The Perfect World (The Perfect World Series Book 1) (28 page)

He nodded. “We learned about him in school. I also saw his grandfather in one of the videos sent to us by the Quarantine Domes.”

The doctor nodded. “The Bertrands are a terrible lot, if I do say so myself.”

“What about the other Zones, like the Military Zones?” Cyrus pressed, wanting more information.

“The Military Zones are where the armored guards are stationed. I’m sure you’ve seen the men in the full black body armor.”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“The vast majority of them are kept on the bases of the Military Zones, to be dispatched by those in the Government Zones whenever the need strikes them.

“Then, there are the Worker Zones, which hold the people who are given various jobs to work in order to provide goods to the Residential and Government Zones. The people in those places work long hours, eat very little food and get very little rest.”

Cyrus and the doctor sat in silence for a moment as he waited for the remainder of the explanation. When nothing was forthcoming, Cyrus prompted, “And the Disposal Zones? What are those?”

The doctor hesitated then and smiled uneasily. “I believe it might be better for someone else to explain that particular Zone. It’s very
complicated
, if you will.”

Complicated?
Complicated how?
Cyrus wondered though he said nothing out loud.

Giving into his urges, Cyrus started to ask another question, but the doctor walked past him before he could.

“Come now. I need to get you back to your room before your psychiatrist shows up. It wouldn’t do us any good for you to miss your appointment.”

“All right,” he said though he let some disappointment show in his voice.             

The doctor called the blonde nurse from before, and she escorted him back to his room. He sat back down on his bed and waited, wondering what a psychological exam consisted off.

Hopefully, not any more of those machines, he thought to himself as he tried to blink the spots from his eyes. I don’t know if I can take any more of them.

After a brief wait, Cyrus’s door finally opened and a woman with thick red glasses and hair tied back into a ponytail walked in. She had a friendly expression on her face.

“Hello, Mr. Wright. How are you feeling today?” she asked as she walked over to his bedside.

“Fine, I guess.”

“That’s good to hear.” She smiled at him as she pulled a chair up to his bed. Then she started fiddling with her briefcase. “Just let me have a few minutes to get my things together and we’ll get started.”

“Sure,” Cyrus replied uncertainly. He was trying to remain calm, but with so many unknown factors it was hard for him to relax.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you,” the lady said as she picked up a stack of cardboard sheets in front of him. “I just want to talk to you.”

“Okay, Ms.-” Cyrus trailed off.

“Ah, sorry. My name is Dr. Schultz. I’ll be taking care of you for this session.” She turned the cards around and he saw an ink spot spread in the middle of the white sheet. “Now, I want you to tell me what you see here.”

“A blob of ink?” the young man said, wondering what the point of this was.

Dr. Schultz smiled. “Actually, I should rephrase that. I need you to use your imagination and tell me what picture you see in this black ink blot.”

“Oh.” Cyrus stared at it for a brief moment before he said, “It looks like a misshapen apple.”

“Okay,” Dr. Schultz muttered as she scribbled something down on his notebook. “Let’s try the next one.”

The session went on like this until all the cards were finished. Cyrus answered honestly, and Dr. Schultz scribbled something down on her notebook. When she was finished, Dr. Schultz put the cards back into her briefcase and replaced it with an electronic device similar to the one the doctor had used for his exams.

“Go ahead and lie down on your bed. I need to ask you some questions.”

Cyrus did as he was asked, though he briefly wondered why he couldn’t remain sitting up. Dr. Schultz must have read his mind, for she told him:

“It would be better if you relaxed for me. It will make the process go faster.”

Nonplussed, but not feeling like arguing over it, Cyrus sprawled out on the bed and placed his arms behind his head. He stared up at the white ceiling and waited.

“All right, first question,” Dr. Schultz asked as she tapped her pen against her clipboard. “What do you feel when you hear the word, ‘special?’”

Cyrus screwed up his face at the word. “I feel”—he searched for the right word—”annoyed and tired.”

He heard the psychiatrist’s fingers tap across the lit screen of her device as Dr. Schultz asked the next question. “Do you believe you have a destiny?”

“I don’t even really know what a ‘destiny’ is. I just know that I had one in the perfect world. I don’t know if I do now.”

“If someone told you that you had a destiny, would you believe it?”

Cyrus smiled. “No, I don’t think so.”

“Why not?”

“Because,” Cyrus searched for words as he stared up at the ceiling. “I’ve been told for so long that I had one without knowing what it is. It’s hard to believe in something if I’m not sure what it is I’m supposed to believe in.”

“And how do you feel when someone tells you that you have a destiny and it’s not to be questioned?”

“I feel angry, and I don’t believe them.”

“Why don’t you believe them?”

Cyrus’s face scrunched up again as he remembered his time in the perfect world and how frustrated he felt. “It’s hard to believe someone when they don’t tell you why you should. You know they’re hiding information from you, but you aren’t able to ask them any questions. They just expect you to believe them. I’m not going to believe something just because I’m expected to.”

“How can you disbelieve it when so many others tell you it is true? What keeps you from agreeing with them?”

Cyrus considered this. “It’s because me and the people I cared about kept being told we were sick when we asked questions or did something they didn’t like. Then, the people I cared about started disappearing. They said this was for the good of all the students. I couldn’t believe what they were saying was right.”

He swallowed at the memory and at the loneliness. “When I was by myself all those years, I made a place in my mind. It was a place that was completely mine and where I could store the thoughts I wasn’t supposed to have. When they told me things like that, I would retreat into that place. It helped me, it helped keep me from feeling so crazy.”

Cyrus stopped talking and noticed that her fingers had stopped tapping the screen. Curious, he turned his head to see Dr. Schultz staring at him with an odd expression. It seemed to be a mix between pity and admiration.

“Dr. Schultz?” he asked, wondering if he did something wrong. “What is it?”

“Nothing.” She smiled. “It’s just you’ve definitely got some strength in you. I think you’ll be all right.” 

“Oh, thank you,” Cyrus replied slowly, not really knowing what to say.

“You’re welcome.” Dr. Schultz readied her device again. “Just a few more questions and we’ll be done here.”

Cyrus spent a few more minutes talking to his psychiatrist, watching as she recorded everything he said. When they were finished, she placed the electronic device back into her briefcase and said, “I think that’s enough. It’s clear to me from your answers that you’re no spy.”

Cyrus’s brow furrowed. “Spy?” He didn’t like the sound of that word.

Dr. Schultz smiled sympathetically at him. “It means someone who says they don’t like the perfect world, but is actually working for them. They lie to gain the trust of others inside the Quarantine Dome, then take the information back to the perfect world.”

His mouth fell open at the words. “I-I would never do that!”

“Maybe you wouldn’t, but others have,” she told him with a shrug. “And now I have the evidence to back up what you claim. In other words, I think you’re telling the truth and it’s safe to let you out of the hospital.”

“Oh. Thank you,” Cyrus said after a moment of letting that information process.

“You’re welcome. Now, do you have any questions?”

“Um, does this mean I don’t have to do any more of these appointments?” Cyrus asked as it was the only thing on his mind.

“Are you so eager to be rid of me already?” Dr. Schultz joked with a wry look.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Cyrus replied with a faint blush.

“I kid Cyrus. To answer your question, you seem far more stable than many of the patients I receive from the perfect world. I believe two more visits will suffice, and I will clear you as mentally sound.”

“That means I’m not crazy, right?”

“Precisely.”

“Works for me,” he said as he sat upon his bed. “So, are you leaving now?”

“Yes, I am. You need your rest,” Dr. Schultz said as she put the chair back. She then opened her briefcase and handed him a white card with some black writing on it. “That’s my business card. You need to set up two more appointments with me at this address.”

She pointed to a few lines with numbers and words on it that Cyrus didn’t understand. Before he could ask, Dr. Schultz said, “Show that to anyone who lives in this Dome and they can help you, okay?”

“Okay.”

Dr. Schultz gave him a small wave as she headed out the door. She was about to leave, but then paused just outside his door. “One more thing before I go.”

Cyrus looked up at her and she said, “Always keep that place in your mind that belongs only to you, and I think you’ll do well here.”

“Thank you, Dr. Schultz,” Cyrus answered sincerely. “See you again soon.”

The psychiatrist smiled at him briefly, then headed on her way. Cyrus lay back down on his bed and could barely contain his excitement. He had passed his exams and tomorrow he would finally be able to leave the hospital. He shut his eyes and imagined what it would be like until he drifted off to sleep.

The following morning, Cyrus was given the clearance he needed to get out of the hospital. Before he left, he was visited by John Eldrick once more. The Pittsburgh Dome Leader explained to him that he needed to be registered at City Hall and get his residency card for Pittsburgh. The young man listened carefully and was grateful for the explanation. John Eldrick left him after Scott arrived with Ms. Linda, and he reassured him that Ms. Linda could help him through the process if he had any questions.

Once outside of the hospital, Cyrus took a big gulp of fresh air and stretched his long legs happily before the three of them set off for City Hall. The walk there was an interesting experience for Cyrus. After all, the young man had never been outside without being led in a big line of other people. For that matter, he was still getting used to the idea that he could choose when he went to the bathroom instead of waiting for a door to unlock.

He walked down the street with Scott and Ms. Linda, seeing all kinds of different people going about their business. They were all colors, shapes and sizes going down the street. He was especially shocked by the age differences. Constantly being surrounded by people his age made him completely unused to seeing people who were so much older than he was. The wrinkled skin, white hair, and slow-moving forms were all so foreign and fascinating to him. He was also surprised by how friendly people were. They waved to him and said “Hello,” even when they didn’t know him. It was all so strange to Cyrus, but it was strange in a good way.

The trio reached City Hall after walking down the street for about ten minutes. City Hall was a large rectangular gray building with three large arches at the bottom. He couldn’t help but stare at the building’s architecture as it was very different from anything he’d seen before. Cyrus approached the doors and was surprised when they drew back on their own. Chuckling at his surprise, Scott pushed Cyrus inside.

Ms. Linda led them both to the registration desk while Cyrus took in the strange sight of so many different people wearing these odd clothes. All of them either had jackets, with collared shirts and slacks or skirts if they were women. Yet, the shirts, jackets, slacks and skirts were all different colors. The colorful clothing and busy nature of the office continued to fascinate Cyrus as they made their way to the registration desk.

“Hello there,” a middle-aged woman with curly blonde hair told them all politely, “how can I help you today?”

“This is Cyrus Wright. He arrived here a few days ago after escaping one of the Dead Zones near this Dome. Mr. Wright needs to get registered into the system and receive his ID card.”

“All right, I can easily make that happen for you,” the woman said in a helpful tone. “Okay, Mr. Wright. Please come here and fill out this simple form for me.”

He did as he was told and wrote all the information he could. He was told to leave the information he didn’t know blank. The process was over very quickly, and after entering the information into her computer, the lady asked to take a picture of him. Cyrus stood in front of a blank gray wall and smiled for the camera. The flash left spots in his eyes, and the lady thanked him for his cooperation. He received a temporary dome card to keep with him at all times until his Dome ID card was ready. Cyrus thanked the woman, and they went on their way.

The three left City Hall together, and Cyrus looked back at the red brick building as they stepped outside. “Is this all they do here? Give people ID cards and get them registered?”

“Well, no,” Ms. Linda’s voice was patient as she explained. “City Hall is where people can go to file taxes, change their addresses or apply to change their names, among other things.”

“Change your name?” Cyrus’s brows furrowed at the idea. “You mean I could choose a different name if I wanted to and it would become my name?”

“That’s the idea. Do you want to change your name?” Ms. Linda was curious.

“No, of course not. I like my name.”

“Good. I’ve always liked your name too.”

Cyrus raised an eyebrow as a thought occurred to him. “I know this is going to be a strange question, but what’s
your
name Ms. Linda? I’ve known you for so long, and yet I still don’t know what your full name is.”

“And I would have preferred it that way, honestly. But, since you asked,” Ms. Linda paused and gave a little sigh, “my full name is Belinda Linda.”

“Belinda Linda?” Cyrus repeated with a small gag. “What a horrible name.” He then realized what a rude statement that was and clapped a hand over his mouth, hoping his former caretaker wouldn’t be too angry. To his relief, she gave a small chuckle.

“I’m not arguing. It’s the truth.”

“So, why not change it?”

Ms. Linda shrugged. “I don’t know really. I guess I’ve never found the time to do it since I’ve been here. Besides, I really don’t know what I would want to change it to. I go by Linda here and that’s fine with me.”

Cyrus nodded his understanding and Scott, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, came into their line of sight to draw their attention.

“So, where to next?” Scott asked, sounding impatient to be on their way.

“Well, we need to take Cyrus to school and sign him up for his classes,” Ms. Linda said as she raised a finger to count off their tasks, “then we need to arrange for his remaining psychiatric appointments.”

Cyrus had been distracted by watching the people milling around him, but at the reminder, he looked at his old caretaker and said, “Oh yeah, those things.”

Ms. Linda looked curiously, surprised by his tone. “Is there a problem?”

“No, not really,” Cyrus reassured her. “But do I really have to  make more appointments? I passed the first one and proved I wasn’t a—what’s the word—spy.”

“They thought you were a spy?” Scott’s question was a mixture of surprise and anger.

Cyrus shrugged. “The psychiatrist said they had to be sure before they let me out. That’s why I don’t get why I have to go again. Wasn’t once enough?”

“I think it will only be two more appointments,” Ms. Linda reassured him. “Besides, they’re not doing these next ones because they think you’re here to spy for the perfect world. They’re doing them to help you adjust.” Cyrus opened his mouth to argue, but Ms. Linda placed a finger to his lips to stop him. “And no, you can’t skip them. It’s part of your integration procedure. If you don’t go, you’ll get into trouble, and you don’t want to be in trouble within your first two weeks of being inside the Pittsburgh Dome, do you?”

“No, Ms. Linda,” the young man replied quickly, knowing that there was no room for argument in this matter.  

“Good. Now, come on you two.” Ms. Linda had started walking off and waved at them to hurry up. “I’d like to get all this finished in one day if we can.”

“Coming!” Scott called, and the two of them took a few big strides and caught up to the short woman. They took off at a brisk pace and soon found themselves at their destination. The school building was a small red one with no distinctive features. Still, the lighting around it was warm, and it seemed welcoming enough.

Right before they entered, Cyrus decided to ask the question that had been on his mind since the topic of school was brought up. “Hey, Ms. Linda, what is it I’m going to be studying?”

“Well, you’ll have to take all the required remedial courses in math, science, English, and history. The rest of it is up to you.”

Cyrus had been following, but the last sentence left him a bit confused. “You mean, I’m going to choose what it is I learn?”

Scott smiled widely at him before saying, “Hard to believe, isn’t it? After being forced to study the same boring material over and over again for weeks, I couldn’t believe it either.” He gave Cyrus a pat on the back. “Don’t worry, once the weirdness wears off, you’ll find it really enjoyable.”

“You’ll finally be able to satiate that curiosity of yours.” His caretaker spoke with a certain fondness as she opened the door.

Cyrus and Scott followed after her and were greeted by the buzz of fluorescent lights. A musky smell hit Cyrus’s nostrils as he stepped inside, but it was soon overpowered by an unfamiliar fragrant aroma. The young man felt himself perk up a bit at the smell and looked to find its source. He saw a small mug on the desk labeled “reception.” The beverage it held was a light brown, and he thought he remembered seeing this same drink, albeit a much darker color, sitting on the desks in the perfect world.

“Would you like some coffee, my dear?”

The voice behind the counter prompted him to look up and meet the green eyes of a rather plump woman. Her face, tinged with a bit of red on her cheeks, was very kind, and her voice was genuinely sweet.

“I don’t know. I’ve never had coffee before,” he replied honestly.

The woman behind the counter looked a bit stunned. “Oh, you poor dear.”

“He’s just escaped from the perfect world,” Ms. Linda explained a bit curtly, clearly wanting to move things along. “We’re here to sign him up for some remedial courses and some technical courses as well.”

“Yes, of course,” the receptionist responded quickly and got up to find the proper forms. In less than a minute, she had them all and promptly set the down in front of Ms. Linda. Though he couldn’t be sure, Cyrus thought he saw a small smile of approval on Ms. Linda’s stern face.

The process itself was not too difficult, but Cyrus had a ton of questions. He knew he had no choice in his remedial classes, but the  choices he did have astounded him. There was so much to choose from. He was excited but overwhelmed at the same time. He was beginning to realize just how little he actually knew. In the end, Cyrus chose some mechanical classes for his technical classes, along with an architectural class. He figured since he’d always liked knowing how things worked, he would be satisfied with those for now.

They exited the building, with Ms. Linda leading the way, Scott walking casually behind and Cyrus lagging behind, gazing back towards the building. Cyrus wondered briefly if he really would be able to handle all this. Every new answer seemed to bring a hundred and one new questions, just like before.

“You okay Cyrus?” Scott asked when he noticed his friend wasn’t following them.

“Yeah.” Cyrus shrugged noncommittally.

“No,” Scott repeated using the same tone that Cyrus had used. Scott gave him a knowing smile and said, “You feel like you’re never going to learn all this, right?” Cyrus met his friend’s dark eyes and nodded. “I felt the same way when I got here. I was placed into classes with the other kids, but I was way behind. For a while I had to be tutored so that I could catch up. It was really frustrating for a while, but once I caught up, I didn’t have any problems. I’m sure you’ll be the same way.”

“I hope so,” Cyrus managed to say with a small, apprehensive sigh. Wanting to change the subject, he added, “Did you say ‘other kids’?”

“Well, you don’t think we’re the only two people our age in the whole dome, do you?”

“I guess … I don’t know,” Cyrus admitted, beginning to feel overwhelmed all over again.

Scott’s teasing grin faded, and he looked sympathetic. “Sorry, I guess I shouldn’t joke about this stuff. Anyway, there are quite a few people our age in this dome. I’m sure you’ll meet them once we’re done with all our errands.”   

“And for that to happen, we need to keep moving.” Ms. Linda had walked back up to them while they were talking and her hands were on her hips. “We’ll have time to talk about all this when we get home.”

“‘Home’?” Cyrus repeated, never having heard the word before. “What’s a ‘home?’”

Cyrus thought he had said something wrong because both Scott and Ms. Linda became glassy-eyed. Finally, Ms. Linda broke the silence and said, “It’s a place where you choose to live. A place that you grow to think of as yours, where people you care about live with you.”

“Is there such a place?” he asked, the whole concept seeming a bit surreal to him.

“For you, there will be,” Ms. Linda assured him as she started turning away. “We’ve got to get you signed up for your psychiatric appointments. Let’s go.”

The rest of the walk was done in silence as Cyrus mulled over all he’d seen and been told in a short period of time. The people walking freely, all the different subjects he could take and the idea of a home. All of it seemed so unfathomable and yet he felt as much excitement as he did apprehension. 

The psychiatric ward was a ways away from the school, but the long walk gave Cyrus some time to think, and he was grateful for that. They arrived at their destination about twenty minutes later, and Cyrus found himself staring at a dull black building with white letters on the front. The inside wasn’t much more impressive, although there were a few more colors.

Setting up his appointments took far less time than signing up for his classes as all they had to do was set up a time for him to show up. They chose an afternoon time when he didn’t have class, and once he had signed his name, they were free to go.

At this point, Cyrus’s stomach gave a loud grumble. Scott heard the noise and grinned.

“Hungry?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s about time. I’ve been ready for lunch for the past hour.”

“You’re always hungry,” Ms. Linda chided with a shake of her head. “Didn’t you have a big breakfast this morning?”