Meke backed out of the room, not wanting to disturb the Equi, yet she loved watching her. Something about her focused eyes and set mouth buoyed Meke’s spirits.
Suddenly, she knew what she had to do. She would become something better, just as her parents wanted. No longer would she be weak.
Meke strolled back to her room, smiling.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
MEKE FOUND herself standing, once again, in front of Sterling’s door. The door loomed larger today. The wait would probably be long. Meke hadn’t made an appointment.
She could feel Sterling and three others in the room, their figures standing stiffly around the desk, ignoring the chairs behind them. Sterling sat back in his chair, rubbing his chin. The two men and one woman all stood with their hands clasped behind their backs.
Meke straightened her back and told herself that she had nothing to lose. If Sterling said no, nothing would change. Her throat hurt at that thought. She exhaled slowly, feeling her body loosen.
When the door opened and the soldiers left, surprise registered on Sterling’s face. Friendliness immediately replaced his shock. He smiled and waved her in. Moments after he whispered into his handheld, Arya entered the room. She smiled and squeezed Meke’s shoulder as she passed.
“How can I help you?” Sterling asked.
With a slight exhale, she reviewed the script that she had written in her mind. “I want to help.”
Sterling smiled. “Excellent, I’ll speak to the doctors.”
Meke’s hands tripped over themselves as she signed. “No, no. No doctors. I want to be a soldier. A proper one.”
Sterling’s head snapped up. “Soldier? But…” he shook his head and cleared his throat. “Why? You can contribute in other ways.”
Meke thrust out her chin, willing herself not to waver. “I want to contribute by being a soldier.”
“You can contribute by working with our doctors. Figure out the secret to your abilities.” Sterling turned his palms out. “You’d give us an immense advantage.”
Meke pressed her lips together. She couldn’t do that ever again, open up her body like that. She shook her head. “I can’t. I won’t.”
Sterling sighed. The stillness became too much for Meke. She blurted out, “The revolution isn’t going that well is it? Prosperon is one step ahead of you every time. You just lost twenty-five soldiers.” Arya flinched, but her eyes stayed steady. “I could help. I would see any traps before soldiers walk into them.”
Sterling chuckled, shaking his head. “Impressive. Some thought that you weren’t that bright. I knew that they were wrong.” He leaned onto the desk. “You have been watching us, haven’t you?”
Meke’s jaw tightened at the mention of the ones who thought her stupid. She was not surprised. Most people saw the inability to talk as a sign of slowness. A Zero shone on her hands for a reason. Still, it stung all the same.
“Yes. I don’t see a problem.” Meke said, hoping Sterling didn’t see her hands tremble.
“There’s at least one problem with you as a soldier. Your deafness. How will you communicate with the other soldiers?”
Meke bit her cheek to keep herself from rolling her eyes. It always came back to this one thing. Prosperon boxed and labeled her a Zero because of her deafness. She became a patient because of her deafness. Sterling would have her poked and prodded because of her deafness. Her parents had wanted something better for her, as did Meke.
“Soldiers already use hand signals. I use the same thing, but everyday. We’d communicate just fine.”
Sterling chuckled. “Well, at least you’ve thought this through.” He frowned. “Now, I’m not agreeing to anything. But how about the role of a lookout?”
Meke wouldn’t take any diluted versions of a real soldier. “No. I’ll train as a real soldier. I’ll carry weapons. I’ll fight just like anyone.”
“You’d be safer that way. We’d have someone next to you. You’d
Suddenly, she knew what she had to do. She would become something better, just as her parents wanted. No longer would she be weak.
Meke strolled back to her room, smiling.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
MEKE FOUND herself standing, once again, in front of Sterling’s door. The door loomed larger today. The wait would probably be long. Meke hadn’t made an appointment.
She could feel Sterling and three others in the room, their figures standing stiffly around the desk, ignoring the chairs behind them. Sterling sat back in his chair, rubbing his chin. The two men and one woman all stood with their hands clasped behind their backs.
Meke straightened her back and told herself that she had nothing to lose. If Sterling said no, nothing would change. Her throat hurt at that thought. She exhaled slowly, feeling her body loosen.
When the door opened and the soldiers left, surprise registered on Sterling’s face. Friendliness immediately replaced his shock. He smiled and waved her in. Moments after he whispered into his handheld, Arya entered the room. She smiled and squeezed Meke’s shoulder as she passed.
“How can I help you?” Sterling asked.
With a slight exhale, she reviewed the script that she had written in her mind. “I want to help.”
Sterling smiled. “Excellent, I’ll speak to the doctors.”
Meke’s hands tripped over themselves as she signed. “No, no. No doctors. I want to be a soldier. A proper one.”
Sterling’s head snapped up. “Soldier? But…” he shook his head and cleared his throat. “Why? You can contribute in other ways.”
Meke thrust out her chin, willing herself not to waver. “I want to contribute by being a soldier.”
“You can contribute by working with our doctors. Figure out the secret to your abilities.” Sterling turned his palms out. “You’d give us an immense advantage.”
Meke pressed her lips together. She couldn’t do that ever again, open up her body like that. She shook her head. “I can’t. I won’t.”
Sterling sighed. The stillness became too much for Meke. She blurted out, “The revolution isn’t going that well is it? Prosperon is one step ahead of you every time. You just lost twenty-five soldiers.” Arya flinched, but her eyes stayed steady. “I could help. I would see any traps before soldiers walk into them.”
Sterling chuckled, shaking his head. “Impressive. Some thought that you weren’t that bright. I knew that they were wrong.” He leaned onto the desk. “You have been watching us, haven’t you?”
Meke’s jaw tightened at the mention of the ones who thought her stupid. She was not surprised. Most people saw the inability to talk as a sign of slowness. A Zero shone on her hands for a reason. Still, it stung all the same.
“Yes. I don’t see a problem.” Meke said, hoping Sterling didn’t see her hands tremble.
“There’s at least one problem with you as a soldier. Your deafness. How will you communicate with the other soldiers?”
Meke bit her cheek to keep herself from rolling her eyes. It always came back to this one thing. Prosperon boxed and labeled her a Zero because of her deafness. She became a patient because of her deafness. Sterling would have her poked and prodded because of her deafness. Her parents had wanted something better for her, as did Meke.
“Soldiers already use hand signals. I use the same thing, but everyday. We’d communicate just fine.”
Sterling chuckled. “Well, at least you’ve thought this through.” He frowned. “Now, I’m not agreeing to anything. But how about the role of a lookout?”
Meke wouldn’t take any diluted versions of a real soldier. “No. I’ll train as a real soldier. I’ll carry weapons. I’ll fight just like anyone.”
“You’d be safer that way. We’d have someone next to you. You’d
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