Concisus

by Tracy Rozzlynn

  “I think it’s mostly about procreation. The sooner we start to procreate, the better. But how many eighteen-year-olds do you know that are ready to settle down and become parents? Remember the dating drama of high school? It was next to impossible to keep up with the latest break-ups and who was dating who. Besides me, have you heard of a single break-up on Verita?” I don’t wait for Jake to answer. “I’m pretty sure they’re using the pods to do it. Think about it, Jake. If they can train us in our sleep for specific jobs, what’s to stop them from matching us up and then predisposing us to be attracted to our matches?

  Jake chews his bottom lip while he contemplates the information. “So what can we do about it?”

  “The solution’s pretty simple. Only the head of the pods have projector nodules. Convince Molly to sleep upside down in her sleeping pod. That should place her far enough away from the projectors to remove any influence they have. For good measure, have her convince Alex to do the same. If my theory is correct, in a few days there should be trouble in paradise. But, whatever you do, don’t try telling her the truth. I tried with Andi, and it didn’t go well. Maybe you can convince her that you’re testing a theory and imply it’s a blind study, so you can’t give her any more information about it.”

  Jake looks doubtful and sits quietly for a few minutes before he finally says, “I guess it can’t hurt to give it a shot.”

  When Molly returns from cleaning up after Elliot, I announce I’m going to the library. I leave the two of them alone so Jake can talk to Molly about her sleeping habits.

  Initially I have a hard time convincing the librarian to give me a new tablet. She implies that I only want it to trade for extra points. I ignore her insult and insist my old tablet is locked in my old field lab. The librarian then claims I’m not responsible enough to take care of another one.

  “Look,” I cry in frustration, “if you want, I can lie and tell you it was smashed to tiny bits in the flashflood. Would that get me a replacement?”

  Her entire demeanor instantly transforms, as though I’m suddenly interesting instead of annoying. “That was you? Why didn’t you say so?” She pulls a new tablet from under the counter and hands it to me. “So why can’t you get back into your lab?”

  I don’t want to discuss my grounding, but I brought it up, so I give her a sugarcoated explanation. “They just want to make sure we’re recovered from our ordeal before letting us back out into the field.”

  Her expression makes me feel as if I’m a sideshow freak. “Is it true you fought off a lion barehanded?” she asks.

  “How… how did you hear about that?” I ask, completely thrown.

  “Everyone’s heard about it. Of course, you know how rumors go; some of the stories are pretty farfetched. Someone tried to convince me that a doctor monkey saved the other guy’s life. I mean, come on, right?”

  I’m speechless. I had no idea that stories of our experience had become common knowledge. The librarian clears her throat and stares at me expectantly. Oh well, better to have the real story out there than mixed up ones.

  “It was a pan-wolf that attacked me,” I say, “and the other guy fought it off by throwing rocks. And it wasn’t a monkey but a meerkit that saved him.” The librarian seems awestruck. I quickly download some books and flee to the dining halls, searching for a bit of anonymity amongst the crowd of hungry diners.

  I don’t know how much time Jake needs to convince Molly, so after lunch I return to my base lab.

  Ryan’s there, exploring the database. His welcoming smile quickly disappears in the face of my cold demeanor. I may have to work with him, but as colleagues only.

  He gets up from the computer and walks toward me. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.” I move to the other side of the lab table before he gets too close.

  Ryan looks doubtful but doesn’t push for more conversation. Instead, he tells me that he ran into Dr. Brant earlier, and she explained the database project. Because the database is such a mess, he wants to start over, from scratch.

  I cross to my computer, bang some keys to pull up a screen and show him the work I’ve done.

  “I guess great minds do think alike,” he laughs.

  I ignore the joke. “I’m starting on the animal data—you can work on the plants.” I turn my full attention to my computer and continue my work, but as I type, I feel his unwavering gaze on me.

  “What’s wrong?” he asks.

  I wave off his concern. “I’m fine.”

  “I can see that you’re not. You’re upset. Is it because of Dr. Brant? She’ll change her mind eventually.” He lightly brushes a hand down my hair.

  I jerk away.

  “Tell me what it is, maybe I can help.” He looks hurt and confused as he reaches for me.

  “You can help me by giving me some space.” I jump to my feet, unable to endure his feigned concern any longer. “I think it’s best if we’re just friends.”

  “You’re going back to Brody.” He doesn’t sound defensive or mad, but sad.

  “What? No,” I snap defensively. “This has nothing to do with Brody.”

  “Then why? You said you love me. What happened to change your mind?”

  How dare he throw those words in my face? An image flashes in front of me: Kelly’s lips drawn close to Ryan’s ear so she can whisper sweet nothings to him before they kiss. I can’t believe he’s pretending to be clueless and innocent. I consider confronting him about what I saw, but then he’d have the satisfaction of knowing how much he hurt me.

  “I made a mistake,” I say.

  “A mistake, yeah, I guess that’s what it was.”

  The walls of the lab suddenly seem too close and the air too hot. I dig my nails into the flesh of my palms to keep myself from completely falling apart. “My database is self-explanatory. I’m going to work with Jake and Molly today.” I glance over my shoulder as I leave the lab, and see that Ryan’s already turned back to his computer.

  Molly’s at the lab when I get there, but she doesn’t comment on my tear-streaked, puffy-eyed face. Jake must have already told her about Ryan and me. Elliot neglected to assign Molly and Jake any work, so they both volunteer to help me.

  Working on the database is tedious, but it’s a good enough distraction. I like working with Molly and Jake, even if I am only entering data. Periodically, we take turns pointing out some of the scientists’ mistakes which are a bit scary. If scientists make such blatant mistakes on reports, who knows what kind of mistakes they make out in the field. What worries me the most is how many mistakes originate from Elliot’s group. For now, the three of us find the humor in the errors and laugh until our sides ache. My laughter is forced, but Jake and Molly don’t need to know that.

  Chapter 6

  A side effect of sleeping upside down in the pods is waking earlier than usual. The pods still have everyone sleeping through the two extra hours of Verita’s twenty-six-hour day. I shower, dress, dry my hair, and even apply makeup, but everyone still remains asleep. I run my hand along the sleek metal casing of the pod. The soft padded interior is comfortable and looks innocuous, but the barely audible hum that emanates from the clusters of projectors is anything but. I should use the extra time and take a run, or get some extra work done on the database, but instead I climb back into my pod, fold my arms behind my head, and close my eyes. I daydream about being back in the field as I tap my foot against the projector nodules.

  I’m in the same position when Andi finishes her shower and shakes her wet hair at me. I take it as a sign she’s forgiven me,

  “A good cry might help,” she says. I’ve never been able to hide anything from Andi. “Ryan, right?”

  I turn my face away, and my mouth quivers. I squeeze my eyes shut to keep the tears at bay. Andi slides into the pod next to me. I feel the light brush of her hand on the back of my head. “I don’t want to talk about it,” I insist.

  “Fine, but don’t expect me to idly sit by while you wallow in self-pity.
” The gentle concern in her voice buffers her harsh words which are what I need to hear. Andi jumps to her feet. Staring down she purses her lips in mock irritation, rests a hand on her hip, and wags her finger at me. “If you wanted to wallow you should have told me last night when we could do it properly with lots of chocolate and ice cream.” A smile breaks through her charade as she pulls me up. “Come on, food and caffeine will help. Everything always seems worse on an empty stomach.”

  On the way to breakfast, I decide to use Jake’s tactic to get Andi to sleep upside down. “I’m grounded until Dr. Brant deems otherwise. So, I want to work on a theory I have, but I need your help.”

  “Sure, what can I do?” Andi offers without hesitation. Even brainwashed into love, she’s still the best friend I could ask for.

  I choose my words carefully. “It’s not much. I just need you to sleep upside down in your pod for the next few weeks for me.”

  “Why?”

  “I just need you to sleep upside down and tell me if you feel any different.” Before she has a chance to ask any more questions I add, “I can’t tell you any more without ruining the experiment.”

  I watch as she struggles with her curiosity. “Sure, okay,” she finally agrees. “Just let me know what your end results are. Now I’m intrigued.”

  “Hey, maybe you can convince Jackson to sleep upside down too. It would be interesting to get a male’s feedback as well.” Hopefully, having both of them disconnected from the pods will speed the de-programming process.

  Andi shrugs. “Sure. Do you want me to ask Jeremy too?” I resist hugging her which would make her suspicious.

  “Sure. Why not?” I walk a few steps ahead to hide how happy she’s just made me.

  As we fill up our trays with breakfast, Andi talks about our jobs and the rec hall plans for the night. I’m hopeful that everything is back to normal between us. With my plate full, I walk toward the seating section, but Andi doesn’t follow. I walk back and find her still standing by the breakfast bar looking perplexed.

  “I usually eat breakfast in the kitchen with Jackson.” She shifts her weight uneasily before adding, “You’re welcome to join us.” Her words sound sincere, but her eyes don’t meet mine.

  I tell myself it’s for the best that she really doesn’t want my company. I have no desire to eat in a hot, greasy kitchen while Andi makes googly eyes at Jackson. I know the feelings aren’t real and she can’t control them, but it still hurts having Andi pick him over me, especially when she knows I’m in pain. I wave it off as though it’s no big deal.

  “Nah, you two love birds have fun. I could use some quiet time while I wait for the caffeine to kick in.” I disappear into the dining hall.

  When I get to the lab, Ryan’s there talking with Jake, but the instant I enter the room their conversation abruptly stops.

  “I’m just here to deliver a message for Troy,” Ryan says in an overly-cordial tone I was once very familiar with. “You left dinner last night before he had a chance to ask you.” He waits. Maybe he expects me to explain where I disappeared to last night. I only went back to the lab to bury myself in work, but let him wonder.

  “Ask me what?” I prompt.

  “Troy wants us to join him at the zoo today after lunch.” Ryan’s voice sounds strained, as if he’s leery of my reaction.

  “Zoo?” I ask in surprise. “Since when do we have a zoo?”

  “Some of the scientists got together and converted one of the bio-domes to hold samples of all the animals we’ve discovered. Troy heard about us being banned from the field work and figured it would be a nice treat,” Ryan explains in a rush. I get the feeling he’s waiting for me to repeat yesterday’s quick exit.

  I’d love to get a firsthand look at all the creatures, but can I enjoy myself with Ryan there?

  “I’ll stay here and work on the database.” Ryan seems to know my thoughts. “You should go. It’ll be fun for you.”

  That’s when I catch sight of Jake’s face. Back on Earth, kids wore that same expression whenever their divorced parents came in close proximity to each other: a mix of hope and dread. This time, however, I’m the one responsible for the look. I need to push my feelings aside or we won’t have a team left by the time Dr. Brant allows us back into the field.

  “You should come too,” I tell Ryan. “We could all use a break from the monotony of the database.” I look at Jake. “Do you and Molly want to come?”

  Jake is visibly relieved. “We’d like to, but Elliot wants us at the field lab today. I was just on my way over when I ran into Ryan.”

  “More cleaning?”

  “Would the great and awesome Elliot ever let us do anything else?” Jake asks and bows in mock worship of the absent Elliot. I’m torn between laughing and crying for him. “I should go before the royal highness notices my absence. You guys have fun.”

  My resolve to be nice wavers when Jake leaves. Ryan shifts his weight from foot to foot and fidgets. He looks like a child waiting for a teacher’s approval. I suspect he’s waiting for an invitation to stay, but I’m not ready to give it. I walk around him and sit down at my computer.

  “I’ll meet you at the northeast gate after lunch.” Bitterness tinges his voice and when I glance up he’s wearing a forlorn puppy dog expression. I swear under my breath when the door closes behind him.

  Most of the bio-domes border the base on the east. However there are a few bio-domes on the northwest corner of the base reserved for scientific research. The zoo has been setup in one of the smallest domes which directly connect to the perimeter fence.

  It’s Troy’s first visit to the zoo and his excitement shows. He claims that he’s never seen anything except the few animals that dare to venture near the fence. I’m lucky to have a job that usually allows me to venture outside of the base.

  I know Troy means this to be a treat for Ryan and me, but I’m horrified by what I see. The zoo is basically a wide variety of animals stuffed into aquariums and cages much too small for any kind of long-term care. The fact that their suffering isn’t for scientific research, but for personal enjoyment sickens me even more.

  An enux sits with its legs tucked under itself and its head curled under its wing. The large, flightless bird is built for long distance speed, but I doubt it can stand without hitting its head. A slimy toad–like thing hops back and forth from one side of its glass tank to the other. An eel-like creature I recognize as an Angula sits curled up in its water bowl; someone has mistakenly put it in an environment suited for a snake.

  “Who’s responsible for all these animals?” I ask.

  “I’m not sure. One of my coworkers told me about the zoo. I can see if he knows.” Troy taps on an animal’s tank. “Is this thing alive?”

  I look at a tiny, emaciated bird. “Barely.” I walk over to the supply area and find some grubs. I tear the screen cover off the tank.

  Troy looks around nervously. “You could get in trouble for that. They’ve really been cracking down on safely protocols across the base.”

  “I’m not about to let him starve because of a rule or two. Besides, this place is open to the public and has unsealed cages. If the animals haven’t been properly examined and deemed safe for human contact, the blame falls on whoever’s in charge.” I reach in the cage, take the food bowl, and dump the uneaten seed onto the trash. The minute the bird eyes the bowl’s new contents it flutters its wings, hops over and eagerly pecks and swallows grub after grub. I eventually have to remove the bowl before the bird becomes sick from overeating. I turn back to Troy.

  “And yes, please ask your friend who runs the zoo. They may have good intentions, but these animals are needlessly suffering.”

  “Brett,” Ryan calls.

  Alarmed by his tone, I hurry over to the cage he’s inspecting and cover my mouth. I think I’m looking at a meerkit, but it’s unlike any meerkit I’ve ever seen. Instead of a vibrant blue or purple, the animal is a dull blue-gray color, and a jagged red line etches the back of
her right hand and arm. She lies listlessly on her back, and barely blinks when I tap on the metal cage.

  “What happened to her?” I ask.

  “I don’t know, but she looks really sick,” Ryan says. “This is heartbreaking.” For a second, his eyes lift to my face, and I sense he’s talking about more than just the animals.

  I coo and purr at the creature, try to coax her closer. She briefly meets my eyes, but then stares blankly at the top of her cage again. “We need to find out who’s in charge. Now.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you guys.” Troy looks absolutely miserable.

  I catch hold of his arm. “Don’t you dare feel bad about this. You didn’t cause this mess. In fact bringing us here was a good thing. Because of you, these animals will finally get the help they need.”

  After visiting half the field labs and most of the base labs, Ryan and I find someone who’ll actually admit they have anything to do with the zoo. That person tells us to find a botanist named Noah, and points us in the direction of his base lab. As I storm toward the lab, Ryan steps in front of me and forces me to stop. I try sidestepping, but he takes hold of my arms.

  “You can yell at me all you want later,” he says. “Right now you need to calm down. Chewing this guy out will make you feel better, but it won’t help the animals. You’ll accomplish more by being nice.”

  I ball my fists and grind my teeth. I know he’s right, but that fact does nothing to calm me. I close my eyes and force myself to take slow deep breaths. Eventually I feel my muscles relax and my heartbeat take on a more regular rhythm.

  “Fine. I’ll be nice.”

  Ryan holds me for a moment longer as his eyes search my face. Satisfied I’ve calmed, he lets me go and we enter the lab.

  Noah spins in his chair and greets us with a goofy ear-to-ear smile. “What brings you to my lair today?” I briefly wonder if his addiction to whatever his preferred role-playing game is the reason the animals are in such poor condition. Ryan sends me a warning look.