Gene. Sys. Read online

  GENE. SYS.

  By

  Aaron Denius

  Copyright © 2014

  Printed in The United States of America

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law.

  ISBN-13: 978-1502743046

  ISBN-10: 1502743043

  Cover Design: Mousam Banerjee IG: @illus_station

  IG/Twitter/TikTok: @aarondenius

  To the three strongest women I know:

  Mom

  Your courage and sacrifice have been a driving force in my pursuit of my dream. Thanks for being my biggest fan.

  Kelly

  You are one of the most talented people I have ever known. Watching you grow into the amazing person and mother you are has been one of the biggest joys of my life.

  Pansy

  Your life is an inspiration. After all you have experienced, you live your life with uninhibited joy. Thank you for showing me that it’s okay to laugh at yourself.

  I love you all and am humbled by you.

  CHAPTER I

  The world is supposed to end in about a year.

  My dad says that things will be very different. He won’t tell me why, but he says that it’s the reason I was created. I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately. At least since I found the ladder that leads to the roof. It’s tucked away in the back corner of the library. I came across it when searching for books on the beginning and the end of the world.

  I like the library because it contains real books. I can look up anything I want on tablets, but the way the plastic feels on my fingers as I turn the pages makes me feel like I am part of the story being told. I also like that the library is always empty. Nobody ever comes in here, so I often go to escape and read. My dad tells me that it is more of a museum than a library, but I like it either way.

  The electronic catalog at the front of the library directed me to the philosophy section near the library’s back section. I read everything I could. Everything seemed to have a different answer. Most of the books weren’t much help, and the books marked as religious texts were so broad that they only gave me more questions.

  I had gone searching for a different corner to perch up against when I saw the ladder. I climbed up and opened the door that was cut out of the ceiling. Fresh air hit my face, and I stepped out onto the roof. I looked around and saw the entire compound I call home. I saw the walls surrounding the compound, and I saw the hundreds of drone guards patrolling the borders. The guards all looked exactly the same; carbon copies of one another.

  The sky looked different from atop the roof. It was bigger. That was the first time I saw beyond the walls. I couldn’t see much because the walls are about thirty feet tall, but when I turned to the west, I saw it—a triangular rock formation jutting out from beyond the wall. I must have stared at it for three hours before I realized that I was shivering. All I could think about was how much I wanted to go beyond the walls to see what else was out there.

  Dad told me that it was hazardous outside the compound’s walls, and that I could not go out there under any circumstance. He let me know that what I saw was the Great Pyramid of Giza. So I read. I would bring the books to the roof, and in two nights, I read everything there was about the pyramids and the ancient Egyptian culture. I imagined I was one of the pharaohs. I believe that I have the same olive complexion and light eyes they had. I’m definitely taller. I’m the tallest person at this compound, so I can’t really believe many people are closer to the stars than I am. I wanted so badly to be one of them. Their life appeared to be free. The pyramid became a symbol of freedom, and it only made me hungrier to see this five-thousand-year-old wonder.

  I did some quick geometry and figured that the pyramid was only about two miles away. That meant I could run to it in about six minutes. I had it all figured out, but then thoughts about what else might be out there crept in. What else were those walls hiding from me? Would the end of the world affect them?

  For eight straight days, those were the questions on my mind, but not tonight. Different thoughts are occupying my mind. Tomorrow I am supposed to meet Ev for the first time. We were created simultaneously, but the only time I remember catching a glimpse of her was two months ago when I was released from my incubation tube. They were carting me away when I rolled my head over and saw her floating in her tube. They released her the next day.

  Dad and the other scientists did everything they could to keep us apart. We were trained and schooled separately. They ran tests on us individually, and they had drone guards making sure we never crossed paths. I would always try to steal a peek or sneak around to see her, but they were cautious.

  Now, I wouldn’t mind if they pushed the meeting back a couple of days. I’m nervous and scared. I wonder what she knows about me. Is she nervous and scared too? Is she having trouble sleeping right now? I wonder if Dad told her about the end of the world as well.

  These thoughts dominate my mind as I spread out on my blanket and stare at the stars. I close my eyes, and before I know it, the darkness of sleep has overtaken me.

  I wake up shivering. I don’t know how long I was asleep, but the sky has become lighter. Daybreak is coming soon. I climb down the ladder to the library and walk into the hallway. A few drones walk past me. Their cold, black eyes glance at me and then look down, but not before I feel the loathing they send my way.

  I duck into my room and crawl into my bed. I barely have time for my nightly ritual of barricading myself with pillows before I fall back to sleep.

  I dream of standing alone in a vast, white abyss. It’s cold, and the ground feels hard and slick like ice. The sky is also white, and the only reason I can tell there’s a difference between the floor and the sky is that I see a figure in the distance. I run toward the figure, and as I get closer, I can tell that it’s a girl. Her long, blonde hair reaches down to the small of her back. She is thin and tall. Her back is to me, so I reach out to touch her. Right before I do, I call out “Ev,” but she doesn’t turn. She vanishes and reappears in the distance. I walk up to her again, and the same thing happens. The cycle repeats itself until I’m woken up.

  The knock at the door shocks me awake. I sit up as the door opens, and the silhouette shades me from the bright light wanting to enter the room. The silhouette’s hand flicks on the light. The brightness burns my eyes, and I retreat under my blanket. “Turn it off!”

  “Time to train,” says the deep voice. I know without looking that it’s Grant, my weapons and combat instructor. I like working with him. He pushes me hard, and he’s the only one able to keep up with me when running.

  “Fine.” I look out from under the covers. His dark skin and black jumpsuit make Grant appear as though he is still a silhouette.

  “Dungeon, ten minutes!” He tosses me a protein pouch and walks out. Grant is never one to be anything less than direct.

  I sit up and tear open the protein pouch. I’ve never liked the way the goo feels as it travels down my throat, but at least I got a good flavor today. It tastes like a mix between orange and mango, with a hint of vanilla.

  I look around my room. It’s small with no windows. The bathroom is to the right of my bed, and the closet is to my left. I have a nightstand on each side of the bed, but both are stacked with books, most of them on Ancient Egypt.

  I stand up from my bed and feel dizzy as pain shoots to the front of my forehead. I know it has to do with falling asleep on the roof. I walk to the bathroom and splash my face with water. I’m hoping the protein pouch will help alleviate the headache; otherwise, it will be a bruta
l training session. I slip into a green jumpsuit from my closet and head through the door to the hallway.

  Something feels off about my walk to the dungeon. It’s located under the library, so I have made this walk many times before. Today is different, though. It’s not until I’m in the elevator that I realize what it was. I didn’t see a single drone in the hallway. There are almost always three or four keeping an eye on me. I can’t recall a day when I didn’t see at least one.

  The elevators open on the ground floor, and the second I step out, I am hit in the head with a fifteen-pound leather ball. I fall hard to the ground. Whatever hope I had of losing the headache is now gone.

  “Get up!” I hear Grant yell from across the room. I know that I’m supposed to be prepared from the second I step off the elevator, but the drones’ disappearance had me preoccupied. I lost track of where I was. Grant has trained me to always be prepared, but today I lost focus for a brief second. Because of that, the left side of my face burns, and my head hurts more than it did ten minutes ago.

  I look up to see another ball flying toward my body. I roll out of the way and pop up to my feet. The ball hits the wall behind me. I assess my surroundings and see that Grant is hiding behind a giant rock formation. The entire room is a red rock desert landscape with boulders and a few dead trees scattered about. The heat of the sun blaring from the sky causes beads of sweat to form on my brow. I look down at the ball that hit my face and see that it’s actually a small boulder. I pick it up and hurl it at Grant, forcing him to duck further behind the rock formation. I use the opportunity to pick up the other small boulder and run up a different rock formation.

  I analyze the options he has. He can look out from either side of his rock, he can climb up, or he can run for cover at one of the two other rock formations. Looking out won’t do him any good, and climbing will leave him vulnerable. Since I’m already at the high vantage point and can hit him with the boulder, the only option he has is to run.

  “You were late,” he says. I know he’s trying to pinpoint my location, so I stay quiet. My eyes remain fixed on the area between the rock formations where I believe he will run to. I see his head poke out briefly in my peripherals.

  A split second later, he’s running from his cover. I hurl my boulder at the area in front of him; he stops to let it land in front of him. “You missed!”

  The moment he takes his eyes off me to watch the boulder land, I bound off my perch and charge at him. He turns just as I lower my shoulder into his torso and drive him into one of the dead trees. I ram my forearm into his neck, holding him in place with my arm.

  “No I didn’t.” I smile as I look into his eyes and watch them bulge as he struggles for air. His eyes shut, and I count, “One, two, three.”

  I let go and step back as he falls to his knees and struggles for air. I know I shouldn’t take pleasure in this, but it’s only recently that I can beat him. I have endured countless beatings at his hands, so it feels good to be able to repay the favor.

  I stick my hand out to help him to his feet. As he struggles to regain his senses, I can see his true age. Still, at over twice my supposed age, he is a worthy opponent.

  “I’m proud of you.” He places his hand on my shoulder. “You used both physical and mental abilities to beat me. It’s important to remember that. A good plan will always take precedence over brute force.”

  “Can we get out of the simulation?” I ask. Grant always preaches using both physical and mental prowess. I don’t mean to cut him off, but my mind has returned to the oddity of the drones not being around.

  He snaps me back into the moment when he answers my question with one of his own. “Would you like to do the honors?”

  I know that it’s a simple gesture, but I have wanted to do it since the simulation training began. I take a deep breath and say, “Apokalupto.”

  He told me that the word means to reveal in Greek. I look around to see the desert landscape disappear around me. The dead trees turn into padded support beams. The rock formations turn into big stacks of mats and pads. I pick up the weighted ball closest to me and walk it over to the rack holding other weighted balls.

  “What’s on your mind, kid?” Grant inquires. I guess it’s pretty obvious that my thoughts are elsewhere.

  “I didn’t see any drones on my way down here,” I answer as I sit on a stack of mats.

  “No you wouldn’t have.” He sits next to me. “You and Ev are meeting today, so there is no need for them to keep you from each other.”

  “Why was it so important that we didn’t meet before now?” This question has always bothered me.

  Grant leans back against the wall. “Dr. Anfang has his reasons. I know that he didn’t want either of you getting in the way of each other’s development. It was crucial that you both matured to a certain level before being exposed to each other.”

  I have so many questions, but all that comes out of my mouth is, “Oh.”

  I’m not sure I will ever get the answer I’m looking for. That might be because I’m not sure what answer I want to hear. I stand and walk toward the elevator door.

  Grant follows me. He stops me just before the elevator. “Kid. You are very good at following your instincts. Always trust them. Just keep in mind, emotions are the fog that clouds your instincts.”

  I push the button, and the elevator doors open. I walk in. As the doors close, I hear Grant add, “Make sure you shower before you meet her. She’s going to love you, but not if you smell.”

  His laughter fades as I rise to the main floor. The doors open, and I step out. The halls are empty once again. I don’t like it. I can hear every step I take. I try to silence my feet as I walk, but it’s not working. I look around, and the hallway seems to be closing in on me. My heart races, and a lump rises in my throat. I struggle to breathe, and know I just have to get to my room, so I run. I speed down the hall, and when I get to my bedroom, I fly in and slam the door behind me. I fall onto my bed and shut my eyes.

  For the first time in the two months I’ve been alive, I feel real and genuine fear. I’ve been scared before, but all those times, there was something tangible to which I was able to attach my fear. Right now, there is nothing. Just fear. Meeting Ev is going to change everything. I’m not sure how, but I know it will. Resentment begins to accompany the fear. I don’t want to, but in this moment, I hate her. As strong as those feelings are, it’s not fair to her that I feel this way, because I haven’t met her yet. I pick myself up and walk into the bathroom. Hopefully, a shower will calm me down. The way the hot water hits my back and neck always gets me to relax.

  The shower must have put me in a trance, because I jump when I hear a pounding on the bathroom door. Through the fogged glass, I see two drones standing in my bedroom. They are here to take me to Ev. I’m not sure how long I’ve been in the shower, but the wrinkles on my fingers tell me it’s been a while. I shut the water off and towel myself dry.

  “You need to get dressed quickly,” I hear one of the drones say. “Dr. Anfang is waiting.”

  They move to the doorway of my bedroom as I dress. I don’t say a word to them. It’s not worth it. Their speech is always short and sounds well-rehearsed. You can never tell them apart, because they all look the same: black hair, black eyes, and pale skin. If I spoke with one, I would not know which one it was the next day.

  I look down at my bed and see a pair of pants and a button-up shirt. Only the scientists wear these. I have only ever worn jumpsuits. Any nerves that I lost in the shower are now back.

  The clothes feel very uncomfortable and restricting. They make me feel hot and cause my palms to sweat. I wipe them on the pants as we walk out of the room and down the hallway. The drones walk on either side of me. The sound of our footsteps gets to me, so I break the silence. “What are your names?”

  “137,” says the one on my left.

  “80,” says the other one.

  “I’m Atom,” I reply.

  “We know,” they
respond in unison.

  I struggle for conversation. “What do you guys like to do for fun?”

  80 looks at me as we walk. A smile graces his face for a brief second. “We like to play Breekbal.”

  “We keep that to ourselves, 80,” 137 scolds.

  My curiosity has definitely gotten the better of me. “What’s Breekbal?”

  80 smiles again. “Calm down, 137. He doesn’t even know what it is.”

  They obviously don’t intend on sharing, either. I try my best to imagine what that would be. It must be some sort of game. For a few more moments, my mind remains preoccupied with Breekbal, then we turn the corner, and I see my dad standing at the end of the hallway.

  “Thank you, fellas.” He smiles through his big, white beard. “You are dismissed.”

  “Thank you, Dr. Anfang,” the drones say in unison as they turn and walk away. I feel naked again, standing alone at the end of the hallway. Dad starts walking toward me. His round body fills the hallway slightly more than most of the other scientists here. He has definitely been looking forward to this day, and that makes me even more nervous.

  He reaches out and places his hand on my shoulder. “You have no reason to be nervous, Atom.”

  Without me realizing it, he’s guiding me toward the door. “What do I say?”

  We stop just outside the door, and my hands get sweaty again. She is on the other side of that door. Dad squares me up to him. “You don’t have to worry about that. The conversation will come. Just be yourself.”

  “What if she doesn’t like me?” I mumble into his shoulder.

  “Well, then we failed as scientists.” He smiles. “She’s going to like you, Atom, and you are going to like her. Now get in there before I have to drag you in.”

  He opens the door and walks in. I follow right behind. I poke my head around from behind him, and I see Ev leaning against the wall farthest from the door. She’s taller than I imagined. Her dark brown hair falls to either side of her face, ending just at her shoulders. Her pale skin makes her look porcelain and fragile. My heart races, and my instincts tell me to protect her at any cost.