Chapter 1 - Chip Day

1 August  2043: “The knowledge of all things is possible” Leonardo da Vinci

Willow looked through the plate glass window at the Extras. The Extras were at play, as usual. She turned back to Ms Education and tried to take in what she was saying.

“The true Osmosian democratic system was founded by the Extraordinary Person himself, our beloved TCB in 2015. It was due to his foresight of how truly special the Extras were that segregation of the Numbers from the Extras began immediately when the Extraordinary Party came to power in 2015. Guthrie, can you explain the shortcomings of the past democratic system before our great founder TCB began the Movement of Change?”

Willow glanced at Guthrie and he winked. The class was about to be entertained. Osmosian political history would be fascinating for the next ten minutes while Guthrie had the floor and explained the true version of events, not the brainwashing they performed daily on the Numbers. Although they may not be rich, the majority of Numbers were not stupid. The underground movement of the Banned Librarians made sure those who were interested were well informed.

It was safe for Willow to concentrate on the Extras while Guthrie waxed lyrical. The Extras were moving, gliding even, across the golden play land of their education system. Theirs was not a school of applied learning, finding reference material on what limited internet access the Osmosian government allowed and taking exams. School for the Extras was all about making contacts, personality decisions and robust characterisation of their peers. School was a breeding ground of privilege and personification. Once they left the holding pens of primary education, school was not about finding out what you could be but being the best of all the people you could be. School boiled down to being a microchip of possibilities – for the Extras.

But for Willow and her classmates, the Numbers, school was school. You attended, you studied, you amounted to nothing special. Unless...

Today the Extras’ movements were not as frivolous as usual. They all had a general sameness of purpose. They were not the glorified mindless sheep drifting aimlessly towards the greater good. Today they were a hive of bees, buzzing excitedly and moving to the golden destination. They were heading towards the honeycomb – the birth day hall.

Today was Graduating Extras’ birth day; the assigned eighteenth birth day of the Extras in Willow’s year. The Numbers referred to it as ‘Fries to Go’ day.

“Happy birth day to you, happy birth day to you, happy birth day dear Extras, happy Chip day to you”, Willow sang softly. A blur of red caught her attention; a blur of red which could only focus as Scarlet.  Red from hair to coat, to shirt to shoes and socks. A hidden ruby she was not. But Scarlet was hesitant. She was not moving with the other Extras. She moved against the tide. She turned her back on birth day hall.

 “She doesn’t want to get chipped,” Willow thought. But who would? No self-respecting Number that’s for sure. But the Extras were supposed to love Chip day. Turning eighteen meant getting all the chips you desired. The possibilities chipping presented were endless.

Scarlet, however, was avoiding the getting of her chips. Willow was not surprised. Ever since Education Start day thirteen years ago, when Willow first met Scarlet, the Red girl showed immense opposition to the Chipping process. Willow knew Scarlet would avoid the Chip if she could. And as much as she wished her best friend success in her avoidance mission, she knew it was not possible. Scarlet was an Extra. It was her destiny, indeed her right to be chipped. Whether she wanted it or no, there was no choice. Extras were chipped. Numbers were not.