Processing

Ajaey Carlton! Ajaey Carlton for Christs sake boy! he shouted.

Sorry sir He was scrawny, too small for his age.

Forget who you were, that boy died last summer, drowned in the river twenty miles out! You hear me
boy? Remember your cousin? The one that snapped his neck in a lake dive? Thats you. He never died you
understand?

Yes sir

You have no parents, they died when you were six in a car accident on Manchester Bridge, youre an
orphan living with a foster parent!

Dad Im scared!

The looming figure faltered slightly, his face softened a little.

Boy, I want you to live. I have explained this so many times already. Your brother is too young to go out
and live on his own. He cant. Im being hard on you now because once you step out that door during
Recollection the world is going to be a hell of a lot worse.

Yes sir, I understand. It just just so hard to forget who I have been for all my life.

The silence was deafening.

Go have some Nutri-Meals for dinner, and dry yourself off!

The boy shovelled the tasteless nutritional material into his mouth. Nowhere near sufficient but it was all
the Agency was willing to ration out. His vision was fixed on the projection screen in front of him.

as pointed by President Gehanna all children who are not covered by the One Hope Policy must be
reported and turned in to the nearest Agency checkpoint. Understand that it is a sacrifice you must make
for the greater good. Our world cant sustain more than one child per family. Those who do not comply
will be faced with severe consequences for undermining the future of humanity. The decision is in your
hands.

Hed watched the same announcement being made hundreds of times. Thinking back to when everything
was normal, when hed meet his friends every morning at the bus stop down the road. Everything had
changed so quickly. Recollection was only a couple days away.

Ajaey Carlton sir.

He lifted his arm and showed the underside of his wrist.

Thank you, sir. Have a good day.

Acceptable Ajaey. You must stay consistent. Just remember, keep the tone neutral, enough etiquette to
get you through the cell gates is enough. Dont arouse suspicion, repeat after me. Survive. Forever.
Always.
The boy droned, Survive. Forever. Always.

The Recollection began in two hours. As he stepped out the apartment block hed lived in since the
beginning of time it felt surreal. Each step he took ingrained how much he had left behind. He couldnt let
doubt creep in.

Survive. Forever. Always. He repeated to himself.

First, he needed to find food to stay the night. He walked briskly, head down towards the nearest cell
gate. It was the only way to the market.

B6969.. B6969... he muttered to himself.

The cell gate was no wider than a small household archway, guards locking down every angle. The walls
stretched across as far as the eye could see, topped with a tubular structure. No doubt, it was the electric
death sentence for any who did not comply with the Grid.

The boy joined the line, hands in his pockets hiding the trembling. The line shuffling closer to the gate
each second.

Wrist, ID please? the guard demanded.

Ajaey Carlton sir.

The guard perused him for a second.

Where are your guardians? he questioned.

I have none sir, I live with a foster parent.

A bead of sweat rolled down the side of his hairline.

Should we do a background check on him? asked the guard to his partner.

The other guard shrugged it off. Hes just a kid, whats the point?

The guard scanned the microchip in the boys wrist. The cell gate green lighted and the boy walked
through as he groaned a sigh of relief. The market was ten minutes away being conservative, he had to
be quick before sunset. Agency vehicles scattered everywhere across the streets, like a swarm of wasps.
Security was beginning to tighten before the Recollection. As he walked past, radio chatter clouded his
mind.

.. the list to see whos the registered child. Any other individual in the property found, below 18 is to be
placed on vehicle and transported for Processing. Use the heat sensors if the property is obscure and
dont believe a word these scum sprout.

His stomach groaned as the market approached in sight. It had changed so much since he was young.
There used to be cabbages, lettuces, apples, everything so colourful. It was such a dark, bleak, colourless
place now. He remembered all the plastic notes and round metal bits in a jar at home that they used to
call cash only. They just used the microchips now and Ajaey Carlton had not a single cent to his name.

There was a small stall to his left but it was closely guarded by a watchful owner, too risky, too easy to get
caught. The boy continued his way down the pavement, his eyes scanning for opportunities. It was
getting late the Recollection was minutes away and as he passed each store he reasoned why it couldnt
be done. Finally, he eyed one large stall across the courtyard with a large assortment of different Nutri-
Packs and decided on this one. He crossed the length briskly and began pretending to look at the items
on sale. Feigning interest in the endless ingredients of the Nutri-Packs was difficult but necessary to find
the perfect moment. Another customer began scanning to pay for a six pack. As fast as he could the boy
slipped the nearest pack to him into his jacket. No one had paid an inch of attention and he had begun to
walk away.

SKKKKKRRR! SKKRRRRR!

The noise was deafening and the everyone looked up, hundreds of eyes glaring in his direction.

THIEF! the owner thundered!

Everyone was stunned momentarily but the boy regained his senses quickly. As he began to run he saw a
flash of movement from the corner of his eye. He felt the contact, doubled over and passed out.

His left eye opened slightly but the right eye was obstinately shut. A throbbing pain on the side of his
head threatened to drag him unconscious again.

Ahh the boys alive and kicking

He could barely make out the inside of a grey truck lined with Agents.

Hes one that will be going to the labour camps. Attempted robbery, we can throw in assault to make
sure he stays.

Words were chopping in his head and he felt a gash on the side of his head where the blood had clotted.
So, this was how it ended. A pathetic excuse of a runaway who couldnt even survive an hour after the
Recollection. He might as well have been properly taken by the Agency and maybe he would still live to
see sunlight someday.

The truck pulled to a halt. The boy was escorted into a facility. Everything was made of solid, bulletproof
glass and the lights made night and day undiscernible. An uncanny smell of fresh concrete and new steel
wafted about. The sound of footsteps in the hallway echoed far and wide. He reasoned they had to be
deep underground. Why was he not dead yet, the boy thought? Suddenly the hand on his shoulder
twisted to the right and he jolted through a side door and was met by a large room. A large room filled
with boys and girls of his age all in chairs. What was he doing here?

Ahh the delinquent has chosen to join us, youre late Ajaey Carlton or should I say Gobi Smith?

It was President Gehanna himself. What was he doing here?

Thousands of pairs of eyes looked in his direction and he felt unsettled.

Take a seat young man.

The boy obeyed.

We have been watching all of you for years now.

Only those who are fit survive. Your legacies will live forever. Your generation will be remembered as
the first, always.

Everyone you have ever known is dead.

You have been chosen to live in a new world, a different world, a brave new world.