Chapter 13: Tris – Evaluation

At first, I see nothing but snow. It must have picked up considerably during the ride, and for a moment, I'm glad we didn't have windows in the back of the van. The bumpy ride was nauseating enough as it was; it would have been worse if I'd realized George was driving blind.

The wind is harder now too, and bitterly cold. I shiver in my coat, and for the first time I look at Caleb with something like sympathy. We left Candor with enough coats for us, but no extras, so he's been in this weather with just his indoor clothes and a sweater. Peter has too, but despite everything, I find it harder to feel bad for him than for Caleb. I shouldn't let him get to me so much.

"Where, exactly, is this base?" Cara asks, voicing what we're all thinking.

"Underground," Amar answers as he joins us from the other side of the van. "We use an old bomb shelter that was built just before the war. It keeps us hidden and well stocked with food and water."

Tobias and I exchange a quick look and I can tell he doesn't know what a bomb shelter is either. I guess we'll find out soon enough.

Amar gestures for us to follow him and walks into the swirling snow. It's slippery, and we grab onto each other as we start sliding, but fortunately it's a short walk before we pass into an entrance of some sort, flanked by armed guards on both sides. George talks quietly with one of them as Amar leads us forward. I see the other guard eyeing us closely, her finger staying on the trigger of her gun, but her expression turns almost to recognition as she looks at me. She nods in acknowledgement, and I shiver slightly. As far as I know, I've never seen her before. Perhaps she sees Anna in my face.

I turn back to the sight in front of me and feel a sense of awe. Everything seems to be made of metal, with thick walls and another door separating us from the outside world. We walk through it and begin descending a long flight of dimly lit metal stairs. It feels like we go down forever, our feet echoing hollowly, and I begin to feel the weight of earth around us. A memory comes to mind from a textbook I read years ago, of bombs that could blow enormous holes in the ground and radiate the area around them. This shelter must have been designed to protect against weapons like that. I wonder how far down it goes?

At some point, George begins helping Christina on her injured side while Uriah carries her crutch. She's been walking much better today, but there are still limits to her endurance, and these endless stairs seem to cross that line. Briefly, I realize we'll have to climb back up all these when we leave. At least my years in Abnegation made me good at handling stairs.

Amar finally opens a door to the side and ushers us through it into a wide, deep room with a very low ceiling – it's less than seven feet tall, judging by how close Tobias' head is when he stands at his full height. Metal tables and chairs are spaced close together throughout the room, blending in with the metal walls and ceiling and floor, reflecting oddly in a way that makes the room seem both larger and smaller. A handful of people are seated at the tables, playing a card game. Their clothing is a mix of colors and patterns I've never seen before. These aren't faction clothes.

George waves at the seated people, and a few of them wave back, looking at the rest of us with interest.

"This is the cafeteria and meeting room," Amar explains. "You'll be here a lot during the next few days, before we head out." He gestures to the others and adds, "Depending on what you end up doing, you may be working with some of these lovely people, but I'm not going to introduce everyone at once. I'll just start with my favorite."

He winks and gestures to a young woman with medium brown skin and long black hair that's braided down her back. She doesn't look much older than I am. "That's Pari. She was born in the capital and found her way here four years ago. She'll be one of our guides for the mission."

Pari raises a hand in greeting, but before she can say anything, George chimes in. "Christina, Cara, and Uriah, you might as well wait here while we test the others."

Beside me, Tobias twitches, and his voice is tight as he says, "I thought you didn't need to test the Divergent."

Amar places a hand on his arm casually. Tobias flinches but doesn't pull away, tolerating Amar's touch the same way he does Zeke's. They must have been good friends before Amar's fake death.

"Relax, Four," he says with a little smile. "It's a different test for you two," and his eyes include me in the statement. "I guarantee there's no risk." Tobias looks at him skeptically for another moment but must accept the answer, because he nods and looks away.

And then we're heading toward a door on the other side of the room that I didn't notice before. It's the same metal as everything else in here, so it blends into the wall.

We walk down a narrow hallway with the same low ceiling, and I can almost feel the tension radiating from Tobias. Right, claustrophobia. But he keeps walking steadily, giving no sign of what I know to be one of his strongest fears, other than the rigidity of his limbs.

Amar and George give us a brief tour of the area we cover, but I notice they're careful with the information they provide. If I were a spy for the government they're trying to take down, I wouldn't have anything useful to say afterwards, and I suppose that's the point, particularly given how Caleb and Peter look intently at everything they see.

After a half dozen rooms, George opens a door to the left, and I see a waiting area where a number of people in faction clothing sit. I only catch a brief glimpse – too short to tell if there's anyone I recognize there, before George takes Caleb and Peter with him and shuts the door behind them. It seems strange that they're going somewhere different from us, but I'm too relieved to be rid of them to bother questioning it.

Amar seems to read my mind, though, and he comments, "They need basic testing, and you two don't."

"Can you arrange for them to fail?" I ask, and Amar gives me a smile.

"Yet you rescued them?" he says curiously.

I sigh, not quite sure how to answer that. "It's complicated," I finally respond. "Caleb is still my brother, and Peter helped us rescue him. But that doesn't mean I like either of them, and I certainly don't trust them."

Amar makes a non-committal sound, his eyes turning to Tobias.

"They're cowardly pond-scum," Tobias comments, backing me up, and Amar smiles again.

"Well, maybe they'll fail on their own, and it won't be an issue," he says lightly. But there's something else in his eyes, something that tells me he doesn't believe that will happen. I don't know why.

A few minutes later, we enter another waiting area. This one only has two people in it, but I recognize one of them: Robert, my friend from Abnegation for years, Susan's brother. It never occurred to me that he might be Divergent, but he transferred to Amity at the same time I left for Dauntless, and apparently that's why.

His eyes catch mine, and he rises, smiling at me. "Beatrice," he says softly. "I thought you'd be here." He moves as if to hug me, like he did the last time I saw him, way back when Tobias took us on a field trip to the fence during Dauntless training. But I step back awkwardly. Tobias is already tense from the low ceiling and small rooms. I don't want him to see me hugging someone else.

"Hi, Robert," I answer levelly. "I can't say I expected to see you." He stops in mid-step, obviously realizing I don't want to be touched, and I'm impressed once again with how good the Amity are at recognizing other people's signals. There's something to be said for kindness, even if it's not one of my strengths.

I turn to Tobias and ask, "Did you two meet in Amity? I forget."

Tobias addresses Robert stiffly. "No, but I remember seeing you at the fence during initiate training. I'm Four." I shouldn't be surprised he remembers that moment. At the time, I had no idea how he felt about me, but since then I've come to realize that he was watching me closely even then. The thought makes me smile a little.

Robert turns to the other person who's waiting and says, "This is Lisa. She grew up in Erudite and switched to Candor."

Lisa looks to be in her early twenties, tall with very blond hair and a complexion that looks almost tan despite the time of year. Pretty. She looks at us with the appraising look the Candor use so often, but her voice is gentler than I've come to expect from them as she says, "Nice to meet you."

For the next few minutes, we make awkward small talk. Lisa is called in for her test first, and then Robert. They come back to the waiting room when they're done, so apparently there's no second exit, and a man emerges with Robert when he finishes. He nods a greeting to Amar, his eyes passing over us with mild interest, and then he escorts Robert and Lisa into the hallway.

A short time later, a woman looks out from the testing room and gestures to Tobias. He gives my hand a squeeze and walks away, his face set in an expressionless mask.

Amar and I sit in silence for a few minutes, and then he says quietly, "I always wondered what kind of person could break through Four's shell."

I raise my eyebrows. "Oh? And what kind of person am I?"

Amar cocks his head, smiling slightly. "Marcus says you're probably the most Divergent person in the city. Which would make you extremely strong-willed and self-aware, despite your age and size." He's watching me, as if curious if I'll be offended by that statement. Then, he continues, "And that makes sense. I can't imagine Four with someone weak, or someone who couldn't stand up to him."

For a second, I don't know how to respond. The words seem true, but I can't reconcile them with the source. Finally, I ask, "Marcus said that?"

Amar shrugs. "He's an ass, but he's not wrong about everything. He's quite the expert on Divergence."

I don't know whether to laugh or be angry at Amar's attitude. Most people fall for Marcus' innocent act, so I can't blame them for working with him. It's harder to justify when you know what a monster he truly is, and Amar clearly does if he was Tobias' initiation instructor. But then I think of how I helped Marcus release Amanda Ritter's video, and I realize I can't condemn Amar for listening to Marcus despite what he's done.

I look away, muttering, "Yeah, I know. It's just hard to imagine him saying that, since he usually acts like I'm worthless."

Amar laughs mirthlessly. "He's done that to Four his entire life, but you should hear him talk now about how his son is the best person in the world for this mission." He shrugs again. "I wouldn't spend too much time trying to figure him out. I doubt it's possible."

We sit in silence for another minute, and then Amar says, "Four clearly cares a great deal about you. Is it mutual?"

I can't imagine a less comfortable subject than describing my feelings to someone I barely know, and I have to resist the urge to snap that it's none of his business. But something tells me that it's better if he knows.

"Yes," I answer simply, feeling heat rising in my cheeks.

He gives me an appraising look, something of sadness in his eyes. "I kind of figured," he says after a bit. He hesitates, and I think he's fighting with himself, before he blurts out, "You know this mission is crazy dangerous, right?"

I stare at him, not sure what to say. Of course I know it's dangerous. It's not like Anna tried to hide that, nor did Amanda Ritter in the video. I don't know why Amar feels the need to add to that.

"Yes," I finally say firmly. "But it's necessary, isn't it?"

He doesn't hesitate. His answer is emphatic as he says, "Absolutely. We wouldn't attempt it if there were any real choice."

"Do you need us – Tobias and me?"

His eyes close for a moment, and he sighs. "Yes," he says almost gently. "Desperately." He opens his eyes again, looking directly into mine and adds, "I wish we didn't. I wish we could use someone else."

After another moment, he recovers his composure a bit and says, "For what it's worth, we will do everything possible to protect you both. I promise you that." He manages a small smile and adds, "And not just because Four is my friend, but because getting you there is the whole point of the mission. So, I suppose in that sense, you're in less danger than the rest of us."

"You're coming, too?" I ask, and he nods.

"Yeah, I'm one of the most resistant 'oldies,'" he says with a grin that doesn't reach his eyes. "Each generation in the city has gotten stronger, so most of the group will be close to your age, but the rest of us who can go, will."

I nod, wondering who else will be in that group, but at that moment Tobias emerges from the other room. He looks more relaxed than he did going in, so the test must not be bad. I feel a slight twinge, knowing Amar is probably right and that Tobias just tested well. But it's not like I had any doubt he would.

The woman pops her head out again and gestures to me with a friendly smile. "Your turn," she says.

As I walk past Tobias, he pauses to take my arm. I can tell he's highly aware of Amar's presence, but despite that, he gives me a light kiss. "You'll find it easy," he says softly, and then he moves to sit by his friend as I enter the room beyond.

It reminds me of a simulation room, with a bank of computers and sensors surrounding a reclining chair. A straight-backed metal chair sits to the side, where the tester will likely sit, and there's a door on the other wall with a large, dark window next to it. I stare at the window, an odd prickling on the back of my neck, and suddenly I know without a doubt that there are people on the other side of it. It makes me feel like I'm on display.

"My name is Dianna," the woman says in the same cheery tone as before. "And you are?"

I suspect she already knows, but it doesn't seem worth an argument, so I introduce myself. "Tris. Beatrice Prior, that is."

"Prior, huh?" Her eyes light up as she looks at me, showing genuine surprise. It's comforting to think that not everyone here knows me already.

"Well, this should be interesting, then," she comments.

She gestures to the reclining chair and continues, "Have a seat." I hesitate, but Tobias' words relax me, and I sit down. Dianna begins connecting electrodes to me as she talks.

"This equipment is similar to what the NUSA government uses to brainwash its population. They connect someone to what they call the 'Control Computer,' and that person transmits a message to the computer. The computer then broadcasts the message through transmitters that are located throughout the country, and everyone receives it through a receiver that's implanted in them shortly after birth."

She looks at me to make sure I understand before she continues. "With our equipment here, we use direct wires and electrodes instead of injecting receivers, but it's otherwise similar. These wires will connect you to that computer, and your goal is to relay a message to it. The computer will then pass that message on to some people on the other side of that wall." She gestures to the dark window, and I feel relief that she isn't trying to hide their presence.

"Basically," she adds, "you're trying to communicate a specific message to them without being able to see them or talk to them directly. If they get your message, it will mean you worked the computer correctly, and that in turn means you can potentially work NUSA's Control Computer. Does that make sense?"

I nod and ask, "But how do I send a message to the computer?"

She smiles kindly, an almost maternal smile. "Form the image in your mind as clearly as you can. Pictures and feelings work better than words, so try to use those. And then imagine pushing the message to the computer. I can't describe it better than that, but if you can do it, you'll find that makes sense when you try."

I smile. "Actually, it sounds like something we were talking about the other day. Was Uriah good at this?"

Dianna smiles too. "Yes, he was. Not as good as your friend, Four, but definitely much better than average. And they both seemed to find it fun. Maybe you will too. Ready to give it a try?"

I nod, curious now if I can work a computer without a serum or transmitter – just with wires and my thoughts.

"Okay, then, let's start with a simple message. Form a picture of a food of some kind and try to project it to the computer."

I should start simple, but I've never been good at following basic directions. What comes to mind is Dauntless cake, and I imagine it on Uriah's plate as it looked the last time I saw some. Rich and chocolaty, crumbling on the plate, a huge slice that Uriah reluctantly agreed to share. I picture every detail, imagining the taste in my mouth, and it's as if I hand that image to the computer. I don't think I could explain it any better than Dianna did, but somehow I know how to do it.

There's a buzz, and Dianna goes into the other room. When she emerges again a minute later, her expression is hard to read. If I were to take a guess, I'd said it was awe, but that seems unlikely over a piece of cake.

She clears her throat. "Well, clearly you have some aptitude for this. I think we may as well skip to something harder – a concept. See if you can tell the people in that room that there's a serum in their water and that they've been manipulated their whole lives. Fill in the details however you want, and we'll see how much they get."

"Okay," I say. I think of what Anna told us at the meeting, and I try to form that into an image, but something else keeps intruding. Cara's words, about how the rebels have been putting serum in the city's water. How they've been manipulating us through the factions all these years. And suddenly I'm angry at their hypocrisy. The picture forms clearly in my mind, and I project it with all the strength I can muster.

Dianna is gone much longer this time. When the door opens again, Anna walks through it, her expression serious and thoughtful.

"That's enough testing," she says quietly. "Let's go somewhere we can talk."

I nod, my eyes holding hers. "That's a good idea."

Dianna crosses the room, looking at me nervously – and almost reverently. She removes the electrodes carefully, her hands shaking a little. When she's done, Anna offers me her hand, and I let her pull me out of the chair.

Amar looks up in surprise as we enter the waiting room together, but a hint of a smile plays on Tobias' face, and I suspect he saw something like this coming.

"Let's go to my office," Anna says calmly. "All four of us. We have a lot to discuss."