One
They are not supposed to Care about anything. It doesn't happen. It is as impossible as Steven growing any bigger or James not completing his Service.
So they do not Care.
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Steven is among those of Class F. Simply too small to keep up with the others of his generation, he is classified in the lowest ranking, even to the females within the colony.
Even at age Seven, Steven knows he is worthless.
Even at age Seven, Steven knows he is worthless, and that is why people never look twice at him.
Even at age Seven, Steven knows he is worthless, but he also knows that the leaders of Class A are never really right, and the soldiers of Class B are never anything but brutes, and the doctors of Class C will never truly cure him, and the workers of Class D are never workers, always slaves, and the females of Class E are never treated correctly, and the undesirables of Class F will never be anything more.
Even among the others of Class F, Steven is particularly useless, he knows. Too small, too weak, too frail- he can't run messages without collapsing, can't serve food without dropping plates, can't scrub floors without fainting at the fumes.
At night, in the Class F enclosure, Steven lies on his squeaky bed mat and tries to ease the creaking of his lungs alone. He does not Care.
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James is among those of Class B. Always one of the bigger and stronger of his generation, he is classified at the second highest ranking. To become a soldier is a great honor.
Even at age Seven, James is aware of his great duties.
Even at age Seven, James is aware of his great duties and that is why people hardly look him in the eyes when he passes.
Even at age Seven, James is aware of his great duties, but he is also aware of the fear of rebellion in the leaders of Class A, fear of weakness in the soldiers of Class B, the fear of irrelevance in the doctors of Class C, the fear of power in the workers of Class D, the fear of men in the females of Class E, and the fear of everything in Class F.
Even among those of Class B, James isn't quite what he looks- he is bigger and stronger, yes, but he is never perfect enough and he knows it. They don't notice, but he knows. His emotions are always a little too close to slipping, and sometimes he has too many questions on his tongue, and he doesn't like it when people are afraid of him.
At night, in the Class B bunks, James listens to the units being deployed and rubs at his bruised knuckles. He does not Care.