Awakening: The ALPHA Generation
Chapter 2 - Nat

I realize that I’ve forgotten my camera ten minutes too late.

I notice its absence the minute I step onto the Nex. I need it to record today’s ceremony. Anything I post will be useless without footage.

I glance over my shoulder, wondering if it would be possible to make it back to the apartment before the last Nex leaves for the Hub. Before I can manage to piece together a plan, the crowd around me surges forward, nearly knocking me off my feet and sweeping me deeper into the long, tube-like transport.

I nab a seat, throwing my backpack on the one next to me to reserve it for Xander. Groups of people flood by, quickly filling up the seats around me as an automated voice announces our departure.

Throwing my backpack into my lap, my best friend finally collapses into the seat next to me.

“Man, those people are savage,” he says, chest rising and falling with exertion. “I barely got here alive. Where’d you go, anyway? I thought I’d lost you for a second.”

“Nearly drowned in a wave of passengers,” I explain, nestling my backpack at my feet. I rummage through it in a futile search for my camera. I was in such a rush this morning that I must have forgotten to grab it. I curse under my breath.

Xander blows a strand of sandy-brown hair out of his eyes and watches me rummage through the bag. “You left it at home, didn’t you, Nat?”

“No,” I huff, checking the back flap. “Well. Maybe.”

He clicks his tongue and waves his own camera in the air. It gleams under the bright fluorescent bulbs of the Nex, teasing me. The thing’s tiny for portability, no bigger than his palm “Thank goodness one of us takes our job seriously.”

I scoff. “I would hardly call Cliking a job. More like a hobby.”

“Now you’re just quoting Darren.”

My older brother doesn’t support the idea of Cliks. He says that it’s the type of thing that leads to rebellion. I don’t understand why; they’re just a way of communicating and swapping opinions.

The Nex hums as it comes to life, beginning its journey by sliding forward and away from the station. The floor beneath my feet vibrates with the buzz of the engine. My heart jumps in my chest when the entire capsule trembles with energy, preparing to launch.

The force of its acceleration throws me to the side, knocking me into Xander, who just laughs. The Nex picks up speed, then shoots into the air. I can feel its steel tracks grind beneath the capsule’s weight as they release, and hear the slick motions of the top railings slipping into place, meeting the overhead track that will take us speeding through the sky.

Eventually the vehicle takes on a balanced pace. Scenery flashes across the glass walls, sending images and light scattering across my vision.

Xander stretches his long legs out in front of him and grins. “Well, off to the Hub.”

“I wonder if it looks any different than it did last time I went.” My memories of that day from years ago are cloudy, but I remember the pure awe of it all. Dad was still with us back then. Darren says it was the day he decided he wanted to be a Redeemer; seeing the initiation of the trainees was the first spark to his interest.

“I haven’t gone in a good five years,” Xander says. “I would have last year, but we were working on that Clik story about our neighbor. Remember that?”

I laugh at the memory. “Oh man. We thought he was an escaped Flawed, right? How many hits did that one get - fifty thousand?”

“Just about. Earned us our spot on the top ten thousand.” He straightens, eyes widening. “We’re still on there, right?”

I pull my Clikbook from my backpack and lay the long, flat panel across my lap. At the press of a button, millions of holographic pixels come together to form a screen. My fingers swipe through the options until I come to Clik Status. “Number eight thousand and fifteen. Not bad for a couple of teenagers.”

“Hmm,” he hums. “Today would have been the perfect chance for a new post - if you’d remembered your camera. Thank goodness I brought mine.”

“Uh-huh. You’re a hero. Congratulations.”

I flip through the trending Clik posts. Most are just about the Renewal Ceremony. The people seeing it live at the Crux are the ones with the most hits – everyone wants a look at the pride and joy of the Remainder. Anyone living in the Midpoint will be flocking to the Redeemer home-base this afternoon, desperate for a peek at what lies behind the carefully crafted walls and glass dome roof.

I turn the Clikbook off and the pixels scatter, fading into the sunlight as they disappear. I gaze up through the rounded glass top of the Nex, trying to catch glimpses of the clouds that speed by.

I know we’ve made it to our destination when the tops of buildings and the windows of skyscrapers fly by. We’re entering Therma, Sector 7’s capital and hometown of the Sector’s Hub.

The Nex dips suddenly, speeding towards the ground. I grip my Clikbook to keep it from clattering across the white floor. The sky around us disappears under a layer of concrete as we dive underground and speed into the Nex station. Rippling waves of people stand on the platform by the tracks, coming from their own Nexes. They’ve gathered from all over Sector 7, flocking to the Sector’s Hub for the ceremony.

Unlike its launch, the Nex’s arrival is quick and gentle. Passengers surge forward as soon as the doors slide open, carrying both me and Xander out of the vehicle. Xander stays with me this time, even grabbing my hand to keep from getting separated again.

The air buzzes with excitement as we step out of the station’s building and into the middle of the bustling city. The sharp sting of the sea air makes my eyes burn, but I embrace it, taking in one deep, relaxing breath. Despite my Sector - in the East, by the sea - I rarely see the ocean. The salty air is welcomed by my lungs.

Cars dart down busy streets. Their thin wheels and subtle, almost invisible creases and features meld into one another, merging into one mass of color as they move. From the outside, the cars are completely opaque. But the view from the inside is clear and glass-like. Just like a Nex.

I turn on my Clikbook while we walk and type a quick update to Darren. He responds within seconds, telling me that he’s at the Hub waiting with the rest of the initiates.

The Nex stations are going to be flooded with people tonight. You’re driving us home, right?

Yup. I have to go now - the ceremony’s starting soon. You guys better get yourselves over here if you want good spots.

Got it.

Sector 7′s Hub is only a few blocks away, so we decide to walk there instead of taking a taxi. I stare up at the flashing lights and signs of the city streets, awed by the sheer enormity of it all. It’s so different from Cativy, the quiet town I live in. I’m not used to all the activity.

Flags hang from every building and street sign, all carrying the Redeemer symbol. People of all ages and sizes swarm the streets, all perfect and spotless. I see one woman carrying a child with a twisted leg; too young for Cleansing, but he’ll be ready within a year or two. Then he’ll be freed of his Flaw, perfect and pure like the others. My chest warms at the thought of the suffering crippled child finally being healed. A perfect reminder of why we celebrate the Renewal.

I brush my fingers against a huge Redeemer flag hanging from a light post and once again feel a surge of gratitude towards the ones who saved humanity from extinction. I hadn’t been born when it happened, of course, but I know the story. I couldn’t be more grateful to the Redeemers.

Finally, the Hub comes into view. Light weaves its way through the layers of styled glass that make up the roof, and scatters across the sky. I can see the etchings from where I stand, swirls and shapes skillfully cut to create the Redeemer’s coat of arms. Rumor is you can clearly see the image from the inside. I wouldn’t know, of course; only Redeemers and the Flawed are allowed indoors, and sharing footage of what they see is strictly forbidden. Even Darren, a recruit, has taken an oath to keep the contents of the Hub a secret. The Flawed don’t get the chance to share what they see, either - they only enter to be Cleansed, and then are immediately whisked away to the Dormant Communities.

A crowd has already swarmed around the stage set up at the Hub’s entrance. The sleek metal of the stage easily reaches both ends of the Hub. In one year’s time, I’ll be standing up there myself. Once I graduate from the Redeemers’ training program, I’ll be more than just a spectator in the initiation.

I drag Xander through the crowd, pushing my way through groups of people. I want to be at the front so I can see Darren. As we go, Xander swings his camera at arm’s length to get a good video.

“You’re going to get tired of carrying that thing,” I say. He just shakes his head, rambling about how he intends to capture every moment. As he does, he accidentally knocks into a dark-haired man wearing a heavy jacket. He immediately lowers the camera, reaching out to steady the man as he apologizes.

In response, the man shakes him off and scowls. “Watch where you’re going,” he snarls.

“I’m sorry,” Xander repeats. But the guy just spits at Xander’s feet, then turns a shoulder and stalks away. I pull a sputtering Xander away to the front of the crowd, right below the stage.

“You’re too polite for your own good,” I tell him. “I would have spat right back at him.” It’s not a very Redeemer-like thing to say, but I can’t help myself. “Besides, who wears a winter jacket in June? Seriously.”

That, at least, earns me a smile from Xander.

A pixelated screen looms overhead. Footage of the crowd fills the screen, curtesy of the countless cameras mounted above us. I spot us on the screen and wave, watching the image of myself wave back. My ginger hair stands out boldly amidst the crowd, looking bright next to the calm brown of Xander’s sandy locks.

All of this is so big, so huge. I haven’t been to a Renewal Ceremony since my dad was alive; I’ve forgotten how breathtaking it is.

…It's almost too much. The crowd has grown twice as large in the few minutes we’ve been here. Bodies rub against one another as open air dwindles. I feel someone brush against me and suddenly become aware of just how little I can move.

I bring my eyes to the sky, focusing on the free and open air above me. I’m not suffocating. I’m okay. I remind myself of the air in my lungs, and wind on my face. The sunlight bouncing off the shiny glass roof of the Hub. All open, all free.

Xander is too busy taking pictures and chatting with strangers to notice my unease. Probably for the better. It’s passing now, anyway. These things tend to come in little bursts, leaving just as quickly as they came. I just need to get my mind on other things.

A distraction comes moments later when the clock strikes the hour. For one moment, the world is still. The multitude of people wait in silence, eyes pinned to the stage.

At first, nothing happens. But then, suddenly, the stage comes to life, and the ceremony begins.

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