Selected (Book 2 of the Immune Series)

Scaling

Only Compounds 1 through 5 remain, though. Historical files tell us that the western compounds fell to the virus about a year after their construction, and we had to build a wall between the east and west.

"Why keep our wall up, then, if there's no more virus?" a kid named Justin had asked one day in class. We all had the same question; no one else was brave enough to ask, though.

"For protection against the other compounds," Professor Binns told us. My class of twenty-five had always been taught by Professor Binns. We were all the same age, all born the same year and all taking our Intelligence Exam the same year.

"You see," he continued, leaning on his desk, "Compound 5 was designed as a superior compound. We were designed to be better and last longer than the other compounds. Once that knowledge gets out, we become a threat to the others. The wall is still for your protection, just from a different enemy."

It just seemed so pointless. No one ever attacked Compound 5. They would have been stupid to even try.

The people here are bred, trained, and tested for perfection.

"Calling Quinn Lee Austin."

I look up at Lexi, who is standing on the sidewalk.

"Where did you go?" she asks, "I was talking."

"I never listen to you," I mumble, joining her on solid ground. In order to get to the wall, we have to walk through the Working District and the Agriculture District.

Lexi shoots me an obscene gesture with her hand, smirking.

"But seriously, were you reciting your textbook in your head or something? You had that lost look in your eyes," she says, walking backwards while holding her backpack straps.

"No, but I should be at home studying."

"Man, you're boring," she groans, swinging back around.

She hums as she walks, some cheery tune she made up, I'm sure. Most of our conversations end with her calling me boring or making fun of me. It doesn't faze me now.

"Have you been putting in extra physical education hours?" she asks, talking a little louder. As we approach the taller buildings of the Working District, the sounds of the ocean fade away, replaced by machinery. Here, we don't have to worry about waking anyone up.

"I've been scaling before, Lex," I snap, walking faster to catch up with her, "I don't need to get more exercise to scale."

"Not what I meant, grumpy," she said, "You know, tomorrow's the day." She looks at me, raising her light eyebrows. The building rising over us casts shadows on her face, dimming the sky above us.

"Can we focus on today while it is still here?" I ask, running a hand through my hair.

"Sure," she says, shrugging, "Whatever you want."

Coming out of the other end of the Working District, the sprawling fields of the Ag District come into view. Livestock litter the fields, fenced together in groups. The crop fields are mostly empty for the winter, but I can see the hunched backs of the lower workers as they begin their shift.

On the other side of the fields is the wall, a solid metal sheet towering twenty feet over us. From where we stand, side by side, I can't see over it. That's why we have to scale it.

Occasionally, there is a ladder leading from the ground to the roof of the wall. That's how the guards get up to the top of the wall. Citizens are forbidden to go up, though, a rule that's strictly enforced. Lexi has it timed down to the second when shift change begins to give us enough time to get up and away from where they patrol.