Beyond Our Control

Chapter 4

 She waited at the lobby, not knowing exactly who or what she was waiting for. The lobby is a big open space with not a lot of things. The walls around her aren't painted the depressing grey where she had been trapped in for two days. Bright white like her Place of Residence. She sat nervously on the white couch, with the contract she had signed, the fat book, and her small bag of luggage the lady who walked her through here had given her.

Considering that she is a youth dorm, the stuff they've given her was pretty generous. There are four clean shirts, white, long sleeve and short sleeve, she's wearing one of them right now. There's four pairs of clean pants, short and long, one of them is for pajamas. Three undershirts and undergarments, and a white jacket that transfers heat inside that she wears right now; all kinds of things. Her watch she wore her whole life was destroyed, and in her luggage included a new one, which looked exactly the same. But an assistant of Dr. Novak told her that this watch will notify her the night where she has to meet Dr. Novak. Though Kenna has a feeling this watch can secretly do more than just that, she rather have her old one back.

Her eyes wandered to a counter, or more like a rectangular block in the lobby. The lady who brought her here sat behind it, already going back to her work. She was quite friendly actually, compared to the times she's had here, this lady was the nicest. Kenna felt bad for her, working here, for Dr. Novak must be a nightmare.

During the past two days, she had learned a lot. The fat book was boring, but parts of it interested Kenna. There really was a lot she didn't know about. There were these things called mobile, it's something you use to contact someone else, no matter how far away. She was hoping to find one of those in her luggage, but unfortunately Dr. Novak didn't give Kenna any tech except for the watch she has sketchy feelings about.

She also learned more about the matching system and job assignments. Back in the dorms, they were told that job assignments and the matching system all happens after you turn eighteen. Now she know they said that to give them hope, because technically they'll all die soon after eighteen. She really wished she could save the others at the dorms, but all she can save is herself and Lina right now. Barely.

Anyway, she learned that the matching system doesn't have a specific timing or age. Some people either get their matching partner right before they marry them, but most people get their matching partner way before that. The people who work in the matching system have to compare data with data in order to find someone's perfect match. One example in the book was a girl got her match when she was six, but the girl will have to wait until the matching system tells her and her family when she will actually be able to marry her match. There isn't a specific age for when anyone will marry, it's different for everyone. The matching system and department has to figure out the right age for both partners and then give a specific date. It's loads of work, Kenna had thought. But the idea of knowing who you'll be living your life with feels kind of assuring. It's definitely the life Lina would have always wanted, which is another reason why Kenna needs to do this deal. If it weren't for wanting to save her, Lina might be living in Ordinaire right now.

The job assignments didn't depend on some random test, that part was a lie. The job assignment is assigned based on the person's work throughout their school years, and their behavior at home and how they interact with others. Therefore, by that a letter would be sent back to their home when they're around nineteen.

Before all this, Kenna didn't even know what home was. Home is like her Place of Residence. But in Ordinaire, home is where parents and their children live. Some homes have two kids, some only have one, depending on how many kids the government told them they could have. That depended on the parents' health status but mostly this was because of population. The City does not want to go back into living with overpopulation. Kenna wondered if she have a sibling, a word she had learned from the book. But a sibling who doesn't know her existence, and never will. Because even if this deal does go through, when she and Lina will finally be able to live in Ordinaire, Lina might meet her family. But her? Kenna? What will happen to her? Lina is actually normal, she did pass the birth test, she was supposed to live in Ordinaire. But Kenna won't be living with a family. Her even living in Ordinaire is like a crime. Her life will be like a secret, living under the shadow at all times. And even if she does reunite with her family, they wouldn't even know she existed. She realized the purpose of this deal has nothing for her at all other than being alive. But does she want to live like that? So is she doing this deal partly for herself? Or is this all for Lina?