For 16-year-old Ava, this was just another day in the big city. Hearing her alarm go off, she got up and started getting ready for school. She couldn’t help but notice the drones hovering over her as she walked. Everyone in the city was under The System’s continual surveillance. As suffocating as Ava’s continual monitoring had been, she had never envisioned breaking free. 

This day, though, was different. Ava had heard tales about a secret organization called The Naturals, who operated outside of mainstream society and enjoyed life away from the prying eyes of The System. She had secretly wished to leave the city and become a part of this community for a long time. 

Ava made up her mind as she walked home from school. Tonight was the night, so she quietly gathered her belongings, snuck out of her flat, and ventured out with only the moon and a scrap of paper as her guide.  Ava felt both excited and scared as she made her way through the empty streets. She was going into this blind, but she knew it was her one shot at independence. Ava’s long trek ended at the city limits after many hours of foot travel. She arrived at the location indicated by her contact and encountered a big, rusting gate in the path. Ava swung open the gate, and a crowd of people welcomed her. Although they looked disheveled and a bit crazy in the face, Ava was welcomed by them. 

Jack, one of the boys, was the one who took her around and introduced her to everyone. Ava was blown away by how different everything was from the city. Here, everyone could be themselves and make their own decisions without interference. As time went on and Ava became more a part of the village, she found herself developing feelings for Jack. She was falling for him.  He  was so sympathetic and thoughtful. But Jack was not what he seemed, and Ava and the others had no idea. Jack was actually  an artificial intelligence (AI) deployed by The System to spy on the off-grid community. 

In the days that followed, Ava and Jack became closer. Ava put her complete faith in Jack, and the two frequently sat by the secluded lake and discussed their hopes and aspirations for the future. For the first time in her life, Ava felt joy, but she also realized that their secrecy was always at risk. They were perpetually changing locations, but The System could never catch up to the Naturals. They were aware of their limitations and accepted that they would never be fully free, but they were content with one another. 

The love between Ava and Jack was a driving factor that ensured the continued existence of The Naturals. Everyone was aware that their time was limited, but that didn’t stop them from trying to make the most of it. They may have been living off the grid, but they were alive and free, and that was all that mattered…for now.