too late.”
I scrunch up my face. There are boys at school who laugh at me and call me things like “Shorty.” And they were mad earlier when I solved a math equation intended for someone twice our age in forty-seven seconds, but I can’t remember them attacking me and throwing me in here.
The boy frowns at me. “You don’t remember?”
I shake my head.
His forehead creases with worry. “You must’ve hit your head pretty hard.”
I just stare at him. He stares back, his eyes wide and round, the color of a dark sky brimming with stars.
“I’m Logan, by the way,” he says.
I realize I’ve been holding my breath, and let it out. “I’m Clementine.”
“I know.” He smiles. “They talk about you at school.” His gaze shifts to my left ear, to the curls clumping beneath it. He sighs, reaches out, and touches them. I flinch again, but when his fingers pull away, they have blood on them.
My eyes widen. I touch the same spot with my own two fingers and feel a warm wetness.
“Here, I’ll walk you home,” Logan says softly. “Think you can walk fast enough that we can avoid the cam-bots?”
I swallow hard. “My legs are all right. Just my head hurts.”
He nods, his forehead creasing with concern. He pulls me to my feet. “I’ll help you clean off that blood too. Don’t want those boys thinking they won their fight, eh?”
I shake my head. His hand squeezes mine into his grasp, and we step away from the garbage bin toward the street. “Thanks, by the way,” I say.
His smile is crooked.
* * *
Moving through the door into the room with the podium is like stepping into a dream. Claps and cheers echo in my ears from the small audience. They’re all standing, watching us Extractions enter.
My face warms and my palms grow sweaty. Bright yellow light flashes in my eyes. I blink to make the dots go away, and bump into the Extraction girl in front of me by accident.
“Sorry,” I mumble.
Governor Preston steps forward to greet me. “Congratulations,” he says with a kind smile. His gloved hand closes around mine in a firm grip.
“Thank you.” I manage not to stutter the words.
He smiles wider. Another flash of yellow comes from behind him, from one of the cam-bots documenting the ceremony.
He moves on, but it isn’t over yet. Bodies jostle me from every direction. It seems all the people in the audience want to shake my hand. Instructors, doctors, nurses, and officials too. People I’ve never spoken to or even seen before smile at me like we’ve been friends since birth.
I smile as best I can. But the walls close in tighter with every passing moment, and my heart rate quickens and my throat tightens.
I don’t want to be here. I want to be outside where Logan’s waiting. These people are stealing too much time away from me.
I notice Cadet Waller near the podium, looking as impatient as I feel. She speaks fast into an ear-comm, though I can’t hear what she’s saying.
Behind her, a small CorpoBot screen in the back corner of the room plays through the portraits of the new Extractions again. It shows not only our pictures, but the pictures of those chosen tonight in the ceremonies in Crust, Mantle, and Lower. Fourteen from each outer sector.
I stare at their faces and wonder who they are. I wonder why the Developers picked them.
I wonder why they picked me too, but didn’t choose Laila. Or Grady. Or Logan.
* * *
Rain smacks the pavement outside. I move through the exit doors with the rest of the group, led by Cadet Waller and an entourage of guards. Cadet Waller said a transport will arrive any minute to take us to the departure bay.
My heart knocks against my rib cage. I swallow hard. I need to find Logan before the transport gets here. I need to say good-bye to him.
He’s supposed to be waiting outside the door, but he isn’t.
There’s a big, loud crowd ahead, separated from us by a security rope and a line of officials. All the kids from the camp
I scrunch up my face. There are boys at school who laugh at me and call me things like “Shorty.” And they were mad earlier when I solved a math equation intended for someone twice our age in forty-seven seconds, but I can’t remember them attacking me and throwing me in here.
The boy frowns at me. “You don’t remember?”
I shake my head.
His forehead creases with worry. “You must’ve hit your head pretty hard.”
I just stare at him. He stares back, his eyes wide and round, the color of a dark sky brimming with stars.
“I’m Logan, by the way,” he says.
I realize I’ve been holding my breath, and let it out. “I’m Clementine.”
“I know.” He smiles. “They talk about you at school.” His gaze shifts to my left ear, to the curls clumping beneath it. He sighs, reaches out, and touches them. I flinch again, but when his fingers pull away, they have blood on them.
My eyes widen. I touch the same spot with my own two fingers and feel a warm wetness.
“Here, I’ll walk you home,” Logan says softly. “Think you can walk fast enough that we can avoid the cam-bots?”
I swallow hard. “My legs are all right. Just my head hurts.”
He nods, his forehead creasing with concern. He pulls me to my feet. “I’ll help you clean off that blood too. Don’t want those boys thinking they won their fight, eh?”
I shake my head. His hand squeezes mine into his grasp, and we step away from the garbage bin toward the street. “Thanks, by the way,” I say.
His smile is crooked.
* * *
Moving through the door into the room with the podium is like stepping into a dream. Claps and cheers echo in my ears from the small audience. They’re all standing, watching us Extractions enter.
My face warms and my palms grow sweaty. Bright yellow light flashes in my eyes. I blink to make the dots go away, and bump into the Extraction girl in front of me by accident.
“Sorry,” I mumble.
Governor Preston steps forward to greet me. “Congratulations,” he says with a kind smile. His gloved hand closes around mine in a firm grip.
“Thank you.” I manage not to stutter the words.
He smiles wider. Another flash of yellow comes from behind him, from one of the cam-bots documenting the ceremony.
He moves on, but it isn’t over yet. Bodies jostle me from every direction. It seems all the people in the audience want to shake my hand. Instructors, doctors, nurses, and officials too. People I’ve never spoken to or even seen before smile at me like we’ve been friends since birth.
I smile as best I can. But the walls close in tighter with every passing moment, and my heart rate quickens and my throat tightens.
I don’t want to be here. I want to be outside where Logan’s waiting. These people are stealing too much time away from me.
I notice Cadet Waller near the podium, looking as impatient as I feel. She speaks fast into an ear-comm, though I can’t hear what she’s saying.
Behind her, a small CorpoBot screen in the back corner of the room plays through the portraits of the new Extractions again. It shows not only our pictures, but the pictures of those chosen tonight in the ceremonies in Crust, Mantle, and Lower. Fourteen from each outer sector.
I stare at their faces and wonder who they are. I wonder why the Developers picked them.
I wonder why they picked me too, but didn’t choose Laila. Or Grady. Or Logan.
* * *
Rain smacks the pavement outside. I move through the exit doors with the rest of the group, led by Cadet Waller and an entourage of guards. Cadet Waller said a transport will arrive any minute to take us to the departure bay.
My heart knocks against my rib cage. I swallow hard. I need to find Logan before the transport gets here. I need to say good-bye to him.
He’s supposed to be waiting outside the door, but he isn’t.
There’s a big, loud crowd ahead, separated from us by a security rope and a line of officials. All the kids from the camp
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