Convergent
Prologue-Tobias
Dear Tris,
It's been about a year since you've left us. And I'm Four again. Anybody who's called me otherwise quickly realised that it wasn't a good idea. I'm slipping back into old habits; becoming the obsessive, quiet man I hoped I'd never see again. Why did you do it, Tris? Why did you leave me? I swear to god, every time I look at David I want to strangle him, but that "wouldn't be fair." I'm writing it in quotes because my councillor (yeah, I've sunk that low) says it every time I scowl or look disapproving in general, which is always. He's an idiot. I can imagine you laughing while you read this. I miss your laugh.
People have moved back into the city. You reset a bunch of people, but they're slowly recovering. A mix of people from Chicago and government officials voted and decided that they're going to try the factions again, but this time, they're open to anyone who wants to join. I'm currently living in an apartment in the Hancock building with Christina, since it's been renovated to provide the dauntless with living spaces until the compound reopens. We've grown together (as friends) with grief, and slowly, we're helping each other get through it. Peter lives beside us. I know, he's still somewhat horrible, but he's getting better. And I'm fairly sure he has a crush on Christina. Not commenting on her feelings for him. I have a job now, monitoring how many people are signing up for factions, and organising them into different ones. We're almost at capacity, and as soon as we are, the memory serum is going to go into effect with the people who lived in the outside before. That's right; nobody who grew up here is going to be reset. Me, Amar, Christina, Evelyn, we're all safe, among all the others. Evelyn's in Jail now for executing a bunch of the Allegiant. I visit her from time to time, but it never gets any easier. Nothing gets easier without you.
On another note, Cara and Caleb got married. They both signed up to go back to Erudite, where they can live as a nerd couple till they get old. I still hate him, I'm sorry. I don't think I'll ever get over it. There hasn't been any sign of Marcus since I got back here. I don't know if I'll ever see him again. Maybe that's a good thing. So, all in all, life is slowly returning to normal. Dauntless is still being stupidly brave, Erudite are still smartasses, Candor are still telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, Amity are still strumming banjos and picking apples, and Abnegation doesn't know what to do with itself, because until the next initiation, there's no Factionless, so they're resorting to helping the people in the fringe until then. I wish you could see this. I miss you. I love you.
-Tobias, or Four.
Chapter one- Tris
Tris.
I hear my name through my fuzzy thoughts. I try to open my eyes, but everything is dark and silent, and I am floating.
Tris.
The voice sounds again, vaguely familiar and stronger. I struggle to cling to the last thing I remember- getting shot, hugging my mother… And then what? I must be dead, or else my thoughts wouldn't be so scattered. All I remember is a darkness descending on me, and my mother whispering "Be brave, Tris." I remember Tobias saying that before my first simulation, back in my initiation. My heart aches. I wish I could see him again, to tell him how sorry I am.
Tris, you have to get out of here.
What? I think hazily. Where is "here?" I'm dead; shouldn't I be in heaven or something? I hope something happens soon, or I'll go mad from the boredom. Maybe I'll see all my friends, once I'm in heaven. Will, Uriah, Tori, and all the others. I miss them.
Tris, you're not dead. Now think.
Now the voice has my attention. Not dead? That's impossible. I got shot in the neck. I saw my mother. I have a creepy voice in my head. I'm floating in endless darkness. How could I not be dead? If I'm not dead, then where am I? I challenge the voice.
You're still in the Bureau. In a sensory deprivation chamber. They're studying you, Beatrice.
I feel a jolt of alarm run through me. I quickly try to wiggle my toes, but there's nothing. I can't even tell if they're still there. The voice is achingly familiar, but again, I can't think. I have to get out of here, I have to. I won't stay sane much longer. Think, I tell myself. What do they want from you? I see myself being studied in the Erudite compound, Jeanine trying to get me into the ultrasound machine. We have other ways of making you cooperate, she said. Was this one of them? Where I can't move, where I can barely think? Where I can only die? Wait….
Do you get it, Tris?
I do get it. I remember Matthew talking about the bureau's technology when we got here. What did he say about these things? They sustain the subject through a series of tubes in the bottom pumping nutriments into the water… I try to move my head, but there's nothing. I can do nothing.
Try unclenching your muscles.
I do, and immediately sink to the bottom of the tank, trying not to panic as water closes over my face. I'm submerged in water and I can't move. If I drown, it will be all over.
Suddenly the lid of this hellhole gets thrown open, the light blinding. "Who was monitoring her? They're gonna have our heads!" I can move. With all the force I can muster, I launch myself up, grabbing the edge of the tank for balance as I throw myself out. I almost collapse, but manage to stay upright and face the two people, staring at me in shock. I am in no condition to fight, so I turn and sprint to the door. I jiggle the handle desperately, but it's no use. It's locked. I see one put up his gun, but his stance tells me he's never used one before. I shakily run and crumple to the floor as he shoots, then throw myself at him, knocking him off his feet and cracking his head open on the side of my prison. Grabbing his gun, I point it at his friend. "Drop your weapon Now!" I snarl, though I don't sound very convincing, with my voice wobbling and such. The guard seems to get the message and drops his gun before sprinting to the door, fumbling for his keys. I can't let him get away; he'll call for backup. I shoot him in the thigh and he crumples, screaming. I grab his keys and look around. I'm in a relatively small room, just a computer and that tank. There's two doors—the one that the guard was going to go through, and one on the opposite side of the room. I walk closer to it, and see it says "Observation lab 23-B. it seems that it's either the hall or this, and I'm not recovered enough to face the bureau, so I quickly unlock and slip through the lab door, locking it behind me. Once I'm sure it's empty, I slide down the wall and stare at my hands. They're wrinkled from my time in the tank, but I'm alive. I touch the side of my neck, where the bullet that was supposed to kill me was, but there is nothing but a small scar. How long have I been in there? I need to get back to my friends, assuming they're still alive.
Beatrice, you have to move.
I'd almost forgot about the voice. Who or what was it? Is this a trick from the bureau?
No, Tris. I'm not from the bureau. You can trust me.
Who are you? I ask it. Are you my enemy or my friend?
That's for you to decide, Tris, but I consider myself a friend who loves you very much.
I look around, pondering this. My eyes fall on a container on the far side of the room, just like the one I escaped from. I slowly get up and walk over to it. Should I open it? I don't know. This person might attack me, like I attacked my guards. But I can't just leave them to be studied. I heave open the lid. And immediately clamp a hand over my mouth to suppress a scream.
There's a young man in this tank, his eyes closed and his arms folded neatly over his chest. He wears a hospital gown like me, and it stands out against his bronze skin. I recognise the snake tattoo curled around his ear.
It's Uriah.
I press my hands to my head, trying to make sense of it all. Who else is alive? How is Uriah even here? His bandages have been removed, and he looks like he's sleeping. Is he dead? He might be. Before I lose my nerve, I reach down and close my hand around his wrist. Immediately he jerks awake, recoiling as his eyes adjust to the bright lab lights. He blinks once, twice, and then I register that he's awake. And alive. He's supposed to be dead. I wasn't there when he was supposed to be taken off life support, but he's here. I want to throw my arms around him and sob, but I don't want to hurt him. I drag him out of the tank and try to wake him up, because he still looks really disoriented. "Tris?" he looks around. "Where…" he buries his head in his hands. "Oh, god. I'm dead, aren't I? It's so bright, and I remember… I remember…." He chokes on his own words. I rub his back. "No," I say firmly. "We are NOT dead." Where are we exactly? "No, Tris, I'm dead, and if you're here, that means that you must be, too. I remember. They unplugged me, and then there was this darkness…" "Uriah, look over there." I point to the door. "Do you think heaven has labs or sensory deprivation tanks? Cause I don't think so. We're in the Bureau. I think they're studying the divergent."
I didn't think of it before, but as soon as it comes out of my mouth, I know it's true. It makes sense. Both me and Uriah are divergent. We're both here, and according to my voice, we're being studied. "We have to get out of here," I say. "Can you walk?" he shakily gets to his feet, but almost falls on his face when he tries to take a step. "Where are we going?" he asks. "To find our friends," I say determinedly. If any of us are left.
