by Eliza Green
‘Yeah, I’d like that. I know Dom would, too.’
Sheila’s head turned. ‘Speaking of which... lover boy is here.’
Anya’s heart kicked up when she saw Dom approach. He was dressed in plain, black trousers and a plum-coloured shirt. His hair had been cut recently—by Charlie, she assumed—and he wore the sexiest smile.
‘Hey,’ he said, planting a soft kiss on her lips.
‘Hey back.’ A feeling stirred low in her belly. ‘Hungry?’
‘Sure. How did your session go?’
‘I’m done. You?’
‘Yeah. I guess I’m not certified crazy.’
‘So, I know a little place, just off Chinatown...’
‘Actually’—Dom held up a silver card—‘I got the keys to our new place.’
‘What?’ Agatha had promised them a new apartment, but the place had been occupied. ‘It’s ready?’
‘Yep. Wanna go see it?’
Ω
Dom opened the door with a brushed-silver card that reminded Anya of the ones used to operate the lift in Arcis. She wondered how much tech Quintus had borrowed and recreated in the Region.
He opened the door and her eyes widened.
‘Oh my God...’ She turned around in the space. ‘It’s huge!’
A large window covered one wall, offering them a view of the city and the darkness that was befalling it. Multicoloured lights twinkled softly in the distance. A large, white sofa sat with its back to the huge window. A bed was positioned in one corner of the space. There was no privacy. But with only the two of them living there, she didn’t mind.
‘What do you think?’
Dom’s brow held a crease. Anya realised it might be a permanent one that could never be erased.
She wandered away from him, running her hand over the smooth, metal counter in the kitchenette, seeing more than a little resemblance to the unit in Essention with its grey-and-white scheme. She shivered, then hugged herself.
‘You don’t like it?’
She turned. ‘No, I do. It’s just...’
He stepped closer to her. ‘Just what?’
‘I never expected this to be our lives. I couldn’t see past the Beyond.’ She smiled. ‘It will take some getting used to.’
Dom slid his hands around her waist, craning his neck down to look into her eyes. He grinned suddenly and it elicited one in response.
‘What?’
‘What do you say we christen this place?’
Her eyes flicked to the bed, then back to him. ‘What did you have in mind?’
Dom kept hold of her hand and led her over to the bed. Her stomach coiled tight with excited anticipation.
There, he turned and faced her, sweeping a lock of hair off her face. Anya stood on tiptoes and brushed her lips against his. The windows had no covering but they were far back enough that the shadows in the room hid them.
Dom groaned against her mouth; the sound pushed her to explore him deeper.
He pulled back, removed his shirt and went back to kissing her. ‘I’ve been dying to get you alone for ages.’
She smiled against his lips. ‘Me too.’
They’d been living in the dorm on base before being moved to separate temporary accommodation while they completed their psychological assessments. All she’d had for two weeks were stolen looks and kisses during the times they could meet.
Her need for him consumed her so much, she thought she might die. He was her air. Without him she felt like she might suffocate. And from the way he was kissing her, deep and hungrily, she sensed he felt the same way.
Anya stepped back and removed her clothes to stand there in her underwear.
Dom smiled at her, his gaze lingering on the places where she was still covered. ‘Beautiful.’
He peeled off his T-shirt with his strong arm, slightly ripping the fabric as he went. His stomach no longer had a scar running across it. Agatha had kept her promise and removed his internal tech, replacing it with donated organs. But he retained the tech in his arm that had nothing to do with his father.
She ran her fingers across his belly, where his scar used to be, feeling him tense there. ‘Do you miss it?’
He said in a low, throaty growl, ‘No.’
She looked up at him. His brown eyes caught her off guard, like they always did when she looked into them. The intensity there made her blush.
‘What now?’
A smile spread across his lips and he eased her onto the bed.
The feel of him pressed up against her, every part of him hard, turned her legs to jelly. She shivered from loving this man so much.
‘You cold?’ he asked.
She shook her head. His body warmth was enough. She widened her legs to allow his weight to rest there. He kissed her harder, careful not to crush her. She didn’t care if he did, or if his weight killed her. She could think of worse ways to die than in the arms of the man who literally stole her breath away.
35
Anya
The next morning, Anya got up for a shower. She spent longer there than usual. The water slicked down her body, making her feel whole again. She was sore in places she’d forgotten existed. The heat of the water soothed her aches away.
She touched the grey tiles, wondering if Quintus had drawn inspiration for Essention from this city alone, or if he’d used his imagination. The thought made her shiver.
Anya towelled off and emerged from the bathroom. Dom was draped across the bed, one arm resting over his eyes. He peeked out from under it when she neared him.
‘How was the shower?’ he asked.
‘Delicious! You should try it.’
He sat up, a wicked grin on his face. ‘Maybe next time, I’ll join you.’
‘I’d like that.’
She sat down on the bed with a sigh.
‘What’s wrong?’
‘I suppose this good feeling can’t last forever.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean we can’t live like kings indefinitely. We’ll have to join society at some point. You know, get a job.’
Dom nodded slowly. ‘Agatha didn’t say, but, yeah, I presume so.’
She got to her feet, holding the towel in place. ‘I don’t know where my place is here. I don’t even know what this city is about. All I remember are the towns. I know the memory reverse will allow me to remember, but I’m not ready to.’
He stood up with her and wrapped his arms around her waist. ‘Maybe it’s time Agatha answered some of our questions. What I want to know is what’s going to happen to the Region. Are they going to keep it locked away indefinitely?’
‘Yeah, I’d like to know that, too.’
Ω
They dressed and met with Agatha in a small café not far from the base. Agatha paid at the counter and carried three coffees to the table.
Today, she wore a black trouser suit with a white blouse and a pair of red-rimmed glasses. Her black hair was pulled back from her face. Anya couldn’t tell whether she’d come from a meeting or from her private quarters in the base.
Agatha sipped on her coffee then looked up. ‘How are you two settling into your new place? You got the keys last night, correct?’
‘How did you know...?’
Anya sighed. There wasn’t any point in asking how anyone knew anything. Agatha seemed to have eyes and ears everywhere.
‘Fine,’ said Dom. ‘It’s nice.’
‘Nice?’ Agatha raised a brow. ‘That apartment has the best view of New San Francisco.’
‘It’s great,’ Dom added with a clipped smile. ‘But we’re not here to discuss views.’
Agatha lifted her cup to her lips again. ‘I didn’t think you were.’ She took a sip and placed the cup back down, then clasped her hands on the table. ‘You’re here because of the Region.’
Dom nodded. ‘We left a lot of people behind. We want to know what’s going to happen to them.’
‘The Region is still off limits. We haven’t
lifted the quarantine.’
‘Why not?’ asked Anya. ‘Quintus is gone. There is no threat.’
‘It’s not locked down because of that. The people there don’t know anything more than you did when you crossed. To open up this side would do more psychological damage.’
‘What was your original exit strategy?’
‘Bring people back in batches and restore their memories. But they were only supposed to be there a few months, not twelve. Two weeks later, and you two are still coming to terms with this side. There are thousands still living there who will be traumatised if we let them out.’
‘Thousands living in fear of a threat that no longer exists,’ said Anya. ‘Worried that Praesidium is still active and will send teams to their towns to remove them by force. That’s what happened before the radiation attack. That’s what they fear will happen again.’
‘Yes, the radiation attack. Our teams have assessed the towns after dark and decontaminated the soil. There’s no issue with growing crops there.’
She lifted her cup to her lips again.
‘But they don’t know that,’ said Dom. ‘We were almost out of food when we left. The tech the city uses to speed up growth is offline. With the current tech in the towns, the food will grow too slowly to keep up with demand.’
The cup clinked against the saucer as Agatha put it down. ‘What are you suggesting? That we open up the two sides and traumatise thousands of people in one go?’
Dom leaned forward. ‘I’m saying we need to give them a choice.’
Agatha sat back, her lips thinned, not looking happy with that outcome. ‘I don’t think—’
‘How is food manufactured on this side?’ Anya interrupted.
Agatha cut her eyes to her. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean, what’s the food situation like?’
The Commander shrugged. ‘We have food processing plants...’
‘Like the towns, but on a smaller scale?’ Agatha nodded. ‘Then turn the Region into a live-in food manufacturing base.’
Agatha rubbed her chin, as though she were considering it. ‘How much food did you grow there?’
‘Not enough to feed a city this size, but with the right equipment we could double, triple, times-ten our production.’
Dom squeezed her leg under the table. A sign of his agreement.
‘So what do you say, Agatha?’ he said. ‘Turn the Region into an extension of New San Francisco?’
‘A live-in one?’ said Agatha, eyeing the pair.
‘Yes,’ said Anya. ‘If people want to stay, they should be allowed to.’
She guessed some wouldn’t want to live on this side.
Agatha drained her cup. ‘Let me think about it.’ She stood up. ‘I’ll be in touch.’
Several soldiers Anya hadn’t seen fell into line as she exited the café.
She released a sigh of relief. ‘Do you think she’ll go for it?’
Dom removed a communication device from his back pocket and slotted it into his ear. ‘I hope so.’
‘Who are you calling?’
‘Sheila. She invited us over for dinner tonight. You ready to catch up with the old gang?’
Anya nodded.
36
Dom
The time was hitting 7pm when Dom and Anya arrived at Sheila’s new place. Five doors without numbers filled the corridor on the top floor, but Dom knew exactly which one was Sheila’s.
A low, thumping noise permeated through the wooden door ahead of him. He knocked and Sheila opened the door, releasing a torrent of music into the hall.
‘Dom Juan! Welcome to mi casa!’
She stepped back and gestured for them to enter.
He grinned at her. ‘I just had a flashback moment to our unit in Essention.’
He’d arrived back from his shift in Arcis to discover Sheila blaring music in their apartment.
Sheila looked away. ‘Oh yeah. I was a bit of a brat then, huh?’
Except now, the music didn’t fill him with dread. ‘Still are.’
Sheila stuck her tongue out at him. Beside him, Anya giggled, her hand in his. It was a warm, comforting reminder that they had all the time in the world to explore their new relationship.
He couldn’t wait.
Anya held a container. She thrust it at Sheila, as if she couldn’t wait to be rid of it. ‘I made these. Brownies. Or rather, I tried.’
Sheila plucked the container from her. ‘Perfect. I forgot about dessert.’
Dom led Anya inside the apartment, decorated in warm tones. He heard a collection of hushed voices coming from the other room and a child’s voice.
The corridor opened into a space that was smaller than his and Anya’s open-plan apartment. The walls of Sheila and Imogen’s place had been painted in a mix of red rust and warm-orange colours. He could smell the paint.
‘I like what you’ve done to the place,’ said Anya, looking around.
‘Yeah, the black, white-and-grey scheme wasn’t doing it for me,’ said Sheila.
Dom saw old faces in the room. Charlie and Vanessa. Jacob and Carissa. Thomas. Jerome. June had brought Frahlia with her. The child had not grown any further since the medical facility. She was still a six-year-old, in appearance only. But she had lost that curious, quiet look in her eyes. Now, she acted more her age, hiding behind June’s legs when someone tried to talk to her. But one person she allowed near was Carissa. Dom had heard Rover was helping Agatha’s team with logistics and loving his new role.
Dom didn’t see Alex in the room. Anya had told him about their conversation and his hesitation to become a father. Nobody could blame the former Breeder. The situation they’d all found themselves in was messed up.
Charlie called him over. Dom smiled as he shook the old man’s hand. It warmed him to see Charlie happy—well, as happy as he could be without Max.
‘I heard you moved into your new place yesterday. How is it?’ asked Charlie.
‘Good.’
He lifted a brow at him. ‘Really?’
‘Yeah.’ His eyes flicked to Anya. ‘Things are great. How are you settling in?’
Charlie chuckled. ‘I have all the money I could want and nothing to spend it on. It’s not a life I envisioned for myself.’
‘How much did you get?’
‘Enough. Turns out, I was one of the first to enter the Region. That honour attracted a healthy pay check.’ Sadness clouded his eyes. ‘I’m just sorry Max couldn’t be here to see all this, see how we’re doing now.’
Dom clapped him on the arm. ‘Max agreed to enter the Region. We all did.’ His mother, Mariella, too. ‘He would be happy to see you well.’
Charlie nodded and looked around at the others. ‘I’m glad we’re all safe.’ He slid his gaze to Dom. ‘But this city...’
‘It doesn’t feel like we belong, does it?’
Charlie shook his head. ‘Even though this was our home once.’
Sheila called everyone to dinner. Dom took a seat next to Anya.
‘It’s nothing fancy, just tuna casserole,’ said Sheila.
Dom couldn’t keep the shock from his voice. ‘Since when do you cook, Sheila Kouris?’
Sheila lowered her eyes, as if embarrassed. ‘Actually, it was all Imogen.’
‘You helped to cut up the vegetables.’ Imogen squeezed her shoulder. ‘That was like cooking.’
Everyone laughed, even Sheila.
Dom held out his plate. ‘In that case, load me up.’
Sheila stuck out her tongue at him again.
The mood was light and jovial. Everyone talked about anything but the place they’d come from, or the memory reversal treatment that would return the city’s familiarity to them. Some, like Charlie, had opted for the treatment—to begin next week. Others were still undecided. No matter what memories people had or didn’t, Dom sensed a mood change in the group, like they were at a crossroads similar to him and Anya.
After dinner, he couldn’t avoid the off-limit topic a
ny longer. He and Anya shared their discussion with Agatha and their proposal to open up the Region.
‘She’s considering it,’ said Anya.
‘But what will that mean for the Region and the people living there?’ asked Vanessa.
‘They will become part of this city’s future, with the option to have their old lifestyle back.’
Charlie rubbed his chin. ‘It’s an intriguing idea. Do you think she’ll go for it?’
Dom had no idea, and he told them so. ‘We’ll just have to wait and see.’
‘And do you think you’ll go back?’
Dom looked at Anya. They hadn’t discussed it but he was sure they would, if only to help set up the Region.
‘I admit I like this apartment,’ said Sheila, looking around, ‘but I’m restless, and I’m not sure I want to know who I was before now.’
‘Me too,’ said Imogen. ‘All I’ve known is a rebel life.’
Getting the old memories back didn’t guarantee a sense of belonging.
‘So, who wants to volunteer?’
Sheila, Imogen, Jerome and Thomas put their hands up.
June said, ‘I have Frahlia to think of now. I need to get her settled.’
‘And Alex?’ asked Dom.
‘He’s not going to be a part of our lives. But Carissa and Jacob have been helping with her.’ She smiled. ‘I’ll be fine.’
He believed she would. According to Jacob, Carissa had slowly been remembering her past life. That must have been difficult for her, to live two lives simultaneously. But as rebel leader, Dom couldn’t think about his former life now. Max was gone. His commander had fought to protect the people in the Region. Dom still felt responsible for those who’d been left behind.
‘I’m hoping Agatha will give us an answer soon.’
37
Anya
Agatha made them wait two agonising days before she came back with her answer. Her bosses agreed that converting the Region into a manufacturing hub would be the best use for it.
For the last ten days, new supplies had been brought steadily into the Region through a large gate that had been cloaked from the residents. It turned out the invisible gate hadn’t been far from their camp. The operation was overseen by people dressed in green military garb pretending to be rebels. It took time to get the people to trust the newcomers, but slowly the Region became unrecognisable. The towns were kitted out and Praesidium was reclaimed and turned into an operational hub.
