Revolution in the Underground Read Free Page A

today.”
                  Ember stripped down to his underwear and cannon-balled into the cold water, trying as hard as possible to splash his friends.  Ember had a disparate group of friends: ranging from 15 to 22 years of age, bookish to athletic, and normal to, well, Onyx.  Since there were no formal schools or organized athletic associations—though there were special places devoted to both—most friends were met through random encounters.   A “friend,” in the Erosan sense of the word, was merely an individual who was encountered more than would be expected by sheer probability alone.  The conventional definition of “friendship” would be meaningless since Erosa was small enough and the people friendly enough that nearly everyone knew and liked one another.
                  “Are you worried?” one friend teased. “It’d look awfully bad if the grandson of the great Azure failed to pass his Evaluation.”
                  “Dude, don’t freak him out.  If Onyx could pass then I’m pretty sure a moderately intelligent bird, let alone Ember, could pass as well.”  The boys laughed before looking over to Onyx to see whether or not he was offended.
                  “Actually,” Onyx said honestly, “birds are remarkably intelligent creatures.  They have complex social orders and are even capable of making tools.”
                  “So what you’re saying is that we shouldn’t insult birds by comparing them to the likes of you.” The boys laughed and splashed each other with water playfully.
                  “No, all I’m a-saying is that birds are quite remarkable creatures.  They have more efficient respiratory and excretory systems, and when it comes to fidelity they have humans beat by a mile.  D’you know that most birds are monogamous?” Onyx moved his hands about in a confusing manner as if he could somehow explain the term with hand gestures.  He always chose the worst terms to gesticulate.
                  Ember looked at Onyx and nodded approvingly.  There was something Onyx had that was absent in the others.  He might not have been Ember’s brightest friend, but he had a unique sense of intellectual curiosity.  Most people in Erosa seemed content to live their quiet and perfect lives.  They had no need for questions because they had no thirst for knowledge.  They were complacent with life’s offerings and had no need to ask for more.  Not Onyx.  Onyx was flawed… deeply flawed… but in a way, it was his imperfections that made him more perfect than the others.  They might have been happier, but Onyx was more alive, and Ember knew it.  They can splash all they want , Ember thought to himself, but only Onyx will ever make a ripple.
                  “Whatever you say Dude.”
                  “Hey, did you guys hear about Rouge’s Evaluation?”
                  “No, what happened?” they all asked almost in unison.
                  “When she got the final question, she completely froze.  I don’t remember the question they asked her, but it was something really easy… and she completely panicked.  She couldn’t get any words out.  Apparently she started crying and then ran away before she was dismissed!”
                  “What, really?!”
                  “What was the question?”
                  “I told you, I don’t remember.”
                  “Hey Ember, don’t you like Rouge?  She’s kinda cute”
                  Ember’s eyes were closed and although all but his nose was submerged in the water, he could tell by the ensuing silence that someone had asked him a question.  Not knowing what question was asked, he simply shrugged and waited until they resumed their chatter.
                  “I don’t get it, what is even the purpose of the