Want (Numbered #1, YA Scifi Dystopian) Wattpad Featured Story

Chapter Six

"Nice place you've got here," she said to him, hopping up onto the edge of the second bed.

"Not bad," said Jonathon. "Little cramped, maybe, but I like the minimalist feel."

The room was seemingly empty except for the two beds. Looking more closely, Aurelia could see the tell-tale cracks in the walls that indicated cupboards. She knew that the only way to open these cupboards would be with a hand scan. As an experiment, she got up and went to the nearest door and held her hand over it. Nothing happened. Hmmm, she must not be logged into the system yet.

She'd just sat on the bed again when the door opened and a Tracker came in, his long white coat fluttering as the door slid shut behind him. Wordlessly he pressed his tracking instrument into the crook of first Jonathon's and then Aurelia's elbow, and then he left.

"They never speak, do they?" mused Aurelia, lying back on the bed.

"They can't," said Jonathon, looking surprised.

"Huh?"

"Didn't you know that?" he asked. "They're incapable of speech. It prevents them from leaking secrets that they might learn from genetic analysis. Imagine if a Tracker could tell anyone what he found in your blood tests."

"But..." This was definitely news to Aurelia.

"It's voluntary," Jonathon told her. "Those who choose to be Trackers know the price that they will pay, and they are ultimately rewarded. Trackers have not only a high Worker rating but also higher salaries, bigger living quarters and a cash stipend every month with which to buy luxuries."

Aurelia was quiet at this. That was fair, she supposed, though she couldn't imagine losing the power of speech.

"You're shocked by things like this, aren't you, Aurelia?"

"Sometimes," she shrugged. "There are a lot of things that I don't understand, I guess."

"Maybe you understand more than you think," Jonathon responded.

The door slid open and the tall, blonde woman Aurelia had met outside flew through it. "Gods! I'm so sorry!" she said.

"Er, about what?" asked Aurelia. The woman looked half mad.

"I totally didn't realise it was you; I'm really sorry. I just got the Tracker report. Crap, what an impression I must have made." She shook her head and apologised again.

Aurelia decided that she should probably just be honest about things. "Look, I've got no idea who you are," she said.

"And there I go again," the woman answered. "I swear that I'm a far better med Worker than I am a mentor. My name's Elza, and you're Aurelia, and I'm supposed to be your new mentor at Lunar Hospital. And I'm really sorry about being so short with you outside."

Aurelia smiled. "You were under stress and very busy," she said. "And it's nice to meet you properly."

"What, no introductions?" Jonathon called over from his bed.

Turning to see who was speaking, Elza immediately flushed a bright shade of scarlet. "Crap. I am not doing well today."

"Jonathon Hansen," Jonathon said, holding out his hand.

Elza went to shake it, and Aurelia watched the exchange. She had the feeling that something was a little off here. But what? There was something about Jonathon's smile - he looked almost mischievous. Weird. Probably just winning himself some more popular approval, she thought.

"You're gonna have to stay here a while," said Elza, turning back to Aurelia. "Not much I can do about it, I'm afraid. Everyone's been assigned priority numbers, and you're not visibly injured, so..." She shrugged. "I did get you bumped up the list, though, because you're med staff and we might need you."