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“I’ll tell you after you answer one question.” He walks closer and looks up and down the walkways before asking, “Why did you follow Obidiah and his escorts? None of the other students did.”
It’s a harder question to answer than any of the ones on yesterday’s exam. I pause and choose my words carefully. “I wanted to better understand what Redirection meant.”
“A student didn’t pass the examination. He was Redirected to a different area. End of story.” In his eyes is a challenge. One I accept.
“No. It isn’t.”
“You’re right. It isn’t.” He closes his eyes and nods. “You saw Obidiah after his meeting with Dr. Barnes?”
I see the image of Obidiah’s hair dragging against the ground as the officials carried him by his hands and feet. “Yes.”
“And now you are planning to run.”
It isn’t a question, so I don’t bother to answer. Instead, I cross my arms, allowing my unadorned wrist to show, and wait.
He blows a curl of hair off his forehead and sighs. “It’s time for us to talk.”
Warily, I follow him to the shadows of the building. I wrap my arms around myself and try to pretend my heart isn’t slamming in my chest as I notice the temperature has started to drop. Darkness will be here soon, taking with it my best chance to escape. If I even can escape. Michal’s presence has put that plan, not to mention my entire future, in jeopardy.
Michal leans against the cold stone of the building and sighs. “As your Testing escort, I’m tasked with watching for any behavior that suggests the memory-altering procedure used after The Testing didn’t work and reporting that behavior to Dr. Barnes. In order to fulfill my assignment, I’ve been required to follow you.”
Betrayal punches through my heart. I grab the wall before shock sends me to my knees. “You’ve been spying on me?”
“I’ve been verifying that the memory procedure was successfully performed on you and Tomas. I thought it had been. During orientation, you and your friends made the typical jokes we always hear from students who have had those memories removed. However, over the last six months, I’ve noticed little things that make me believe the memories have returned. Your actions today confirmed it. You remember.”
“I don’t.” My voice is low. Breathy. Scared. My eyes scan the walkways, the buildings, the grass, looking for officials coming to Redirect me. “My memories haven’t returned.”
“But you know something about your time at The Testing. Enough to question what Redirection might mean for Obidiah.”
“What does it mean?” I ask, hoping I was mistaken. That Obidiah was still alive when the skimmer drove away.
“You know, Cia.” Michal’s meet mine. In their depths, I see a simmering rage that reflects my own. “Dr. Barnes will not accept failure.”
Obidiah failed. By preserving my Testing memories and searching for the truth, I have become a failure for Dr. Barnes as well. Unless I want to be Redirected too, I have to run. Now. Michal’s hand reaches out and snatches my arm. His fingers clamp onto my flesh like a vise and shove me back against the wall. The contact combined with my fear steals my breath.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he asks.
“Anywhere else but here.” I struggle against Michal’s hold, but he’s bigger and stronger.
“Don’t be a fool. You can’t run. They’ll find you. And if they don’t, they know where to find your family. What do you think Dr. Barnes will do when he talks to your father and your brothers? Do you think he’ll believe your brothers weren’t smart enough to be chosen for The Testing? What happens when he starts to wonder why your colony was without candidates for a decade? Who will pay the price for their deception?”
My family. My friends. My colony.
The strength my anger gave me is leached away and replaced by despair. “So now what?”
“Now you tell me what you remember, and I help you figure out how to keep safe from Dr. Barnes.” When I say nothing, he says, “You don’t trust me.”
“Why should I?”
“Because I’m trying to help you.” Michal lowers his voice. “And because I remember my Testing too.”
My eyes find his and look for the truth. He has the same haunted look I see in my own reflector. Can I trust that?
I realize it doesn’t matter what I trust, because, regardless of my choice, Michal Gallen holds my fate in his hands.
“I don’t remember my Testing,” I admit. “Not exactly. I get flashes of images. Things I think I should remember.”
Michal nods and leans back. He doesn’t ask questions. He just waits for me to continue.
