Inman 1

Mackenzie Inman

Professor Dahlie

Intermediate Writing Workshop

10 November 2023

The Grid

"Good morning, Astoria Lancaster. It is Friday, November 19th, 3030, Revolution

Remembrance Day." The electronic voice rang out through her lavish bedroom as it did

throughout the home. Sector 37B, to be exact. This is where the Lancaster Estate is located

within The Terrace. Astoria awoke, resenting the electronic voice as it continued to ring out her

schedule for the day. “Academy Advanced Government…piano lesson…dress

fitting…Remembrance Dinner." Astoria is an elite at the Academy; one may question what that

means. Before the war, during the third millennium in the United States, children went to

institutions known as public schools to receive an education. During that time, an elite would

represent what they called a senior. Now, in the new country of Eligius, within The Terrace,

children attend the Academy for an education. She wasn't sure if children in The Grid received

any lessons at all; truthfully, she didn't have much knowledge of The Grid, no more than the

common public, as all that happened down there was official government business.

Astoria had only seen The Grid once when she was about nine and a prodigy at the

Academy. She and her fellow prodigies were permitted access to the outer Terrace overlook,

which looks over the Grid. Of course, they were not permitted to cross the glass wall stretching

from floor to ceiling because the air was impure. They were instructed to look at and analyze the

sectors of The Grid for a paper they were to write. She remembers it appearing small and
 Inman 2

impoverished, a recently learned term. The air was a gray smog; it seemed like the wind blew the

wrong way, but what would she know? It was the first time she had ever seen the sky. The paper

was about the social status of the country and how she and her peers, the future leaders of The

Terrace and The Grid, would further establish the role of power represented by the country's

previous leaders. Astoria wrote about breaking down The Terrace and implementing citizens of

The Grid within her society. She wrote about the hierarchy systems dismantling and, of course,

her being a leader of all of it as she knew she was to be.

She showed her mother the paper after, so she was genuinely proud of her work. Quickly,

her mother began sobbing. Her father, alarmed, read it as well. Immediately, he burned it in the

fire of their lavish home. Astoria knew of her family's position on The Terrace but hadn't quite

grasped the power that lay in her hands, according to her father. He told her she should not want

those desires for her country and could not give them to her professor, for it would disgrace their

family. Doing as the dutiful daughter she was, she rewrote her paper as she watched the previous

one burn, exclaiming on her future role she hoped to hold within the government, ensuring the

rules of The Grid repression would always be instilled. Her father was very pleased with this

piece, even asking for a copy to place on display in his office. She thought about that memory

often but never stepped out of line again; you couldn't when you were an heir to one of the most

hierarchical families in The Terrace.

Astoria had extensive knowledge of the past history of her country; of course, she needed

to know it in order to be a respected member of her social circle and not an embarrassment to her

parents. Regardless of this point, being an elite and at the top of her class, she only needs to

attend one lesson a day. Today's lesson was on advanced government. Her favorite type of

lesson, to be exact. She enjoyed her professor, Walter Banks, for the lessons. Walter was an older
 Inman 3

man who was past the point of graying in his hair and had fully grayed. As the war was

encompassing, he was an internal affairs technologist from the Academy. No one really knew

how he became a professor of government since that was not his attribute to the force. Many

rumors spread about him leaking intel to The Grid or having an affair with what was once

referred to as the debutante wife of a member of the Aristocrat Board. Astoria enjoyed his

rebellious views on the government; she would never admit this, as that would be treason. Yet,

all the same, he amused her, and his ideals matched those of her heart. Astoria has this class with

nine other elites. Each teen is an heir to a family in the Prominent 10.

The Prominent 10 are the original ten families who founded The Terrace after the war.

They're full of all the different attributes of the force. Perseveres, financiers, internal

technologists, aristocrats, legality coordinators, etc., and, of course, the wife of an influential

man. They had no actual power but were taught to believe their words meant Something to the

men and the force. "Being a wife to a leader and mother of future leaders is the most honorable

attribute of the force." Astoria had been told this for as long as she could remember, and she

loathed that it was what was expected of her. The members of the Prominent 10 included the

Bucannan's, Harris's, Lennox's, Spencer's, Coulier's, Booker's, Astor's, Walton's, Fletcher's, and,

of course, the Lancaster's.

The matter of Astoria's heir situation was peculiar. Astoria's father, Malcom Lancaster,

only had daughters. Astoria Grace Lennox Lancaster, Eleanor May Lennox Lancaster, and Brigid

Elaine Lennox Lancaster. Thus, his heir is Astoria, his eldest daughter. There was a technicality

to this title of heir. They were to be the eldest male sons. No daughters had ever been before

Astoria. Something to do with her mother's genetics, her father claimed. Her uncle Pierce

Lancaster did have one child, a son. Spencer William Lancaster. Astoria is only one week older
 Inman 4

than Spencer and, obviously, a girl. When they were born, an actual debate occurred among the

family on who would be the heir. Ambrose and Blaire, the grandparents, were indeed very fond

of Astoria. They agreed, adjusting their trusts, that Astoria would be the heir of the Lancaster

Estate if she were betrothed and married the eldest son to be born of the Harris family.

In Advanced Government was Spencer Lancaster, Asotira's cousin. Archie Harris,

Astoria's betrothed; Lillian Lennox, her cousin from her mother's side; Victoria Fletcher,

Astoria's birthright best friend. They were seen as fit because their mothers were best friends.

Peyton Booker, Angelina Astor, and Astoria's worst enemy, Julian Walton. Julian was just the

jealous type of girl who found the need to express every wrong of Astoria. Almost everyone

loathed her entirely, which is a shame, considering the Prominent Ten are so close.

"Alright, kids, listen up. Today, we have to talk about Revolution Remembrance Day

mandatorily." Professor Walter began as he entered the room, dismissing the early morning

chatter. He nonchalantly said this, elaborating on the fact that he had rebellious views on the

policies of The Terrace.

“Let's get a little summary going, a small history lesson. Uh, Astoria, tell me when and why the

second civil war between the United States began. "

"The States could not agree on a leader to remain in power, taking measures to recess their

official document known as the Constitution. The Western side of the country inflicted

respiratoric biohazardous warfare on the Eastern States on June 12th, 2081. The order was given

by their rebel leader, Grant Ellery. The action intended to spread a disease that lines the

innermost layer of the lungs with a seal of black tar mucus. Once some injections are received,

the disease begins seeping into the white blood cells and causing the disease to become

hereditary. The idea was to lessen the population in the Eastern States by allowing voting to be
 Inman 5

swung in support of the Western Contemptist Party. The coup of injections took many months to

plan, medical technology, and severe amounts of spies. The action was displayed as what was

once known as the annual flu shot. The Westerners eventually caught on and sent it back into the

Eastern States."

"Well, thank you for that, Astoria. No one needs to answer; Miss Lancaster must be influenced

by her family's historical attributes to the force." Professor Banks said smugging at her. Julian

raised her hand. Banks just nodded at her.

"The Eastern States fought back with a stronger variation of the vaccine. They even went so far

as to inject them amongst themselves and procreate with the Western States to cause generational

effects of the disease," she said proudly.

"Is that what's so wrong with you, Julian?" Professor Banks said it seriously. Not making one

inclination that it was meant to be a joke. Astoria laughed out loud. Victoria raised her hand.

"Eventually, those in the Eastern States created vaccinations, allowing them to be immune to

certain variants of Respirochonosis. Even though this helped, it would be enough to protect a

whole population. This is when the Prominent Ten formed together and began developing ideas

for The Terrace." added Julian to the history lesson.

"Exactly now, tell me, kids, how did The Grid form?' asked Banks.

"Citizens of the Western States signed the Legalization of Eligius, establishing The Grid and The

Terrace," said Peyton Brooks, implying that Banks was stupid for asking that question.

"Is that the truth?" he asked them to ponder it.

"Obviously!" exclaimed Archie. "Haven't you seen the Legalization in the Center Room? The

signatures are all there."

"You think those are all real and that none of those were forced?' questioned Banks.
 Inman 6

"What are you suggesting?" questioned Archie.

"Do you guys ever wonder why the people on The Grid still suffer from Respriochonosis after all

these years? Do you ever wonder why citizens of The Terrace are not permitted to leave?" Banks

continued.

"They're still sick due to the factorial smoke in their airstream, the smoke created by them. And

no one goes down there because the law says not to." Archie said he was now getting angry with

the professor. It was scary when Archie was upset; his blue eyes became ice cold, able to freeze

anything within his sight.

"Ahh, the law." Banks said. "And who makes the laws?"

"The Aristocratic Board of The Terrace, obviously," Julian said stupidly.

"Yes, obviously, Julian. Happy Revolution Remembrance Day to all of you, heirs of the

Prominent 10. It must be so fulfilling to know the truth about today," he said confidently as he

left the room, notably dismissing class early with his departure.

This statement stayed with Astoria. What did he mean by the true meaning? The

Legalization was signed on November 12th, and Proclamation 10 made sacrifices and took

action. Of course, these were the mummers of her classmates, but she couldn't help but think

there might be more to the truth.

Astoria returned to her home in Section 37B after attending the Academy and her weekly

piano lesson. She didn't necessarily agree that she needed weekly lessons, as she had been taking

them since she was three years old, considering herself to be a maestro. However, her mother

thought having a hobby to fall back on when your children grow up was important. She pushed

this thought away as her face was electronically scanned to enter the home. Section 37B was

amid The Terrace; it was a luxurious home. Wealth had been captured in time within the
 Inman 7

annexes. There was fine china, works of art no one even knew how to conform anymore, pieces

of literature that were untouched, artifacts, as they were called. Externally, the Terrace was a

large, elevated stone cylinder with engravings to display the country's history. Internally, there

were mass layers inside optimal-height offices with floor-to-ceiling analogs to sections that were

time capsules of the 20th century. Astoria entered her mother's dressing room. Her mother and

the seamstress were awaiting her, preparing her gown to fit her Remembrance Day dinner dress.

"Hello, Darling!" sang Adeline, Astoria's mother.

"Good afternoon, Mother, hello Corinne," saying to the seamstress.

"It's nice to see you, dear; let's get you in this dress, shall we?" Astoria nodded.

The gown was made of glossy emerald green silk, perfectly matching the color of

Astoria's eyes. It was strapless, which Adeline said complimented Asstoria's neckline. The

luscious silk was pleated at an angle beginning at the left breast bone, bellowing down, leaving a

slit through the right leg. Astoria was to wear the Lennox Family diamond with her dress as a

representation of strength between the Prominent 10, as her mother was a Lennox. Astoria

admired herself in the mirror and honestly believed the gown was beautiful, feeling special even

if she wasn't entirely sure she agreed with the idea of Remembrance Revolution Day.

"Oh, you look elegant, my darling; your father will be so proud of his girl, all of his

girls''Adeline said, turning and acknowledging Asotria's younger sisters, who had joined in for

their fittings.

Eleanor and Brigid were also wearing dresses made of emerald green silk. They always

coordinated such public events. Eleanor is 15, and Brigid is 10. All three Lancaster girls are

direct copies and pastes of each other, in which case they are direct copies and pastes of their

mother. Copper brown hair with deep green eyes, a pure breed Prominent 10-line
 Inman 8

"Why can't I wear a gown like Astoia?" Eleanor rang out with a sound of exasperation. She was

15 going on 30. Their mother had tried to explain the simplicity of beauty, but Eleanor always

wanted more glitz and glam.

"You look lovely, pristine, like a true leader," Astoria told her. She had a way with Eleanor that

their mother did not. It made Astoria believe in the power of the sisterly bond when her younger

siblings truly believed what she said or admired her as a role model.

"I just want to look perfect for your special night. It's important for all of the Prominent 10, but

especially important for you," said Eleanor.

"My special night?" questioned Astoria.

"What do you mean, silly? It's just another dinner for some holiday made by the older

generations."

Eleanor shot her mother a look of confusion. Adeline returned a look of reprimand.

Something was occurring that Astoria had not been informed about. Picking up the tension in the

room, Astoria asked her mother what she was not telling her. Adeline stood stagnant, knowing

the answer would anger her daughter. Astoria turned to Eleanor with a look of pleading on her

face. Eleanor, unsure what to do, turned to their younger sister, Brigid, and told her they could

play with dolls before the party.

"Corinne, tell me what is going on," demanded Astoria, looking at the seamstress.

"For sir, Archie Harris is proposing to you this even at the dinner, Miss," said Corinne.

Astoria stood blankly, staring at her reflection from across the room through the wall

covered in floor-to-ceiling mirrors. Of course, she knew this would one day come. She had been

betrothed to Archie since she was in the womb. It was the way of the Prominent10. But a

secret—no one even asking her own opinion? No one even asked if she loved him, let alone
 Inman 9

wanted to marry him. No, absolutely not, because she was always told that she did and was

supposed to. And she didn't love him. Yes, he was kind to her, a gentleman in the respect that he

should be. He did flirt with her and took pride in Astoria's accomplishments. Archie did love

Astoria. Archie loved all things in The Terrace in the way that Astoria did not.

"Darling, all will be well. This shock will fade, and you will have a beautiful wedding," her

mother said while wiping a tear from Astoria's face.

"A wedding?" scoffed Astoria.

"Is that all you care about? What about me? What about what I want?" she continued, her voice

rising as she spoke to her mother. She wasn't sure when this shock turned into anger, but it had.

"I've done everything for my family—all the advanced lessons, all the galas, the

submissions—I've done everything. And I cannot even choose who I love?" She said this last

part very forcefully, which shocked Corinne, the seamstress, so much that she fell back onto her

sewing table.

"You do love Archie, dear; you always have, haven't you?" said Adeline.

"No, mother, you and father love Archie; you and father adore this aristocratic life. I do not. I do

not want to become you and need a man to prove my worth."

With that, her mother smacked her hard across the face. It was heard from the sitting

room by Eleanor and Brigid. It stung and left an impression on Astoria's face. She looked back at

her mother in pure bewilderment.

"I do not need a man to prove my worth, Astoria. Yes, I love your father. Whether it was through

a betrothal like your own or not, I am very fond of Malcolm. But he does not define who I am. I

take pride in being a wife, supporting and guiding him. I take pride in being a mother and raising

my daughters to be respectable women. I take pride in these things because I have done things I
 Inman 10

am not proud to admit. I have seen things I do not wish to review, but because of those things, I

am strong. I am grounded in who I know I am, and I suppose that is being a wife to an

aristocratic man, but that is not all I am. Now, please excuse me. I need to read myself for the

evening. I'll see you then." she said, leaving with tears in her eyes.

Astoria stayed put as her mother walked away. I glanced at the seamstress, who followed

her idly out of the room. Astoria undressed, leaving the gown hanging on its velvet hanger.

Unsure of what just happened, she left the dressing room and walked straight out of her home

into the bleak hallway. She walked around until she realized she was at the entrance to her

father's office. Without truly considering how she arrived there, she prompted her face to be

electronically scanned, marching right into the back private room where she knew her father

would be. She could hear the secretary say hello and a remark about the swelling on the left side

of her face. Astoria ignored her and continued walking. She reached the door to her father's

office, stopping abruptly when she recognized a voice belonging to President Warren.

Astoria has only interacted with President Warren once. He came to a militia banquet at

her home last year. She had to play the Eligius tune for him on the piano as a commencement. He

tended not to be publicly seen often, so his acceptance of her parents' banquet was quite a big

deal. Astoria knew the sound of his voice so well due to the vocal airwave reports he gave daily.

She was confused about why he would be meeting alone with her father, especially on

Revolution Remembrance Day. All citizens of The Terrace should be preparing themselves at

this hour. Astoria pressed her against the door and began to listen intently.

"They know about the vaccinations," she heard President Warren exclaim.

"Who does? The medics in The Grid? Of course they do; they implement them."
 Inman 11

"The citizens of The Grid—a young man. A generational science experiment since the start of

the war, Something his double great-grandfather began. Larkin Marks is his name; he's 19. Do

you remember the name Marks from any history you keep up in this office, Lancaster?

"It couldn't be. A relation to Benjamin Marks? The traitor who left his quad within The Grid. He

took all of their internal intel on the disbursement of the shots, implementing Respirochronosis,

and taking those first rounds of injections. Is this Larkin kid his second great-grandson? The

Preservers were never able to locate him again. Everyone assumed he died on The Grid. I guess

he reproduced." said Malcom.

"That would be the one. Apparently, they've been tracking the disbursements for years and have

accumulated a lot of intel on the respiratoric influxes. They've started rallying citizens who still

need to receive their vaccinations. I will share information about how their Terrace was issued,

the components of the drugs, and how they establish hereditary effects. This can't get out,

Malcolm. Someone needs to go down there and handle this."

Astoria had so much of her body weight leaning against the door that it was about to

burst open. The last thing she heard was her father's voice in agreement about sending his best

quads down, including himself, if that's what it took to defeat this obstacle. Her immediate

concern should have been her father being sent to the Grid. He was head Perserverer of the force,

the top Perserverer of his class when he was younger, but there has been no need for him, let

alone anyone, to go back down to The Grid ever since. All her father did now was order other

young Perserverers around; all they mostly did was stand guard around the entrances of The

Terrace at the bottommost level. However, her immediate concern was different. She had just

found out that the government of The Terrace inflicted the biohazardous disease of

Respirochronosis on the citizens of The Grid. She questioned if all the stories of the Eastern and
 Inman 12

Western States Civil War were true or if the Prominent 10 were wealthy people with vendettas.

At least one thing was true: the biohazardous warfare had not ended, and the illnesses within The

Grid were not from the factorial smog but from the power of her family itself.

Astoria ran home, through the halls of all the sections, until she reached her home. Zooming

through the electronic scan of her face, she zipped to her room, hurling herself into her pillow.

What was she supposed to do at this dinner? A brave face when she knew all of it was a lie? That

everyone here was a murderer? Who else knew the truth of this, she thought? Archie. She

questioned if Archie knew. Right then and there, she made up her mind; if he did know and

agreed to instill this policy further, she would not accept his proposal, no matter how disgraceful

it would be for her family.

Astoria allowed for her dressers to come in and prep her. She exclaimed appreciation

when they complimented her lip color or how well the curls looked pinned up in her hair. She

flashed a cheeky grin when pink roses, her favorite from Archie, arrived. Noting not to read the

card aloud, she suspected everyone in The Terrace was aware of the big plan except for her. Her

mother came in with the Lennox Family diamond necklace, and they both apologized for the

stress of the situation earlier. This moment particularly pained Astoria as she knew she would

most likely be breaking her mother's heart again after her action that evening. Once the Lancaster

Family was placed together and poised like the Victoriana Painting, they symbolized it was time

to head to the celebration.

The Revolution Remembrance Day Dinner was being held in the President's Ballroom.

The ballroom was located towards the bottom of The Terrace, nearly to the base, to be exact. It

was established as one of the first layers of The Terrace. Astoria thought it seemed fitting that

these people would build a ballroom before building shelters or helping their fellow citizens. The
 Inman 13

room was elaborate, with cylinders of marble encompassed by an all-glass floor. The ceiling was

enchanted with the night's bright stars. This was the only place people saw such things as they

could not leave their stone fortress. The older women and men were dancing while the younger

girls gossiped about whether their betrothed would even bother asking them to dance. Naturally,

Archie offered Astoria his hand and gracefully led her to the center of the dance floor.

"You look magnificent tonight, Story; I'm so lucky to have such a special girl," Archie whispered

into her ear, then kissed her on her temple.

"Thank you. I hear it's a special night," she said. Archie replied with a sly smile and a wink.

"Um…Archie, I've been wanting to talk to you about something. I've thought about it recently,

something that truly serves me."

"Story, if this is about what is supposed to happen tonight, don't be nervous. We've known this

day was supposed to come for years; I love you, you love me. Our families of the Prominent Ten,

it's meant to be," he said, caressing her back to try and comfort her.

"Right, yes, I know…but uh, The Terrace, it's killing those people on The Grid; we still create

and produce biohazardous vaccines," she just blurted out. Shocked she did so, the urge to tell

someone must have just overtaken her.

Archie quickly placed his hand over her mouth, then retreated and sealed the deal with a

kiss to hide any suspicion from the crowd. He pulled her aside toward the back of the room,

cornering her against one of the cold marble pillars. Astoria didn't like the icy feel on the bare

skin exposed from her strapless dress or the icy glare in Archie's eyes.

"What are you talking about, Astoria? You are not supposed to know about that; only higher-up

elders are to know that information," he said not, hiding so well that he did know this

information himself.
 Inman 14

"You know about it, don't you? From the Perseverer lessons, they expect you to follow in my

father's footsteps. The Head Perseverer has to know all the controls on The Grid," she said with a

knowing tone.

"Yes." Archie nodded solemnly. "I'm not saying I 100% agree with these policies, but we don't

know what kind of rebels or diseases remain on The Grid. This is the only way to ensure we

don't have another civil war." he continued.

"By killing them? Generational?" she shouted. People began to turn and look at them, curious

about what the confusion was about.

"Suppressing them," Arhice said firmly. He began to notice the distrust in her eyes. "I would

never do anything to harm you, Astoria, you know that. If anything, all of my work is to protect

you and protect our future heirs. You know that Story, please look at me. Believe me, darling, I'll

take care of you."

Astoria looked him in the eye, noticing tears had formed in his. Astoria could see and

knew Archie did love her. She knew he was blinded by everything he had always been told,

unable to see what was right. But she could see what was written and knew that marrying him

and continuing this legacy of hierarchy repressing those who couldn't even see it coming wasn't

it? Astoria did not have the heart to tell him this now; however, she wanted to stick to her plan of

public disgrace. Yes, this would hurt Archie more than she knew, but it would send a message to

all citizens of The Terrace. So instead, she leaned up and gently kissed Archie for what she knew

would be the last time and said,

"Of course, Arch, you'll always be my protector."

Later in the evening, President Warren began to give a speech. Nothing on the historic

Perserverers who fought for the foundation of The Terrace, those who designed the technological
 Inman 15

advancements, the medics who healed us of the Respriochronosis, and, of course, he thanked the

women for all their guidance to the men. This made Astoria giggle. At the end of his speech, he

called up Archie. She hadn't realized that Archie was being awarded a medal of honor for the

highest Perseverer Challenge Score since that of her fathers, making Archie a true attribute to the

force. This made her feel worse about what she intended to do, but she knew it had to be done all

the same. The time was now when he was calling her name from the podium. She gracefully

walked across the ballroom, taking the whispers about what was expected to happen. Once she

made her way near, Archie came down and helped upon the elevated platform.

"Citizens of The Terrace, family, I should say. Tonight, I have been awarded one of my greatest

honors, the highest medallion in my desired attribute of the force." Applause reappeared after he

finished his first sentence. Then, looking over in Astoria's eyes, he said, "And I'd like to make it

two." Laying down the microphone and slipping into this pocket, he pulled out a small box.

Taking one knee, he grabbed her hand and opened the black velvet box. Inside was his

grandmother's ring, the Harris Estate family ring. A deep green emerald with an emerald cut

surrounded by cylinder diamonds encompassed by a simple gold band. No wonder she was

wearing this particular gown, she thought. She could hear the crowd gasp and beating of her

heart as she knew what would be done.

"Astoria Grace Lennox Lancaster, will you marry me?" Archie said with such pride and such

love.

"No," she said in response.

The crowd was bewildered, screaming that it must be some sick joke. She swore she

could hear her mother wailing from some far corner of the room. Astoria picked up the hem of

her dress and ran out of the ballroom. Once reaching the escalating passageways, she knew
 Inman 16

exactly which button to press. Base: Ground Zero, Entry Level to The Grid. She was going to be

the one to solve the issues on The Grid. She was going to be the one to abolish The Grid. As the

passageway descended, she thought about what her life would be like now and if she'd ever

regain the things she was sure to lose. The good things, at least. Mostly, she thought of her

younger sisters, how Brigid must be so afraid, and how Eleanor would have to become betrothed.

She also wondered if anyone had even questioned where she was headed. The ding from the

passageway door brought her out of this thought. The doors whipped up, blowing in a cold chill,

shivering her to the bone. She wasn't sure if this was from the weather or her nerves, but there

was no time to think about it once the all-too-familiar electronic voice began to speak.

"Hello, Astoria Lancaster, and welcome to The Grid."