She immediately spies a nappy-headed boy with dirty-blonde hair, just as Jade had described him to her. His curls dangled loosely onto his forehead, his green eyes focused on whatever task he had to accomplish at the big table he was standing at. Luna forces herself to walk over to him, even though she, as of yet, doesn’t have a plan as to how to get him to love Miranda. But she was beginning to figure out a good place to start.
“Hi! Are you Anthony?” The blond-haired boy looks up at her from whatever work he was doing. “Ummmmm… yeah? What can I do for you?” Luna’s mouth goes dry for a moment. “Well, uh, there’s nothing you can really do for me, except tell me… ummm, about this place? I’m from… far away.” He has no idea exactly how far… Anthony smirked. “Well yeah, I can tell. What are you wearing? Some kind of space age costume? Or is it bubble gum?” He motioned to her pale pink rubbery pants and matching long-sleeved shirt. It was typical attire for the Upperworld, but it didn’t take Luna long to realize that it may seem out of place on Earth. “Uh, no.” Anthony waited for a further explanation, but when Luna didn’t say anything else, he just smirks and shakes his head. “Alright then.” He starts to walk away, and that’s when Luna jumps into action. “Wait! Um, what I was trying to say… was… can you come with me to the concert across the street? It looks like an enjoyable experience…” Anthony raises an eyebrow and then looks back at her. “Are you asking me out, Bubblegum girl?” Luna tilts her head to the side, not quite understanding this colloquial Earth speak. “Well, out of this building, yes. The park where the band is playing is outside.” Anthony smirks again, and then lets out a hearty laugh. “You’re funny, Bubblegum. Yeah, alright, I guess. I get off my shift in ten minutes. I’ll meet you there.”
Luna still can barely understand this strange Earth-boy, but she stands where she is, waiting for him to follow her when he has finished his tasks. “Are you really just going to stand there?” Anthony stands behind the counter, likely counting Earth currency, his green eyes poised on her stationary figure. “Why? Am I in violation of a mandate?” Anthony shakes his head in utter amusement. “You sure are a funny one, Bubblegum. Suit yourself, if that’s what you want.”
Within the next few minutes, Anthony disappears behind the counter, and then re-emerges with a coat and his cellphone in hand. “All right, I’m ready to go if you are.” Luna nods, and then walks briskly out the door of the convenience store, making a beeline for the outdoor stage. “Hey! Wait for me!” Anthony catches up to her, and falls into step next to her. “So, you’re a Toxin?” Luna’s quizzical gaze clued him in to her need for a further explanation. “Are you a fan of Toxic Exposure?” “What?” Anthony brushes a curl out of his eyes. “Um, the band in the park? They’re local, you know. They live right here in Boston.” Luna still cannot understand his mode of speech. Her mind whirs, trying to process his words. “Um, let’s go see them. They’re over there.” Anthony shakes his head again, but follows Luna to the center of the large green space anyway.
CHAPTER 14
Jade rolls her eyes and shakes her head, but Onyx’s unyielding gaze is relentlessly wearing her down. She was tough, but still a sucker for his giant blue eyes. They had an uncanny ability to disarm her soul and break down her walls, regardless of her centuries of prestige in the Sorting Room.
“Onyx… you’re not going to like what you see. And you really should get back to work, there are new recruits to integrate from the utero chambers…” Onyx’s sapphire eyes turn a mucky tone of midnight at that remark. “And forget about Luna? Clearing her name and getting her back safely is my work. I won’t stop looking for clues until she’s home!” Jade glares back at him. “NO! You must help the other recruits that you’ve been assigned to! You’ve wasted enough time on this measly one - don’t leave the rest to their own devices! You must continue your work. Luna will be back soon enough…” Onyx shakes his head, and with a moment of wild anger, pulls Jade to his face by the collar of her red rubbery jumpsuit. His breath hits her face like a wall of bricks, her eyes filling with fear and utter bewilderment at his sudden outburst. “No… no… I’ll never stop looking for her. I’ll never stop protecting her! I will arrange for the new recruits to be guided by someone else until I can resume guidance. I am officially out of commission until my Luna is brought home!”
Jade meets his desperate plea with a sly smirk. “Your Luna? Since when does she belong to you?” Onyx is silenced, his gaze softening, his cheeks beginning to burn. “I… I don’t know what came over me.” He lowers Jade to the ground and avoids the inquisitive gaze threatening to read through his carefully-measured facade, his hands trembling with anger over her slim waist. “I… do not know why I said that. Just let me see the videos. I refuse to leave until I see the footage. Now.”
Jade, understandably frightened by his sudden outburst, begrudgingly leads him to the inner sanctum of the Sorting Room to view the footage of that fateful moment when history was changed forever.
✷✷✷
After giving up on getting Delphine out of her blubbery slump (temporarily, at least), Evander reports to the utero chamber complex to update the records on the new recruits and their chemical compounds from their test tube conceptions. He does this routinely, as measured by every ten trillion utero yields, prompted by the notification on his wrist - his job as Treasurer of the Upperworld. But with such a menial routine task, his thoughts are free to roam even while his hands are at work.
Why is Delphine so upset? Maybe she is just overwhelmed… I have seen that happen before. Some recruits are born with a deficiency of the bravery composition, likely a glitch in the lab procedures. I can ask maintenance about that later. But this… I’ve never seen a recruit relegated to the floor of their habitation pod for days. It is just really… strange. I am getting worried about her. But this job is important - I must pay attention to my updates on the utero records. Zephyr will be very upset if he does not receive his routine report on time. And with that, Evander resumes his work in the utero complex.
Once he is deep in thought with the record keeping, he is distracted with a distinct buzzing coming from inside his small cubicle. He looks around, and when he can’t find the source of such an unpleasant buzzing, rendering him useless in record keeping, he slams his fist on his desk. With such force, the fist on his desk rattles the adjacent bookcase, which causes a book to fall behind his desk and onto the floor. “Ugh, I’m so impractical sometimes.” Evander forgoes record keeping for a moment to retrieve the book. When he kneels down under his desk, he notices a small aperture in the floor, which appears to be oddly glowing. “What could that be? Is that the source of the buzzing?” As if in answer to Evander’s self-interrogation, the aperture blinks, its white light beckoning him to explore it further. Before he knows what he is doing, his pale hand slowly reaches out to the opening, the desperate curiosity driving him forward. His office work long forgotten, his mind follows his hand to the aperture. Even the green blinking of his wrist signaling Zephyr’s frustration is ignored by his distracted, curious mind. Driven to the light, Evander makes contact with the aperture. He reaches into it as smoke appears, and he nearly recoils for fear of being poisoned or burnt by a security device of some sort. But even fear cannot stop him. His hand reaches in, grasps a small, fogged-over box, and he stares at it, dumbfounded with questions. Before he can open it, his hand weakens as the rest of his body follows, and then his eyes slowly close in a blissful, sinfully deep sleep.
✷✷✷
Feeling powerful and strong, Onyx enters the main security room of the Sorting Room. Jade clamps her lips into an insulting, smug expression which although likely meant to inhibit Onyx’s search for the truth, only advanced it. Onyx had vowed eons ago to never let Jade and her antics get to him - he was Primary Guide after all. Zephyr would not have bestowed that title upon him if he was not deserving of it, and that meant that he had every right to see those videos. Nothing Jade said would change his mind.
“All right, Onyx. I have th
e recording from the last security breach. I believe this holds the explanation that you think you need. But trust me, you don’t want to see this. It will open up a wormhole of more possible questions, and it answers very few questions, if any at all. Are you sure you really want this?”
Onyx glares at her for making his quest for the truth so unnecessarily difficult, and deftly snatches the disk from her calloused hand. “All right, have it your way. I better leave you alone to watch this. It could get ugly and I don’t want to be in the middle of you and another tantrum…” And Jade leaves the room as quickly as she had entered with Onyx behind her a moment ago.
Why wouldn’t she want me to see this? What could possibly be more disturbing than what has already happened? With his thoughts swirling, Onyx places the small disk into the hologram projector on the table next to him. There he sees Luna and Delphine standing next to an orb receptor, likely trying to complete a humanoid, as Sorters do many times during their shift. Nothing seems amiss until Delphine places the orb into the receptor tube and it fogs over, with bright red lights filling the room and the security sirens sounding their vengeful screams. “I KNEW IT!!! So Delphine really was the one to blame! So… how did Luna get punished for it then?”
✷✷✷
A nearby nurse overhears Onyx’s sudden outburst in the main security room as she walks by. She stops for a moment, and is shocked by what she hears. She quickly runs off to tell her newfound information to her fellow nurses. News spreads quickly in the Upperworld.
✷✷✷
It wasn’t long before the hologram recording seemed to answer his rhetorical question, because he sees himself appear on the screen, questioning Luna. Delphine had shrunk away to the side, her cheeks bright red, her eyes enlarged with panic. Luna took one look at Delphine, and Onyx, watching the recording, witnesses the exact moment that the crazy idea entered her head. The thought materialized, was analyzed, and then adopted into her being. There was nothing he could have done; he never knew she would do this. Onyx watches the recording of Luna while inhaling short, quick breaths, when she stepped forward into idiotic admittance - the moment she plunged herself into cosmic terror and an uncertain future. What was once set in stone was abolished, her frail young body forced to journey to Earth and suffer, as a substitute for Delphine.
OH DELPHINE! How could she be so stupid! Why wasn’t she trained better? She clearly needed more instruction! Who was her guide? Oh yes, Evander. I think that was his name. I’ll have to talk to him next… and get to the bottom of this. I bet he doesn’t even know about this travesty! And that little imp thought she wouldn’t be found out! Ha! Justice will be served, and Luna will be avenged.
CHAPTER 15
“Anthony, they’ll be playing on that raised structure over there.” Anthony catches up to Luna’s rapid pace and glances to where she is pointing. “You mean the stage? You sure are obvious, Bubblegum - I kinda knew that already.” Luna has no idea what he means, but manages to smile politely anyway. “Yes. There they are!” Without waiting for Anthony to follow her, Luna runs over to the edge of the stage and looks up at Toxic Exposure.
“What’s up everyone? ARE YOU READY TO ROCK?” A small crowd begins to form around the structure as nearby park-goers join the festivity and converge into a slightly dignified mob. They scream an answer to Miranda’s query, but she barely seems to care. “I can’t hear you! Scream like you mean it!” The crowd erupts as the band launches into their opening song. Miranda turns sharply on her tall studded, stiletto heels and conducts the band members with her theatrical vocal performance.
Luna turns to see that Anthony stands right behind her, his body touching hers from the chaos of the crowd pressing them together. Luna finds it strange that the humanoids seem so controlled by the music, their bodies swaying and their mouths agape at all the same times. They are all relegated into a trance-like state, a mindless state of utter complacency. Clouds begin to form over the stage, a holy cathedral to reverently shelter the ritual of rock and roll. The band, the holy vessels; the audience, the penitent sinners.
She stands in the crowd, motionless, while everyone around her dances and jumps violently. Even Anthony behind her seems to be thoroughly enjoying himself, his body rhythmically swaying to the infectious beat.
“Hey Bubblegum, why aren’t you having fun?” Luna turns around to meet Anthony’s quizzical gaze, his green eyes gazing at her, a point of social connection in an otherwise anonymous crowd. “This is supposed to be… fun? What is ‘fun’?” Anthony shakes his head and returns to the erratic dancing of the crowd.
The band is feeding off of the crowd-sourced energy. The music is pulsing through their veins… but Luna stands tall, feeling utterly unaffected by the energy whirling around her. She is utterly distracted by her urgent mission - to fix Delphine’s horrid mistake and then be taken home to the Upperworld.
Miranda is writhing around on the stage, her sparkly outfit pulsing with an otherworldly energy. She opens her mouth and lets out a guttural scream while Garth is next to her slamming on his guitar and violently thrashing his upper body with the tempo and feel of the music. He also nods in Luna’s general direction, and sneers seductively. Luna is unsure, and tries to walk away, but then reminds herself that she must introduce Anthony to Miranda, and she must stay until the end of the show to do so.
Luna looks out on to the horizon and realizes that it is indeed getting dark, just as Jade had predicted, and that means that she would need to find shelter for the night. But where does a person get such shelter?
✷✷✷
After a small eternity of heavy metal torture, Luna breathes a sigh of relief when the band finishes their last song and the crowd begins to dissipate.
“Hey! Miranda!” Luna calls Miranda over to the edge of the stage, and she hobbles over in her sky-high heels, her face moist with sweat and red from screaming. “Hey there, Lena, isn’t it?” “Uh, it’s Luna…” Miranda ignores her correction. “So how’d you like the show? Totally rad, right?” “Uh yes, it was great. But - I’d like you to meet … Anthony.” Anthony diverts his gaze from the overall landscape to Miranda’s sparkly-eyed stare. Their eyes lock for a moment, and Luna fills with hope. It looks like some recognition fills Anthony’s face… maybe he is realizing his destined life partner. Maybe things are going to be okay now. Was that it? Is that all I had to do? Can I go home now? And Anthony reaches to gently touch Miranda’s shoulder… takes a deep breath… and…
… flicks off a flying insect.
“Oh you had a bug on you. There you go, I got it.” Miranda smiles courteously. “Oh thanks. Those damn horseflies are everywhere this time of year!” Luna hides her face in her hands, her hope shattered by the miscommunication of a fly. Anthony smiles but then is caught up in looking at his cellphone. Luna cannot help but stare at this misfortunate pair, the way that they barely even acknowledged each other, and seem to be two completely different people. How are they possibly still compatible? Miranda was born into a different family with a stark difference in upbringing. This is impossible!
“Hey there, beautiful…” Garth interrupts Luna’s hopeless internal frustration to assert his neanderthal presence into the sphere of her own self-destructive thought process. “Uh, hi?” “So Luna…” Garth jumps off of the stage and leads her slightly out of earshot from Miranda, his hand firmly grasping her elbow. “So I don’t suppose you have a place to stay for the night?” Luna’s ears perk up at the prospect of shelter for the imminent dark hours creeping along the skyline, as she remembered Jade’s strong warning to find shelter. Even the bench where she regained consciousness seemed to be bathed in the beginnings of a dark evening shadow. If she does not find shelter, then she may forfeit her safety and be at the mercy of the darkness and whatever dwells within it. “Uh, no I don’t.” A sly smile spreads over his slimy lips. “Perfect. You’ll stay with me, then.”
CHAPTER 16
Evander awakes on the floor under his desk, the small box still in his
hand. His body feels numb, it takes time for him to regroup. It is no longer glowing or emitting vapors, but seems to have a strange sort of gummy condensation on it. He composes himself, and slowly stands up, his legs wobbling from his reclined posture while he was out cold only moments ago.
With much hesitation and concern, he places the mysterious box onto his desk, about five-by-five inches in size. Upon further examination, he realizes that it is likely a tiny bio-freezer. The bolts holding it together appear to be of the same type used in the utero chamber lab where the new arrivals are formed.
But what could possibly be in this box, and what could it be doing in my filing office? Evander manages to shake away some of his questions, but most of them just keep returning, clouding his mind from proper judgement - and so with a screwdriver from his desk, he slowly turns each screw until they are loose enough to be removed - and he opens the box.
The box holds a small document on official stationery, folded into a neat little square with the following information attached:
RETRACTED HUMANOID #4583920284851111847593030287563
MONIKER: ONYX DALTON MILLER
RETRACTION DATE: 1790 (REASON: ELECTIVE MATERNAL TERMINATION)
INTENDED BIRTH DATE: 1791
INTENDED DEATH DATE: 1850
INTENDED PARTNER: #4683929749857397562888393028
PROGENY: NULLIFIED - TERMINATION WAS UN-AUTHORIZED
AND ALTERING
RETRACTED HUMANOID #4683929749857397562888393028
MONIKER: LUNA ALISON NELSON
RETRACTION DATE: 1794 (REASON: INTENDED PARTNER NO LONGER IN EXISTENCE)
INTENDED BIRTH DATE: 1795
INTENDED DEATH DATE: 1842
The Sorting Room Page 6