by Steve Stred
Sand whipped and blew as the nano-bots scuttled and scurried around, beginning to digest anything that was not stock level. The house was now a black shadow, the door unable to be seen from where Lizzie stood.
Would entrance even be permissible?
Approaching the house, Lizzie saw a shadowed figure move forth, their appearance startling and unbelievable.
“Mr. Eldridge?”
“Lizzie. Please, let’s have a word.”
Mr. Eldridge
Chapter Thirteen
Once Lizzie and Mr. Eldridge had entered the home, they remained silent as though both waiting for the other to speak first.
Lizzie couldn’t look at the withered old man for long. Seeing him strapped into the motorized wheelchair was enough of a shock, but the translucent appearance of his purple-veined skin pushed it over the edge.
Lizzie couldn’t even begin to imagine how old the man must be.
“How’ve you been, Mr. Eldridge?”
“Please, call me Albert.”
“OK. How’re you still alive, Albert?”
He smiled, yellowed teeth and grey gums exposed behind the thinnest of lips.
“Our existence is filled with wondrous things, Lizzie. Things you, nor I, truthfully, can even comprehend. I know your mother always said you were special, we just never knew how special.”
“What does that even mean?”
“Your blood was the elixir I needed to remain alive. I am dying, slowly, but at such a glacial rate, I will most likely outlive all the people on my ship.”
Lizzie slumped back against the counter, the hard edge digging into the soft area of the lower back, forcing a grimace. Eldridge took that as a sign to keep speaking, Lizzie deciding not to interrupt.
“The reason I’ve left my solitude on my Hidden Level was to come and say goodbye. Your Selection was never random. You gave me a gift that I could never repay. In return, I made sure you were selected.”
“Wouldn’t a nicer gift be, I don’t know, not tossing me from your ship? Not destroying my mom’s house, my home, even as I still live here?”
“The sands of time are cruel and consistent, Lizzie. This ship is failing. Earth is failing. What we have here is a living and breathing hourglass. The contents have been flowing from the top to the bottom for many years. Time is running out. I’ve been working round the clock for decades to try and figure out a fix, a way for our residents to remain living here, and living safely. But, the orbs. The orbs keep coming. The orbs are always an option for those I cherish most. Selection has never been random, each group has had a personal connection to me. Now, it is your turn. I wish you could live here now and forever, Lizzie, but that isn’t an option.”
“But why me? Why do I need to jump?”
“I can’t risk someone else discovering the truth of your blood. Using it to outlive me or usurp me. You are a threat to me, Lizzie. Even if you never knew it.”
“What happens if I miss my orb?”
Mr. Eldridge smiled and pushed the joystick controller on his wheelchair, whirling around to face the door.
The sound of the engine echoed in the space as though a panel of the ship had blown off.
“Albert? Please?”
“I would love to know, Lizzie. If that happens, make sure to tell me,” he called over his shoulder as he exited the house. Beyond him, the landscape was unrecognizable, the nano-bots continuing their work.
Eric
Chapter Fourteen
“Do you remember when the bombs fell?”
“I do.”
“Would you have changed anything? Done anything differently if you’d have known what was to come?”
“I wouldn’t.”
“No?”
“Sometimes chaos is necessary for rebirth.”
Chapter Fifteen
Lizzie knew Eric was standing outside of the house.
How?
The dream. Lizzie had the dream again of Eric speaking of destruction in his debriefing. But was it a dream? Or a memory somehow shared across synapses?
Lizzie stretched in bed, feeling the emptiness, longing for sensations foreign and delicious.
Declining to get dressed, Lizzie opened the door, finding Eric right where the dream had said he’d be.
“I’ve become rusted and decayed,” Lizzie said. Eric looked over the nakedness presented before him.
“Lizzie, come on, let’s get you dressed,” he said, stepping inside. Closing the door to the carnage of the bots beyond, he found Lizzie’s jump suit and helped get the limbs and torso within and covered.
“Dr. Light has sent me to retrieve you. Blood work is needed before tomorrow’s jump.”
“Of course, Eldridge will want more blood,” Lizzie said angrily.
“They collect blood from us all. Not just you. Protocols must be followed.”
“Why? What good are protocols anymore? Tomorrow we’re done and gone. Forgotten and erased.”
“Maybe from here, Lizzie, but not from ourselves.”
Eric was practically pleading now, wanting to get the last few steps finished and completed so that he could prepare for his jump.
Lizzie wished beyond anything that they weren’t jump partners. Eric looked into their eyes, deep into Lizzie’s heart with his gaze, and it caused anger, not love.
“Fine. Let’s go. For you. I wish I was never selected.”
Even though it was said harshly, Eric smiled, happy that they were progressing in the right direction.
“Lizzie, it’ll be truly amazing. I’m telling you. Our futures will be known tomorrow. We’ll leap, we’ll fall and then absorption and after… the rest of our lives will be there, laid out before us.”
Lizzie had to admit his enthusiasm was contagious, but nothing was going to make this event exciting or something Lizzie longed for.
“Shall we watch?”
Eric took Lizzie’s hand and they turned around, waiting at the entrance of the elevator. Before them, the house that had become Lizzie’s home pixelated and flickered, the nano-bots devouring the last bit of coding that allowed for its existence. A desolate waste land of sand and memories was all that was left. Lizzie felt the burning prickle of a single tear spill out of an eye and down a cheek.
“Let’s go,” Eric said, stepping into the elevator.
Lizzie followed, preventing more anguish by not looking back.
Savannah
Chapter Sixteen
Stepping off the elevator at the Debriefing Level, Eric gave Lizzie a gentle push forward.
“Dr. Light is waiting.”
Lizzie nodded, scanned in, and stood in the hallway.
Once the room signalled, Lizzie opened the door and repeated the already familiar VR set routine. Dr. Light’s smiling face was soon on the screen.
“Hello, Lizzie. How’re you today?”
“Absolute shit. My home is now gone.”
“I’m aware. Necessary function for the ongoing usage of the ship. A new Royal has already begun to program what their new home will look like.”
“New Royal?”
“Yes. Promotion occurs when an opening becomes available on the High Level. Your mother had a line of succession drawn up many years ago. In fact, she’d listed Savannah’s mother as the next to become a Royal when the time came. This was years before you were adopted, of course.”
“Does that mean Savannah will live on the High Level? Is she also a Royal?” Lizzie was surprised with the emotion carried on each spoken word.
“No. Her mother will be, yes, but Savannah, much like yourself will not be a Royal by label. She will have access to the ship, just like you did, and if her mother allows her to live on the High Level, then she will. Otherwise, Savannah will continue to work on the Labor Level.”
“I see.”
“How does that make you feel?”
“Undefined.”
“Undefined?”
“If Savannah gets to live on the High Level, I’m very happy fo
r her. If not, then I’m sad. Savannah means more to me than any other person I’ve ever met, except Mom. I want nothing but her happiness. But on the other side of things, I’m still jumping tomorrow.”
“You are.”
“Mr. Eldridge came to visit me.”
Dr. Light’s eyes flickered a brief second of shock before regaining composure. Lizzie thought for sure she would’ve known about the visit.
“He did?”
“Yes. Yesterday.”
“How was that?”
“He’s old.”
Dr. Light laughed at this.
“We know that. But how is he?”
“Dying. He told me my blood is special and that it was the reason he’s been able to remain living for all of these years.”
“How long ago did your mom adopt you?”
“I’m not sure. I should know, but I can’t remember. Maybe fifteen years?”
“Yes. Fifteen years is correct. You were five when she took you home from the Ward Level. I would agree with him, Lizzie. If your blood has prolonged his life by another fifteen years, that’s truly remarkable. Very special.”
“Is that why I’m supposed to do blood work today?”
“No, no. Every student who has been selected provides blood. It’s a way for us to catalog the species and trace relatives.”
“I don’t know if I believe that.”
“Shall we move on? I have two last questions I’d like to go over with you before you can get blood done and then head to your acceptance ceremony.”
“Fine. What are they?”
“I must say, Lizzie, you’re the first selected student I’ve ever had in debriefing who wasn’t happy they were chosen.”
“Does that mean I don’t have to do another simulation today?”
“That’s fair. I’ll cancel the simulation, but you still need to do blood.”
“So, what’s the first question?”
“What is your most frequent dream?”
The boy and the girl had slept peacefully.
The room was circular in shape, as though it presented a beginning, a middle, and an end that was infinitely occurring.
The boy’s bed was hard and lumpy.
The girl’s soft and comfortable.
They never questioned it, nor spoke up about it. It was how it was. As it always had been.
A boy needs to be hard.
A girl soft.
The sun rose, waking them up, beckoning them to leave the room, leave the walls and make their way outside.
There, they stood, staring at the world before them.
Bright. Full of smells, sounds and color.
Vibrant.
The bombs that soared high above left a plume trail behind as they arced ever higher overhead.
The greens and blues and purples were soon to become reds and oranges and yellows.
Nature into flames.
The girl felt a sorrow filling up the space where other emotions usually rested.
The boy smiled, wanting to see the impending destruction.
Beyond the bombs, above the atmosphere, the moon shone down, as did the sun. Everywhere they looked it was filled with stars and hope.
“Does it look like what’s in your head?”
“Every little bit.”
“Could you imagine a picture more beautiful?”
“Not in my wildest dreams.”
They skipped across the grass, relishing the moment.
The grass tickled their soles, the sun warmed their skin. Smiles were wide, teeth glimmered. As they ran and laughed, everything they’d ever seen, heard and smelled rushed into their brains, the blood threatening to burst in an embolism of sensory overload.
“Stop. Wait. Detonation is about to happen.”
Sitting down, legs crossed, arms slack, the bombs reached the apex, man finally at the precipice of its existence.
“Did you think we wouldn’t grow up?”
“I never thought we’d live life on such an easy street.”
“We were given everything in a silver cup.”
“At the end of the day I don’t feel complete.”
“Do you think we’ll ever return here?”
“I believe we’ll only discover a closing door.”
“So, life won’t return anywhere near?”
“Not with the way we always end in war.”
A whoosh sounded, two children looking up at the end of their lives.
The heat wave came first, melting their skin and removing all but their bones.
As the skeletons fell to the grass in a jumbled mix, the explosions continued across the sky.
“Lizzie, that’s what you dream of?”
“Every night.”
“Do you know who the boy and girl are?”
“Yes and no.”
“Do you believe dreams are symbolic? Do you think this dream you continue to have is your stress towards having to leave the only world you’ve ever known?”
“No. I think I’m dreaming of the end of the world. Of what happened down there and forced us to flee up here.”
“I see. Well, let’s swing back. Who’re the boy and girl?”
“Depends.”
“On what?”
“On each dream.”
“How so?”
“In some it’s me and Savannah. In others me and Eric.”
“Interesting. Well, here’s my second question for you. Do you know who you are, Lizzie?”
“Yes and no.”
“If I asked you to describe yourself, what would you say?”
“That I’m a ghost within some darkened clouds.”
“Is that what you think I see, when I look at you?”
“No, I think you see a soul without a home. A body without a tenant.”
“But you have feelings. Thoughts. Empathy. Desire. Surely a ghost or a soulless human wouldn’t possess such processes?”
“There’s something that’s in my mind. It’s killing me, Dr. Light. I’m not free, I’m not happy. I don’t have hope. I have pain and loneliness. Sadness. I’m lost and I won’t find my way. I have no home. No family. And tomorrow… tomorrow I get to jump out of the only place I know and hope that I see my orb, catch it, and a future I want to experience is absorbed from within. I’m tired, I’m young, I’m old and I’m honestly done with the questions.”
Dr. Light smiled, setting down her notepad and holding up a finger, indicating for Lizzie to wait one moment. Then she walked off screen.
Lizzie felt a click, and the VR set released. The door opened behind the chair. Looking, Lizzie saw Dr. Light step into the room. She approached, waited for Lizzie to stand, and then they were hugging.
Lizzie felt Dr. Light’s sobs first, surprised that the doctor was crying.
“I’ll fix myself,” Lizzie whispered into her ear.
Dr. Light nodded, stepped back, and wiped her tears dry.
“Lizzie. I wish you didn’t have to jump. I do hope you catch your orb. And if you should miss, enjoy the journey after.”
They gave a professional handshake, one that affirmed they’d never see each other again, before Dr. Light left the room and Lizzie felt the impending weight of the jump crush them internally.
Chapter Seventeen
Lizzie found Savannah waiting at the elevator.
It was unexpected and exactly what was needed.
A moment of recognition before they ran to each other, hugged and kissed.
“I’ve missed you so much, Lizzie,” Savannah said, burying her face in Lizzie’s neck.
“Me too,” Lizzie replied, inhaling the smell of Savannah’s hair as deeply as possible.
“You got selected,” Savannah finally said, once they’d stepped apart and stood holding hands.
“I did. I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s a truly magical thing to experience.”
“My debriefing doctor, Dr. Light, said that now that I’m leaving, your mom gets to move up to th
e Royal Level. Do you as well?”
“I do.”
“That is amazing. I’m so happy for you.”
Savannah smiled, her eyes squinting just a touch, filling Lizzie with so much joy that it came as a surprise. Lizzie hadn’t felt anything close to that in years.
“I wish we had the rest of our lives together,” Savannah said.
“We do,” Lizzie replied.
“I don’t mean like that,” Savannah said, grabbing Lizzie’s hips and pulling their bodies together. Her lips found Lizzie’s again.
“Will you watch me jump?” Lizzie asked.
“If you want, yes.”
“I would.”
“Then I will.”
“Thank you.”
“I love you, Lizzie.”
“I love you too.”
They remained silent, their fingers dancing over each other’s knuckles, feeling each crease.
Lizzie would need to leave soon and get bloodwork done.
Until then, they had the rest of their lives to live.
Blood Work
Chapter Eighteen
Upon arrival at the Health and Laboratory Level, Lizzie was still buzzing from seeing Savannah.
It was a revelation.
A clinician signed Lizzie in, mentioned they’d been expecting them for blood work. Lizzie was led down another emotionless hallway, into a sterile room filled with stations. The clinician directed Lizzie to sit in one of the cubicles and indicated a nurse would be along shortly.
Lizzie found the room to be dead silent. No buzzing, hissing, or any random noises.
The stillness was interrupted by the soft taps of shoes approaching.
The nurse smiled robotically and asked Lizzie to please reveal an elbow, at which time a metallic clamp extended from the rail and Lizzie’s arm was fastened in place.