Aberrant (9 page)

"I have three years to choose a mate?" I repeated,
still dumbfounded by this revelation. Just like Genesis, they planned to use
me. It must be why Rebecca had helped me escape. I didn't want this life. Haven
wasn't looking any better than Genesis, the place I’d always called my home. Maybe
I could stall for the next three years and figure something out?

Rebecca sighed. "In two weeks’ time, we'd like you to return.
Then we’ll ask you some questions about your own history. At that time, we hope
you’ll become more involved in our town and the rebel alliance. We'd also like
to be kept up-to-date with whom you'd like to see yourself partnered with. In
the next few weeks, we can set up potential candidates for you to go out with,
and you can meet members of our community."

Their expectations didn't come lightly and without a huge
cost. I didn't see too many options. "Two weeks from today." I nodded,
accepting the rules – for now.

“This meeting is over.” Rebecca stood up and opened the
doors, letting Jacqueline into the council room. “Please take Olivia to get
something to eat and then escort her back to her room to study.”

“Yes, Mom.” Jacqueline nodded, leading me down to the street
and across the road. The town that had just moments ago felt looming and filled
with hope seemed much smaller in comparison. Rows of homes lined the street as
we walked further into town. They weren't government-issue by any standard,
each with a different paint scheme on the outside and attached side-by-side. I'd
never seen anything like it in my life. It seemed a nice enough place to call
home, if it hadn't been for the council demanding I marry and bear a child for
them.

CHAPTER 7

Lying in bed, it took no time for my eyes to close and to
find my way toward sleep. Escaping from prison in the middle of the night and
then traveling for hours on foot had exhausted me. Besides, having a
comfortable bed made it easier to rest. It seemed I'd slept for hours when I
awoke and my eyes tried to adjust to the bedroom’s darkness.

I felt around, struggling to locate a light switch as I
climbed out of bed, knocking into furniture with a groan. After a moment of
relief I flipped the switch, basking the room in extreme brightness. I rubbed
at my eyes and did my best to adjust to the light. I glanced around the bedroom,
spotting the texts I received from Jacqueline after lunch. I was supposed to
start reading them and learning the history of our country. All I wanted was more
sleep.

Walking toward the shelf, my eyes landed on the titles of
the books. They didn't seem so bad.
Cabal History, World History, The Third
and Fourth World Wars.
I pulled the second largest text,
Cabal History,
from the shelf and flipped through the book. The book had very few images – it
was mostly writing and looked to be quite long. I shouldn't have expected much more,
because cameras hadn't been used for centuries.

I didn't feel like reading. I still couldn't believe they
demanded I have a child in the next few years. At least I had time to stall and
possibly change their minds. I wasn't ready to be a mother, and I wasn't sure I
ever wanted to be one and certainly not in the middle of an uprising. It seemed
a terrible reason to bring a child into this world.

I left the book open on the bed and walked across the hall,
knocking on Joshua's door. "You in there?" I called, glancing from
side to side, afraid I’d get caught. I couldn’t take the chance they’d force me
to leave Haven or worse send me back to Genesis. I knew the Governor would love
to get his hands on me.

I listened for a moment, hearing noise on the other side of
the door. "Joshua?" I knocked again, hoping he would let me in. After
what felt like an eternity, I heard footsteps and smiled when he opened the
door, standing in front of me. "Good, you're home. I was wondering if you
got lost in there–-" my voice trailed off as the smile faded. Just past
Joshua was a girl, no older than me sitting on his bed. Her midnight black hair
and eager smile sent my stomach into knots. “I guess I’m interrupting,” I
remarked feeling her eyes on me. Had he moved on already? The thought made me
sick that he went along with it. I didn't see another choice for me, but
Rebecca was his mother. Why hadn't he fought her on it?

He let out a heavy sigh, shooting me a nasty look. “Something
like that,” Joshua muttered as he stepped into the hallway, closing the door
behind him. “Do you need something?” he asked coldly.

"I wanted to talk with you." I glanced past him at
the closed door, knowing she was in there on his bed, waiting for him. It made
me sick. “Guess it’s a little late for that.”

Joshua let out a heavy breath and ran a hand through his
hair. He looked anxious, flustered. Clearly I surprised him by stopping by. “I’m
busy studying. You met the council. You remember what they said?”

I nodded faintly. I did know what they said. It didn’t
change the fact I was angry with him. “Yeah, I was there. They read me the
rules, too,” I remarked bitterly. I crossed my arms. “I was going to suggest we
have dinner together, but I guess you’ve already made plans.”

Joshua stalled for a minute deciding what to do. “You’re mad
at me.” It wasn't a question, it was a statement. And by the sound of it he was
shocked.

“I guess I should be grateful; you did rescue me from prison."
I knew it was a low blow, but was that all I meant to him? He helped me escape
from Genesis, and I gave him a free pass – a chance at a new life. “I wanted to
tell you I met your sister. I thought we could all have dinner sometime, but
now I realize I made a mistake.” I grimaced. I didn’t want him inviting whoever
the dark-haired beauty was to eat with us. I didn't think I could face her
without reaching across the table and slugging her. Maybe she hadn't done
anything yet, but the way she looked at Joshua told me all I needed to know.

"What?" Joshua shook his head confused. "My
sister?" It took a moment for the realization of what I was saying to dawn
on him. His skin turned ghastly. "How is she?" He frowned, trying to
form a coherent thought.

"She's nice." I nodded slowly, trying to be civil.
"She took me to the council meeting this morning and then we grabbed lunch.
I would almost think you’d like her, though probably not as much as the girl in
your bedroom," I remarked coldly.

“We’re done here,” Joshua answered, turning and headed back
into his room, closing the door behind him.

“Damn it!” I hit my fist against his door before I sulked
back into my room, slamming it shut. What had gotten into him? Maybe I’d made a
mistake bringing up Jacqueline, but he would eventually find out she was his
sister. Besides, if anyone had a right to be angry it was me! He had moved on
without me. The council demanded of me to have a child I wasn't ready for. Clearly,
he hadn’t taken our marriage seriously, and though I knew it hadn’t been our
decision, I thought he’d been happy with the fact we were together. I thought
he had actually cared about me. I knew we’d been friends, but before the
marriage ceremony that morning, I thought I felt something more between us. Now,
I didn’t know what to think.

Tossing myself back on the mattress I grabbed the giant book
and started from page one. It was going to be a long two weeks. I didn't know
how the council expected me to finish all the texts they'd given me, let alone
one in two weeks’ time.

My eyes moved over the pages. I had remembered learning that
after the Fourth World War, the country of Cabal had been prosperous, and
technology and medicine had greatly advanced. Cancer had been cured, but at a
high cost to society. As I read the history text, I learned that what they’d
taught us in Genesis wasn't entirely true.

The
Cabal
History text explained that people had once
lived to one hundred and twenty, resulting in overcrowding along with a
shortage of food and water. As the prosperous nation began to struggle, the Red
Plague began wiping out people overnight. No one knew where it originated, but
it spread quickly. The Red Plague was brutal, infecting hundreds of thousands
before their symptoms were even visible. The best doctors across the world quickly
gathered together to put a stop to the ravaging disease, but by the first
meeting five million people across the world had contracted it. China had
bombed their own cities to control the disease, killing another seven million
people. Not all of them had been infected, but most had been exposed. India had
offered a vaccine in its earliest stages at the second meeting with the
worldwide group of doctors. It appeared to work, and no one thought twice about
the side-effects. Without it, the entire population of the world would have
become extinct.

I continued reading, learning that the vaccine had very dire
consequences. The next twenty years consisted of constant miscarriages from
women and the inability to conceive. Doctors wracked their brains trying to
understand the cause and when they linked it to the vaccine, they removed it from
the market. But it was too late. The entire population of Cabal had been
vaccinated, as was the entire world in a global pandemic. The people were told
by the government of Cabal that eradicating cancer had caused infertility, but
no evidence linked the two. Doctors struggled for years to reverse the damage
done to society to no avail. The next step was to find a way to continue allowing
population growth while ensuring the countries’ resources didn’t disappear. The
government decided to start five breeding projects across the country to ensure
the future of Cabal. Reading the word 'breeding project' made my stomach
somersault.

I nearly jumped from the bed when I heard a loud rap at the
door. "Just a sec!" I called, glancing at the page number before
shutting the textbook. I opened the door, surprised to see Jacqueline on the
other side.

"Hungry for dinner?" she asked, bouncing
excitedly. She had so much energy, I was envious of her.

"Yeah, I could eat something."

"Grab your dining card. We'll head to dinner, and I'll
show you some of the town’s sights on the way."

"Thanks." I nodded following her out of my room
before shutting the door. The door had no locks or keys. I walked behind her,
heading down the stairs and out the main door where we’d entered earlier.

"So, what kind of food do you like?" Jacqueline asked
as she led me onto the road.

"What do you mean?" I asked. "Back home the
food was always the same. The government gave us exactly the amount we needed
for nourishment."

Jacqueline looked disgusted. "That sounds terrible. Do
you like Sushi?"

"I don't know." I raised an eyebrow. It sounded
funny. "What's that?"

"Raw fish," Jacqueline laughed seeing my face
cringe. "Okay, we'll start you off small. How about we have seafood for
dinner?"

"You mean cooked fish, right?" I hoped that's what
she meant.

She smiled, shaking her head. "You are so funny. Yes,
cooked fish. They have all sorts. I'm sure we can still get a table." Jacqueline
continued walking. "To the left is the clinic." She gestured across
the street. "If you get sick or have a small injury, the doctor there will
look after you. Our hospital is a few blocks away and is for the dying or health
problems too large for the clinic."

I nodded. "Do people get sick a lot?"

Jacqueline thought about the question. "What do you
consider a lot? I've been there a few times with the flu. Not a big deal,
why?"

I wanted to tell her I couldn't remember any of my
classmates ever becoming ill. Our hospitals back home were only used for
conception and birth. "Just reading about history," I explained
shrugging, not sure if I could trust Jacqueline. I wanted to, but she was
Rebecca's daughter. I still had so much to get used to and so much to
understand.

"Oh, you must have read by now about the Red
Plague?"

I nodded faintly. "I breezed over that section, but
yeah, I read a little."

Jacqueline laughed. "So, you didn't get into the gross
and nauseating description about the boils that grow on your skin and the pus
that oozes out your –"

I held up a hand feeling my stomach turn cutting her off,
"Gross!"

She got the hint I’d heard enough and pointed towards the
right. "That's our tech center. I've never been in there. You need to have
a special pass to gain access. I've always suspected it has to do with
communications between the towns." It was the largest building in the city
and reached towards the clouds. Slowly the sun began setting in the sky and
colors bounced off the tech center causing the silver and gray exterior to
shimmer with pink and orange hues. I stopped walking, staring at the building,
transfixed but its unexplainable beauty. "It was built right before the
Red Plague," Jacqueline told me as she grabbed my arm and pulled me with
her down the road. "There are rumors that a dozen children were locked up
on the top floor, never vaccinated. They were kept away from the rest of
society until the disease was eradicated."

My eyes widened as I glanced from the building to
Jacqueline. "Are you sure they're rumors?" Was that how my mother was
able to conceive me? Had my grandmother been a child on that floor or her
great-grandmother?

"I've never heard the story from an adult,"
Jacqueline confessed. "Parents don't talk about the Red Plague. It's a
childhood song. A melody that gets passed down between children. A reminder of
what's been taken from us and that we're all vulnerable, just waiting to die."

"A song?" I repeated. There were only a few songs
I knew, the Cabal National Anthem and the Genesis Pride song.

Jacqueline hummed the verse, helping me recognize the tune.
It was familiar though I'd never heard the words.

"
Children run, babies cry