The Perfect Human Project

The Project

*The Selection*

I glanced around the large banquet hall, where everyone was standing in small groups, chatting mindlessly with each other. My eyes scanned the crowd for that one face I was dying to see, Ky’s. I knew what tonight stood for: tonight was the night all of our lives would change forever. Some would be taken from their families and be trained by the Society to become a top athlete or a soldier—to bring glory and honor to us all. That, as I had long been taught, was the whole point of the Society: to bring glory back to a once-great civilization. A tight knot formed at the base of my stomach, even though my mother had said there was nothing to be afraid of, that everything was going to be just fine. I had everything to be afraid of. 

I spotted Ky near the food table, idly picking at one of the finger food plates, and I couldn’t help but smile. Ky always stood out in a crowd, from his cherry-red hair to his outfit of choice that night, a neon blue suit and hair shellacked into place with gel. He was about to bite into a small sandwich when I called out to him. 

“Ky!” I yelled. I could tell I caught him off-guard because as soon as he heard his name, he dropped his food, which landed on his suit. 

“Come on, man.” He brushed off the crumbs and rubbed out the slight stain. I gave a choked laugh, picked up the hem of my dress, and pushed my way through the crowd of children.

“Thanks, now my mom is going to freak out,” he laughed. His blue eyes were bright and stood out against his suit. They always seemed to stand out, no matter what he was wearing.

“Anytime,” I laughed. Ky always had a way of making everything feel alright, even when I knew it wasn’t. “Aren’t you nervous about tonight?” I asked, and picked at a loose bead on my dress. 

“Nah.” He waved his hand through the air. 

A lump began to form in my throat. “But Ky, don’t you know what tonight stands for?”

“Of course I do, but I don’t care. I never get picked for anything, so what makes this any different? Besides, the only thing I’m good at is swimming, and I don’t think the Society really cares much about that. So there’s nothing to worry about.” He flashed a genuine smile. 

“Yeah, you’re right,” I replied, and cast my eyes away from him. Children around the room were dressed their best for the occasion. Many of us would go home with their parents tonight and forget this ever happened, but a selected few would be taken by Officers and led away, never to return to their families. 

“Piper?” Ky asked, stepping closer to me.

“Yeah?” I spotted a girl in a blazing neon pink dress. Her golden blonde hair, laced with white flowers, sat like a crown on her head. I recognized her from my Physical Training class. She wasn’t good at anything, but she wasn’t awful either; she had earned top scores in a few of the harder sports, but nothing major to remember. Still, she looked excited, like something big was going to happen to her—like she wanted to be selected. 

“Don’t worry.” He grabbed my hand and gave it a tight squeeze.

I gave him a small smile as a woman stepped up to the podium. The red heels she was wearing made her so tall that she had to hunch over her notes, making the spotlights catch the silver streaks in her midnight-black hair. “Please, children stand with your parents,” she began. “We will be announcing the names shortly.” Her shrill voice only served to make me even more nervous. 

“Well, I’ve got to go find my mom. I’ll see you later!” said Ky, and pulled his hand away from mine. I watched as he pushed past a couple of adults and disappeared.