"Hey..." a student whispered as he nudged his friend.

  They stirred awake to their class staring back. Their teacher was an elderly lady standing to the centre of the room, long series of calculations glowing blue on the holo-board behind her.

  "Aaron Larrs."

  The accused stood up, wiping his eyes and placing his hand over his neck as he moved over to the board whilst she continued.

  "Now, this is why you should focus class. With your Obligation so soon it would be a shame to be unable to achieve the one you-"

  Aaron was already returning to his desk. The puzzle was solved.

  Turning behind, her eyes scanned over the results and after a moment she waved her hand over the board and all the glowing numerals vanished. She turned back to the class.

  "A superposition is the state in which what?"

  The words blurred together as Aaron laid his head on the desk again.

  A monotone hum held for a moment as the entrance to the school opened and the uniformed pupils walked out in an orderly fashion. Line after line of the grey suits. Aaron was one of them, though falling slightly behind his line.

  "So watcha picking Larrs?"

  It was the guy from earlier who had just jumped him, wrapped his left arm over Aaron's left shoulder, giving him a smile.

  Aaron turned his eyes away.

  "I dunno. Labourer you have more action right?"

  The other boy seemed a bit confused and took his hand off Aaron.

  "You're not still deciding are you?"

  The accused's brow creased as he titled his head away as if to avoid the very true question.

  "Nahhh, just messing with you.. haha."

  He forced out a laugh which after a beat his friend would join.

  The column of grey would split once more and the two would split along separate paths. As his friend left Aaron's eyes and mouth sunk again into a dull state.

  "Big 18 Whoop whoop!"

  His friend had shouted over the crowd to his friend giving one last wave. Aaron didn't turn around but he found a small smile managed to bubble through before the stillness returned.

  The rehearsed paths continued as the students grew thin with each separation, until he finally arrived at his tower block. A large white structure with light blue windows shaped in a perfect hexagon. Other similar towers were equally spread across both sides of the road. They each had a large black code of a letter and number that spanned 3 floors in height and across the front face of the building at its midpoint. For the one Aaron had entered, the code "A22" was plastered.

  There were still 20 students in the crowded elevator as they each arrived at their floors. Upon reaching his floor, he approached one of the doors cut around the central floor plaza that slid cleanly open as he approached.

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  "Awww my little darling Ronnie!!"

  A lady in her 30s, with a Bob cut of brown hair gave Aaron a large hug. She was dressed in a similar grey suit to him however there was another fabric on her shoulders and in a long line on her two arms of a dark green colour. He didn't bother fighting it but his arms didn't return the energy. A girl with long hair of the same brown as the other two was sitting at the table, spoon at hand eating from a grey square tub with a brown mush within it. She wore a similar brown suit to Aaron.

  Upon being freed he walked over to take a seat beside the girl. His mother was about to speak to him again but the door slid open behind him and she moved away. Aaron sat beside the girl. patting her head he smiled again, though his tired eyes remained.

  "If you're that hungry you must have been busy today."

  The two adults continued their casual talk out of earshot. The man who had just entered taking off his white coat which he hung on one of the line of hangers just within the room as the lady moved back to the kitchen before they both joined the children at the table.

  The man's suit had the same fabric differences on the shoulder and arms - however his was a pure white. Tubs were passed out by his mother. First to herself, then to her father and son.

  The man spoke whilst the others began to eat their food.

  "Big day tomorrow. I remember when I became a thinker, helping to discover..."

  "I was kinda considering going for Labourer..."

  The two adults paused their movement.

  The man gave a calm sigh.

  "And Organiser before that. Don't ever think I don't love you son, but you need to make a decision."

  The boy circled his eyes around as he turned away from his father, who then spoke louder, caring urgency.

  "This is important Aaron. This is your future."

  The lady put her hand on the man's shoulder, shaking her head to which he softened.

  "At least. Think about it."

  Everyone but the man now stood up in unison, having finished eating to which after a moment of shock he rushed the rest of the mush.

  Aaron was now sitting on his bed with his father to his side and his mother watching on. The man opened a white box and took out the small circular device that came from it, the top section's base was half the size of his ear. Small buttons were curved around the lower half of the base, with its centre containing a small light display that was currently off.

  Draping from its underside though was a small mesh of wires.

  "It'll hurt for a moment, brace."

  Aaron held his breath as his father held the device to just under his ear. He let out a small cry but it was already over. Aaron felt his hand along it, the device now attached firmly.

  "With a C.A.N you're a real adult now. Or will be..."

  His father held a button on the device and its light flashed orange.

  "When you wake up it should be all set. Have a good day tomorrow - and don't be late. Your mother said she has something big planned."

  She gave a smile and the two left the room.

  "Sleep well honey."

  With the door closing the room was silent. He laid down on his bed.

  So quiet. So dull.

  He closed his eyes.

  The world felt still.

  The orange pulsating light on his C.A.N flickered red, then gave a stable blue light.

  That peace was shattered by the shout of a woman's voice.

  "Who the fuck are you?"