Outcast: A Corporation Novel (The Corporation) (24 page)

Day six

Karis

I hardly slept last night. I tried a thousand different ways to shut my mind off, to drown it in darkness and sleep, but no matter how hard I tried to think of nothing, my mind was filled with everything. It kept going and going and wouldn't keep still.

Adami is awake.

He's going to help me.

I have an ally in him that I never had in Ethan.

He's actually encouraging me.

Over and over again, like a loop.

I leave the house before Papa even made it downstairs. I'm so anxious and excited I don't have the stomach to eat any breakfast, only a few gulps of strong black coffee. I'm out the door and on the streets, putting my mask and duster on in the process, with only the stars for company.

I don’t wait for Journey this morning. I’m still too upset with her taking Ethan’s side. She made me look like a completely unreasonable person last night at dinner. It's like I don't know who anyone is anymore. Since Ethan left, the day before yesterday, Papa's been trying to talk to me about Ethan's choice, telling me he did it for all of us and that I needed to not think too harshly of his decision. I understand that, but he still chose to tell everyone but me.

A cold rain has started. I hug my arms around my middle, trying to stay warm. It's funny how when the air is wet around you, it suddenly seems so much colder, to the bone, and getting warm again feels near impossible.

I hurry to the factory, the doors will be open. I need to be doing something to pass the time until I get to go home and talk more with Adami about our plan. I don't pay attention to anything around me; I'm careless and sloppy, not worrying about Guards. Finally, I'll be getting answers! I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

The Factory is empty, but the lights are on. Granted, it's the bare minimum. The machines sit like dark beasts, lurking in the shadows. My footsteps echo through the empty space, clipping off the walls and into the ceilings, disappearing up into the rafters. There's not another soul in sight. I'm here about an hour earlier than the earliest person.

I push through the old double doors and listen to them creak on their rusty hinges, they pass each other with a raspy whisper. The inner sanctum is empty, as well. I didn't expect it to be any other way. The foreman's office is black, the door closed. A path is cleared through the dusty floor, created by shuffling feet. It goes in a straight line, deviating only to other sewing stations.

At least one pane in each of the big three by four paned windows is broken out. They line the south wall of the factory, four tall. Broken panes in the lower windows have been cleared of shattered glass and covered by cardboard or plastic. But the windows that are higher, those panes are dressed with shards and no coverings, letting in the crisp fall air.

The windows offer some light, but it's filtered by years of a dirty film of who knows what. The air is stale and has an oily tinge to it from the factory's old life, whatever that was. When bodies fill the building, the smell only gets more pungent, mixing with the sweat and salt of workers.

I sit in my chair, the bin in the center of our circle as full as it was the day before. On the side of my seat is a pouch which holds my thread, needles, scissors, and various other sewing items I might need.

I take a man's shirt and lay it in my lap. I grab my pack of needles and choose one, threading some gray thread through the eye. I snap off a good length with my teeth, tying a knot in the end. In another pouch on the other side of my chair, is an assortment of buttons. I find one that matches close enough and start to sew.

Almost immediately, I lose myself in the monotony that my job brings. In and out, in and out, in and out. If only life were this simple and mundane. I finish the shirt and grab another garment from the bin. I work fast and efficient. It's surprisingly easy to do when I'm not surrounded by gossiping, clucking hens. I smile to myself. By the time the first of my sewing circle group members shows up, I will have already done around two dozen items.

Aaral is the first to show up. “Karis, what are you doing here so early?”

“Couldn't sleep.” I don’t look up when I say it. “Good morning.” I keep sewing. If I stop, I’ll think only of what Adami and I plan to do tonight, and then the day will drag on.

Ami comes in next, but besides the brief pause she gives, she doesn't act like this is unusual behavior. I appreciate that. “Morning, Karis,” she says.

“Today marks two months that Ajna was chosen for a better life with the Corporation,” Devna says with an excited smile.

For one who's always up on the latest gossip, she's hung on to this piece of information with iron claws. Even the missing citizens aren’t more interesting than my brother. They haven't picked up yet that I don't like talking about Ajna being chosen as a Sponsor. It happened over two months ago, but it's still a juicy topic for conversation. After all, the last one happened over ten years ago.

“Yup,” I say, not looking up.

“How does it feel, knowing your brother showed enough promise to be taken?”

“Great,” I say. I've been working on my sarcasm, lately. I think I've got it down pretty good.

“Try to ignore them,” Ami says in a low voice, as she leans my way.

“I always do.” I just need to focus on my quota and then get out of here.

Aaral readjusts her bun at the nape of her neck. “Do you miss him? You can tell us the truth. Are you jealous he was selected?”

Her naivety knows no bounds. “Seriously?” I say, and stare at her.

She looks back at me, genuinely confused. Ami pats her arm softly and says something under her breath. I stand up and grab an armful of clothes from the center basket.

“My brother has been stolen from us by the Corporation and you want to know if I miss him or if I’m
jealous
?”

“Well, they didn't actually steal him, Karis,” she says, still confused.

“Try talking about the missing people for a change and give my family a rest.”

“Aaral, just be quiet,” Ami says kindly.

I gather up some clothes in one arm, and the back of my chair in the other and drag it with a loud scraping noise away from the circle and closer to the corner. With my back to the old, and tactless women, I start to sew; rather angrily.

७

I can't avoid my best friend during lunch break. She's waiting for me by our lockers. “I tried to catch you this morning,” she says.

“Oh, yeah?” I dig around in my locker for my mask.

“Yeah.” She leans up against the metal doors, crossing her arms. “I could have sworn you were ignoring me, though.”

I grab my lunch bag and shut the door. “Huh. Weird.”

“Very.” She lets it slide. She's been letting a lot of things slide with me, lately. “I need to talk to you.”

I turn around and head back to the double doors. I'll eat while I sew. It’s frowned upon, but better than the current alternative. “I've really got to get back to work.”

“It's important.”

“So is my quota.” I turn around.

“Karis!” She follows me through the doors. “Listen,” she says, dragging an empty chair next to mine, “I totally get why you're upset with me; I said some pretty harsh things that night about—” she stops. People are coming in from their break. Ami walks into the circle and Journey gets up to give her the chair. Ami drags it back. “—about things, but you have to know they were said out of love.”

“Did you need something specific, Journey? I have a lot to do, and if you hang out down here for long, you'll be late for your shift.” I'm not trying to be rude, I'm really not, but I don't have the energy to be talking about this.

“What I'm trying to get at is, you don't need to be avoiding me. I waited for you this morning for almost twenty minutes. I had to run to get here on time. You know how much I hate getting sweaty.”

“I didn't not meet up with you because I was mad at you.” Not entirely, anyway. I start sewing again. “I couldn't sleep so I decided to come here and get a head start on work.”

“So you didn't talk to your father, then?”

“Papa wasn’t awake when I left.” I look up at her wide eyes.

“You don't know, then.” She's dropped her voice and my group leans over to hear better, one parasitic organism. I don't even think they know they're doing it.

“Know what?” I whisper back.

She looks around and stoops in closer to my ear. “Ella’s here.”

७

Work is almost impossible to get through. Ella is here. Finally. She must have shown up not long after I left for work. Did I pass her in the shadows on my way to the Factory? What's taken her so long to get to us? It takes everything I have not to run through the streets to get home. At the end of the shift, I don't waste time waiting for Journey, she knows where I live and can get there on her own.

I push through our front door and see Ella and my father sitting on the couch, turned in towards each other, so close their knees are touching. They're bent in towards each other, talking low, Ella letting out a soft laugh.

“Ella?” I say, a mix of hesitation and excitement in my voice.

“Karis!” Ella looks just as relieved to see me. She stands up and covers the space between us is three quick strides. I shut the door behind me just as she pulls me into a grip strong enough to squeeze the air from my lungs and pop my ribs and spine. I pause for only a second before hugging her back; just as strong. “You're well!” She pulls back and holds me at arm's length, inspecting me as she would any patient. She frowns a little at the corner of her eyes. “You could look better, but you're not anything how I feared you would be. So the antidote—”

“Worked, yes.” I smile generously. I need to let her know that I haven't told Papa about Mama being in the Inner City.

“You should be eating more.” She pulls down the neck of my shirt below my collarbone and lets it fall back into place.

“One thing you'll find here in Neech, we all should be eating more.” Her hands fall to her sides and she reaches out for my fingers. She leads me back to the couch and Papa moves over, making room for us. I sit between the two of them. “Am I interrupting anything?” Papa shifts his weight a little bit, almost as if he's nervous. I look at him. “I'm not, am I?”

Ella smiles as if I'm being silly and pats my knee. “Nothing pressing. Your father and I were just getting to know each other.”

I nod, even though something about what I saw between them unsettles me somewhere deep.

The front door opens and Journey and Eta walk in. “Thanks for waiting, Karis,” Journey says. “Papa's on his way, Mr. Singh.”

“Thanks, Journey. And how many times do I have to tell you? Call me Jeret.” He has a soft spot for her, and I know he thinks of her as a second daughter. “I’ll go and get the tea for everyone.”

“I was just eager to get here,” I say. “I knew you'd come by after work. Besides, it looks like you weren't alone,” I say of Eta. “Hi, Eta.”

She nods to me. Journey looks a little put out, but manages to put a smile back on for the guest. “I'm Journey,” she says, holding out a slim hand. “Karis’ best friend, last I checked.” I roll my eyes.

Ella rises and walks over to meet her, taking my best friend's hand in hers. “So nice to meet you, Journey. I'm Ella.”

“This is Eta,” she puts her hand on Eta's shoulder and smiles again. “She's the finest Medic in both cities.”

“Hush child,” Eta says, but I can tell she likes the compliment. “It's always nice to meet another of the trade.”

“Likewise,” Ella says, shaking her hand next.

There's a soft knock on the door. When Papa answers it, Déjà walks in. “Sorry I'm late, we had an emergency come up at the steel mill. We had an issue pop up with our arc furnace.”

Papa brings over a chair for him, he sets it down and shakes Déjà's hand. “Thanks for coming.”

Déjà nods. “Ajna?”

Papa shakes his head. “No real news yet.” Papa turns to Ella. “This is Déjà, Journey's father. He's head of the steelworkers.”

Ella's smile is warm and inviting. She makes you feel welcomed and a part of something good. “It's nice to meet you, Déjà.”

Déjà shakes it, delicately. “Nice to meet you, too.”

“Where's Sai?” I ask.

“With the missus. The little one hasn't been sleeping so well, so we thought it best to let a sleeping dog lie, while it was.”

“Sai?” Ella asks.

Eta clears her throat. “Sai is a wee one that we all took in when her family was Released.” My body tenses a little at the memory of Kavin and his family. I still care for him. A lot.

Ella inhales sharply. “The Corporation released her family, but left her an orphan?”

“Not exactly. I told the Corporation that little Sai died the spring before, to save her from certain death.”

“What did her family do to get Released?”

“Their eldest son, Kavin, got a Black Market Mark. It was faulty,” I say. “He started to turn and they found out.”