Project Lightning, page 4
“I won't go,” I say quickly. I can’t go now. Not when I know that my parents died while they were in the program. My chest seizes and I remember the threat. Could I possibly be killed.
“No,” he says sharply, shaking his head back and forth. My eyes meet his quickly. The tension is thick and I feel it like a heavy quilt around me. “You must go, but just be careful.” The concern he feels for me is plain on his face. Tears shine in the corners of his crinkled eyes. “I know I don't say this enough, but I do love you Brinna.”
My body softens at the words. Tears prick in the corner of my eyes as I think of the love he has given me. He didn’t have to. But he did. “I love you too, Uncle Greg.” He pulls me in for a hug, his shoulders shaking. As much as I want to show my emotions, I can't. My mind is reeling. My father was a part of Project Lightning. He was killed. I’d always thought I was the only one mourning my parents. When in reality, Uncle Greg was mourning too.
“Promise me,” he whispers as he hugs me tighter. He is looking for reassurance.
“I promise,” I whisper into his shoulder. My head pounds as I think about what I must do. There is no turning back. Tomorrow morning, I will get up and begin my new life. I just hope I know what I have gotten myself into.
Chapter 5
Morning comes far too early as the sun's rays peak through the window. Reds and golds shine over the horizon. The old adage comes to mind: red sky in morning, sailors take warning. Fear invades my system. My pulse beats fast; my hands become clammy as I stare out the window at the dawn. Is this blood red dawn a warning of what’s to come?
The sound of reveille blares across the corners of Zeus. Reluctantly, I rise and dress. My black fatigues hug my figure. Lacing up my boots, I slowly stand. I take a glance around the only room I’ve ever known. Closing my eyes, I linger for a moment over the memories of the past. Maddy's first day at school. The first time she rode a bike. All the birthdays. I walk up to a picture of Maddy and I at her last birthday party. Smoothing my finger down the edge, I pray that the warning is not one of danger.
Gathering up my duffel bag, I walk downstairs. Aunt Myrna and Uncle Greg are standing in the kitchen. Both greet me with thin, painted on smiles. The same forced smile spreads on my face. Sitting down at the table, Aunt Myrna places a plate in front of me. I look down and see smiley face pancakes with strawberries and cream. I close my eyes, blinking in an attempt to keep the tears at bay. I can't afford to be weak today.
Maddy walks in solemnly, her bouncy spirit absent this morning as she sits in her usual seat beside mine. Aunt Myrna and Uncle Greg sit down and we all tuck into our meals in silence. I stuff the food down my throat, feeling the pancakes threatening to revolt. It feels like a last meal before the slaughter.
When we all are finished, Uncle Greg gathers up the dirty dishes and places them in the sink. He turns to me and says, “Your aunt and I are accompanying you to the bus this morning.”
I look up sharply. Their faces are tight but they are trying to appear happy. “Are you sure?” I can’t imagine this is easy for them. Not after what Uncle Greg told me last night.
“Of course,” he says with a smile. “We love you, Brinna.”
I smile as he gathers up his materials for work. I grab my things and wait at the door. Maddy walks up slowly. “So I guess this is where we say goodbye.”
Tears begin to spring into her eyes and I quickly wipe them away. “Today is not goodbye, sweet one.” I pull her in for a big hug. My heart aches. I feel like this is goodbye but I can’t let her know. “Today is only see you later.” She smiles and gives me a kiss on the cheek. Her smile is apprehensive, but she knows I’m telling the truth. I will see her again.
Uncle Greg pats me on the back sharply, “Ready to go kiddo? We have fifteen minutes to get to the bus terminal.”
I take one last look around trying to memorize everything so when things are really hard, I can take comfort in the memories. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, I meet Uncle Greg's eyes. “Yes. I'm ready.”
We walk out the door. As it closes, I realize I’m closing the door on a significant chapter of my life. I briefly pause, questioning my decision, but I can't risk my family. I take another breath of the acrid air and cough slightly. I definitely won’t miss the graying skies and destruction of the city. We walk a brisk pace toward the common. As we approach the bus terminal, I see several of my classmates burdened with their belongings. We nod in acknowledgement. I turn to meet Uncle Greg's eyes. They are shining with unshed tears. He won’t cry in front of me. He will hold it in, as our colony dictates, until tonight, when he’s alone. He pulls me in for a hug, patting me roughly on the back. “Do good, kiddo,” he whispers in my ear.
I pull away and nod. Turning to Aunt Myrna, a single tear escapes her eye and makes its way down her cheek. She swipes it away, frowning slightly. No doubt internally berating herself for her weakness. I embrace her, feeling her small arms encircle me and hold me tightly. “Be safe, Brinna. I love you.”
My heart breaks as I think of all the wasted moments. The moments where I felt there was no love from them. “I love you, too. Thank you for all you’ve done for me.” I say, looking up to keep my tears from falling. Weakness is not tolerated. I will not be weak. I pull back from her embrace and smile.
“We will see you on visiting day,” Uncle Greg says with a nod.
“I will look forward to that.” I grab my bag off the ground. Walking away from them was one of the hardest things I’d done thus far. It felt like I was losing my parents all over again.
The driver loaded my bag under the bus and I got on. Looking around, I saw eight of my classmates on board. Juliet was not there yet.
“Hey, St. Pope,.” I hear from the side of the bus.
I look over and see the blue eyed boy from yesterday. Was it really yesterday? It feels like it has been an eternity. “Hey, Sozanski.”
“You ready for this?” he asks as he plops down into a seat across from me. I am confused as to why he is talking to me. He was one of the popular kids. One of the untouchables.
“Yeah, I guess.” I say flatly. As I look outside the windows. “Have you seen Koller?”
“Koller?” he asks but it dawns on him. “Oh you mean the girl you were with yesterday?” I nod slightly. “Not yet.”
My hands tighten and my gut churns. What if she didn’t get permission? What if she doesn’t make it? I look over at Sozanski and I say as nonchalantly as possible. “Okay.” I say as I sit down. My legs bounce lightly as I look out the window. Looking at my watch, I see we have three minutes before the bus is scheduled to leave. Looking out the window again, I see a figure running toward the bus loaded down with bags. It’s Juliet. Nobody else is with her. I’m shocked to realize her parents didn't come.
With one minute to spare, she makes it aboard the bus. She slumps herself down in the seat beside me. The driver follows her on and takes a head count. I look around and notice someone missing. Perreira. The same one who asked all the questions the day before. She must’ve known her parents wouldn't give her permission.
The bus starts moving and we see a girl running to catch up, weighted down by her bags. She was too late, and she collapses on the ground in defeat. I watch the bus driver looking in the mirror for a moment before he picks up his walkie-talkie. He mumbles something unintelligible and places it back on the hook. He doesn't stop. Juliet and I look at each other and she sighs deeply. If she’d been just a minute later, she would’ve been like Perreira. Out.
I wonder what will happen to her now. Will she return to school and be assigned somewhere else? Or will something else happen? I shiver at the thought of her being killed, or worse. Her whole family could be punished for her failure. This is the first moment I realize I have no idea what I’m getting myself into. Am I prepared for this?
Looking over at Juliet, I see fear written on her face. Her brows furrow and her eyes widen. I reach down and grab her hand. She jumps slightly, but then squeezes back. We sit like this for most of the ride, both of us wondering what’ll happen next.
Chapter 6
We arrive at a different entrance than yesterday. Colonel Barnum, Major Halley and Private Warner stand at the door, awaiting our arrival. We all get off the bus and grab our bags. We line up, waiting to be called.
“Welcome to the Project Lightning Evaluation,” Colonel Barnum says. “When Warner calls your name step forward.” He nods over to Warner and he begins calling names. “Sozanski. Copeland. Koller. St. Pope.” I step forward and wait for the other names to be called. Last he calls Perreira. “Perreira.” Warner calls again.
“Does anyone know where Perreira is?” Major Halley asks.
Sozanski steps forward. “Ma'am, Perreira didn't make the bus.” Major Halley doesn’t look shocked.
“Thank you, Sozanski,” Colonel Barnum says. He looks over at Major Halley and she walks back into the building.
“From this point on, you will be evaluated. Every day, all day. Warner will show you to your quarters. Today will be for getting your areas ready and getting to know the facility. Tomorrow the official evaluations begin.” He nods to Warner, who steps forward.
“Follow me,” he orders and we walk into the foyer of a massive building. Stone columns reach upwards to impossibly high ceilings. Our boots echo on the floor as we make our way over to security. “Tomorrow, you’ll each get an ID card, fingerprint ID, and retinal scan. While you are under evaluation, this is the only building you’ll have access to. If you’re accepted in the program, your security clearance will be upgraded depending on your area of specialization. Now if you’ll follow me, we’ll stow your gear. After that, I’ll take you to the mess hall.”
We pass through security and head down a long hall. After two turns down equally long and unremarkable passages, we come to a door marked dormitory. Warner opens the door to another corridor with multiple doors on either side of it. He stops once we are all inside. “When I call your name, step forward and I’ll assign you to your bunks. Copeland and Storey. First door on the right. Sozanski and Havers. First door on the left. Lancer and Klingmann. Second door on the right.” Once all the boys had been assigned. Warner turns to us. “Now ladies, if you’ll follow me through the next set of doors.”
We open the door and a similar area is before us. Warner turns around to face us. “Now ladies,” His cocky smile spreads across his face. My stomach flutters and my pulse speeds up slightly. His eyes lock on mine for a second. I notice his Adam's apple bobbing before he looks away. He clears his throat. “When I call your name, enter your room, drop your gear and follow me back out to the boy's dormitory.” He takes a deep breath and begins. “Davies. First door on the right. Koller. First door on the left. And St. Pope. Second door on the left.”
I enter my room and drop my bags. The room is fairly uniform. An unmade bed with a bedroll lying on top. A desk in one corner. On the other wall is a closet and a door that I assume is a bathroom. I turn and see Warner standing in my doorway.
“It's not much but it's home for now,” he says, looking around the empty room.
“Yeah,” I whisper. Feeling uncomfortable, I look around again.
“Well let's get moving.” He leads me out of the room and we meet the other girls in the hallway. We move through the double doors, heading back toward the boys. They have all gathered outside their rooms. “Now if you’ll follow me, we’ll get chow and then take a tour of the facilities. After that, you’ll be free for the rest of the afternoon to get your rooms settled. Inspection will be at 1800. Lights out at 2000.”
We exit through the dormitory doors and take a right. At the end of the hall, we go through to a large room with several tables scattered about. “This is the mess hall. Breakfast is between 0500 and 0600. Lunch is served between 1100 and 1200 and dinner is between 1700 and 1800. Miss chow times and you miss chow. Food is not allowed outside of this room. Is that clear?”
“Yes, Private Warner,” we all state in unison. We line up for chow. Juliet and I are last, standing behind Sozanski. The line moves slowly enough for us to see lunch is bologna sandwiches with chips and carrot sticks. As I grab my tray, I silently thank my aunt for giving me a good breakfast this morning. Koller and I look around at the tables which are full except one. The only empty seats happen to be at the table where Warner is sitting alone. Koller shrugs, and we make our way over to the table.
Warner is shoving his sandwiches in his mouth like he will never have another meal. It makes me wonder how much energy he expends daily. We sit down and he nods politely. Looking down at my tray, I grab a carrot stick and begin to munch. Koller makes a face as she takes a bite of her sandwich. I smile lightly as I eat a chip.
“You know,” Warner says between mouthfuls, “You should eat as much as possible today. You're going to need it.”
“I had a large breakfast,” Koller replies and I nod in agreement. I look down at the slimey sandwich and my stomach rumbles in agreement.
Warner shrugs and continues to devour his meal. I nibble at my sandwich and eat my carrots, then the chips. After polishing off his meal, he stands up and clears his tray. I look around, noticing everyone else is done eating. Koller and I follow Warner, clearing our trays as well.
We make our way out of the mess hall. Warner leads us through another hallway and into a large gym. Once we are all in, he stops and turns around. “This is the physical training facility. You are welcome to use them during your off time before inspection and bed. After chow in the morning, you’ll all assemble here for morning PT. Your schedules are posted in your individual rooms. Now, follow me this way.”
He leads us through the gym to another set of double doors. Everything looks the same. I quickly glance around trying to get my bearings.“Now from here, if you turn right and then take another right, you’ll be back at the dormitory.” Instead of taking the right, he takes us to the left and down two flights of stairs to the basement. We enter a cool room and once I see what it contains, a smile breaks out across my face but I force it to return to neutral. Inside my heart beats faster as I gaze around the room. My mind races to all the different things I could do with the things the lab contains.
He stops once we are all in and gestures around at the machines. “This is the computer lab. The equipment here is much more advanced than your upper school's lab. When your schedule tells you to come for technology evaluation. this is where you’ll report.”
I take another look around the lab and see robotics equipment, massive computer banks with several screens each. Through a door is a room with massive servers. I’ve never seen this amount of equipment in one room before. My eyes dart around to various pieces of equipment and I feel giddy inside. I’m so enthralled with the equipment that I don't notice the group is moving on.
A large hand comes down on my shoulder and I jump out of my own world. Warner is standing there with a slight frown on his face. His intense eyes stare at me for a moment before they soften slightly. “We’re moving on,” he says in a low, deep voice and I nod quickly.
I begin walking out and I feel his hand rest on the middle of my back. The warmth soaks through to my skin, making me shiver slightly in the cool room.
“Cold?” he asks as I attempt to pull away slightly.
“Not really,” I reply with a slight shrug. I am confused by my reaction to him. I have never had these feelings before and I just want them to go away. I can’t do this right now. If ever.
A smile creeps over his lips as he continues to escort me out of the lab and within moments we meet up with the group at the top of the stairs. “So we have one last place to see and then I’ll release you to get your rooms ready for inspection. Follow me.”
We go down a hallway toward the dormitory and he stops a little before the door. “These are my quarters for the next two weeks. If you have a problem or need something during off hours, you can come here.” His intense hazel eyes meet mine briefly but he quickly moves his gaze away. The butterflies return to my stomach and I feel my pulse beat a little harder. My mind races as I try to process what is happening. I try to place the feelings. But quickly the feelings fade as we trudge down the hallway. My mind returns to the task at hand. Figuring out where we are going.
He leads us on through the doors and straight through another set. I look to my left and see the dormitory sign on the door. For a moment, I feel like I know my way around. However as I look the other way down the hallway, I’m confused again. Well, maybe I don’t know the building as well as I thought.
We enter a hallway with several marked doors, and Warner continues his explanation. “This is where the intelligence, medical and psychological evaluations are conducted. Throughout the next few weeks, you’ll be visiting this corridor several times.” I cringe when he gets to psychological. I am reminded of sitting in a stale room with a severe woman in front of me asking questions. Questions I don’t have answers to. Questions like do I remember the two people I came with. My aunt and uncle. I push it quickly away. I can't deal with that right now. “Through the doors at the end of the hall,” he gestures to the end of the hall “is security. Tomorrow, you will each be called away to get your security clearances and ID's taken.” We look down and see the word Security in bold letters on the door. Being this is a top-secret facility, I knew there would be security but I didn't know how much that would creep me out.
“Now we will go back to the dormitories. It is 1353, which means you have approximately 4 hours, including an hour for chow, to get your rooms ready. Colonel Barnum and Major Halley will be around to inspect.” He starts walking back toward the dormitory. “Just be aware that even though this inspection does not “count” toward your evaluation as you are just getting used to the procedures around here. You want to make sure you do your best.”
We stop back in front of the dormitory doors and he stops one last time. “Any questions?”
