In the 'Insurgent' movie, they had tried to open The Box with several Amity Divergents, off screen. Here is what I think could have happened.
Insurgent: Divergent Subjects
Author's note: Warning - This fan fic contains spoilers. Viewer discretion advised.
Some lines and scenes from the movie have been altered and significantly embellished by this author for fan fiction filler and dramatic effect.
Jeanine Matthews's - third person point of view:
'Peace?' That word? The dictionary defines the word, 'Peace', as 'a state of tranquility or serenity of mutual harmony between people or groups of particular relations that are non-warring, and unantagonistic. Along with freedom from, or the cessation, of war or violence'.
Long ago, before the founders established this great city of ours both that word and the concept of its definition was all but meaningless, an ideal as elusive as a dream. But now 200 years later, we are all living proof that 'Peace' is in fact attainable. This is of course do to our faction system, Erudite, Dauntless, Candor, Amity, Abnegation. In dividing people according to aptitude and personality we've created a society where each faction plays a critical role in the maintenance of the social order.
But, this harmony that we have now achieved is under attack by a small but dangerous group of individuals. We call them 'Divergents'. Divergents are in essence what the human race used to be prior to the faction system, rebellious, defiant, uncontrollable.
5 days ago a rogue group of Divergents posing as Dauntless brutally invaded Abnegation in an attempt to cripple our government by attacking the weakest and most vulnerable of us, The Selfless.
These Divergents despise our faction system because they are incapable of conforming to it. These latest rumors that I was somehow involved in the attack on Abnegation I can assure you is nothing more than Divergent propaganda. I have devoted myself to bringing these criminals to justice. I have exercised my right as acting council leader to declare martial law until I am confident that any threat to the security of the inhabitants of the city has been eliminated. We are all that is left of humanity. The vast wall that encloses this city may protect us from our toxic surroundings, but it is up to us to confront any element that can poison us from within. Because when we are civilization's last hope, peace is not merely an ideal, it is an obligation. And it is up to all of us to now take a stand position against it's one true enemy. 'Divergents'.
Jeanine Matthews sat in the laboratory in Erudite Headquarters. She had recorded that speech, and then delivered it on every screen in the city in an attempt to turn the Divergent sympathizers in her favor. She never wanted to have to lie, but yet at the same time she had to do what she needed in order to protect the peace.
The Dauntless that were at present loyal to her, had been scouring the Abnegation sector for 5 days trying to find an item. The city was now at war, as the Dauntless are now a faction divided. All of this was a huge setback. Her intention with the simulation serum that she had used on the Dauntless was intended to prevent war. The attack on Abnegation was supposed to be quick, relatively silent, and as bloodless as possible, minus a few Divergents and Abnegation counsel members. Now the Dauntless that are angry have turned against her and their fellow Dauntless that are still loyal to her. She feared everything, the Factionless, the Abnegation, and, the Divergent. The Divergent that she now realizes are immune to the simulation serum. This also is a setback. She'd been hoping to use the simulation serum to control the Divergent.
She then began to tap at the touch screen of her computerized pad with her right hand but winced when she attempted to move some of her fingers. Her hand was still wrapped in bandages after Beatrice Prior had thrown a knife through it.
Then one of the Dauntless guards who was wearing a new Dauntless uniform of a combination of black and blue, came into the room.
"Miss Matthews," said the guard, "We found it."
Jeanine's interest perked up. She then got up and walked into a newly constructed chamber called 'The Simulation Room.'
Then, Max and Eric, the two primary leaders of Dauntless, came in carrying an object.
They had scientifically christened the nameless object as, 'The Box'.
"You found it." said Jeanine Matthews, a statement of fact in both excitement, fascination, and disbelief.
"It was in the home of Andrew and Natalie Prior." said Max. "Just like you said."
"Mind telling us what is inside it?" asked the Dauntless Leader Eric.
"A message from the founders that will ensure us the prosperous future we deserve." said Jeanine Matthews in a tone of awe. "Divergents will destroy our society. Unless we destroy them. And now we can. However only a Divergent can open The Box."
She then turned to them and put on a serious face.
"Find them!" she commanded. "Every last one of them! And bring them to me, alive!"
"How exactly will we find them?" asked Max.
"Let me show you." said Jeanine.
She led them into another lab, where she walked over to some sort of vault. She placed her hand print on a handprint scanner wear it then asked for her voice print identification.
"Jeanine Matthews." she said in a clear voice.
The vault unlocked and what they were opened up to were several shelves of a variety of different mysterious gadgets.
She then picked up one in particular. It looked like a gun-like handle, with several holo projectors on it.
"This, is a recently developed highly experimental but theoretically fully operational Divergent screening technology. As acting council leader, I was able to approve it. Simply point it at someone's face, and it will do an instant aptitude test. It will produce a result in a matter of seconds, and it is 100% accurate.
She then pointed it at Max's face, and pulled the trigger. 5 holographic symbols of the Factions appeared and spun around briefly until they stopped and the symbol of the flames of fire were the only one lighting up.
"Dauntless." said a dull mechanical voice from the device.
"Here." said Jeanine as she handed the device to Eric. "Point it at my face and pull the trigger."
Eric did so. The holographic symbols spun around and then stopped, the symbol of Erudite being the only holographic symbol that lit up.
"Erudite." said the dull mechanical voice from the device.
"I think that should get the job done. Reassured Jeanine.
10 of the devices were given to 10 of the Dauntless guards and then they all were ready.
Max and Eric then left to complete the new assignment.
Jeanine then continued to examine The Box.
The device was a pentagonal-prism shape, each side contained a different symbol crest of one of the factions. Jeanine looked at it like it was a mystical sacred object left by the gods that only a pre-selected, anointed, divine emissary could behold!
The tech experts had confirmed that The Box was in fact a data storage device of some kind. And they were 100% certain that it contained a message from the Founders of the factions over 200 years earlier. It was intended, to present a solution to the people if and when the Divergent over ran the city. Jeanine Matthews thought about The Divergent. Jeanine Matthews was absolutely convinced that the faction system was perfect. They were living in an era of peace that so far was completely non existent in the past. In spite of so much lost history, they did have bits and pieces of information. They knew that the world, in particular the human race as a whole, was in a near constant state of war since the dawn of time. Jeanine Matthews was convinced without a doubt in her mind that by organizing people by personality was the only way for people to live without fear of the fellow human beings...and now because of the Divergent, the peace had been lost. The peace would have been restored had Beatrice Prior not shut down the simulation early. Now the city was at war. The Dauntless are divided, the Abnegation are scattered. So simultaneously if she had not put on the simulation on the Dauntless, then none of this would have started to begin with, but at the time she believed she was fighting for the greater good. Now she has to make up lies in order to defend her image so that she could continue to fight for her own cause. But still she lived in fear of the Divergent destroying the faction system.
Jeanine Matthews had no fear of someone who was brave. Jeanine Matthews had no fear of someone who told the truth. Jeanine Matthews had no fear of someone who was selfless. Jeanine Matthews had no fear of someone who was kind and peaceful. Jeanine Matthews had no fear of someone who was smart and intelligent. Though, with reservations, as long as every person within the city possessed only one of those five personality virtues. But she was terrified out of her mind, of anyone who possessed two or more of them. In the past, back when the world was at war, everyone possessed two or more of those five personality virtues and it caused them to become violent and war with one another. The human race fought to extinction, until the founders convinced people to organize themselves by personality.
Now she looked at The Box. The Box was the key to this problem. Jeanine Matthews was convinced that if they could open the box it would hold a referendum and ultimate solution that would result in the permanent elimination of all The Divergent. All that they needed to open The Box was a Divergent. The Box was intended to only be able to be opened if the faction system ever collapsed. And the only way the faction system will collapse is if the factions were overrun by a massive Divergent population.
They of course did try to extract the computer files and data from The Box. But The Box appeared to consist of some computer technology that was far beyond anything that Erudite had, and that's saying something, Erudite had some pretty good Computer hacking technology. When they plugged the box into their computer hacking technology, The Box spoke to them, indicating for them to please plug a Divergent's mind into the Device, and that if the Divergent could pass all five programed simulations for all five factions that then the stored data would be revealed, though during the test, failure to pass so much as a single simulation would result in the Divergent's death.
'But why?' Jeanine Matthews asked herself. 'Why would a Divergent fail? In order to open The Box it simply takes a Divergent?' It didn't make sense to her. No matter.
"Miss Matthews?" said one of her fellow colleagues who was wearing blue clothing and glasses. "We have Divergent subject 1."
Several of the Dauntless who were wearing Military clothing of a combination of blue and black, were dragging by her arms, a girl in glasses and blue clothing.
Jeanine Matthews looked at her.
"Athenia Summers." she said immediately recognizing her. "Divergents even among my own faction. This is a shame, I thought that you were all Erudite. I guess that I was wrong."
"What is going on here?" asked Athenia.
"You are Divergent." clarified Jeanine Matthews.
"I am not." denied Athenia indignantly. "I am a loyal Erudite. My brothers and sisters are all Erudite. My parents were both born Erudite and chose Erudite at their Choosing Ceremonies. I chose Erudite at my Choosing Ceremony. Have I not done everything to prove that I am loyal to this faction?"
Jeanine Matthews listened patiently to everything Athenia said. And she was right, Athenia was a model Erudite...except in her mind.
Jeanine Matthews picked up computerized pad and started bringing up some files.
"Let's see." said Jeanine Matthews. "You were born Erudite. During your aptitude test, you passed as textbook-Erudite results with flying colors. And you chose Erudite at the Choosing Ceremony the next day. You have shown extraodinarily strong intellect, cleverness, brilliance with math and science abilities. You are a model citizen for this faction."
She had said everything with compliments and genuine admiration at the girl's conformity to the behavioral expectations of the faction.
"Except for the fact that our device says that you are not Erudite, you are Divergent."
She said the last sentence with a tone of disappointment.
"Are you blaming me for being Divergent?" asked Athenia, in a tone that indicated the unfairness of Jeanine's reasoning.
"Not at all." said Jeanine Matthews. "Your birth is not your fault. But, none the less you are completely incapable of conforming to the faction system."
"But I have conformed." she defended herself.
"For now." said Jeanine. "And your hard deliberate efforts to conform is commendable. But we are supposed to be living in a state of 'Peace'. Peace, being a state where we can live without fear of something going wrong at the wrongful actions of someone else's hands...and we are in a state of non-peace, or anxiety from uncertainty, simply by your mere existence, because we have absolutely no idea when you will turn on us. I personally do not sleep well at night knowing that you are here. The fact that the device says that you are Divergent, you are a disease. An infection. You threaten the whole, therefore in order for the whole to have peace, you cannot be here. I know that you are going to attempt to argue that, and by the point of view of some others I may seem like the unreasonable one. But when people look at your situation right here right now they say that you have the right to live. It is people like me who see the long term, bigger picture, that have the courage to do what needs to be done in order for the whole, to live in peace."
"Do you think that my family will stand for this?" said Athenia.
"Faction before blood. Your family members are non-Divergent. They're on my side, I have their full support in this."
She then made a hand gesture to the Dauntless guards.
"Put her into the machine."
Athenia Summers was forced onto the round plate in the middle of the Simulation Room. Several long robotic cables came out of a hole in the ceiling and snaked around like curious little cyclops tentacles. They then each stabbed little needles into her arms and legs and Torso. Her eyes closed as her body then went limp and then she was elevated off of the floor and the cables made her float there.
"Scanning subject's mind for personality traits." said a robotic feminine voice coming from The Box. "Subject confirmed, Divergent. Faction of choice?..." there were a few beeping sounds for a few seconds, "Erudite. Beginning Erudite sim."
The blue clothed computer technician was at his console, watching the images that The Box was putting into Athenia's mind.
After a minute of activity inside the sim,
"She seems to be inside a labyrinth maze." said the computer technician. "The goal inside the sim is, I think, for her to get to the end by completing a series of complicated science puzzles."
Jeanine watched and was fascinated at the whole thing, but it was majority eager anticipation for the message inside The Box.
After ten minutes the screen showed Athenia completing the last puzzle inside the sim and then reaching the exit of the maze.
The Erudite symbol on The Box then lit up.
"Erudite sim complete." said the robotic feminine voice.
Nothing that Jeanine did not expect. And she was rather pleased that the result was what it was, but none the less now she was curious on how an Erudite would fare against an aptitude test for a different faction.
There were then some beeping sounds coming from The Box and the computer.
"The Box seems to be scanning the subject's mind for her second-strongest personality trait."
"I am rather curious about that myself." said Jeanine.
"You're not going to believe this." said the computer tech after the beeping had stopped. "Ironic...it's selflessness." he said reading the data off of the screen.
"Beginning Abnegation sim." said the robotic feminine voice.
'This is going to be interesting.' thought Jeanine.
The next simulation showed a number of different scenarios where Athenia was to give and help others without thinking of herself. She was good, but, unlike the Erudite sim, she was not perfect at it. In many of the scenarios she was mostly selfless, however any time she exhibited a moment or hint of selfishness she then had a muscle spasm and her vital signs register fluctuation on the laboratory's medical equipment.
"This is unusual." said the computer tech. "She seems to have an elevated heart rate, her body is showing physical fatigue, and blood vessels throughout her body are rupturing."
He then turned to Jeanine Matthews.
"I can pull her out if you wish ma'am."
"No," said Jeanine Matthews, "Keep her in. She is Divergent, she will open The Box. I'm sure that the founders knew what they were doing when they created The Box."
"Are you sure ma'am?" asked the computer tech with a little concern. "According to these calculations if this keeps up she will not last much longer."
"One thing I've come to realize about Divergents is that they're much more resilient than the rest of us. They can take it."
The scenarios of testing Athenia's selflessness, continued for a while. She a few times during the scenario showed acts of selfishness where her physical body got worse, but after a while and completing a few other selfless acts inside the simulation, the Abnegation light on The Box lit up.
"Abnegation sim complete." said the robotic feminine voice.
Extraordinary! Thought Jeanine with wonder. The idea of an Erudite actually completing an Abnegation aptitude simulation like that! She knew that if she herself went into the machine she would never pass a simulation that was not Erudite.
She thought about it and the idea was just amazing and incredible of anyone of any of the factions being able to complete more than one of the simulations. Should did not hate the Divergent, logically speaking, hatred involved a personal mental rejection of certain actions of someone or something. In the case of the Divergents, they did no such thing to deliberately earn her hatred. She in fact admired them for what they were capable of inside their minds, she just feared the order of the peace being disrupted by their kind's minds.
There was some more beeping as The Box scanned Athenia's mind for her next strongest personality trait.
"Beginning Dauntless Sim." said the robotic feminine voice.
Inside the simulation she faced a scenario of a physical trial of danger. Inside the simulation she had all the means to survive the danger while facing the danger head on. She made a few mistakes here and there and her physical body continued to get worse, she started bleeding out of her nose and ears. But after what must have been more than half an hour and her physical body was a complete wreck on the brink of death...the Dauntless light on The Box lit up.
"Dauntless sim complete." said the robotic feminine voice.
The computer begin to beep as it scanned her mind for the next strongest personality trait.
"Beginning Candor sim." said the robotic feminine voice.
But inside the scenario she was presented in situations where she would want to lie but should tell the truth, and she gave in to her desire to lie.
"Her heart rate has skyrocketed." said the computer tech. "She can't take much more of this."
But Jeanine Matthews said nothing and just continued to stand there and watch Athenia while she writhed while under the simulation. Then with a resounding 'CRACK!'...her spinal cord broke and she lay limp in the robotic cables and her heart monitor went flat lined with a continuous sustained tone.
"Candor Sim Failed." said the robotic feminine voice.
Then all of the faction symbol crest lights on The Box turned off.
"Divergent subject 1, is no longer viable." said the computer tech at his console.
Jeanine Matthews had an irritated look of disbelief.
"Why?" she asked to no one in particular. "Why didn't it work? She was Divergent; Why couldn't she complete all 5 sims?"
In her mind it made no sense? It should have worked. But yet she was still convinced that all it will take to open The Box is a Divergent, and she was still over eager.
"Let's just try again." said Jeanine. "Bring me another Divergent."
"We got one." said one of the Dauntless guards wearing black and blue SWAT gear.
They then hauled in by his arms a man of about 25. His hair was shaved completely bald, a nose ring, and several tattoos. He wore the black and blue Dauntless uniform of the Dauntless loyal to Erudite.
"His name is Jackson Saberhagen, ma'am." said the Dauntless guard. "He was awake during the Attack Simulation and is spying on us for the enemy."
And then taken totally by surprise the Dauntless guards were knocked aside by the Divergent named Jackson and then he went straight for Jeanine Matthews's neck. But the Dauntless guards quickly regain their composure and grab hold of him before Jeanine Matthews was injured.
"Jeanine Matthews!" screamed the Divergent Dauntless named Jackson. "You will pay for the attack simulation on Dauntless to attack Abnegation!"
She tapped at the screen of her pad.
"Jackson Saberhagen," said Jeanine Matthews as she read the screen. "Age 29, Dauntless born, chose Dauntless at your Choosing Ceremony, ranked first in your initiation, has only 8 fears...and..." she typed very fast for some additional secret information, "...you got 2 results in your aptitude test, Dauntless and Candor, that your Abnegation examiner tried to hide."
"You corrupted Dauntless!" said Jackson accusatorily.
"You are Divergent." accused Jeanine Matthews.
"You Jeanine Matthews, speak of the importance of the faction system and the adherence to the behavioral expectations of a person's chosen faction." said Jackson. "The Dauntless manifesto; 'We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, to have the courage to stand up for another.' Dauntless used to be a humanitarian peacekeeping faction, that enforced attributes on its members of honor, kindness, selflessness, and intelligence. You have been manipulating Dauntless for years, to enforce attributes of childish recklessness, and cruelty! The Dauntless don't behave like Dauntless anymore! You are a hypocrite when it comes to your speeches about faction conformity! I know the Divergent, they conform better than you do!"
"I'm sorry you feel that way. Something had to be done about Abnegation and I needed cruel Dauntless to do it." Jeanine defended.
"Because you knew that true Dauntless wouldn't." he said in a mock tone voice. "You turned the braves of this city into mind controlled slaves and attacked the Selfless of this city! Countless Dauntless and Abnegation are dead, and their blood is all on your hands! And you feel no remorse! Do you know what kind of person that is? A 'Psychopath'!"
"You brand me a criminal, and a terrorist." Said Jeanine Matthews calmly as though trying to reason with Which she considered an unreasonable divergent. "But there is a bigger picture here that you will never understand, and your lack of understanding of the bigger picture will not stop me from taking the desperate measures that need to be done by people like me in order to achieve it. And you are going to help me with it.
"Put him in the machine." she ordered the guards.
Jackson struggled as the guards forced him on to the plate in the simulation room, and the robotic cables plugged themselves into his arms, legs, and back.
The robotic cables then lifted him off the ground.
The Box started beeping as it scanned his mind for his faction choice.
"Beginning Dauntless sim." said the robotic feminine voice.
Jeanine watched the screen. Inside the simulation Jackson had to stand between several men bigger than himself and some small children who were going to be beaten up by the men.
He fought hard. He then began having muscles spasms and started bleeding out of his nose and ears. The hard fighting of the Dauntless sim was taking more of a physical toll on him. But in the simulation he protected the children, and after ten minutes, successfully disabled the last man.
The Dauntless light on The Box then lit up.
"Dauntless sim complete." said the robotic feminine voice.
The Box then scanned his mind for his next strongest personality trait.
"Beginning Candor sim." said the robotic feminine voice.
Inside the simulation he was talking to a friend who asked him to trust him, and then asked him alot of very personal and private questions. He lied many times and he had hard muscle spasms and his body became more fatigued. Near the end of the sim however he stopped the lying entirely and started telling only the truth.
Then the Candor light on The Box lit up.
"Candor sim complete." said the robotic feminine voice.
The Box then beeped as it scanned Jackson's mind for the next strongest personality trait.
"Beginning Amity sim." said the robotic feminine voice.
In the simulation there were then all kinds of Jackson's worst enemies that began insulting him. Some of them even began to hit him, he shouted back at them unable to restrain his anger.
All kinds of old heals scars on Jackson's body then split open and squirted out like a faucet of blood. He then vomited a fountain of blood and then...'CRACK!'...his spinal cord broke, And he lay hanging limp in the suspension of the robotic cables.
"Amity sim failed." said the robotic feminine voice.
"Divergent subject 2 is no longer viable." said the computer tech.
"No!" said Jeanine Matthews in extreme frustration. "Why won't it work!? Why won't a Divergent open The Box like they're supposed to?"
She ordered the Dauntless guards to clean up the body. A biohazard cleanup crew then came in to clean the blood off of the walls and floor of the simulation room.
"Let us try again." she said. Her frustration had abated and she now had a fresh perspective.
She started tapping at the screen of her pad.
"Bring me another one." ordered Jeanine.
And they brought a middle-aged man wearing the grey robes of Abnegation. They had found him among the Abnegation prisoners that they had brought in from the Abnegation sector.
"Nathan bones?" said Jeanine Matthews as she looked at his profile on the pad. "Age 41, born Candor, transferred to Abnegation at your Choosing Ceremony."
"You won't get away with this." he said calmly.
"Brave words." said Jeanine. "But it was the faction of the Selfless and Divergent that would destroy our way of life.
"Put him in the machine!"
"Can I do it myself?" asked the Abnegation man.
Jeanine nodded.
He stepped on to the plate willingly and the robotic cables plugged into him. The Box started beeping as it scanned his mind for his faction choice.
"Beginning Abnegation sim." said the robotic feminine voice. Said
Jeanine watched the screen as Nathan Bones was faced with a situation where he would need to be selfless.
After only five minutes, the Abnegation light on The Box lit up.
"Abnegation sim complete." said the robotic feminine voice. "Beginning Erudite sim."
Jeanine then watched as he was in a scenario where he had to solve a series of complicated logic puzzles. His body slowly deteriorated under the affect of the machine. He had seizures, and started bleeding out of his nose and ears.
He was in the simulation for over an hour, solving one puzzle after another, slowly. Until finally the Erudite light on The Box lit up.
"Erudite sim complete." said the robotic feminine voice. "Beginning Candor sim."
He had difficulty telling the truth in the Candor simulation and his physical body got worse. But in the simulation he told enough truth that the symbol of the black and white balanced scales on The Box lit up.
"Candor sim complete." said the robotic feminine voice. "Beginning Dauntless sim."
But he was barely in the simulation for more than 12 seconds when 'CRACK!' went his spinal cord and he hung limp in the robotic cables, and the heart monitor went flat-lined with a long continuous sustained tone.
"Dauntless sim failed." said the robotic feminine voice. And all of the faction symbols on The Box went dark.
"Divergent Subject 3 is no longer viable." said the computer technician at his console.
"Do we have another one?" asked Jeanine in a frustrated voice.
"We've tested everyone in the building, both Erudite, Dauntless, and Abnegation prisoners. We have no more Divergents."
She gestured to the bloody mess of a human body hanging from the robotic cables in the simulation room,
"Clean it up!" She ordered in a frustrated tone of Reluctant resignation.
Jeanine Matthews then left the lab and went to her apartment where she tried to relax after her frustration. She opened up a bottle of wine and slowly sipped at a modest measure.
Jeanine Matthews had fallen asleep, when her doorbell rang. She opened wide eyed, and got up from her chair and went to the door. When she opened it it was one of The Erudite technicians.
"The Dauntless are back from the Amity compound. They've brought with them three Divergents."
With a fresh perspective she went to the lab.
They had found Marcus Eaton at the Amity compound, but their Dauntless honor had extended to his legal right for immunity.
The first Divergent that they brought in was a boy of about 14, who was wearing yellow clothing. He was calm and quiet in the ways taught of the Amity as he looked at Jeanine with curious eyes.
One of the Erudite handed Jeanine a pad. She tapped at the screen.
"Miles Dorn?" said Jeanine. "Quite young for the machine. But, I will need you to try anyway. Will you step onto the plate please?"
The boy cooperated and the robotic cables plugged themselves into his arms and legs and torso. The Box started beeping as it scanned his mind for his faction choice, but since he hadn't made one yet The Box had to adapt a little, and it settled on his birth faction.
"Beginning Amity sim." said the robotic feminine voice.
Jeanine watched the screen as the boy faced down several kids smaller and weaker than himself that started insulting him and hitting him. With tears in his eyes he took the abuse and harassment until The Box finally decided to light up the symbol crest with the tree on it.
"Amity sim complete." said the robotic feminine voice.
The Box scanned his mind for his next strongest personality trait.
"Beginning Abnegation sim." said the robotic feminine voice.
After 15 minutes of extreme difficulty in being selfless, the Abnegation light lit up.
"Abnegation sim complete." said the robotic feminine voice. "Beginning Erudite sim."
The boy faced a scenario he believed was real, where he was supposed too figure out that it was a simulation. But after half an hour of not catching the clues, his spinal cord didn't break, but both his brain and heart gave out, and the heart monitor went flat lined with a continuous sustained tone.
"Erudite sim failed." said the robotic feminine voice.
And all of the faction symbols on The Box went dark.
"Divergent Subject 4 is no longer viable." said the Erudite at the console.
Jeanine closed her eyes with a look on her face of praying for patience.
"Next!" she said with gritted teeth.
They brought in a woman in orange and yellow clothing of about 30.
"Mindy Lane." said Jeanine as she consulted her pad. "Age 33, born to Erudite, got a result of both Dauntless and Erudite on your aptitude test, but transferred to Amity."
Jeanine raised her eyebrows at Mindy Lane, at this unusual combination.
"How did that work out for you?" asked Jeanine.
"I have been content with in the lifestyle of the kind and peaceful ever since." said Mindy Lane, in the flawlessly calm voice with no hint of anger on her face, in the behavioral expectations of the Amity.
"I am pleased." said Jeanine. "I remember when you were Erudite before you transferred. I liked you. You were such a help to me. Now I would like you to help me again. Please step onto the plate."
Mindy Lane, paused for a moment and contemplated, but as Amity, decided not to fight it.
She stepped on to the plate. The robotic cables then came out of the hole in the ceiling and plugged themselves into her arms, legs, and torso. She closed her eyes and was lifted off the floor.
The Box then scanned her mind for her faction choice at her Choosing Ceremony.
"Beginning Amity sim." said the robotic feminine voice.
Jeanine watched the screen that showed the inside of the sim. Just like when they tried with Miles Dorn, in Mindy Lane's Amity simulation she faced multiple petty enemies of her's that she disliked the most, and they both physically and verbally abused and harassed her. But, she put on a brave face and did not retaliate at all. After several minutes, The Box decided to light up the Amity symbol.
"Amity sim complete." said the robotic feminine voice. "Beginning Erudite sim."
Her physical body began to sweat and become physically fatigued as inside the sim she attempted to try and solve a series of incomprehensible riddles. She solved one riddle after another for twenty minutes, then The Box decided to light up the Erudite light.
"Erudite sim complete." said the robotic feminine voice. "Beginning Dauntless sim."
Her Dauntless simulation then acted exactly the same as the Dauntless fear serum. Apparently she had 9 really bad fears. And she had to face every single one of them as the simulations caused her physical body to deteriorate.
Her physical body continued to experience physical fatigue, she began bleeding out of her pores and pretty much any other orifice on her body, along with experiencing severe muscle spasms.
For 20 minutes she endured her 9 fears, the first of which was a swarm of spiders crawling up her arms and legs until they reached her face.
At the end of the 20 minutes she had just finished with her last fear which was helplessly watching all of her friends and family burn to death and not being able to do anything to help them. After she had endured all of her fears, the Dauntless symbol on The Box lit up.
"Dauntless sim complete." said the robotic feminine voice. "Beginning Abnegation sim."
She then was faced with situations where she had to help people who are in need. She was actually doing quite well. The physical damage and fatigue that her body was suffering was doing better than any of the past subjects had suffered. Jeanine Matthews was enthusiastic as she watched with eagerness.
"Come on!" said Jeanine with over eager hopeful anticipation.
This Divergent had come further than the other four had.
"She's going to do it! She's going to do it!" she chanted to herself.
But as the Abnegation sim neared completion, the very last part of the simulation became apparently unbeatable for Mindy Lane. She then suffered multiple muscle spasms so strong that her bones then started breaking, and then finally 'CRACK!' her spinal cord broke, and she lay limp in the robotic cables.
"Abnegation sim failed." said the robotic feminine voice.
"No!" Said Jeanine Matthews in extreme disappointment.
"Divergent subject 5 is no longer viable." said the computer tech at his console.
"Bring in Divergent subject 6." ordered Jeanine Matthews with impatience.
They went to get number six. But first a blue clothed woman came in.
"Miss Matthews, Caleb Prior is back."
In walked Caleb Prior wearing several different colors of mix matched clothing.
"Caleb." said Jeanine. "For a while there, I was beginning to think that you weren't coming back."
She then pointed a Divergent screening device at his face. The holographic symbols spun around and then stopped on the Erudite symbol.
"Erudite." said the dull computerized voice from the device.
"It took me more time than I anticipated slip away from them." said Caleb. "I gave them some excuse that I was going back to Abnegation to help out around the Abnegation sector."
"Have you brought any information with you?"
"The Factionless are planning a rebellion." said Caleb. "The Dauntless that turned against you have taken refuge at Candor."
"Where are Tobias, and your sister?"
"They were on their way to Candor when I left them. They were hoping to ally with the other Dauntless."
"Thank you for the information. Now go change into some blue clothing, and come watch a Divergent try to open The Box."
"What box?" asked Caleb.
Jeanine then directed him to the object in the simulation room. Caleb examined the artifact closely.
"It was found in your parents house. We believe that it is a data storage device, containing a message from the founders that will explain to everyone the importance of why we should have a population completely free of Divergents. They will also give us information on a means to keep them from reoccurring again or to control them in some way. I'm not entirely sure what the message will be, but I am convinced that it will be somewhere along those lines."
"And only a Divergent can open it?" asked Caleb.
"That is the impression that I am under, however we have already had 5 Divergents try and open it and each Divergent has failed and died in the attempt. And we are now going for number 6."
They then brought in a teenage girl wearing yellow clothing. Jeanine recognized her from the Choosing Ceremony.
"Elaine Holmes." said Jeanine as she consulted her pad. "Born Amity, got an Amity result on your aptitude test, and chose Amity at the Choosing Ceremony. But none the less I need you to try. Please step in to the machine."
He spoke no words as she did not fight. She stepped right into the machine. The robotic cables plugged themselves into her.
"Beginning Amity sim." said the robotic feminine voice.
She faced the same test of verbal and physical harassment as the other two faced. And it was less than one minute after the Amity simulation had began when the Amity light on The Box lit up.
"Amity sim complete." said the robotic feminine voice. "Beginning Abnegation sim."
The Abnegation sim on the other hand she had extreme difficulty with. The Amity sim was like child's play for her, But yet In spite of her kindness and peacefulness, selflessness Was Not A very easy trait for her.
Jeanine Matthews immediately knew That this was not going to go well none the less she waited for her To fail.
The girl writhed in pain and screamed in agony For More than 40 minutes Until finally the Abnegation light on the box lit up.
"Abnegation sim complete." said the robotics feminine voice. "Beginning Dauntless sim."
Just like the other two, she faced a test of her fears the same way the Dauntless fear serum. The computer registered that she had 13 really bad fears. Within the first minute she was just barely into her first fear when she began to have extreme difficulty and her body began to break apart from the inside out.
"Come on!" said Jeanine Matthews with eagerness and anxiety. "She can do this! She's going to pass the sim!"
A few more seconds later her spinal cord broke and her heart monitor went flat lined.
"Dauntless sim failed." said the robotic feminine voice.
"Divergent subject 6 is no longer viable." said the blue clothed laboratory worker at his console.
Jeanine Matthews then groaned loudly in extreme disappointment and irritation as she turned her back to the glass window of the simulation room to walk away and think.
"We are wasting our time." said Jeanine. Why won't it work? All we need in order to open The Box is a Divergent. 6 Divergents have tried to open The Box. And all 6 have failed. There must be something that we are doing wrong."
Again she continued to think that there was some kind of variable that they were missing. That there was something about her strategy with opening The Box that was incorrect. All it takes is a Divergent to open The Box...? All it takes is a Divergent to open The Box...? If that was the case...then...any Divergent would be able to do it?... And then, the truth of the situation came to her; the missing variable that she hadn't considered before.
"I figured it out." she said as she turned to the Dauntless leader Eric in dawning comprehension. "I figured out what it is that we are doing wrong."
"What?" asked Eric.
"It's our own prejudice against the Divergents." said Jeanine.
"Our prejudice against the Divergents?" repeated Eric not sure if he was believing the words that he had to hear from the person that he admired the most.
"Think about it Eric, and I mean really really think about it." said Jeanine trying to get him to grasp of the obvious. "What is it that our prejudice against the Divergents has been making us think?"
Eric attempted to think about it, but apparently he did not grasp the obvious that Jeanine had figured out.
"May I ask you to indulge me please?" said Eric.
"Our prejudice against the Divergents, has been blinding us from the truth." said Jeanine Matthews. "Our prejudiced against the Divergents has been making us assume that all Divergents are the same. But that's not true, some Divergents are significantly stronger than others."
"What?" said Eric in indignation at the idea of the thing. "That's ridiculous. All Divergents are the same. A Divergent is a Divergent."
Jeanine Matthews smiled with an evil not a look, "And I think that you just proved my point."
Eric then flushed with embarrassment only very silently conceding that Jeanine was right.
"We just picked up every Divergent that we could find and we just stuck them into the machine at random assuming any one of them could open The Box, now they were able to do what none of us could do, which would be pass more than one sim. But that doesn't mean that anyone of them could have passed all 5 sims."
She then looked at The Box sitting on a pedestal with renewed perspective.
"Assign all non essential personnel to the Divergent detail." order Jeanine. "Scoured the entire city, Faction and Factionless alike. Test everybody. We need to find that very special one."
"We're going to need to alter our strategy for going to be doing that." said Max.
She then asked them to follow her to another laboratory.
Inside the laboratory showed them the brainwave results of the Divergent subjects that had been plugged into the machine.
"Athenia Summers, According to a more thorough scan of her brain waves that were recorded during her attempt to open The Box, her mind was not 100% Divergent, no, she was only 63% Divergent. It enabled her to pass 3 of the sims, and then failed halfway through the fourth.
"Jackson Saberhagen, was only 41% Divergent. Enabling him to pass two of the sims, but not three.
"Nathan Bones was 56% Divergent, giving him the ability to just barely complete 3 sims if he was lucky.
"Miles Dorn was only 51% Divergent, not enough to pass 3 sims.
"Mindy Lane, was the highest at 76% divergence." said Jeanine with fascination. "She nearly almost beat the fourth sim, thats further than all the rest.
"Elaine Holmes was the lowest, only 21% divergence. It explains why she seemed so normal."
She then handed over to Max and Eric a whole bunch of the Divergent screening devices.
"I just had these come out of the lab now. They are the same as the old ones, except that we significantly amped up the sensitivity. When it detects a Divergent, it will tell you the level of divergence within their brain waves. From now on I want you to only bring me the Divergents that are above 76%. Only those who ranked high will be able to open The Box."
Eric and Max then took the devices.
"Also," said Jeanine, "I want you to use these guns."
She presented him with one, and then there were many other Erudite people who brought in dozens of additional guns. She then pulled out the clip and removed a single one of the long bullets that was like a very long nail.
"This device is a sim-serum injector along with a long range transmitter. It contains a significantly upgraded version of the mind control simulation serum that we use during the Abnegation attack, however it will last significantly longer and work at a much greater range. I want you to shoot everyone in the Candor compound with one of these bullets. They are non lethal. And they will also allow you to identify the Divergent. Once you have identified the Divergent, simply test them for their percentage, and bring me the ones that rank the highest."
Eric and Max nodded and then left to complete their new assignment.
Jeanine Matthews went back to her large luxurious condo. The tables and shelves were full of worthless but beautifully decorative ornaments and baubles, as was the lifestyle of vanity of the smart within the faction system. She poured herself a small measure of white wine, took a sip, and then went into the giant bedroom that had a king sized bed. She stripped and then put on a bathrobe. She went into the giant luxurious bathroom and took off the bandages on her hand. The wound was healing well, thanks the use of both antiseptic and antibiotics there was no sign of infection. It still hurt a little but the pain was tolerable.
She then took off her bathrobe and hung it on a hook on the wall. She stepped into the giant wide open marble shower and a generous stream of hot water came out of the ceiling on top of her. She luxuriated in the shower for over an hour.
When she got out she rubbed herself down with a giant thick fluffy white towel, and then put her bathrobe back on.
She went back to her bedroom and got dressed in a nightdress. She put another bandage on her hand, downed the rest of the wine in her glass, turned the lights off, and crawled into bed.
Several hours later
Jeanine was awoken by the sound of her doorbell. She was wide awake after her nap, and went to the door. She opened the door to a woman with glasses and blue clothing.
"Miss Matthews, I apologize for disturbing you, but you asked me to come and get you when Max returned."
"Give me 10 minutes." said Jeanine.
15 minutes later she was dressed, hair fixed and in the lab. Max was waiting there with a few of his men.
"Was the mission a failure or success?" asked Jeanine.
"That depends." said Max. "We lost Eric. We were ambushed. The Dauntless hiding at Candor were very clever."
"What happened?" asked Jeanine.
"We entered through the roof of the nearby buildings." said Max. "We tagged about half the people with serum injectors. We found and captured 6 Divergents, one of which was, Tris Prior. The first that we tested was a Candor man who's divergence was only 10%, Eric then killed him, I was opposed to such action for I felt it an act of cowardess. He said He felt that they were all outlaws and that there is no point in keeping them alive If they weren't the one that we were looking for. He then tested an 8 year old girl. Her divergence was only 40%. I was extremely opposed when he put his gun to her head but that is when Tris Prior attempted to stop him. Eric almost killed her in retaliation, but I told him to stop because we still needed to test her. That is when My device, Recorded this."
He held up his divergent screening device. He hit the replay button on the side of his device and it then showed a holographic picture of Beatrice Prior's face and name, along with all five factions symbols lighting up, saying 100%.
Jeanine Matthews was astounded as she looked at it. She was the one who would be able to tolerate the mental and physical rigors of The Box's simulations. She's probably the only one in the city who can pass all five sims.
"She escaped our custody less than a minute after that. That is when we were ambushed. I managed to escape with this device, but we heard rumors that they executed Eric for crimes against humanity."
Jeanine nodded in acknowledgement of his explanation. But she continued to look at the holographic data on the device with awe.
"Beatrice Prior." she said. "It almost defies probability that the one we're looking for is her. Where is she now?"
"We don't know." said Max. "She's gone off the grid."
"Find her!" Jeanine ordered.
"How?" asked Max indignant. "Do a room by room search of every building in the city?"
"If that's what it takes." said Jeanine.
"I might have another card for us to play." said Max.
And it they brought a boy wearing yellow and orange clothes.
"Peter Haynes." said Jeanine.
"Jeanine Matthews." he said with a smile. "And if I may say, it is an honor to finally meet you in person."
'He's sucking up.' thought Jeanine. He wants something? The greed of the traitor of your enemy could be the most valuable weapon against them.
"You could have escaped with your friends at Amity." said Jeanine. "But instead you willingly handed yourself over to us without a fight. Why did you do that? What do you want?"
"Well," said Peter, "I would want a nice big house, fully furnished, lots of bedrooms, luxury bathroom with wide open shower and hot tub. Maybe a swimming pool, and a few Abnegation servants to wait on me hand and foot. But, careerwise, I would like a position of high ranking authority in your new regime, preferably something with potential advancement. And I think my intelligence might be of value to you here in the computer lab. I may be Dauntless but I not just a meathead."
He then turned his head towards Max.
"No offense, Max."
"You can find me Beatrice Prior?" asked Jeanine.
"Yes I can." said Peter with absolute surety. "I watched her like a hawk during Dauntless initiation. I know everything about her personality inside and out. I know where she would go if she had to leave, I know what she would do if she had to do something. I can find her no problem. Here is my humble request to you, I give you Beatrice Prior, and you give me what I want."
"Counter proposal." said Jeanine Matthews. "You give me Beatrice Prior, and I will discuss with you some reasonable terms towards your ambitions. So, tell us, how do we find Beatrice Prior."
"She may have chosen Dauntless, and she may be a 100% of Divergent, but, that would make certain aspects of her personality more dominant than others, she was born in Abnegation, therefore selflessness is her strongest trait, she is a walking bleeding heart. Threaten her friends, and she'll walk right in here if you promise to spare her friends."
A short while later, Jeanine was in the computer lab programming a suicide simulation into several of the tagged Dauntless that would be near Beatrice Prior. Their simulation serums and transmitters will be triggered and deliver a verbal warning for Beatrice Prior to either surrender herself or for her fellows to hand her over, or else more suicides would continue.
Later
Jeanine was in the broadcast room. She was given a touch up of her makeup by a makeup artist, and the video camera was recording, but not broadcasting. She needed to address the people of all five factions. She had heard a report from Candor that Tobias Eaton and Beatrice Prior had been given a formal criminal trial by 'Truth Serum', which proved their innocence, and her guilt. And as the Candor honor the truth over all of the things along with no secrets, they had delivered the reports to everyone in the city. And the candor truth serum is never questioned, because it is believed to be never wrong.
What exactly was she supposed to do? Spin some phony baloney tale that Divergents are immune to Truth serum? Since the, 'philosophical' cat was now out of the bag, she felt that she had might as well declare herself as the bad guy, and make sure that everyone in the city knows to fear and respect her.
"My fellow faction members." said Jeanine into the camera. "I come before you to ask for your cooperation and vigilance in an important matter of city security."
"The threat of the Divergents grows worse. I understand that there are some among you that still do not recognize the threat of the Divergents. Many of you most likely have Divergents as family members, friends, close and personal colleagues that you trust, you look at them as just regular people, people that no doubt you can trust, and have never done anything to hurt you. Many of you may even sympathize with the Divergents against my crusade to find them and stop them.
"It is times like this right now where the meaning 'Faction Before Blood', has never been more important! That is why you must understand just what threat the Divergents pose exactly. The Divergents, with their inability to conform to a faction, will poison the faction system from within. People of the factions will follow their example until all behave like them. You heard me, a Divergent's divergence is contagious, and then, we, the last of the human race, that have learned to bring about for ourselves peace, will be right back where we were 200 years ago.
"We may be safe behind the wall of the city. But make no mistake, the area with inside the wall does not ensure our security.
"It is up to us, every one of us, to remain vigilant and isolate any threat against us.
"There are individuals hiding among us who must be contained.
"Permit me, if you will, to address the objections of my fellow faction leaders.
"I am aware that there has been some concerns about the unavoidable raid on Candor as being unlawful, and unwarranted. However you all must understand that the Divergents don't think the way we do, and they are both dangerous and clever, therefore to go through all of the legal channels, and obtain evidence, and get a warrant, would have forewarned the Divergents, and we would not be able to catch them. With that, I can assure you that it was absolutely vital that we take the Divergents by surprise.
"I will also be 100% fair and say that Candor knew of the Divergents being Divergent and openly accepted them; with that I will warn every single person within this city, right now, that the harbouring of Divergents will not be tolerated.
"Very soon I will present to everyone what I believe to be no less than a mandate from the founders themselves of the illegality of the very existence of so much as a single Divergent. And how important it is for the faction system to consist of only 100% non-Divergents.
"On this, I have no doubt of the, supposed unfair, but highly extreme measures that I have taken to preserve and keep the peace. Therefore with nothing but the best interest of the people, I have provided instructions that will allow us to eradicate the Divergent crisis, once and for all."
"Cut!" said the studio director. "That was good. That was perfect, but just for good measure, one more time from the top, please."
Early next morning
Jeanine was awoken once again by one of her colleagues.
She answered her door.
"Miss Matthews, I apologize for disturbing you, but we have the Divergent Beatrice Prior in custody."
Jeanine's interest perked up immediately.
"How?" She asked.
"Exactly as the Dauntless Peter, said she would. She walked right in here. Raised her hands when she passed through the gate and allowed herself to be cuffed without a fight."
"Have Peter bring her to the simulation room. I'll be in the lab as soon as I get ready."
20 minutes later she was in the lab. And Peter had already brought her into the simulation room.
Jeanine looked at Beatrice Prior From behind the glass.
"Remarkable." said Jeanine with admiration as she looked at Beatrice Prior. "Chances of it being you, of all people. It nearly defies probability that the one that we were looking for was you."
Beatrice Prior then turns and looks at Jeanine.
"As remarkable as the amount of people you've managed to murder." says Beatrice with a tone of hatred.
"Dark times call for dark measures." said Jeanine. "You may find it hard to believe, but I am serving the greater good. Step onto the disc please."
Jeanine then turns her back to the glass as she took the pad that was handed to her. She focuses on the documents that are on the pad, oblivious to anything else in the room.
She hears a slight struggle and then a bang against the glass, but she was too absorbed in her computer work on her pad to really take any notice of it.
Her colleague then tap her on the shoulder.
"Ma'am?"
"Hmm?" she responds casually to her colleague trying to get her attention. She then turns towards the glass, and see the the tables have turned. The glass was spattered in blood and Peter was now wounded with Beatrice Prior holding the gun.
But Jeanine was not concerned. She needed Beatrice Prior's cooperation, will the threat of the suicides be enough to make her put down the gun now. Of course Jeanine put on a brave face and acted as though none of this was of a concern.
"Stop the suicides or I swear I will shoot him!" Beatrice Prior threatened.
Jeanine of course did not care one way or another for Peter. In her mind he was a nonentity. Expendable. She could of course grant him his ambition for his help, but at present she felt no need to give in to Beatrice Prior's demands.
"It's okay. You can go ahead and shoot him. We have plenty of guards."
"What?" said Peter indignant at the fact that she would gamble his life like this.
Peter of course held no ill will towards Beatrice for this, he understood why Beatrice was doing this. She was just trying to defend herself. But Peter started to wonder if supporting Jeanine Matthews cause was worth his ambitions.
Beatrice apparently was only bluffing because she shoved Peter away and then fired at Jeanine, though she was unaware that the glass was bullet proof.
She then put the gun to your own head. "I suppose you need me alive for this to work, right?"
This was a big concern for Jeanine. She couldn't allow Beatrice Prior to kill herself. She needed her alive.
"RIGHT!" shouted Beatrice demanding The answer of yes out of Jeanine's mouth.
For Jeanine to do anything at this moment, would be to give in to blackmail, and that would set a bad precedent in front of her colleagues and the Dauntless.
It was then that she was saved by Beatrice Prior's brother Caleb who then came into the simulation room and took the gun from her casually.
Then all of the fight went out of Beatrice.
"I do this on the suicides stop?" said Beatrice.
"No." Said Jeanine trying to remain in control of the terms. "The suicides will continue, until you have pass all 5 sims. That should be sufficient incentive."
Beatrice Prior then stepped onto the plate and the robotic cables came out of the ceiling and plugged them self into her torso, arms, and legs.
"Here we go again." said Jeanine Matthews in exasperation to herself Thinking of the first six failures.
The Box then began scanning Beatrice Prior's mind for her faction choice.
"Beginning Dauntless sim." said the robotic feminine voice.
Jeanine watch the screen as the simulation began. Inside the sim, Beatrice Prior had to rescue her mother from a flying burning house.
After 20 minutes, she succeeded. And the Dauntless light on the box lit up.
"Dauntless sim complete." Said the robotic feminine voice. "Beginning Candor sim."
On the screen Jeanine observed that Beatrice Prior was back inside her old house in Abnegation with her mother. Her mother was very calm and gentle and told Beatrice to confide in her her feelings. Beatrice then poured out her heart, everything that she had been wanting to say but was too afraid to say. Until after nothing but telling the truth for several minutes, the Candor light on the box lit up.
"Candor sim complete." said the robotic feminine voice. "Beginning Erudite sim."
The next second, inside the sim, Beatrice Prior face a situation that she now believed was real. The simulation showed her being rescued right there in the simulation room, she was then handed a gun.
As they were about to leave it showed a simulation of Peter reaching for a fallen weapon but then the simulated Tobias Eaton and Beatrice pointed their guns at him and he held his hands back.
"Say the words Tris, and I will put him out of his misery." said the simulated Tobias Eaton.
"No." said Beatrice. "Just leave him."
The simulated Peter then had a look of confusion on his face.
"What you're not going to shoot me?" asked the simulated Peter.
"Once a stiff always a stiff." said Beatrice.
Though the Erudite Sim continued, The Abnegation light on the box then automatically lit up. Apparently the Erudite computer simulation technology did not anticipate that the subject would use an overt act of selflessness during an Erudite sim.
They attempted to escape for many more minutes until Tris noticed the simulated Tobias say something out of character, and then she realized that it was just a sim, and the Erudite Light on The Box lit up.
"Erudite sim complete." said the robotic feminine voice.
Jeanine Matthews smiles with pleasure. Four of the faction lights on The Box were lit up. Four?! After the first 6 abysmal failures, she was astounded.
"Incredible." said Jeanine out loud absent-mindedly to herself. "All that is left is Amity now."
"What?" said Peter half indignant half confused. "She hasn't completed the Abnegation sim yet."
Clearly Peter had not noticed the Abnegation light on the box.
"She skipped the Abnegation sim entirely." said Jeanine to Peter. "During the Erudite sim the Abnegation light automatically lit up on its own...when she chose to spare your life."
"She's completed four sims in one hour. No one has ever gotten that far before or that quickly. She is incredible."
"I would highly recommend that we pull her out and allow her yo rest ma'am." said the computer tech by his console. "Her vitals are reaching maximum entropy."
"I agree." said Caleb Prior. "We should let her rest."
"Are you sure you're not just letting your personal feelings cloud your judgement Caleb?"
"See for yourself."
Jeanine looked at the Medical data on the screen. She was technically smarter than everyone else there, she could then see it. Though Tris would be able to pass the Amity sim, she would need to be at full strength to do it. If The Box left the Amity sim for last, clearly it will be her most difficult sim.
"Very well. We will resume tomorrow. Make sure she gets a hot shower and a hot meal. I want her at full strength."
She then handed her pad to the computer tech and then she returned to her condo.
Later
She sat alone in her comfy clothes in her giant luxurious apartment curled up on her sofa with a book about physics, as was the behavioral expectations of her faction. She may arrogantly think herself smarter and better than everyone else, but she still felt the need to lead her own faction by example.
It was then that she was Interrupted by her doorbell. It was one of her colleagues.
"Ma'am. I apologize the interruption, but we have captured The Divergent Tobias Eaton."
"Let me guess." said Jeanine Matthews. "He just walked in here?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Keep him in a holding cell, I might have need for him later."
It was then that she decided to go and see him.
She arrived at his cell and the Dauntless guards wearing blue and black opened his cell door.
"Tobias Eaton." She said to him.
"Jeanine." said Tobias. "I want you to release Tris."
"I why should I agree to that?" said Jeanine.
Four paused at a loss for words.
"Because I love her!" he said with desperation. "I need her! And she needs me!"
Jeanine was intrigued. Another factor of the Divergent that she hadn't considered; not only are they capable of multiple faction aptitudes, but they can love significantly more fiercely than non-Divergents. Jeanine knew that inside Four's mind, he believed that he couldn't live without her, he needed her like he needed water. Jeanine found simple pleasure through Erudite vanity. Four and Tris needed only each other if nothing else.
"Jeanine." Four pleaded. "I know that you think the Divergents are a threat to the peace. So I wish to offer you an alternative solution to getting rid of us...exile. Give me Tris, and the two of us will leave the city, permanently. Please! Just let us be together."
He was a broken man. Bargaining everything he could promise for one thing.
"I am Erudite because I believe that the pursuit of knowledge is the most meaningful way of life." said Jeanine with a tone of intrigue. "For you and Tris to be together is all the life meaning that you need. You feel an extraordinary thrill at the idea of having her with you. To simply be in love and be together is more important than any faction or peace. Though that proves my very point, as you can not conform to 'faction before blood'."
Her answer was, no. But a flicker of compassion lightly brushed her emotions.
"I will think about it." said Jeanine. "And strongly consider it if Tris can complete the task that I need her to complete."
Jeanine then walked out of the room.
Early next morning
Jeanine was in the lab waiting for it all to begin.
Beatrice Prior was brought into the simulation room being half carried as she seemed to be wobbling slightly on her feet.
The robotic cables came out of the ceiling and then attached themselves to her arms, legs, and torso.
"Let us begin." said Jeanine.
The Box scanned Beatrice's mind, and detected that she had already completed 4 of the sims. All of the faction symbols on the box lit up, except for the Amity symbol.
"Beginning Amity sim." said the robotic feminine voice.
Jeanine watched what was going on inside the simulation on the screen. It gave Beatrice a simulation where apparently she thought that the simulation has not begun yet. Beatrice was standing in the simulation room talking to Jeanine through the glass.
Jeanine listen to her own voice coming out of the simulated Jeanine on the screen.
"Please." Pleated Tris. "Just let Tobias go."
"I will let him go, if you can complete the final sim." said the simulated Jeanine.
"Tell me Beatrice, do you understand the meaning and concept of irony. What I mean by that is right now I need you to pass an Amity simulation, but yet you are filled with anger. I already watched three Amity Divergents, complete the Amity sim 3 times, could you do that? Can you do what they did while they were in the Amity sim?"
"I just want you to let Four, go." said Tris.
But the simulated Jeanine Matthews continued.
"You don't care about Four, you are just stubbornly trying to convince yourself that you are." said the simulated Jeanine in a derogatory tone of voice.
And it went on for several minutes. The simulated Jeanine verbally harassed her until Tris snapped.
In the simulation, she broke free from the robotic cables, smashed through the bullet proof window, and tackled the simulated Jeanine to the ground.
It was then that Tris started bleeding out of her nose, and the simulation shut down and her heart went flat lined.
"Amity sim failed." said the robotic feminine voice.
Jeanine stood there in a state of disbelief with her mouth open. She was at full strength. The sim couldn't have been that hard on her. How did this happen.
"What?" said Jeanine in disbelief and shock. "No. Bring her back! Bring her back! No, bring her back!"
She was desperate! She needed her! She ran into the simulation room to see Tris closer up.
"Divergent Subject 7 is no longer viable." said the computer technician.
Caleb Prior had tears in his eyes. He was committed to the mission, but he had dreaded this part the whole time.
"I really thought that you were the one Tris." said Jeanine to the dead body of Beatrice Prior. She then looked around at the rest of the people in the room. "We shall just need to continue our search."
"Max, return to the original mission. Test everyone in the city until you find a Divergent of a high percentage."
She then turned to Caleb Prior.
"Take comfort and solace in your new faction Caleb. Erudite is your family now."
"I wish to be responsible in disposing of the body, Miss Matthews." said Peter.
"Fine." said Jeanine in a casual voice of not really caring one way or the other.
Jeanine went back to her condo. She attempted to relax her mind. She didn't know what to do. What had gone wrong. How could a Divergent who was 100% divergence have failed. The founders had intended for a Divergent to open The Box one day. It didn't make any sense to her.
A few minutes later she decided not stay in her condo but to go back to the computer lab and observe the information from the Dauntless soldiers that were searching for Divergents.
"Miss Matthews we have a problem." said one of the computer technicians. "We have a security breach in the main lobby."
"What?"
She looked at the video surveillance and it look like thousands of people were storming Erudite Headquarters and over running the Dauntless security.
After less than a minute of inspection of the video surveillance it looked like a battalion of a combination of Abnegation, Factionless, Dauntless, and Candor. There were even a number of people wearing blue who were fighting beside them. She had suspected that there were Erudite sympathizers of the Divergent who did not agree with her methods. But she could win them over if she just showed them the message from the founders.
"Have you tried activating the simulation transmitters of those who have been tagged?"
"Yes ma'am. But they don't seem to be working. My guess is that they must have somehow found a way to disable them."
Sounds logical. They are very resourceful.
"Ma'am, we have another problem. Beatrice Prior is still alive, and Tobias Eaton has escaped from the holding cells."
Jeanine thought about that for a few moments, and then she had an idea.
"We got to get the simulation room." She said.
She arrived at the simulation room laboratory just as the Dauntless had managed to force their way into the simulation room.
She then noticed that Beatrice Prior had plugged herself back into The Box and was doing the Amity sim again.
Why? Asked Jeanine to herself. Why would she be doing this. Would not the logical course of action on her part be the thing that would prevent me from getting what I want?
She watched the simulation on the screen. There was a simulated version of Beatrice Prior that the real Beatrice Prior was fighting.
"No one is going to love you, Tris. They're never even gonna miss you. This world will be better off without you. One less Divergent ruining everything. And no one will ever, ever, forgive you for what you have done."
"You're wrong." said the real Tris. She then smiled, closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and relaxed. "Because I will."
The simulated Tris then tried to tackle her, but disappeared within the simulation.
And then to Jeanine Matthews's absolute amazement and disbelief...The Amity symbol on The Box finally lit up.
"Amity sim complete." said the robotic feminine voice.
She turned in the direction of the glass just in time to see Max pointing his gun at her head.
"Max don't!" she commanded him. "I need her alive."
On the screen there was then all five of the faction symbols together in a dramatic momentous computerized symbol of faction unification.
"Commencing message."
An image of a young middle-aged woman appeared on the screen, with long neatly combed hair going down to her back. She was wearing the blue colored formal business attire of Erudite. She looked not beautiful, but not plain either, but rather smart, professional, and formally dignified, with a friendly smile on her face.
'This is it.' Thought Jeanine with eagerness and awe. 'This is what I have worked so hard for for my entire life. This Iis the thing that I have suffered for, that I have alienated both my friends and petty enemies for. This is the most important thing that I will ever find that will ensure the future of our people, and grant me the means to destroy the Divergent permanently.'
"Is the computer recording this?" asked Jeanine.
"Yes." said Caleb as he observed the data on the computer.
"Hello, citizens of the city, faction and Factionless alike. My name is Amanda Ridder. I come from outside the wall, where we have all but destroyed ourselves. I am a member of an organization that is working towards helping human kind. We used to thrive on this Earth, while simultaneously nation fought against nation, but never to the point of decimation; we were always smart enough to stop our own fighting just short of total destruction. In spite of the wars that went on for centuries, we always managed to form a treaty with our warring nation before things got too bad.
"Then came a great peace. All of the wars in the world stopped, corruption within the governments stopped, everyone had unlimited entertainment, everyone had unlimited food, no one was unemployed, no one was homeless. But in spite of all of this we still sought to improve our behavior as a people on our day-to-day lives, even more so. So we attempted to isolate and neutralize certain negative personality traits by means of genetic manipulation. But it did not make us better, it made us worse, it caused us to become violent. It resulted in a war that decimated our planet's population. What was once a population of 7 billion was reduced to a population of a mere 100 million.
"Then came the peace. Albeit, a cautious and wary peace. After the war, we were all left with a genetic-personality-virtue-debilitating-disease that effected our minds, and we were limited to possessing only one of 5 personality-virtues; selflessness, bravery, kindness, intelligence, or honesty. But we were completely incapable of possessing two or more of the five personality-virtues. To possess two or more of the five virtues is 'humanity', and we had lost it. We sought to correct the problem. So we created your city as an experiment to solve the problem, an experiment that would take decades if not centuries to produce results. And within your city we created factions in order to ensure peace. And while it was initially necessary for every individual person to adhere to the behavioral expectations of their chosen faction, there were those that we hoped would one day be born within your population that would transcend the faction personality expectations, and possess two or more of the faction-virtues. These people would be called the Divergent.
"The Divergent are the true purpose of this experiment, and they are vital to us restoring the 'humanity' that we have lost. We have led you to believe that you are the last of the human race, but you are not. If you are watching this message, that means that at least one of you has reached the leveled divergence that we had hoped. And our experiment has succeeded. If this has happened then the time has come for the gates of your city to be opened and emerge from you isolation, and for the population of your city to rejoin the rest of the human race out within the rest of the world. As I stand in front of this video camera recording this message, I am about to join your number; my memory will be modified to not remember my former life, and I will become the founder of the faction of Erudite. My name will be Edith Prior, and there is much I'm eager to forget. If you are listening to this message, meaning that the Divergents of your city have reached the leveled divergence that we have hoped for, then the rest of the human race, with our genetic-virtue-limiting-disease, await your arrival, with hope for a cure...beyond the wall!"
Jeanine was then intrigued, she found the message extraodinarily interesting. But...it took her mere seconds to realize that it was not the revelation that she was hoping for.
'What is this!?' Thought Jeanine with anger, indignation, and extreme disappointment. 'I Have Alienated my fellow faction leaders. Sacrificed everything. I have alienated my friends. I have committed terrorist acts against the people for what I thought was a solution to all of our problems. And I get this crap!?'
This is not a means to destroy the Divergent this is a message from the founders saying that the Divergent are important and that they should be granted, what? some kind of great high honor among our society?
She slowly turned in the direction of the amazing Divergent that had finally opened The Box. She had been unplugged from the cables and he then looked at Jeanine.
"You were wrong." said Beatrice Prior. "About us. The Divergent. We were never the problem. The problem was people like you. And we are the solution."
Jeanine thought about it. What was she to do? To go along with this, the intentions of the founders, would result in her being deposed as Erudite leader. She would lose all of her wealth, her lifestyle, and though she was sure that it was not the founders intentions, the faction system would be destroyed, if the people followed this message and they left the city. Who would she rule over, it would mean the end of her power. Though she had fought so hard and so long for this message from the founders, believing that it was something that would benefit her, that would benefit everyone with nothing but good intentions towards the people, there was only one thing that she could do to save herself and the power that she wanted to keep...she had to cover it all up!
"Bury The Box!" Jeanine commanded to Max. "Shoot them both!"
Max and his men raised their guns to Beatrice and Tobias's heads but before they could pull the triggers they heard someone shout out from behind.
"DROP YOUR WEAPONS AND PUT YOUR HANDS UP!"
And into the room came Factionless and true loyal Dauntless.
Jeanine turned in their direction as several Factionless grabbed hold of her. And then she saw their leader. It was Evelyn Johnson, born to Erudite, Mother of Tobias Eaton, and wife Marcus Eaton. She and Jeanine had grown up together as old friends. But she was supposed to be dead.
"Evelyn?" Said Jeanine in both confusion and disbelief.
"Hello Jeanine." said Evelyn as though It was completely normal to meet under these circumstances.
"We have secured the entire building, the Dauntless loyal to you have been stopped, and your fellow Erudite will be getting a taste of a slight step down in lifestyle. I am claiming Erudite Headquarters as Factionless Headquarters. And I think that we are all going to enjoy living here."
"Do you think that the other factions are going to tolerate this." asked Jeanine believing that the law was on her side.
"Are you kidding?" asked Evelyn. "I took in the refugee Abnegation when they had nowhere to go. I offered the true loyal Dauntless, numbers against you. And I don't think you're really that popular with the Candor after your little raid on them. I think that the other factions now have a newfound respect for me. And you yourself are no longer that popular after everything that you have done."
"Take her to a holding cell." Evelyn commanded.
"When that message gets out it will mean the destruction of the city." warned Jeanine as she was carried away.
Minutes later a holding cell was opened and Jeanine was put into it.
She was locked inside for hours when suddenly she saw giant holographic screens on the front of buildings everywhere and she realize that the message was now being broadcast to every monitor in the city, by use of the Erudite citywide broadcast system.
For hours, the message was repeated over and over again. The Factionless had immediately done some redecorating by removing the Erudite Symbol from the side of the building, and replacing it with their new special Factionless symbol. The Erudite citizens had been given small modest accommodations while the Factionless moved into the Erudite's large luxurious condos. People from all five factions all over the city were in an uproar over the message, many of them were eager to remain settled in the faction homes that they currently were comfortable with, while many others were eager to leave the city and see what exactly was beyond the wall and if they really were people out there.
But now that Jeanine had lost everything, she had nowhere to go but up. And in that mindset she no longer thought about the power that she wished that she had, she thought about the safety and security of the people.
She then heard her cell door open and in walked Evelyn, at least Jeanine knew that it was Evelyn though she did not turn to see her.
"It has been 200 years Evelyn." said Jeanine. "The human race destroyed themselves once. What makes you really think that they're any better now?"
Jeanine was trying to persuade Evelyn to save the city by avoiding the people on the outside.
"Unfortunately you're not going to find out." said Evelyn.
Jeanine heard the click of a gun behind her head and then a bang of a gunshot.
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