Democracy is Dead

Chapter Thirteen

Fairy lights had been strung across Demi and Dora's ceiling. Pink voile billowed over the open windows, which let in a refreshing chill with so many people filling the room. The wall lights had been replaced with pink LEDs and everywhere Athena looked, people were sipping from pink glasses containing rose coloured drinks.

What would Dyo have made of it? If you took away the bright lights and colours, was it really so different to the meeting she had attended last night? Both had music, dancing, people having fun and a distinctly political edge.

"How's your ranking looking?" Athena asked her friend as they scanned the room.

"Eighth!" Cress wailed quietly beside her. "I don't understand who could have overtaken me! I can't see any changes... This application is ridiculous; it only gives you a number - it ought to show you a list so that you can tell who's ahead of you."

"There's Dora and Demi." Athena changed the subject, pointing across the room to where their hosts were holding court.

"Don't they look amazing?" Cress gushed, although Athena could hear the disappointment and envy in her voice. "We should go and thank them for inviting us." Cress marched over, a smile fixed on her face. Athena was forced to trail behind, shaking her head.

"Cress! Athena!" Demi greeted them both with a kiss on the cheek. "I'm so pleased you could both make it at such short notice."

"Of course!" Cress replied. "I can't think of a better way to celebrate our victory."

"Don't speak too soon, Cress," Demi replied. "I'm feeling a little nervous about the result," she confided, gripping her drink tightly. Even in her ballet pumps she towered over the other girls, while Dora's giant, hot pink heels only served to bring her to Athena's normal height.

"Really?" Athena asked. She raised her eyebrows, causing the pink eyeshadow Cress had applied for her to glitter beneath the lights.

"Yeah. At the original announcement, I was certain we'd win, no problem. But after the events of the past few days, I'm not so sure."

"It will be fine; it's the only logical result." Dora parroted the language they had all heard countless times throughout the campaign. "Why should we pay for their self-inflicted illnesses?"

Except the scheme will cost twice as much money to put in place as it will save. Athena wasn't sure what had prompted the Dyo-toned voice in her head, but she was pleased, at least, that it stayed there and hadn't accidentally come out of her mouth.

"We have a right to choose to breathe clean air."

What about the smokers' right to choose how they live? She pursed her lips in irritation at this unwanted internal monologue, and frowned at her reflection in the window beside them. The city had already turned an inky black, the twinkling lights of skyscrapers glittering like stars.

She tried to picture Dyo among the guests, wearing a pink shirt and sipping a fuchsia cocktail, but she couldn't do it; it was like trying to look at a penny at the bottom of a swimming pool, the image was there, but too distorted and wrong to make out.

She had to fight to keep her anger from spilling onto her features. Dyo was wrong to go against the colour vote. If black was voting in next month, he'd probably ditch his jacket and start wearing pink to prove a point; he wasn't really trying to wear what he wanted, he was just going agains the trend for the sake of it.

She still couldn't work out what he had been trying to do earlier, but she had a niggling feeling that it had something to do with tonight's announcement. They had been in a voting centre, after all. What if he'd been trying to sabotage tonight's result in some way? For the first time, Athena felt relieved that she'd been there to follow him; at least she knew he hadn't been able to do something during his short time inside the Voting Centre.

"Athy? Are you okay?" Cress's voice dragged her from her thoughts.

"Sure. Yes. Of course." Athena tried her best to smile, but her cheeks resisted.

"Really? Because you've been distant all afternoon."

"Sorry - I guess it must be the vote."

Athena waited for Cress to ask her if it was to do with her 'mission' from Castor. It wouldn't surprise her in the slightest if Cress lasted less than twenty-four hours before telling Demi and Dora. But the question never came; when Athena looked at her friend, her gaze was fixed on the other side of the apartment, where Castor himself was sipping a pink cocktail and shaking hands with a group of third year boys.

"Oh, that's Castor Grant," Demi said, seeing where Cress's attention had been diverted to. "He's this evening's guest speaker; he works for the Freedom Institute."

"I know-" Cress started to answer, sounding slightly annoyed. "We-"

She broke off as the news flashed on everyone's glasses:

Motion passed in favour of healthcare fees for smokers.

That was the system; as impartial and unemotional as ever. The same, however, could not be said for the students at the party, who erupted into cheers of jubilation.

"We did it! We did it! We won!" Cress was shouting, Castor forgotten as she bounced from foot to foot before spinning Athena round in a circle.

The room didn't quieten until Demi called them to attention a few minutes later. She was standing on a make-shift stage in the centre of the apartment, smiling broadly, her cheeks flushed.

"Thank you all for coming tonight; it is so important that we celebrate this announcement as we were supposed to. We have not allowed ourselves to become intimidated by those who disagree with us. Voting is the only civilised, rational way to make a statement. Our voting system is fair. It is perfect. There is no need for aggression or violence." Demi's pitch rose with passion. "But now," she continued, "I would like to welcome to the stage our generous sponsor for the night: Castor Grant from the Freedom Institute."

"Thank you for your kind invitation this evening," Castor told the crowd as he took to the stage beside Demi, his tone serious and formal. "As Ms Lyons said in her introduction, my name is Castor Grant. I am the senior public relations manager at the Freedom Institute." As he spoke, the same digital business card Athena had received the night before appeared on the group feed. "It's great to see so many keen voters undeterred by the threats terrorists seek to pose against us." There were a few murmurs of uneasiness. This was not the same, upbeat introduction Demi had given them. It was colder, darker; a threat of further violence.

"Unfortunately, willpower and confidence alone will not be enough to go against these threats. More security may be needed if we are all to be safe; if our perfect democracy is to remain untarnished. Security is paramount. We need a society which we can all feel safe in."

The murmurs grew as the crowd agreed with such concern for their safety. Cress was watching him with her customary zeal, nodding in agreement as he spoke. But Athena felt a growing uneasiness in her gut as she recalled Bree's warning at the meeting last night. This was exactly what she had predicted the Freedom Institute would do.

But that didn't mean it was a bad thing; if Dyo's actions that afternoon were anything to go by, maybe the system needed more protection.

{What do you think? Does the system need protecting by the Freedom Institute, or from them? Let me know in the comments, and please vote if you enjoyed this chapter!}