For the Good of the District

Leya continued to watch the clock hand move from second to second while waiting for what seemed like days. It was the same blue and gold clock that all members received as a gift just a few months ago to celebrate their exemplary timeliness. The ornate clock, printed with For the Good of the District on the face, proudly sat on Leya’s mantle in her home, surrounded by all her numerous other District awards. In the evenings after completing her contributions, she curled up in her armchair and smiled at the tick-tock-tick-tock of her newest most prized possession. Now she watched the clock from inside a prison cell, knowing they would be coming for her at any moment. As minutes passed, Leya racked her brain trying to recount her past days, weeks, even months to figure out why she was being detained as a delinquent instead of providing for the District.

Leya knew it couldn’t be her genetics, because she passed her newborn genetic screening. Otherwise, she would have been sent for rehabilitation before the Summoning. The test ruled out any unfavorable genetic predispositions, such as U24.7 - Lying or U48.2 - Procrastination. Leya actually scored remarkably well on her initial genetic screening, gaining points for having F12.0 – Ambition, F34.8 – Heightened Spatial Awareness, and F6.4 – Increased Memory Capacity. These were the traits that got her assigned as a Biomedical Engineer at The Summoning when she was 10 years old. She also had extremely high Contribution and Efficiency marks for the last few years in her district, so Leya could not comprehend why she was escorted to the District Productivity Department three days ago.

Leya lightly gasped as she remembered that a few weeks ago, she had dropped her pencil two times within one hour while at work. Plenty of people were there to witness, like Mark, Vera, and Garret, and it’d have been easy to suspect a new genetic mutation based on that behavior. If Leya saw someone drop a pencil two times in a single hour, she certainly would’ve reported them on the grounds that their motor facilities could be failing them. If that were the case, they could not complete their duties effectively for the District, thus decreasing overall profitability. It’d have been the necessary thing to do for the good of the District. Under this plausible reasoning Leya’s worry slightly eased, because if she was reported on those grounds, this ordeal was likely nothing to worry about at all. If she had developed Parkinson’s or ALS, those were easily cured. It is the year 2481 after all, and those plagues of the past were no more. The true plague now in The United States was inadequacy. Your genetic traits must make you a Profitable Member of Society, or you’d be rehabilitated.

The tick-tock¬ of the clock now brought feelings of warmth once again instead of dread. Light footsteps became heavy footsteps before the guards entered Leya’s room. She calmly followed the guards through the maze of hallways and into Room 298, realizing that this would all be over soon. The Determiner was already sat behind the bench and Leya’s Liaison awaited her at the District Member’s table. Leya knew that the Liaison was available to provide her with information regarding the Determiner’s decision, perhaps in reviewing more in detail the Genetic Council’s report if need be. The Determiner gave a light cough once Leya was settled in her seat.

“Today we review the result of the Genetic Council’s study into Leya Franklin. Ms. Franklin, can you confirm your district member number for me?” the Determiner asked.

“Leya Franklin, district member 38411,” Leya replied.

“Thank you. Let’s begin Ms. Franklin,” the Determiner continued dryly, “You were reported to the District Productivity Department four days ago as a possible Unfit Member of Society. It was at this time that you were ascertained to undergo new genetic testing. We then searched your premises and took statements from other members that were high up on your Interaction Density Ratings list. Standard protocol. The results of the genetic testing did reveal new findings. You have been flagged for U92.1 – The Humanity Gene. U92.1 is non-responsive to rehabilitation, so the penalty is death. You have 24 hours to make arrangements from your monitored quarters before your humane execution. Your Liaison will answer any remaining questions you have.” He stood up and faced towards the American flag with his right hand to his heart, “The good of the District profits our Country.”

All other members of Room 298 minus Leya replied, “The profit of our Country brings good to the District.”

Like a heavy stone in the midst of a storm, Leya stood still while the rest of the room whirled around her as if nothing unusual just happened. Her heart pounded and she wondered if she was stuck in a bad dream. It took four hard nudges on her shoulder before Leya realized she was being asked to move back to her quarters, much like a docile cow. Before she knew it, Leya was perched at the edge of the bed, just beginning to contemplate her fate.

The Liaison scrolled through the calendar on her phone thinking about the rest of her appointments for the day. “Leya, before I leave you do you have any questions regarding the Determiner’s decision?” the Liaison asked.

“Who reported me?”

“That is confidential, sorry.” The Liaison answered while continuing to focus her attention at her phone screen.

“Okay. May I ask what event was witnessed that led to the decision to report me?”

The Liaison sighed and opened up a slim folder. Clearly annoyed, she replied, “The witness stated that on multiple occasions across several months, they observed you gazing at an object and exhibiting undue emotional response. Upon searching your premises, the object was identified as a heart shaped locket that was found beneath your floorboards. The locket contained a picture of your sister, Melanie Franklin, who according to your file was moved to another district after your Summoning. As you are well aware, a member running amok with the Humanity Gene could cause catastrophic damage to the District’s productivity. The good of the District profits our Country.”

Leya remained expressionless while processing this new information, the tick-tock¬ now almost inaudible. Leya thought this must all be a misunderstanding. She had dedicated her entire life to the good of the District, as any Profitable Member of Society would. How could she carry gene U92.1 with the high marks she’s received for the past four years? She thought this must be a mistake… but the Genetic Council doesn’t make mistakes. They are the backbone of the Country, and their work has taken the United States from its deepest economic depression back to the greatest country on Earth. Before, every citizen was ruled by their own selfishness and emotions, which limited our Country’s potential. Now, every member is placed perfectly within society based on their genetic strengths to bring prosperity to all.

Most of all, Leya wondered who could’ve even seen her with the locket? Leya closed her blinds every night and she only took out her locket after curfew. No one should’ve have been around at that time of night. And to whoever did observe her, why would they report Leya on those grounds? Yes, she deeply missed her lost sister, but she hardly exhibited an undue emotional response – a few tears maybe, but nothing more.

“Do you have any other questions?” The Liaison asked.

“I don’t believe so.”

“Do you have any family you’d like to contact before your humane execution?”

“No. No, I don’t have anyone.”

“Alright. Well, whatever you request, within reason, will be brought to your quarters. I will see you tomorrow at 4:45pm.” The Liaison did not even wait for a response from Leya before calling to the guards to exit the room.

Now with each tick-tock¬ of the clock, Leya began to feel something bubbling inside of her. Something foreign, yet oddly familiar. Was this what anger felt like? Leya had followed every rule adamantly. She received her top pick at the Summoning. She did her community chores every week, and then some, for the good of the District. She never gave into feelings of attraction in school or around the community, despite the Genetic Council’s decision that she was not a good candidate for a husband or to mother a child. She didn’t even run after Melanie when they transported her to another district, knowing that they would never hear from one another again. Leya had put aside all her wants, feelings, and aspirations for the good of the District and the good of the Country. How could she possibly be deemed unfit to continue her duty in creating a profitable and livable world? How could they cast her out like a piece of rotting fruit, never to be worth a damn again?

Tears started streaming down Leya’s cheeks, no matter how hard she tried to stop them. The tick-tock¬ was now mocking her: tick-tock-you’re-worthless, tick-tock-you’ve-failed, tick-tock-you’re-a-disgrace. Against every instinct, Leya screamed at the top of her lungs, and surprisingly felt a little bit better. So, she kicked her chair end felt better still. Then she chucked the clock across the room at a wall, where it shattered into pieces. Silence enveloped her and guilt started to creep in. This is not how a Profitable Member of Society would behave. Maybe they were right that she no longer deserved to live.

Leya walked over to the clock and picked up the pieces. The glass was shattered and the hands laid eschew. She would never hear the tick-tock¬ again. She stared at the clock face with her Country’s motto and ripped it in half. A blinking red light caught her attention behind the cardboard. Leya found the source of the light which was attached to a thin wire. She frantically followed the wire to the joint where the hands of the clock came together, and saw her reflection in a small, black lens. Leya slid to the floor, tears flowing more slowly, and stared at the ceiling.

The day turned to night, only evident by the dimming light from the small window in her room, but still Leya remained with her back on the floor. At some point, a guard brought in her dinner, but it had grown cold hours ago. Leya could now see the sliver of an orange moon through her window. If this was her last night, she was happy she could see the moon and stars.

The knob on her door began to jiggle and suddenly the door quietly opened. She turned her head towards the door, but instead of a guard there stood a man and a woman dressed in rags. Leya sat up with a start.

“Who are you?” Leya asked.

They both stared at Leya intently, but especially the woman. The man finally spoke, “We are part of The Reckoning. We were told you were diagnosed with U92.1 – The Humanity Gene. We’re here to save you.”

“Save me? I don’t understand.”

The man held out his hand, “Come with us, and we will take you away from here. We are all like you, diagnosed with genes deemed non-responsive to rehabilitation. We’re trying to save this country from what it has become. Please, hurry, we don’t have much time.”

The woman continued to unrelentingly stare at Leya’s face and took a step towards her. Leya took three steps backwards in return. “Leya,” the woman said.

“How do you know my name? How do you know anything?”

The woman took another step towards Leya and reached in her pocket to pull something out. It was now Leya’s turn to gawk in amazement as the woman revealed a heart-shaped locket to match her own.

“Melanie?” Leya asked delicately.

Melanie smiled and held out her hand. After a moment, Leya grabbed it and they ran for their lives, unaware of their fantastic and dangerous journey to come.