Soul's Mates

Chapter 2 of Soul's Mates

The Arena was call Centorium. It was the largest arena in the state of Missouri, after its conception just a few years ago. Thirty thousand it held. It was where most of the large events of the state were held. Just last year, it held the Olympics, with more than capacity in attendance. The streets were filled with people just to watch the screens outside displaying the action. Now, the screens were filled with commercials about finding your way in a new world.

Dred started to set into my bones as I watched those screens and moved towards the doors of the arena. I was a crime. My parents were a crime. My sister. What did my parents think when they saw these same messages? What did they think once they met each other? My markings were almost finished, with just a few bits still to form, not enough to matter with being matched, but enough that the connection to the match wouldn’t be formed.

It would be finished any moment, the next second, or the next hour. I was sure it would be done today. I was excited and terrified now after hearing what my father told me. Everything was moving too quickly for me to process, and my mind and body were on autopilot. Get inside, get my file. Get my life. That’s all I could think about as I kept taking steps farther away from my father and closer to what waited inside. As I walked, I could still hear the distant cries of mothers wailing for their kids to leave them. The cries of criminals, that stole someone’s soulmate.

I flinched when I noticed a hand on my shoulder. I looked up seeing a familiar face.

“James!” I shouted with a smile. “You scared me. How are you?” I asked.

James looked down at me with a friendly smile. James was my best friend from elementary. He was a tall burly red-headed man. He looked like a Viking with his long beard that he kept braided and his man-bun hair. The hairstyle looked good on him, and you’d think by looking at him he was some sort of army man, but he was a chef. He had opened his own restaurant when we were 17, and I’ve gotten free food ever since. He had the best blue eyes, that when you sit at a table eating his buttery steaks that he marinated in a home-brewed sweet wine, all you can think about is how lost you get in them both. He used his looks to his advantage, but his skills with food were what drew women into him.

I’d like to say that I liked him like that once, but I thought of him as my brother, and someone I could go to for advice on my dresses when I go out with a man. He often gave the best advice, and even helped me pick out my dress for today.

“Nova, nice to see you. You look great.” He kissed my head, “I bet I’d look better though. Randal would love to see me in a dress.”

“Randal? You two are dating again?” I asked with a raised brow. Randal was Jame’s on-and-off boyfriend of 3 years. They were good together… until Randal saw someone else.

“No.” He said with a sigh, “We’ve kept in touch, and been friendly… but I’ve moved on. He’s been messaging me nonstop though, saying how he hates how he isn’t my mate, and that if he could he’d steal me away. But honestly… I don’t think he would. He’s a bit too distracted by other people. The last time we broke up, he said he was confused, and that I wasn’t worth the time. It was crazy. Then I felt it, the connection. My match is out there… and we comfort each other often. I don’t know who is on the other end, but I can’t wait to see them.”

“Lucky you, I haven’t had that connection yet. My markings aren’t fully done.” I said turning and pointing to the tips of my markings around my temple.

“They’re moving a bit.” He says while running a thumb across them, “I’m sure before this is over, you’ll get it. We’ll sit together and you can tell me when it happens.”

I laughed and nodded leaning into his arm. “You sure you just don’t want to sit with me so you can cry in my arms when they tell you your match doesn’t like meat?”

James mocked a shocked gasp, and with a high whiny voice that didn’t fit his normal deep bass tone. “How dare you wish such cruelty on me!” He laughed the whine away and we pushed past the large entryway doors. Crowds of people were piling in around us and we pushed closer together to keep from getting separated. “Honestly, I’m sure MY mate, loves meat. They often crave decent steak. Sometimes I think I’m just going to end up being my own soulmate.”

We laughed together at that as we walked up the stairs of the arena. We found a decent enough spot in the middle of the arena and somewhat close to the stage they had erected in the center field. It was close enough I’d be able to recognize people on the stage if I knew them at least. We sat down, and as soon as we did a RANGER flew over. A RANGER was a drone, it was orb-ish and recorded everything with a large camera that had a 360 view. Ranger stood for Robotic Assistant and Navigation Guidance Enforcement of Resolution. It was a mouthful, and they mostly helped to enforce the soulmate law, they track people and their markings and usually predicted who would match with who once their markings came in.

It scanned us and then flew away. We waited, knowing it would return soon. “Are you ready for your file?” I asked James.

“Are you?” He squeezed my hand and the RANGER returned. It carried two metallic clipboards with it, then handed one to each of us. It then scanned James and connected itself to his clipboard. The clipboard opened like a folder, and a clear screen on each end appeared with digital words. I read clearly, James Per Arna, age 23. I didn’t see more as the RANGER scanned me, and my file opened to show me my name, age, birth, and history. Nova Lee Nakisisa was born June 13th on a Friday at 13:13 in a thunderstorm that flooded the city. Born to Veta Lee Nakisisa and Daren Nakisisa. Sister to Avina Lee Nakisisa. Mother dead. Father-

“Nova…” James looked at me wide-eyed as he read the last few words I did. “Nova are you sure you don’t want to move elsewhere?”

I shook my head as I reread the words. Father. To be executed. “I never knew. I need to be strong.” I whispered to myself.

James clenched my hand tighter. “My mother too.” He said, “She’ll be up there…”

I looked at him shocked and he shook his head. “Later…”

We both knew that their crimes that had to be committed to execute someone, were to take someone else’s mate as your own, or to kill someone. Those were the crimes that called for execution. Most of the time it was done in private, behind closed doors, but this year was different for some reason. There were hundreds of drones around the arena, and less than half were the RANGERS. The rest of the drones were sent by the country officials to record and broadcast.

“James… Why are there so many News Drones?” I asked.

“I don’t know. When my Mom dropped me off… There were a ton of cops, and a ton of reporters. You’re lucky your dad dropped you off on the other side… Away from the public eye. She had to go stand with the others… The reporters kept cursing at them all.” His voice was so quite even with him leaning in that I barely heard him. We never used the words, and we kept hushed tones, but we both learned today, that we were products of a crime.

We sifted through or digital files, flipping through pages. I showed him my grades for college, and he laughed at all of my A’s. He laughed even, more when we got to his grades, everything was barely passing except culinary and math. We distracted ourselves as the arena filled up with conversation of our terrible drunken parties, and the teachers we liked least. We bonded over the dinner I had gone to earlier, both agreeing that nowhere else had the best chicken fried steak. We had started changing the topic to Avina’s school project when it happened.

It was perfect timing too, if you could call it that. The stage lit up on the field, and out walked a group of men and women that led our state. Then I saw flashes of a similar stage, scented different scents, and for a moment, when I looked towards James, I saw a different person. When I looked back at the stage, it was normal, and the group of men and women sat.

“James… I think it just happened.” I said to him.

He nodded at me, “Just focus on the now, it’ll help to keep from jumping into their mind.”

I did as he said and took stock of my surroundings and listened as a woman started speaking.

“Welcome all! Today is Ceremony Day!” The woman announced. “I am Mayor Laura Winston, and I’m here to help you all find your place in out large and crazy world.”

The arena cheered and I felt a flicker of excitement that wasn’t my own.

“Some of you, will find your soulmates, fairly quickly, perhaps even before you journey out for your year. Others will find them during the year to come. All of you, however, will in fact find the career you were destined for. We all, have spent this last year, combing through your files with the help of the RANGER bots, and have hand-selected your options. Only twenty-five of you, will be selected for the training positions of our government in this state, giving you opportunities to progress throughout the leadership of the country and eventually the United Nations.”

More cheers were sounded from the arena, but I was too focused on hearing the same speech in someone else’s head, and in a different area of the world. I clenched James’s hand and whispered sharply to him. “I’m seeing double J. What do I do?” I asked.

“Just focus on my voice.” He said, “Remember the time I broke my head open tripping on my tutu in Junior High?”

I laughed. James had worn a pink tutu to Junior High when he was the star football player’s boyfriend. They were both super popular, and everyone loved them. James had worn it as a joke because someone had said he had to have been a prissy dancer if he was gay and the star athlete’s pincushion. He wore that tutu in stride, being just as tall back then, when his deep voice just came in he greeted that person, with my striding behind with my pile of books. He scared the guy half to death just by winking and saying hello. I laughed my ass off watching the guy turn tail and run away saying how sorry he was. James had jumped up to high-five the ceiling after that, and his tutu fell to his ankles, and he fell hard. My laughter turned to evil witch cackles at that point. It wasn’t surprising when after High School that same guy came out to James. James forgave him, and that was that.

“You should’ve gotten a more form-fitting tutu. Any half-decent dancer would know that.” I teased focusing back in on myself.

“Very funny Nova.” He smiled, “We should make sure we spend our year together.” He said clutching my hands. “You me and Avina.” He looked at me, and I could see the fear flicker in his eyes.

No one ever talked about it, but it was known, that children born of parents were were not mates… they either were exiled and died old and alone… or they were forgiving and forced to marry their mate… or they would be executed. It all depended on the person’s influence in society. Was I important enough to even hold sway like that? Where I would end up dead? I nodded at him pushing those thoughts away and turned back into the woman speaking on the stage.

“Before we announce those positions, We have some unfortunate business to conduct. As you may have seen, there were police outside the arena today. We have collected one hundred men and women, who had conducted the worst crime possible.” Laura stated. The arena grew with boo’s as a group of ten people with hoods on their heads walked out and onto the field. They were placed in chairs behind the Mayor, and her voice boomed as she turned to face the arena again.

“I have here, ten, of these people. Ten, that was the most troublesome. Ten, that committed more crime upon the unspeakable! Each one, will be executed today, here.” Laura walked to the farthest one, her hand on their hood. “Their crimes will be paid for, tenfold. Their children will be forgiven, but only when they marry their mate and have a child with that mate.” She pulled off the hood of the first. A stout man, with grey hair and brown eyes that showed on the large screens with fear.

“Austin Parks. Married another’s mate, had three kids with this person, then murder their wife’s mate, after she had passed away due to sickness.” The man glared at her and shook his head, he was gagged and all he seemed he wanted to say was lost behind the tight cloth.

“Lindsey Nunes.” The woman said ripping another hood off another person. This was a thin woman, her golden eyes full of tears and her blonde hair a mess. She looked down as fast as she could, but Laura forced her to look at the camera that projected her likeness upon the many screens of the arena. “She, had twins with another mate, after that person had found their mate and had children with them. She, killer her own mate, and lied about it.”

Laura kept pulling off hoods, announcing the transgressions.

“Mike Jones. Stole a mate, and raised another’s child.”

“Eva Krane. Stole a mate and then caused their death.”

“Jonathan Nooks. Stole a mate.”

Laura pulled off the hood of the next person, and I felt my body go rigid.

“Wanda Per Arna. She, stole a mate, and conspired with another to help steal someone else’s mate for themselves. She murdered her mate and murdered two others. A man whose mate was stolen, and then that woman, that she had helped to steal from him.” Laura then pulled the hood of the person next to Wanda.

“Daren Nakisisa. The one Wanda had helped. This man, stole his wife from her mate, and then conspire with Wanda to kill both of them when his wife decided to leave him. Daren and Wanda, will be the first to be executed.” Laura stepped passed, and continued on, but I ignored it as I clutched on James’s hand. I could feel him tensing, I felt the anger and the fear rolling from him and I knew he could feel mine.

“It’s a lie.” He hissed through clenched teeth. “She told me. Your mother saved her. Your mother saved mine from getting shot in the head. I saw it happen. They are lying about them. Don’t. Trust. Them.”

I felt him pull my head up to him and he starred me down with tears in his eyes. “I never told you. But that’s why we met. Your mom knew he’d try to her mine. So she set up out first playdate. Do not. Listen. Nova.”

I nodded, tears in my eyes as whispers started around us. “That’s Nova’s dad.”

“Nova? That chick that finds dogs?”

“Nova and Avina’s Dad?”

“Isn’t that woman the mom of that chef on 4th street?”

“That gay chef?”

We ignored them as we turned to force ourselves to watch through the rest of the exposures. The last hoods being ripped off caused my body to flinch each time. Each announcement of their so-called-crimes made me clench my teeth in rage. Each word out of that woman’s mouth mad me see red. The mayor commanded the ten to march forward, where they were each fastened with an arm band and nurse beside them.

Death, by lethal injection. Their deaths were certain. They would be injected, and then forced to walk off stage and into their own ambulance, where they would be taken to the hospital, and their bodies examined, because by the time they reached the hospital, they’d be long dead. It was a cruel way to die, something I never liked and hoped to change with my law degree. Not only did they die, but they were publicly shamed and embarrassed and forced to walk before thousands of people to their literal death site.

“Any last words?” The Mayor asked, and one by one, their gags were released. It wasn’t until the last person’s gag was dangling around their neck, that they all in unison said, “Marks only show truth, not Mates.”

Laura shook her head and snapped her fingers. Each person getting injected. I watched, with tears as my father stood, and he and Wanda walked to their ambulance. Wanda made it into hers, but I watched my dad stumble, before he was lifted into his.

I felt the tears rage at my eyes, demanding escape, but I became numb. Time was irrelevant now. I was lost in a void, starring at the mayor as she spoke. I heard nothing. I looked at my hands, for what felt like hours before I heard my name be called.

“Nova Lee Nakisisa?” Laura shouted with annoyance as if she had asked multiple times.

I looked over to James, only to realize he was shaking me. “Nova stand up.”

I nodded, standing up and looking out to the stage. I saw my face appear on the large screens around the arena.

“Nova Lee Nakisisa, That is you child?” Laura Winston asked.

“Yes.” My voice echoed across the arena.

“I’m sorry for the crimes of your father.” She said, “But it is not your fault. You are an innocent. You are also, very bright. Nova here, has been the first to pass the bar with a perfect score since we released a new version. She didn’t know of this new test version, as it was released the very day she took it. She can be officially a lawyer for the state, however, with her clear genius, we’ve decided to offer her a job at the Supreme United Nations Court. She will overlook crimes of the world, and with the grace of our laws, judge those crimes properly. First… Nova…” Laura smiled; a cunning smiled that made me want to lunge at her even as I starred at her image on the screen. “Do you think the punishment for your father was appropriate?”

No. I did not. I never did. I never thought death was the answer. I knew she was trying to get me to confess to hating that law. For whatever game she wanted to play. She already helped to kill my father. What she wanted to kill me too now?

“I think it was necessary and needed and much appropriated considering. It is a great shame that I will put behind me.” I said with a cold stone face.

“Then my dear, the job is yours after your year. Congratulations, for being part of the Wonderful Twelve.” Laura Winston turned, and I sat back down as the arena clapped and cheered.

I was the picture of calm and collected as the screens turned to me again. I could see James, playing it off just as well. The only sign of anything being off, were the whites of my knuckles as I clenched to James’s hands.

Lies. All I knew were lies.

“Happy birthday to me.” I looked at James, my eyes flaring with rage. I would find out the secrets they’re hiding. Find out the truth. It was what I was best at after all.