There Once Were Stars

by Melanie Mcfarlane

  “If you wanted to get me on my back you didn’t have to trip me.”

  His boldness brings me back to reality. I jump off him and brush myself off, as he scrambles to get up.

  “Nat,” he speaks up, “that was a j—”

  “It’s okay,” I cut him off. The heat emanates from my face, and it’s not from running around. “It’s time we report back, don’t you think?”

  “The perimeter is safe.” Evan nods. He gives me a little push, breaking the tension, and races me to the top of the hill. I’m glad he can joke around, because I’m not used to not being in control of my feelings.

  Back at camp, everyone is already packing up their cameras and small soil samples. Waldorf frowns, as he reaches over and pulls a leaf from my hair. He shoots a look at Evan, before slipping the greenery into a small bag and sealing it up. I quickly run my hands through my locks, to check for other debris.

  “Did you find anything out there?” Roe asks.

  “No,” Evan says, a little too quickly.

  “A meadow,” I say. “It was beautiful.”

  I’m grilled about the meadow. What types of flowers were there? Were there any signs of microorganisms? I have no idea how to answer any of their questions, and Evan leans against the truck, letting me take the brunt of it all. I’m starting to think the people on my team are more than just expedition scientists. The one thing they all agree on is that our next visit must include a trip to the meadow.

  “Perhaps we could bring someone from Biological Research with us,” Roe adds.

  “I know one who would be ecstatic,” I say, thinking of Tassie.

  The drive back is bumpy. Roe advises us to put our helmets back on. It is best to not divulge too much information about the outside world before we run tests, she explains. It makes sense to me. After decontamination, we scan one another with handheld scanners that are able to pick up the infection. Everyone is clear. We enter the dome, park the trucks, and take an elevator ride back to the lab where we unload all the boxes, Roe sends us off for personal time. I look around for Evan, and see him disappear behind the elevator doors. He must have someone to see.

  I’m not sure how I feel about Evan hanging around someone else. It’s not that I’m possessive over him, or have any right to be, it’s just—what if it’s a girl? But who would be interested in an Outsider? Why do I care, anyway?

  CHAPTER 11

  I go back to my room and find Tassie lying on her bed reading a book, Plants, Then and Now. She’s oblivious to my presence concentrating deep in her book, but the second our door slides shut, she tosses the book aside and sits upright on her bed.

  “You’re back! Tell me everything!”

  I tell her about the ride out and how the sun and wind felt. I tell her how the dirt changed from sandy to dark soil, as these are points I know she’s professionally interested in. But I save the best for last, the one part I know she’ll love the most.

  “I wish you could have seen it. A green meadow, filled with wildflowers, as far as the eye could see.”

  She’s on her knees bouncing on her bed, squealing. “What kind of flowers? Did you smell them? Did you notice any other vegetation? Oh my goodness, I’m so jealous!”

  I fall back onto my bed, unable to wipe the smile from my face. My cheeks are still flushed from the fresh air and freedom.

  “And, Roe said she might take a Biological Research scientist with us next time—” I don’t get to finish my sentence; Tassie is screaming at the top of her lungs.

  “WHAAAAAAAT!” she cries out. “Are you serious? I have to go find her right now.”

  She jumps off her bed and bolts out of our bedroom, nearly knocking Evan over, who’s standing in our doorway. He freezes, with Tassie pressed against him for a little longer than necessary.

  “Hey, I’m in a hurry,” she faintly slaps her palm against his chest with a playful tone in her voice. If it wasn’t for the confused look on Evan’s face, I’d think he likes it. But he steps back and lets her run past him.

  “What was that all about?” He points his thumb after her.

  “I told her Roe might take a Bio Scientist on the next expedition.”

  “Roe is going to kill you.” Evan laughs. “Tassie will ask her every day until next week. I don’t think that girl understands ‘no’. But she’ll definitely add something to the scenery.”

  A twinge of jealousy stabs me in the chest. “I don’t care.” I wish I could change the subject. Tassie didn’t strike me as Evan’s type, but what do I really know about him?

  “I have a surprise for you,” Evan says. “That is, if you’re not busy?”

  “A surprise? You don’t have other plans?”

  “Who else would hang out with me? Come on.” He flashes me a playful smile, his eyes squinting with a flicker of mischief, then pulls me up from my bed out into the hallway.

  “Where are we going?” I ask at the elevator. He slips an ID card into my hand as we step inside and the doors slide shut.

  “What’s this?” I ask looking at the card. There’s no photo or name, it simply reads B2. I gasp and shove the card into my pocket out of the view of the cameras. My excitement is replaced by a hot burning sensation in the pit of my stomach.

  “You know what it is,” Evan whispers. “Go ahead. Try it out.”

  I look at the keypad on the elevator. There is a slit underneath the B2 button. The sharp outline of the card pushes into my skin as I clutch it tight in my palm. I look back at Evan.

  “Don’t you want to check on your grandfather?” he asks. “We need to hurry. We only have twenty minutes until the cameras are reset.”

  “Where did you get this card from?”

  “I took it off one of the guards when they moved me off that floor.” He shrugs. “Figured it might come in handy.”

  “Why would you ever want to return there?”

  Evan laughs. “Are we going to waste the little time we have chatting with each other?”

  I turn back to the keypad. Evan is right. I can grab this opportunity or keep wondering how Grandfather is. Is it so wrong to check on him? It’s not like we can break him out or anything. But breaking into B2 is a pretty big act of breaking the rules; am I ready to take my indiscretions to the next level?

  “Okay.” I reach out, my hand trembling as I put the card in the slot. Nothing happens.

  Evan reaches across me and presses the button for B2. The elevator whirs into action.

  “Don’t be scared,” he assures me. “I’ve been down there before, remember? It’s not so bad.”

  I take a deep breath and exhale. Evan reaches over and intertwines his fingers with mine. I’m too nervous to think about anything but Grandfather. Will he be down there? What if he’s hurt? The doors ding and open to B2.

  I peer out the doors to the darkened hallway beyond where silence stares back at me. Evan’s hand rests against the small of my back, but instead of comfort, it sends a tremor through my body.

  I walk down the hallway, guided by Evan. We turn a corner where dim blue lights give off enough illumination for us to find our way, their soft glow making me feel safer that I did a moment ago. I glance at Evan, moving confidently past the cells. He was down here before. He knows what to expect. I’ve only heard the rumors, but even those seem to be wrong—where are the screams?

  “What happened to you down here?” I’m not sure if I really want to know the answer, but the silence is killing my psyche.

  “I was kept in an interrogation room. I never made it to a cell.”

  “Did they—torture you?”

  “They tried.” His body stiffens, but he doesn’t let go of me. “There was nothing I could give them but the truth, but it felt like they were looking for a different kind of truth. Something that would make them feel better about what they were doing, I guess. Eventually they took me to Floor 18.”

  “I heard the Director talking about you when I was cleaning nea
r his office. He wanted you moved because you were close to the generator.”

  Evan laughs, “They asked me a lot about my intentions. Was I here to spy on them? Did I want to destroy the dome? It was all ridiculous. They found me with a backpack of food. What did they think I could do?”

  “Did they ask you about my uncle?”

  “No.” He shakes his head. “But isn’t that strange? They kept asking me who I was working with, and I said I came alone. Who do you know inside? No one, I said. I told them all about my dome and how we moved outside, but they didn’t care. They were much more concerned about why I came. I couldn’t tell them about your uncle; who knows what they would have done to you?”

  I remember Evan’s face that day on the elevator. It was bruised and he had blood on his clothes from his interrogation. He took all that, just to protect me?

  “Are we safe down here?”

  “They’re all upstairs in a meeting,”

  “How do you know that?”

  “I can’t give you all my secrets, Greyes.” Evan stops and turns to me with a wink. The door behind him is made of the same gray steel as the floor and ceilings. Everything blends together. A small window on the door reveals only darkness inside.

  “I’ll look around while you visit,” Evan says, stepping back. Before I have a chance to respond, he disappears down the hall.

  A slight shimmer of the blue light falls across the floor, into the cell. There I spot Grandfather, sitting on the floor, his head leaning back against the wall. He looks smaller than I remember, or maybe it’s the size of the room. What has it been? Two days? That’s since I arrived. Only three, then? Yes, it was the day before I left. Why does my old life seem so long ago?

  He lifts his head at the sound of the door opening. We don’t make eye contact at first. I’m not even sure he can see me.

  “Grandfather?” My whisper breaks the silence.

  “Nat?” His voice is rough, broken. He holds his arms out in front of him, clawing at the air, evidently disoriented. “Is that you?”

  “Yes, Grandfather.” I catch a sob in my throat and run over to help him up. His body feels frail in my arms, and he’s too weak to stand. Instead I sit next to him and hold him against me, as tears fill my eyes.

  “I can’t believe they let you in to see me.”

  “A friend brought me down.”

  “Don’t get into trouble on my account.” He’s still watching out for me, even in this state. “I get out tonight. Grandmother is coming to get me.”

  “You do?” Relief washes over me as tears escape onto my cheeks. “Why did they take you in the first place?”

  “Something about Alec.” He chuckles in the darkness. “I mean, can you really believe it. They asked if I had contact with him. Do I know his whereabouts? Absolutely absurd. I told them I know exactly where he is, in the ground with my other son and daughter-in-law.”

  I embrace him, glad he still has some spirit left. I don’t dare tell him Alec is alive. I’m not sure he could handle the news in his state, and I can’t be there to help him pick up the pieces. Best leave that to Grandmother.

  “I’ve been outside on an expedition.”

  “You have?” He reaches over and grabs my hand, squeezing it with his cold fingers. “Why, that’s fantastic. You’ve found your calling. What was it like?”

  “Don’t tell anyone,” I whisper. “But the radiation is gone.”

  “Amazing,” he says. “Just amazing. Do you know, someone told me that once before. I think it was your mother.”

  My mother? That’s impossible. He must be delirious.

  “Be careful, Nat.” He squeezes my hand again. “You’re all grown up now, and I won’t be around forever. Whatever you do, always be cautious. You only get one life.”

  I can’t make promises when I don’t know what’s going to happen to me once the Order finds Alec. Will they torture me like they did Evan? Will they lock me up like Grandfather?

  “Did they hurt you at all?” I change the subject.

  “Nothing I couldn’t handle,” he says. “I’ve been down here once before, long ago. I know the drill. They have to ruffle their feathers. Show who’s in charge. But I did it—I survived. I still have a few years left in these old bones.”

  Suddenly, the thought that this may be the last time I see Grandfather for a long time overwhelms me. A sob escapes, and my body shakes next to his. His fingers squeeze mine, and I force myself to gain control. Now is not the time to lose it—I wasn’t the one pressed for information.

  Evan appears at the door, illuminated by the blue light. It’s time to go. But I still have so many questions to ask—one more important than the others.

  “If you could ever leave the dome, would you?”

  Grandfather looks over at me. “I could never leave your grandmother, and you know her. She’s stubborn. She would never leave her home.”

  “What if she wanted to?”

  He pauses a moment, and then lets out a sigh. “I’m proud of you, Nat. Don’t ever forget that. No matter where life takes you, know I always wanted the best for you.”

  “I thought I lost you forever.” I wrap my arms around him. “You were the best replacement I could have ever had for a father.”

  “We have to go,” Evan whispers.

  “Save yourself. You were not meant for this life.”

  “I love you.” I hug him firmly.

  Evan grabs my hand, pulling me away. My fingers stretch toward Grandfather’s. As we reach the door, he calls out. “Don’t ever come back down here again, Nat, do you hear me? There are strange sounds down here. Screams of pure terror coming from somewhere in the darkness. Promise me. Never come back.”

  My promise escapes my lips as the door closes. Evan pulls me back down the hallway to the elevator. I don’t notice where we are going. I bury my face in his chest and mourn the loss of my old life.

  CHAPTER 12

  Evan pulls me out of the elevator onto the roof, and holds me tight. I bury my head into his chest, drowning in my grief, as he runs his hand through my hair. Did Grandfather know he may never see me again? Was he giving me permission to leave the dome?

  After a few minutes, Evan takes my face between his hands and wipes my tears from my cheeks with his thumbs. His eyebrows are drawn together as he clings to me.

  “Are you ready for your surprise?”

  “I thought that was my surprise?”

  “That was something that had to be done,” Evan says, turning my head. “This is something just because.”

  A small blanket with a basket in its center is laid out in the far corner next to the railing. Evan pulls me to spot, and I follow to the ledge, grasping the cool metal of the safety rail with my palms as I lean over and peer down. My breath catches in my throat. It’s almost as exhilarating as being outside. The patchwork of crops spreads all the way to the edge of the dome, on this side of the Axis. The workers are barely noticeable, tiny dots moving about below us. Far in the distance is the Outer Forest, my sanctuary, reaching up with its one hundred year old trees, hiding us from the outside.

  Evan reaches down to the blanket and picks up a flower. “I brought a piece of the meadow back for you.”

  He passes the flower to me and our fingers touch, sending electricity through my body. The sensation lingers after he lets go, but I can’t tear my eyes away from this single flower. He could have been caught. Why did he do this? I look up at him, to search for an answer on his face, but he’s turned away, back to the picnic.

  “I got a little bit of everything they’re serving at supper tonight.” I raise an eyebrow, still too stunned to speak. “I’ve got a friend.” His voice comes out fast, and he rubs the back of his neck. Is he nervous? I’ve never seen him act like this before.

  “You’ve got a lot of friends for a guy who just got here.” I sit across from him, in front of the food.

  He shrugs. “People like me. What can I d
o?” His gaze meets mine for a second, and then turns away as he laughs at his own joke and slides over next to me.

  “Where did you go when I was talking to Grandfather?” I ask as I bite into a piece of an orange. The sweet juices run down my chin, tickling my skin as I try to catch them with my hand.

  Evan stares as I make a mess of myself. He blinks and looks away, his cheeks red. “Those screams your grandfather mentioned. I heard them too. They happened the night I was there. They’re bloodcurdling, to say the least. When you were talking to him, I checked for other prisoners that might have been getting tortured. I couldn’t find anyone else. I don’t understand. If he heard them, too, then where are they coming from?”

  I shudder at the thought of even more people being tortured in our dome. “Maybe it’s the sounds of the generator?” I offer. “It’s only one floor above.”

  “Maybe.” Evan frowns. “The one in our dome sure doesn’t sound like that.”

  “You still have your Axis? Tell me about your dome.”

  Evan leans on his elbow, stretching his legs along the edge of the blanket. The muscles in his biceps flex under his weight. “It’s pretty much like this place. They were all designed for the same efficiency and effectiveness. I don’t think the government had much time to be creative, after the virus broke out. We still use our dome, if you can believe it. The farms were kept inside, to protect them from the elements. But the majority of people chose to rebuild their housing on the outside, where all districts are equal. There are two settlements, on opposite sides of the dome, and between them we’ve built a factory, hospital, and other public buildings to help promote more development.”

  “That’s not similar at all.”

  “Change takes time. When it comes down to it, we’re all the same people, living in different areas.”

  “Did your dome have a B2?”

  “It did.” His eyes go distant, as he plays with a piece of the blanket. “There are still troublemakers. But, back home they’re dealt with in the open, for everyone to see.”