The YDS

Subterranea was ruled by a ruthless, unforgiving man. Emperor Daedalus had a stone heart, but a sharp mind. Rumor had it that he once lived on the surface as an important figure. In fact, many of the citizens once lived on the surface. They tell stories of how they remember a man identical to the Emperor who was a fearsome warrior. 

But along with him, they had lost everything. 

The one thing that gave the Emperor true joy was his daughter, Kaisra. They lived together in the capital of the empire, in the city of Ross. Their home was the immense palace at its center, which tips touched the cave roof above. The palace consisted of mostly thick glass and marble, laced with silver and gold. The palace grounds had numerous estates that were elegantly furnished with mosaics, polished marble steps and columns, and luxurious architecture. The Emperor made sure his precious jewel could live comfortably. 

Soon he found the need to provide her protection. His most trusted friend and highest ranking general in the empire's military forces, General Rikan, offered his son Kian to be her bodyguard. Being that the Emperor loved Kian as if he were his own flesh and blood, he gladly accepted the offer. Kian would come over to the palace to play with Kaisra. He would look after her, day in and day out. 

A few years later, Kaisra and Kian entered their teenage years, and the day had come for them to complete their first Youth Development Session.

“What do you think it’s going to be like?” she asked him, “Easy? Hard? Tiring? Painful?”

“Relax Kaisra,” he said to her, gently punching her in the shoulder, “it can’t be that bad…a lot of people have made it through. I’m sure it’s not too hard.”

He tried to give her an encouraging smile, but nervousness was as apparent on his features as it was on hers.

"Fear of the unknown is the greatest fear of all."*

Kaisra looked down and swayed her feet. Their legs were dangling off the edge of a brick bridge that extended on either side of them. From there, they overlooked the city of Tal, a contrast to their home in Ross. Water vapors and smog puffed up making the air thick and almost impossible to breathe in. There were fluorescent lights dotting every corner, tall, shiny, steel buildings, and thick pipelines zigzagging above.

A military jeep pulled up behind them. It was Kian's father, General Rikan.

“Hurry up you two,” he called, “or you’ll be late.”

They both stood up and climbed into the jeep. Rikan drove along the bridge and down a slope towards Tal. There were thousands of workers bustling about, their uniforms caked in soot. Women held their children's hands as they crossed the tire-marked streets. Beside the jeep, people along the dirt road stopped and stared at them as the vehicle rushed by. General Rikan finally slowed to a stop in front of a large, steel building with two steel doors. 

Hesitantly, Kaisra and Kian both slid out of the jeep. The steel doors opened automatically, leaving them no choice but to enter. From the jeep, General Rikan waved goodbye and sped down the street. They stepped inside the building and the doors shut with a deafening "thud."

Inside the lighting in the room was very poor. The air was stiff and cold. There were dozens of silver chairs mounted into a lining the walls. Sitting in them were a few other young teenagers that were also here for the same reason they were. Kaisra could almost taste the anxiety in the room. 

Kian grabbed her hand and they sat down next to each other in two chairs. 

Silence. 

Kaisra scanned the room once more. Suddenly the pair of doors next to them burst open, and a nurse came out with a portable screen. She swiped at it with the tip of her finger until she found the names she was looking for. She looked around and spotted them. 

“Lady Kaisra and Sir Kian, please come with me,” she said, already turning on her heel to walk through the double doors.

The two of them couldn’t help but wince, then spare a giggle at the formality of the nurse. Following her, they walked down a hallway as poorly lit as the waiting room. They walked past several rooms until they reached one marked with a "12" on it.

“Lady Kaisra, this will be your registration room,” she said, pointing at the door, “Sir Kian, you will be in the room next door,” she continued, “if you would follow me please.”

Kian mouthed a silent ‘See you later’, and then followed the nurse to his room. Kaisra took a deep breath. She opened the door in front of her and walked in.

The LED lighting in the room was a blinding contrast to the rest of the building. She shivered at its frigid temperature and blinked as her vision came into focus. In front of her was a silver, metal table. There were machines hooked to the walls, on wheels, and in the hands of the medical personnel. 

“Lady Kaisra, we will be sedating you during this procedure,” the doctor began, “it should only last about fifteen minutes. If you would please have a seat in that chair in the back, extend your right arm, and relax the tension in your muscles…”

Kaisra furrowed her eyebrows and walked over to the chair. 

“And what procedure is this?” she asked as she sat down and followed the doctor’s instructions.

“Your registration. We will be implanting a chip at the base of you neck,” the doctor explained, “and this chip serves multiple purposes.”

He snapped on some blue gloves. Kaisra’s heart skipped a beat.

“For one,” the doctor continued, “it will enhance your senses. You will find this to be a very useful feature when you move onto the rigorous part of your YDS.”

Kaisra dreaded his use of the word "rigorous" as he injected a clear fluid into her blood stream. 

“And what else does it do?” she asked carefully.

“That, I’m afraid, I cannot tell you. What you’ve already learned is all of the information I am allowed to disclose to you at this stage in the program. Please, if you would lie face down on the exam table for me.”

She did as the doctor instructed. She felt the icy metal sting her forehead. 

“Now,” the assistant said, “count backwards from one hundred in fives.”

“One hundred, ninety-five, ninety, eighty-five…eighty…seventy-five…”

Kaisra’s eye lids slid shut.

 

*Quote by Yvon Chouinard

Reviews

[Eowyn Doyle]

Wait, what? The supposedly fearsome and stonehearted Emperor is the kind father from chapter one? I guess that goes to show how loving and gentle supposedly unforgiving and ruthless people can be around those they love dearly.

The chapter, while giving a lot of good information, feels a bit like an info dump. Maybe break it up and spread it out, like a character noticing how beautiful the palace is and then explaining how it got to be that way.

Kian sounds interesting, but I have a feeling she is going to end up with Andreas instead. I like the use of the quote, too!

I would be freaking out too if I was to have a chip implanted at the base of my neck! I wonder what it does, besides just enhancing her senses. The ideas off the top of my head are tracking, that’s the most obvious, and maybe it also allows her to go in places off limits to others. I guess I just have to keep reading to find out!

Over all this is a good chapter two. Not as good as chapter one, but it also provides a good bit of backstory and raises questions about what could happen next. I am excited to find out what happens next!

[Kayla Amaro]

I will definitely look into spreading that info out...I think that was one of the things that were bothering me about the story, but I couldn't pinpoint it, so thanks Eowyn! I also thought maybe I could start the chapter at the palace. I think that would make for a better beginning...