Grid Seekers (Grid Seekers Book One) (15 page)

Could you actually die in there? How did they mean the question? You could be eliminated, and I guessed you could die one way or another, but it wouldn’t actually affect you in the real world. What if they were talking about just strictly inside the grid, though? You could lose your life in there, as that was one of the ways you were eliminated from the competition altogether. Did they mean it like that, though?

I spent five minutes pondering the question, straining myself, before I caught Quinn looking at me. There were only a handful of competitors still left in the room as the others, including Liam, were all outside, waiting for the stragglers to get finished so we could all take a break.

I looked back down at my digiboard, not having a clue which one it was, but deciding to just pick one and hope I got it right.

I clicked die, hit finish on my exam, and was taken to a completion screen that told me we would get our results outside once everyone was finished. I got up from my desk, turned around, and walked out the door feeling fairly confident about my results. I knew I didn’t get everything right, but I definitely did well enough to pass.

“How did you do?” Liam asked as I walked up to him.

“I think I passed. I can’t imagine I didn’t. I thought some of the questions were pretty difficult, I was definitely scratching my head, but I gave each question some time and consideration. How did you do? You got out pretty early compared to me,” I said.

“Well,” he said, laughing, “I guessed on a lot of them. Well, maybe not
a lot
, but there were at least ten questions I had no clue on. How they went is anybody’s guess,” Liam said.

After ten minutes the final test takers, as well as Quinn, all exited the room, and she stood in front of all of us.

“Thank you for all of your hard work today, and now, if you’d direct your attention to this monitor, your scores will be displayed. Remember it was out of sixty, and you need at least a fifty to pass and earn your card. Good luck to all of you,” Quinn said.

The screen turned on, our results coming up, our names listed inside colored lines that outlined each grouping from the six megacities. I found ours, purple, New York City, and scrolled down to the bottom of the list, seeing my name, looking to the right to see my score.

Forty-nine.

I panicked, biting the inside of my cheek, as I felt my breathing slow down a little, my nerves bubbling up into a caustic mess that I wasn’t sure I could control. How did I not pass this, and by one stupid point? I tried my hardest, and in the end I came up short.

I looked up at Liam’s name, seeing he got a fifty right on the dot. He smiled, looking a little happy that he slid in and earned his card, though we as a team would now only have nine cards instead of ten, and knowing my luck right now that last card would’ve been incredibly helpful.

A bunch of the other competitors also missed out, though Jason and Bridgette got theirs, both of them smirking at me and whispering to each other, probably making fun of the fact that they
both
beat me and I was now at a disadvantage. Liam and I
both
were at a disadvantage.

“This isn’t going to be good,” I said, looking at Liam.

“Don’t worry about it, Alexia. We’ll be fine. Besides, we’re only one card down between the two of us, and that’s pretty good, if you ask me. There are groups here that don’t even have three or four cards to start with, let alone nine,” Liam said.

“You’re just trying to make me feel better. I wanted to get all ten cards and
know
that we’re going in with as much support and help as we can get, but that’s not going to happen. I let us down,” I said, with an exasperated, defeated tone.

“Alexia, relax, it’ll be fine,” Liam said, putting his hand between my shoulders.

I looked up at him, gazing into his eyes, as he looked back into mine, twinkling a little, and I saw my reflection in his eyes. I couldn’t believe that he didn’t care, or if he did, that he wasn’t making a big deal out of it and trying to make me feel bad about missing a card. He was so different than how I thought he was when I first met him. I thought he was a little cocky, a tiny bit arrogant, and that he’d do whatever it took to win this thing, even if it meant throwing me under the bus and forgoing our partnership.

I’d learned over the past almost two weeks that that wasn’t the case, though, and that he was my friend and cared about me. Not only that, but there was something there between us, something I couldn’t quite describe. It was good, I knew that for sure, but another part of me wondered if it was appropriate, given our current circumstances. Just because there was tension didn’t mean you should always act on it. I didn’t want to risk our chances, or throw our friendship away, over a silly little crush. It wasn’t worth gambling everything.

“Don’t forget that the competition starts in two days, your last and final day here being tomorrow. I’m not sure what Christian has planned for you, but I’m sure it will be nothing short of exciting. Now that you have all seen your results, please follow me single-file back to the lobby so that you may await further instruction,” Quinn said.

I couldn’t believe that in two days, two
very
short days, we’d be inside the grid, fending for our lives and livelihoods, looking for two small pieces of one giant whole. It was going to be an arduous process, and even though I was a little nervous and had some doubts, I was still confident as long as Liam was my partner.

•••

Later that night I crawled into bed with butterflies fluttering around in the pit of my stomach. While this wasn’t my last night in this bed, it was my last enjoyable night in this bed, because all I’d be doing tomorrow night was fidgeting, likely unable to get any sleep, as I worried and thought about what would await me in the light of morning.

I knew tomorrow would be an easy day, a day of rest, the trials and tribulations of the phase tests now over, our cards set in place. The only thing really left to do was to select our cards and be tapped into the grid with the entire country watching, my mother and Saraia seeing Liam and I in there, fighting for our lives. I wondered if they would actually watch as often as they could, knowing that they wanted to support me, but also realizing that it must be difficult to see your daughter and sister inside the competition, and not being able to help them at all. I knew I’d have a tough time watching if somebody close to me was in the competition.

The forest on my screen was darkened, the landscape devoid of the artificial sunlight it had produced earlier, some of the pine needles swaying in the wind like I was smack dab in the center of it all. I looked at them, the comforter pulled up to my chin, my hands clasped together atop my chest as I watched, time escaping me as the minutes ticked by.

I didn’t know what ecosystem they were going to start us off in, but I hoped it would be the forest. I wanted two to three days in an area I liked, one that worked well with me and would make me feel the safest and most in control. I probably wouldn’t get it, though. This place had a way of not giving me what I wanted or needed, no matter how much I begged or pleaded otherwise.

Still, though, I was hopeful, and knew that no matter what ecosystem we were placed in, I had a great partner who would be there to catch me if I fell, and I guessed that was the most important thing of all. He was strong, both mentally and physically, and while there was nothing wrong with Jamie or Matthew, I knew they wouldn’t have been as great of a fit for me. They only earned about three cards each anyway, so I would’ve been at a distinct disadvantage, especially since I myself missed out on a card.

After fifteen minutes, my eyes having a slight burning feeling, I closed them tightly, seeing my mother and Saraia’s faces etched firmly in my mind. I felt a bit of solace, my nerves starting to soften, as I focused on them and them alone.

This was the calm before the storm.

Chapter Fourteen

The alarm
went off the next morning, my eyes slowly opening without a fight, almost like I was ready for it to happen. The alarm had gone off at the same time for the past two weeks, and I thought my body adjusted, my internal clock waking me up just before it went off, like I was in sync with it.

Dawn had approached the trees in front of me, a couple little critters dancing along the woodland floor, though I couldn’t tell what they were with my slightly blurred vision. I was going to miss waking up to this view, especially if the next view I woke up to was comprised of cinderblock walls and metal bars.

I got ready, putting on a little makeup, knowing I would have to be on television at some point today. Chet was coming. He hadn’t been here since that first day, at least not anywhere near Liam and me. Who knew if another unlucky soul had to interact with him sometime during our training? I didn’t know if he’d interview me again, or if I’d just be in the background, but I wanted to look my best, especially since the entire nation usually watched the pre-competition special.

I kept my hair up, just like every other day during training, the roots of the front of my hair looking stressed, as they had never been pulled back this often before. I usually just left my hair down at home, but I’d now been accustomed to keeping it up, with the phases and all. It was just easier that way.

I walked out into the lobby, looking around. There was an air of solemn silence amongst the other competitors. Everybody looked a little depressed, a splash of anxiety in their eyes, as nobody, not even partners, talked to one another. The only sounds were those of clanking silverware and chewing mouths, a grim reminder of what was to come.

I grabbed my plate, not filling it as high as usual, not as hungry as I usually was even though the food was plentiful and tantalizing. I gave a polite smile to one of the chefs who was refilling some baked goods and turned around, heading over to Liam, who was pushing scrambled eggs around on his plate.

I walked past Jason and Bridgette, neither of them paying me any attention, though I could tell it wasn’t intentional. They looked bummed out, their plates still fairly full. You’d think someone just told them they were about to die tomorrow. Well, I guess that was a bad analogy. Most of these people were going to die tomorrow, one way or another.

“Hey,” I said to Liam, as I sat down across from him.

He perked up, like I had startled him, before his face relaxed again, a solemn “hey” coming out of his mouth. Had Christian or someone else announced something while I was getting ready? Was I missing something? Did our plans get changed?

“What’s wrong? Am I missing something?” I asked.

“No, I guess not. I’m just a little bummed is all,” Liam said.

“I thought you were confident that we’d do well,” I said, ripping off a piece of my blueberry muffin.

“I am, it’s just, I don’t know. I know we’ll be okay, and that we have a great chance of winning, but there’s still that little voice nagging at me in my head, telling me we’re about to enter into a hurricane of disaster and failure,” Liam said, with a distressed look on his face.

“I think that’s normal, though. Even though you’re confident in our ability, there’s still the chance things will go sour when we’re in there. It’s one of those situations where you have to hope for the best but prepare for the worst,” I said.

“That’s exactly what I feel like. We have nine cards, we’re doing awesome, and we get and understand each other down to the core. It’s almost like I can tell what you’re thinking just by looking into your eyes, and that’s something that defines a great partnership. I’m just, I don’t know, a little nervous is all,” Liam said.

“I am too. It’s okay,” I said, flashing him a little smile, trying to ease his nerves.

“Good morning, everyone!” a voice said loudly and happily from behind me.

I turned around, seeing Christian walk in, wearing a blue top covered in peacock feathers, something that was quintessentially him. As always, his digiboard was firmly within the pocket of his elbow, moving back and forth as he moved, taking long strides one foot in front of the next, a way of walking I rarely saw. I was always a little nervous when he was this chipper, since he usually reserved it for times that weren’t so happy for the rest of us.

“Come on now, everyone! I said good morning!” Christian said, and stopped in front of us.

“Good morning,” a few people muttered without conviction.

“Anyway, I have a marvelous day planned for you all today. The beautiful and personable Chet Gargan will be here, talking about the competition, the competitors, and most importantly, interviewing you all!” Christian said.

I somehow knew Chet would try to lure us into interviews, preying on our weaknesses to further the ratings, our stories likely becoming something of a marvel to him as he sat there, giving us sincere looks, before probing us further with no true interest on his part. Chet was the kind of man who was kind to your face, but only when the cameras were rolling. It was all a show that he used to make himself look good to everyone watching at home. I guess that was why they kept him on after all these years.

“Aren’t you all excited? I mean, come on, people, you’re going to be on national television, the eyes of millions of people watching you while you steal their hearts and become something of a celebrity!” Christian said.

Yeah, a celebrity, I bet that was what they’d really see us as, until the next crop of people came in for next year’s competition. They likely wouldn’t even remember our names that long, quickly forgetting about us once we were eliminated from the competition. Nobody ever remembers the people who come in second place.

“This is going to be horrible,” I whispered.

“At least it will be quick. They have twelve teams to interview, and I can’t imagine the great charismatic Chet will be spending a lot of time with each group. He’s too self-absorbed and vain for that,” Liam whispered back.

I knew there was a reason we got along so well.

“Go ahead and finish up your breakfasts soon. We’re set to start airing within the half-hour, and you all will be able to watch the current interviewees from a holding area we’ll keep you in,” Christian said.

“Wait, we have to sit in a room all day until everyone is done?” Peter, one of the competitors from Austin, asked.

“Oh, yes! You didn’t think we’d let you all run amuck and mess around during this, did you? This day, this moment, is very significant to our entire broadcast. It humanizes you, letting the average viewer sympathize with each and every one of you on a personal level. We take this day
very
seriously, even more so than your training. Anyway, I’ll be back very soon, so you better be ready!” Christian said, striding away.

“Unbelievable,” Peter said, crossing his arms.

A tide of emotion crashed down, changing the mood in the room rather quickly. Nobody looked especially happy to be doing this today, not even Bridgette and Jason, and they were the most vain of us all. You’d think a chance to talk about themselves all day would be their dream come true, but I guessed it wasn’t. Nobody was excited.

I quickly ate the rest of breakfast, unsure when exactly Christian would come back and get us, but knowing that when he did, we were going to have to hurry, especially after how much he’d emphasized how they loved and needed this day for their master plan. I would imagine that failure to participate would result in severe punishment, like losing all of the cards you earned.

I pushed my plate forward, a few scraps still left on it, before rubbing my stomach, stretching back, and hearing the doors open again. Christian was already back, and it hadn’t even been fifteen minutes since we were last graced with his presence.

He looked around the room, a smile on his face. Tatiana and a few guards were also in attendance, standing behind him, their faces bland and stiff. He was without his digiboard, though Tatiana had one instead. He looked at us all, and we looked back at him, before he opened his mouth, muttering the words that none of us were excited to hear from him right now.

“Get yourselves up and ready. It’s show time!” he said excitedly.

•••

We walked not too much later into a holding room, one I hadn’t been in, but it was eerily similar to the room we took our exam in. It was bigger, though, allowing a little more room as there were individual armchairs, twenty-four in all, the same cushy kind we had in our lobby. There was a screen, a rather large one, on the front wall, all of the chairs facing it. We all started to sit down, no rhyme or reason to who we were next to, though all of us ended up with our partners, or at least so I thought.

Christian stood in front of us, Tatiana next to him, a few guards outside of the door, likely to make sure none of us tried to get out, though it wasn’t like we had anywhere to really go. They did this all of the time no matter where we went. I thought it was just some form of control over us, no other real reason.

“Chet is in the other room warming up. We’ll draw you out in pairs, you and your partner, and will take you into a room down the hall where he’s hosting the interviews. They don’t have any set amount of time for you, each interview will go as long as both Chet and his producers think it should before you’re escorted off, a segment is shown, and another group will be taken in for their turn. To keep you entertained, this screen here will broadcast the interviews and segments live so you can keep up to date. We’ll start shortly,” Christian said, before leaving the room, Tatiana following.

We waited for a few minutes before the screen turned on, showing Chet Gargan sitting in front of us, looking directly at the camera, as he flashed his pearly whites and incredibly creepy smile, the broadcast now live. They hadn’t come to get any of us yet, but I knew it was coming soon. It had to.

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, I hope you’re all excited for what we have for you today. As you all know, we do this every year the day before the competition begins. You all have seen the competitors during my last live interview when they first arrived, but do any of you really
know
the competitors? Unless you happen to be a friend or family member back home, you don’t, and I’m here today just like I am every year to bring them in, interview them, and let you see the people who sacrificed themselves so that you don’t have to partake in such a grueling competition,” Chet said, trying to convey some kind of emotion to the viewing public.

I could tell he wasn’t genuine. His gold tuxedo shimmered under the studio lights as his microphone, shiny gold to match, was sitting directly under his mouth. His hair, now sporting a purple streak inside of a white one, was a ridiculous accentuation of his personality. As I watched, Tatiana came in, telling the people at the end of the row that it was their turn and to follow her. They were from Austin. Both of them quickly got up and were whisked out of the room as we all watched the screen to see when they would show up.

“Well, folks, our first guests of the day are here and ready to talk to you! Please welcome, from Austin, Nigel Yancey and Jessica Berman!” Chet said, smiling as they walked in, sat down, and nervously looked at him.

Nigel and Jessica were a strange pair. Nigel was in his early forties and I thought Jessica was around my age. I had seen them a couple times through training; both of them were skilled, but only mid-range. I didn’t know how many cards they had earned, but I knew it wasn’t as many as Liam and myself.

“Welcome, you two. First, let me ask what you both do,” Chet said, leaning in closer, an interested look on his face.

“I’m a student,” Jessica said.

“I work in a body shop fixing all types of different vehicles,” Nigel said.

Neither of them looked or sounded too thrilled, though I couldn’t tell if it was from nerves or just a general disinterest in being there with Chet. I knew I wasn’t looking forward to sitting down across from him, especially after the way my interview went on my first day here.

“Fascinating. One thing we like to do here is to tell your stories. I know you‘re a student and a mechanic, but who are you really? What makes you tick?” Chet asked.

“Well, I have a wife and son at home, Jeremiah, and I guess I’m playing for them. I’m just hoping Jessica and I can get lucky and go home. I miss my family,” Nigel said.

“That’s touching, Nigel,” Chet said, extending his hand and placing it on Nigel’s shoulder. “You must be fighting tooth and nail to get back to them. But doesn’t it concern you that there are eleven other teams trying to do the same? Your chances of seeing your family for the next three years are very,
very
slim.”

I looked in disbelief at Nigel shifting in his seat, his face turning a light shade of red; he was very obviously uncomfortable with the question. I knew Chet wanted answers out of people, but to bring his family into it like that was a little uncalled for.

“I don’t have that type of mindset. All I can do is train, fight to stay alive and in the competition, and work hard to make sure I go home to my family as soon as possible,” Nigel said, showing a bit of restraint.

“And what about you?” Chet asked, turning his attention to Jessica as he obviously saw that Nigel wasn’t going to back down and give in emotionally.