The Transfer

Ring ring.

 “That’s the final bell, class. The 49^th Sorting is in two weeks, so don’t slack off on your homework tonight.”

“Thank you Ms. Glenda!”

The classroom was filled with student’s excited chatter and the patter of shoes. Glenda organized her papers, making sure that all the students were gone before heading to the teacher’s lounge. It brimmed with the voices of the other teachers, and she couldn’t help but overhear some of their conversations as she gathered her belongings.

“I think that Suzie will be a good Leader…”

“Poor Cody, he tried so hard to be a Worker, but I think he might be assigned as a Labourer at this point.”

“Leslie’s a keen one; I think he could make it for either a Peacekeeper or Worker…”

“What do you think about the Sorting that’s coming up, Glenda?”

Glenda looked up as her roommate, Rana, came up to her desk. “Well…I hope my kids will be satisfied with the role that they’re assigned into.”

“Oh right,” Rana looked contemplative as they bade the others farewell. “You wanted to be a Peacekeeper, didn’t you?”

“Yes. I asked UNIX to reconsider, but they were firm that I be a Worker. They said it was better suited for me.” Glenda smiled. “I suppose they weren’t wrong; I had never considered being a teacher before, and I do enjoy guiding the kids. I hope I can be an example for them to fully embrace the new roles they take on. The Sorting really helps keep the city organized and in order.”

The Sorting is an annual event that determines a child’s future role. In the city of Everest, people are classified as one of five main roles: Leader, Worker, Peacekeeper, Labourer and Unsorted. All newborns are born as Unsorted. They are raised in the same facility, taught the same education, and have access to the same food, toys, books, and more. Throughout the years, the children are monitored and their performances graded. All the information is gathered and fed into UNIX, an artificial intelligence designed to sort people into their best roles based on how they lived their first 12 years.

Once a child turns 12, they attend the Sorting ceremony at the end of the school year, where UNIX assigns them a role. Leaders are in charge of people, whether it’s of the city, businesses, schools, or any other type of organization. Workers support the structures of the organizations. Peacekeepers help maintain the peace and order of the city. Labourers work hard to create the base materials and resources needed for the city to thrive. They are involved in farming, mining, operating factories and more.

After receiving their role, each child is sent to live in a different sector of town based on what role he or she is assigned. He or she receives specialized training for his or her specific role and go through a second Sorting at the age of 18. At that time, the individual is assigned a more specific role and continue in that role for the rest of their lives.  Glenda was assigned to be a Worker at 12, and then a Worker- Teacher at 18. She was assigned to be roommates with Rana, who had already taught for two years. Glenda was grateful to be roomed with someone so friendly and open, and the two had quickly become friends.

Their apartment wasn’t too far from the school, only about a 20 minute walk. “Hey Glenda,” Rana said as they dropped their belongings off and got ready for dinner. “Do you really think the Sorting keeps everything in order?

“Yes, why wouldn’t I be?” Glenda picked up some vegetables and began cutting them while Rana prepped the meat.

“Well...have you heard about the Resistance?”

Who hadn’t heard about the Resistance? Glenda thought. She had only heard about them after becoming a full-fledged teacher. They were an anonymous, radical group who spoke about how inhumane the Labourers were treated and how the system was flawed. “They’re a bunch of crazy people who want to take down UNIX and overthrow the city Leaders. They spout ridiculous nonsense like how Labourers are barely fed and treated poorly when everyone knows the Leaders have laws and rules set in place so everyone is treated fairly. It’s a good thing we have Peacekeepers, otherwise everything would be in chaos.”

The sound of her knife against the cutting board resonated through the kitchen for a few seconds. “But what if it’s not nonsense? What if everything they said was real?”

Glenda turned to see Rana watching her expectantly. “What are you talking about?”

Her fellow teacher was visibly hesitant before pressing on, “Do you remember what happened to Bradley?”

Glenda shuddered, averting her eyes back to the task at hand. “Yeah, he was talking to a few of the teachers about how his brother was assigned a Labourer but somehow managed to sneak into where the Workers lived. His brother told him about the horrible way Labourers were treated and how nobody knew because they were living separately from us and were silenced if they tried to speak up. Bradley seemed pretty upset, and a few days later he transferred to work at another school.”

“Right, that’s what we’re told.” Rana’s voice dropped into almost a whisper. “But that’s not what actually happened.”

“What?”

“He was taken by the Peacekeepers and forced to live with the rest of the Labourers. He learned about something he wasn’t supposed to and tried to spread the word, so he was punished.”

“We are all treated equally,” Glenda retaliated. “The Leaders praise the Labourers for their hard work, and we’ve even had a few come in to present what they do. Bradley’s brother is a liar.”

“That’s all a hoax. The Labourers they bring and show are just puppets to make everything seem better than they are. The pictures that we see of their work and living conditions are edited to hide the truth.”

Glenda couldn’t believe her ears. “What are you saying? Why are you suddenly telling me all of this?”

“We’ve known each other for a while, Glenda. I know you’re smart and that you really care about people. The Resistance has been meeting these past weeks to plan a large protest during the Sorting, and I’ve been attending their meetings. There’s going to be all kinds of people at the protest: Leaders, Workers, Peacekeepers, and Labourers. They’re all working in their own ways to fight for equality and freedom for the Labourers. I want you to come and see for yourself what this is really going on in this city. We need more people to fight with us!”

Glenda shook her head vehemently. “I don’t know what’s gotten in to you all of a sudden. Even if there is a protest, it’s dangerous to be involved with them. You don’t even know if what they’re saying is true! You could get hurt if you go!”

She took a step back as Rana snapped, “Don’t you care about people’s lives? Think about the friends you made when you were younger and how they could have been assigned as a Labourer! They didn’t do anything wrong and now they have to live in such horrible conditions! It’s not right!”

Glenda looked away. “This is ridiculous. You can go join their meetings and protest, but I’m not taking any part in it.” She paused. “I know about the law, but I won’t report you for taking part in Resistance activities. I don’t condone what you’re doing, but I also don’t think you mean any harm.”

Her tone was final, and the rest of the evening was spent in quiet as they ate and cleaned up without another word. As Glenda got ready for bed, she couldn’t help but think about Rana’s words and shook her head angrily. The very notion that the Leaders would support hurting any group of people made no sense whatsoever. The Resistance were the reason why Peacekeepers were needed. Some people just wanted to cause trouble for everyone else.

----

The next few days passed quietly. Glenda and Rana continued with their day and conversed as if nothing had happened. Classes went on like usual. It was approaching the day of Sorting, and Glenda vaguely wondered when the protest was going to happen. Would the Resistance hijack the Sorting process? Would the students be hurt?

Glenda didn’t have time to worry as there were lots of preparations to be done for the Sorting ceremony, not to mention the marking and grading of her students’ current assignments.  Each day she arrived home later and later, although she noticed that Rana seemed far more put-together than she was. Maybe she should ask Rana for pointers on how to better organizer her end-of-year schedule for next year. For now, she slogged through what she could and quickly fell asleep when she returned home.

-------

The next day Glenda woke to the sound of pots and pans in the kitchen. She yawned, rubbing her eyes and glancing at the clock. It was still early morning and there was no school today. Why was Rana up?

Dragging herself out of bed, Glenda slowly exited her room, “Morning, Ra- “

The name froze on her lips as she stared at the strange young woman who was bustling around her kitchen. The woman held up her hands and smiled apologetically in response. “Oh, I’m sorry for waking you up! I was trying to be quiet, but I hadn’t had time to eat much last night since I was packing!”

Glenda carefully made her way closer, eyes scanning the room for answers. “I’m sorry, but who are you and why are you in my home?”

The woman’s mouth fell open with a small gasp. “I’m so sorry; I thought that you had received the memo already! My name is Mai and I’ve been assigned as your new roommate.”

“My new roommate?” There were so many questions in Glenda’s mind, her firsts curling anxiously as she thought about what could have happened to Rana. “I wasn’t informed. Where is my previous roommate?”

“I heard she transferred over to another school. I don’t know the details though. Anyways, let’s have breakfast! I’d like to get to know my new roommate better.”

“Okay…”

As Glenda sat down, she couldn’t help but remember what Rana told her about Bradley, their previous colleague, who had also “transferred” to another school after his Labourer brother visited him at night.

-------

The Sorting was coming up in the next few days, and that was all the teachers could talk about in the teacher’s lounge. A new teacher was assigned to lead Rana’s classes, but nobody seemed to care. Teachers come and go, they said. Maybe she just wanted to teach at a different kind of school.

Glenda couldn’t help but feel uneasy. She was pretty sure that Rana’s affiliation with the Resistance was the reason she was missing. Glenda knew, like everyone else, that anyone who caused trouble to the city would be taken in by the Peacekeepers for rehab, and then they would be released afterwards. Maybe Rana was just going through rehab.

Whatever the case, the Sorting was in three days. Glenda had to focus on getting everything she needed done or else she would be pulling all-nighters for the next three nights. Another school day was over, and she walked home alone this time without her roommate.

“He was taken by the Peacekeepers and forced to live with the rest of the Labourers.”

Although Rana’s words sounded like nonsense, Glenda couldn’t help the seed of doubt that planted in her mind. No, it didn’t make sense. Everything was logical and orderly. The Leaders and UNIX kept the society safe and treated everyone equally. The Resistance was just causing trouble. Maybe they’re trying to tip the balance and gain more than anyone else. After all, everything she’s seen and known about the Labourers was that they were treated as well as any other role.

 “Excuse me, are you Glenda Chesterfield?”

Glenda came to a stop as two Peacekeepers approached her. The Peacekeepers stood out from the rest of the crowd in their unique uniforms. Glenda noticed that the Peacekeepers were neither smiling nor frowning; they were watching her intently as if waiting for her to attack.

“Yes, that’s me? Can I help you?”

“You were roommates with Rana Ashtor, correct? We have a few questions for you. Can you come with us?”

“Of course.”

The Peacekeeper led Glenda to a discreet side road. She noticed that nobody was around, but then immediately reminded herself that she had nothing to fear, that she was a good citizen who supported the Leaders and UNIX.

“We received word that Ms. Ashtor has been participating in Resistance activities. Are you aware of this?”

“Y-Yes, she mentioned it to me last week.”

“And you didn’t think to report her? It is law to report anyone who may know anything about the Resistance, is it not?”

“Well, yes, I suppose, but I didn’t think she meant any harm. I was against what she was doing, and told her that what she was getting involved in was wrong.” The cold grip of fear was now clawing up Glenda’s spine as the Peacekeepers pursed their lips.

“Unfortunately, since you did not report Ms. Ashtor, you have shown that you are not someone that is on the side of law and order. We will need to detain you until further notice.”

Glenda opened her mouth when she was suddenly struck by something at the back of her head and immediately blacked out.

----

A foul stench filled Glenda’s nostrils, shocking her awake. Her head throbbed, and her body felt heavy. She opened her eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. “Gross,” she muttered as her eyes spied a few spider webs and moss growing in the corners.

“You’ll get used to it,” a vaguely familiar male voice spoke up.

She sat up from the bed that she was lying on and took in the person who entered the room. “Aren’t you…Bradley?” she asked in shock. It had been less than a year since she saw the transferred teacher, and already he looked like a completely different person. His was a lot thinner than before, his cheeks were pallid, and his hands were rough with callouses.

“Oh, I’m surprised you remembered me. I guess I left quite an impact, eh?” He grinned, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well, I guess I’m not too upset then. That just means one more person who can join the Resistance.”

“The Resistance? What do you mean? Where am I? What’s going on?”

Bradley’s grin dropped, and he looked at Glenda with a pitying expression. “You’re now living with the Labourers, Glenda. The Peacekeepers brought you down here; they said you were a danger to society. Said you’ll probably be put to work in the factory or, if you’re lucky, some sort of teaching position down here given your previous role.”

“What? But why? I didn’t do anything! It was Rana who was part of the Resistance, not me!” Glenda was growing angry now. Before, she was worried for Rana’s safety. But now she was just angry. It was all Rana’s fault. If only she had reported her, none of this would have happened! If only Rana didn’t drag her into this!

“Hey.”

Glenda glanced over to see her previous roommate entering the room. “Rana! You ruined my life!” she seethed, trying to push herself up. Instead, she stumbled and was pushed back to a sitting position by Bradley.

“No, Glenda, it wasn’t me.” Rana was glaring back as well. “It was the Leaders and UNIX and the society and rules they set up. Do you think you deserved to be brought down here? Do you think they were right?”

“…no.”

“That’s right, Glenda. The Sorting is in two days. There’s going to be a large protest, the biggest one ever. We plan on overthrowing the Leaders, and the more of us there are, the better. If we don’t get enough people to fight back, then nothing will change. Will you join me now?”

“Are you crazy? If we try to overthrow them, then they’ll probably beat us, maybe even kill us!” Glenda shouted, mind in turmoil. She was confused, shocked, enraged, hurt and afraid all at once. Nothing made sense. She was a Worker just a day ago, and now her life was turned upside down.  

Rana frowned. “Fine, you can just lie there then. Lie there and don’t do anything. You can live down here and work until you get sick and die. Nobody will know, and nobody would care now that you’re a Labourer.” She walked out and Bradley quickly followed after flashing Glenda an apologetic smile.

Glenda lay back down, her head throbbing. What should she do now? Should she join the Resistance like Rana said? The room she was currently in didn’t look as nice as her room as a Teacher, but surely it wasn’t as bad as Rana claimed it to be? But what if it was?

She closed her eyes as the questions drifted through her mind. She was too tired and overwhelmed to think at this point. Tomorrow she would look around and decide for herself is she wanted to support the Resistance or begin her new life as a Labourer.

--

Ring ring.

“That’s the final bell, class. The 50^th Sorting is in two weeks, so don’t slack off on your homework tonight.”

“Thank you Ms. Mai!”

The classroom was filled by student’s excited chatter and the patter of shoes. Mai sighed as she headed to the teacher’s lounge, greeting her new roommate. She briefly wondered about what happened to her previous roommate Glenda and why she suddenly decided to transfer to another school right before last year’s Sorting.