Gene. Sys.

by Aaron Denius

“I’m sorry.” She looks down. “I didn’t want to be late, and I was too excited to sleep any longer, so I came down.”

  She was excited? I struggle to hold it in, but my smile wins out. The elevator reaches the bottom, and I step out. I would love to keep talking to her, but seeing the simulation room reminds me of Grant and the responsibility I have. “Good. You can help me get ready. Please clear anything that’s in the middle of the room and move it to the sides.

  She smiles and begins to move any mats and blocks from the center. I do my best to pull my focus away from Fe’s presence and back to the task at hand. In the far corner is the table and chair that Grant would call his desk. On top of it, I can see that he’s left me an envelope with the instructions and suggestions.

  I don’t intend on using them today, because I have my own lesson planned.

  On cue, Fe breaks the silence. “What are we going to do today?”

  “We are going to test the limits of your bodies and show you what you can all do. We are also going to go over the various weapons we have and hand-to-hand combat,” I say proudly. I didn’t realize how excited I would be to share what I’ve learned.

  The sound of the elevator door opening draws my attention, and a small group walks out. Thankfully Ev is not among them because I am suddenly washed over with the guilt of being alone with Fe.

  A couple of minutes later, the rest of the group steps out of the elevator, including Ev. She has already made friends with a few of the Genesys—the dark-skinned boy and the redhead girl, Ox and Mag. They laugh as they join the group that congregating in the middle of the room.

  I remember that she had an extra week with all of them while I was locked up. Disappointment floods my thoughts for being so reckless, but I snap out of it when I realize their eyes have fallen upon me. They stand in a semicircle, silent.

  I speak, trying my best to channel Grant. “Welcome again to the simulation room. Here we will test your physical and mental limits—”

  “Cut the act, Atom. Just be yourself,” Ev interrupts me. A few of the Genesys laugh, including Titan. He’s amused by Ev’s lack of respect.

  Not me. I’m hurt and angered by her words. I shoot Ev a look of warning, hoping she understands that I need her to set an example for the rest. If not, I will make her an example. A small part of me is happy for her. She has become more free-spirited with the other Genesys around.

  “As I was saying.” This time I relax when I speak, and I do feel more comfortable. I hate to admit it, but Ev was right. “We are going to test the limits of your bodies so that you can understand what you are capable of.”

  “Like that flip, twirl thing you did?” Cal shouts out with excitement in his eyes.

  “Exactly.” I smile back. “So let’s start by having you all jump and touch the ceiling.”

  They all look up. K speaks up. “That’s got to be like twelve feet!”

  “Just over fifteen,” I reply.

  “You do it,” I hear a voice say. I turn, expecting Titan, but instead, I see the redheaded guy, Sil, step forward. “If you want us to do something, you do it first.”

  I realize that I need to seize control of the room, and I can’t let any of them think it’s okay to question my authority. I squat down, pulling as much power into my legs as possible, and with a quick thrust, I extend and jump toward the ceiling. I press my palm flat against the cold surface fifteen feet above and return back to the ground. I look around to see their astonished faces, including Titan and Sil.

  “If any of you questions me again, we are going to have a problem.” It seems harsh, but they need to know that I am the authority down here. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a big smile on Ev’s face. Pride in her eyes. “Now start jumping!”

  Instantly, the rest of the group does their best to imitate me and reach the ceiling.

  “Ev, will you help me work with them?” I ask, putting the little anger I had toward her behind me. I realize now that she was only trying to help.

  “Of course.” She walks over to me and squeezes my hand.

  Together we walk around, helping all the Genesys learn how to generate enough power in their legs to make the jump. It brings me a lot of joy to see that Titan and Sil are in the last three to achieve it.

  Over the next hour, Ev and I help them learn their strength, speed, and stamina. As a whole, they all look like they are enjoying themselves and learning quickly. Cal is definitely the most eager. Titan has moved from being one of the slowest learners to one of the fastest. The same can’t be said of Sil, who remains near the bottom consistently.

  I’m happy that Fe has remained near the top in all exercises, and I try hard to hide my pride.

  Seeing that most of them are drenched in sweat, I give them a break from physical strain and save the hand-to-hand combat until the end. After a quick water and bathroom break, we begin the weapons training.

  Ev and I start them off small and teach them how to work with knives. We show them the proper way to hold, attack, counter, and throw.

  As I might have expected from his performance in the simulation, Cal picks it up most naturally and far exceeds everyone else. Eventually, they all take to the knives, but I can tell that I will need to be patient with the weapons training.

  Next, Ev and I teach them how to use the larger, handheld weapons, swords, staffs, and axes. Each Genesys has responded strongly to different weapons. Ox and the double ax are destined for each other; the staff is a perfect fit for the mocha-skinned girl, Hydro.

  Finally, we move to the projectile weapons—bow and arrows, crossbows, and an assortment of guns and rifles. I can tell that people are getting tired and losing focus, but Grant would not want me to take it easy on them. As I walk around, assessing each of the Genesys, one thing stands out to me that sends chills up my spine. Titan is deadly accurate with guns and rifles. He does not stray more than a couple of centimeters from the bull’s eye.

  After a little bit, when I see that all of the Genesys have at least a basic handle of the guns and rifles, I let them break for a late lunch. Everyone heads for the fridge that holds the protein pouches, and they grab a couple each.

  It’s not until I see them devour their first pouches that I realize how hungry I have become. I walk over and grab a couple of pouches and turn back to the room. The Genesys have split up into three groups. Titan and Sil sit against the far wall and are joined by two girls, K and Sodi. To my left, Ev has taken a seat with Ox and Mag.

  Neither of those groups come across as a place I would feel comfortable. Luckily, I see Cal and Al waving me over from the right.

  I walk over, and Fe and Hydro move to allow me room to sit between them. My nerves have gotten the better of me again, and I look back to Ev’s group before sitting next to Fe. Ev glances over at me and smiles; I smile back and take a seat.

  I don’t know why I feel so nervous around Fe and why I become self-conscious when both she and Ev are in the same room with me. This is definitely something I need to get over. I’m supposed to be the leader, and I don’t need to have anyone second-guessing me because of my nerves. Especially myself.

  I close my eyes and let out a deep breath, pushing the nerves out. I look at the Genesys around me. “So what do you guys think so far?”

  “This has been awesome!” Cal jumps in. I wouldn’t expect anything less from him.

  “It’s a lot tougher than I thought it would be,” Hydro adds. “But fun!”

  The others agree. This makes me happy. I was worried that I wouldn’t convey all the information I wanted to, but it seems like they have all taken everything in and are enjoying themselves in the process.

  “So what’s next?” Al asks.

  I look over the group as if I’m about to deliver some bad news. “Hand-to-hand combat. Grant always told me that you are more likely to face a conflict where you don’t have any weapons. Similar to what Ev and I had when we faced all ten of you.”

  “Why do we have to learn how to fight in the first
place?” Fe asks.

  My heart reaches out to her. Much like with Ev, I want to protect her. “Well, since I’ve been here, the compound has been attacked, and the outsiders are set on trying to get rid of us. Besides, I think we will be on our own after the scientists end the world.”

  This is the first time this thought has even crossed my mind. We are going to be left alone. As far as I know, there are no plans for the scientists to survive. This is too much for me to handle right now, so I finish my last protein pouch and stand.

  “Alright, everyone, the break is over. Use the bathroom if you have to. We start in five minutes.” I walk over to Grant’s desk as a few of the Genesys head for the bathroom. The others clean up and gather in the middle of the room.

  I stare at the envelope that Grant left me, and I’m startled when Ev steps up next to me.

  “Is everything okay?” She puts her hand on mine.

  I don’t move mine away. I don’t think I have felt okay in a long time. “Yeah.”

  “What’s in it?” She motions to the envelope.

  “I don’t know yet. I’ll read it later.” I turn and head back to the center of the room. Sodi and K are the last two to return from the bathroom, and I reach the group as they do.

  Ev hustles over to catch up. “Sorry.”

  I look at the group, knowing that most of them are probably not ready. “Okay. For the rest of today’s training, we are going to be focusing on hand-to-hand combat. You will learn how to harness your abilities and—”

  “We already know how to fight. Teach us something different.” Titan looks directly at me, challenging me.

  “Believe me, you don’t.” I try to stay calm.

  Titan steps forward. “I’m pretty sure—”

  “Will you stop being an ass and let him teach?” Cal speaks up. It feels good to know that someone has my back.

  “Don’t call me an ass!” Titan shouts. Before I can do anything, he has charged over and pushed Cal to the ground.

  Cal gets back to his feet, but Al and Ox hold him back. They don’t hold back his words. “This isn’t over, you ass!”

  Titan steps up to push Cal again, but before he can, I pull his arms behind his back and pull him away. There is no denying his strength. Once he knows how to harness it, I will have a difficult time holding him back.

  “Let go of me!” Titan says as he pulls away. As I let him go, he turns and throws a punch in my direction. I can feel the four knuckles at the top of his hand as they connect with my jaw. I stumble to the side and instantly taste the bitter saltiness of blood.

  A calm rage builds through my body as I turn to face him. I see that the rest of the Genesys have all fallen silent. Their eyes are wide, and they stare at me, anticipating my next move. Like with Sil, I feel I need to meet this challenge to maintain control of the group.

  Titan has taken an amateur fighting stance. His hands are down, and he has given away his dominant side. I smile as I speak slowly and clearly. “You will not land another punch.”

  He furrows his brow and screams as he charges me. I dodge his attempt to knock me over and turn as he begins to throw punches. Anticipating his every move, I bob and weave around everything he throws at me.

  I spin away from another one of his punches and create a little distance between us. “You still have a lot to learn, Titan.”

  “Fight back, you coward!” he spits at me.

  “Atom, don’t!” I hear Ev scream, but it’s too late.

  I smile as Titan steps in and throws another punch. I catch his fist with both of my hands, and with one fluid motion, I twist his arm and slam it down against my leg. The crack of his bones breaking sends a wave of gasps through the Genesys.

  The screams coming from Titan are deafening as he lies on the ground, nursing his now-limp arm. I have to step closer to the group so that they can hear me. “Sil, Ox, take him to the medical ward.”

  It takes them a couple of moments to pull their stares away from Titan and look at me. A small hint of fear glazes their eyes.

  “Now!” I yell.

  They hustle to pick him up and place him on a mat. Together they use the mat as a gurney and carry him into the elevator. I look at the rest of the Genesys and can tell that I have perhaps alienated myself from them again. I might have let my emotions get the better of me, but if Rene wants me to be the leader, I can’t let anyone challenge that.

  For a few moments, silence fills the room. I turn my back to the Genesys as I try to regain my composure. I know that whatever I do next will dictate how they perceive me. My mind struggles with wanting them to be my friends and needing them to fear and respect me as their leader. I take a deep breath and decide that—

  “I hope that shuts him up.” I whip around, startled by the female voice. It’s Hydro. I’m shocked and don’t know what to say. The silence is broken by a few of the others mumbling their agreement. A smile graces my face as I realize that I might still be able to salvage some friendships.

  “Okay, enough of that. Pick a sparring partner.” I look at the group. “Ev, match up with someone, but take it easy.”

  Cal and Al pair off with each other, leaving the girls to form three pairs. Thankfully Ev does not match up with Fe, taking Mag instead.

  I work them through the necessary fighting skills—stance, defense, weight distribution, and transfer. Ox and Sil join halfway through, and I catch them up to the rest of the group. I make sure to keep things simple this session. I want to make sure that they comprehend the proper techniques before teaching them advanced moves and how to use their physical skills to their advantage.

  After an hour of sparring, I can tell that everyone is getting tired and nursing injuries. “Alright, everyone, I think that’s enough for today.”

  The group lets out a collective sigh. I look around at the group, and all of them except for Ev have blood on their face. My heart reaches out to them, but I quickly brush it aside, remembering my first time with Grant. I definitely looked worse.

  “Be sure to shower off and have another protein pouch before you crawl into bed. It will help speed up the healing process. You won’t feel most of these injuries by tomorrow.” I smile at them, but most avoid eye contact. Fe catches my glance, and I see nothing but pain behind hers. The guilt twists at my heart.

  “Can we go?” Cal asks.

  “Yeah,” I respond.

  “Yes!” K turns for the elevator. Others follow.

  “One more thing,” I say. The group groans. “Come down here whenever you want to keep practicing your weapons. I won’t be going over those again.”

  They mutter their approval and head to the elevator. Ev lets the doors close and then doubles back toward me.

  “What the hell is your problem? Did you really have to do that to Titan?” she blurts out.

  I sigh and furrow my brow, not really wanting to answer. “I was left in charge. I couldn’t let him challenge that authority.”

  Ev stares at me, obviously taking in what I just said. I don’t think she expected such a straightforward answer. Right as I begin to feel uncomfortable with her silence, she smiles and gives me a kiss on the cheek.

  “Okay.” She turns and skips back to the elevator.

  The second the elevator doors close, I feel the tingle on my cheek left over from her lips. It spreads from my cheek to the rest of my body, and I find myself wanting more. I want her to come back. I want to hold her in my arms and feel the warmth of her body next to mine.

  After staring at the elevator and realizing that she isn’t coming back, I grab the envelope Grant left me, and I head for the elevator myself. I reach my hand up to my cheek, trying desperately to preserve all I can of the kiss.

  The elevator doors open on the top floor. The smile on my face is thrown off by the sight of Rene leaning on the wall. He pushes himself away and squares himself up to me. I can tell that he has been waiting for a while. His expression lets me know that he is aware of what I did to Titan, and disapproves.
>
  He begins walking down the hall, away from me. “We need to talk.”

  “I’m sorry.” I trot to catch up.

  “Not here.” He walks on. I do my best to stay by his side, but his pace is awkward, somewhere between my regular walk and my speed-walk pace. I find myself in a cycle of lagging and catching up. It’s making me feel uncomfortable in my skin, and the silence isn’t helping any.

  He leads me through various halls, past the scientists’ quarters and the medical bay. We go through a second set of doors, which I have been beyond once before.

  As we pass the room with all the monitors, my mind shoots to Grant. I think about where in the world he might be right now and if he is safe. It makes me wonder if the outsiders in other parts of the world are just as hostile.

  Rene stops just outside a door along the side of the hallway and places his hand on the scanner, then speaks his name. “Rene Anfang.”

  The door opens, and he walks in. I follow, not sure of what to expect on the other side. What I see is not at all what I expected. It’s a small room. Against the wall to my left are a bookshelf and a desk. The wall directly in front of me is adorned with a dozen monitors showing different parts of the compound.

  What really throws me off is the bed I see to my right and a door that I can only assume leads to a bathroom. This is Rene’s bedroom, and for the first time, I see him as he is. A man. Nothing more.

  “Take a seat.” He points to the chair at the desk.

  As I walk over, I see him grab a mask and place it over his nose and mouth. He hits a button on the side, and his breathing becomes louder.

  “It helps me get more oxygen,” he says through the mask, his voice sounding deeper.

  I stare at the man I once called my father. As he sits on his bed, vulnerable, I notice just how old he is. He’s a dying man. Though physically he could live another couple of decades, mentally he is worn and knows that he only has a few months left.

  He takes a deep breath and speaks. “What happened with Titan—”

  I jump in, wanting to explain myself. “I’m sorry. I didn’t—”

  “Let me speak.” His words come slowly. “What happened with Titan was necessary. I commend you for taking charge and making sure that they all know you are the leader.”