80

by Aaron Denius

  “You are safe. That's all that matters. Now calm down and sit back,” says the man piloting the Fly. Though he’s sitting down, I can tell he is the tallest of us all.

  “Don't mind Nathan. He's just cranky,” the big man quips.

  I get a better look at him, and the recognition clicks. He was at the entrance of the dungeon, one of the doctors that helped me after I was shot. I search my memory for his name. “Farouk?”

  “In the flesh. I wasn't sure you'd remember.” He chuckles. “That's Nathan up front, and these two lovely ladies are Paz and Erin.”

  “Pleasure to meet you,” the bigger lady, Paz, responds. Her cheeks flush with red as she looks at Farouk. Erin looks at me and smiles.

  Their welcoming demeanor puts me at ease. I feel comfortable enough to relax back into my seat. “So, where are we going?”

  “South, to a different part of Africa. A city called Nairobi. There’s a bunker being built there for two of the Genesys,” Farouk responds.

  I'm pretty sure I already know the answer to my next question, but I ask anyway. “Why do they need a bunker?”

  “So they can survive the Ragnarok,” Paz interjects.

  “Does the Ragnarok have to happen?” I press a little further.

  Farouk's large hand squeezes my shoulder again. Stronger this time than before, causing me to wince. His kind eyes are gone, and now there is a fire behind them. “That's enough questions.”

  His tone tells me that I should be quiet until we reach our destination. I sit back in my seat and look out the window to the terrain miles below. It's stunning—various green colors as far as I can see, and a giant body of blue water that breaks up the green. When I look back toward where we came from, I can see what looks like a gigantic pyramid covered in white. It doesn't look like the pyramid that Atom and I ran to. The green runs up to the edge of the white. It looks natural.

  As I take in this beauty, I begin to realize that it will all be gone if the Ragnarok occurs, and if it miraculously survives, there will be no one around to appreciate it. I wish Atom could see this. It would make him try harder to stop the scientists. I am disgusted toward the people sitting around me on this craft. Do they not see what I see when they look out their windows? Have they so readily accepted their fate? I want to scream at them, tell them that they’re making a big mistake.

  The Fly makes a sharp right turn, which presses my head harder against the window. The clear sky has become hazier and cloudier. The clouds are brown and gray and reach to the ground. Soon they engulf us, thick and filthy. As the Fly navigates through, the clouds drag across the windows.

  I can tell by the way my stomach rises to my chest that we are losing altitude, moving closer to the ground. A small break in the clouds reveals the city below. It is more run-down than the one back by the compound in Cairo. Very few buildings seem to be standing in their entirety. Fires rise high everywhere I can see. Bodies and trash litter the ground. It's only a matter of time before the fires reach them. I see people scattered about, walking around, perhaps looking for food. Some have resorted to eating the dead. As beautiful as the views were minutes ago, what I see now makes my stomach burn, and I wish I had closed my eyes. I can't look away, though. I can't even blink. Each image I see is worse than the previous one.

  Suffering and death are everywhere, and I imagine it's the same the whole world over. A part of me begins to understand the reason behind the Ragnarok, but still, they have no right to decide the fate of so many.

  As the clouds begin to surround us once more, I notice two figures in a small clearing—an older man and a little girl. The man holds a diamond-shaped piece of cloth that is attached to a piece of rope the girl is holding. He throws the cloth in the air as the girl runs. The cloth flies behind her for a few moments before it falls back to the ground. The man hustles to the cloth, and they try again. I climb on my chair to get a better view, but Farouk pushes me back down. I swear that I saw them smiling.

  Through the filth, suffering, and death, they are still finding happiness. If they can find it, so can others. My anger turns to frustration. I wish there was something I could do. The least I can do is stop helping the scientists. The first chance I get, I'm leaving the bunker. I got a second chance; the outsiders deserve one too. Let them try. Let them fight for a better life.

  The Fly slows down as we approach a large building shaped like a bowl. The clouds are patchy in this part of the city, and there aren't many buildings near this giant structure. Nathan pilots the Fly into the bowl and lands it on the dirt field in the middle.

  “Everybody out!” he commands.

  Without a word, Farouk opens the door, and we all jump out of the craft. The second we are a few feet away from the Fly, Nathan lifts it back into the air and takes off in the direction from which we came.

  “He's not staying?” I ask no one in particular.

  “He has other things he needs to attend to,” Farouk replies as he, Paz, and Erin walk past me toward the side of the structure.

  “What is this place?” I hustle to catch up.

  “It used to be a stadium.” Paz answers.

  I don't know what that means, but as I look around, I notice that I am encircled by a long set of steps that reach high into the sky. I also see drones patrolling different parts of the structure. Most are at the top of the bowl, looking out toward the city. None of them have any idea of the fate that awaits them. Their eyes were not made to reflect inward. They don't wonder; they don't ask questions. I hate that I was once like that. I never want to be like them again.

  Lost in my thoughts, I don't realize that Farouk has stopped in front of me, and I run into him. His back feels like a brick wall to my face.

  “Go ahead,” he tells the other two. Paz and Erin continue. When they’ve put some distance between us, he turns to me. “Listen, kid, no one here knows that you've changed. They think you were security for our trip here. Don't do anything out of the ordinary or stupid. Act normal.”

  “What's normal?” I press.

  “Be like the rest of them.” He points to various drones.

  “No!” I'm shocked by his request.

  He grabs me by my shoulder and brings his face eye-level with mine. “I pulled a lot of string to get you here, kid. They would have kept you in that dungeon had I not personally asked for you. Now, you will listen to what I tell you unless you want to get yourself killed.”

  The way he looks at me makes me cower. Farouk is either gentle and happy or fully enraged. He doesn't seem to ever fall between the two extremes.

  “Fine.” I pull away from him. I guess I don't have much choice. This place looks like a fortress, and sneaking out will be a challenge. It might be a while before I can find the right opportunity to leave.

  Farouk stares at me for a few seconds longer, making sure everything he's said is sinking in; then he turns around and heads toward a tunnel at the side of the structure. I follow him in, and after momentary darkness, my eyes adjust to my surroundings. We walk through a series of concrete corridors, passing multiple drones and some other scientists. The drones stare at me as they walk by. Even if they can't sense that I'm different, they can tell I'm not entirely the same because of the eye patch covering half my face. I don't know how Farouk expects me to blend in when I so clearly don't. Even some of the scientists seem to be looking at me more than I'm used to.

  “Farouk!” a female voice shouts out from behind us. Farouk and I turn toward the source. Walking toward us with the aid of a long stick is an older woman with short, solid gray hair. She looks like someone who hasn’t had a good day in years.

  “Lucie, look at you! Have you gotten younger? You look great!” Farouk's demeanor switches back to the jovial side of the spectrum, though it’s apparent to me that it’s forced. He darts his eyes at me, giving me a look that reminds me of what he told me in the field.

  I step back and do my best to be a drone again. It all seems so foreign, and I am not yet comfortable in my skin.
The longer I stand still, the more obvious I feel that I look like an imposter. I’m thankful that Lucie doesn't seem to care enough to even glance over at me.

  “So glad to have you here. I've missed very few folks back in Egypt, but you were one of them.” Lucie smiles. The smile looks as if she never learned how to do it properly and feels awkward whenever she does.

  “I'm very missable,” Farouk chuckles.

  “Who is this?” She motions her head toward me without actually looking. I get nervous and stiffen up. They both begin to walk. I follow behind them.

  I try to listen in on their conversation, but I can't make out every word. Farouk tells her how I was injured and how he kept me alive so that he could monitor any potential changes in me. He tells her how I've been a little more curious about my surroundings. He's only telling her part of the truth, and hasn't mentioned how Atom saved me. I feel more aware than curious. She seems skeptical but doesn't object. Farouk tells her that he wants me to have my room not far from his. That I should be integrated into the drones here. She then asks him why all the conditions and why bother with the research. He responds that after the Ragnarok, there is a strong chance that a lot of the drones will survive. Farouk wants to know how us drones will react and what we will do after.

  Is that the only reason I’m here? So that Farouk can study me? At least there is a chance that I will survive. There is a chance that others will survive. This gives me hope. It shouldn't be an issue; the Ragnarok should not happen, but if it does, not all will be lost. That hasn't changed my mind about leaving, though. I still won't help.

  We turn down another hallway and Lucie stops. She looks at me and then to Farouk. “There are a couple of rooms in this corridor.”

  “Perfect.” Farouk smiles at her.

  “He can have this room.” She opens the door to the room.

  Farouk pushes me forward and into the room. “There you go, kid.”

  “Thank you,” escapes my mouth. Farouk smiles, but Lucie scowls at me. She doesn't like me. Not that I care. She won't have to deal with me once I'm gone.

  “Just hang tight. I'll come and talk to you later.” He shuts the door as he faces Lucie. “Where can I get some…”

  I stare at the door for a couple of seconds until I can hear that they have left. As much as I want to throw it open and run out, I know that now is not the time. I'll wait until it's nighttime, when Farouk and most everyone else will be asleep. I step back and look at my surroundings. There is a small table with some of those books that Atom had in his room at the compound. I don't know what they say. The middle of the room has a bed, which looks fantastic after sleeping on the dungeon's floor.

  I slide myself on top of the blankets and am hugged by softness. My body relaxes into the contours and thanks me by making me shiver.

  If my body is to be ready for whatever lies outside of this structure, this stadium, then it needs to rest. It doesn't take a lot of convincing for me to fall asleep.

  The darkness breaks when I'm in the middle of the field where the Fly landed. It's quiet, but when I look around, I see that thousands of drones are sitting around the stadium's inside walls, all the way to the top. The silence makes me uneasy.

  Words come out of my mouth: “I am 80.”

  Every drone surrounding me stands up and screams. The booming sound scares my eyes open, and I'm back in the cloud-like bed. I don't know what these visions I keep having in my sleep are, but they feel so real. Each one of them has had me standing in front of thousands of drones. I don't know what that's supposed to mean.

  I sit up and decide that I can no longer be here even if night hasn't come yet.

  Looking around, I don't see anything that I could use as a weapon if I needed to. The leg of the table catches my attention, so I get up and push the books off. The table is heavy since it is solid metal, but I manage to flip it over. A set of nuts and screws hold each leg to the tabletop.

  I attempt to unscrew the bolt to one leg, but it's on too tight. After trying the other three, I settle on one leg and begin to shake it back and forth to loosen it up. My hands bleed as I alternate between twisting the bolt and shaking the leg. Sweat rolls from my brow to the corners of my mouth. The saltiness reminds my stomach that I haven't eaten in a while. I push through the ache in my stomach and the pain in my hands, and finally get the bolt off.

  The leg is now free and in my hand. I fall back onto the bed to catch my breath and regroup my thoughts. The skin has shredded around my fingers. They would have killed me for this injury back at the compound in Egypt. Easier for them to create a replacement than mend me.

  Anger rises through my body, masking the hunger and pain. It's now or never!

  I stand and head to the door. The second I open it, Farouk's giant hand smacks my chest. I take a swing with the table leg, but his other hand blocks the attack, and he rips the leg from my grasp. With one quick motion, his leg comes up to meet my stomach, and he kicks me back onto the bed. Air struggles to enter and leave my body, and I curl up.

  Farouk slams the door behind him. When I look up, I see that he's smiling down at me. He's not angry, and for some reason, that scares me more than if he was.

  CHAPTER III

  “Listen, kid.” Farouk sits on the bed next to me. “I know what you are thinking about doing. Don't.”

  “What are you talking about?” I try to play naive, but I can tell that he knows.

  “You were going to run away.” He smiles at me. This one has warmth behind it.

  I sit back in the bed, embarrassed and ashamed. “I'm sorry. I can't help with anything that will destroy this world and the people in it. I know I was created not to care, to not even think about it. But I can't help it. I don't want to die. I don't want anyone else to die.”

  My eyes burn from trying to hold in tears. I don't want to show Farouk any more weakness than I already have.

  “I know. I don't want anyone to die either,” he says. I look up at him, surprised by his words. He puts his hand on my shoulder, and the gesture calms me enough to allow some tears to fall.

  He continues, “If you want to change things, you need to stay here. You need to immerse yourself here and not stand out too much. You're already different, so you need to tread lightly and not draw attention to yourself. I will help you, and together we can change the fate of the world.”

  I'm speechless. I thought all scientists were in favor of the Ragnarok, but it's clear Farouk is not. I wonder how many others there are who think like him. Why haven't they tried to stop it already? What exactly does he want me to do?

  “You'll get the answers to your questions in time.” He cuts off my thoughts. They must have been evident on my face.

  “So, what do I do now?” I'm eager to get started.

  “Get some rest. Tomorrow you will be assigned a duty with other drones. You do the best you can to blend in. Get to know this place. I'll tell you the plan soon enough.” Farouk stands and heads to the door.

  “Okay.” It frustrates me that I have to be a drone again, but I guess I don't have a choice.

  “You can trust me.” He smiles as he walks out, closing the door behind him.

  Silence pierces my ears. So many thoughts race through my head that I can't focus on a single one. I stare at the door for what seems like an eternity, part of me still eager to leave. If I tried, however, I know Farouk would be waiting for me on the other side.

  Lying back on the bed, I see the books that adorn the ground around the table I flipped over. I grab the two closest to me and lie on my stomach. The first one has a picture of a hand with its thumb out and a smiling green face on its cover. The plastic pages inside have nothing but words on them. I look at the words on the first page, but I can't figure out what they are. Frustrated, I close the book and toss it toward the pile by the table. It lands with a thud.

  The second book has some pictures on the inside. There are words as well, but the images are intriguing. Most of them are of immense structures lik
e this one. Stadiums. Some have a rectangular shape. Others have very odd shapes, with dirt diamonds to one edge.

  Some of the images have small figures on the fields that resemble people. They look like they might be playing Breekbal or something similar.

  I flip through every page, studying each image. The people on the fields are always split into two colors. I can make out what seems to be balls in some of the pictures. All of these are giving me the urge to play Breekbal. I wonder if the drones here know how to play?

  My eyes are heavy, and I know sleep is right around the corner. I welcome it with open arms.

  Through the darkness of sleep, I hear a light pounding growing louder. My eyes shoot open as the continuous sound becomes unbearable. The door is the culprit. I rise and open it, revealing two drones.

  “Are you 80?” one of the drones pries.

  “Yes.” I stand my ground.

  The other drone shoves a bundle of clothing at me. “Put these on.”

  I toss them on the bed and see that they are identical to what they are wearing: Long-sleeve, blue shirts, and brown pants. I remove the clothes that I now realize I've had on since before I was in the dungeon. My body shivers when I put on the new shirt and pants. Clean garments have a way of sitting with gentle care on your body, tickling the hair on your skin.

  “What are your names?” I try to break the tension. There is a definite wall between us, and if I am to blend in the way Farouk wants me to, I need to break it down.

  The drones look at each other, surprised by the question.

  “210,” the first replies.

  “99,” adds the second. “Let's go.”

  They walk down the corridor and I follow, closing the door to my room behind me. I try to take note of every turn we take, but by the time we get outside, I have lost track of the numerous lefts and rights. It doesn't help that the corridors' walls are all the same color, unlike back at the compound. It will take me a few times before I get accustomed to this maze.