The Perfect Human Project

Chapter 1

YEARS LATER *

“Piper! Liam is here,” my mother called from the living room.

“Send him up!” I checked my image one more time in the wall screen. My hair was the perfect mess of light curls, flattering my dark hair perfectly, and the eyeliner beneath my eyes made them shine. I looked amazing—I looked perfect—though I had paid through the nose to buy glitter to put in my hair. Everything that was not needed or was deemed unfit by the Society cost you a pretty penny. We had to buy anything that the Society did not give us, and that was basically everything.

There was a quick knock on my door, and suddenly a tall, clumsy boy pushed his way through in a tangle of long limbs and shaggy black hair. “Let’s move, Piper! This show’s supposed to be amazing, and I don’t want to be left standing outside when the doors lock!” Liam’s voice was a high-pitched squeal, and his green eyes pleaded.

“Alright! Just let me grab my tracking bracelet, and then we’ll be on our way!” I replied, and plucked my bracelet off the nightstand. It was all sliver except for the red transmitter and green scanning bar, which sat perfectly in the middle. The tracking bracelets let the Officers know where everyone was, and allowed wearers to prove that they hadn’t broken curfew. On the plus side, the bracelet could summon emergency help if needed, but most of the time, it was just a pain in the rear.

“Hurry, the last hover train leaves in five minutes,” he whined. He was wearing tight jeans and a vintage Zelda t-shirt.

“I’m coming!” I slammed my bedroom door and hurried down the stairs.

“Don’t forget to program the new curfew into your bracelet!” Dad called from the kitchen. “You don’t want to get locked out all night!”

“I got it, Dad! Let’s go, Liam!” I laced my hand through his and raced out of the house. My sneakers pounded the cement as I sprinted for the approaching air train. This was one of the few times teens got free Rec time, and I wasn’t about to waste it. Working six days a week can really drive a person insane.

“Holy shit, Piper! Slow down! We’ll get cited if we’re caught running!” Liam gasped.

I’d forgotten that Liam wasn’t as athletic as I was, and I slowed my pace. I enjoyed running, but it was against the rules to be caught running in non-running areas, and if you were caught, you were cited a pretty penny. Still, the train wouldn’t wait for stragglers. “Just hurry!” I ordered, then placed my hands on my hips and stuck out my tongue as I felt the cool rush of air that signaled the approach of the hover train.

Liam was gasping by the time he reached the train. “I hate you,” he panted.

“Love you too, now let’s go!” I grabbed him by the back of the collar and dragged him onto the train, then scanned the car for seats. “There!” I announced, and dragged him deeper into the train, still never letting go of his collar. I shimmied my way to the seat closest to the window and pulled Liam down next to me.

“I think I’m having a heart attack,” he gasped. I counted his chest falls—fifty in one minute. His tracking bracelet had begun to emit a low beeping sound.

“Come on!” I protested. “If you have to go to the infirmary, I’ll leave you and see the show myself.” He narrowed his eyes and flicked me off, then placed a hand on his chest and sprawled out. I smiled at him and patted his head. “It’s going to be alright, Lee Bear.” He batted my hand away, and we both erupted in a fit of giggles.

“Bracelets, please?” I gave a slight jump. Train Maids always freaked me out. They were all the same, brown eyes and blonde hair, with the same plastic smile plastered on their faces.