TRIS
About an hour later Jeanine still have a blush on her cheeks. It looks great when she blushes, gives color to her face. She made some strawberries and a bowl of sugar, something I had never tried to appear.
- You know it's not real food. - I said as I approached her again.
-Yes. - I take one. - But anyway tastes like real food.
She put the strawberry on my mouth and then she bit it. Our teeth touched slightly. I smiled and drank the strawberry juice.
-I need to tell you about something before disconnect.
- You're leaving now? - Jeanine asked, raising her eyebrows. - It's a shame. I wanted to use this strawberries. - She looked red fruits almost sadly and made them disappear.
-Maybe later. -I shook my head. -I think there's one person who might know where the is weapon's laboratory. Her name is Nita Garza, could you see if there is information about her?
Jeanine looked at me somewhat dubious. Naturally, I was not sure if it was safe to Nita knew of our plans. It is certainly is not. But Tobias must see something in her that I don't, so I decided to trust him. But I have to be sure.
- I will investigate immediately.
Jeanine got up from the bed and started to get her clothes.
Before disconnecting, she grabbed my face and kissed me sweetly. Her sweetness sometimes took me by surprise, I never thought she could be so naturally affectionate with me. Although those are things of a couple, right?
-Be careful, my sun.
-I will do it. See you tomorrow.
Then she disappeared.
I stayed a little longer in the simulation. It was a difficult temptation to reject this world created by my brother and Cara. The amount of possibilities was infinite.
However, I just looked the fake moon through the glass ceiling.
We meet Nita in the hotel lobby after midnight.
From a distance, I see that she's arms folded, leaning against a huge potted plant. Her caramel-colored skin gets a beautiful tone, bathed in the faint glow of the lights of the complex, and her eyes have the darker color I've ever seen. She seems lost and distracted, as if her mind was a million kilometers away.
The sound of our steps woke her, and she turns quickly toward us.
Tobias and I stopped at a distance of two meters. Her piercing eyes studied me minutely, like she was trying to decide whether I was or was not reliable. Maybe she didn't know what I was doing exactly the same.
- Tobias. - She greets and gives you a short, tentative smile.
- Nita. - Tobias smiled back, and his smile is wider than hers.
Nita fixed her eyes on me, and her face is closed in a similar expression of disgust. But she doesn't look away, as I do.
-You're Tris. - It was not a question. Of course she knew who I was. Each person in the Bureau knew absolutely everything about me from my birth.
- Yeah. - I reply coldly - And you are Nita.
She just nods and looks back at Tobias.
- Well, I still do not understand why she should come. But ... - she shrugs. -Whatever. Come with me, before the guards of the complex to see us and distrust.
We followed Nita by complex of laboratories where Tobias told me that she worked. She walked in front of us with a small flashlight, leading the way. Our footsteps echoed in the deep silence, but no one said anything along the way.
Nita stopped in front of a door giving access to laboratories and spent her card. The door opened, revealing a small, dusty room. There are shelves with boxes for the entire length of the walls, and boxes are labeled with letters and numbers. In the center of the room there is a table, and on it, a computer.
As soon as we entered, Nita closed the door and turned off the flashlight. She crossed her arm again and looked at Tobias.
- All right, we are safe. What do you want me to do now?
Tobias intertwined hands nervously.
- I want you to tell Tris exactly what you told me.
She looks at me again with disgust, and I close my eyes.
- I still don't understand why - she mumbled. -She is genetically pure. I don't see the empathy she could have with this subject.
Tobias sighed.
- Nita, please. This is important. Do you trust me, right? Then you should trust her too.
Nita was silent for a few seconds, her eyes hovering between me and Tobias. Finally, she uncrossed her arms and points to a sofa in the corner. She walked up to it and sit, and I believed that I must do the same. I sit next to her and wait.
- Okay, Tris Prior. My name is Juanita. I'm part of the Bureau's support group, and I have spoken to Tobias lately. In fact, I took him to see how is the life of non-pure people outside the center.
- Yeah - I said. - He told me.
- There are some things you should know about this place, and one of them is that it hides secrets. One of those secrets is that, for them, an impure is dispensable. Another is that some of us will not just sit back and accept it.
I am fully aware of what she is talking, about an unclean be someone expendable for the Bureau, but I can not let her know. Not yet.
- What do you mean by "dispensable"?
- The crimes they have committed against people like us are serious - Nita said. -And are hidden. I can show you evidence, but will have to be later. For now, I can say is that we are working against the Bureau, for good reason.
- Right. - I say - And you want our help?
- Actually, my intention was to have Tobias's help only. But for some reason, he decided that you should be involved, and here we are.
- Listen, Nita. If you don't trust me because I am genetically pure, you must know that I don't believe in "genetic defect" and all that crap. There is nothing to worry about it. Now could you explain what exactly you want?
She looked at me defensively. She seemed to be experiencing a painful internal struggle. Then she sighed and stared at me.
- It's all right. I will trust you, Pure. But before we proceed with further details on the plan, I need to show you some things -she looked at Tobias. -To both of you.
Nita walked up to the computer and opened some files.
Images begin to emerge without interruption, and she go so fast I can hardly keep up. They are gray and distorted, giving the impression of being very old. The images show horrors: mutilated bodies, blood, houses on fire, skinny and sick people, suffering.
- Look at those guns - she points out a photograph. - They are much more antiquated weapons than those that were used in the War. This means that this conflicts are very old. Conflicts fought by people genetically pure, since genetic manipulation didn't exist at that time.
- I understand - said Tobias. -They are lying about our history, hiding important facts to control us.
- Exactly. - Nita replies. - You see, if the genetically pure people were causing war and total devastation in the past with the same magnitude as supposed to do now the people genetically non-pure, why spend so much time and energy fighting something that is not really a problem?
No one answered verbally, but Tobias and I looked at each other and nodded. Nita understood that we agreed with it.
- There is a problem with the blind commitment to these experiments - Nita continues - The Bureau values the experiments above life of no-pures. It's obvious. And now, things could get even worse.
- Worse? - Tobias says - What exactly do you mean?
- The government has threatened to terminate the experiments for almost a year - Nita says. - Experiments are still falling apart because communities can't live in peace, and David finds ways to restore peace only at the last minute. What if something goes wrong in Chicago?, he can do it again. He can reset all the experiments at any time.
- Reset. - I repeat.
- With Memory Serum. This means that every man, woman and child will have to start over. Their entire lives off against their will, for the sake of solving a "problem" of genetic damage that does not actually exist. This people have the power to do this. And no one should have that power.
- No. - I say with determination - Nobody.
- I want to steal the Memory Serum and destroy it. I want to remove this power out of their hands, although this is the only thing I can do. - she sighs - for now.
Her eyes light up dangerously, and for a moment I feel her fear and violent energy that she seemed to try to contain, but which at any moment could explode.
I see the hatred in the eyes of Nita and I realize that it is quite familiar. I see that same hatred in the eyes of Jeanine when she talks about the Bureau, and I feel that same hate in me. Looking at the Nita's face is like looking into a mirror.
I imagine the people of my city being "restarted" as if their lives were nothing more than a computer program, which can be erased and changed when they found convenient, and a murderous rage consumes me.
Suddenly I know I can trust Nita. I desperately want to trust her.
- Okay, Tobias. - I look towards her. - That's enough. You were right, and now I know we can trust her.
- What? - Nita's brow furrows in confusion.
- I told you, Tris. We could have saved all this.
- Wait ... - understanding is through Nita's face, and it became a grimace of disgust - This was a test? You were testing me?
- Nita ... - the voice of Tobias was pleading.
- You! - She yells at Tobias, outraged - I trusted you! I told my secrets to you thinking you could ...
She shakes her head. Her face is red and his hands trembling with fury.
- Nita! - I hold her arms - Nita, please hear me. There is an explanation for this, and I need you to hear us.
Her eyes oscillate wildly between me and Tobias. She looks like a cornered animal. Damn it. What did I do?
- Nita. - Tobias sits on the couch next to her and looks deep into her eyes, almost fondly - We are not spies of David, and we're not trying to catch you in a trap, if that's what you're thinking. We are part of something big, Nita. We're in this place on a dangerous mission. Our goals are exactly the same as yours.
- Mission? - She repeated, more lost than ever - Goals? All right, now could you please tell me who you are for real?
It was complicated to explain everything to her, especially the part where Jeanine was alive and was part of the plan. But in the end, Nita was calm deep. Calm and determined.
- We thought it spread the Memory Serum is more effective than simply steal it. Reset the center, and reprogram them. So they will never risked people's memories in the experiments again. The danger will be gone forever.
-And who had that bright idea? - Nita responded sarcastically. -Mrs. Matthews? With your apology, Tris, but what happened in Chicago and she already leaves a bad standing to everyone else no-pure. Because of what she did, The Bureau increased the surveillance.
Tobias stepped forward to speak, before I open my mouth.
-Actually, it was Angela Roth.
Nita's face changed immediately. I saw in her eyes admiration mixed with fear. Too strange mix.
-Roth? - Nita didn't talk for long. She stood and made a decision. -Then I'm in.
She smiled a little nervous. Tobias looked like a kid at Christmas. A tall boy and a little stressed at Christmas. And I felt a shiver down my back, but I can not say if a good or bad feeling.
JEANINE
Juanita Garza. Born in the experiment of Indianapolis. Father divergent and non-divergent mother. Bureau's assistant.
I leaned back slightly in my chair. I found no strange information in Nita Garza. But that does not mean I trust her either.
I closed the file. I can only hope that Beatrice make the best decision, as always.
Footsteps sounded behind me. Andrew entered the room and began to see some papers on a nearby table.
My nerves bristled immediately. I know I can not avoid him forever, but I really would not have to be so close to him. It feels uncomfortable, and even a little painful.
-Good morning -I muttered.
Andrew looked at me and nodded. Then he headed for the door. And he stopped before leaving.
- I don't know what you want or what you're thinking. - He said softly, without turning. - But there is nothing more precious than my children for me. I hope you know that.
His voice sounded mechanical, too cold for him. Would it be a sequel to war or just he still hate me?
- I know that perfectly - I cold answer too. - I know you think that I have corrupted them. But I love Beatrice, even if you don't believe me.
- You have very strange ways of showing how much you love her - He said, now irritated. -Like kidnap her and study her like she were an object.
I feel my blood burning. I squeezed my fists until my nails hurt the palm of my hands. He has no right to throw it in my face. He not.
- Shut up! - I said, trying to control the tremors that spread through my body. - You have no right to judge me. You never knew the truth, you never understood my reasons.
- Now I know the truth. - He says, talking louder than I. -And yet I have never would done anything of what you did. No truth justifies the killing of hundreds of people. But I believe that you think different, right?
I stay silent. I have no answer to give him. Because everything he says is nothing more than the truth.
- Don't have to give any satisfaction to you. - I say finally - Beatrice has forgiven me for it. I myself have forgiven me for it. Many people have forgiven me. Your opinion does not matter to me one bit.
-I know you don't care about anything, Janine. - He answered calmly. - But I do.
And immediately, he just left.
Why all the Prior are so unbearable?