The Perfect World (The Perfect World Series Book 1) (32 page)

Cyrus pointed to the end of the bags. “It’s over there.”

Xavier raised an eyebrow. “Why did you put it way over there? You afraid the rest of us bite or something?”

“Something like that,” Cyrus murmured, his cheeks going a little red.

Xavier’s face softened in understanding. “Well, don’t worry about it. Just go grab your bag and bring it over here before break’s over. I’ll invite some of the others to sit with us so you can meet a few more people.”

“Ah, okay,” Cyrus replied, not sure if he liked the idea or not. He trotted over to where his bag was, picked it up and ran back. By the time he got back, Xavier and Priscilla were sitting in a circle with three other students. One was tall and skinny like him, with dirty blond hair and brown eyes. Another was a girl with short black hair and violet highlights. She was quite small and slender, with few curves to speak of. Then, there was a boy puffing and panting on the edge of the circle. He was the largest boy Cyrus had ever seen. His hair was curly like Xavier’s, except that it was lighter and longer, falling to his shoulders. He had thick bushy eyebrows above his green eyes, and his face was very pudgy. He had a big round stomach, and his arms and legs seemed to giggle when he moved. The boy met Cyrus’s gaze shyly, and he realized that he was staring. Feeling guilty, Cyrus smiled a friendly smile at the other boy and sat down on the grass with the others. They all immediately turned to gaze at him, and he turned away from them, digging in his backpack for his water bottle. He dug for a little bit, then cursed when he realized he didn’t have one.

“Forgot your water bottle?” Xavier asked though he already knew the answer. Cyrus was about to reply, when the petite girl handed him a small water bottle.

“Here, use this one,” she said as she handed it over to him. Her voice was very sweet. “I have an extra one.”

Cyrus felt both touched and embarrassed as he said, “Thank you …”

“Sahane,” she replied with a warm smile. “And you’re …?”

“Cyrus.”

“Oh, geez, I’m sorry,” Xavier spluttered as he remembered that Cyrus didn’t know anyone. “Cyrus, this is Victor,” the dirty blond-haired boy raised a hand in greeting, “Sahane,” the small girl nodded, “and this is Julian.” The heavy set boy nodded meekly and turned away.

“Way to forget that he’s new here after you just met him two minutes ago,” Priscilla teased.

“Oh, so that’s why I’ve never seen you before,” Victor said as he looked over at Cyrus. “Did you move here from another dome?”

“Um, well, no,” Cyrus said quickly, taking a big gulp of water. He didn’t really want to say exactly where he was from, but he realized that the looks the others were trading already showed that they were suspicious of his answer. Sighing, he leaned in towards them all and said, “I’m from the perfect world.”

Now all of them turned to him with a mixture of facial expressions. He saw different types of uncertainty on the faces of his three new acquaintances; understanding on Xavier’s and an unexpected look of sympathy from Priscilla.    

A hush seemed to fall over the group as he said the words. Cyrus felt some tension in the air, so he waited until one of them decided to say something.

“What was it like?” Xavier asked quietly. “Is it as horrible as they say?”

Cyrus thought about it a moment, not sure what to say. He lived in a house with two other people who had lived in the perfect world, so he’d never had to explain it before. Finally, he found what he wanted to say and slowly pieced it together.

“Imagine being in a place where everything was chosen for you. You can’t pick what clothes you wear, what food you eat or even when you can go leave your room. You’re told you’re special and yet if you question anything you’re told, then you’re considered sick and kept away from the other students for their own good. You’re told you have a destiny, but you’re never told what it is. In a way, it’s a very easy life where you’re not required to do anything. The problem is that there was no joy in it. It’s not really living. It’s just getting by.”

Silence greeted the end of his words. While he was speaking, he saw that he had a fully captive audience. When he finished, they looked away from him as if they didn’t know what to say.

“Wow,” Xavier said, breaking the silence. “Just wow.”

Before anyone could say more, a whistle blew and their teacher summoned them to form ranks again. His group all got up, put down their water bottles and ran towards their teacher. This time when he lined up, Cyrus found himself between Xavier and Priscilla. Both of them smiled at him before they turned back to General Gray, and Cyrus was grateful that he at least had somebody he knew around him this time.

The rest of the class went by quickly as General Gray began instructing them in proper marching techniques and basic drills. Cyrus kept up with everyone else for the most part, though he did turn the wrong direction and stumble a few times during the marching drills. Priscilla and Xavier were quick to turn him around or catch him as the situation permitted. He noticed that when Priscilla caught him, her hands lingered on him quite a bit longer than Xavier’s.

When the first class was over for the day, General Gray gathered them together again and told them that it had been a very successful first class and that he looked forward to working with them more as the year went on. He dismissed them with a salute, which everyone mimicked and walked off to gather his equipment.

Cyrus turned and walked back to his backpack with Priscilla and Xavier in tow. Cyrus, knowing he had to be in class soon, was in a hurry to leave the soccer field. Before he left, however, Xavier clapped his shoulder and said, ”It was nice to meet you today Cyrus. We’re going to see a lot more of each other every morning for the next year, so if you need anything just let me know.”

“Oh, I don’t want to trouble you,” Cyrus protested, not wanting to seem like he couldn’t take care of himself.

Priscilla snorted at that. “It’s no trouble, Cyrus. We’re both happy to help you. Although, sometimes Xavier’s help can be more trouble than it’s worth.”

“Thanks a lot,” the curly-haired boy muttered in irritation.

“Hey, it’s just a joke.” Priscilla cuffed him lightly on the arm before turning back to Cyrus. “Seriously, though, don’t hesitate to ask if you need something. I’ll do what I can to help you. I’m sure Sahane, Victor, and Julian would all say the same.” She threw her braid back over her shoulder with a shake of her head. “After all, this is how it should be. People helping people.”

“People helping people.” It was an idea he was still getting used to after living in the perfect world.

Priscilla smiled sympathetically at the words. “I’m sure it seems strange to you after living in that
place
for so long, but you’ll get used to it. Kindness is something that you’ll come to like living here.”

Cyrus smiled as he slipped his bag over his shoulders. “Well, I need to take a shower and get to my classes. I don’t want to be late.”

“Sure thing.” Xavier waved him off as he grabbed his own bag. “I wouldn’t want you to get marked down on the count of bad body odor.”

Cyrus said goodbye to the two of them and walked quickly towards the school grounds. His steps were light as he left the field, and he felt a good deal better now than he had when he first arrived. To his surprise, he was now looking forward to the next physical training session.

Another month passed by quickly as the hot summer faded into cooler fall weather. The physical training courses grew a bit tougher, but Cyrus felt like they were making him stronger. They started becoming one of his favorite classes, right up there with history. Mostly, he enjoyed the time he spent with Xavier, Priscilla and the others.

Xavier and him had quickly become friends, and he often went to hang out at Xavier’s house after school. Scott and Xavier also knew each other pretty well, so sometimes Scott would join them. Xavier was very lighthearted and cheerful, so the atmosphere was always good when he was around.

Priscilla also dropped by quite often when she found out that he was over with Xavier. He didn’t mind it so much as Priscilla’s biting humor could often be a good offset to Xavier’s own light attitude. Although, he noticed Scott didn’t seem too fond of her and seemed turned off whenever she was around. Cyrus had tried asking about it, but Scott never really answered his question. After a few times, Cyrus had let it go and stopped asking.

As it was, Victor, Sahane and Julian occasionally dropped by Xavier’s house, as well. Victor was quiet, but straightforward and was very good at building things with his hands. Sahane was a very sweet girl and genuinely kind, always willing to help him with something if he needed it. Julian, once he got over his shyness, was actually quite talkative. He was very much into computers and actually had already gotten a job at one of the computer security companies in charge of monitoring the perfect world. Cyrus was enjoying getting to know all of them as they continued their physical training.

Though Cyrus was greatly enjoying his new life in the Pittsburgh Dome, he hadn’t entirely forgotten his old life. In fact, whenever he was having a good time with his new friends, his mind would wander to Melody. He wondered what she would say if she were able to see and talk to these people the way he was. He smiled when he thought of all the ideas she had though that smile faded when it occurred to him that she would never get the chance to use those ideas for herself unless she escaped.

Those thoughts stayed with him as he continued his studies, particularly during his history classes. In his world history class, he was getting to the final one hundred years before hitting the modern history section. It was fascinating to him to see the progression of humanity towards freedom. Once, all of mankind was ruled by kings, queens, emperors, along with tyrants and dictators. Yet, more and more of these all-powerful figures fell and disappeared. The middlemen who would take  advantage of such systems were also failing. People were getting to a point where they could truly rule themselves. 

Yet, it all changed after many of the world’s economies contracted, receded and collapsed. For some nations, the collapse brought hard times, which they eventually recovered from. A few were even better for it. However, there were some nations that never recovered, no matter how much time had passed. All the solutions presented failed and the people became restless, desperate. That desperation brought about a need for security, a need that people felt should be fulfilled at any cost. 

American history seemed to follow that pattern, much to Cyrus’s frustration. The American people went from being optimistic, innovative and hardworking to a people who couldn’t be bothered to research what issues they were voting for and simply voted by name recognition. Even worse was their loyalty to one political party or the other, which made them care more about which side won than about what was good for the country as a whole.

They were reaching the end of their American history study session. He and Mr. Schumacher had only modern American history left to cover, which was the history of the country divided into the domes. The last section of American history had left his stomach in knots as he read of its self-destruction. He wasn’t sure if the next part would be any less aggravating for him. 

This was because something had been bothering Cyrus for a while as he took this class. He just wasn’t sure how to fit the question into the discussion or how to bring it up. Mr. Schumacher seemed to understand what he was thinking about, because he asked, “What’s on your mind, Cyrus?”

“Well, it’s just, I don’t understand.” He ended with a large exhale of breath.

“What don’t you understand?” Mr. Schumacher asked kindly.

“This.” Cyrus slapped the history book with his hand. “These people, they were able to have choices. They had freedom. They were able to speak freely, hold different opinions and try to pursue their dreams regardless of where they came from. They were able to make something of themselves, and all they had to do was put in the effort. So why,” Cyrus clenched his fist, feeling agitated, “why would they give all of it away?”

Mr. Schumacher was quiet for a moment, before asking, “Cyrus, what sounds easier, working hard for yourself or having someone else take care of you?”

“Having someone else take care of you,” Cyrus answered quickly.

“Exactly. Given a choice between the two, what do you think people will choose?”

“Whichever one’s easier,” Cyrus answered grimly.

“That, in a nutshell, is why.” Mr. Schumacher looked as grim as he sounded. “The people living just prior to the perfect world’s incarnation were offered a choice between working for themselves and living the hard road of freedom or having someone else provide them with every one of their wants and needs. People want the most they can get for the least amount of work. That made the choice easy for them.”

“But,” Cyrus protested, “couldn’t they see the price of such a life? The perfect world was already being tried in other places around the world! It was easy to see that it wasn’t any different from any other tyrannical regime that had been tried throughout history. Even knowing that, even seeing what this choice would bring them, they still chose the perfect world!”

“It had gotten to the point where people saw only what they wanted to see and not what was true,” Mr. Schumacher replied calmly, trying to explain it. “The facts were clear as day in front of them, but they didn’t want to believe it. They called those who tried to show them the truth ‘liars.’ They ridiculed, demeaned and mocked them as conspirators who were just out for themselves. They wanted this life so badly. They wanted to believe there was a way for them to live their whole lives without having to work for it. They wanted it  so badly, and they were willing to do anything to get it.”

“Even kill their own countrymen?”

“Especially kill their own countrymen,” Mr. Schumacher confirmed, ”for they were the only thing standing between them and their desires.” 

“What was
wrong
with them?” Cyrus asked, looking his teacher straight in the eye. “I just don’t understand why someone would do that.”

“It was simple. Their actions were driven by fear.”

“Fear?”

“Yes, fear.” His teacher took a drink of water and continued. “Fear that they wouldn’t be able to feed themselves once they were forced to fend for themselves. Fear that they wouldn’t be able to pay their bills. Fear that others would have more than them and look down upon them. Fear that they just wouldn’t be able to handle life on their own.”

Mr. Schumacher paused to stare back at Cyrus. It was the most melancholic expression Cyrus had ever seen on his face. Then, he spoke a few words in a quiet voice.

“Some people simply can’t live without having someone else tell them what to do.”

Cyrus let that sink in, pity growing within him.

“Freedom is difficult,” Mr. Schumacher continued. “Freedom means taking care of yourself. It offers you nothing but the clothes on your back and the ability to forge your own path with your own hands. Freedom means that you’re going to fail sometimes and that you’ll face hard times. The rewards, however, can be massive if the person does not give up.” Mr. Schumacher sighed. “Unfortunately, back in the time before the perfect world’s conception, most people had. They decided they would rather have someone allocate their destiny than work towards building one of their own.”

“Destiny?” Cyrus repeated. The word brought back images of his former life in the perfect world, and with them, Melody. “Sir, if I may, what is this destiny they talk about in the perfect world. I was always told that I had one, but I never knew what it meant.”

Mr. Schumacher visibly hesitated at the question, then he gave in with a sigh. “I was hoping to put this conversation off for a while. I suppose now is as good a time as any though.”

He took another big gulp of water and said, “After the perfect world took over as the ruling authority of the world, it was determined that they would decide how the common man will spend their lives. Basically, they would determine what job they would have for the rest of their days or if they were to have a job at all.”

“How could they have no job?” Cyrus questioned, with a strange sensation of dread growing within him at the revelation.

“I’ll get to that. Just listen for now,” Mr. Schumacher responded before going on. “The children of the perfect world are monitored very closely in the Dead Zones they inhabit. The caretakers who run each floor are asked to take notes on every child they take  care of. The buildings the children live in are also monitored with hidden cameras so that security teams can view their actions every day until they reach age twenty-five.”

“We were monitored?” Cyrus responded in shock, thinking of all the times that he had met with Scott and Melody.

“Yes, though sometimes not as closely as they should be. Work ethic largely depends on how closely the guards themselves are monitored.”

“But—” Cyrus protested, “when I was there, I used to meet with Scott and my friend Melody whenever we were let out to go to the bathroom. If they were watching us, why didn’t they stop us?”

“Good question,” Mr. Schumacher answered with a nod. “You see, when the perfect world first started, everyone was monitored very closely. Any signs of disobedience were met with the harshest punishments, usually resulting in death. These incidents were done publicly to ensure that no one else got the idea to rebel or question their authority. However, as time wore on, there was no longer any need for such harsh tactics. The people of the world became accustomed and obedient to the will of their masters.

“Actually, after a few decades had passed, the harsh punishments became more of a hindrance than a help. Sometimes, floors full of young people would become suspicious of the laws and rules of the perfect world. It used to be that these students would simply be rounded up and dealt with. However, these actions began to arouse doubt and unease in the other children in the perfect world, so they deemed it wiser to hold on punishment for disobedience unless it was a severe case. This made certain decisions easier to make, after all.”

“What decisions?”

“Decisions regarding people’s destinies,” Mr. Schumacher answered, and his face was grim. “The government of the perfect world only has a need of a certain number of people to do the work in the Factory Zones and produce the goods they need for trade and to put food on their tables. Those people are usually chosen because of their body type and size. They need the strongest people possible.”

Cyrus considered this. “So that’s why they started sending us to the gym after we were done with school.”

Mr. Schumacher smiled. “Good connection. Yes, that is why they do it. Now, do you think they choose more men for these factory positions or women?”

“Men,” Cyrus answered easily.

“Right again. The male children are often designated to work in the factories and perform the back-breaking labor needed to keep the world running as the perfect world government needs it. “

“What about the women?”

“The women are often placed into four jobs. One is in the role as caretakers, like the ones you used to see in your dormitory. Many of them are used as teachers within the Dead Zones. Other times, they become wives for some of those people who are in the Residential Zones or the Government Zones. Then, there are the breeders.”

“Breeders?”

“You did get through your unit on human biology, did you not?” Mr. Schumacher asked. Cyrus nodded. “Then, you understand how human beings are created. Some of the women of the perfect world are chosen just for breeding children. More workers to keep the perfect world going. These women never get to hold these children or even name them. They are taken from them straight from birth and placed into the care of the perfect world.”

Cyrus was deeply disgusted. “That’s no better than being treated like an animal.” Then something dawned on him. Something far worse. “My mother was one of these people, wasn’t she?”

“Yes, she was,” Mr. Schumacher answered sympathetically. “Typically, these women have anywhere from ten to fifteen children before they lose their usefulness. You could have as many as fourteen half brothers or sisters.”

Cyrus didn’t even want to think about that. It made him feel sick. “What do you mean, lose their usefulness?”

“Well, eventually, women lose their ability to reproduce. It can happen through old age or from complications with previous pregnancies. Once that happens, they can no longer contribute to the perfect world. Thus, they are disposed of accordingly.”

“They’re … they’re killed?” Cyrus was horrified.

“Yes, that is the destiny of those who can provide nothing to the perfect world. Their destiny is to be slaughtered. Yet, these people are luckier than some.”