The Human Zoo (1)

Chapter 6 -Jax

Twenty minutes remain until my meeting with the board. I arrive early to go over last-minute details with Sylvia. The idea she'd been waiting for came to me as I watched the video my sister sent me showing the "safety" testing of the collars. My eyes were fixed on Corinne as she grabbed the transparent box and pressed down on it, an evil smile on her lips. The unsuspecting woman unfortunate enough to be at her mercy twisted in pain, her eyes and fists squeezed shut, absorbing the torture. Corinne then went on to the next victim in a sick cycle of shock, release, shock.

After about fifteen minutes, my father finally reprimanded her, explaining that the remote is not a toy. I noticed that when Corinne made her way around back to the first woman she shocked, there was no screaming, again. Not once. Her mouth remained sealed in a firm line, unlike the others whose mouth gaped open unable to control the pain. She took the pain, her body wearing down with each press of the button. Her hair was a sodden mess of black that blended with the mud layer the cement floor of the hut. She was dirty and frail with her left wrist bandaged. Something about her seemed familiar, but my mind kept wishing that I wouldn't be fit with a collar.

"Ready, Jax?" Sylvia asks me as she nervously straightens her skirt.

"I'm ready. Are you? You seem nervous."

Sylvia smiles at me. "Me? Nervous? Why would you ask that? It's not like my job hangs in the balance here. I'm fine clearly—fine, calm, content."

I laugh. "We'll be fine," I tell Sylvia.

"You've outdone yourself this time. Where you get these ideas, I'll never know. Let's hope they go for it," Sylvia places her hand on my shoulder before heading into the conference room.

Straightening my tie, I take a deep breath, then follow her in, looking at the faces around me. Some seem eager in anticipation while others appear bored and barely interested. On a whim, I decide lecturing them won't help get my point across, so I change my presentation.

"The Era of Eugenics," my voice booms with authority as pictures of the Old-World float into view on the screen. Everyone leans in to get a better look at the images, the same pictures I saw thirteen years ago, in my history class. "This is what the world used to be like, an endless cycle of chaos. Thanks to Eugenics, we've been able to not only improve human lives but surpass our boundaries."

Quickly, I close my eyes, fighting the guilt. My mind wanders back rapidly to the little girl I saw 13 years ago. How her eyes bore into mine and for a moment we were the only two in the room sharing a single thought, I see you for you. My throat clears the memory away.

"The people of Earth need reminding of the growth since the Dark Ages. I say we take it to a new level." Everyone's eyes are on me, attentive and ready—I hope—for my next words. "My idea is simple but extreme. It'll take much preparation, but I believe the results will be worth the risk. My idea is to live as one of the animals in the zoo. People have forgotten the painful struggle we went through to get where we are today. So, if you'll allow me, after my short stint at the zoo, I'll write an article reminding the people of Earth why we owe everything to Eugenics."

At first, there was silence, and then gasps and shocks as my words settle.

My foot repeatedly taps on the granite floor as I wait for the verdict. My sweaty hands shift in my pants pockets, the only outward sign of my nerves. I finish my presentation by outlining the details of my plan and then leave the board to defer.

After waiting forty minutes, my patience is running thin. Small beads of sweat collect under my collar, and my hands incessantly fidget. I'm on my dozen lap up and down the hallway when finally, fate opens the door and rushes towards me. Sylvia steps out, her face stoic. "Alright, you can come back in, Jax."