Aura by R. J. Wade

Author:R. J. Wade [Wade, R. J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781916069206
Goodreads: 47225312
Published: 2019-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 39

Reece is staying the night. He's showered and dressed after his nap and seems to have recovered from his earlier ordeal.

It's good to have him here.

We sit in the front room to eat.

Edward has cooked up a warm potato stew. Neeve fills our water glasses, and we tuck in.

There's an almost-celebratory atmosphere around the table. It's hard to believe, but despite all of our setbacks, I've completed my training.

“So you guys used to live in the Inner Sanctum,” Reece says, shoveling potatoes into his mouth. “What was that like?”

I smile. He's trying to sound casual, but Reece has always been obsessed with the idea of the Inner Sanctum. Like me, he's only ever seen it on TV or on the shuttle screens.

“It wasn't like this place,” Neeve says under her breath.

“Do you miss it?” Reece asks.

“Every day,” she says.

“Sometimes,” Edward says, picking up his glass of water. “But staying wasn't an option.”

“If you're Elite, you can pretty much have anything you want, so long as you play by the rules,” says Neeve. “My father just couldn't play by the rules anymore.”

“Here's a question,” Reece asks, aiming for something less personal. “If my parents were Workers, but I turned out to be Elite, we'd have been given a swanky pad in the Inner Sanctum, right?”

“Pretty much,” says Neeve, taking another bite of her food.

If only it could have been that easy for my family.

“Okay, but what if it was the other way around? If my parents were Elite, and I turned out to be a Worker?”

“Oh, you big disappointment,” she smiles.

“You'd have to relocate to The Neighborhood when you turned sixteen,” says Edward. “But in reality, that doesn't always happen. There is a risky – and extremely expensive – procedure that can recalibrate an individual's brain from Worker to Elite like their parents. One in ten who have the surgery don't survive, but that doesn't usually stop people from getting it.”

“I bet you're so glad you asked,” Neeve says, raising an eyebrow at Reece.

“If you had your way, what would it be like?” I ask Edward, changing the subject. “The Society, I mean.”

He thinks for a moment. “I'd like to see a world where science and technology are used to improve people's lives, rather than to oppress them,” he says. “People's minds should be their own.”

“You sound like Aura's dad,” Reece says.

“I didn't know him, but I'm sure that's quite a compliment,” Edward nods. “It takes courage to think differently in The Society.”

I look at my plate, suddenly emotional. I swallow, moving my food around with my fork.

In twelve days, my dad may not even be alive.

I can't let him down.

“So is the Old City as bad as they make out?” Neeve asks.

“Worse,” Reece says. “My family left over a year ago. We've been in the camp ever since. I didn't think I'd ever see this one again,” he says, elbowing me in the side.

I muster a smile.

“You were a great help today, Reece,” Edward says, dabbing his mouth with a napkin.

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