CELESTINA

Chapter 3: Platina

Trainer Beta for the boys must have taken full advantage of every youth serum and medical procedure available in the chapter. These serums were developed well over fifty years ago in order to slow the aging process of the skin to a mere crawl.

Citizens of the chapter who could afford it looked much younger than their true age and there were quite a few. The Beta's skin was perfectly smooth and had that artificial, porcelain sheen similar to the one that Gloriana’s did. My father though did not start until several years after Gloriana when she finally pushed him into it, so his skin did not look quite as perfect as hers.

Gloriana liked to gloat that it was her cunning and persuasive nature that convinced him that a Council member should look the part. She said he was too “influential and important” to let his age show like a common man.

As the second most important trainer at Grooming Tech, Trainer Beta must have decided that he was anything but common. Beta had shiny black hair, almost waxy in appearance, and a muscular build. He definitely looked older than my father, but it was almost impossible for anyone to judge age anymore unless you were a medical officer. He strode forward and grabbed the microphone with his right hand.

He spoke in a quiet voice, full of authority. “Straighten up, men.”

I turned my head to look at the right side of the hall. Every male's head snapped to attention and sat up a little taller, their shoulders squared and their spines straight.

“It is lovely to finally see all these charming young women in person,” he continued “I have spent these last few months studying your files, so I feel as if I am already acquainted with you all. And Alpha has told me so much about each of you as well.

“I want you to know that I think very highly of Alpha. She is such a competent and faithful woman. She has been the perfect example of a Citizen of Committee since I first met her, during our own Coalesce. That was quite a few years ago, was it not Alpha?” he smiled and glanced toward her.

“We formed a close bond during our time at the Grooming Center, the Career Education when we both discovered we were destined to be Trainers. Throughout the years, we have molded the minds of many, many Citizens like yourselves. Your parents have all had the benefit of our Training unless of course, they transferred from another section" he turned his attention back on us.

“I want you to understand that we are here to support you, to guide you, to help you embrace your destiny as Citizens. Wherever your aptitudes lie, whatever your medical tests show, however you may feel about it… you must do what is expected of you. There is no other option. Accept your calling. Blossom in it, like a worthy Citizen of Committee, should” he finished and gave a toothy smile.

Beta had shockingly large, perfectly aligned, brilliantly white teeth. Like everything else about him, they looked manufactured. If I had to compare, he was not so different from all the visiting fathers I would see… well, maybe a little more plastic-looking. But if he was as old as Alpha, then he’d had more time to indulge in the youth treatments, which brought about that desired look.

I wondered how many other people looked this way. After Coalesce was over, I would be able to see for myself; because up until graduation we would only be allowed to leave campus for approved outings, which were closely supervised by the Protectors and during which we were always highly guarded. I was finally going to be able to discover everything that was beyond the walls of Grooming Tech… and not just the parts we were allowed to see.

Alpha grazed her hand along Beta’s back, trailing her fingers from shoulder to shoulder. As she stepped in front of the microphone again, she gave him a small stiff smile. “Thank you, Beta. Young men and women prepare yourselves for an intense six months of Coalesce. There will be aptitude tests, medical tests, personal wellness tests, adaptation activities, classes in proper grooming, and advanced history lessons. When you leave Grooming Tech for the comfort of your homes and are ready for the Career Education Center, you will be fully prepared to start walking the path toward your appointed role in society. Stay seated while a brief film is displayed, and then you will receive your Month One Schedule before moving on to your shared meal. Concur with Committee.” Alpha smiled.

“Concur with Committee,” we all repeated, our standard response when parting ways.

The lights faded as Alpha and Beta exited the stage and the wall screen in the back of the room flickered to life. The patriotic theme of the Committee played in the background as images of young men and women going through the stages of Coalesce were displayed on the screen. The messages that flashed between images were nothing new. We had begun learning about the Coalesce process when we were Year Eleven students. I tuned them out, leaned my head on Vivian’s shoulder, and closed my eyes.

“Psssst, Tina. Wake up, sleepy girl, the film is over,” Vivian whispered.

I blinked in confusion and lifted my head. My eyes tried to focus on the screen. I expected to find Coalesce images, but instead found Film Creation Credits, their scrolling white words on a black background. “I can’t believe I slept through the whole thing. How long was I out?” I asked, stretching my legs out in front of me.

“Forty-five, mind-numbing minutes. Um, I mean forty-five, educational, and enlightening minutes. Forget that first thing… just remember the last part. Oh, and tell people that you can’t wait to glow with the spirit of cooperation,” Vivian giggled.

The lights slowly came back up, brightening the room.

“Thanks, Vivian. Spirit of cooperation. Got it,” I nodded my head.

“Everybody please rise and follow me,” the male Protector at the back of the room, instructed.

“Let’s go,” the female Protector loudly clapped her hands twice.

Vivian and I exited the row we’d sat in and merged into a line of people that consisted of both boys and girls. I could not help the laugh that escaped my lips. It was actually just a single “Ha” and not a peal of laughter, a nervous response to being six inches away from the opposite s*x, something that hadn’t happened in twelve years.

They smelled different, salty, musty, and earthy, not fragranced, and floral like us… and definitely not like my father. They had obviously been given different standard-issue personal grooming products. I guess boys weren’t supposed to smell like lilacs or gardenias. Somebody had decided they should smell like trees and the sea. I wondered who on The Chapter was in charge of standard-issue scents.

I felt a push from behind and looked back to see Vivian trying to gain her balance. “Quit it, Peach.” Vivian hissed.

Peach looked around her, with an innocent “who me?” expression on her face. But we all knew better. I was surprised that she hadn’t been put on hold with Alice. Peach was a little troublemaker. Her size is the only thing that saved her. She barely made it to five feet tall. Her big wide eyes and baby face were a false front.

Peach pushed Vivian again. The second push succeeded in knocking Vivian to the side, right into the arms of a boy.

“Careful there,” he smiled, seizing Vivian by her arms. He steadied my friend and then took a careful step backward.

“S... s... sorry,” Vivian stuttered “Somebody bumped into me and I just fell right into your arms”.

“Yes... yes... indeed, you did” he chuckled “I am Alanzo, by the way.”

“Vivian. And… this is my friend Celestina,” Vivian grabbed my hand.

Alanzo had sandy blonde hair, pale blue eyes, and a warm smile. He was tall, standing a full head taller than me. His facial features were sharp and angular, but somehow, he had a softness to his appearance. I decided that it was his smile that reassured you he actually cared. I mean, in those first few seconds, I knew that Alanzo was a genuinely friendly guy. I liked him immediately.

“Hello, Celestina,” Alanzo nodded.

“And I am Peach,” Peach shoved her way between Vivian and I, pushing us apart and planting herself directly in front of Alanzo.

The boy next to Alanzo scrunched his face with a puzzled expression, “You sure you’re not some Year four kid?” he asked Peach.

“Definitely ready” Peach smacked her lips together and winked at the boys. She continued walking toward the door. “Are you ready, boys?” she asked over her shoulder, before leaving the room.

Alanzo laughed and grabbed his classmate by the shoulders. “Are you ready, Steven?”

The other boy, Steven, shook his head. “Not ready for that little thing.”

Vivian gave Peach’s departing form a dismissive wave. “Do not worry about her. Peach’s just trying to prove something.”

“We have no idea what, though.” I raised my eyebrows.

“Vivian and Celestina,” Alanzo repeated our names.

“Alanzo and Steven,” Vivian countered.

Alanzo smiled “Let’s go check out our new schedules.”

“Let’s,” Vivian beamed.

Steven shook his messy black hair, “This whole Coalesce thing is messing with my brain. You girls smell really good, by the way.” He smiled widely, unashamed by his comment. I decided it was the widest smile I had ever seen.

I smiled back “Thanks.”

We staggered ourselves, boy-girl-boy-girl, walking next to each other.

The four of us exited the Main Hall by a door that we had never used before. The large, cherry-red door in the back of the hall had always been off-limits. We had only recently learned that it led to the classrooms that would combine our two groups. It felt strange enough to walk next to someone from the opposite s*x; it was hard to imagine that I would be spending my days with them from now on.

We paused in our tracks. A line had formed in front of a table; where names were given, records were checked, and schedules were being passed out. I glanced at Alanzo and then Steven. Steven was puffing up his cheeks, filling them with air and shifting the bubble of air from one cheek to the other.

I laughed as he smiled “How many are in your Coalesce group?” I asked.

“Eighteen... No… Seventeen, because Lake was put on hold. Which was for the best. We already had a Nile when Lake moved here from Committee Two a few years ago. One body of moving water was enough, Lake had to go” Steven winked.

“Oh, and we do not have enough 'Pet' names to go around?” I laughed.

Steven shook his head “The Chapter will probably switch up the preferred name list in a few years anyway. I think the Natural Name Guide has been overused.”

Alanzo nodded his head. “Yeah. I wonder what they have planned next.”

“Ah, who cares? We’ll find out when the time comes. So, what was that guy put on hold for?” Vivian asked.

Alanzo brought his hand up to rub the back of his neck. “Well, he actually tried to sneak over to your side. I heard he made it to the medical center before getting caught.”

Vivian gasped. “Was it in the middle of the night, about a month ago?”

Alanzo nodded his head and Vivian stopped in her tracks. “Tina, remember when that alarm sounded, and our Protector came around to lock the door?” We all paused as the line we were in came to a stop.

“I do. Oh, I do. She said it was an emergency drill, but we’d never had one at that hour before. I thought it seemed a little strange.” I looked to my left and then to my right, glancing up at the new male faces that had been walking next to me. “Was that all because of your Lake guy?”

Steven released the new bubble of air that he had been using to blow up his right cheek. “Yeah, it was. It happened exactly five weeks ago, actually.” We stepped forward as the line started to move again.

“I knew it was not a drill,” Vivian smiled, and a sense of validation shined from her face. “Five weeks. The silly guy could not wait five lousy weeks.”

“It was not about seeing a girl,” Alanzo scoffed. “It was about defying authority. Lake was always doing whatever he was told not to do.”

I smiled. “That’s our Peach. Except, so far she is been smart enough to not get caught doing anything more than being an unpleasant person. Too bad you can’t get put on hold for that!” We reached the table.

“Names?” the woman sitting behind the table asked.

“Vivian” Vivian spoke first.

“Alanzo"

“Steven"

“Celestina” I answered last.

She leafed through a pile of papers in front of her and pulled four out of the stack. “Here we are. Vivian… daughter of Denny and Chase, family. Alanzo… son of Brandy and Sierra, family. Steven… son of Rob and Rosa, family. And Celestina… daughter of Jackson and Gloriana, family. Please take your schedules and may the spirit of cooperation be with you. Concur with Committee.”

“Thank you, um, you too.” I took my schedule and walked away from the table.

Alanzo whistled beside me "Your father descends from one of the original twenty Council members. That’s got to come with some power.”

“It is time for lunch isn’t it?” I mumbled and quickened my pace.

“Did I say something wrong?” I heard him ask.

“It is actually not her father. It is her mother. And Tina just does not like talking about her family very much,” I heard Vivian explain.

Alanzo ran up beside me. “Hey, I am sorry. I did not mean to hit a nerve.”

“It is no big deal. It is just that, well, I have seen Gloriana rub it in his face sometimes on Visitation. She thinks that number is everything. I mean, It is just a number, right?”

“Sure. But if I could lay descendent claim to the founding Council, I would. Out of those twenty men there are less than ten with living heirs in Grooming Tech.”

“Eight,” I responded, rounding the corner toward what we were told would be the common eating area “Two in our Year, two in Year Seven, three in Year Four, and one in Year One. There are a few in their twenties some fertile, some not. The rest are older and can no longer produce any direct descendants. Gloriana keeps track of them all.”

“Gloriana?” Alanzo asked.

“Her mother,” Vivian answered for me.

Alanzo nodded. “Oh yeah, right.”

“You are a fountain of information. Two in our Year…” Steven repeated.

“Peach,” I answered the unasked question.

“Oh yes, my friends,” Peach appeared beside us. “Peach Platina. My Great whatever was the first Council Member to sign the Mandate.”

“Give it up, Peach,” Vivian laughed at her. “We all know that it does not matter who had the first signature or the twentieth signature. They all held equal rank.”

Steven blew out a bubble of air. “I believe that was repeated in Council History class every single year. Was not it?”

“Yes. I believe it was,” Alanzo remarked.

“Believe what you want,” Peach hissed.

“And your family hasn’t held a Council seat in, what, decades?” Steven smirked, “I do not remember hearing of a Platina on The Chapter in quite a long time.”

“Oh. Just. Be. Quiet!” Peach snapped and then spun on her heels, heading toward the group walking behind us. Rosemary was with them; she always agreed with anything Peach had to say.

“Thanks, guys,” I whispered. “She is been trying to get someone other than her friend Rosemary to side with her on the family number thing since she discovered mine, years ago.”

“Lunch, right? We are going to lunch.” Alanzo pointed forward toward the building ahead of us, dismissing the subject. I would just meet him, minutes before, and he was already putting an effort into making me feel at ease. It just reaffirmed my first impression of him; Alanzo was a genuinely nice guy.

I took a deep breath to calm me, and when I blew it out, I tried to expel all thoughts of Peach. I did not want to let her sour Coalesce day for me. We continued to our lunch and then to our afternoon lectures. We all introduced our new friends to each other. Boys met girls, girls met boys, and before I knew it, the day was over.

I fell into a deep slumber.