Chapter 4

Keith had shown me around the compound. Everything was clean, like a hospital with weapons and high security. The cafeteria was huge and could contain about three hundred people at a time. The food was not great but it was better than what I had salvaged on the streets. The place had a lunch room, three utilities blocks, fifty-six dorm rooms, twelve desks and four huge training rooms. 

I shared my room with Mad and twelve participants. We were all here to help our country. I was just not sure which side I was on. Vincent called me a Liberal spy but now that I had infiltrated the RG center I had no idea what to do next as Vincent did not give me a set of clear instructions. 

Evan decided that I should be treated no differently, therefore I had to train with all the participants in category 12 (beginner) yet most of them were a lot more accurate and already knew how to shoot a gun. I was also introduced to sparing. My body surprised me when I noticed that I had quite a lot of muscles. Whatever trainining I had been doing before must have been pretty intense.

Keith tried to keep me company but apparently he was the Vice Leader of the center and that required a lot of concentration.  My goal was to be strong, so I took all the defence classes and worked out after them. I don't think I had ever been so tired but I continued. Feeling the urge to prepare myself as this seemed like the calm before a storm. 

I was running around the track when Evan ran next to me. He didn't acknowledge me so neither did I. He picked up the pace and continued his training completely ignoring me.  When I finally took a break I decided it was time to confront the elephant in the room. I jogged up to him when he was on the bars and spoke up.

'What is your problem?' Evan did not stop and continued his work out. His bitchy attitude fuelled my anger.

'I mean, ever since I came here you've been avoiding me like plague. You and Keith are the only people I know.  What did I do to piss you off?' 

 He stopped and looked at me as clenched his fists. Speaking slowly as if he was trying to control his feelings--anger.

'I am just ... tired Ria, you should make some friends. I'm not one of them.' 
What he had said shocked me, without anything else I spun around. My throat tightening with each step. As I opened the door Evan called out, 

'I saw you train you've got potential, come here tomorrow, same time.'

I waited to see if he was going to say anything else but I was met with silence. With that, I closed the door without looking behind me.

*** 

I took Evan's advice and approached Mad. She was intimidating but I figured I needed to get over that, in order to make friends. A month had passed since I arrived and it seemed like I was going to stay here a while and I still hadn't heard from Vincent. I also thought that making acquaintances would be a effective way to learn more about the center.

Mad had fiery red hair which always seemed so lively compared to my dull brown flat hair. She always wore combat clothes. Mad was a total 'badass' in my book. 

'Hey, umm I was wondering if you would like to got to the lunch room with me?' 

She looked at me incredulously, 'Why?'

Her stare made me twitch all over,  'So we can umm get to know each other.'

She dropped her book on her bed stood up and headed for the exit. I watched her until Mad turned around and smiled.

'You coming or what?'

Mad and I headed out for dinner and joined the chaos built upon chatter and a little too much to drink. 

***

'So you really don't know anything before the accident?' she asked.

'No.'

She looked at me, 'That's crazy some people would kill to have a blank slate.'

'So now you know just about everything about me, what about you? What's your story?' 

The alcohol in our systems did help us talk freely. 

'I had a brother but he died in a shooting.'  She looked at me and continued, 'My parents were Trialled'

She spat the word venomously. 

'What do you mean?' I asked cautiously

'You don't know? In order to limit the population every individual over the age of 50 must pay to continue to live. If demands are not met. That person will be killed. If this individual does not comply, his children (or grandchildren) will be sterilised to prevent this individual's bloodline to continue. ' She recited by heart with a mocking voice. 

'That's awful!' I exclaimed.

'Well you can thank Mrs.Aspeg, she created the stupid policy.' 

Mrs.Aspeg seemed like a cold person but did the world's population really need to be cut down? I did not think I would have worked with an evil person in my old life. She must be like Vincent said, capable of doing what the city needs to thrive.

'The worst is that she keeps the money for her own benefit. My family and and I were not rich we could not pay the fine so my parents were killed. They agreed in order to protect me from the concequence: sterilisation.'

Mad looked up from her glass. Tears clouding her eyes. She blinked a few times. 'That's enough of a depression conversation for tonight let's go have fun!'

We left in a rush as she guided me towards a tattoo parlor pushing me in with a smirk plastered on her face.

'Have you ever gotten a tattoo?'

I shook my head in response. We proceeded to find a design. The tattoo artist gave us a reservation and told me to come back in a few days since the alcohol in our blood prevented us from getting it on the day.

Mad and I walked out the parlor with goofy smiles on our faces. Arms linked together. It seemed like for once we did not have a care in the world.

This blank slate theory was a good idea after all.