Unison (The Spheral) (5 page)

Several Unitians stood by the pier to watch us as we stepped off the boat. Wade made a show of it and waved to everyone.

“Loosen your sleeves, and forget about your vision. I already did,” he said with a beaming smile.

Had this happened the previous year, I would’ve been first off the boat, getting intoxicated off the shocked expressions and fingers pointed our way. Today, I feared dying of the scourge, or at the very least, losing my offers of assignment because of Wade’s obsession over Nasia.

He leaned towards me and whispered, “Don’t say a word. I’ll handle this.”

Border guards escorted us to the marina base station for in-processing. We returned our plazers and met with two Unity Guards who questioned us over our passing the beacons. Wade gained authority over the situation minutes after the questioning began. The two guards were completely absorbed with Wade’s dramatic telling of our deep-sea adventure.

“This last year at University wore me down,” Wade said. “A vacation seemed the ideal way to escape the drudgery of my routine, but all my fears and insecurities followed me out to sea. It was as though a massive bomb detonated inside my head. I wanted everything to stop.”

Wade seemed on the verge of tears, and one of the guards helped him to a chair.

“After eight bottles of berry ale, my inhibitions were all gone.” Wade’s eyes narrowed, and he spoke almost in a whisper. “I climbed over the rail and was ready to surrender myself to the calm, inviting waters beneath me, but Damon remained by my side. He talked to me until my senses returned. Had he left me alone to check if we passed the beacons, I wouldn’t be here answering your questions.” Wade pointed his finger at me. “That man is a hero. He should be rewarded, not treated like a criminal.”

The guards nodded in agreement, and it took great effort to keep myself from laughing. They believed Wade’s story, and after three days in isolation we showed no signs of the scourge and were released.

For most of our walk home, Wade remained quiet until we first caught sight of the dome. He stopped and gazed solemnly ahead.

“Did you find your answer?” I asked.

“We passed the beacons and didn’t catch the scourge.”

“We were lucky.”

“Or we’re being lied to. I have to know what Nasia really saw.”

“A pile of rocks. She admitted it.”

“If I see them for myself, I’ll believe it.”

“What if Master Tyrus’s request for an expedition is denied?”

“I’ll cross the old tunnel alone.” Wade faced me. “One way or another, I’m going to find out the truth.”

During our trek back, Wade continued talking, and I listened. By the time we entered the dome, he talked himself out of his dark mood and even bet me a case of berry ale for our next paddleball match. With his competitive spirit in the forefront, I knew he’d be all right…for now. I was still concerned about my vision, and he tried to assuage me by blaming it on my implant or stress brought on by my last year at University. Both explanations were viable, but the image of Wade lying dead on the ground was difficult to forget.

Thanks to Wade’s performance at the marina base station, I was rewarded with a larger loft, and my story was presented on every city screen. The attention led Master Kai to request for me to work directly under him. I tried to thank Wade for his help, but he refused to accept anything from me.

“After I beat you in our next match, the case of berry ale will be payment enough,” he told me.

Wade didn’t win the match but beat me in the following one, and that was the end of my obligation to him. Wade never brought up his role in my success, which made me feel less deserving of it. That didn’t last for long. My ambition of making maroon sleeve before my thirtieth year made me forget what inspired me to begin my journey. By deception I moved up, and by deception I’d continue.

THE SIX

M
aster Tyrus’s petition to explore the deathlands began after Nasia returned to Unity with claims of having traveled beyond the old tunnel. She shocked all of Unity when she greeted the access guards with her hair cut shorter than my own. Nasia’s appearance sparked a passionate argument between the sexes, and women openly stated their desire to cut their braids. A sympathetic schoolmaster even orchestrated a time for women to toss the liberated strands from their windows in a show of solidarity. When over fifty of his students took his challenge, the schoolmaster was sent to reintegration for inciting a revolt. The farce continued when Master Avery gave a speech that was broadcasted on every city screen. I bit my bottom lip to keep from laughing in front of the purple sleeves that were standing beside me.

“If we allow women to flaunt themselves with short tresses, we invite back the plight of the forgotten times when they nearly tempted men to destruction,” Master Avery said with breathtaking certitude. “Our women are empowered by their designated positions in our society, but Ancient women fallaciously believed their sexuality empowered them. They used it in excess and ended up objectifying themselves, devaluing their own humanity. The temptation for unregulated sexual gratification was impossible to resist, and man lost his dominance over his primal nature. Revealing clothing, unbound hair, and face paint led man to detach from his morals, which opened the door to violence and greed. Unity between nations was severed and created the distrust that led to the wars of the forgotten times. If we let women tempt us back into submission, we’ll repeat our violent past and eventually yield to self-destruction.”

A video of an explosion followed and concealed my laughter, which I could contain no longer. Although I agreed with the Sacred Oath, Master Avery’s argument was absurd, but it successfully beclouded the real story: Nasia had pictures of a majestic city built beneath an Ancient temple. I was intrigued...and envious. Nasia had done what I had only dreamed about as a child, and I was eager to hear all about her adventures in the deathlands.

Four days after Nasia’s return, Wade and I tried to visit her, but she was still in isolation. It was unusual to be detained for over three days. When we inquired if she had the scourge, we were sent away and told if there was any news, it would be reported on the city screens. Wade feared something terrible had happened to Nasia, and it was during this time he started to mistrust the Corporate Hierarchy.

“What do you think Nasia saw out there?” he asked.

“I’m not making any judgements until we talk to her.”

“What if they won’t let us?”

“The only reason they wouldn’t is if she has the scourge.”

“No…something’s wrong,” Wade said. “They wouldn’t even let her give a statement to the exploiters when she first returned.”

“There’s no conspiracy here. The guards were following procedure. Isolation is mandatory for everyone who passes the beacons.”

“Then why do I get the feeling they’re hiding something?”

“You sound like a Striker.” I laughed. “Sure you’re not one of them?”

“I’m seriously considering membership. They’ve been making more sense than the Overseer lately.”

“If Nasia has the scourge, she may be delusional.”

“I saw the pictures taken of her. She looked lucid in all of them.”

“I hope you’re right, but you have to prepare for the worst. A therapeutic dose of escape should alleviate your stress until—”

“Save the psychoanalysis for your internship. I
know
Nasia. If she said she saw something, I believe her. Any other explanation the purple sleeves throw at us will be a lie.” Wade shook his head. “I should’ve gone with her.”

“Then you’d also be in isolation.”

“And with the woman I love.” Wade peered at me. “But you have no idea what that means.”

“I know how much Nasia means to you, but what you’re saying isn’t helping. You have to stay strong for the both of you.”

“If anything happens to her, no amount of escape will help me. I’ll never forgive myself for letting her leave alone.”

I talked to Wade further, but my counsel offered him no relief. Master Tyrus wasn’t any more helpful as he also believed Nasia. His fascination with the Ancients led him to request that she appear for questioning before the Chosen. Before he had a chance to bring it up for a vote, Master Avery handed him a signed statement from Nasia. She now declared what she saw was a hallucination brought on by the scourge. The image she captured was nothing more than a boulder formation.

Nasia voluntarily ended her life two weeks after her return to Unity, and her request for death was witnessed on every city screen. When she made her announcement, her hair was covered by a scarf so as not to offend the Overseer and Corporate Hierarchy. She appeared at peace and smiled during her delivery. “I, Nasia 1306-111-3F put before you all a request for death. I don’t wish to endure the late-stage symptoms of the scourge and have decided to end my suffering. Thanks for all the letters of support. I’m blessed to have lived and loved in Unity.”

Wade raced to the hospital and tried to force his way in to see Nasia. Unity Forces were called to restrain him while Nasia was given a lethal dose of escape. She died peacefully, and Wade was spared from reintegration because of his relationship with her. That would’ve been the end of the controversy had Master Tyrus not begun his own investigation. He examined reports and testimonies where several Unitians mentioned visiting a city beyond the old tunnel. Their testimonies were refuted after they were all diagnosed with the scourge that ended up claiming their lives. Master Tyrus found it unlikely that people who never met would have the same hallucination. His doubts about Nasia’s story prompted his decision to explore the deathlands, even if it meant his own death. Master Tyrus’s conviction gained him a loyal following among the lower colors, many of whom volunteered for what his proteges referred to as the
courageous road to truth
. After a year of petitioning, Master Tyrus had enough support and presented a request for expedition to the Overseer.

Every diagnostic test I ran on my implant proved it wasn’t malfunctioning. My vision of Wade’s death became my biggest concern. When I warned him against camping alone, he laughed and followed it up with his typical response of my needing to loosen my sleeves. I adopted a similar attitude when the vision failed to repeat itself and blamed it on the exhaustion and stress from my last year at University.

With Wade’s impending death pushed to the back of my mind, I settled into my assignment, looking for opportunities to advance myself. One soon arrived when Master Kai called me to his office. I was apprehensive as this was my first meeting with him, and I wanted to make my best impression.

“You may sit,” Master Kai said after I bowed.

I glanced at all the commendations as I sat.

“I have your first assignment. Handle this well, and you’ll have one of your own to hang on the wall.” He waved his hand towards his commendations. “And after your five year apprenticeship, I’ll take you on as my First, which means you’ll be eligible to become a Chosen.”

“I work for the good of Unity, Master Kai, not for an award.”

“That’s encouraging to hear in the midst of all the chaos. Earlier this morning a Striker attempted to disable one of the transmission towers.”