Building H34

Building H34 was the same as H33 and H35 on either side, formed from concrete and glass, perfectly cubic in every aspect. The grass that fills in the gaps between the buildings is shorn flat as a table every Saturday at 12:01 AM on the dot. There are no doors, for what use did a civilized world have for them? There was no crime, no distrust.

Inside Building H34 were four units. Unit HMA34, Unit HFA34, Unit HMP34, and Unit HFC34. Only a day before, Unit HMP34 had been Unit HMC34, until he had reached his thirteenth birthday. This benchmark was celebrated with an extra ounce of nutrient block at the designated meal times. His sister was due for her own designation change in six months and two days. An impatient child, she would often be late for her assignments looking at her placement on the family dynamic chart.

This in turn distracted HFA34 from her own assignments. After breakfast it was her job to put all the dishes and utensils away for cleaning. One of her longest assignments, Unit HFC34, was a challenge. The child was still at the table a full minute after the other three units had gone on assignment. The timer on her monitor counted down to the warning.

“Breakfast time is over. Go to school, or your first warning will go off.”

No sooner had she said it, the daughter’s monitor began it’s automated countdown. Unit HFC34 ran to the classroom where her things awaited her. Until two days ago there had been two desks. HMP34 now had a new set of assignments. His education was in a separate part of the building. There he learned new social functions and duties befitting of his development.

The unit sat at the desk, activating the class. The screen upon the wall turned bright white, and the door locked until the end of the session. The screen flashed a series of words for her to reply to.

The words increased in difficulty as it went on.

Ring. “Don’t know.”

Grass. “Plant.”

Truck. “Transportation.”

Doll. “Training tool.”

Boat. “Don’t know.”

Rat. “Don’t know.”

There were always nonsense words thrown in, just to make sure she was paying attention. Not knowing what they all meant used to make her feel stupid, but her results were excellent. Besides, her parents scolded her about all her questions. It was time wasted when they had more important functions to fulfill.

After class was her prescribed playtime, an integral part of any HC unit’s social training. The goal was to go through a series of fictional scenarios to prepare for adulthood. Younger Unit HCs were taught how to manipulate a series of training tools in the appropriate way. Unit HFC34’s first punishment had occurred then, when she lined up the blocks in a row instead of stacking them. A stranger arrived to teach her how to play appropriately, which had never happened before or since. She was given a baby doll, toy car, and two plastic soldiers and instructed to play. Every time she missed a step she had to begin the whole process again, which lasted well over eight hours. When the stranger was satisfied, she spoke with HFC34’s parents in a hushed tone, and left. Her parents never quite looked at her the same after that. When that woman came she set her apart from them, something that wasn’t a part of the system but not so much that she had to be removed immediately.

Now HFC34 was assigned to go with a group of other HC units . All their mothers watched from the doorways, an assignment of their own. They played through the day’s scenario, finding a strange object on the street. HFC34 was the inspector, the units they sent when something went wrong in the residential habitats. She’d be changing her designation soon, she was too old for playing pretend with the babies. Despite her misgivings she gave it her all. She made the other children all stand in a herd, where she pulled individuals out one by one to interrogate them.

It was just as she’d seen the inspector do. HFC34 had only ever seen one before. It had been only a month ago, but she often replayed the events in her head. She had been awakened to find strangers in suits standing over her and her brother. They marched them and their parents out into the street with every other resident.

In the present she barked the same questions that the inspector had asked.

“Is the contraband item in your possession?”

“Have you been in contact with owner of the item?”

“What were you doing at 7:04 PM last night?”

“You.” She points at the smallest unit, a boy who squirmed when she pulled him away, just as she did. The inspector hadn’t been at all like her parents or any adult she had met. He spoke forcefully and his words held weight, making sure everyone was aware that his assignments were far more important than doing the laundry or going to class. It was a rare person that became an inspector. You’re coming with me.”

The boy runs, and she chases. Someone ran last time, and just like then the crowd descends on the runner as a pack. No one told them to do so, but it was the thing to do. It had been a father down the street in H22, someone who had blended into their very own community. He was one of the dangerous units that had gone mad and hoarded forbidden knowledge and items within his own house. All she knew what that they put him into a truck, reassigned the family a new father, and he was never spoken of again.

Their monitor’s went off at once, giving all the children their first warning to return to class. They dispersed to their homes immediately. HFC34’s mother watched her closely, which made her hands tremble and her brow sweat.

HFC34 could hardly pay attention to her lessons about the dangers of the world outside the habitats. Her thoughts went back to the game, and the thing she had beneath her pillow. Everyone’s assignments ended at exactly the same time so that the four inhabitants of H34 could discuss their day.

“What did you do today?” Asked her father.

“What do you think?” She snapped. Her

It was the same every day at every building, classes for the children and pubescents, house care for the mothers, and work for the fathers. Everyone and everything had its place.

All except the thing she had found that day they took HMA22 away. Even though the children were being closely guarded by the inspectors, HFC34 had slipped through the back to follow after the adults. She crouched down outside the fence of H22 to watch the inspectors march in and out of the door like ants. Two carried a chest past her, too preoccupied to notice when something fell out. HFC34 grabbed the object, fully prepared to return it to them, but stopped upon seeing it’s beauty. It was a silvery chain, with an odd shape at the end, something her mother had once called a “heart” despite its lack of resemblance to the organ. Running her finger along the side revealed a hinge that allowed it to open up. She pocketed it, rejoined the other children, and hid it beneath her pillow.

When she was sure that HMP34 was fast asleep she took out what she had found from beneath her pillow. Objects like these were from the old world. When one turned up, the inspectors had to be called immediately. Old world objects were contraband. She knew that it was wrong to keep an illegal good with her, but it was too late now. She didn’t want to cause a fuss. Besides, it was so pretty, what harm could it do? It was dangerous and wrong that she should have it, but it was the only unassigned thing she’d ever have. It was hers and hers alone.

HMP34 had looked at the chain and heart every night since then. She was always careful to lay down and make herself sleep just before the monitor caught her still awake. Inside the heart was a small picture no bigger than her thumbnail. It was of a little girl just like her, only she wasn’t dressed in the official residency clothes, but in a garishly colorful dress. Behind her was something like a bush, only bigger, maybe even bigger than the resident habitat buildings. In a different world it might have been HFC34, dressing how she liked and living in a habitat of giant plants.

The monitor beeped a warning. Unit HFC34 quickly shoved her contraband treasure under her pillow and forced herself to sleep.

She woke up to someone over her bed.

“Come with us.”

The inspectors took her from the house more easily than they had taken HMA22. She screamed and sobbed for her mother, but HFA34 only pressed her mouth into a weary line.

The next day, a new daughter arrived, this one a week old HFI. The previous daughter and her forbidden item were never spoken of again. All was right in H34.