Imperfect

Part 1: Testing Day

Two boys were in front of the Command Building. The first sat on the ground, talking. The second was standing, ignoring his friend, facing the sky. He was looking at the Command Building rooftop where, just above, he could see the water that the domes were submerged in, reminding him he was underwater, under the control of the Command. He shuddered, fear filling him as he mentally prepared for the Winnow Tests. He needed something to take his mind off of it. Noticing there was an accessible rooftop next to the Command Building, he smiled.

  "Darius?" the second boy said, cutting off his friend. "Let's climb the Command Building."

The first boy, Darius, laughed. "Yeah, sure. Let's climb the Command Building on the day of the Tests. Good one Kane."

Kane didn't laugh.

Darius got up. "You aren't kidding."

"Of course not." Kane said. "The Tests are stressful, and we could use a break."

Darius prepared to protest, but thought against it. "If androids catch us, I'll kill you."

Kane began running towards the building on his left. "They never catch me." he laughed.

Darius began running after him, laughing, then stopped in his tracks. "Wait. You've done this before?"

Kane's mind wandered to the many times he'd climbed buildings. "Of course not. This is my first time climbing the Command Building!" which wasn't really a lie. Not like the one he was living.

      Upon reaching the top, Kane collapsed happily, his near-black hair matted to his forehead in sweat. Darius, who was farther behind, was still trying to climb along the window ledge beneath the rooftop. Kane leant down and grabbed his hand, pulling him onto the rooftop.

"Why are we even up here Kane?" Darius asked, brown eyes wide. Kane felt a twinge of jealousy, but forced it down. It wasn't Darius' fault he was an Absolute.

"Because the view! Because the Tests! Because...why not?"

"Because we'll get caught?"

Kane laughed. "We won't get caught. And if we do, at least there's a great view!" Looking out over the city, Kane smiled. He could see the end of his dome, and the other domes attached to it, the shimmering water in the way distorting them. Looking up, the tiniest glint of natural light could be seen, covered by the glass that lit everything up.

Darius looked skeptical. "We're Absolutes. The Tests are simple. The only reason I don't want to get caught is because we'll have to work as punishment. As if we were Wretched." Darius wrinkled his nose in disgust, and Kane stiffened.

Kane's eyes itched, reminding him he was a fake. That the brown eyes everyone else saw were false. "You're right. Let's go back for the Tests." Kane said.

     They descended in silence, sinking into the crowd. As the doors opened, a magnified voice came out. "Absolutes between ages 5 and 14." The crowd walked in, as parents with small children walked out. Kane was swiftly led into a room by a large, and somewhat terrifying, Test Volunteer. The room was the size of a closet, with nothing but a needle on a tray, and a Netscreen on the wall. The Netscreen had three grey words. He knew which would light up, but the Tests were yearly anyway, just in case something popped up and they had to take someone away.

The man pricked Kane with the needle, fear filled him. The three words glared down at him. Absolute, brown hair and brown eyes; who he pretended to be. Imperfect, brown hair or brown eyes; who he was. Wretched, neither; who his sister was.

Imperfect lit up, but the man pressed the Netscreen a few times and it beamed Absolute.

"You're lucky your mom has deep pockets." said the man scornfully. "Or I'd send you where you belong." Kane left the room, and Darius went in. He left the building, headed home.