Ninety minutes after starting, Ezra was out of breath, feeling like a corpse and trying to wipe vomit off his clothes. Ezra was a bit relieved to see that both Jena and Akiva seemed almost as exhausted as Ezra was: they were on their backs, looking up at the sky and laughing.
It was Jena who was first on her feet as Barnes came to tell them the test was over and that they had all displayed
acceptable
physical fitness. “Your physical training in Zenith will be the standard,” he said with something like a smile curling under the nose ring.
Akiva grabbed Ezra’s shoulder in an affectionate gesture. “We did pretty well, eh?”
Barnes laughed. “Don’t feel too bad, Blanchard. People puke more often than you’d think in this test. Maybe next time you’ll keep it in your stomach.”
“Next time?” Ezra said, finally managing to speak and to get up without feeling he was about to faint.
“Oh, you have to complete this test twice every year. Now go shower. You have twenty minutes before you meet with Corporal Higgins and you sign your contracts. Congratulations on getting this part done. See you later,” he said, and left them.
It was only minutes later that Ezra found himself showering sweat off his body and vomit out of his hair.
Jena was in the next stall, naked. Though he couldn’t see her, the thought alone was exciting, and made him have thoughts that he probably shouldn’t be thinking.
The showerhead was poorly maintained and the water pressure too high, making the shower more a chore than a relaxing reward, but Ezra still wanted to stay in there for hours, washing it all away.
Ezra was finishing the shower when he heard the faint weeping sounds coming from Jena’s stall. He wasn’t sure if what he was hearing was actually her crying (there was too much noise to know for sure), and because of that, Ezra felt unsure whether he should say something or not.
When he had finally decided to ask her if she was okay, he heard it come from Akiva’s mouth first. “Jena? Is everything all right?” Akiva’s voice came from outside Jena’s stall.
“Yeah,” he heard her say before shutting off the water. “I’m okay.”
“Wanna talk about it?” Akiva said. Why had Ezra taken so long? That could have been him offering a shoulder.
“No, it’s all right. Thank you, Kiv.”
“All right. If you need anything—”
“Yeah, I will. Thank you.”
Ezra cursed and began wrapping his towel around his waist. When he was about to step outside, he saw two girl’s feet under the door. Was Jena waiting for him just outside the shower stall? Maybe she had something to say to him.
With the towel still wrapped around his waist, Ezra opened the door.
“You’re in my stall,” the semi-naked girl outside said.
It wasn’t Jena.
“Who was that?” Ezra said as the trio began dressing in the fresh uniforms they had found in their duffel bags. The girl who had taken Ezra’s shower stall was fairly small and lean, and definitely pretty, even if her eyes had regarded Ezra like a lesser creature.
“Beats me,” Jena said, sliding into her boots. All remains of her tears were gone from her eyes, and she had returned to being the confident girl he had met the day before. “She seems pretty young, so it’s hard to tell. So, have you decided who you want tutoring you?”
Ezra shook his head. “I told you to decide.”
Jena looked at Akiva and laughed, then shook her head. This began a short conversation between Jena and Akiva that started with the Moreau test, then their former schooling, then their wager, which hadn’t yet been paid by either, and eventually the physical test. They rarely invited Ezra into the conversation; what was starting before his eyes was a rivalry that didn’t include him at all.
Ezra finished dressing by stuffing his pants into his boots like Akiva taught him, and the mysterious shower girl stepped out of the stall, very long, wet hair sticking to her lean and muscular back. She regarded him, and just the sight of Ezra appeared to bore her.
He grabbed his duffel bag and left her. Ezra was glad she was in the military base so he wouldn’t have to see her again. In Zenith, he’d be far from her and those judgmental violet eyes.
Upon stepping into the dining hall, the trio found Susan in the company of another girl. “First Lieutenant Alice Nolan,” was her introduction. She was someone who wouldn’t always be perceived as beautiful, but she definitely struck Ezra as such. She had a pale complexion and a very sincere way to her expressions. The gray hue in her eyes was rare and gave her an aura of intelligence Ezra really liked. “I’m pleased to finally meet the last new ones,” she said and kissed each of the trio on the cheek, having to stand on her toes to reach Kiva.
So this was the fourth one.
“Alice is one of the most senior members of the Creux Defense Program, and the leader of the Defense Squad,” said Susan. “You’ll be working under her and learning from her. She has more experience with the Creux than almost anyone in there.”
“Anyone that’s left,” Alice said, and it made Ezra’s heart freeze. What did she mean? Had the others left Zenith, or had they been
killed
? “I’m always excited to meet new members. I’m sure you’ll be great additions to the program. Please have something to eat so Corporal Higgins and I can tell you about your transfer to Zenith.”
“Where exactly
is
Zenith?” Jena asked, grabbing a tray of food from a counter. Ezra did the same, taking one that had a bowl of what looked like tomato soup, diced chicken, and rice. “Is it here in the A-District?”
“Oh, no,” Alice said. “We’re going to go a bit farther away. Outside of Roue.”
“
Outside
?” Ezra said, almost choking on his first spoonful of lukewarm soup. “There’s only a diseased wasteland outside the dome.”
“Well, yes . . . that, and the Zenith Headquarters,” she said, grabbing a cube of chicken from Ezra’s plate with her hand. “Don’t be too frightened, Blanchard, you’re as safe from the virus and the creatures outside there as you are in here.”
“I’d argue even more so,” Susan added.
“Yes, you’re right, Corporal.” Alice laughed. Ezra loved the musical sound of her laughter. Ezra also appreciated that she had been the only one who hadn’t made a big deal about his family name. “Well, business time: as the senior member of the program, I’m here to officially enlist you, and Corporal Higgins will serve as a witness. I’m sure you understand that the signature you’ll be giving us is merely a formality.”
She appeared to be talking specifically to him. Ezra nodded and licked his dry lips.
“That being said, I recommend you read the contract, because it’s not entirely nonnegotiable. Zenith will be taking a lot of your time, but we can tweak certain clauses to better accommodate you. We know it’s not fair we’re taking a future from you, so I’ll try to do what I can to make the transition easier. Crescent?”
“Yes?” Jena said as Alice slid their respective contracts across the table; they were thick, and Ezra was sure none of them could read them and understand them in their entirety.
“I was told about the situation with your father, and Dr. Mizrahi suggested that we transfer him to the medical wing in Zenith. He’ll be very close to you at all times, and we guarantee he’ll receive even better treatment than he does right now.”
“We don’t have money to—”
“Money isn’t a concern. For either one of you: Zenith pays better than the military. This extra clause, Crescent, is already included in the marked section of your contract. Should you prefer he stay within the limits of Roue, we can do it, but I’m not sure how often you’d get to see him.”
“I’d have to talk to him, but it sounds like something we’d both appreciate,” Jena said, and a bit more light returned to her.
Alice smiled. “I’m glad. Now eat and read. I want them signed before dessert.”
There was no dessert, and none of them finished reading their contracts before signing with shaky hands.
Just like that, the blank canvas was entirely gone. Ezra no longer knew if he could get a girlfriend, marry, have kids. If he could get a new home in another part of Roue. If he could get work as a waiter, as a writer, or as an executive. The precious realm of possibility was taken away as Alice stuffed the three contracts in a backpack.
Susan looked proud of the trio as Alice spoke. “As of now, you’re part of Zenith. According to the results of your tests, you’re now Private First Class Crescent, Private First Class Davenport, and Second Private Blanchard.”
“Ha! I outrank you,” Jena told Ezra playfully and stuck her tongue out at him.
“Congratulations. You have free time until tomorrow,” Alice said. “I will expect you here at eight in the morning, and we’ll make our way to Zenith. Your training will begin immediately.”
“How long will it be before we can return to Roue?” Kiva said.
“At least four weeks, so say good-bye to whomever you have to. For your initial training, it’s very important that you disconnect from your civilian lives.”
“I didn’t even have one,” Kiva said in a joke that seemed too honest, and Alice smiled.
“I’ll stay in here today, if that’s okay, Susan,” Ezra said. His mother and father surely knew the details of his transfer, so it would be easier to just go—their farewell had been satisfactory, at least until Ezra saw them again.
“That’s okay,” Susan replied. “But you’re gonna have to call me Corporal, or Corporal Higgins now, Private.”
Ezra nodded.
“I’m joking. You can call me Susan.”
Ezra didn’t laugh. He really hoped being outranked by everyone he knew in Zenith wouldn’t be a problem to his self-esteem. It all depended on how Jena and Kiva treated the matter, and he was certain they would use their rank to amuse themselves. He’d try to play along.
“I’ll stick around too,” Kiva said. “But I think Jena has an appointment with her father.”
Jena nodded. “I’ll tell him the good news. Thank you very much, Lieutenant, Corporal.” She left, and Ezra watched her walk away, hoping she wouldn’t go.
Susan, Kiva, and Alice invited him to stay in the dining hall to kill time. He didn’t have much to do until the next morning, so he stayed with them. Susan binged on coffee for the next few hours, and Kiva had another serving of food. When Ezra made a point of the amount of food he was eating, Kiva said: “You should do the same; you’ll need some muscles now.”
Their chat was casual and friendly, and made him forget he was sharing a table with three people who outranked him in the army. They purposefully stayed away from talking about Zenith and their training therein—it was probably the last chance they’d have.
When they were done, Alice excused herself and Susan showed Ezra to the dormitories they’d take that night.
“This is going to be a good chance for you to get to know the other one better,” Susan said as they came to the dormitory hallway.
“The other one?” Kiva asked.
“The fourth new cadet at Zenith,” she replied.
“I thought Alice was heading back to Zenith,” Ezra said.
“What? Oh, no. Hold on, here she is.” Susan knocked on the door to the room marked 301B, which was ajar. “Poole? It’s Corporal Higgins. I want you to meet the other ones.
“Coming,” a voice said from inside.
When the door swung open, Ezra was face to face with the violet eyes of Shower-Stall Girl.
Chapter 4
Zenith
“There’s
four
of us?”
Ezra said. It was odd; Sergeant Barnes, upon their first meeting, had expressed how rare it was for two C-Compatible candidates to show up in a year.
“Did I make you feel less special?” she said. She wasn’t being funny or ironic; her eyes were difficult to read, but Ezra could definitely sense unwarranted contempt.
“Dial it down, Poole,” Susan said. “These are your new mates, so put up that front for someone else.”
The girl grimaced, wanting to reply to Susan but knowing better. Ezra heard Kiva chuckle behind him, and though he was glad to see Susan reprimand this girl, Ezra was still a bit angered by her unprovoked aggression.
“I’m Vivian,” she said and shook Ezra’s hand, not even looking him in the eyes.
“Ezra,” he replied as she also half-offered Kiva her hand. “That’s Akiva.”
Susan cleared her throat. “Second Private, and Private First Class.”
“Right. I’m Private First Class Poole, then,” she said, and looked at Ezra and Kiva. “Which one of you is the
Second Private
?”
“I am,” Ezra said, and Vivian smiled, unsurprised at seeing the smaller of the two being the lower-ranking cadet. “Right. So, fun as though you seem to be, I think I’m going to turn in. I got some reading to do.”
With Susan’s permission, Ezra walked away from Poole’s door, hoping Kiva would follow. When he didn’t, Ezra just continued walking away, taking a stand against Poole’s instigations.
His face felt hot when he suddenly realized he had no idea where his room was, and that he had stormed off blindly. Swallowing embarrassment, he turned around. “Corporal . . . which—?”