BOOK OF MIA: 2081

Chapter 2: Article 34

Fudggity, fudge, fudge! First, what the fudge is Article 34? Second, why the hell couldn't they be normal and say things like 'bring an umbrella cause it's raining out'? And third, I'm not about to admit to the hulk, reeking of sweat and whiskey, that I don't know what Article 34 is. No way in hell.

So in short, I reply, "I couldn't find it in the dark."

"Sentry 176, what is the holdup with this recruit?" Another guard appears by the exit, and yet another flashlight beam hits my eyes.

By now, the announcement and the sirens are silent, and the new guy's voice booms too loud.

"The recruit doesn't have her Article 34 on her, sir," Sentry 176 replies behind me and I understand the new man is his superior. "What do you want me to do, sir?"

The 'boss man' stares at me for a moment. His flashlight continues to shine on my face. I shield my eyes and look down at his shoes.

Nice shoes, asshole! I can't help but look at his polished business shoes. One could probably see their reflection off it. He is a rich Hiver, no doubt. Lighten up, will you? It's only a school graduation camp, I'm tempted to say, but a searing pain rips across my back. My body crumples from it, and I collapse hard on my knees to the cold floor. It's freezing tonight, and I hadn't even noticed until now. My cheek welcomes the cool of the concrete and I hear myself scream.

"That's enough, Sentry 176," the boss-man's voice echoes above me, muffled by my ringing ear. Ow, motherfu... Ow, my mind reels. "You don't want to short out her system before the ceremony."

"Yes, sir!"

The pain stops and Sentry 176 hovers over me, recovering the prongs of his Taser from my back to my horror. What the hell did I get tased for? But honestly, I can't even blabber like a baby.

"Take her to the hall," the man in charge barks and I feel Sentry 176 throw me over his shoulder like a rag doll. "The Ceremony will begin momentarily. We can't have her miss it."

"Yes, sir." Sentry 176 follows his boss out the exit with me slung over his shoulder. I keep coming in and out of consciousness, in time to catch him asking, "What about her Article 34, sir?"

Yeah, what about my Article 34? But it's not like I'm in any shape or position to go fetch the darn thing myself.

I hear a distinct 'ha, ha' laugh of the boss man. Dry and sarcastic. "She may as well be dead then."

"She is unarmed, sir," Sentry 176 states. Is that a hint of concern in his voice?

The man ahead of us stops. Behind him, so does the hulk carrying me, and I can confirm that indeed, one can see their pathetic reflection of those super glossy shoes. The leather seems to be some sort of scale pattern. He's wearing snakes!

"Clearly, her system is faulty, Sentry 176. Otherwise, she would not proceed without arming herself, would she? Perhaps it's for the best. Quick and easy way to weed out the faulty stock. Now go, before the gates seal."

"Yes, sir!" Sentry 176 salutes the man and quickens his pace beneath me. I feel like I'm floating for a moment.

I know I only have moments before I'm dumped inside the Cafeteria hall. Moments. What the hell is going on? And what are they talking about, weapons and Article 34, and arming myself? Whatever it is, I have moments to secure a weapon. Apparently, my life depends on it according to the boss man.

My head throbs from being hung. My back spasms now and then, and I do not have my effing Article 34 on me.

'Quick, grab something!' a familiar voice yells in my head again as the Cafeteria light looms meters away. 'Grab his taser!' she instructs. I know I have heard that voice before, maybe in my sleep? I believe she was the one who yelled 'Wake up, it's happening,' in my ear as I woke to the siren and shuffling feet in the dark. Whose voice? I do not know. I don't talk to myself. Ever. I tried once, and it was weird. And this voice isn't mine. But I do as I'm told. I glance at the Sentry to make sure his eyes are looking ahead. I can hear the cacophony of conversations slipping out of the hall and I must hurry.

As Sentry 176 nods to another and approaches the hall doors, I grab the taser hanging off the back of his belt.

"Was she doing a runner?" the Sentry by the door asks, laughing.

"No. She couldn't find her Article 34, so the boss ordered me to escort her."

"Oh, shit. Well, good luck to her then. May the Codex protect her if she is worthy."

"May the Codex protect!" A chorus of chants runs through the dark as other Sentries join in on the prayer that is supposed to help me survive if I am deemed worthy. Fudge on a fudge stick! This bodes ill, right down to my aching bones and muscles. They know the Codex is just a series of code on our mainframe and not god, right? Right?

I am thrown unceremoniously into the hall then, and the doors seal tightly behind me within moments.

I stand in a crowded hall. My eyes fight the bright lights. They have cleared all the chairs and tables. And as far as I can see — and it is a darn enormous hall, mind you — all recruits seem well and truly sealed within these walls. Their house bibs hang off their torsos like we are a three-hundred-player strong netball team — black, yellow, green, and red. I'm House Red, not that I grabbed my bib. I forgot we needed it for camp activities.

I quickly eye the exits, all eight of them. All sealed. Thump, thump, thump.

A sea of people, bewildered and sleepy, eye one another like confused sheep. A sea of people with their Article 34 in hand, I slowly realise.

The sight makes me want to throw up, and my stomach lurches violently.

Article 34, it turns out, is that odd thing from the list that had briefly caught my eye when I passed it onto Mrs Beanstalk, my governess, with, "Pack me these!" It was the only thing that had caught my eye.

Article 34: Weapon of choice.

Yup.

Weapon of choice. Yours.

I am standing in a giant hangar—an endless room, if you will—and everyone has their weapon of choice in hand. Choices that are as macabre and as they are lethal. My heart hammers against my ribs, trying to escape as I eye the stupid taser I stole from Sentry 176. A taser that's half out of juice thanks to the earlier incident and the shocks still making my back twitch no and then.

I grab the nearest kid. "Do you know what's going on?"

"No. Do you?" She shakes her head, eyeing the pathetic taser in my hand while she holds an odd-looking knife with a curved blade in hers. Is that a scythe?

"No clue." I shake my head. Something epic, I can tell. I have to find Nate. Now.

"Do you know why they asked us to bring these?" she asks, eyeing our weapons.

I shake my head again. I'm as lost as she looks. "Whatever it is, I bet it's not to sing and dance with."

She swallows nervously. "I only just started my weapons training a month ago..."

I want to say, 'At least you have a weapon and some training. All I have is a taser and I can pipette like a madman so I'll win a thumb war!' Instead, I scan the room, eyeing the array of weapons and trying to locate Nate. "Have you seen Nate Basnett?" I ask, hoping she knows my friend. My only friend.

Something tells me I'm going to need a friend tonight.

Thankfully, the kid nods and points a few heads further up. "I think he's there."

Of course, she knows where he is. Nate's a superstar among students. Handsome, charming, tall, tanned, ripped, nice head of hair, and super freakishly smart. All the girls I know at our school have a crush on him. So why not girls from other schools here at the camp?

"Thanks," I say, staring at Nate's unmistakably dark, almost violet hair glistening as he looks around the place, no doubt searching for me.

'Mia!' The voice startles me again and I turn around.

"Yeah?" I turn, only to see kids stare at me like I am a weirdo.

Well, I am a weirdo. I smile and step closer to Nate, calling out his name.

'Mia. Get out. Get out now!' the voice urges louder in my ears. Who are you?

"Hey M. There you are!" Nate comes to me. "Do you know what's going on?" he asks, and I'm sure I give him a look. That's his first words to me? Really?

Mine to him are, "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

'Mia! Get out now. Exit the program!' the voice echoes inside my head, more urgently, and now I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who can hear her. Her voice sounds familiar somehow. I can't explain it. What program?

"Did you hear that?" I ask, looking around, searching for the person talking to me. It has to be someone inside the place, right? — to be able to hack into my communication's line? What else would explain the voice in my head that sounds so real? Unless I've finally lost it.

"What?" Nate asks. "You alright? You look a little rough?"

Obviously, Nate does not know what I'm asking. "I got tased for no reason earlier. Maybe it scrambled my code. I keep hearing this voice," I say, changing the subject. Maybe getting electrocuted messed with me somehow. That has to be it.

"Oh, ouch. Did you mouth off again? We can't afford to lose any more house points because of your potty mouth, Miss Love." He smiles.

Suddenly, commotion breaks out around us. The recruits turn to the giant wall-mounted screens flickering to life above our heads. Static crackles through the many speakers.

"Attention recruits."

Nate grabs my hand and squeezes it. "Here we go." I think he's excited. What the hell?

I eye his weapon of choice, a semi-automatic travel-sized machine gun with a biometric grip. I have only ever seen one in real life once. My dad's top bodyguard. "Nice!" I say nervously.

He eyes my pathetic tool and simply says, "Whatever is about to happen, I don't think it's good, M. I want you to stick with me. Promise. No matter what happens, you stick with me!" There's a flash of concern in his eyes that makes my heart leap. Does Nate know what's coming? For a moment, his gaze flicks around the room as if looking for something.

"Come on." His grip around my hand tightens, and he moves towards the walls, inching us closer to the exits while the flickering screens captivate other recruits. They don't realise we are most probably fudged.

I think back on what the boss-man said about me being as good as dead and I pull Nate back, whispering into his ear, "None of us have armour!"

Nate nods, nervously scans the room as a woman, immaculately dressed in high-office gear, steps in front of the camera. Her face smiles down at us from the silver screens like our sour-faced principle. Looming over us with her powers to hand out detentions and call our parents.

"Welcome to The Ceremony at Camp Sweep," she begins. Her voice is loud, clear, and merciless. "I am Governor Assistant Tribes, and I am here to say congratulations on making it so far on your way to identifying your designated careers."

Something about her voice makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand.

'Stick with Nate, Mia!' the voice says, and I can't help but look up at the screen, at the angelic face of Governor Assistant Tribes. 'Head for the north-east corner when it begins. A Sentry will find you.'

"Today is the most important day of your lives." Governor Assistant Tribes' voice echoes around the hall.

But in my head, it goes. 'On my word. Be ready, Mia. I trust you and my son to get out alive.'

Son?—but there is no time to think. My head feels muddled. My thoughts scramble. I try to focus on Nate. On his hand in mine as my heart races. This is not good. Whatever this is. I know it in my bones. This is not good.

I look up at the ceiling in prayer I rarely do. Please protect us.