Gene. Sys.

by Aaron Denius

  As moments pass, I do my best not to look at the bodies around me, but my memories begin to recall the smell I experienced. My stomach churns again, so I take a deep breath.

  I sense movement to my left and turn to see Cal has taken cover behind a wall. Someone must be chasing him, because he keeps peering around the wall and hasn’t noticed me. I slowly raise my rifle to my shoulder and look through the viewfinder. Cal stands right in the middle of my crosshairs, and I inhale to steady the gun. I feel a brief moment of guilt as I squeeze the trigger, but I know that he might get me later if I don’t take him out.

  The bullet flies through the air, and it hits him square in the back. He falls to the ground, not knowing what hit him. I look to make sure no one is around, and then I quickly run to where Cal fell. I crouch down next to him and pull his rifle away. It only has two bullets, but I remove them and add them to my own. I look down at Cal’s face and see him glaring at me.

  “Thanks,” I whisper, and add a smile.

  A few shots go off around the wall that Cal came from, so I slowly peek around. I see Ev and Titan shooting at each other from behind two separate barricades. I crouch down to avoid being caught, and I watch as they square off.

  Without warning, a bullet hits the wall next to my head. I dive to the ground behind Cal. Another shot is fired at me, but it hits Cal in the leg. He grunts and winces at the shock. I feel bad using him as a shield, but I need cover.

  Toward the end of the road, not too far from where I was before, Sodi crouches behind some rubble. Using Cal’s legs, I steady my rifle and put the only exposed part of Sodi’s body in my crosshair—her head. I inhale and squeeze the trigger, hitting her right above her eyebrows. I don’t envy the pain that the shocks must be giving her.

  I scan my road for any more Genesys, and when I don’t see any, I crouch back against the wall. Behind me, the gunshots have stopped. I peek around the corner, but I don’t spot either Ev or Titan. I adjust myself and look around again, exposing my head a little more, and spot both of them on the ground. They have been taken out.

  I duck around the corner, keeping my eyes in a peripheral focus. Slowly I work my way down the road, checking behind me from time to time. As I get closer to Ev and Titan, something strikes me as a bit strange. Both of them lie on the ground facing me. Someone else shot them.

  I stop and crouch down next to a pile of bodies. I can sense someone watching me, and right now, I’m sitting vulnerable in the middle of the road. Just as I’m about to continue on, movement from the mound startles me.

  Fe has popped out of the pile of bodies, and before I can react, has knocked me down with her rifle. I try to turn over, but a wave of shocks fire through my head as the butt of her rifle connects with my neck. The pain in my head is unbearable, and I suddenly feel ashamed for what I just did to Sodi.

  As Fe lies down next to me, I am overwhelmed by a tremendous sense of pride and jealousy. What she is doing is beyond genius. Not once did I think to look into the piles of bodies as a possible cover. I wonder if she was one of the Genesys that screamed in the beginning.

  “Sorry,” she whispers.

  My heart skips, and through my pain, I wince a smile. I can sense her body right next to mine, and it’s making me nervous. I want to turn my head to face her, but the shocks are still running through me, so I can’t. Movement and a couple of quick shots next to me tell me that she has taken down another Genesys.

  By my count, there are six down. So not counting her, there are only five left, maybe less. She slowly gets up and works her way to the wall along the side of the road. She ducks into a small seam and disappears. I realize that she is very good at hiding in plain sight. I find myself rooting for her to win. Unfortunately, I won’t know what’s going on until someone wins and ends the simulation.

  As I lie on the ground, hearing the occasional gunshot, I take in the surroundings in my peripheral vision. The dead bodies encircle me. Because I am out of the simulation and no longer have to focus on it, I take in the deceased’s details.

  Their faces are stone and emotionless. Their eyes are hollow, devoid of everything they ever experienced. No memories remain. Nothing. They are nothing more than an extension of the road they lie on. My heart aches for them. It hurts for the scientists, the drones, the outsiders, and the entire world. Everyone whose fate I’m looking at right now.

  “Apokalupto!” a female voice shouts. This snaps me out of my trance, and I realize the voice belongs to Fe. She won!

  As the simulation around me disappears, I work hard to remove the prideful smile on my face. I don’t need anyone to know that I was rooting for her. My head pounds as I stand, and I widen my stance as a dizzy spell rushes through me.

  The Genesys slowly work their way to me, each recovering from their own aches. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, making sure I have my bearings before I speak. In the darkness of my eyelids, I see the ghosts of the dead.

  As I look around at the group, I can tell that each of them struggles with the sights they just saw in the simulation. I realize that no matter what my apprehensions may be, talking to Dr. Kivuli will be good for each one of us. There is no way that any of us can handle the emotions associated with what we saw independently.

  All their eyes rest upon me. I take another deep breath. “I’m sorry that I did not prepare you for that before revealing the simulation. The truth is nothing can prepare you for seeing your first dead body. I wish I could tell you how to handle a situation like this and that it gets easier, but it doesn’t. We weren’t created that way.”

  “What about the drones?” Ev asks. I know exactly what she is talking about. Though she hasn’t seen it up close, Ev has seen people die. She has noticed that the drones aren’t affected by death, except for 80. He seemed to change in the brief time I had with him. My thoughts slide briefly to him, hoping that he is still safe.

  “The drones had their genes altered so that they would lack key traits that would interfere with their ability to think for themselves,” I say with surprising anger. The Genesys are equally surprised—their eyes widen, and some take a step back.

  The air in the room has gotten thicker, and I can tell that all anyone wants to do is leave. “Unless any of you have any questions, you are free to leave. I would recommend talking with Dr. Kivuli about what you experienced today. Rene thinks it will help.”

  The group turns in silence, and they walk toward the elevator. Ev lags behind and steps closer to me. “Atom, I…”

  “Hang on a second.” I run to catch up to Sodi, the throbbing pressure in my head reminding me of what I did to her. “Sodi, I wanted to apologize for—”

  “I don’t want to talk to you.” She glares at me for a moment and then turns to catch up to Titan and Sil.

  I stand and watch her, bewildered by the exchange. Surely she must understand that I had no other option, that I didn’t do it to inflict harm.

  “What was that about?” Ev has stepped up next to me.

  “I shot her in the forehead.” I look at Ev. I can feel tears forming in the corners of my eyes. Though I know some of it is empathy because of what I did to Sodi, I can usually hold those tears in. There is definitely something more behind these. I am just grateful that I feel comfortable enough to let Ev see me this way. I don’t have the energy to hide it.

  “Yeah, I would be mad at you too. Give her some time.” She looks into my eyes. Her playfulness calms as she sees that I am hurting. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah.” I try to force a smile, but before I realize what’s happening, Ev has wrapped her arms around me. She pulls my head onto her shoulder and rubs it with one of her hands. I have a quick flash to one of the lessons we had, where we learned about animals and how they comfort their young. I feel safe in her arms, and I no longer hold my tears back.

  “Rene asked me to make sure you go and see Dr. Kivuli. He says that you need it more than the rest of us.” Ev’s voice is soft against my ear. She definitely has a nurt
uring instinct.

  I pull away and wipe my face. “I know, and I will. There’s just something about her that I don’t like.”

  “You haven’t sat down with her yet. She’s really nice and accommodating.” Ev smiles at me.

  “You’ve already met with her?” I’m surprised.

  “Yeah. I’ve actually been meeting with Dr. Kivuli since before you and I met. Rene thought that with all the information he had shared with me, I needed someone to talk to.” She looks away, ashamed that she just admitted having kept a secret from me.

  I feel my breath grow deep as rage I haven’t felt in a while circles my throat. “I thought we promised that we wouldn’t keep anything from each other.”

  “Atom, relax. Rene asked me to keep my sessions with Dr. Kivuli to myself. I don’t see how you knowing about that would have even mattered.” Ev’s voice has gotten shaky.

  “I just met her for the first time today, and you’ve known her for months. Of course it matters!” I almost blurt out that some scientists are plotting to sabotage the plan, but I hold back. As hypocritical as it may be, I know that it’s best to keep that information to myself since I don’t know what Ev talks to Dr. Kivuli about.

  Ev just looks at me. She starts to say something a couple of times but stops herself. After a silent moment, she walks to the elevator. Just as the doors close, she shouts out, “Just go talk to her. You need it.”

  The second the doors close, I grab the rifle closest to me off the ground, and with a loud scream, I throw it as hard as I can across the room. It slams against the far wall and falls to the ground. I know that I need to calm myself down, so I kick a couple of rifles out of the way and lie on the floor.

  Taking deep, slow breaths, I close my eyes and try to focus on my breathing. The anger that flows through me clouds my mind and, without realizing it, I fall asleep.

  I dream that I am walking alone through the streets of a city in ruins. It’s similar to the one outside the walls and to the one in the simulation. Concrete and glass litter the roads from the surrounding buildings. The air stings my nose and causes my throat to become dry.

  Behind one of the lower buildings ahead of me, I see dark gray smoke rising into the air. Instinctively, I walk toward the origin of the smoke. I cover my mouth and nose with my shirt, hoping it will ease my breathing.

  Just as I’m about to turn the corner, I feel the air around me grow hotter. I pause and wait. Suddenly, a wall of flames floods around the corner and charges at me. I turn to run back the way I came but see a second wall of fire blocking me in. My only escape is into the building right next to me.

  I slam my body into the door and burst through. The second I enter, I scream. Lying on the floor before me are the dead bodies of all the Genesys, their faces stuck in a state of shock, and their eyes blaming me for not saving them. My screams carry me out of the dream and jolt me awake. I sit up, breathing harder than I did before I fell asleep.

  “What did you dream about?” The voice throws me to my feet. I put my fists up and look around. Out of the corner of my eye, I spot the distinct black and white hair. I feel my teeth grinding against each other as I turn to face Dr. Kivuli. She’s sitting at Grant’s desk, which is making me despise her more.

  “What do you want?” I force through my teeth.

  “Well, after everyone else came to see me, and I hadn’t seen you, I figured you were avoiding me.” She smiles as she walks toward me.

  Everyone else has already seen her? How long have I been asleep? “What time is it?”

  “Nearly five,” she says. That means I was asleep for nearly three hours. I must have desperately needed the rest. I don’t feel any better, but the throbbing in my head is gone.

  “What do you want me to talk about?” I ask, knowing that I’m not going to be able to avoid it. I might as well get right to the point.

  “Let’s sit.” She takes a seat on the ground, and I oblige. “Just tell me how you are feeling.”

  “About what? I feel fine.” I really don’t feel comfortable with her, and I’m not sure that I can trust her enough to give her complete answers.

  She smirks, and I can tell she’s frustrated. “Tell me your thoughts on having to lead the Genetic Systems after the Ragnarok?”

  My heart begins to beat a little faster, and my stomach feels tighter. I have been carrying a lot of weight around, and this has been the bulk of it. I take a deep breath and decide that there isn’t any harm in shedding some of the weight.

  “I don’t like it.” I examine her for a response, but she just sits, listening. I continue. “I’m scared that I’m going to fail, and I can’t handle the pressure of what failing means. I don’t know why Rene wants me to be the leader. At this point, I don’t know much more than the other Genesys. Besides, Ev is better suited to lead the group. She is just as physically capable as I am, and she is certainly smarter than me.”

  “You are right, Atom,” she chimes in. I’m surprised by her response. “Ev would be a fantastic leader, and all the others would follow her. Rene wanted you to lead because Ev will follow you.”

  I can’t help but smile. Dr. Kivuli smiles back, and I’m embarrassed at showing her my vulnerability.

  “You care a lot about her, don’t you?” she prods.

  “That’s none of your business!” Any hint of a smile on my face is gone.

  Dr. Kivuli leans in, keeping her voice calm. “Don’t feel embarrassed. It’s natural to develop feelings…”

  “I’m done.” I stand up. I don’t like her prodding into my private thoughts. When I notice that she isn’t going to stand up, I turn and walk to the elevator.

  “Atom, wait. We can change the topic,” she shouts after me, but I’ve had it. I’ve been able to handle my problems fine on my own. I don’t need someone I don’t know playing games with my mind.

  As the elevator doors close, I catch a quick glimpse of her disappointed face. Thankfully I don’t come across anyone on my way to my room, and I head straight for the shower.

  After what feels like an hour under the hot water, I towel myself off and grab a protein pouch. My wrinkled fingers make it hard to open the pouch, so I tear it with my teeth. The second the grape flavor touches my tongue, I realize just how hungry I am. I eat four more pouches before I finally feel full.

  I throw on a jumpsuit and head up to the roof with my blanket in my hand. It’s starting to get darker earlier, and the weather has gotten colder. With my body still feeling warm from the shower, I know the cold air will feel great.

  Recently I’ve been giving Cal and Al a heads up that I would be heading to the roof, but tonight I would like some time to myself. I climb the ladder to the top and sit with the blanket wrapped around me. At first, everything feels normal, but then I realize that the bright flashes we ‘ve been seeing behind the walls aren’t happening.

  I scan the compound and notice that more drones are patrolling than usual. They are scattered along the walls and throughout the grounds. My body shivers as I get an uneasy feeling. Something is wrong. I’m about to head back when I hear noise coming from the ladder.

  “You don’t like us anymore?” Al’s distinct voice precedes his head as he steps through.

  “Hey. I just wanted a little time to myself.” I shift over to give them room. Hydro and Fe follow Al onto the roof.

  “Wow, it’s cold.” Hydro rubs her arms as she sits. Al sits next to her and puts his arm around her to keep her warm. Fe sits next to me.

  “Where is Cal?” I look back to the hole in the roof.

  “He wasn’t feeling well, so he decided to stay back and sleep,” Al says.

  A rush of nerves runs over me. Cal is usually a good buffer for the group, but now I feel like I’m paired with Fe.

  “Where are the flashes?” Fe looks at me.

  “I don’t know.” I smile back and quickly look back beyond the walls, my heart climbing into my throat. For a few moments, we all stare off into the night sky.

  “
It’s eerily quiet out there.” Hydro breaks the uncomfortable silence.

  “I kind of got used to those flashes. They were surprisingly beautiful,” Al adds. His teeth chatter, and we all look over at him and laugh. “Don’t laugh. It’s cold, and Atom is hogging his blanket!”

  I had forgotten that I was wrapped in my blanket. I hold it out to the group. “I’m sorry. Here.”

  “Actually, I think I’m going to head back down. I’m past cold, and I don’t think the blanket will help.” Hydro stands, and Al follows.

  “Okay. I think I’m going to stay up here for a little while longer,” I say as I pull the blanket back around me.

  “I think I will stay up here too if Atom doesn’t mind.” Fe looks at me.

  If I thought I had experienced nerves before, I was wrong. Suddenly the blanket feels like an oven, and my skin turns red. “That’s fine.”

  “Well, you two don’t get in any trouble now. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” Al winks at me, and I let out a nervous laugh.

  After Al and Hydro disappear, Fe shifts closer to me, wrapping the part of the blanket I offered her around her body. Her body presses next to mine, and I can feel my palms begin to sweat. She looks at me and smiles. Somehow the darkness of the sky has added depth to her piercing eyes. She is no longer the naïve girl I first met.

  I speak to avoid the silence. “You did great today. I’m sorry I didn’t say it in the simulation room, but it didn’t seem appropriate at the time with what everyone had just gone through. What you did, hiding within the bodies, was both courageous and smart. I wish—”

  My words are cut off by her lips as they press against mine, her soft hair caressing my neck, and I instinctively put my hand on her cheek. I didn’t realize how cold my face has gotten until I feel the warmth of her lips. If it weren’t for my breathing, I would believe I was dead, because my heart has stopped entirely.

  She pulls away and lays her head on my shoulder. The smile she leaves on my face begins to hurt my jaw, so I don’t speak. Instead, I just put my arm around her and look at the compound walls with the drones.