[ WP ] There 's a school that kills all of its students at the end of their senior year . Everyone knows this , but you 're the only one who has a problem with it .

`` For six decades, the Federal Agency for Intelligence Harvesting has scoured the globe, searching for those gifted students that will propel humanity forward, who will bravely bear the weight of the most intense and complex issues facing our species. Ladies and gentlemen, before you are the saviors of humanity.'' 
 
 The director made a sweeping gesture in our direction and the crowd erupted in applause. 
 
 `` Of course, among a group of brilliant intellects there still exists the extraordinary. While every single face I see now will do great things in the Hivemind, there are also those who have excelled beyond what we had imagined. So now, without further ado, I present salutatorian of the class of 2099, Charlotte Roxbury.'' 
 
 The attendants cheered as the director called my name, ushering me to the podium. My heart beat at its cage and screamed for release. My face appeared on the screens all around the stadium as I took my place behind the microphone. I breathed in. Out. I dug my nails into my palms as I fought to gather myself. Slowly, I began: 
 
 `` Thank you. And thank you most of all to my classmates that sit before me now. If I had my way it would be anyone else giving this speech instead of me. For every hour I worked, someone else worked two just helping me. I --'' 
 
 My mind went blank. I could n't remember any of it. Everything I had prepared suddenly slipped away. I had no note cards, no teleprompters. As salutatorian I was expected to memorize every word and suddenly it was all gone. 
 
 Fuck it, I thought. It's not what I wanted to say anyway. I began again. 
 
 `` We all know what will happen to us one week from now,'' The stadium shook in applause and whooping. I impatiently waited for quiet. `` My peers and I will be put under heavy anesthetic, the left hemispheres of our brains will be removed and wired into the Hivemind Superprocessor, the rest of us disposed of. We will effectively be dead. The only indication of life will be the neurons of our collective intelligence firing away to solve our government's problems.'' 
 
 The stands stirred, unsure of whether or not to praise this. 
 
 `` That's bullshit.'' I gave them their answer. I glanced at the director as he shifted his weight and raised one eyebrow. `` I'm only twenty-four. *Twenty-four*, and my life is being wrestled from me and plugged into a computer so that I can sort out the baggage of a nation. I tried to escape this institution three times, and three times I was caught, brought back, and put unwillingly into violent therapy. Well, your therapy, did n't work, Mister Briggs. I remember everything.'' 
 
 The director brought his wrist to his mouth and muttered into an unseen receiver. The security at either side of the stage began to move. 
 
 `` I want to see the mountains, I want to love someone. Hell, I want kids!'' I looked desperately at my classmates as they sat uncomfortably in their chairs, frozen in silence, `` and I want that for all of you, as well! Do n't you want to make something of yourselves? Something other than a component of their god-damned computer?'' I felt a hand on my shoulder, pulling me away from the microphone. I resisted and two more gripped my arms and dragged me from the podium. 
 
 `` I want to live!'' I shouted. 
 
 I felt a needle embed itself in my stomach, and the world faded to black.
