Sleep didn't come easily for Rena. She kept remembering the terror in Kirti's eyes. Dal looking so wild as he came out of the fog. The knife, and how it made everyone vulnerable the second it came out. Then it was in Rena's hands, and there was blood everywhere.

By the time morning arrived, she was exhausted. A hot shower was almost soothing enough to wash yesterday's events from her mind. But as she stood at the bathroom sink, brushing her teeth, she noticed the back of her hand in the mirror.

011.

She'd dropped two points. It wasn't that she'd gone to the Barrens, or what she'd done to those men. None of that was illegal. What lowered her number was the police report. The vote of an officer carried a lot of weight. More than other citizens.

As Rena stared at her rating, she didn't feel cheated. The subjective nature of the report wasn't what bothered her. It was that her number now seemed so small.

Eleven!

Only 11% of the population was at her rating or below. That meant 89% of all the people in Esh were more productive and useful than her. More valuable to society. Only nine points of difference between her and those criminals who stole Kirti's credits. Was she going to end up like one of them? Stealing from other citizens because she was too lazy or stupid to contribute?

Rena rinsed her mouth before standing up straight. Then she glared at herself in the mirror, as if her reflection were someone else. Another citizen she was evaluating. She inspected her dark brown hair, falling in wet strands around her face. Some as long as her chin. Her light, olive skin.

Are you stupid? she wondered.

The eyes squinted in response. Green irises, flecked with blue. There was intelligence behind them.

Are you lazy?

The outline of her muscular shoulders against the white bathroom wall said otherwise.

Are you a criminal?

"No," replied the person in the mirror. But words didn't prove anything.

Will you contribute?

"Yes."

Rena studied her mouth. Lips that turned up at one end. She wasn't sure if this one could be trusted.

o

When Rena was done getting ready for school, she headed into the kitchen. Clarine had made oatmeal. Suzanne was in her high chair with a spoon. Most of her breakfast was ending up on her face instead of inside her mouth. Clarine took the spoon and scraped off some of the excess before looking back over her shoulder. "Good morning."

"Morning."

"Can I get you a bowl?"

"No thanks. I got it," Rena said, walking over to the stove. When she'd filled her bowl and topped it with diced fruit and nuts, she went to the table and sat down next to Gareth.

"Hey, cutie."

Gareth smiled, revealing several cubes of apple he had arranged in a row between his lips. "Morning," he tried to say.

"Wow, Gareth. Your teeth are unusually large today. Mom might need to take you to the dentist."

He smiled even wider and one of the apple cubes popped out of his mouth and bounced across the table.

Clarine was just handing the spoon back to Suzanne again when she noticed it. "Gareth! One at a time. I don't want you choking."

"I'll cut them smaller," Rena said. When she got up to grab a knife out of the drawer, she could hear Marshall's muffled voice from the next room.

"Look, Chris. How long have we been doing business together?"

There was a reply, but it was too faint for Rena to hear. It sounded like her dad was 'versing with a client.

"I understand the policy," Marshall said. "And I'm not questioning the wisdom of it. But you know me. This is just temporary."

Marshall worked with all sorts of companies, helping them run more efficiently. Sometimes he worked from his home office when he didn't need to be on-site.

"I'll make it back in a few days at the most," he said.

This time, Rena could hear the reply because Chris's voice got a bit louder. "Then 'verse me when you do!"

"What happens in the meantime? Are you bringing in someone else?"

"Come on, Marshall. You know I can't hold your slot indefinitely. If a need comes up ... yeah, I'll have to bring in someone. And if they impress Jack, he'll probably want to keep them around. What you can do is get your number back up as quickly as possible so that doesn't happen. I wish I could do something about it, but my hands are tied."

Rena turned away from the counter. She suddenly felt guilty for eavesdropping. "Alright, Gareth. About those teeth," she said, walking to the table and grabbing his plate of assorted toppings.

A few seconds later, Clarine glanced up from the table. "What's wrong?"

Rena followed her gaze to the other side of the kitchen where Marshall was now standing.

"I just lost a client," he said. His voice sounded tired.

"Who?" Clarine asked.

"Chris, in public transit."

"But you've been helping them for years."

"Yep," he said, pouring himself a cup of coffee and leaning against the counter. Clarine got up from the table and walked over to him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. He slowly took a sip before shaking his head. "They don't do business with anyone under forty."

Rena's eyes went immediately to Marshall's hand. It read 039. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen him in the thirties.

Clarine looked down at the kitchen floor as if the explanation had fallen there.

"I paid for the groceries yesterday," Marshall said. "And then ..."

Rena's parents both stared at her. That's when Rena noticed her mom's rating had dropped to 033. Each of them had lost two points. She turned to look at Suzanne's and Gareth's hands. They had each lost one.

Rena set down the knife and buried her face in her hands. Her mistake had dragged everyone down because they were linked to her with a family association in the system. Marshall and Clarine had lost as much as Rena because they were responsible for her decisions until she turned eighteen. Gareth and Suzanne were punished to a lesser degree, but still punished because siblings influenced one another's behavior.

"That little stunt of yours ... bad timing," Marshall said.

"I'm sorry," Rena replied. She didn't know what else to say.

A few awkward seconds passed before Marshall added, "I suppose I could submit a negative rating of our interaction with the officers."

"Don't do that," Clarine said. "They could amend their report and make it worse than it already is."

Marshall nodded. "Yeah. Probably wouldn't affect their average anyway. Officers have so many interactions throughout the day."

"We'll just have to do better," Clarine said, looking straight at Rena. "We'll apply ourselves. Right?"

Rena nodded.

Marshall exhaled loudly before pushing himself away from the counter. "I have some catching up to do."

"I'm sorry," Rena told him as he retreated from the kitchen.

More awkward silence passed before Gareth said, "Can I have my apples?"

Rena realized she'd been staring across the kitchen where Marshall had been standing. She slid the plate over to her brother. Then she got up from the table and took her bowl to the sink.

"Aren't you going to finish?" asked Clarine, still standing in the middle of the kitchen like she was lost.

"I'm not hungry anymore."

Clarine's eyes suddenly looked glossy. She scrunched her lips together and lifted her head. "Well ... this is how the rating system is supposed to work. We're all accountable to each other. Right?"

"I'm sorry, Mom."

"I know you are," she said, taking Rena's face in her hands. "Oh! I almost forgot!"

The sudden change in Clarine's voice was startling, and Rena flinched.

"I got ahold of Dr. Mallory last night. She was able to fit us in for this afternoon. So come straight home from school and we'll go together."

"Isn't that just going to cost more?"

"Don't worry about that, sweetheart. Your father and I talked about it last night, and we agreed. Your health is what's important. The credits ... we'll work it out. Together. Alright?"

"OK."

o

It was a long walk to school. Twelve blocks to be exact. But Rena didn't mind. She liked the exercise. It helped clear her thoughts. And it would have taken just as long to reach the nearest transit station, ride to the one by her school, and walk from there.

The reason for the distance was that Marshall and Clarine lived just inside the outer boundary for this school district. Because the teachers and staff were funded by the citizens in their district, the quality of education generally improved as one moved toward the Center. There were always exceptions to such patterns, of course. Schools that somehow managed to overcome the lack of resources. Teachers who excelled despite the challenges. But on the whole, Rena was more fortunate than kids who lived only one block farther out. And while her parents' choice of location was a good strategy, it only made Rena feel more like an outsider to attend a school of kids from higher-rated families.

At least I'm not the only one, she thought, spotting Dal as he turned from the sidewalk and headed through the front gates of the school. Rena jogged to catch up, weaving through the other kids who were also just arriving.

"Hey," she called out, reaching him outside the door to the main building. "I heard you had some visitors last night?"

Dal held up his hand so she could see his 009. "I'm in the single digits now." The gleam in his eye said he wasn't too disappointed.

"What about your parents?"

"They each lost two points. That's what they really got upset about."

"Sorry."

"It's not your fault. Besides, you saved my life out there. I think a nine is ... just slightly better than death. You?"

Rena couldn't help but smile as she looked down at her hand. "Holding steady at eleven."

"You know ... your conversion will be here before you know it. You need to start taking your future more seriously." His disapproving, parental expression slowly gave way to a huge grin.

"Shut up," Rena said, pushing him.

"You first," he replied, stumbling away with exaggerated movements.

Rena was already feeling better. Dal's humor had a way of doing that.

"After you," he said, motioning toward the open door.

Rena walked through the door and into the main hallway. It was packed with students trying to make the most of their last few minutes before classes began. Talking about yesterday. Making plans for after school. Joking. Laughing. Hundreds of conversations creating a barrage of sound. It was the polar opposite of the quiet solitude of the Barrens.

"Do you see Kirti anywhere?" Rena asked over her shoulder.

"Why?"

"I need to apologize to her."

"You did that last night," Dal reminded her. "And she ignored it."

"Exactly."

Dal's eyes narrowed before he straightened his posture and began looking out over the crowd. His height gave him an advantage Rena had come to depend on over the years. "At the end. On the right."

Rena stood on her toes and caught a glimpse of Kirti's straight, black hair before she disappeared around the corner at the end of the hall. "Come on."

Rena threaded her way through the crowd, losing Dal in the process. A minute later, she caught up with Kirti outside her first period classroom. Unfortunately, she was already surrounded by several of her friends and engaged in conversation. And judging by the way she had her hand in her pocket, she hadn't yet told them about yesterday evening. Which meant she probably wouldn't want to discuss it in front of them.

"Kirti," Rena called, waving to get her attention.

Kirti raised her head slightly in acknowledgment but stayed where she was.

"Can I talk to you?"

Kirti put up her finger to indicate she'd be another minute.

As Rena waited for her to break away from the conversation, she let her gaze wander up and down the hall. Across from Kirti's classroom was Principal Jandreau's office. The short, balding man was standing just inside the doorway, shaking hands with a young man Rena had never seen before. Presumably a new student.

He was of average height, with close-cropped, black hair that was slightly longer on top and sticking up in all directions. His charcoal gray clothing fit tightly over his muscular arms and chest. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow," he said with a smile.

"Excellent," Principal Jandreau replied. "We're glad to have you."

The young man let go of the principal's hand and turned to the hall. His pale blue eyes suddenly met Rena's gaze ... and hesitated.

Rena felt her heart lurch. She was embarrassed at being caught staring, yet she couldn't take her eyes off him. Despite the urge to look away and recover some of her dignity, she watched him walk toward her.

The young man never broke eye contact, as if this were a dual of wills. He just kept walking, turning his head as he approached. He nearly brushed Rena's shoulder as he passed by. At the last second, before he moved beyond Rena's peripheral vision, he smiled at her.

Rena's body refused to participate in the bizarre standoff her eyes had initiated. She wanted desperately to turn around and get one last glimpse, but she couldn't move. There was a tingling sensation dancing over her skin, warming her, like the young man had a wake of electricity trailing behind him.

And then the tingling was gone, and Rena had control of herself once more. She spun around, but it was Dal who stood there, hands in his pockets. He was looking off to one side, trying to appear as though he hadn't noticed what had just taken place.

"Dal?"

"I gotta get to class," he mumbled, without making eye contact. Then he turned and walked away.

Rena wanted to say something to make Dal feel better. To explain. But she didn't even understand it herself.

I'm sorry.

The silent apology suddenly reminded her of why she was waiting here in the first place. Turning around, she found Kirti standing away from her friends, arms crossed and eyebrows raised.

As Rena opened her mouth to speak, the door behind Kirti opened, and the math teacher began welcoming students into her classroom. Kirti exhaled quickly and rolled her eyes before turning around and rejoining her friends.

A few seconds later, Rena was alone in the hallwayand late for class.