Daughter 4254

Chapter 13

The first day of classes at the Secondary School was much the same as Basic School, except for all the excited chatter in the hallways. I was getting used to it and it was keeping my spirits higher than they would have been otherwise. A film of anxiety still hung over me afer the revelations of the night before. 0203 was gone when I woke up in the morning. I ran into the twins in the common room where we discovered we all had mathematics first thing. Their happy smiles and silly way of taking turns talking lifted my spirits even higher and we set off to eat and find our way together.

12 was not thrilled when she realized our calss was a repeat of what she’d studied last year but then confessed she hadn’t scored very well in the class anyway so that was probably why they were making her retake it. 13 didn’t seem bothered and I couldn’t have been happier. This was all work I was familiar with but not proficient in. And it was interesting! It had been so long since I’d been in a class that was actually something I wanted to learn about.

All of this joviality was quenched quickly in my Government class, which came next. 12 and 13 were off to some sort of Advanced Nutritions course. They were interested in food development as an adult assignment and had picked that for their elective. I scanned my card as I walked in then chose a seat in the middle of the room and tried to sit quietly and not draw any attention to myself. I resolved to keep my mouth closed, no matter what horrible, disagreeable things were taught. I would just get through this class and prove that I could keep my opinions to myself and then I’d be free. I spoke with a few other girls from our dormitories at breakfast and I was the only one assigned a government class. I figured it was to teach me a lesson. As I thought about the Board’s plans for my re-education, an ancient man walked into the room and started droning on about the birth of our society.

It was a story I’d heard over and over again since I’d been a young one. They told it to us in nursery school, leaving out the blood details of course. Then later in Basic School we got the full force of it.

There had been a cataclysmic war followed by years of extreme weather. Most of the population of the entire earth was wiped out. Huge plate shifts changed the lay of the land and the continents actually shifted, this part I found very fascinating. But then comes the story of “The Rebirth”.  How a group of survivors in what used to be North America came together with common goals and ideas and salvaged what they could in a city that had been great at one time. They traveled far and wide gathering others who needed food and shelter. They shared what they could and used the talents of others to better their society. Soon word got out and survivors from all over started flocking to join this new society. Eventually they were prosperous enough that their began to be disagreements on how things should be done. One group believed in the old ways. The ways that once almost completely destroyed our planet. The other group had a vision for a new human existence where nothing was wasted and all was equal. Where everyone was cared for and contributed. A war ensued and, obviously, the latter of the two groups triumphed.

I could have taught this lecture myself and found it comforting that hearing this same old story did nothing to make me upset. I could stand it, even though I knew the ending and was having to live with the choices those forefathers made.

The class was long and boring but at least I escaped without making a fool of myself or falling asleep. Lunch was next and I was eager to see 0203 again and see how the twins fared in their classes. I had never had anything like this to look forward to before. I found myself smiling as I navigated myself to Eatery B.

“Over here!” 13 and 12 were waving at me from a table not far from the door. I waved back, swiped my card and picked up my assigned meal.

“How was your class?” I asked them as I sat down.

“It was fabulous! The regular teacher is out on personal leave so we found out today that our new professor is 698475!”

“Wow!” I knew this should probably mean something to me by the way the squealed with delight and bounced in their seats hugging. “Who is that?”

“Only the inventor of Modern Food Anilyzation Protocol!”
“He’s pretty much our hero.”

“Well that is wonderful news then! Congratulations!” I was honestly happy for them. Suddenly the table lurched as 0203 sat down next to me.

“Where’d you find the clones?” she pronounced this a little too loudly as she pointed at 12 and 13.

“0203, this is 12 and 13.”

“B.. you forgot your B young lady.” She wagged a finger at me. I kept forgetting that we were to refer to ourselves with our dorm assignments first then our personal assignments.

“Right.. sorry. B0203, this is B12 and B13. Wait, how did you know they were B’s too?”

“I know everything, remember?” She winked and then stood up again. “Not going to need to chat yet today roomie. Keep your nose clean. I’m going to need you to do something for me later this week.”

“Where are you going?” I had actually been looking forward to talking to the strange girl some more.

“I have a little more.. pressing matter to attend to.” She smiled off into the distance as she said this. I looked in the direction of her gaze and saw a well built older boy looking back at her. “See you later tikes.” She sundered off in the direction of the boy and we returned to our conversations.

“Was that really your roommate?”

“She’s kind of horrible.”

“Yes, I don’t think she’s that bad though. I think she’s actually pretty nice underneath.”

“Underneath what?” the expression was lost on them. I turned back to my food and asked them more about their other classes. They were split up for the second half of the day and were rather upset about that fact, but then I reminded them they would be learning twice as much that way because they could share each others notes and books. They seemed to like that idea and we passed the time happily chatting about the possibilities until midmeal was done.

History of Western Civilizations was next and I felt like I was actually floating as I approached the door. I was so close to having accomplished all my mother wished of me. I scanned my card at the door and looked around. I guess I had been hoping to introduce myself before class started. That was really the only reason I requested this elective, to let him know I was here, to ask him for the help my mother had promised.

I practiced in my mind a thousand times what I would say to him. How he would react. Would he be surprised? Would he hug me like a long lost relative? There were a million ideas floating in my head but to my dismay, Professor789 was not in his classroom yet. Several students were already there with writers out and dismal looks on their faces. I was forced to take a seat in the back and wait anxiously for his appearance. Eventually the door sealed and the lights went off. A projector lit up from behind me and a voice boomed out over the rather large audience.

“This, is New York City.” The image was clearly an aerial view of a city. But the buildings were vertical and so very rough looking. It was all gray, but a dirty gray. Not the clean, sleek gray of our buildings. There was an interesting river of some sort winding it’s way through what seemed to be massive structures and several boats and bridges were frozen in time on the screen as well. The deep, authoritative voice continued. “Once the home of the greatest minds on our planet, they invented all of the technology we use today, plus more. And yet, they managed to destroy themselves.” We heard a click and a new image flashed on screen. This was a shot from a different angle, but the winding water way, or what was left of it was still recognizable. The bridges were gone, the water was now brown, if that was actually water, and the buildings were mostly gone. In their place you could make out large piles of debris and blackened patches of earth. The entire east section of the city looked to be underwater with a few stray building tops jetting out. It was a hard thing to look at, even though I knew nothing of the place only moments before, I was saddened by the loss. Before there had been the human thumbprint of ingenuity, creation and craft. After, the signs of...

“Mistake.” Professor 789 interrupted my thoughts with a pronouncement of explanation. “The survivors from this section of community would claim for years that it was all a mistake. But something this... devastating... doesn't come about after one small mistake. It comes from years of neglect and slothfulness. It comes from taking for granted the gifts the earth has given us and our potential as caretakers. In this class we have the privilege of listening to and looking at some of the rare evidences of our primeval parents. These photos are just a the tip of the ice burg - or so they used to say - remarkable as they are.”

He continued to explain that we would begin with the earliest native indigenous peoples who lived in the Northern Hemisphere of the continent once called America. And then he would continue on to the settlers thereafter, ending the session with the beginnings of our, enlightened society.

I began to doubt my mother’s intentions for having me meet this man. I thought all along that she meant he would help me find a way to be myself and to still exist in this world. With his elite attitude shining through his rough voice, he sounded like the perfect person to pound me into exactly what our “enlightened” society would like to see. A mindless drone. Still, I could be wrong. Maybe he was only praising our culture because he knew every session was taped and reviewed at random by the Auto Eye. I would have to take my chances. He was all I had left.

After an interesting talk about the life of nomads and savages class was dismissed. The door was unlocked and students started to file out. Sitting in the back gave me the perfect opportunity to waste some time organizing my things before Professor789  headed out the same door he had come through. He was going to walk right past me to leave so I waited until he was almost to my desk and I stood up blocking his way.

“Hello! Professor789?” All my excitement bubbled out into my voice and I almost shouted the phrase into his face.

He looked at me with annoyance, “Obviously. Weren’t you in attendance the last hour and a half?” He was looking down his nose at me and working to pass without touching me, as if I were infested with the biters.

“Yes, I mean, of course! But I’ve wanted to meet you.” This was not at all how I pictured it.

“Get in line. Office hours are the fourth day at four o’clock. I do not have time to prattle in the classroom.”

“But... sir...” He deftly squeezed between myself and the desks and headed for the back door. “I’m from community 669. My mother said she knew you... 669-3244-2578. She said you could help me?” No, this was not at all how I’d planned. The whine in the last few words I uttered disgusted me. Why couldn't’ I control my voice?

He paused for a brief moment but never turned around. “Office hours are fourth day at four o’clock like I said. If you have anything to say you can say it then.” And with that he pushed through the door and was gone.

I stood still, astonished. “So that’s what 0203 meant by a bastard.” I said it out loud as a comfort. The word bastard echoed off the slick walls and ceiling. I was all alone in the room.