We had spent the rest of the day sitting around and doing much simpler jobs, which is highly unusual. The Masters and Mothers had been busy making transportation arrangements and deciding who would be stationed where. We were told that our job would mainly be to assist the older Zartan men who had already been drafted into the army, but lets face it; each and every one of us'll be dead in a few months.
I lie there, sound asleep. That's when the unusual dreams occur once more. I stand there in front of the lake I have used as my escape for the past few weeks, staring down at my reflection in the dirty water. My mouth doesn't move one bit, but my reflection's does. At first, I can't quite understand what it is telling me and I become a bit puzzled and paranoid by the strange sight. Finally, it's voice becomes a bit louder and I can hear it challenging me.
"Let's see if a few inexperienced former child slaves can handle destroying military bases hundreds of feet below the surface of freezing, rushing water... Let's see if they can shoot down packs of strong men and their wild dogs at midnight in the wilderness, and take on some of the most dangerous journeys to the unknown. Defending the people who have taken control over you for your entire life wouldn't be what you hoped for if their enemies are fighting to keep you out of taking your owners' abuse one more time." it says. I begin running off into the woods, faster and faster, then collapse. The dream ends.
As usual, I wake up to the loud bang caused by the collision of Mother Maria's two large frying pans. "'Yall better kiss this place goodbye 'cause yo not likely tuh ever see it again!" she exclaims. Master Jinez, Master Georges and Mother Kat stand next to her. I try to comprehend what she has said... I'm leaving this dungeon forever?
I decide that there is no time to think about my dream at this moment. The first thing I do is sit up and reach over to the foot of my bed. I decide that I wont be able to keep my journal or two pens because there is no where to put them, but I will be able to salvage my map of Kotek that I found my first year here. My bruised hands fold up the thick sheet of paper several times before shoving it in the back pocket of my pants.
"Alright, we're going to make this very simple." Master Janez begins over his microphone. "You're all going to enter the Lot for some... um... motivation." he says. I try to think of what that could possibly mean. The word motivation is nonexistent in my life. I'm used to being told what to do and then do it instantly, or else I get whipped. Living like this makes me hate my life.
But it makes me hate everyone else's more.
I climb down the ladder and decide that I'm going to head for Anne's bunk before I leaving the bunk room.
-.*.-
"You're all going to receive a... um... an injection. It was sent to us from the government." Mother Kat says from the leveled deck in the Lot. "Its probably poison." I say to myself. I guess I said it loud enough for Anne to hear because she looks at me wide-eyed in terror. Hey, I think. At least this time I didn't yell my complaint across Lot, Master Tevov. I think.
"I want everyone to line up at the station with your age on it." Mother Kat declares. "The younger you are the smaller the dose you'll need... you shouldn't... um... feel any different for a little while... It takes about four hours for the injection to take full effect." The young woman with short hair looks about the crowd and seems really uneasy.
Her words 'Line up at the station with your age on it' remind me. "Pst, Anne!" I whisper. "What?" she asks. "It's my birthd-"
"Alright! Get in line! The stations are off to your left." Mother Kat demands. She points to the stations. Anne and I begin walking over. We are already fairly close to the station labeled "14" on it, so we're only about twenty spaces back in line.
"Happy Birthday!" she exclaims when we make it in line. We both try to smile, but its sort of hard when you know you may be in danger. Who knows what they're injecting into us?
I go up to receive the mysterious liquid before Anne. The doctor grabs my arm and wipes it off with a damp towel. He then pulls out a needle and syringe from a large bucket on the table next to him. Its already filled according to a specific dose. He then injects it into my arm. Another doctor who has been standing at the other's side this entire time immediately reaches over and grabs my head, then tilts it up so that I'm looking at her straight in the eyes. "The hell do you wa-" I begin. "Shoot them down." she tells me. "Nolegians are your enemy. They are taking over your life and planning on ruining your future." I look at her. "What?" I ask. She finally lets go of me and tells me to enter air craft number seventeen. I look out into the field and look about the numerous air crafts sitting on the grass.
I make my way to the colossal flight unit labeled "17." At first, I begin to wonder how a poor country like this could possibly afford such an amazing piece of technology, but then realize "Priston" is labeled on the side. That isn't usual either, though. Priston is one of the other failing countries, so there's no way they could afford more than twenty air crafts that are this advanced. Probably theft. I think. If Priston didn't steal all of these, how else did they get them?
Then I begin thinking about what that doctor had told me: 'Nolegians are your enemy.' What could that mean?
Nolegia... that's the world capital city... before entering the field, I pull out the map from my back pocket.
There it is: Nolegia. The world capital city in the richest country, Joplin. Why would they be my enemy? What are they doing to Zarta?
"Mel!" Anne exclaims. She runs toward me from the station. "Are you going to number seventeen too?" she asks. I shove the map back in my pocket. "Uh, yeah." I respond. She stops once she reaches me. "Good." Anne says. "Don't listen to what that woman said." I already decided I wouldn't. "What's going on?" I ask. Anne looks at me in terror. "Mel," she begins. "Don't you get it? They're... brainwashing us." I stare at her in the eyes. "Brainwash?" I ask. Then I think hard. "Oh my God..." I begin.
"...Zarta's forcing us to hate their enemies because they know we're on their enemies side since they are fighting to free us from slavery."
