Unison (The Spheral) (3 page)

“Congratulations,” Master Franklin said as I positioned my trembling fingers on the fingerboard, pleading with them not to betray me. “It only took you eight hands to get one of your pegs further than mine. How about some music to celebrate?”

That was my cue. I closed my eyes and began to play one of Master Theodore’s pieces of music—a tender ballad with ample emotion I hoped to project onto him. A few measures after the bridge, the door flung open and a stream of cool air grazed my body, but I remained focused and continued playing with my eyes closed. After I finished, Master Theodore glared at Master Franklin and then at me. “You begin this Firstday at sixteen-hundred sharp, and if you’re one-sixteenth of a second late, don’t bother knocking because music is all about perfect timing. Do you understand?”

I bowed. “Yes, Master Theodore.”

“Any questions?”

“No, Master Theodore.”

“Then you may leave.” He rubbed the palms of his hands and looked at Master Franklin. “I have to show someone he can’t win all the time.”

“Thank you, Master Theodore.” I bowed and ran out as quickly a possible. I didn’t want to give him any excuse to change his mind.

The following year I entered a music contest and decided to play the same song from my vision. I practiced in the morning and after school. My technique improved, but I kept fumbling through the same run of sixteenth notes from my vision. Master Theodore tried to persuade me to pick an easier song, but I refused. As the contest neared, I relented and picked an easier piece but continued to practice the more challenging one. After five days of no improvement, I was about to give up when my vision of performing in front of a room of purple sleeves returned. I was able to identify what went wrong: my fingers lost their positioning in the measure leading up to the coda. It was my anticipation over finishing the song, without error, that broke my concentration. When I ran off stage crying, I came out of my vision and found myself in the middle of the difficult passage, still crying and playing my violin! My bow and hand were as one, gliding into the coda without even the slightest hesitation.

I told nothing to Master Theodore and surprised him when I flawlessly performed the piece that defeated me in my vision. I didn’t win the contest, but second place made the purple sleeves take notice of me.

My high placing motivated Master Theodore to fight for my entrance into the master’s apprentice school. He set up a meeting between me and the Chosen. The day before the meeting, Master Theodore called me to his office to perform a recital for Master Franklin. I played through all my original compositions and ended with the song that had at one time given me so much trouble.

Master Franklin stood and clapped. “Very nicely done! If you continue, we’ll soon be calling you Apprentice Damon.”

All the praise made me momentarily forget I was in the presence of my mentors. “When I show the Chosen I’m the master of everything, they’ll have to accept me.”

Master Theodore and Master Franklin stared at each other and appeared worried.

Master Theodore glared at me. “You’re only to play them your violin.”

“Why? They already know everything I can do.”

“Not everything,” Master Franklin said. “If we told them about your visions, they’d fear you.”

“Why would they be afraid of me? I’m not as smart as a Chosen.”

“The Chosen aren’t smarter…just better connected,” Master Franklin said.

I lay my violin in its case, trying not to appear disappointed.

“You must remain silent. If you flaunt all your abilities, the Chosen will see you as a threat to their positions.”

I loosened my bow. “I’ll tell them not to be afraid of me, and I’ll prove to them that all I want to do is be of service to them and Unity.”

“A young man once thought as idealistically as you,” Master Franklin said. “He also excelled beyond his genetic profile and wished to study physics. The Overseer assigned him as head janitor at the Science University as a warning to all of those in the service class who dared to challenge their positions.”

“What happened to him?”

Master Theodore took my bow and inspected it. “He left Unity and tried to make a life for himself on the outside—but he didn’t get far. A pack of wild dogs tore him apart. Unity Forces knew it was him only because of the ID marker in his implant.”

“He couldn’t have been that smart. I never would’ve run past the beacons.”

“I know how bright you are, but you can be as insolent.” Master Theodore handed back my bow. “You must master your abilities before you can use them effectively. And then you must use them with prudence. You might one day be called upon to save Unity.”

“Unity doesn’t need saving. We have no enemies.”

My mentors looked at each other again. It infuriated me that they thought their unspoken communication would go unnoticed. “If you have something to say, tell me now!”

Master Franklin looked at me as he had after I yelled at him for giving away my pass.

“Master Franklin, are you—”

“Our enemy can’t be seen,” he said. “It’s no different from the enemy of the first generation of Unitians that came to live inside the dome.”

“What are they? An army of ghosts?” I laughed.

“You’re not that far off,” he said.

I laughed again and stopped when Master Franklin glared at me. He knew just the right expression to get me to close my mouth and stand at complete attention.

“The Sacred Oath is the enemy of which I speak. Like a ghost, it can’t be seen, but its presence is always felt. It rules us through our complacency and blind loyalty. It never gives up until we surrender to it, and most of us do. You must never surrender. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Master Franklin.”

“This must be absolutely clear to you, Damon. Don’t allow your impatience to govern your fate. If you tell the Chosen about your visions, we will no longer be able to protect you.”

Master Franklin’s warning scared me enough to make me cry.

He placed his hand on my shoulder and softened his voice. “All this might seem unfair now, but when you grow up, you’ll come to agree with me.”

I left not fully understanding what Master Franklin told me, but seeing the potential for a janitorial assignment was enough to make me censor myself when I met with the Chosen. It was a wise decision; the ten highest-ranking purple sleeves unanimously ruled in my favor, and I was formally admitted to the master’s apprentice school.

Master Franklin died in the middle of my third year at my new school. I lost more than a mentor. He made me feel more than the output of my genetic profile by welcoming my curiosity and encouraging me to ask questions. His replacement, who looked like a rat with his narrowly placed eyes and thin pointy nose, treated me as though I didn’t belong in his class. He always made sure to remind me of my previous status whenever I didn’t perform as demanded. I privately referred to him as the replacement. The replacement never earned a title or name because he lacked the honor of Master Franklin. I learned this when I raised my hand to ask a question, and the replacement pretended not to see me. After being ignored through most of his proselytizing over the implant that saved us from ruin, I could take it no more and interrupted him. “How do we know the scourge still exists if the implants are always receiving the curative frequency?”

“We don’t speak out in class, Apprentice Damon. We wait until we’re called on.”

“You never call on me.”

“If I answer your question, would you postpone your curiosity until you complete this level?”

“And until I get into University.” I smiled and crossed my arms.

“Really?” He laughed. “Your future schoolmasters will be forever indebted to me.” The replacement picked up a pointer and directed it towards a picture of the Overseer. “Who is that?”

“The Overseer.”

“If the scourge no longer existed, He would’ve called for a meeting in Unity Hall to broadcast the great news Himself.”

“But how does He know it still exists?”

“He knows because only He can channel the Prime Wisdom.”

Everyone in the class looked at me, and the replacement twitched his eyes, daring me to continue.

“How can we know the Prime Wisdom is real if only the Overseer has access to it?”

“Are you questioning the Overseer’s honesty?”

“I only want to know why I’m smarter now than before I got sick.”

“Why do you…think you’re smarter?”

“I don’t know…maybe I found a way to channel the Prime Wisdom.”

The room was so silent I could hear the replacement’s heart beating from across the room. He slammed the tip of the pointer against the desk. “You will take back your profane assertion right now!” He dropped the pointer and rubbed his head. “Silent time begins now.” He sat. “Let’s all pray for Apprentice Damon to find his way back to Unity.” The replacement closed his eyes, pressed the palms of his hands together and leaned his forehead against them.

Wade, whom I was now allowed to talk to since my upgrade in status, pointed to his head indicating the replacement probably received a blast from his implant. Some of the other kids snickered, and the replacement shot open his eyes.

“Insulting our Overseer is not funny.” He pointed his finger at me. “And you are not in the same genetic class as Him. For you to even suggest an equal position to the Overseer is blasphemous.”

“I…I didn’t mean any disrespect by my question, Master—”

“I warned Franklin not to encourage your rebellious outbursts, and I’m deeply disheartened to see my concern was merited. Report to Headmaster for a reprimand.”

Headmaster had my reprimand ready when I entered his office. “Your schoolmaster was wise to suggest I have these ready to go for you.” He handed me my reprimand. “This one makes four. One more and—do you want to be transferred back to your old school?”

“No, Headmaster.”

“Do you have anything to say in your defense?”

“No, Headmaster.”

“I would add something to this discussion if I thought it would help.” He waved me out of his office, and I left more determined to move past my genetic profile, just to prove him and the replacement wrong, but my schoolmasters didn’t make it easy for me. By my final year at the master’s apprentice school, I had thirty-two reprimands I proudly displayed on the wall in my room. I joked to friends how I’d hang them up in my office after I made purple sleeve.

AMONG THE CHOSEN

I
elected to study psychological engineering at the Science University, but the Overseer had the final say in what title I could attain. In special cases, a letter of recommendation from Headmaster can influence the Overseer’s decision. I requested one and was refused because he didn’t like the thesis I wrote in my final year of biology. He told me he’d reconsider if I recanted my theory. I refused, and Master Theodore got me another meeting with the Chosen, so I could argue my case.

When I entered the meeting room, the Chosen were seated around a table, ready to hear my defense. Sweat trickled down my back as I inspected ten faces bereft of any recognizable human expression.

I bowed in respect. “I’m honored to be called before the Chosen, even though the circumstances that bring me before you again have caused tension among the schoolmasters. I hope, after today, you’ll see there is no cause for concern regarding my loyalty to Unity or to the Oath upon which it’s founded. While writing my speech, I considered retracting my challenge—”