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Rise of the Y

By Angela D. Shelton

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Chapter 1

Lexi Verity’s eyes burned. She twisted her watch into view. Well past midnight. Flipping her school tablet shut, she gave up for the night. If you haven’t figured it out yet, it’s doubtful more cramming will help.

Ratios of fertilizer to water, ideal growing temperatures for the different plants, and the nutrient levels of various flora classifications swirled in her tired brain. Life was so unfair. If the Imperium had permitted her to choose her career path, she’d already have the details down pat. Of course, if she’d started studying sooner, that would have helped too.

The question looming over her now was whether she’d have the guts to put her plan into action. It didn’t take her massive IQ to calculate the potential outcomes of tomorrow’s test. If she stuck to the plan the Imperium laid out for her years ago, she’d wear the same white uniform of the upper-class Administration she’d worn her entire life. Her life would be predictable, comfortable, and affluent, especially compared with what others could expect.

She nibbled the corner of a protein bar, then stared at it. What a shame they took perfectly tasty vegetables and turned them into boring slabs. Healthy? Of course. Efficient? Definitely. How she’d love to snack on fresh chickpeas instead of the same processed blocks she had since she was old enough to chew.

Though, she might get the life she’d daydreamed about ever since visiting the greenhouses on a school field trip when she was five. She could still remember her awe over the plants that sprang out of the hydroponic systems as if by magic. And those videos they played, showing the time-lapse photos of the seeds germinating, then growing and fruiting—wow. They’d even given each of them a fresh green bean to taste. Bliss. It would be a dream to work in the greenhouses, caring for the vegetables, and soaking in the sun every day. Talk about the ultimate work assignment. She laid her tablet aside, closed her eyes, and drifted off into a troubled sleep.

The scent and sizzle of bacon in a skillet woke her. At least she thought it was bacon, but that couldn’t be. Was it possible to smell in a dream?

She cracked her eyelids open and peered out from under the pillow she’d burrowed beneath. Their micro-apartment hid very little, and her mother’s thin frame, white uniform, and long blond hair came into focus as she stood in the kitchen—cooking.

Lexi lifted her head and sniffed. Grease. Her stomach growled. “Mom? Is that what I think it is?”

Her mother turned, her smile glowed as bright as the sun. “Morning, sleepyhead. You ready for your big day?”

Ugh. Why did Mom have to remind her? Lexi had wrestled in her dreams all night. In her sleep, she’d lived every potential, horrible outcome, nightmare upon nightmare. Now, the day had arrived—no way to avoid it. “Do I have a choice?”

Her mother shrugged. Not reassuring. “You’ve got the choice of bacon and eggs or the usual protein bar for breakfast. Does that help?”

Lexi inhaled every ounce of breath her lungs could hold, savoring the rare treat. “Kinda?”

Her mother’s tinkling laugh soothed Lexi’s nervous tension. “Come on. Out of bed. Enjoy as much of your birthday surprise as you can before you go to school.”

Her foldaway mattress slid into the couch after Lexi tossed her pillow into a side-table drawer. She should have at least flung the covers back into place to “make” the bed before she put it away, but Mom wouldn’t say anything. Not today.

Lexi walked a few feet across the room and snuggled up to her mother’s side by the stove. Her mom’s scent enveloped her. Floral, like spring flowers from the rooftop garden.

Mom closed her favorite cookbook and tucked it under her arm. Soon, she’d walk the short distance to her bedroom to put it away before they ate, an odd daily routine. Mom was a skilled cook on the few occasions they had actual food to prepare. Usually, they ate the protein bars mass-produced in the Imperium’s ovens.

Fresh vegetables were a rare treat. Animal proteins were even more so. The Imperium decided years ago that providing fresh foods resulted in waste. Humans squandered too much, so all foodstuffs went into the bland but healthy bars. Still, every morning, Mom read her recipe book, planning for special occasions—like today. Mom had even written in it once, making notes.

A door opened, and Nana slipped out, clicking it shut behind her. With a mischievous grin, she closed the gap between herself and Lexi and wrapped Lexi in a bear hug. “How’s my birthday girl?”

Nana’s silky hair tickled Lexi’s nose. “Morning, Nana. How’s Gramps?”

A frown crinkled Nana’s face as she pulled away. “He’s worn out from the doctor’s visit yesterday. I already called off work for him so he can sleep in.”

Gramps would never have stayed in bed, especially today, if he felt well enough to be in the kitchen. A weight settled into Lexi’s stomach.

“Come on. No sad faces this morning.” Nana patted Lexi’s arm. “We’re celebrating.”

Right. The bacon must have set the family budget back. So Lexi rubbed her hands together and forced a cheery tone. “Let’s eat.”

Her father wandered in and took a seat at the table, scrolling through messages on his tablet. His dark hair lay slicked back, as neat as his spotless, white government uniform. He looked up but didn’t smile as Lexi joined him. “I see the celebration has already begun. Happy birthday, Lexi.”

“Thank you.”

Cool and efficient, her father had never been the most engaged parent. Somehow, she couldn’t spit out the word Dad, but it felt stupid to call him Father.

He squeezed her hand. “Last birthday together, unless you’re assigned to engineering. If you don’t get in there, it won’t be long, and you’ll have a mate and a child of your own.”

Why did he always have to ruin everything? Her stomach tightened around the weight already there. The bacon didn’t seem as tempting any longer. “I’d better get my shower.”

“No.” Mom slid the pan off the burner, lifted the five strips from it, and spread them onto a plate. “We need to eat while it’s warm. Can’t waste your birthday treat. Everybody, sit.”

She padded to her bedroom, her cookbook under her arm, while they situated themselves around the oak table. The wooden top took up a significant portion of their small apartment. With five family members, the sixth chair seemed unnecessary. They rarely had a visitor, but Mom liked the symmetry.

The pullout couch across the room had an L-shaped wing to allow them to sit together during the infrequent Imperium newscasts. Along with the kitchen area, the dining room completed their open-concept space. Two bedrooms, a bathroom, and the living area. Less than four hundred square feet created the only home Lexi had ever known, though her parents had started in a one bedroom as every Imperium couple did.

On her way back from the bedroom, Mom moved the plate of bacon to the table and set it next to a steaming bowl of scrambled eggs. Nana placed salt and pepper shakers in the center. They so seldom needed seasonings that the containers’ presence looked festive.

“Today’s the big day.” Dad scooped two spoonsful of eggs onto his plate before passing the bowl to Lexi. “You ready for the test?”

Test. The worst four-letter word, and she’d heard plenty of bad ones whispered between the other girls in school. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

His eyebrows rose as he focused on her. “You should eat at least half a protein bar too.” He waved at her plate. “The bar has all the nutritional value your body needs to be in top form for the exam.”

“Gunner, leave her be.” Mom glared at him with a forkful of egg halfway to her mouth. “The test isn’t everything. Let her enjoy her special day.”

“Yes, it is everything.” He jammed his utensil at his wife. “Today determines whether she’s assigned to engineering in Administration or gets transferred to one of the other places. You know what that means.”

Lexi might vomit. The salty bacon and eggs turned to sawdust on her tongue. The living-quarters assignment was part of the job package. The Imperium valued efficiency above all else. They’d never place her in housing devoted to Administration employees if she didn’t qualify for a job in the building.

“Let’s not argue.” Nana clucked. “We don’t want to stress Lexi anymore today. Right?”

Right. Enough already. Lexi’s breaths grew shorter, and her chest constricted. Why did she feel as if it were her responsibility to end the tension between her parents? “I’m sure I’ll do fine, and whatever job I’m assigned will be for the best.”

Nana patted Lexi’s hand from across the table. “It’ll be great. You’ll see.”

Dad swallowed the last of his breakfast. “Hmph. Eat the protein bar.” He pushed back his chair, the metal legs grating against the bamboo floor. “I’ve got a meeting first thing. Need to head out.”

He went into their bedroom, then emerged moments later, still clinging to his ever-present electronic work tablet. After he patted Lexi on the head and kissed Mom’s cheek, he opened the front door. “Happy birthday, Lexi. Do your best, and you’ll do us proud.”

The door shut behind him, and the tension in her body eased. He’d be angry if he knew what she’d planned. A peek at her wristwatch told her she needed to get moving. “Thanks for breakfast, Mom. It was amazing.”

Sadness tinged the smile Mom gave her. “You’re welcome, sweetie. Remember, your father only wants the best for you, but no matter what, this test doesn’t define you.”

Lexi held back a derisive laugh. The test did define her. That was the whole point—to determine what job she’d slave at for the rest of her life. Once the Imperium decided her career, they’d choose her best genetic match. The thought of marriage, of the unknown him, twisted her stomach’s knot even tighter.

She rushed through her brief, tepid shower. The Imperium didn’t permit the waste of water or electric resources, even if it was a special day. After toweling off, she wriggled into her white, shapeless, Administration jumpsuit and dragged her brunette hair back into an efficient ponytail.

Hazel eyes stared at her from the mirror above the sink. They glinted faintly blue in the bright lights. Too bad, she didn’t have either her mother’s blue or her father’s green irises. Hers changed color based on what she wore or what the lighting she was in. Never the same.

She wanted to be like her eyes—always changing. But change wasn’t valued in the Imperium. It was like living with a herd of automatons. Follow in line, don’t make a fuss, and never disturb the routine.

If only she’d lived in the time before the Collapse and the war. Nana’s stories from when she was a girl were colorful and exciting. People chose what to eat, how to dress, and who to love. Lexi would have adored that life. With a sigh, she whispered, “Happy birthday to me.”

“Lexi, you need to get going.” Mom’s voice from beyond the bathroom door jolted Lexi. “You’re going to be late.”

Time to face the day. “Yes, ma’am.”

Lexi scurried out of the apartment after a quick kiss to both Nana and Mom. She hadn’t made it halfway down the hall toward the bridge when a door opened and closed behind her.

The snobbish twang of her nosy neighbor, Courtney Blakeslee, called out. “Wait up. I’ll walk with you.”

Ugh. No thank you. Was she far enough ahead to make-believe she hadn’t heard?
Footsteps hurried behind her. “Big day, huh?”

Nope. Can’t get away. Dad would have her hide if she wasn’t polite. Politics were too important in the Administration section. Without a glance toward Courtney, Lexi sped up as she talked. “Yup. Big day. Don’t want to be late.”

“Right, work exams, but you know how thin the walls are, right? It’s your birthday too. Congrats.”

Courtney was the last person Lexi wanted to celebrate with. “Thanks. Happens every year.”

They arrived at the crossover bridge, offering their first glimpse of the weather. The dark sky roiled with rain-filled clouds. From the moment they stepped into the long vein pumping people from the living apartments to the Administration building, Lexi knew she’d rush across. The storm generated wind gusts strong enough to make the bridge sway.

Engineers had designed the connection to give and take with the gales, but the sensation set her on edge. Knowing the safety feature existed didn’t always equate to her brain accepting the movement was secure.

Courtney stopped midway across, overlooking the ground three stories below. “I sure hope everyone does well today. I’d hate to be one of those poor people down there. Can you imagine life without a job?”

Lexi could imagine. The Favela was less of a community than a pit of despair. She’d begged Mom to take her down one time to give out protein bars to the homeless. The hopelessness on all their faces had been more than she could bear. She’d never asked to go again.

That trip was the first time Lexi had seen the Y tag of the rebellion. Rebels had etched the unusual symbol on at least a quarter of the buildings. She’d asked her parents and grandparents about Y, but the only thing any of them would admit was the group was anti-Imperium. Not one detail more.

The space between Lexi and Courtney had widened as Lexi continued moving while Courtney gazed downward. The moment Lexi’s feet left the bridge, she waved to her neighbor. “Gotta go. Later.”

By the time she reached her learning pod, her breaths came in gasps. She slapped her palm on the screen to gain access to the system. One minute late. The computer permitted a two-minute punctuality window, so the screen shaded yellow, not the dreaded crimson hue that signaled a demerit.

Across the aisle, the platinum swish of hair drew her to her best friend, Aponi Liam. Lexi loved her name’s meaning—butterfly warrior. It fit perfectly with Aponi’s platinum blonde hair and electric-blue eyes.

Aponi winked. “You made it. I am so ready for this. Who knows, I might meet him this week.”

The Imperium’s anthem wafted out of the pod’s headphones. Lexi positioned them over her ears as the first of the four mottos scrolled across her screen. The system would listen for her to parrot them along with the rest of the class, so she muttered into the microphone.

Unity above all else.

Hard work lifts us all.

A young Imperium is a thriving Imperium.

One marriage—many children.

Aponi spoke the words along with her. When they’d finished, Aponi grinned and gave Lexi the thumbs-up signal. How could their views on the test be such opposites?

A robotic voice interrupted Lexi’s musing. “Your exam will commence in one minute.”

Aponi drew a heart in the air, hugged her arms to her chest, and sighed.

Lexi shook her head. Her friend insisted on the ridiculous notion of falling madly in love with the genetically perfect guy the Imperium chose for her. As if the system cared whether affection factored into the match. Last time Aponi had voiced her excitement about the upcoming nuptials, Lexi scowled. “You’ll probably get hooked up to some fifty-year-old politician who’s afraid he’ll lose his apartment because his kids graduated.”

The possibility was all too real. She’d heard of a girl who graduated a few years ago being assigned to a high-level Imperium council member when his second wife died before she got pregnant. The guy had to have been fifty—at a minimum. Lexi shivered.

Only those just married or with children got apartments. Those who didn’t get pregnant after their first year of wedlock or whose children had grown and moved out, lived dormitory-style unless their children took them in. The Imperium only permitted one additional bedroom per child, so not everyone took in their elders. Lexi slept on the couch so her grandparents could have a bedroom in their tiny place instead of being stuck in the dorms. No matter who they mated her to, he’d better be prepared for a multigenerational household. She’d sleep on the bathroom floor to keep her grandparents and parents in her marital apartment. It would be tight, but surely, others had done it before. But she didn’t want to think about that now.

Aponi stuck out her tongue. “You don’t have a romantic bone in your body.”

A warning sounded in the headphones. The doors that would seal them in and prevent cheating lowered across the entrances. “Exam commencing. Please turn your attention to the screen.”

They waved to each other and gave the thumbs-up. Aponi’s face shone with hopeful anticipation. Lexi’s stomach clenched. This was it.

She’d been in school since the age of four with the goal of each class to prepare her for this one test. One hundred questions would determine the rest of her life. Aptitude assessments had narrowed the field throughout the years, and a career in engineering was her most likely outcome. That is—if she kept with their plan for her career.

If today’s results reflected such, she’d have two more years of school, then be stuck in the same building where her parents had lived. With her father’s pull, he’d get her assigned to the same floor, maybe even the same apartment she’d always lived in if he called in every favor he’d ever tucked away for an emergency. Then her new husband could join her on the pullout couch. That wouldn’t last long though if she didn’t get pregnant fast. Two bedrooms were normally reserved for those with children, and as soon as she graduated, she was no longer a child. Her father’s status would only get them so far. She clutched the hem of her sleeve, her dull uniform the clothing of Administration. If she played along, she’d live in this bland world—with no relief—until the day she could no longer work.

An electronic voice interrupted her thoughts as the screen flashed the first question. “Please begin.”

If she did well, she’d follow in her parents’ footsteps. She’d know no other world than the one she’d lived in now. Was that what she wanted—the same white existence with an assigned mate who was most likely just as boring?

The voice repeated. “Please begin.”

The answer took hold of her with a sensation as if she’d been filled with helium and was now lighter than air, as if the solution had set her free.

No. She wanted something else, and there was only one way to get it. She had to blow the test for engineering in just the right way to be assigned to the Green building the Imperium assigned the Growers to. That was her only way out.

“Please begin.”

It was time for a new life. The years of white had to end.

The test contained a section for each of the job categories. Since they’d geared her training toward engineering, that would be her first section while her brain was fresh. She answered the first question with the wrong answer. Lexi read some inquiries to ensure wrong answers while providing correct responses to others. Years of educational grooming put her in a position where she could waltz into an administrative job. She needed to ensure it didn’t look as if she’d thrown the test. But how many wrong questions would it take to guarantee a different role while not losing her spot in the aboveground community?

Once she was through the first section, she relaxed and sped through the next three parts related to jobs and buildings she didn’t care about. She should have researched those possibilities before the test. Too late now. She’d burned through half the questions faster than she’d imagined possible. Then the Grower section came up. This part she needed to ace. Sweat beads popped up on her forehead as she thought through each line and put forth her best effort.

After she answered that section’s last question, she slowed to peek at the pod across the aisle. Aponi’s finger rested on her chin while her tongue poked out of the side of her mouth, indicating her best friend was deep in thought. Aponi’s schooling had prepared her for a low-level administrative job that wouldn’t require further education. There was no uncertainty she’d ace the test. Losing her friend would be difficult. If Lexi were no longer in the same building, it would be harder to keep the friendship alive.

It didn’t matter anymore. Aponi wanted nothing more than the Imperium’s plan. For years, she’d dreamed it would be an exciting adventure in romance. Why, Lexi couldn’t understand.

She returned her attention to her screen, powered through the rest of the exam, then took a deep breath before answering the last question. This was it. One final press on the screen and the system would assign her a career.

If the profession required more education, she’d be back in the same pod tomorrow for two more years of school. If she’d had enough training, the Imperium would provide her with a uniform and the place to report the following day. Within days, the system would assign her a mate and their new living quarters. All that would remain would be to say goodbye to everyone and everything she’d ever known. If she’d executed her plan correctly.

With her finger millimeters from the screen, she closed her eyes, then pressed.

A robotic voice spoke. “You have completed the exam. Please hold for your results.”

Her heart hammered. The fear of what waited for her on the screen kept her eyes squeezed tight until the voice came to life once again. “Lexi Verity, the Imperium has assigned you to Reclamation. Please report for duty to the Brown tower, basement level, tomorrow morning at eight a.m. Your mate and apartment assignments will be delivered to your current address within seventy-two hours.”

Reclamation? What was that? Lead settled in the pit of her stomach, and her heart pounded even harder. Her quick breaths pulled her toward the edge of hyperventilation. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.

The girls’ learning pod door slid up. Her days of education had ended. Seventy-two hours. Just three short days from now, she’d be out of her parents’ home, out of the White towers, and mated.

Lexi peeked into Aponi’s pod, waved goodbye, then walked on unsteady legs. Her entire body shook over what the next three days held for her. What have I done?
 

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