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A New Idea

There was a slight buzzing in his ears as Johnny was awakened by the Collar worn on his neck. He had been the most perfect slumber, a dream of world without color, without sub-species. Well that would never happen, not with Miss Penfield constantly screaming about the evil of the Reds. About how divergent they were from their sub- species was from the Blues, about Blue superiority in the Senate, about how Blue's were always right. It was the same day in and day out.

The most anybody really understood was how different the Country was now, than when it was in the past. As far as Johnny could sort out, correction as far anybody, everybody was the same before the Great Genetic Rift. Everybody looked somewhat the same, they all had ten fingers and ten toes, they all had visible noses and ears, and some even had hair when they were young. That was until the introduction of genetic engineering in the year 500 BGGR, when the Rift began. At first, it was then that the aristocrats took hold of this technology using it ways to enhance their looks, strength, and brains. As the technology cheapened, it became open to the general public. Soon designer babies, genetic augmentation, and multi-colored skin became the fads for even the working man on the street. The species separated into to two "colors" the Reds, controlling the East, and the Blues, controlling the West . Each had its own culture, schools, and interests. Each were foreign from one another, it had gotten to the point where the Country was portioned by the World Power in order to keep both sides "friendly."

Johnny was different, however, he was Grey. He had no color, no affiliation, no great point of living in such a divided world. Sure he went to a Blue School of Indoctrination, sure they taught him the ways of being a Blue. Sure he felt a certain affiliation toward the Blues, but he was not one. He was the only one of his kind; he was the only one who saw the world differently.

Miss Penfield continued her rant on the differences in the anatomy of the Reds as compared to the Blues. "As you can see the Red skull is slightly larger than the Blue, this because of the larger brain unit. However, it has been noted by proctors that while the Blue brain is smaller by a half-inch, it is by far the fastest of the sub-species!" The poor Grey groaned in disgust, what evidence did she have to support that? There hadn't been a single shred of real, objective science since the Rift. Nobody knew the true consequences of the Rift, and those who tried to find out were stifled by both sub-species. Least that's what he thought, but what did he know anyway?

The tiny, gray boy lifted his three-fingered hand. There was a silent shuffle as those in the back strained to see the bony hand. The navy blue Penfield straightened large glasses, he could sense what she thought. "First he's asleep during my lecture on his anatomy, and now he has a question! Maybe if he paid some attention, had some pride in what he was he wouldn't have a question in the first place!" he imagined the ideas running through the four-fingered woman's mind. In her shrill voice she asked, "What is it now Johnny?"

There was a slight cough before the gray asked his question, "W-W-With a-a-all d-d-d-due respect, I've been reading and well there isn't evidence saying that either sub-species is smarter than the other. So my question is, where are you getting your information?"

The once quiet ringing in his head became a loud shrieking as his teacher activated the Collar again! He had done something, he had questioned the teacher. There were sure to be consequences.

"Where do I get my information? Certainly not from any bloodless Red and certainly not from you!" She fumed, her entire face ran a shade of purple-black as Johnny cringed. "What right do you have to question the Council-approved anatomy lesson?!"

"I-I-I just heard t-t-that the Rift might not have been quite as great," he whispered hiding behind his chair like an old doughboy in the trenches. "Maybe we have more in common with the Reds than we thought."

"Bah, preposterous," she merely turned her head, dismissing the idea. It came from a fool anyway. "Tell that to the Blues that fought and died so that way you could be born…" Turning to the class she made an example of the traitor, "This mentality will lead to nothing but the full fledged invasion by Reds. They attacked us once, they will attack us again if we do not strike immediately! Johnny, tell your classmates how sorry you are for causing the possible deaths of themselves and their families!"

The gray could do nothing but concede his defeat. It didn't matter if his idea could be true, or for that matter hold an inkling of fact. They were in the middle of a war with the Reds and any idea that they could have once been related, could have once coexisted was heresy! But what did it mean to Them, they were different from him anyway. Nobody could change their paradigms.

Johnny sat powerless, he could do nothing about the world he lived in. They could do nothing to change him, and he could do nothing to change to them. The wheels of Specism were working against his new idea. They would work against him for the rest of his life. He stood no chance of stopping the war created by their ancestors, and lead on by their brethren. It would all end in disaster…