Utopia

Chapter 14

     A few more weeks pass. Three days after we get our tattoos someone shows up at our dorm to tell us to go to a meeting. They give us a dress code: No shorts, no showing shoulders or too much cleavage (if you're a girl), no sandals etc. It's all boring so I don't bother listening. I dress myself in black skinny jeans, gray suede military boots, a white T-shirt and a dark blue blazer with the sleeves rolled up to my elbows. I decided to go with that for no reason other than it's a military briefing. Dahlia emerges hurriedly (we were going to be late if we didn't go soon) in a pair of gray jeans, a black T-shirt with a brown blazer, and matching boots. We hurry down to the tram (it's a lifesaver) and walk towards the room with a security guard. He lets us through and I prepare myself for the awesomeness of the military meeting room.

     The second I step in to the room my breath is taken away. The walls, ceiling and floor are white, there is a giant table with a holographic top. It can project three-dimensional images right in the middle of the table. It has several blue chairs around it. They are rooted to the ground and look comfortable, but not too comfortable. Julianne Black, our leader, is at the head, standing while everyone else is sitting. We are the last to arrive, but the meeting isn't supposed to start for four more minutes. We take out labeled seats and wait. I sit straight in my chair with my legs crossed and my hands on my lap. Dahlia does too. General Black stands and looks at me. Her gray-streaked chestnut hair is tied back in a tight low bun. She's wearing her military uniform and stands with her back as straight as a board. She looks at us with a haughty expression. "Welcome, Teams A through F. This is the first of many military discussions. You all knew this day would come, and now it's here. Today we will plan our future, decide when and where we will act. I have a few plans but I am sure you all have some ideas of your own. If you have any, please let me know now." She says. I look around. I have a few ideas, so I might as well. I raise my hand slightly. General Black looks at my and raises her eyebrows. "Yes, Watson?"

"Well, I was considering blending in with one of the many tour groups at the HQ of the Leaders in the Capital City. We could gain information that would be given out, however pointless it may be, and perhaps sneak around and conduct some research of our own. It would be dangerous and would require one of our best teams for the job." I say. She moves her fingers around on the touch-screen tabletop and a 3-D image of the skyscraper "HQ" of the Leaders is projected right before our eyes.

"The cameras would catch us unless we somehow did something about it. It could work, but I feel as if there's not enough information to take such a risk. But thank you, Ms. Watson. I was considering that myself before I realized it would be far too risky." She says calmly. I nodded.

"It was worth a try." I say.

She nods slightly and looks around. "Anyone else?" She asks. I hear a small shifting sound and notice Mason has timidly put his hand up. General Black nods. "Zhang?" She is prepared for some good plans. He is very strategic, you know.

"I was thinking that we could go to the old Capital." He says. Everyone stops and stares. He continues regardless. "It's clear that the Leaders would never put their real HQ somewhere so easily infiltrated. It is a huge possibility that they might be hiding where nobody would ever even consider going. No one in their right minds would sneak across the border and go to an abandoned city. I mean, did you not already figure that out? It's obvious. I know this may raise suspicions of my motives, but believe me this is absolutely NOT 100% foolproof. But it's worth a try. If there's no one there, then it's a waste of our time but nobody gets hurt. If there is, we gain priceless information." He says. My jaw drops. I've never heard him say anything more. General Black looks at him with respect. 

"Very good, Zhang. I have, in fact, known this for seven months now. The HQ of the Leaders is, indeed, in the old Capital. I was waiting to see how long it would take for someone to figure it out. I'm not surprised it was you who did, considering your impeccable skills in terms of strategy." She says. He just nods slightly. Black looks around. "Anything else?" She says. No one pipes up. She sighs. "Then we will continue on with my ideas."