Edith Prior: Divergent prequel

I stare straight into the camera and repeat my scripted line. "My name will be Edith Prior, and there is much I am happy to forget."

I stand up with shaking legs from the many hours sat in the stool, perfecting my lines. In many years time, that clip will be shown to the new Chicago, to inform them of the truth and to give them instructions when the divergents do begin to develop. Divergent. The word makes my body shudder and I try to erase it from my head. It doesn't work. The word remains and I am stuck thinking about the future and when the divergents will start to appear in society. It is not a pretty thought.

In 2 days time, Amanda Ritter will be taken out of everyone's mind. I will replace everything about myself, my name, my personality and my family with a woman named Edith Prior who will be part of the Abnegation faction. She will be selfless and wear grey. She will be fed lies about herself and her history and she will not remember her.

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I was not chosen for this experiment. The Bureau of Genetic Welfare, the agency of United States of America in charge on genetic experiments, asked for volunteers. They told us they were trying to start a new experiment and I was more then willing to forget my past. I came from a failed experiment and the Bureau said they could alter my genes. So I became the first volunteer and the face of the experiment.

The new Chicago was to be an experiment of the Bureau, to test if different personalities could collaborate and work together in peace and harmony. The new city was an attempt to rebuild Chicago after the Cold War. There were to be five factions, with five different qualities.

The different factions had different reason for the war and therefore became the opposite of what they blamed. Abnegation blamed selfishness, and were therefore selfless. Candor blamed dishonesty, and therefore were honest. Amity blamed aggression, and are therefore kind. Erudite blamed ignorance, and were therefore smart. Dauntless blamed cowardice, and were therefore brave.

I blame selfishness on the Cold War. So I hope to be chosen to become Abnegation. In 2 days time I will be fed lies and sent to rebuild a new city. I have no idea what is going to happen and slightly scared of what will happen, but I am glad that I have the chance to forget everything. Amanda Ritter will disappear in 2 days and that I am glad of.

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The day has arrived. I look down the line that snakes around the fence. Apparently many 16 year olds are willing to forget their lives. 24 hours after being left to settle, we will sit an aptitude test after be pricked with a needle to alter our genes. It will give us the answer to our future, and who we will become. There is a nervous silence seeping through the line, grabbing at every person it passes. Then the countdown begins. "10, 9, 8, 7..." It seems to go forever. Forgetting myself could not come soon enough. "1". There is a small bang and the gas is released. It hisses as it makes it way towards us and slowly, everyone disappears. Except me.

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The creaking sound fills my ears as the gates begin to open. Everyone steps forward in a synchronised step, and slowly, we march inside our new home. Everyone has a lost look on their face, as if the serum worked. So how can I still remember? I signed up, so I could

forget my past, forget my true self. I didn't sign up for the serum not to work. How am I supposed to create Edith Prior if I can't forget Amanda Ritter

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As we all dawdle to the temporary housing set up for us, members of the Bearu move from person to person, feeding them lies, a false history, a new name, a new story. I swear nervously as I wait for them to reach me. Will they be able to tell that the serum did not work on me? I try to relax my face and make it look as blank as possible.

"You are Edith Prior. You are 16 years of age and have no family due to an uprising. You come from an Abnegation family and tomorrow, you will take the aptitude test. Good luck"

The man leaves and I take a breath. I didn't realise I had stopped breathing. So that is the new history they are telling everyone. The thing is though, what they just told us about our families, it's true for me. It isn't a false history.

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I join the long line that's pointing to a dark grey building that reaches the first sliver of cloud. We troop inside and along the ground are hundreds of wooden beds with a thin mattress lined up in 10 rows.