Intractable

Chapter 3

Stuffing eight people into the back of a van makes for some uncomfortable conditions. I have sweat dripping down my forehead, and if the girl next to me elbows me one more time I'll scream.

The van finally stops, and the back doors open. One of the Recruiters steps inside, looking us over briefly. He unchains us, letting everyone hop out as they're freed, and I rub my wrist as he closes the doors behind us.

I look up at the large glass building in front of me, the bright stars in the sky above reflecting off its front. Zeldana Center is a place I've only visited a handful of times. I had to come for a field trip of sorts a year ago. Basically just confirmed my birthday, address, and signed a form saying I had no medical reason to opt out of Collation.

Now that I'm back under different circumstances, my palms are sweaty, and breathing feels like a chore.

"Move, Coterie," a Recruiter says as he nudges me forward.

I look back down at the rest of the group and see they're already heading inside. I jog to catch up and am surprised to see so many people waiting for us in the lobby. The Leaders. Women in skirts and matching blazers and men in suits stand in the middle of the room, nearly a hundred teenagers sitting on the floor around them. This looks like an extreme version of kindergarten.

I follow my group over to an empty space on the floor and we sit down. Three more groups of teens make their way in and find empty spots to sit before one of the men who are standing whistles to get everyone's attention. Once the talking ceases, a woman in a dark blue outfit presses a button on a remote, and large screens on each wall light up. I recognize the woman as Priscilla Keating. Chancellor of Zeldana. She's been the star of every informational video that's been shown in Coterie over the course of my life.

"Any idea what this is about?" the girl next to me whispers.

"I don't know." I shake my head as I look back at the screen in front of me.

"Good evening." Chancellor Keating smiles. Her voice echoes through the room over the speakers. "Or good morning. I know some of you are probably ready for bed, others may be wide awake. Regardless, I'll keep this brief." She presses a button again and the white screens change to a picture of Center. "You are here. Zeldana Center. Starting at eight in the morning, just a few hours from now, you'll be here." She presses the button again and the photo changes to one of a place I don't recognize. Large tables fill the room, and its stone walls must be close to fifty feet high. "Collation. It takes place underground, directly beneath us. You'll be tested physically, mentally, and emotionally. There will be a baseline exam done this week to establish where you are now. Then you'll be trained intensely for the next year. A repeat exam will be administered the week before graduation to determine where you best fit in at the end of all this. Everyone in this room is your competition. Some of your classmates will not make it to the end. I wish you all the best of luck."

The screens go dark, and I look around at everyone sitting on the floor, many of them doing the same. I don't know what I expected Collation to be like, but the Leaders telling us that we're each other's competition and that some of us are going to die wasn't it. Maybe, in the eyes of someone from Inimical, I really do have a target on my back here.

Some of my classmates start to stand, so I do the same. We're led into a hallway to the left and then down a few sets of stairs by one of the Leaders before he stops us at a doorway. Somehow, I ended up right in the front of the pack.

"Once you step through this door, you cannot come out until you successfully complete Collation," he says, a stern expression on his face. "Some of you will be leaving in a body bag. Some of you will make it the full year. You have one chance to make it to the end. Do not waste it." He holds a plastic card up to a black scanner on the wall for a few seconds before the light turns green and the lock on the door clicks. Without looking back at us, he pushes on the door and holds it open for us as we step through.