T R A P P E D

Chapter 2

The rest of the day runs as smoothly as it always does and I head to the gym straight after school is over.

My battered old trainers slap the rubber belt of the treadmill and I long desperately to feel the gently blowing breeze tangling in my knotted brown hair, but running in public is Forbidden now: it can cause avoidable injuries. Still, I enjoy my permitted exercise with gasps of breath in my heaving lungs and my mind slowing as I focus on steadying my pace. The machine beeps at me after a few more minutes as I have now reached my maximum time allowed on the treadmill.

I quickly head home to prevent being penalised for over-exertion which is bad for our health. I hop onto the next HoverBus which approaches the station just as I leave the gym. I sit down on the leather seat, grateful to rest my satisfyingly achy muscles. The gentle whirring of the HoverBus soothes me as it starts, lulling me into a soft sleep. An overwhelming urge to allow my weary eyelids to droop shut flows over me. But I can't be tired. Nobody is ever tired here: we get ample sleep, nutrients and exercise. Something is wrong, I must tell mother and father as soon as I get back home: I could be ill.

Mother, father and Matthew sit on the couch, chatting away when I arrive home. "Hello Violet, how was your day?" Just as I'm about to tell them that I feel tired, something stops me. This could be my fault. Did I work too hard at the gym today? Surely not. But whatever it is, I really don't want to be punished. "Yes it was good thank you, we had our Biology assessment." The lie burns deep in my throat, and a guilt consumes me whole as lying results in Isolation which I certainly don't want. I've never been punished and rely on my status being "obedient, studious and intelligent". Mother and father would be distraught if I ruined my reputation now. Especially as it would result in them being labelled as bad parents. "I know, the school's Bot has sent your results over just now. One hundred percent again, well done."
"Thank you father, how was work?"
"A busy day, actually..." he trails off, deep in thought, clearly not telling me something, but what could he be hiding? Is it as bad as my secret? Nobody used to keep secrets here.

At 17:00 our Nutri-shakes arrive and we all drink happily. "Matthew how was your gym session this morning?" I ask, still feeling bad that I thought he had overslept. "Yes it was good thanks."

The conversation is muted as we don't get much time alone together as a family so don't know what to talk about when we do. I'm just finishing up my blueberry flavoured Nutri-shake when there's an abrupt knock at our front door. Who could that be, I ponder as mother goes to open the door.

"Violet, a Bot has a message for you!"
"Oh, I'm coming!" I hurry to the door to receive my transmission. On the screen displays a small paragraph:

Hello Violet,
Following your yet again perfect assessment results in Biology, we believe to have found a career for you in the nutrition department. Please come to the Job Centre at 9:00 tomorrow. You will miss school.

I'll miss school? I've never missed a single lesson before! I hope the career I've been assigned is good- it must be considering how early they're planning it...

There are numerous jobs in the nutrition department: chefs, nutrient advisors, crop genetic research team (CGRT), delivery's and the ingredient collectors. I hope I'm not an ingredient collector as the rumours about that job are awful! Apparently they spend hours in farmland, picking fruits and vegetables for us- it's tedious work, hard labour. But if I have good Biology results it probably would mean I'd specialise either in the CGRT or as a nutrient advisor. Either job would surely be enjoyable as nobody seems to complain, not that they would dare to. My father works in the government, helping improve our society, it's an admirable job people aspire to. My mother is a Bot engineer, performing repairs on broken Bots. It's hard work fixing the Bots, but mother takes pride in her work along with everyone else here.