Wednesday morning brings with it more jitters as I know that this is the day when examination results are released. After the morning milking, I walk quickly to school. Lisa is waiting outside for me already.
“Well, by the end of today, we’ll know a lot more” she says
“Whatever happens, we’ll get through it.”
Miss Tinkler distributes the examination results in sealed envelopes. I stare at my name, written on mine in calligraphy. I carefully open it and shut my eyes for a few seconds before removing the cardboard square inside. To my astonishment, it doesn’t say ‘Teacher’. It doesn’t even say ‘Farmer’. Written on the card is “Results Withheld”.
I turn to Lisa and see that her eyes are full of tears. She hands me her card, which reads “Operative”. Her worst fear has been realised. I hand her my card and she shakes her head.
“What does this mean?”
“I’ve no idea.” I take the card back and walk up to the desk where Miss Tinkler is seated.
“Excuse me, Miss but my card says results withheld…” I can feel panic welling up in my throat.
“I can see that Aida” she says calmly as though she was expecting this all along. I will need you to remain after class to discuss the situation. I cannot say anything about it now. Please come back at 3:30pm to the principal’s office and you will talk about it in private.”
My fantasy is ruined. In fact, has been annihilated. Whatever this is, it cannot be good news. It is lunchtime, but the desire to eat has left me. I notice Titus, up at the teacher’s desk. He is showing his card to her and she is shaking her head. Around me, students are either hugging each other in delight, whilst others are holding back tears.
Lisa is distraught.
“I’m an op, Aida, I’m going to be an op and I’ll never see my family again.”
“We’re going to figure this out Lisa. I’m going to talk to Mr Gilmore this afternoon and we’ll sort it all out. “ I try to be convincing but my voice sounds weak and pathetic.
Soon it’s time for lunch. Lisa is so upset, she has gone to the school nurse, who has decided that she is too unwell to continue with classes for the day. As Lisa’s parents do not own a commuter, the nurse advises her to have a cup of tea and a lie down before walking home once she feels well enough. The nurse tells me to get back to my lunch, which I do.
I am sitting on a bench, glumly eating my tomato and cheese sandwich, when I see Titus come up to me.
“Undisclosed result.” he says abruptly.
“Is that a question?” I ask
He ignores my sarcasm. “I see. I am in the same position” he says as though it was perfectly natural, “Do you know what this means?”
I shrug “Nothing good, I imagine.”
He takes a quick look around, “I need to talk to you, in private. Follow me to the running track”
My heart skips a beat. Never before have I heard Titus speak more than a sentence to anyone. I follow him out of curiosity.
“Well…” I say, wearily once we’re in the middle of the running track.
“Do you know why you got an undisclosed result?” he asks, staring directly into my eyes.
“How would I know…”
“So you have no idea?”
He just doesn’t let up. I pick at my dress, “No….” I start to say, but then a flutter of nausea hits my stomach as I reconsider what I had written in my essay.
Titus catches the momentary hesitation in my gaze.
“I see” he says, as though he really does.
“A few years ago a friend of mine got an undisclosed result” he begins.
“What happened to him?”
“Well, he was given an essay question in his English paper. It was a single essay question, like ours. The question was ‘describe the future’ or something like that” Titus pauses.
“And?”
“ Well, he answered the question, only in code.”
“What sort of code? What, like Morse Code” I ask
“No, it was a double encrypted code using the index of ‘The principia alpha’ as a key. It took the top mathematicians in the New City three weeks to break the code and when they did, they weren’t pleased with the result.”
“Why, what did the essay say?”
“It denounced the New Order and the superiority of the Alphas. I believe it called the New City a ‘bedlam of fools and hypocrites who will not see the end coming for their heads are up each others’ arses.”
I stifle a giggle “So he got an undisclosed result and what happened next?”
“There was a meeting with one of the local authorities and then the guy disappeared.”
“How do you know?” I ask
“He was my brother.”
I am shocked “I didn’t know you had a brother?”
“He was five years older than me and this all happened while we were living in another village. After he disappeared, my parents relocated and I was moved to another school – one of several. “
“So do you know what happened to your brother, I mean, did you look for him?”
“All I know is that one night, after his aptitude test, he went out to a local grocery store to buy milk and he never came home. The whole town searched for him for many days. My father visited the police council every night, but they paid no attention and gave us no help. Eventually, though, my mother went to the police station for what must have been the hundredth time. She came across a visiting constable from one of the nearby larger towns. He told her that her son had committed treason and that he was in the custody of the New City. He also said that if she knew what was best for her family, then she would leave the matter alone, leave town and enrol her other children in a different school. Now, Aida, I have answered all of your questions and this time I have a question for you.” Very slowly, he says “What did you write in your essay?”
YOU ARE READING
One Hundred
Ficção CientíficaOne sun, two separate worlds. Aida is a sub, or a human who has not been genetically enhanced. She lives in the Old World with her grandfather on his dairy farm. Her fate would dictate that she should become a dairy farmer, her luck takes her elsewh...
