The Barcode Society

By: Bay, 6th grade

                Everyone had a barcode. It was your identity, your being. When used by the government, it could help track you down if you were lost. It was unknown to the citizens how these markings had gotten themselves on their left cheeks when they were born, but that was just one of those questions that remained unanswered. To an outsider that was not from this particular domed city, this seemed like a fine society. But to all the citizens, it was pure horror.

                The government of the city was fairly simple. It had a queen, and a police force, called the Retrievers. But lately, the Retrievers had been gaining too much power. They had more power than the queen herself. About 62% of the citizens had trained in the police academy. The rest of the citizens worked in manufacturing, the main export.

There had been rebellion, the rebels forming a group called the Defenders. They had bombed the police station, and destroyed buildings. They had killed thousands. They had hurt many. This is the story of one of those who had been hurt, someone just like you. This is the story of Xana Yuroal.

A few weak rays of sun filtered through the glass of the large domed city, and placed some of their golden fingers on the face of a young girl. She gave a groan, and turned onto her side. Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked up towards the gray sky. She absentmindedly brushed some dark brown hair from her face before slowly sitting up, exposing the sloppy tattoo of a barcode on her right cheek.

The thin, ratty, white blanket that had been covering her during her restless sleep fell to the side, landing gently on the hard, concrete ground. She stood slowly, and stretched her weary, cramped limbs. She had been curled between the hard, metal walls of an alleyway, accompanied only by the trash that littered the milk crates hidden back here.

The girl folded her blanket neatly, and placed it behind a trash can, and walked out into the street. She wore tattered, grubby jeans, and a snug black hoodie. On her feet, there was a pair of navy blue sandals. With a contented sigh, she began to stroll nonchalantly down the street.

She passed vendors selling warm, gooey sweet-rolls, and small quilts that, when exposed to the perfect conditions, would grow to life-size. But these were too expensive for the girl. These were lavish delicacies that were much too luxurious for common street-rats. This girl would never steal, no, that was too low and shameful. She got her way by doing odd errands or selling knick-knacks she found.

As she wandered, she found herself at her favorite place in the world. It was the perfect place to just sit and relax. It was the huge, single tree in the core of the city. Its limbs were covered in lush, green leaves, it’s trunk a rich, chocolaty brown.  It stood tall on a large patch of cement that was pushed up into the air like a mountain due to an earthquake 50 years ago, in at least 2589.

Despite popular belief hundreds of years ago (in 2007), the future wasn’t as glamorous as people had imagined it. The world had made little progress since then in terms of politics or customs. There had been immense amounts of pollution, the air outside many of the domed cities completely cloaked in poisonous carbon monoxide.

The girl climbed high into the tree, its leafy tendrils like hands helping her up to the top. She quickly found her favorite branch, the one that seemed almost like a bed. It was large and comfortable, and the girl settled herself on it as though she owned it. She grinned toothily, and gently stroked the carved marks in the branch, that she had carved herself with an old dinner knife she had found one day on the ground, dug into the cracks between the blocks of cement that made up the sidewalk. The letters carved into the tree read her initials: X.Y.

“Xana Yuroal…” She whispered to herself, and closed her eyes. She was slowly drifting into that stage of sleep where you feel as though you’re awake, but in the sleeping half of your mind, you know you’re off in your dreams.

Soon after, Xana woke up. She wiped her eyes with the back of her arm, and blinked several times. Above her, the leaves of the tree shone brightly in the afternoon sun.

“That nap did me some good…” She told herself, and sat up, stretching her aching limbs. It was a relief to finally feel rested- being in this city made her feel on end. With a single leap, she landed deftly on the pavement below. She brushed the dust from her legs and began to stroll through the busy streets.

All was well as she sauntered through the city, but as she passed the police academy, she suddenly felt detached from the rest of the city, and her cheek began to burn violently. With a cry, she fell to her knees, her face burning like a scientist created a new substance on her face. She clutched the barcode tattoo on her right cheek, and felt heat practically radiating from it.

Why was this happening? What was going on?? She turned her head towards the police academy, and she gave a gasp. The building looked as though it were burning. Then, she saw someone crawling out of the building, their body covered in blood. Xana screamed as she saw who it was.

“L…Lupo? Is that you…?” She asked quietly, approaching the body on the ground.

“Xana…” Her brother choked, reaching up a hand to her.

“Xana, you have to g-get out of the city…” He gulped, tears streaming down his cheeks.

“Lupo, what’s going on?” The girl demanded, taking a step back.

“It’s not safe… the Retrievers will get you… you’ll die…”

“Lupo…” Xana whispered, closing her eyes tightly in an attempt to stop the tears from pouring down her cheeks. In front of her, invisible hands began to drag Lupo back into the building.

“No! Lupo, you can’t leave me again!” Xana screamed at her brother, falling to her knees.

“Get rid of your barcode…” Lupo whispered as he disappeared into the flames.

Then, the vision was gone. Xana fell backwards, panting heavily. To get rid of her barcode… how could she do that? It was like a birthmark everyone had. They were like tattoos, once you had one, it was nearly impossible to get rid of. Xana gave a deep sigh, trying to collect herself. She would have to find an expert to help her with this. She knew exactly who to go to. He had helped many deactivate their barcodes to escape the Retrievers. His name was Furuuto.

Xana hurried across town, sweat beading on her forehead as she ran. She skidded to a stop in front of a decrepit, old building with a sign on the door that read ‘Keep out!’ in sloppy handwriting. Xana walked slowly up to the ancient metal door and knocked gently. She waited for about 30 seconds, and then knocked again, more forcefully this time. Then, all of a sudden, the door opened into a dark hallway.

Xana could see nothing except for a few inches inside the doorway. The walls were made of cement, and there was nothing on the floor. She stepped inside, and the door closed behind her. The room she had entered was very small, only about 8 feet by 8 feet. The only thing in the room was a desk. She took a few steps forward, and said tentatively, “H-hello?”

Suddenly, two bright green eyes opened in the darkness behind the desk.

“Yes? Who enters the office of Furuuto?”

Xana shivered. The voice, apparently male, was soft and clipped, yet threatening.

“M-my name’s Xana… I’m 12 years old… I want to deactivate my barcode.”

“As do all who enter…” The voice said quietly, and Xana heard a scraping and shuffling sound as the chair behind the desk scooted back, and the figure behind it stepped in front of Xana.

He couldn’t have been older than her. He was slightly taller, by about two inches, and had silky-looking brown hair. His eyes were a piercing green, with glasses, and he also wore a thick leather coat and long, dirty khaki pants. The boy trailed a finger on the barcode on Xana’s cheek, and she shivered.

“43589 dash 26713… quite an elegant number; what was it…Xana…” Furuuto whispered, his eyes staring on the numbers on the girl’s cheek. Xana bit her lip gently. She wanted this boy to leave her alone.

“Now, let’s get down to business.” He said suddenly, grabbing a briefcase from the corner. He dropped it on top of everything on his desk, papers scattering, and the sound of ceramic breaking as a mug of cold coffee fell onto the hard floor. He opened the briefcase swiftly, and began pulling out different instruments from within its confines.

He grabbed a quite threatening-looking tool that looked like a pistol with a needle coming out of the barrel. He held it in the air, tinkering gently with the battery case.

“W-what is that thing…?” Xana asked hesitantly, though she didn’t really want to know the answer.

“It’s a peel gun. It peels anything on the surface of the skin off quickly and painlessly.” Furuuto explained matter-of-factly, and began loading the gun with new batteries, and tossed the acid-covered ones that had formerly been inside onto the floor with a clatter.

With a click, the gun turned on, and it made a noise similar to that of a dentist’s drill. Xana clutched her right cheek in fear.

“You aren’t peeling my skin off with that thing!!!” She cried, and fell backwards onto the hard ground. Furuuto gave a sigh, and knelt down so he was eye to eye with Xana.

“I explained earlier that it’s painless… Just trust me.” He said, and adjusted his glasses.

Xana bit her lip gently, and looked down at her knees, then back up again.

“Oh, fine… just make it quick.” She mumbled, and began to absentmindedly wring her hands.

Furuuto grinned. “As you wish… lean against the wall, and don’t move a muscle…”

Within ten minutes, Xana had nothing on her cheek but small scars. She winced slightly as Furuuto began to freeze it over with a small pen-like instrument. Cold air blew onto her cheek, and instantly froze.

“There. I’m finished.” Furuuto said, satisfactorily. Xana gave a sigh of relief.

“Finally… I thought it’d never end.” She said, and brushed some hair from her face. Furuuto stood and offered her a hand. She grabbed his wrist, not wishing to touch his hand, and pulled herself into a standing position.

“Won’t the Retrievers be after me?” Xana questioned, tugging her shirt over her stomach.

“Yes, they will… very soon. Luckily, I have an escape plan for anyone who enters my office.” Furuuto said, and grabbed a small remote from the cluttered mess on top of his desk. He pressed a few buttons on it, and instantly, a small door opened in the side of the wall. Xana’s eyes widened, and peered inside.

“Where does it go?” she asked, but before Furuuto could answer in his smart, snappy way, she heard a crash from down the hall. She screamed, and pressed herself against the wall.

“What the heck was that?!” She demanded at Furuuto, who stood calmly by the door.

“It’s the Retrievers… they come here every time I finish with a patient… They’ve never caught me yet, but I think that they’ve decided this is the last straw. They’ll be after me too.” He told her.

“Well, what do we do?!” Xana commanded, and glanced down the hallway where the Retrievers were charging towards them.

“We get out of here. Come on.” The boy said, and grabbed Xana by the wrist, and tugged her towards the door in the wall. She gave a cry, and stumbled. Within seconds, the Retrievers were right behind them. She regained her footing, and began to follow Furuuto at a run.

“Where are we going?!” She barked, glancing behind her as the Retrievers got closer and closer.

“To the city limits… they’ll never follow us outside of the dome.” Furuuto told her, and grabbed her wrist and jerked her to the left just as a Retriever shot at her with a shock pistol.

“Th-the city limits?! But outside the dome, the air is poison! We’ll die!!!” Xana cried, narrowly avoiding another shock pistol blast.

“That’s a lie… the Queen only tells everyone that so no one tries to run away… and it’s worked perfectly for over a hundred years.” Furuuto said calmly, as if there was no one behind them about to kill them.

“Why would Jagura say that?”

“So everyone in the city doesn’t run off to join a better society… if there’s no one left in town, she’ll lose her power… Nobles are all the same.”

Xana gave a nod in understanding, and squeezed Furuuto’s wrist more tightly. They swerved around a corner, and suddenly, the hallway opened up into the city. The light was blinding, for Xana was now accustomed to the darkness of Furuuto’s office and the dark hallway.

“The dome exit is just over there… we’ll be there in just a moment.” Furuuto said. He appeared to be completely unaffected by the sunlight. They ran through the city, the Retrievers not far behind.

“There it is!” Xana cried as they approached the exit. Above them, there was an ear-splitting roar of a helicopter as it prepared to block them off. Furuuto said something else, but it was impossible to hear over the noise of the helicopter.

The huge glass doors loomed over them like some sort of giant sculpture. Next to it, there was a small computer. Furuuto stopped it front if it and began to punch in numbers.

“Hurry!” Xana commanded, looking back at the helicopter that had now landed, with Retrievers pouring out of it like some sort of disease.

“Humph…” Furuuto grunted, and finished fiddling with the console.

“There, we’re out.” He said coolly, and in front of them, the large doors opened slowly. They rushed outside as quickly as possible, and the doors closed behind them. Inside the dome, the Retrievers stopped in their tracks, looks of surprise and disbelief written all over their faces like chalk on a sidewalk on a hot summer’s day.

Xana jumped into the air and cheered as soon as the doors closed. The tundra dirt beneath her feet flew up in clouds as she pushed off of it.

“Yes! We did it; we made it!!” She cried, and captured Furuuto in a tight hug. He fell backwards slightly due to her added weight and propulsion.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!” Xana cried joyfully, tears of happiness stinging her eyes. Furuuto gave a small smile as tears poured down his friend’s cheeks.

“Now I can find my brother!” She said, releasing Furuuto from the crushing hug. He adjusted his glasses, a light blush crossing his cheeks, barely noticeable in the sunlight.

“What is his name?” the boy asked, and began to walk nonchalantly down the light dirt path through the tundra.

“Lupo Yuroal. He was part of the Retrievers, but was pronounced M.I.A five years ago…” Xana explained quietly, looking down at the dirt.

“We have to find him… he’s the only family I have left.” Xana said quietly, hanging her head.

“Is his barcode still active?” Furuuto questioned, fumbling around in his pocket.

“Uh-huh, why do you ask?”

Furuuto pulled out a small hand-held computer from his pocket and touched the screen lightly.

“I can track any barcode within the city with this little computer right here. All I need is the first and last name.” He said matter-of-factly, and began to punch in letters on a small keyboard had appeared on-screen.

“His name’s Lupo Yuroal.”

“Yes, yes, I know.” Furuuto said, somewhat exasperated.

After a few moments, there was a beep from the computer. Furuuto peered carefully at the screen and smiled triumphantly.

“Got him. He’s in Agata City, not too far away from here. About a quarter of an hour’s walk east.” The boy explained, adjusting his glasses calmly.

“Alright! Let’s go find him!” Xana cheered.

Suddenly, there was a blast of gunfire above their heads. They looked towards the dome, seeing vans and helicopters full of Retrievers heading straight towards them.

“What? I thought you said they thought the air out here was toxic!” Xana barked at the boy in front of her, who calmly brushed some hair out of his face.

“They must have seen us celebrating out here. Now they’ll be after us.” Furuuto said, his voice tinged with sarcasm.

“How can you be so calm at a time like this?! They’ll kill us!!” Xana shouted, grabbing Furuuto by the wrist. He wriggled out of her grasp, glancing back at the soldiers charging towards them.

“We’ll just have to get through them. Here.” Furuuto said, removing a small silver bar from his pocket.

“What the heck is this?” Xana asked, her question answered as a small knife flew out of a small slot in the bar and pricked her hand. She stuck the bloodied finger in her mouth as she gripped the handle of the knife tightly. Furuuto also removed a knife from his pocket, pressing a small button on the bottom, unsheathing the knife within.

“We’ll just plow our way through them… and then steal one of the trucks.” Furuuto said, digging his feet into the dirt.

“O-okay…” Xana said, biting her lip slightly, as the Retrievers got closer and closer.

“Ready? Go!” Furuuto cried suddenly as he rushed through the crowd, dodging nimbly and quickly as he jabbed here and there with his knife. Xana followed, trying to dodge the flying fists and gunshots as she trailed after Furuuto. They found their way through the crowd until they found themselves pressed up against a truck. Furuuto wiped his knife on his pant leg and opened the door.

“Come on!” He cried, deftly turning the key in the lock as the engine turned on, humming loudly.

Xana gave a cry as a Retriever leapt towards her, and stuck her knife quickly into his arm. He recoiled, wincing in pain as he stumbled backwards.

“Go!” She commanded as she jumped into the truck, and Furuuto slammed his right foot on the gas pedal. They sped through the crowd, Retrievers jumping out of the way left and right.

“How do you know how to drive?” Xana asked as soon as they had gotten through the Retrievers and had settled down. Furuuto adjusted his glasses, which had a few specks of blood on them, and gave a sigh.

“Learned how when I was 7. My father taught me before he died. He wanted me to know how to go about in the world, so I could make my way and follow my dreams.” Furuuto said solemnly, his gaze never drifting from the road in front of him.

“Wow…” Xana said. “How… uplifting.”

She heard a ping as a bullet hit the rear-view mirror of the truck.

“The Retrievers are after us! Let’s go!”

Furuuto slammed his foot down on the gas, and the truck sped forward as if it were a cork popping out of a bottle. The Retrievers were close behind, their trucks not 20 feet behind.

As the truck creased over a hill, Xana gave a gasp as she saw the tips of some high rises pierce the sky.

“There’s Agata City.” Furuuto said, the truck surging forward as it went down the hill.

“We have to hurry and find my brother before the Retrievers get us.” Xana said, glancing behind her once more.

“We’ll be there in about 30 seconds.”

Furuuto steadily slowed the truck as it reached the edge of the city, the large, black and blue buildings towering above them, with no dome to shield them from the elements. The two teens jumped out of the truck, landing softly on the cement path leading into the city. Behind them, some Retriever trucks stopped as well, the police jumping out of them by the dozen.

“Where does he live?” Xana commanded, Furuuto already punching in letters on his computer.

“548 East Main Street.”

“Let’s go!” Xana said, re-sheathing her knife and placing it in her pocket.

“This way.” Furuuto said, and motioned for Xana to follow. They slunk into an alley, glancing at the nearby street sign. They were on 431 West Main Street.

“Stop right there!” A voice called from nearby. It was coming from a Retriever commander, followed by at least 50 others. He fired several gunshots at the alley, the other police following suit.

Xana gave a cry as one of the bullets grazed her arm. The wound began to leak blood, the red droplets slowly traveling down towards her wrist.

Furuuto grabbed her by the elbow and yanked her down the alley, turning sharply as he mentally calculated about where Lupo’s house would be. The Retrievers followed, shooting at them with their shock pistols and stun rifles.

“We’re almost there, Xana.” Furuuto said as they raced through the city. Citizens and passersby ducked for cover as bullets flew and Retrievers raced by.

The two teens skidded to a stop in front of a small house. The numbers on the doorstep read 548. Furuuto glanced backwards at the police behind them, and urged Xana behind him. He removed what appeared to be a small grenade from his pocket. He bit the pin with his teeth, yanked it out, and threw it towards the oncoming Retrievers. There was a flash of smoke, and the men were frozen in place.

“What’d you do to them?” Xana asked, wiping sweat from her brow.

“Freeze grenade. Freezes anyone or anything in time for at least 5 hours.” He explained coolly, adjusting his glasses.

Xana gave a small nod, then suddenly flinched and screamed, “Furuuto, behind you! You missed one!!”

There was a grunt of pain from the boy in front of her as a Retriever stabbed him swiftly in the back with a knife,

“Furuuto!!!” Xana cried tears stinging her eyes as the Retriever stepped back, his blade stained with blood. Furuuto’s blood. The blood of her best friend.

Furuuto coughed several times before collapsing to his knees, and falling onto the cement ground.

Xana gritted her teeth, glaring at the Retriever in front of her. “You…you killed him!” She cried, removing the knife from her pocket. She unsheathed the blade, and leapt forward at the policeman. She stabbed him in the stomach, and he fell backwards to the ground. With a cry of pain, he collapsed.

Xana removed her blade from the Retriever, and rushed to Furuuto’s side.

“Furuuto! Furuuto, are you okay?!” She demanded, tears pouring down her cheeks. His glasses had fallen to the ground next to him, and she picked them up gently and placed them back on his pale face. She brushed some hair from his eyes, and bit her lip.

“Furuuto, you can’t die… You’re my best friend.” She whimpered, and clutched his hand.

“Xana…” He whispered, his voice faint, a trickle of blood dripping down his chin.

She nodded slightly, staring down at the boy she had come to admire so much.

“Xana… find your brother… don’t give up.”

“A-alright, Furuuto…” She said, her voice cracking as she tried to stop the tears from bursting out of her like a popped balloon.

“Never forget me…” He whispered, his eyes going blank and his body going limp.

“Furuuto!!!” Xana screamed, hugging her friend tightly. She kissed him gently on the cheek, and stood.

I have to do like he told me… I have to find Lupo. She thought, and took a step towards the door of 548 East Main Street.

There was a wait of 20 seconds from the knock that the door opened. Inside stood a tall young man. He had shaggy brown hair, and his eyes were a soft grey.

“Yeah, what is it?” He asked of the young girl standing in front of him with tear-stained cheeks.

“Lupo?” She asked, a small smile emerging from a former frown.

“Yeah?”

“Lupo Yuroal?”

“How do you know my name?” The man asked; a look of puzzlement written all over his face.

“Lupo… I finally found you! I finally found you after all those years! I thought you had died back then, when you were in the Retrievers! And I’ve found you!” Xana cried, capturing her brother in a flying hug. Tears of joy streaked her cheeks.

Lupo frowned and shook Xana off of his stomach. She landed roughly on the doorstep, and she looked up at him.

“Lupo? Don’t you remember me? I’m your little sister??” She asked, her voice shaking.

“No… I don’t remember.” Lupo said solemnly, glaring down at her.

“B-but, you lived with me, and you had a barcode, and so did I! Until you went missing and I thought I had lost you… Please, Lupo! How could you forget me?!”

“I don’t deny any of those things happening… but I’ve never seen you before in my life.”

“You can’t have forgotten! God, Lupo! I could never bear this!” Xana yelled, sobbing.

Lupo ignored this, looking down at the ground. He slowly began to close the door.

“Lupo!!!” Xana screamed, launching herself at her brother.