The Intelligence

“Shhhhhhhhh” my mother whispered for the hundredth time today. I started to speak “but-” as I was finishing my sentence my mother clasped a hand over my mouth.

“You will understand when you're older Dianna”.

Well now I did understand I was 17 years old and the cameras were everywhere and questioning my mother about her ‘errands’ was not something I should have been doing. My mother was a smuggler and she was good at it, too. She not only smuggled food and family heirlooms she also smuggled information. Since the government spied on us we spied on them and they would not be able to occupy Carbombya for long. I had a plan. Soon I would be 18 and would be assigned to a work force. I couldn't exactly wish for a specific job, they were all terrible. My mother had faked injury papers that normally would have excused me from work for at least 2 months if not more. Usually they didn't take people with what they considered imperfections but they were running out of workers. The empire would collapse if I could just get the message out to more people. I know I would truly make a difference if the government was controlling us and we did have the power to change things.

My mother suddenly rushed into our rundown home and said in a hushed voice “They are coming,”

“WHAT?!” I exclaimed beginning to panic “they’re not supposed to be here for another 4 months!”

“I know,” my mother whispered.

I frantically rushed about the house clearing books, watches, necklaces, fine china and extra bits of food as well as tape recorders with things General Willson or President Nero said on them. I remembered the locket, the heart shaped silver locket my mother used to pass secret information and notes between smugglers. I grabbed it and shoved it into my pocket frantically. I began lifting up our cherrywood floor boards and stuffing the contraband into them and carefully placing the old locket inside then sealing the floor up again. Mymother rushed in with her arms full of such items and opened her own secret hiding spot, shoved all of the objects into the vent and then grabbed a screwdriver to get the vent back in place. Suddenly a knock at the door and a voice. “Hello, we are here for the surprise inspection,” he said. I motioned to my mother to screw the vent on and went to answer the door saying, “Coming officers,”

I opened the door and I knew this office--r it was Mr. Lennon's son. He must have been assigned to the army. I opened the door wide so he could come in. He then asked, “Could I get your mother in here before I read the standard rules?”

“Yes of course, she's just in the kitchen,” I was relieved when I walked in to see my mother standing on the opposite side of the room where the vent was now secure. There was no screwdriver in sight. We have a four room house which was standard for a family of our size my mother, myself and my father. We had a bathroom, 2 bedrooms and a kitchen. We also have a small TV in my mothers room. They say it's because the president is generous but it's really just so they can play their propaganda.

“My Mother's right here,” I said while pointing to her.

“Hello officer,” my mother replied, shaking his hand.

“Hello are you ready for me to read the rules?” he questioned.

“Yes sir,” my mother added.

“Ok, as you know if any personal non-government issued items are found in your home you will be subject to punishment for treason. Ready?”

“Yes we understand,” my mother whispered.

I could tell she was nervous. This was the first time we were caught off guard with a surprise inspection. The officer milled about our house. Our breakfast plates lay still warm on the table barely any food eaten. The officer opened drawers filled with silverware with the Murodyn Empire crest burnt into the bottom of the spoons, forks, knives. We had the standard issued plates, jackets and a computer but an old one at that barely worked anymore, not that we could look up anything interesting anyway. He entered my parents room which contained an old rusty bed, a dresser and a floor length mirror. He began to search the small chest in the right hand corner but all he found were some woolen scarves and winter coats which also sported a Murodyn crest. It was currently spring so we rarely had any use for those. Then he walked down the hall my mother and I close behind into my room. I had a twin bed, another floor length mirror, a desk, some curtains and a small closet as well as a stool that had a screw on lid to put belongings in. However my mother felt that was not a secure place to hide things as the government had given the stool to us.

He began to rifle through the school papers on my desk and took a quick peek into my closet before quickly moving on to the stool. “This here,” he grunted. “Does it have a screw off lid?”

I nodded and just as my mother had predicted, off went the lid and to his surprise there was nothing in there.

“Alright,” he said warily.

“ I'll check your bathroom quickly and then I'll be on my way,” he added before storming off. He entered the small bathroom, poked around for a minute and then left. I could almost hear the sigh of relief slipping through my lips when the officer marched back in claiming his hat and then going away again. My mother gave me one of those looks you know the type like Grumpy just got attacked by Oscar the Grouch. “What?” I groaned.

“You'll have to be more careful,” my mother scolded

“I will, mother, I swear,” I said.

Then my mother walked out of the house without another word. She was opening the door of the only car we owned, a 2002 silver Lexus.

XXX

I could see Dianna watching me from our small window. I waved my hand to shoe her back inside and then climbed into the driver's seat of our car. It was an old car. The leather seats were cracking and the paint job was subpar at best. The engine has failed us once before but it was quickly taken away and fixed. “Mother!” Dianna screeched before I could pull out of the community garage.

“What is it hun?” I queried.

“Where are you going?’’ she asked.

“To pick up your father,” I replied

Then I rolled the window down and pulled away. I figured at least today it was safer to pick up Diana's father. On the way, I would drop off the necklace with the secret note in it. It says: 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓲𝓷𝓼𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽𝓸𝓻𝓼 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓫𝓮𝓮𝓷 𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓪𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓭 𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓼𝓮𝓼 𝓲𝓷 𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓷𝓮𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓻𝓱𝓸𝓸𝓭 𝓫𝓮 𝓬𝓪𝓻𝓮𝓯𝓾𝓵.

I opened the locket and tucked the completed note inside of it. Then I dropped the necklace off at the usual place, a hole in a tree at the community parks. Parks had very few cameras; people barely visited them these days. I drove to Diana’s father’s work and told of our day's inspection but not in too much detail, the cameras and speakers were everywhere. We got home and Dianna greeted her father then we all went to sleep. All I remember from that night was a loud noise and Diana's father assuring me things were fine. The next morning he was gone.