by Jaclyn Lewis
“How long have you two been married?” I ask.
“Eighteen months. We were the first couple to be married in Erimos.” Nikki answers. “It was beautiful.”
“How long did it take before you felt comfortable here?”
Gavin answers this time. “Well, they say that it takes three weeks to really get used to something. I would say about a month and things start to feel normal. The best thing to do is just get through each day one at a time and then before you know it a month has gone by and you’re in a routine. And then a year goes by and you’ve made so many new memories you stop wondering so much.”
Gavin’s biceps are so large that I’m distracted as he finishes off his breakfast juice. I imagine that on Earth, he would have been a first choice draft pick for the NFL.
“I guess I’m going to be learning a lot today.” I tell him. “I know nothing about diamond mining. The pamphlet didn’t help much. And what is a specter anyway?”
He grins and his perfectly set white teeth show. “Oh your first ride in the specter will be an adventure. I don’t want to spoil it. Why don’t you ask the pilot after you land? As far as diamond mining, all I know is that it gets really, really hot. You’ll be open pit mining so you’ll be exposed to the sun. From what they say, though this planet has got enough diamonds on it to buy what’s left of Earth—and then some.”
“Do people ever die out there?”
“In the mines? Yeah. The mining work can be dangerous. But, then, sometimes what’s simply unexpected can kill you.”
I’m not sure if he’s going to elaborate on that or not. I wait and then the moment’s gone.
We all go back to eating. Glancing around the room doesn’t seem to fill the silence for long.
Finally, I ask, “Have you ever heard of someone named Elise?”
Nikki’s face betrays astonished recognition. “Wow…you’ve already met Elise.”
I don’t understand. I thought I was grasping for the wind with that question, but apparently not.
I look confused and I’m not sure how much more I should say. She finally explains.
“Some of the weirdest things about this place are the dreams. We figured out a long time ago that at some point most of the female snowflakes in the program dream that they are some woman named Elise. The men here tend to have Andre dreams. It’s really just kind of a weird joke now.”
Gavin mockingly takes on the role of Andre, “Oh Elise, baby, jump over that train track.”
“OK. Kiss me first!” Nikki teases, and they both chuckle.
Andre was the man who was with Elise. How strange. I don’t share in this joke. I thought it was horrifying dream—not funny in the least.
“Did you ask the staff why we have these dreams?” I question.
“Of course. Their answers are never particularly helpful. But, they do like for you to see a doctor after you’ve had one. Honestly, we just don’t tell them anymore. It’s too time consuming and the doctors always ask all kinds of weird questions. But since you had one your first night here they might want to know.
“Ok. I guess I’ll go to the clinic when I’m done eating.” I chew for a while and try to change the subject. “So how did you two meet?”
Gavin looks at Nikki to tell the story. I guess he thinks a lady better tells this romantic tale.
I don’t even really care how they met. That was just the first question I could think of. As they prattle on about the meaning of love, my mind is trying to work out the meaning of these dreams.
Nikki smiles and says, “Well, Gavin here came in a few months after I did. He left his map in his room the first day and I bumped into him. He was just standing in the atrium looking lost, staring up the spire like he was waiting for it to transport him somewhere else. I had to tell him that the spire is not an alien landing pad. He was disappointed…and so handsome.”
Nikki loops her tiny hands around the crevice in Gavin’s giant arm and looks up at him with sparkles in her eyes. “I had to walk him all the way down to militia. I’m lucky he can’t find his way around.”
“And I’m lucky you found me.” He says. There they go kissing again.
I can’t say it’s completely unappealing, but it’s awkward for those watching them--at least for me. So my eyes wander around the room for a few seconds—taking in the sunlight and masses of other people eating and talking. The buzz of voices around the room is like a hypnotizing symphony.
“Well, it was nice to meet you Gavin.” I stand with my tray and prepare to leave. “I guess I had better go see the shrink, I don’t want to be late for the specter. Do you think I have time?”
“Yeah. Just tell him you have to go right away. I’ll come with you.” Nikki says. “I have to take a specter to the asprosium mine, but I can walk you to the atrium at least.”
“That would be nice. Thanks. Wouldn’t want to get lost on the first day.” My sarcasm is not wasted. Gavin smirks at my snide reference to their romance.
They kiss again, and Gavin offers to put our trays away as Nikki and I grab our prepared lunches.
I head out the door and on a whim I glance back at the bread station where Silas is staring my way. I smile at him and wave goodbye. When he smiles back I feel a flutter. How is it possible for me to have such a strong connection with someone I met yesterday? I haven’t felt that way about any of the other friends I’ve made and I really know nothing about him. He seems nice, though.
Nikki walks with me as far as the atrium. Then we prepare to split. I check my map for the clinic. It’s in Den 4.
Once I reach the clinic I don’t know where to go. Aimlessly, I look around for a doctor or nurse when I spot someone I think I might know. She turns around and…yes, it’s Esther.
She introduces herself and tries to shake my hand.
“Hi. I’m Esther. I’m a nurse here. Can I help you?”
“Uh…hi?” I’m so confused. I’ve already met her so why is she introducing herself again?
“I’m here for an—evaluation I guess. I had a dream. And I met you yesterday.”
Blankly, she responds. “I don’t remember you.” Then shakes her head.
“Yes. Yesterday, you were my nurse. In that room right there.” I point to a door behind her.
“I’m so sorry. I wish I could help you. I just don’t remember, but I’ll get the doctor for you.” She rushes off while smiling at me in a patronizing way.
How can she not remember me? I know nurses see a lot of people in a day’s time, but how could anyone forget so fast?
I sit in a waiting area off to the side where there are books on a table to pick up a read. I can’t imagine having to wait so long that I would read through an entire book. I’d better not to even start it and get interested.
After a while, a tall man in a white coat comes walking toward me with a file.
“Genesis, you can come into room two.”
I follow him in there, sit down. That’s when it hits me. What if something’s wrong with me? What if they do that thing that Nikki was talking about—what if they reset me and I have to go through all this again? I should have just kept it to myself. I’m so anxious I can feel my green breakfast juice trying to come back up.
“Relax, Genesis. I’m Doctor Paxton Mitchell. Everything will be fine. Esther said you had a dream?”
“Yes.”
“Can you tell me about it?”
“Why should I tell you?”
He seems shocked that I would ask him that.
“You don’t trust me?”
“I don’t know you. How can I trust you?”
For all my anxiety, I’m shocked at my own boldness. His eyes fall to the floor with a sigh. I expected some rehearsed truth-or cold mystery from this man, but I sense something else.
“You don’t have to trust me. Or believe me.”
Now he’s looking at me with eyes that say they’ve seen intense pain and sorrow. “You have questions. You want answers. That’s a good thing. And
it’s a sign that you’re recovering from the memory wipe very quickly—quicker than most--with all your personality in tact.”
He excuses himself for a minute and makes some notes in my file. I hear him mutter “interesting” and “I thought so” once or twice.
“Genesis, do you know how many times I wish I had my memory erased?”
“You haven’t?”
“No. I haven’t. I still remember Earth. I remember it in all its beauty. As a young graduate I volunteered for a short-term mission to a secret planet and while I was gone the Earth ripped…ripped itself apart.”
A sigh follows the last phrase as if he’s remembering something specific. “I’ve seen the memory footage. Saw it again more recently, actually. I’ve grieved over the ones I loved. I know it doesn’t make sense, but believe me when I tell you that for all your frustration--it’s better this way.”
The iron fence I tried to put up is coming down. I can feel it.
“Why don’t you?”
“Have them erased?”
I nod.
“Because not everyone should forget.”
At first I thought he told me this just to make me talk. Maybe I’m a fool, but I think he actually just wanted to share that with me. He looks at me—waiting, but not forcing.
“I dreamed about Elise. And a man named Andre.” I tell him everything. He writes the details on a notebook and thinks for a moment.
“These dreams are common. I don’t know why. I honestly don’t. We have scientists—bright minds much smarter than me trying to make them go away, but the best we can figure out it’s just some glitch with the our memory machine. I wish I could tell you more. To be honest, I trained to be an infectious disease physician. This kind of stuff isn’t really my specialty, but I try to handle whatever curves you all throw at me.”
“How does the machine work? Why would I have this dream? The same dream as everyone else?”
“Weird things happen.” He says shortly. Now I know he’s withholding something.
Esther has me sign some paperwork and then I get ready to leave. I must reek of disappointment.
Doctor Mitchell follows me a little way out. “I really am sorry, Genesis. Come back if you have any more problems or any other dreams that are different from this one, ok?”
“Thanks a lot.” It sounds cold. I meant for it to. Maybe he doesn’t deserve it. But maybe he does.
“Hey,” He grabs my elbow as I leave. “No one wants to find out more than I do.” He’s whispering. Is that so that Esther won’t hear?
“I’ve never seen a snowflake have a dream that fast. If you have more, if anything out of the ordinary happens, contact me and we’ll have dinner. But don’t come here.” He gives me the direct line number to his office.
He doesn’t let go of my elbow immediately and for the first time I realize how handsome he is. He’s intense, and kind, and has very soft hands. And I have no idea what to make of this stranger—or his strange advice.
Does he think I’m going to have more dreams? Why is it so different for me than for everyone else?
He finally lets go, but his gaze holds mine longer than what I think is normal.
I have to get to the specter docks or I’ll be late on my first day. Sprinting through the atrium, I arrive at Den 1. There is a man at the entrance to the dock and I walk toward him. He scans the chip in my snowflake and looks at his computer.
“Bay twelve.”
I am wishing that Ember or Silas could be here. I know they were assigned jobs at the Core, but to see someone I already know would make the unknown seem more…greetable.
But I guess they have no reason to be down here. And Nikki has already gone.
My heart is pounding as I walk down the corridor. I know I’m not the only new person here and that there must be people all over the complex going through what I am right now. This thought does little to comfort me.
I don’t know what to expect from my day. I don’t know what the limit of my endurance is because I can’t remember having ever tested it. It is hard for me to feel confident when I don’t know what my capabilities are. Right now it feels like I am the only person in the world and it feels lonely.
I inhale deeply and open the door to Bay twelve. The sudden blast of heat hits me with a shock. The stories I’ve heard about the sun must be true. Is it the heat or the thing of metal before my eyes that takes my breath away?
I search my memories, but I know I have never seen anything like this before and I have no prior reference for what’s in front of me. It is a rectangle. That’s all.
A rectangle with a bay door that opens to connect to the dock my feet are glued to. This giant box is constructed of a shiny black metal and bears the number 12 in large silver on the side. It is seamless and smooth—reminding me of nothing in all my memories from Earth.
It has no wings and doesn’t seem capable of flying. From the looks of it, about two hundred people could fit inside. This one is dwarfed by some of the massive specters I see further down the dock. My mouth falls open as I spot one at the end that I can only describe to myself as matching the largest cruise ship ever built--and I’m supposing it flies! That is amazing! I’m not sure how this is possible, but I’m definitely fascinated.
I would freak out, except I know that would bring unwanted attention my way, and I’ve already ruled out the option that none of this is real. I’ve seen so many things that don’t make sense. I just file this in a mental folder labeled “Impossibilities.”
Some more people come out the door behind me and that serves as my signal to keep moving. They don’t look at all fascinated by this flying machine. I suppose months or years of work on this planet have erased the awe and novelty of it.
The door is open to the ship so I walk in and find a seat. There is only one aisle that runs between seats that are in sets of four.
It is several stories tall and some of the passengers walk past me and up the stairs. They all have skin that is a dark bronze color. I guess the warnings about the sun were true.
That reminds me that I still haven’t put on my provided sunscreen. I know that it is supposed to soak in for about half an hour so I should do it now. I figure it will take at least that long to get to whatever pit we’re going to. I saw the quarries on the map and they are all hundreds--some even thousands of miles away from here.
After pulling the sunscreen out of my backpack, I start applying it to my shoulders and face. It is cold at first and smells like…something familiar. Just then, a very tanned girl with piercing sapphire eyes sits beside me.
“Wow…I haven’t seen skin that white in a while. This must be your first day.”
I nod and roll my eyes at her. I’m tired of being called out for my blinding paleness.
“Oh no. I think it’s beautiful.” She says. At least she’s smart enough to know she’s offended me.
“I don’t think humans were meant to be baked by the sun and made all leathery like lizards.” She offers. “I wish I had skin like that. I’m Lotus. I’m from February of Year Five. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Popping through her severely tanned skin and brown hair, her blue eyes are like the Second Galaxy sun.
Her sincere politeness sets me at ease and I take her extended hand. “I’m Genesis. Or Genna. Whatever you prefer.”
The engines make a blast as they rev up. Lotus looks at me calmly and smirks as she lowers a pair of sunglasses over her eyes.
“Well, hold on to your nerves, Genna. You’re about to have your mind blown away.”
Just then everything escapes my field of vision as a deadening flash fills the inside of the specter.
Chapter 7
*
Genesis
The flash is gone and I’m just about to ask Lotus what’s going on when another flash happens and I feel the engines whine to a stop. My heart is about to jump out of my chest. My eyes hurt from the flashes and all I see are spots for a few seconds.
I’m paralyzed from the th
rill and fright of it all, but Lotus just looks amused as she chuckles under her breath. She’s already standing with her backpack slung over one shoulder.
“What just happened?” Other passengers move around me and I’m herded out toward the door.
“Sunglasses, Genna. They put them in there for a reason.” She kids.
“No. Seriously. What just happened?”
“Well, I’m obviously no brilliant scientist, but the way a pilot friend of mine explained it to me is like this: Years ago, it was discovered that there were twelve dimensions of space, but only one dimension of time. In every dimension there are actually four present, but that makes it confusing so for the sake of ease we refer to the first dimension of travel as ‘four’. In dimension four it would have taken billions of light years to get from Earth to our planets.”
She stops talking for a minute as we push past everyone exiting the specter. We are separated for a brief moment, but I eagerly catch up to her and she continues.
“So some Earth scientists discovered that with each dimension that you shift, you could travel faster. You disappear from one dimension; travel in the other one, and then shift back to the dimension you came from. When they found a way to shift an object all the way to dimension twelve they designed specters to explore the galaxy and that’s how our planets were discovered.
You can get from Earth to Erimos in just under a week in dimension 12. We just trekked over four thousand miles in a second. Pretty cool, huh?”
I stand in shock as we’re walking out toward the pit. I’m not even thinking about diamonds anymore. I’m just trying to wrap my head around dimension shifting. Like everything else here I don’t even begin to understand how it all works, yet I’m forced to trust that it does.
The sky here is a deep, deep blue and it makes the clouds seem even more pure against them and the sand even more white. I’m taking it all in as I gaze on my surroundings. I’m lost in thought when Lotus calls me back.
“It’s pretty cool when the specter takes off. See? Watch.” She grabs my arm to turn me back around so I can face the specter.
