by Anna Lewis
“You, too, amiga,” Leonard said.
Disappointed, Leonard walked in the direction of the recreational center where he typically showered after work to get the grime of the day off his body. He grabbed a fresh towel from the warmers and stepped into a stall, pushing the digital buttons for a warm shower. The hot water fell over his muscles and soothed his aching body, his chip alerting him that his energy levels were low.
The words scrolled across his eyes. Alert: energy levels depleted. Nourish immediately. He tapped his temple to turn it off.
“I’ll get food in a minute,” he said out loud.
A few men entered the washroom and occupied the other stalls, talking loudly about the harvest and the curfew.
“We can’t even go grab a pint. I could really use a cerveza here soon,” said one.
“I’m sure the curfew will be lifted within a week. They never last long,” said another.
“Did you see the new seeds they gave us? They glow if you look close enough,” said one.
“I’m sure you’re hallucinating, Steve,” said the other.
“No, I swear!”
Leonard chuckled to himself and pushed the digital button for soap, allowing the white foam to coat his body before pushing the button to rinse. When he was finished, he shut the system off and grabbed his towel, carefully patting his sore skin dry. He wrapped the towel around his waist and went to the locker area where he quickly dressed and headed for the dining hall. Peter joined him on the way.
“Greetings, amigo,” he said while patting Leonard’s shoulder. “How are you?”
“I’m fine. How about yourself, Petey?” Leonard asked.
“Doing just fine. It’s been a great day. I’m excited for our next hockey match. I think the province is heading next door to the Freya region,” Peter replied.
“That sounds fantastic,” Leonard said as they entered the hall.
It was bustling with life, the tables lined with men who all worked in the same field and greeted each other happily. Leonard and Peter grabbed trays and walked through the assembly line, pushing buttons and watching as food appeared on their trays. They took a seat at the far end of the dining hall and immediately dug in, Leonard tapping his temple to tune into the news that was about to air.
Recent studies have suggested a distant neighboring planet has life forms. Such life forms had only been rumored, but now Horrtian scientists have confirmed their existence. The Horrtians had been observing the planet, monitoring for any signs of life. Their observations revealed that the planet had been harboring a different species altogether which may emerge shortly. We have Horrtian scientist Wakulai Moniger on the line with his thoughts…
“Well, that’s interesting,” Peter commented before taking another bite of his bread.
“Another species?” Leonard asked. “I thought we knew all the species in the area. We already have a few inhabiting earth like the Horrtians and the Guilderans.”
“It just goes to show that we still don’t know everything,” Peter commented. “We’re still learning, especially now when we have practically everything we could possibly need.”
“But it still doesn’t make sense. How could a species hide when we’ve scoured most of our galaxy?” Leonard asked.
Peter shrugged while chewing.
“Again, we really don’t know everything. We just think we do,” he responded.
“I guess that’s true,” Leonard said.
The two finished their meals in silence. They returned their trays to the washer, then headed for the door with another group of men.
“I’ll see you mañana, Pete,” Leonard said.
“Alright, amigo. Sleep well,” Peter said while heading in the opposite direction.
Leonard waved goodbye, then walked the length of the trail towards the monorail that would take him home. He boarded a pod and held on to the strap above him, wishing he had snapped a picture of Erika when they were talking. He hadn’t seen her all day, but then again there didn’t seem to be any reason for them to come into contact. The only reason they’d met was that there had been an emergency in Factory G, which had the same path he used daily.
I could make an emergency, he thought. Perhaps I could tweak one of the wires in there so we run into each other.
It would certainly make Erika check on the factory, but he didn’t want to cause a scene. He knew the cameras were up in the corners watching for intruders. There could be a way to pay for a hacker to do the same thing, but that would be too costly. Leonard reasoned that it might be better to leave it to fate.
The pod came to a slow halt and Leonard stepped on the platform that would lead him to his apartment. He pressed his code into the keypad and walked inside, the aquarium in the window turning on immediately. It instantly comforted him. Another round of news came from his chip. He tapped his temple to switch off the news, then lay back on his bed with his hands behind his head. It had been a long day and he wanted the silence of his apartment. Nothing but the sound of gurgling of the aquarium filled the small room. His eyes turned to look at the aquarium that was glowing a deep teal.
He studied the digital fish that floated in the tank and smiled as they danced between the digital seaweed and coral. It made him miss the ocean. Perhaps Erika would join him for a trip soon when he received his vacation days.
That is if I ever get the courage to ask her, he thought. I’ve never felt so shy before. What kind of spell has she put me under?
As he picture her beautiful smile and those gorgeous brown eyes, he slipped into a happy state of sleep. He dreamed of walking with her along the sand. His fingers intertwined with hers, feeling the warmth radiating from her hand. One finger trailed along his shoulder and he sighed contentedly, waves of water splashing over his feet as they walked through the wet sand.
He turned to look at her and smiled wide, squeezing her hand as they continued to walk. A flock of birds cried overhead and they both looked up to see the gorgeous white feathers fluttering about. While they strolled in silence, a soft beep came from the distance accompanied by a red light. It persisted to grow louder until Leonard turned to ask Erika where the noise was coming from. Within moments, his eyes popped open and he was wide awake staring at the ceiling. The beep was from his chip. It was time to get up for work.
***
Across town, Erika was waking to the same beeping sound from her chip. She opened her eyes and looked over at the digital clock next to her bed while yawning. Pushing off the sheets, she pressed her bare feet to the tiles and recoiled at the coldness. She pushed a button on a keypad near her bed to warm the floor. Once it was to her desired temperature, she smiled and pressed a few buttons on the keypad to get coffee and pancakes ready in the kitchen.
When she stood, she stretched her arms up over her head and exhaled, bending over to touch her toes. She stood from the bed and went into the bathroom to run a warm shower and then stripped her clothes away. After a lengthy shower, she went into the kitchen in a towel and served herself coffee, munching on a few pancakes before getting dressed.
In just a few short moments, Erika had cleaned up and was out the door with her purse to catch the cab with Ulita. Her blue Guilderan friend was waiting in the cab, tapping rapidly into her phone.
“Buenos dias,” she said.
“Hola, Ulita,” Erika said.
“It’s a lovely day, isn’t it?” Ulita asked.
“Indeed,” Erika replied.
“We should do lunch today out in the park,” Ulita suggested.
“Claro,” Erika said. “I would love that.”
The cab pulled up to the greenhouse and the two women exited, leaving a tip through their chips by pressing their palms. The driver nodded and wished the women a good day, then drove off to pick up another set of workers. Erika tapped the keypad to unlock the door to the greenhouse, and they went inside.
“What are we working on today?” Ulita asked.
“Let’s focus on those zucchinis you
were struggling with yesterday. I think working on that formula would benefit the next batch,” Erika replied.
“Great. I’ll get it started,” Ulita said.
Immediately, Ulita set up the zucchini plants on the counter and Erika went to work putting the formula together. She added the main ingredients and then stepped aside as Ulita began dropping in different colorful liquids. After the formula settled, they carefully watered the soil of the zucchini and held up the touch pad to record the results. In a few short moments the zucchini grew into its regular size and then tripled, finally falling over from the table. The two women giggled and lifted it from the ground, then placed it back on the table.
“Well, that was bigger than expected,” Ulita commented.
“Certainly. I think this formula might get the green light,” Erika said.
Just as Erika was about to praise the formula in her notes, the zucchini began to grow even larger and made the table buckle beneath its weight. Ulita sprang into action, grabbing the serum to make the growth stop and essentially kill the hormones. Erika sighed.
“Well, so much for that,” she said.
Ulita giggled.
“It could have been worse,” she commented.
“How?” Erika asked.
“It could have exploded,” Ulita replied.
Erika laughed.
“I guess you’re right,” she said. “I just wish it would have worked.”
“We’ll keep tweaking the formula until it’s just right,” Ulita said.
“Wise words, amiga. Let’s get it done,” Erika said.
Time passed quickly as they went to work editing their original formula, Erika pinning back her bangs in order to focus on the exact measurements the formula required. Ulita mixed together a few liquids and added it to the main beaker, watching as the mixture bubbled up and then settled. They ran a few trials with different liquids, each one causing the zucchini to grow far too much than they wanted. By midday, Erika was ready to give up.
“I think we should go for a break. This has been an exhausting trial,” Erika commented.
“I agree. Let’s grab something to eat and then head to the park,” Ulita said.
“Great idea,” Erika said.
They grabbed their bags and went to the dining hall to grab a packed lunch, then walked across the fields to the park on the other end. Erika looked up at the beautiful blue sky filled with ships. She bit into her sandwich, smiling at a passing starship.
“It’s just too nice out to work inside,” she commented while picking up her water bottle.
“I know, but we need to get that formula down before the end of the week,” Ulita said while munching on a carrot. “Mr. Mets said he wants the results in his email as soon as the sun sets on Friday.”
“You’re right. I suppose we should get it done early so we can take a day off,” Erika said.
“That sounds like a great idea. Let’s do that,” Ulita said.
When they were finished eating, they collected their waste, then returned to the greenhouse to dispose of their waste and continue working on the formula. Erika’s chip beeped. An alert for Factory G appeared.
“Who in the world keeps messing with Factory G’s functions?” Erika asked out loud.
“What?” Ulita asked, looking up from her beaker.
“I sent in a maintenance request yesterday for one of the conveyer belts and apparently it’s still malfunctioning,” Erika replied. “I have to go check it out.
“Good luck,” Ulita called.
“I’ll need it. I swear somebody is just messing with that thing,” Erika said while heading out the door.
The flash drive was safely in her apron pocket and she walked quickly up the path towards Factory G. In the distance, Erika noticed Leonard approaching with a massive squash on his shoulders. She smiled, raising her hand to her face in an effort to hide the blush that was beginning to appear.
“Good day, ma’am,” Leonard said when he got closer.
“Hola, Leonard. How are you doing?” Erika asked.
“I’m doing well. How about yourself?” he asked in return.
“I’m doing well. There’s another malfunction in Factory G,” Erika replied.
“Those pesky machines seem to be giving you a hard time,” Leonard joked.
Erika laughed nervously and continued walking, shoving her hands in her pockets. Her left pocket held her phone and--
“Ma’am?”
Turning slowly, Erika noticed the flash drive sitting between Leonard’s fingers, his hand outstretched to her with a sly smile.
“You seem to have dropped this,” he said.
Erika smiled politely and slowly grabbed the flash drive to place in her pocket. She looked down to make sure it didn’t have a hold. If there was no hole for it to fall through, then how did he manage to get a hold of it? It was quite a trick.
“Oh,” Erika said. “Thank you again.”
“Of course,” Leonard replied.
As Erika turned to walk away, she kicked herself for not saying anything. She walked a few feet and then heard Leonard clear his throat. When she turned around, she found her had set the squash down on the ground and was holding his hands together.
“Would you maybe care to join me for dinner?” he asked sweetly, shining his debonair smile.
Erika beamed.
“I would love to!” she replied. “Tomorrow evening? Reventes’ Palace?”
“That sounds absolutely wonderful,” Leonard replied. “Shall we go right after work?”
“Sure. I’d like that,” Erika responded with a shy smile.
“Great. I’ll see you then,” Leonard said, lifting the squash up on to his shoulders.
Elated, Erika watched the brawny man walk away and stop in the middle of the pathway. He turned and winked in her direction, sending goosebumps across her arms even under the warm rays of the sun. When he continued walking, Erika turned around and excitedly walked towards Factory G. She tapped her code into the keypad and walking inside. She caught her reflection in part of the machinery and smiled.
Elation filled her like a helium balloon, expanding her stomach and causing her arms and legs to feel weightless. She went through the motions of running the diagnostic and setting up a maintenance call for the next morning. After finishing up, she walked back out into the humid air and held out her arms towards the skies. She had never felt such happiness prior to this moment, at least not since she graduated from agricultural school.
A number of drones flew by and she waved at them. She didn’t care how silly it might look. She was just happy, the incredible feeling pulsing through her veins and causing her to double over with giggles as she sprinted back towards the greenhouse. Ulita was inside adding a few touches to the nearly completed formula. She stared at Erika who was brimming with confidence.
“Are you alright?” Ulita asked. “You look like you won something.”
“Oh, it’s nothing,” Erika replied. “I’m just happy today.”
“Come on. Nobody looks that happy unless they got laid,” Ulita said jokingly.
“I mean, that’s certainly a possibility,” Erika said.
Ulita’s blue eyes went wide.
“Did you just ask our Mr. Mets?!” she asked.
Erika shook her head.
“No way!” she cried. “I’ve just been asked out, actually.”
“By who?!” Ulita asked, nearly shrill.
“A guy,” Erika replied.
“What guy?” Ulita asked. “Come on, amiga. Don’t leave me hanging here.”
“His name is Leonard,” Erika responded. “And we’re having dinner tomorrow evening.”
Ulita squealed.
“Praise the Guilderan King! I can’t believe you have a date,” Ulita said.
“Can’t believe it?” Erika asked playfully.
Ulita rolled her eyes.
“You know what I mean. Congrats, amiga. I’m happy for you,” Ulita said with a smile.
/> Erika beamed.
“Me too.”
***
During lunch the next day, Leonard sat with his friend Peter and munched on a protein sandwich with a side of pickles. They were discussing their vacation plans and Leonard mentioned the beach.
“The beach?” Peter scoffed. “Why would you go to the beach when you can send yourself past Pluto?”
“I think it would be lovely,” Leonard said. “I enjoy the sound of the ocean and the way the sand feels.”
“Most of the sand has been either cleaned or replaced since the oil spill of 3065,” Peter commented.
“I realize that,” Leonard said. “But it would still be amazing to go, especially with a lovely lady.”
“Oh?” Peter asked, raising his eyes.
Leonard smiled and looked down at his tray, recalling how gorgeous Erika had looked when he had asked her to dinner. He pushed some of the pickles around.
“Alright, who is it?” Peter asked.
While setting down his sandwich, Leonard picked up a napkin and wiped his hands. He shrugged.
“Her name is Erika,” he replied. “And she’s absolutely beautiful.”
“Yeah? Does she work here?” Peter asked.
“She does. She’s the head scientist in the greenhouse,” Leonard replied.
“Oh really? She sounds like a high class lady,” Peter commented.
“She’s certainly up there, but I think she’s lovely. Her smile lights up the field, I swear,” Leonard said, looking out the window at the green grass decorated with a bountiful harvest.
“You’re not worried about her being your superior?” Peter asked.
“Should I be?” Leonard asked in return.
Peter shrugged.
“I don’t think so. Some folks might have some words about it, but I wouldn’t worry about it,” Peter said.
“Words?” Leonard asked.
“Well, yeah. You two are different.”
“How so?”
“You’re a field worker and she’s a scientist. That’s pretty different, amigo.”
“It’s not like she’s a fish and I’m a bird.”
“You might as well be.”
Leonard frowned.