eyes breathing heavily.

When we reach the stage I set her on the floor next to me and let her curl up at my feet like a cat.

"I ask you to raise both your hands and make and infinity sign." All of us Sixteens make to "L" shapes with our index finger and thum, then place them together to make and infinity sign. "Move this sign to your heart and resit our pledge."

"I pledge to Infinity Borns. To our wonderful Elector who is there for us through sickness and in health. We shall live superior to those before us. I shall keep allegiance towards Infinity Borns everywhere. We pledge to be pure, pretty, prominent, and perfect. We are one. We are the Infinity Children." We say the pledge in sync as parents tear up reaching for handkerchiefs. 

"Now you students have come so far together. It is now time for you to break apart." Our Elector smiles, "Allan Sixteen." Allan a short boy with glasses walks towards the front of the room.

"Bright." He says quietly into the microphone.

 "Go figure." I mumble under my breath.

 One by one Sixteens choose their houses. They all hug when they are reunited once again with their gang behind a person at a podium.

"Mathew James Sixteen." Matty walks cautiously to the microphone.

"Valiant." He says clearly into the mic.

My mother nods as he stands behind her. 

Valiant, Bright, Inquisitive, Bright, Inquisitive, Valiant... And on and on and on.

"Phlox Sixteen." I lift Posee of my foot and grab her hand.

"Valiant." I say into the microphone trying to ignore the millions of beety little eyes staring deep into my soul.

I walk towards my mother who stands confidently behind her podium. Mathew pulls me in for a hug but I resist. He looks concerned but brushes it off.

Posee pulls at Matty's shirt, so he picks her up and she falls asleep on his shoulder.

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Once the ceremony is over we head to registration. There they perform physicals and give you your ne ID numbers, etc. etc. etc.

"Name?" The robot in front of me asks.

"Phlox Sixteen." Posee is with Mother getting settled back at the Valiant Base. She will be living with Mother until I am officially a Valiant.

"Here is your new Halo-pod. Your ear piece. Your hover-board. And your clothing bag. Have a nice day." I grab a cart and shove all of my things onto it. It hovers calmly as the doctor performs my physical.

"Say Ah." His mustache tickles at my tongue while he shines his flashlight up my throat.

"Ah." I reply.

He draws blood. Gives me vaccines. And sends me off.

I hop onto the bus saving a seat for Matty. He shows up only moments later with his stuff also loaded onto a hover-cart. The hover-cart automatically rises to the cieling and locks itself into place above our heads.

"You ready?" he asks.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Just as I say these words the engine starts and so does the bus.