by Anna Lewis
Erika
He’s perfection. His muscles glisten with sweat in the hot sun and his body beckons for me to touch it. I know I’m his superior in many ways. Our classes are separated, but I want him more than anything.
His eyes light up when they see me and his smile is genuine. His body does things to me I’ve only dreamed…
I can’t focus on anything else when I think of those beautiful lips covering my skin. It’s impossible.
When those awful creatures invaded, I nearly lost him. If I had, I wouldn’t be standing here. I’d be lost and wrought with sorrow, utterly destroyed. My heart belongs to him no matter where we are...even if it’s in the middle of a battlefield.
Leonard
Such an intelligent woman would want nothing to do with me, yet here she was rolling her hips against my body. We were one. No one could judge us in this space. My rough hands embraced every inch of her skin and her moans signaled me to push further…
I just wanted to make her happy, but the world was beginning to fall apart at the seams. We would have to fight through together...or lose each other forever.
Chapter One
A husky man with tan skin and sweat on his brow pulled off his shirt and wiped the beads forming on his forehead. He sighed and looked around, admiring the luscious green fields filled with all manner of vegetation. Leaning against his shovel, he looked over at his compadre and pointed up at a ship flying overhead.
“It looks like another shipment of seeds,” he commented as he slung his shirt over his shoulder.
“Indeed,” said his friend who leaned over to break the long vines keeping the pumpkins attached to the ground.
“Do you need help, Peter?” Leonard asked.
“Not at all, amigo,” Peter replied.
Leonard watched as Peter broke the vine and then seamlessly hoisted the great pumpkin over his shoulder, turning to begin heading towards the greenhouse.
“What are you doing tonight, Leonard?” Peter asked while waiting for his friend.
Raising the axe over his head, Leonard struck the vine and detached the pumpkin in one swift motion, lifting it just as easily as Peter had. The two began walking carefully up the winding path towards the greenhouse where the vegetables would be tested and weighed, then sent to the factories surrounding the field to be distributed.
“Well, I had thought about getting dinner at the café, but now I’m not so sure,” Leonard replied.
“Why is that?” Peter asked.
“I’m just not feeling terribly social,” he responded, adjusting the great pumpkin on his muscular shoulder.
“I can understand that, amigo. Would you feel better if I went with you?” Peter offered.
“Oh, I’ll be fine. I’ve got some packets at home that need to be eaten,” Leonard replied.
“Alright. Just let me know.”
The two walked steadily along the path, admiring the ships hovering overhead that were retreating for the day. In the distance, the sun was setting slowly and casting long shadows over the fields. The moon behind them loomed large in the sky, signaling the oncoming night. Leonard noticed the group of agriculture scientists inside the greenhouse who were bustling about in preparation for shutting down.
I can’t wait to head home and rest, Leonard thought. I might even skip dinner.
They reached the edge of the greenhouse and carefully placed the pumpkins in the scale. Leonard entered the weight on the keypad, and pressed his finger in the miniature black box that documented their growth for the day. The keypad displayed a gold star and beeped, congratulating him for a productive day. Leonard smiled and stepped aside to allow Peter to do the same.
“What are we harvesting tomorrow?” Leonard asked, wiping his hands on his work pants.
“I think we’re doing another round of pumpkins,” Peter replied, tapping the buttons in the keypad.
“Sounds good, amigo. I’ll see you then,” Leonard said while waving.
Leonard walked around the greenhouse and headed toward the main office, punching the numbers into the digital keypad and clicking on his name. A smiley face appeared on the digital display and wished him a good evening, Leonard offering a small grin in response.
“Good evening, computer,” he muttered as he walked through the door.
Inside, Leonard ran into another co-worked named Donnell who was wrapping his hand with gauze and an ice pack.
“Good evening, amigo. How did that happen?” Leonard asked, getting a bottle of water from the fridge.
“I must have lifted incorrectly,” Donnell explained while holding his hand steady. “I really ought to get that serum.”
“The extended life serum? It’s certainly worth the price,” Leonard explained before taking a sip of water.
The cool liquid slid down his throat and settled in his stomach, immediately hydrating him.
“I’m just afraid of losing my living wage,” Donnell said.
“They’ll debit the cost in installments from few paychecks if that works better for you,” Leonard said. “You’ll still have half to use for everything else.”
“I suppose I should do that,” Donnell said with a sigh. “Say, did you catch the game this past weekend? It looks like our province is on a winning streak.”
“Oh, I didn’t get to watch that. I was working overtime,” Leonard replied, adjusting the hat on his head.
He stared at the fridge as Donnell outlined a play by play of the game, noting how their victory was due to a mistake on the opposing team. Every so often, Leonard nodded to show Donnell he was listening even though he had long since zoned out into his own head. He was tired. The day’s labor had taken a toll on him today. That was odd considering his new found strength and resilience. He had taken the extended life serum six months prior.
For most field workers, it was recommended, having been tested for four years before finally being released to the public. Leonard was one of the first to give it a try and he had reaped the benefits ever since. He found his own muscles had nearly doubled in size and were capable of handling weight that typically required machines to transport.
“...and that wasn’t even the greatest goal since 3086 when Flank Fennegan had scored during a triple threat match,” said Donnell.
Leonard raised his eyebrows in Donnell’s direction. Donnell had a wide grin on his face from describing his favorite hockey matches.
“They didn’t even have time to shave the ice. The ground was so uneven that it was near impossible to get a goal,” he explained. “And yet we won!”
“That sounds amazing,” Leonard commented, raising the water bottle to his lips again.
The digital television on the wall announced a province-wide curfew for factory and field workers, explaining that they were doing construction in the Green and Red fields to increase the fertility of the soil.
“What do you know about that?” Donnell asked.
“Nothing thus far. My chip hasn’t alerted me of much since I got it put in,” Leonard replied.
“Mine just randomly advertises games and products,” Donnell explained. “I’ve regretted having it implanted ever since.”
“They’re useless,” Leonard said.
“Well, I wouldn’t say that too loud,” Donnell warned while grabbing his bag. “I’ll catch you tomorrow, amigo. Sleep well.”
“You, too, compadre,” Leonard said.
The room fell quiet when Donnell left, the silence ringing in Leonard’s ears as he focused back on the digital screen.
“In other news, our great province has won another victory in the world series of hockey, taking the stadium by storm as spectators stormed the field in digital drones...”
This doesn’t interest me, Leonard thought. Why am I still watching this?
As the television droned on, he exited the office and made sure the door was firmly shut behind him. The last time he had left it unchecked, his superior had threatened to fire him on the spot. After pulling the handle twice, h
e walked in the direction of the monorail which would take him straight to his apartment.
A wave of drones floated in the skies overhead and he could see faded images flash over his eyes, the chip in his right temple outlining the benefits of the new curfew. It was 6:22 PM and he had to be in his apartment by 7:15 PM, according to the news anchor. He tapped his temple twice and the images disappeared, giving him some silence until he had to turn it back on before bed.
The monorail pulled up as soon as he stepped on the platform, some late afternoon workers following him into the miniature pod. As they rolled along, most of them stared up into space, likely zoned into their own chips about the news, soap operas, or documentaries. Leonard stepped off on the third exit and walked up the cement sidewalk towards apartment C12, which housed what few belongings he owned. His eyes scanned the studio apartment and he sighed, watching the aquarium display in his window flash digital fish across the glass.
In his mind, he heard a digital female voice announce, “Curfew commencing in thirty minutes. Workers must be in their homes. Curfew commencing soon. Works must--”
Leonard tapped his temple again, sure that he had turned his chip off before stepping on the monorail. He must have been mistaken. Stepping over the threshold into the shower, he stripped and turned up the hot water. The shower head sputtered and then a steady stream of warm, soothing water fell upon his shoulders which eased his aching muscles. The next day, he would be doing the same routine, and the day after that as well. He wondered when he might be able to find himself a decent partner, a woman who would be of the same social class to greet him in their home after hours.
Perhaps a day would come when he wouldn’t feel so alone. His compadres had each found their own bit of happy in a wife, and he longed for the companionship. There was nothing more satisfying than having a family, propelling the human race forward in order to keep developing. There weren’t many women who would take a field hand as a husband, but he was sure there was a woman out there who would love him and his rough exterior.
The muscular shoulders rolled on the bed, loosening the tension in his neck. He stretched out and smiled, dreaming of a world where he had a wife and family, the house, the land, and maybe even his own growing business.
Could he have something like that? He could hardly pay for much, but he was saving little by little. He might put a deposit on a piece of land. It would secure his future family and give them a place to belong. Perhaps that was why he was feeling so down lately – he just wanted to have a family and be happy.
Soon, he thought with hope. I will have my happiness soon.
Chapter Two
A woman with long brown hair and a determined gaze bent over a variety of green plants with a baster, dipping it between leaves and squeezing a few drops of her new serum into the soil. Erika Hopper was one of the lead agricultural scientists in the greenhouse where she developed new ways to increase the size of the food before it even grows. Her seeds have been one of the most successful in the province and provide the best nutrition for growing families.
Next to Erika stood her tall Guilderan friend, her blue skin glimmering in the soft morning light. She leaned over to study the teal leaves and took notes on her touch pad.
“These are looking quite wonderful,” she commented.
“Thank you, Ulita. I’ve been working hard on this batch,” Erika said.
“I wonder if we could increase the hormonal percentage by a few notches just to get the product bigger,” Ulita said.
“Well, we don’t want to increase it too much. That would just cause the roots to tangle together and take too much water,” Erika replied.
“You’re right, amiga,” Ulita said. “Would you like for me to get the other batch ready?”
“Sí, that would be splendid,” Erika replied.
While Ulita went to the other end of the greenhouse for their supply of seeds, Erika scrolled through the charts displayed in front of her eyes using her thumb. She tapped her thumb twice on her palm to enlarge a growth chart, and smiled at her success.
This has been a good year for us, she thought.
Ulita returned with a jar of seeds and handed them to her co-worker. Erika closed the charts by tapping her palm three times and resumed normal vision. She opened the jar and pulled out a few seeds to place under the microscope.
“These are doing well. Let’s send this batch out to be planted tomorrow,” Erika said.
“Yes, ma’am,” Ulita replied. “I’ll put them on the chart list.”
Ulita looked down at her touch pad and tapped a few keys, updating the system that charted the amount of seeds sent out each day. Erika received an alert from her chip about the update and she approved it.
“So, what are your plans this evening?” Ulita asked, picking up the jar to set in the distribution window.
“I’m not sure yet. I was thinking of joining Jo and Myra down at the bar. Would you like to come with us?” Erika asked.
“That would be lovely!” Ulita responded. “Isn’t there a new one opening up soon?”
“I believe so. It’s supposed to be an exclusive club purely for higher salaries. I imagine that means more expensive drinks,” Erika replied.
Ulita giggled.
“They just want the excuse to charge more,” Ulita commented. “Besides, it might be nice to be in like-minded company.”
“I don’t mind being around the field workers,” Erika said. “I think it’s great to have a different perspective.”
“Sure, until they start drilling you with questions about your work,” Ulita said.
Erika shrugged.
“I don’t ever get tired of explaining it,” she said.
“I do,” Ulita retorted. “It just gets aggravating. They’ll say, ‘Wow! You do all that amazing science! How does it work? Where do your ideas come from?’”
“Well, when you put it that way, yeah,” Erika said. “Redundancy is quite annoying.”
“Absolutely. And they always want to know your future plans,” Ulita said.
“Like they want you to be part of them,” Erika joked.
The two laughed and went back to trimming the plants on the table, taking samples of the teal leaves to pick apart and check under the microscope. Erika checked off a few things in her touch pad and then set it on the table. She then fixed her long hair into a ponytail.
“You know, I wouldn’t mind settling down with a field worker,” Erika said.
“That would be quite a scandal,” Ulita commented.
“Why’s that?” Erika asked.
“You’re from a higher class which means your standards should be higher than a field worker,” Ulita replied.
“I mean, they’re good workers and they’re loyal. Their genetics are up to speed and none of them suffer from any disease. Strong genes are good for moving forward, right?” Erika asked rhetorically.
“Of course, but you should really mate with someone like Gregory Mets,” Ulita said. “He’s just too dreamy to be single.”
“Our superior? No way!” Erika said, playfully pushing Ulita’s blue arm. “Come on, Ulita. He’s such a strange man.”
“But he has a great salary, a lovely home, and you can’t go wrong with how handsome he is. You two would have spectacular babies,” Ulita said.
Erika blushed, waving her hand and pushing a lock of hair behind her ear that had escaped her hair tie.
“Please,” she said. “Me? Have babies?”
“Aw, Erika! You would make such an excellent mother. You’re so nurturing of your own plants. I’m willing to bet your children would get much of the same care, amiga,” Ulita said.
Erika smiled wide, looking out the window to study the fields filled with figures.
“I suppose I might be interested in parenting one day,” she said, her eyes completely lost in the haze of green that was quickly filling up the bare field. She shook her head. “But I can’t think about that right now.”
“Sure you c
an,” Ulita said. “Why don’t you ask Gregory out for a drink tonight?”
“But we’re having a girls’ night,” Erika replied. “Let’s have some fun first. I don’t want to worry about dates.”
“Fair enough. Can you pass me that beaker?” Ulita asked.
“Of course,” Erika responded.
The two went back to their work and soon it was past noon, the sun was glittering through the glass of the window as Ulita went out for a break. Erika watched as she walked away and straightened her apron, brushing a bit of soil off the pockets. She turned to her touch pad and shut it off. It was time for a break. She went to the microwave and pushed the tea button, waiting patiently as a mug appeared and was filled with hot chamomile.
Just as Erika was sitting down with her cup of tea, an alert went off from her chip and she blinked twice to check it.
“Factory G packaging malfunction. Maintenance required.”
Sighing, Erika set her cup of tea down and tapped her thumb against her palm to accept the alert. She stood from her chair, brushed her apron straight, and then grabbed a flash drive from the cabinet that held maintenance data for Factory G. Placing it in her pocket, she checked her reflection and smiled, pushing a loose lock of hair behind her ear. The eyes staring back at her were a honey golden brown that glowed in the afternoon light shining through the windows. Dark brown bangs hung low over her brows, nearly getting into her eyes until she shook them out of her vision.
I ought to get my hair cut, she thought while fixing her pony tail. These bangs are way too long. I have to pin them back just to see anything.
Erika checked her pockets before heading out the door, making sure her phone and the flash drive were in the same pocket. She shut the door firmly behind her and set the lock on the keypad. Factory G was just a twenty minute walk from the greenhouse and the air was filled with the beautiful smell of clean, fresh soil. It was a fine day for a walk and Erika hoped it might raise her spirits for the rest of the day.
Chapter Three
The pathway was lined with colorful flowers, each of them varying in height and hue. They filled the air with the intoxicating scent they gave off and Erika stopped to admire one of the purple ones that smelled like lavender. She inhaled deep and sighed contentedly. The sweet scent left a smile on her lips that last most of her journey to Factory G. Just a hundred yards away from the entrance, she spotted a rugged man carrying a massive pumpkin who appeared unmoved by the sizable object on his shoulders.