“I APOLOGIZE FOR making you wait, Malencia.” President Collindar takes a seat opposite me and crosses one leg over the other. “Being a United Commonwealth leader means your time is never your own.”
“I’m sure your father would agree with that,” Dr. Barnes says. “Don’t you think, Cia?”
Hearing Dr. Barnes mention my father steals my breath.
President Collindar speaks before I can wonder what the reference means. “I know that Jedidiah has other things he needs to attend to, as do I, so I’ll make this quick. I was intrigued when we met during your Induction. Of all the students who came into the Debate Chamber, you were the only one who recited the request without error and the only female who made the attempt for her team. Taking that kind of risk in public is often more difficult for women than men. I’m not sure why.” Her smile says she has never found it to be a problem. “My interest was further piqued when you mentioned your home colony. Debate Chamber etiquette is not as well known as it used to be, especially outside the Tosu City boundaries. After discussing your Testing results and academic achievements with Dr. Barnes and Professor Holt, I asked that you be assigned to intern in my office. As president, my loyalties are to all United Commonwealth citizens, but it is rare that I get the opportunity to pass beyond the borders of Tosu City and talk to colony citizens. The times that I do meet with colony residents, they are too nervous or intimidated by my office to speak frankly. But a girl like you, Malencia—” She uncrosses her legs and leans forward. “Cia. A girl who is willing to risk embarrassment and possible failure by taking control of the Debate Chamber floor will be more likely to tell me what I need to know. Don’t you agree?”
“You want me to tell you about Five Lakes Colony?”
“If you think I need to know about it, yes.” She smiles.
“I hope you’ll have her do more than tell you about Five Lakes Colony,” Dr. Barnes says smoothly.
The president’s smile widens. “My office has never been included in the University internship program. Dr. Barnes and Professor Holt expressed some concern about the lack of a set curriculum, but I persuaded them of the educational value that comes with working alongside the staff of the president of the United Commonwealth.”
Dr. Barnes stiffens. “Remember, Cia, that like your fellow first years, you will have to keep up with the classwork assigned by your University professors. Just because you work in the president’s office doesn’t mean you will get special consideration.”
President Collindar lets out a light laugh. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure Cia has plenty of time to complete all her assignments. How would it look if the president’s intern flunked out of school?”
Suddenly I realize that the tension I feel in the skimmer isn’t just coming from me. No. The angry flush under Dr. Barnes’s gray beard and the challenging gleam in President Collindar’s eyes speak of something greater than an internship assignment. A power struggle that I don’t understand, but one in which I have become unwittingly involved.
President Collindar looks at her watch. “It’s getting late. We’d better get going if Cia is going to have time to tour the presidential office. I’d offer to let you ride with us, Jedidiah, but I’m sure you have business you need to attend to here on campus.”
The dismissal is cutting, despite the cordial tone. It’s clear from Dr. Barnes’s stiff movements as he exits the skimmer that he has felt the slight. The passenger door swings closed, and a loud hum fills the compartment as the skimmer’s engine is engaged. I look around the cabin and spot a small round lens in the back right corner. Whoever is operating the skimmer must have a screen in the front that displays what is happening back here.
The president sees the direction of my gaze and nods at the camera. “Sometimes, if you aren’t certain of the outcome of a meeting, it is best to have another pair of eyes watching. You never know when you might need a hand.”
The skimmer lifts off the ground and moves forward. From the window, I watch the campus fade into the distance and feel a sense of relief even as I brace myself for whatever challenge comes next.
President Collindar leans back against the gray cushions. I try my best to sit still as my mind whirls. I have been assigned to intern with President Collindar. The most influential person in the United Commonwealth Government—who, from the looks of things, does not get along with Dr. Barnes. Michal implied Symon’s plan to end The Testing peacefully requires the support of President Collindar. I will be keeping my eyes and ears open.
After several minutes of silence, the president turns and looks at me. Not sure what to say, I ask, “Are we going to the Central Government Building?”
“Not today. When I was elected president, I moved my private office to a building a few blocks away. I find it is easier to think in a space that isn’t quite so chaotic.”
“I didn’t know that.” In fact, I remember our guide showing us the entrance to the president’s office when we toured the Central Government Building during orientation.
President Collindar smiles. “We don’t advertise. You’d be amazed how many people can’t make a decision without asking my opinion if they think I’m right down the hall. Now that they have to walk a few blocks, they can handle the little problems. The big ones . . .” She sighs. “Well, those are the ones the citizens of the United Commonwealth expect me to deal with. Today, you’ll meet some of the people you’ll be working with. But before we arrive, I’d like to stress that I am dedicated to the entire country. I believe in the mission the survivors of the Seven Stages of War embarked on when they founded the United Commonwealth Government. Not everyone does. And those who do often have different visions as to how that mission should be carried out. As you might have guessed, Dr. Barnes and I don’t see eye to eye on a great many things. Because of that, I often find that I am not as well informed about the University programs as I would like. I’m hoping you can remedy that situation.”
“I don’t understand.”
President Collindar leans back. “Don’t you?” Her eyes search my face. “The students who attend the University are the next great hope of this country. It disturbs me when I hear that many of those students fail to make it to graduation.”
She waits for me to speak. Words bubble inside me. I want to explain what I know of The Testing. Expose the brutality Dr. Barnes and his team have advocated. Condemn the process that has been allowed to flourish in the center of a city that was created to represent hope. This is the moment I have been waiting for. That the rebels have been waiting for. Yet, instinct stills my tongue. President Collindar is the most powerful person in this country. If she wants information about The Testing and the University, why hasn’t she received it before now? I shift in my seat. Surely, if the president demanded answers, someone would be compelled to give them. Too many people are involved in The Testing for them all to remain silent. If it is answers she seeks, why is she posing her questions to a first-year University girl instead of to those who have not had their memories removed by The Testing? There is something more at work here. Something I need to understand better before I risk my future and the future of the rebellion.
When I don’t answer, President Collindar sighs. “I don’t expect you to trust me. Not yet. But I hope that by working with my staff, you will realize that I have the best interests of this country at heart. If there is something more about the University program that I should know, I hope you’ll feel comfortable enough to share that information.” She glances out the window as the skimmer begins to slow. “We’re here.”
The door opens. President Collindar walks to the doorway, takes someone’s hand, and gracefully exits. I follow behind and take the hand held out to help me. When my feet hit the ground and I start to thank the person, the words lodge in my throat. Standing in a purple United Commonwealth uniform with a pleasant but impersonal smile on his face is Michal Gallen.
Michal is here. I try to feign interest in the building in front of me as he releases my hand, but I cannot stop the pounding of my heart. Michal said he was being reassigned. If he is here, the rebellion must know what I know about the president’s dislike of Dr. Barnes. Symon’s faction should be in a position to end The Testing. But if the president is asking questions of me, she either doesn’t believe what she has been told or they have yet to approach her. Why?
I try to catch his eye, but Michal keeps his attention straight ahead as we approach the office, which the president informs me is housed in one of the oldest buildings in Tosu City. Constructed several hundred years ago out of gray stone, with rounded turrets and a functioning clock tower, the structure resembles the castles in some of the fairy-tale books my mother read to me and my brothers when we were little.
Michal opens the large wooden front door and President Collindar sweeps past him. Two men and two women in Commonwealth uniforms greet us in the white tiled entryway. A muscular man in a black jumpsuit stands behind a desk near the front door. The president nods and he takes a seat, but not before I see the glint of a metal handle at his belt.
“Cia.” The president turns to me. “Several pressing matters have come up and need my attention. This is our newest team member, Michal Gallen. He’ll give you a tour and introduce you to the staff. When you’ve finished, we’ll go over the first assignment I’ve set aside for you.”
The four Commonwealth officials flank her as she disappears through a door down the hall to the right. When the sound of footsteps fades, I turn to Michal and smile. He doesn’t smile back. He just glances at his watch and nods. “The president’s main office is on this floor. To save time, we’ll start the tour on the top floor and work our way down.”
He walks quickly toward the black iron-railed staircase and starts to climb. I hurry to catch up and am breathing hard when we step onto the narrow fifth-floor hallway.
“The clock tower stairs are through that door.” He points. “The clock and this entire building do not run off city power, but instead run off three-dimensional monocrystalline solar panels. The power we don’t use is then fed into the Tosu City power bank to ensure nothing is wasted. As President Collindar mentioned in the skimmer, she doesn’t like waste.” He turns and shrugs. “I probably shouldn’t have listened to your conversation with the president, but the inside of the skimmer isn’t designed for privacy. Kind of like this building. Everyone here tends to know everyone’s business. You’ll get used to it.”
I understand the words for what they are: a warning.
The top three floors house cramped offices and larger spaces filled with historical objects and pictures. As I walk by the pieces of my country’s past, I can’t help but run my fingers across them. Framed photographs of soldiers. Women in long dresses holding what I think are called tennis rackets. An old-fashioned car from the early twentieth century. A display of hand-held weapons. An ornate organ. A phonograph. Wooden desks in a room designed to look like a late-nineteenth-century classroom, which makes me smile. The classroom is smaller, but it doesn’t look much different from the one I studied in back in Five Lakes.
As we continue the tour, Michal introduces me to several of the younger officials walking the halls or sitting in uncomfortable-looking chairs. Most look tired but excited to be working here. He points to one of the four desks in the corner of a room on the third floor and says, “That’s where I sit. So far, in the week I’ve been here, I haven’t done much of that.”
We walk down to the second floor. To our right are two purple-clad officials standing on either side of a massive wooden door. Michal nods at them and steers me to the left, explaining, “The president’s private rooms are through those doors. There are a few more offices on this side and some sleeping quarters for anyone who wants to catch a nap after a late night.”
“Does that happen often?”
“I’ve already used one of the rooms. The president likes to have as much information about the upcoming debate topics as possible. It’s our job to do the research and provide her with all sides of the argument. Talking to experts from the various departments and sifting through opinions is rewarding, but it takes time.”
On the first floor, there are more offices, a meeting space with a board displaying the debates scheduled for the upcoming week, and a technology room equipped with several powerful pulse radios, six televisions, and a number of visual and audio recorders. Pictures flicker across the television screens. I want to take a closer look, but Michal hurries me through. While I’ve seen photographs of televisions and studied the history of their use, I have never seen one in operation. My father once mentioned that the magistrate of Five Lakes was in possession of a television in order to receive certain types of communication from Tosu City. I can’t help but wonder if the pictures flashing on the screen now are part of that communication network and, if so, what the transmitted information might be.
Finally, Michal leads me to a large wooden door. A purple-clad official at a desk to the right nods, and Michal ushers me inside. The room is large. Larger than my family’s entire house. Deep blue carpet covers the floor. A fire crackles in the hearth to my right. Decorating the walls is a map of the United Commonwealth and the country’s flag. The officials I saw when I first arrived are seated on chairs facing the president, who is behind a massive wooden desk.
President Collindar looks up. “Perfect timing. We were just discussing your first project, Cia.” The president looks at one of the officials, who rises and turns to address me.
The man has flecks of gray in his brown hair that reminds me of my father’s. “We are currently working out resource distribution for a railway project. One of the colonies that the new train will connect to is Five Lakes. Since none of us have been to your colony or many of the other colonies this plan affects, we would like you to look at the plans and give us a colony citizen’s perspective. We’ve been told you also have skills in mechanical engineering that should give you an informed point of view when preparing a report for the president.”
President Collindar nods. “Too many of the colonies do not have easy access to Tosu City. For us to feel united in our mission to revitalize our land, we must actually be unified. The railway system has connected the nearest colonies, but the outlying ones are still isolated from our help and protection.”
Ryme’s face flashes in front of me. Flushed cheeks. Sightless eyes. She was from Dixon Colony. I think about Will and his brother, Gill. Twins from Madison Colony. One led to murder. Another gone. Redirected by The Testing. Both of those colonies, like Five Lakes, do not have access to the United Commonwealth train system. While easy communication with Tosu City might appear to provide protection for the colonies, the Testing candidates who have been forever altered by the protection they received would no doubt argue the point.
Still, I feel a spark of excitement at the prospect of working on a project that affects my family and friends. While I may not ever be allowed to return to Five Lakes to live, I will always consider it my home. Being able to help Five Lakes and contribute to a system that could allow my family and me to visit makes me feel as though I still belong to them.
I am given an overview of the project, including the departments involved, and told that today I must pick up reports prepared by each department. The Debate Chamber will be discussing this project at the end of next week. My report to the president is due on Monday.
“You can pick up the reports from the departments’ main offices in the Central Government Building. Feel free to work here or on campus, wherever you feel most comfortable. If you need transportation, let one of my staff know. They’ll make sure you have what you need. I look forward to seeing your thoughts on the matter.”
The president starts a conversation about the waste management system, effectively dismissing me. Putting a hand on my arm, Michal leads me out of the room. The door closes behind us.
“I’ll take you over to the Central Government Building in a few minutes. First we should see about getting you some kind of transportation. You won’t want to waste time walking.”
Michal leads me to a small building behind the president’s office, unlocks the door, and turns on the light. Inside the space are several single-passenger skimmers, two solar-powered motor scooters, and a handful of bicycles. I walk to the row of bicycles. Some have sturdy frames and thick, heavily treaded rubber tires. Others are made of lighter materials, with a design that speaks of speed. I run my finger along a tear in one of the seats and think of another bicycle. One that, according to my recording, helped Tomas and me survive The Testing. Gears, pedals, and wheels helped keep me alive then. I will trust them now to do the same.
I choose the bicycle with the heaviest frame and thickest tires. It is constructed to withstand the stress of traveling over rough terrain and reminds me of the one I rode back home. The lighter, sleeker ones I see on the streets of Tosu City are speedier, but they are also more fragile.
If Michal is surprised by my choice, he doesn’t show it. He just logs my selection on a chalkboard hanging near the door and escorts me and my new bicycle into the sunshine. We walk in silence for the next block, me wheeling the black-framed bike in between us. The streets are bustling with activity as citizens hurry about their business. Here and there, I spot officials in their United Commonwealth uniforms chatting in groups or jogging down the street on what must be pressing business. Though the Central Government Building is straight ahead, Michal glances around and turns us down a northbound walkway. Halfway down the block, Michal escorts me and my new bicycle into a building constructed of black metal and dark gray stone.
Inside it is dim and quiet as a tomb. Putting a finger to his lips, Michal motions for me to leave my bicycle before leading me through a maze of doors and hallways. Finally, he pulls out a key and slides it into the lock of a large steel door. The click of the lock disengaging rings in the stillness. Michal flips a switch on the wall, illuminating a gray, windowless room decorated with only a rectangular metal table and six folding chairs.
He closes the door behind us. “We don’t have much time,” he says, pulling me against him in a tight hug. “Someone will notice if we take too long to arrive at the Central Government Building.” He steps back. “I heard about the colony student who died. I’m sorry.”
The kindness and sympathy make me want to cry.
But Michal doesn’t dwell on the sadness. “Symon says there are signs that President Collindar is ready to challenge Dr. Barnes and remove him from his position as head of The Testing.”
My heart jumps as the hope I felt in the skimmer is confirmed. “That’s wonderful news.”
“Only if she has the power to eliminate Dr. Barnes and The Testing.”
I shake my head. “She’s the president of the United Commonwealth. Of course she has the power.”
Michal sits on one of the metal chairs. “President Collindar is technically in charge of the government, but as the man who selects the country’s future leaders, Dr. Barnes has as much power, if not more. Not only do current officials feel a sense of loyalty to him for having selected them for their jobs, they also seek his favor to ensure that their children are accepted into the program and given preferential treatment. In the past several years, the University has been allocated larger resources. More autonomy to act as Dr. Barnes and his team see fit. In the week I’ve been assigned to the president’s office, three Debate Chamber votes have swung in favor of whatever side of the issue Dr. Barnes supports. While the president is the head of the government, Dr. Barnes and his team actually now control it.”
The idea of Dr. Barnes running this country makes me want to scream.
“The president is working to regain the power her office has lost. She’s scheduled a Debate Chamber vote that would reorganize the administrative structure of The Testing and University so the head of the program reports directly to her. But unless something changes, she doesn’t have enough votes from the department heads for the measure to pass. The Education Department manager is a close personal friend of Dr. Barnes. He’s been working against the president’s measure by saying he has seen reports of The Testing and believes it is being run appropriately. Over the last two years, some officials have claimed that the president is an ineffective leader and should be replaced. Losing a vote of this import could confirm those claims and weaken her further. There’s a rumor going around the office that losing the vote will lead to a call for a vote of confidence.”
When the Commonwealth Government was created, our founders agreed that leaders should be allowed to govern as long as they were effective. They believed limiting the time a strong leader served was detrimental to the well-being of the country. However, to ensure a weak leader could be removed before he or she did too much harm, the founders instituted the vote of confidence, which requires members of the Debate Chamber to reavow their support of the president. A president who fails to get over fifty percent of the vote is immediately removed from power and a new president voted upon.
“If the president is replaced, it will be by someone Dr. Barnes and his supporters select. Maybe even Dr. Barnes himself. The president is not willing to let that happen. So, she and her team have been searching for another way to remove Dr. Barnes from power. They believe they’ve found that method in the other rebel faction.”
The faction that believes in taking down Dr. Barnes and The Testing by force. With weapons, bloodshed, and death.
“President Collindar would prefer a peaceful solution over action that could lead to a civil war, but she believes there is too much at stake for the country to wait. Dr. Barnes will find a way to remove her if she doesn’t act soon. The rebel faction has begun to recruit citizens from the less revitalized areas of Tosu. These recruits don’t care about Dr. Barnes or The Testing, but the rebels have convinced them they will have more say and more resources if they join the cause. If the president loses the Debate Chamber vote, the rebels will act. And the president and her people will throw support behind them. Tosu City could be ripped apart, and Symon fears there is a chance that with so many colony-born people living here, unrest could spring up in the colonies. Especially when the citizens there understand what The Testing did to their children.”
And war could follow. History shows that it takes only a spark to start a fire that cannot be easily checked. The Seven Stages of War started with the outrage of one leader.
“There has to be something we can do.” Violence can’t be inevitable.
“The president plans to announce the vote about the restructuring of The Testing in three weeks. Top members of her team are reviewing her key arguments and meeting with department representatives in order to sway votes. So far, they haven’t had any luck. Symon believes the only way the Debate Chamber will vote against Dr. Barnes is if proof of the true nature of The Testing is revealed in open session. The only way most officials can justify turning a blind eye to Dr. Barnes’s methods is by discounting the negative things they hear as rumors. No one wants to believe that students who give wrong answers can be killed. Tosu City children are never required to sit for The Testing. Officials can ignore Testing speculation without worrying their own children will suffer as a result. Indisputable proof will change that.”
“What about the University Induction tests? Students die during those.” I remember Rawson’s feet slipping off the edge. Olive’s horror-filled face as she realized the consequences of her actions. “The officials can’t possibly agree with those methods.”
“No, but most Tosu City officials survived some kind of Induction. They feel it’s only fair the new students have to suffer through a similar process. And while Dr. Barnes and the head residence professors are involved, the final years of each designated study are technically responsible for the Induction process. If someone dies, Dr. Barnes calls it an accident.” Michal’s eyes light with anger. “Government officials are happy to find any excuse to look the other way. But if they are forced to see the truth, they’ll have to fix the problem. That’s why we need tangible evidence of wrongdoing. Once it is presented in open session, officials will have no choice but to strip Dr. Barnes of his authority and put an end to The Testing.”
Tangible proof. “Can’t you testify on the debate floor?” I ask. “You still have your Testing memories.”
“I volunteered to speak out, but Symon and his advisers said my words won’t be enough. People could argue I’m making up stories because I wasn’t assigned the job I wanted or because I’m jealous. They would say the same about anyone who testifies if we are allowed to get that far. Symon is convinced Dr. Barnes is monitoring the president’s office and would learn the names of those scheduled to testify before they take the floor. How long do you think I and anyone else who volunteers to speak would live if that happened?”
Hours? Unless they ran. And who knows even then if they would survive.
“We need more than just our testimony to sway public opinion and convince the Debate Chamber to vote against Dr. Barnes.”
What other kind of proof could they find? I look down at the symbol on my wrist with the tracking device it contains and remember the one I wore before. “The Testing bracelets contained recording devices. We should find the recordings Dr. Barnes made.” Weeks of conversations recorded. Betrayals made. Gunshots and crossbow bolts that spilled blood. Ended lives.
“Symon has lower-level officials within The Testing and the Education Department searching for both audio and video recordings, but they haven’t been able to gain access to them. There is a chance Dr. Barnes destroys them after The Testing is complete and University candidates are selected.”
“I don’t think so.” I explain about the conversation Ian overheard in which Professor Holt talked to Dr. Barnes about reexamining my actions during The Testing. “They wouldn’t be able to reexamine my performance if they destroyed the recordings.”
“I’ll let Symon know. If you’re right, we still might have a chance to end The Testing without plunging the country into war.” Michal looks at his watch and stands. “But if we don’t want to make anyone suspicious, we have to get going.” He opens the door, steps into the hall, and looks around before telling me to follow.
“What can I do?” I ask, walking the dim corridors back to where I stashed my bicycle.
“Keep your ears open for any information that can point to the location of the recordings. Talk to whoever is assigned to intern in the Department of Education. Our contacts have heard rumors that the top-level officials have access to The Testing facilities. They might know something about the recordings. If you learn anything, let me know. I’ll pass the information to Symon.”
“Why not pass it directly to the president?”
Michal’s expression is grim. “She doesn’t know I’m a member of the rebellion, and we’d prefer to keep it that way for now. Symon orchestrated my transfer so I could report if the president is moving up the timeline for the rebel faction and her allies to attack. So far, she is sticking to her original schedule. She will make her case before the Debate Chamber floor three weeks from now. With luck, we’ll find the information she needs to win the vote before then.”
In three weeks The Testing will hopefully come to an end and Daileen and others like her will be safe.
Michal asks me to wait as he looks up and down the street. When he is satisfied our presence won’t be questioned, he has me follow him. Together we hurry down the walkway to the Central Government Building. Dozen of questions spring to mind. Has Michal told Symon that I remember some of my Testing? Did Michal know about the choices Tomas made during his?
As we approach our destination, Michal asks for my impressions of the residence and my classes. His impersonal tone tells me the conversation is for the benefit of those around us, so I keep my answers upbeat. I stow my bicycle in a waiting area near the front door and enter the building as Michal says, “Don’t be surprised if a few people recognize you. You made quite an impression during your Induction.”
His words make me conscious of the eyes that follow us as we walk through the lobby to a long hallway. Two older officials stop Michal to ask about his new job with the president’s office. At the end of Michal’s vague reply, he introduces me to them. An official from Housing. Another from Biological Revitalization. The latter mentions he has a son who is in his first year of University training as a Biological Engineering student. His pride is obvious, so I smile and say I hope to have a class with his son in the future. Inside my head, though, I hear Tomas describing his Induction. Fifteen students began the process. Only eight completed it. Was this man’s son one of those eight, or was he Redirected?
Forcing myself to pay attention, I try to remember the hallways that lead to the four departments I will be working with. At each, Michal helps me locate the person in charge of their piece of the Colony Railway Project. I receive several sets of bound papers and am told to come back if I have any questions; then we move on to the next department. Here and there, I spot other first-year students. Some look excited. Others are working hard to appear relaxed, but the worry in their eyes reveals the truth. I can understand their concern, because when Michal escorts me back to the front entrance, my bag barely holds all the documents I am supposed to review.
But despite the workload, I cannot get the thought of the possible Redirection of an official’s son out of my mind. If the Tosu City students were killed or disappeared, wouldn’t their parents object? If this official’s son did not make it through the acceptance process, wouldn’t he wonder what happened to him? Maybe some parents wouldn’t, but this one, whose love for his son is so apparent, would. I’ve heard people say that Tosu City students who did not reach Dr. Barnes’s expectations were assigned to jobs in the colonies. Yet, not one of the colony students I’ve talked to has ever noticed or heard of younger Tosu City adults coming to work in their area. While I know Five Lakes is smaller than the other colonies, I can’t imagine the arrival of new residents from Tosu City wouldn’t draw notice, even in the larger settlements. Something else is going on here. Which makes me wonder what Redirection really means. If it doesn’t mean assignment to the colonies or certain death, what happens to the students who do not pass Dr. Barnes’s tests?