by Dayton Grey
Geon couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He had known something was off since he woke up. He had felt it. But to hear it from the daughter of actual CARE members was shocking and appalling. It was more than he could process all at once.
“There is more than that going on, some of which even I do not know the details of. For example, that fish paste that you eat every day on Ancia? Do you know what it is?”
The four shook their heads and Geon could almost taste the terrible flavor in his mouth.
“Well, CARE has these giant secret facilities on Ancia. They are usually disguised as abandoned warehouses and are usually close to the Open. If the people on Ancia knew about them, they would likely overrun them to get to the food, so they stay a secret. They are fish processing factories. They harvest and grow cloned fish there. CARE found a way to engineer fish that can survive on their manufactured food and grow without the aid of direct sunlight. They use artificial ultraviolet lighting and feed them a mix of vitamins and our waste products until they are ready to be butchered.”
“Sounds… unappetizing,” Sabien said, a scowl on his face.
“It does, I know. But it’s all we have, and to be honest, it’s infinitely better than what you have. That’s not the worst part though. They butcher the fish and send the best part of the fish meat to CARE members, like my family. They then take the residual carcasses and put them through a machine that pulverizes the scales, fat, guts, bones, and other inedible parts into a semi-liquid, sludge. Then they add some synthetic fillers and a minimal amount of essential nutrients into it and create that paste. It’s then flash-heated to kill the bacteria and then dumped into tubs and sent to the residents of Ancia for your enjoyment. They call it SFISH. It’s despicable.”
SFISH. That sounds about right.
“Unbelievable,” Allea said. “I thought that… that all of Earth’s residents were the same. I thought we were all eating the same food and trying to survive.”
Sabien agreed and nodded. “It seemed so much easier to force it down when we knew, or we thought we knew, that it was the only food source and that everyone had to deal with it. This is just infuriating, though. Aside from Kumuki, no one else can stand the stuff!”
Kumuki looked down, sheepishly and mumbled, “It’s not that bad.”
The selfishness of CARE is unbelievable. To feed the residents of Ancia those scraps like we were animals… it’s wrong.
“And on top of that, I have heard from my parents’ conversations that the conditions of the workers at these factories is deplorable. They have to live onsite at the factories, work non-stop every day, and eat the same fish sludge that you eat. They are never allowed to talk about their work to an outsider. They are taken away from their families and controlled by CARE as if they were prisoners. If they try to leave, or escape, they… they…”
“Are sent away,” Geon finished for her, seeing that she was visibly affected by the conversation. She nodded and feigned a small smile.
“So, the question is, what can we do about all this? Now that we know the truth, it’s hard to live with it as a secret,” Sabien said angrily.
“Yes, Sabien,” Aurora said. “It is the big question for which I do not have an answer. We know something must be done, but we must carefully think and plan it out, else we too will be caught. CARE is everywhere. Their branches control every human in all parts of the globe, with exception to those living in isolation, like the Dissenters. But the local branch in this city is the heart of CARE. And at the top, is Lasenter… the brain of CARE. They are a powerful organization and they prey on our weakness and dependency on them to help us survive. If only we all knew we could survive without them. And if only we all knew the truth about them.”
“We have to be careful,” Allea said, nodding at Aurora. “We need to spend some time thinking about how this all affects us and see if there is anything we can do. But I agree. Something must be done.”
“I agree,” Geon said. “How can we possibly sit and do nothing after learning about this? Together we’re stronger,” he said, looking at Aurora and smiling.
Aurora nodded and checked the time on her cuff. “Oh my, I had no idea it was this late. We need to get you back to the mainland and get you home safe. But there is one more thing I want to mention to you. Something I have not told anybody and I am not sure if it’s even true.”
Geon felt his anticipation rising but felt nervous to hear what she was about to say.
“A few weeks ago, my father was speaking over his LifeCuff to another CARE member. He thought I was asleep but I had come into the kitchen to get a drink. He was quietly talking to a man who sounded like one of his superiors. My father is only a level three CARE member, which is the lowest in the hierarchy. He sounded strange on the phone… nervous… threatened. And I heard him say something about the honorable Lasentar Grilagan living in a place called Zenith.”
“ZENITH?”
“What in the galaxy is that?” Sabien asked.
“Another world?” Geon added.
“Well, I am not sure,” Aurora said. “But I don’t think it is here in Enkia. And he did say something to the effect of, ‘He lives there in comfort, high above us, while we are stuck down here’.”
“Oh my God!” Geon said. “Do you think it’s possible there’s another world like this one? Is it possible?”
“It’s too much to process!” Kumuki squeaked.
“Honestly, I don’t know. That’s all I heard and like I said, I haven’t mentioned it to anyone else.”
“Well,” Allea said while shaking her head. “Let’s think about it. Is it possible that there is another place like Enkia? A place where only high-level CARE member live? It seems plausible.”
Sabien nodded in agreement. “Actually it makes sense. CARE wants to control everything but they aren’t foolish enough to put everything in one place. The high-level CARE members and Lasentar are probably in this other place you speak of… Zenith.”
“You might be right,” Aurora said, smiling from the spirited interaction. “It does make sense. And it wouldn’t be a huge place because there are only ten level one CARE members in this region. And then Lasentar Grilagan of course makes eleven. But can you imagine? They probably control everything from there!”
It’s unimaginable, Geon thought. Those eleven CARE members are sitting there and controlling the lives and fate of millions of people. It needs to be stopped.
“But what did he mean when he said they live there, ‘high above us’,” Sabien asked. “On the ground level? Higher? The only thing up there are the remains of destroyed buildings.”
“And the permamist,” Allea added. “It doesn’t make sense. Is it possible you misheard, Aurora?”
“Yes, it is possible. But I think I heard it correctly. But in the meantime, I can try to find out more about it. But it is late now. You must be going.”
They got up and prepared their things to leave, giving Aurora warm hugs and thanking her for opening her home to them and sharing so much.
“It is I that thanks all of you,” she said with a smile. “You have no idea how good it feels to connect again… to converse. I miss it.”
It’s amazing the little things we take for granted, Geon thought. She lives in luxury here but is a prisoner in many ways, also.
“Allea, please keep in contact with me and let me know what is happening in Ancia and I will do the same for you as well. Also, I want to give you all a small snack for your journey home. It’s a bag of fish chews… dehydrated fish meat. It will give you energy.”
More fishy food, Geon thought. Ugh.
They climbed out of the wet-chamber and back into their boat. Aurora asked them if they had encountered any of the luminescent synth eels on their way in and they said they had not.
“Ah, I think I know why,” Aurora said. “Your watercraft is purely mechanical. The synth eels are robotic eels that patrol these waters, but they are only attracted to electronics. If you see one, do your best to avoid it, b
ecause they will report anything unusual to CARE. And if you see a pirate craft, then head full speed to land and don’t look back! Thank you again for coming and good luck getting back safe!”
Pirate craft? I really hope she’s joking.
Geon and the others waved at her and pulled away from Enkia and turned back toward Ancia. The foursome barely talked as they each tried to process the many things they just learned. Geon was overwhelmed by all of this information, but grateful that he was a part of it and glad that he had his family around him. The only time the silence was broken was when Kumuki passed around the fish chews and they all exploded with joy at the delicious taste and texture of the dried meat. It reminded Geon of going to the beach with his family when he was young and eating fish and other seafood with his parents.
I wish they were here to see us now. He looked at Allea. They’d be so proud of Allea, and I hope they’d be proud of me as well.
He was torn, on one hand feeling desolate at not being able to share special moments with his parents anymore, and on the other hand, inspired to honor them and make them proud by continuing their search for the truth about CARE. He wanted to help give a fairer and better world for everyone. He didn’t know how he would do it, but he knew that he would sacrifice almost anything he had to find truth, justice, and peace.
Chapter 14
While on the Excelerator the next morning, Geon found his mind racing about all the events of the night before.
How were the Dissenters surviving down there?
Does Zenith really exist?
How could CARE be so selfish and inhuman?
How did they get to this point, controlling everything and with so much power?
How did they keep everything such a secret?
How can they be stopped?
He did not even realize that he was sweating profusely and had set a new personal record of points earned on the machine, until it finally beeped and shut itself off.
“You okay, G?” Sabien asked as he stepped into the bathroom. “You look rabid.”
“I dunno, Sabe,” Geon said, speaking quickly and with bursts of hostility. “You know what? I am rabid! It’s just, everything we thought we knew… everythi—”
“I know, brother, I know. I’m angry, too. But we have to keep a level head here. If we’re going to do something about it, we need to stay stealth. Got it?”
Geon nodded and continued to get ready but couldn’t help wondering what other secrets they didn’t know about. At breakfast, Mama V appeared tired and disoriented, spilling Kumuki’s first serving of breakfast mush and then squirting a heap of fruit-flavored sauce directly onto Sabien’s hand.
“Mama V, are you okay?” Sabien asked as he wiped the fruit sauce off of him.
“Ya, my dear, Mama V is okay. Just tired dats all. Mama V not sleep good last night. Hurry up now is time for school. Don’t forget, tomorrow is Saturday and we have special plans!”
“Special plans?” Geon asked as they grabbed their jackets and stepped out of the home.
Sabien smiled as he readjusted his bag containing Shiv’s duplicator device. “Tomorrow evening we’re going to Firewater.”
“Ohhhhhhh! It’s hot and cold!”
Geon laughed at Kumuki and asked as casually as possible, “Is—are the… other girls, coming? No big deal… just wondering.”
“Yes, Geon, Bonsi and the twins are coming,” Allea said, rolling her eyes. “And by the way, I’ve been meaning to ask you three about this since yesterday. WHAT IN THE GALAXY WAS WRONG WITH YOU? You were acting like you’ve never seen a pretty girl before! I mean seriously, Sabe you like Bonsi. G, you like Vaya. Kumuki, well, I guess you weren’t that bad. But really? It was ridiculous.”
Geon was taken aback but smiled at Allea’s obvious frustration.
“Well it’s not that, it’s just, well… you know. Aurora is, well, she’s just… you know…”
Geon trailed off as his cheeks became flushed and Sabien stepped in to help. “What he is trying to say, Aurora, oops I mean Allea, is that Aurora is wow. Well, she’s just… you know. It’s like, you know how like some people are like… wow. Well, what I mean is…”
Geon attempted to elaborate on Sabien’s vague commentary, “She’s just so… so….”
“WOW!”
“That’s it, Kumuki,” Sabien said with a nod. “She’s just so wow. Couldn’t have said it better myself. But still, she’s a squid, and roaches don’t date squids, right?”
Sabien had a sarcastic smirk on his face but Allea still seemed perturbed as she scratched her head and rolled her eyes.
“Whatever you say. Just get it together. It’s embarrassing!”
She’s right though. Vaya is an incredible girl, too. I really want to get to know her better.
The thought of spending some time with her at Firewater this evening excited him.
As they approached the L-RUD, Allea quietly said, “Okay, on a more serious note, the top priority is getting that duplicator back to the lab quickly and unnoticed. I don’t think that Shiv will go in there until after school, but you never know. I think we should put it back right away. I’m sure I can sneak it in during lunch.”
“That might be too late,” Geon said. “I’ll do it. You’ve done so much for us already and I’m sure I can get in and out of there without much effort. Besides, I have a break during my third period just before lunch.”
“You sure, G?” Sabien asked, a concerned look on his face.
“I’m sure.”
They boarded the Glidewing and braced themselves for the ride. Geon was now used to the jarring motion of the transportation vessel and anticipated each move in advance, keeping his feet firmly grounded. When they arrived at their stop he saw that Chiah was a couple rows behind him in the car. Geon made eye contact and smiled at him but Chiah frowned and looked away, taking a sip of his red drink.
“What’s the deal with him?” Geon whispered to Sabien. “He’s not very friendly, is he? And what’s with the drink?”
Sabien laughed and quietly muttered, “He’s a good kid, I suppose. Just very… awkward. Maybe he’s an alien. I dunno.”
“Normally I would laugh at that,” Geon said with a smile. “But these days, who knows? Turns out the truth is more outlandish than any of your insane theories!”
Kumuki nodded as he listened in on their conversation.
“He likes shoes!”
“That part is very clear,” Geon said. “He certainly does like shoes.”
Geon looked down and saw that everyone had exactly the same grey shoes with burrstik straps on them. Kumuki walked over to Chiah and tried to give him a back-five but accidentally hit his red drink, almost knocking it out of his hand.
“Vatyoudodat!” Chiah suddenly shouted. “Vatchmydrink! Itsmylastone… Igottago!”
As Chiah quickly waddled away, Kumuki looked bashfully down at the ground.
“Don’t worry about it, Kuki,” Sabien sat as he patted him on the back. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s don’t ever, ever, EVER mess with Chiah’s red drink. If you come between him and that drink, you’re liable to lose a hand! No offense, G.”
“None taken, Sabe,” Geon said, looking down at his Biolimb. Deep down, he still felt self-conscious about his arm, but didn’t want the others to know it. They headed to the Commons for their morning assembly. Headmaster Ulie stood motionless in the middle of the room, his arms crossed behind his back and his eyes fixed at the students straight in front of him.
“Is he looking at us,” Geon quietly asked Sabe, feeling suddenly self-conscious.
“I’m not sure,” Sabien mumbled. “It does look like it. Maybe we just happen to be in his line of fire today. Coincidence, eh?”
Geon nodded and looked down at the bulging bag by his feet, checking to see if anyone else was looking at him.
“Be cool,” Sabien whispered.
Suddenly the lights around the main platform dimmed and Headmaster Ulie began speaking. �
�All right everyone. Students, quiet please. We have an important announcement to make and need your full attention. A crime was committed here at the school sometime yesterday!”
The entire gallery of students gasped and frantically began whispering to each other. Geon felt his stomach drop and wanted to look over at Sabien but didn’t want to appear guilty in any way so he kept his eyes forward, barely breathing. He could see out of the corner of his eye that Sabien and Allea also had not moved, but Kumuki to the left of him was shifting nervously.
“We have a THIEF among us! It has been brought to my attention that someone came into the lab late in the day, and STOLE the TechSci Concours project of our very own Shivender Barron!”
At this point there was an uproar among the students as they turned their heads and looked around at the other students in the room. Geon felt like they were all looking at him and didn’t know what to do so he kept calm and still. Kumuki, on the other hand, began mimicking the other students and feverishly snapped his head back and forth, glaring at the other students, including both Sabien and Geon.
“Kumuki,” Sabien said softly through a fake smile without moving his lips when he spoke.
“What do you think you’re doing? Be cool.”
Kumuki nodded and turned the other way.
“Everyone calm down,” Headmaster Ulie continued. “I do not care why the device was stolen. I only care that it is replaced. Now, perhaps we can flush this rodent out. I want to see a hand. Does ANYONE know who stole Shiv’s device?”
The place went deathly silent as Geon held his breath, trying to see if anyone was raising their hands without moving his head too much. His palms were damp with sweat and his entire body felt like it was burning up. No one raised their hands. Geon exhaled, feeling slightly relieved.
“Perhaps you students don’t realize the consequences of your actions. Perhaps you don’t realize how important it is to the school to have strong representation at the TechSci Concours. Perhaps a little lesson is just what you need.”
A lesson? What does he mean by that?
Headmaster Ulie’s voice grew louder as the room went completely quiet again.