All Light Will Fall (7 page)

Dr. Hailey was true to her word. Three hours later, I was
released. A group of guards escorted me to Pilot, an underground training
sector designed for the New Eden program. The facility was full of raised
walkways at least a hundred feet high. It was all glass. Everywhere I stepped,
the walkways would glow and my name would spread across the screen like a
virtual tag.

The man leading the group glanced over his shoulder. “You
will be tracked at all times,” he explained. Upon my release, he warned me not
to escape. Of course it would be nearly impossible. I wasn’t in the position to
take such a risk. It would have to wait.

“You will be given your own private quarters,” the man
continued. He went by Captain Valler. It was a strong name, I thought. It
suited him. Valler was a rather large man. His stride was wide and heavy like
his rectangular frame. He spoke with authority, his voice vibrating all
throughout the sector.

Valler led the group through a large door where we took an
aircraft to the lower levels of Pilot. A massive dome stretched high from the
center of the sector. There was mayhem inside, streaks of fire and dust
shooting against the glass.

“That would be the simulation training arena,” Valler explained.
“It’s the final stage of Eden. Don’t pay it any mind. You have a far way to go
before you’re ready.”

We took an elevator two floors up. I saw those of my kind
for the first time. They stared as we passed by. Some even stopped in their
tracks to get a look. I paid them no attention. Regardless of the similarities
we shared, they were still below me.

The group stopped near the end of the hall. There was a door
there, labeled with my name and number. Valler opened it. “You have four
minutes,” he ordered.

I scanned the room. It wasn’t large at all. There was
nothing but a bed, an open closet and a small mirror that clung to an empty
wall. I went over to it. I was curious. It would be the first time seeing
myself.

A face appeared in the mirror, my face. It looked unusually
delicate. My skin was the hue of honey, vibrant and smooth. My eyes were a deep
amber, and were somewhat animated compared to that of a human. In fact, all the
details of my face were evenly sculpted; my lips, teeth, nose, brows. Even the
curve of my neck arched with perfect precision. It was as Dr. Hailey said: I
had been built, not born.

I was flawless, except for a single detail. My hair was
hideously bright. I yanked the hair tie loose, and the waves fell like a
curtain of fire down my back. They were the color of autumn, the smooth strands
shimmering in the light.

There was a knock on the door. “Time’s up, recruit! Hurry up
in there!” Valler thundered.

I finished changing and returned to the hall. “Let’s get a
move on. The dining hall closes in fifteen minutes,” Valler said. He led the
group a few halls from the residential sector. I observed everything and came
to realize just how superior those of my kind were to humans. All of our
motions were focused. I watched them continuously analyze and calculate their
surroundings. It seemed that nothing escaped their attention, not a single
detail.

“When you’re finished, feel free to wander around the
sector. But be aware, you are unauthorized to leave the Pilot district.
Trespassing is a very serious offense. Tomorrow, you will receive a notice on
your message board. It will help you get situated with the program. Till then,
play nice with the other kiddos, yes?” Valler laughed then left me standing at
the door.

As I entered the hall, every gaze turned in my direction. My
footsteps echoed in the silence. I went to the serving line then searched for
an empty table.

“Hey you,” someone called. I turned. He was dark skinned,
absent of hair, and full of muscle. He tilted his head in invitation, and I joined
him at the table.

“What’s the name?” he asked.

“Celeste 2102.”

“Triple two seven,” he greeted, “I go by Tank.” He reached
out his hand. I shook it.

“Greetings.”

Tank grinned. “There’s no need for formalities here.”

“What do I do then?” I asked.

“Just relax. Talk normally.”

I took a breath. How did one talk normally? Was there a
method, or pattern, or strategy to it? I didn’t think so. “They warned us that
you were coming,” Tank said.

“Who?”

“The overseers. They said to steer clear. They said you
might be a bit... unstable.”

“Do I seem unstable?”

Tank gave me a look over. His eyes moved slowly, critically,
then paused when they met my own. “Not at the moment, but there’s something in
those eyes of yours.”

“Is there? How does it look?” I asked.

“It looks,” he paused, searching for the word, “dangerous.”

A silver tray sped across the table. I stopped it before it
could slide over the edge and hit the floor. “Nice catch.”

Tank turned in his chair. “The hell,” he grumbled.

The blond took the seat beside me and cracked a grin.
“Elric,” he said. His voice was like a heartbeat, alive and gentle. Our
shoulders touched as he leaned in to get a look at me. His eyes were a piercing
gray and full of energy. I found them slightly intriguing.

“You look tense,” Elric said.

“You’d better be careful getting in her face like that,”
Tank warned.

He was right. I didn’t like the invasion of space at all.
His body heat was making me irritable. “I wish I could have been there,” Elric
sighed. “I bet when they made you, it was incredible. Actually, I’m curious
about something. When you first woke up, what were you thinking? What was it
like?”

I hadn’t thought about my awakening since it happened. It
was a blur now. All I could remember was the hunger and the desire to kill. I
didn’t like to dwell on those thoughts. It was humiliating. I was an animal. I
was without a mind, without intelligence and any sort of human decency.

“I hardly recall that day,” I said.

“A savage and a liar.”

All eyes turned his way. He stood proud at the end of the
table with his arms crossed and his head high. His eyes, they were challenging
me. I didn’t like to be tested; not by humans, not by arsenals, not by anyone.

“We don’t want any trouble over here,” Tank warned.

The stranger ignored him, dragging a hand over the table
until he stood directly across from me. “They said that you tore a man’s throat
out with your teeth, that you crushed a woman’s face with a simple squeeze of
your hand. Now if it were up to me, I’d lock you in the ward with all of their
other monstrosities. But then again, humans aren’t as smart as us now are
they?”

I took a breath. He was such a nuisance, so pompous and
clever. He knew just the right words to aggravate me.

“What is it, 2102? Was I speaking a bit too fast for you? I
thought the overseers said you were.” .”

“You have two seconds to disappear,” I hissed, “otherwise,
I’m going to rip that ugly face of yours in half.”

The man smirked. His throat bobbed and his body tensed a
little. It seemed he was wary of my threat. He should have been. Whatever the
promise, I was true to my word, even if I had to kill.

“There you are, handsome. I was wondering where you scurried
off to.” I had never heard such an unbearable sound. Her voice was like a
child’s, all shrill and innocent. The girl sashayed over to the table and threw
her arms over Tank’s shoulders.

“I thought you were staying away from 2102,” she said.

Tank shrugged her away. “Get off me,” he grumbled.

“Why are you like this? I was only looking out for you,” she
pouted. “Raine is right,” she leaned into Tank and whispered behind her hand,
“she’s unstable.”

“You’d do better to listen to her,” Raine announced. “That
thing sitting there isn’t one of us.” He gave me a lingering look then turned
and left.

“Ignore him,” Tank said, “you’re competition now. Raine’s
the best in the program, and you showing up is just a stab to his pride.”

“He’s right. I wouldn’t worry too much about him,” Elric
added.

“But you can never be too cautious, can you?” Kitty uttered.

So this was it, this was the way things were. I was an
outcast, a threat. “He should be careful,” I said. “Pride... that’s the thing I
like to kill the most.”

Training began the following day. The class was led by
instructor R. T Gangges, one of ARTIKA’s renowned genetic engineers. He didn’t
appear in person. Instead, his holographic image was projected at the front of
the room.

“We’ll start from the top. Firstly, understand that you are
all derivatives of human and genetically engineered cells.” The screen at the
front of the room illuminated. “This is an example subject undergoing Proloxy
7.”

The image enlarged. The subject’s DNA looked mutated. “As
you can see, once Proloxy 7 is injected, it automatically consumes the humanoid
dna.” I watched as the invaders punctured the human cells and ingested them
into nothing.

Suddenly, the visual changed. “The vial you see contains a
relief drug designed by our miracle workers. We call it halos. During our first
trials of experimentation, ARTIKA discovered that there were some fatal side
effects caused by Proloxy 7. They can range anywhere from migraines, seizures,
irregular heartbeat, paralysis, and even hysteria. When an injection is needed,
your id marker will vibrate. If you do not apply the dosage in time, the X
cells will override their cellular hosts and take control of the body. In other
words, you die.”

The more Gangges spoke, the more I recalled those days of
terror locked in the humanization facility. I was so close to death. At least,
I thought I was. Instead, they were shooting my system full of halos. They
wanted me alive. They wanted me perfected.

“We designed Proloxy 7 for several reasons. Our first
objective—muscular enhancement. An arsenal’s physical strength is fifty times
that of a human being. As the diagram shows, the X cells have increased the
subject’s agility and motor receptors, allowing the reflexes to react a third
faster than the human eye can blink. We’ve also worked to quicken the process
of cellular regeneration.

“Our second objective was cerebral augmentation. ARTIKA not
only increased the mind’s capacity to store data, but to process and manipulate
that data in new ways. The brain works like a computer. Instead of trying to
access knowledge through memory, that knowledge is always completely and one
hundred percent operative.

“Proloxy 7 is also used to sharpen the senses. Your eye
sight, hearing, sense of smell and touch have been highly sensitized. Unlike
that of a human, these senses are cerebrally controllable. Through intense
concentration, the mind can detect and zero in on a variety of sights and
sounds all at once.

“What ARTIKA has created is the revolution of cellular
design. You hold more value to this program than you realize. It is truly an
honor to see such a fine assembly of soldiers. You may feel burdened, but in
time you will understand just how much you owe ARTIKA your allegiance.”

My allegiance? Was he mad? I owed ARTIKA nothing, because to
them, I was nothing. “It has been a pleasure addressing you all. I will now
turn my position over to Lieutenant Cambridge. I wish you great success in
completing this program.”

He soon disappeared, and Lieutenant Cambridge took his
place. The lieutenant stood six feet and three inches from the floor, marching
the isles with his arms crossed. His lips moved mechanically as he spoke. “Good
afternoon recruits. Lieutenant Cambridge at your attention,” he greeted. “Today
I will explain the details of your mission.” The screen changed to an image of
outer space. I was amazed. I had seen only a glimpse of the universe and even
then it wasn’t as dazzling and mysterious as it was now.

A blue star blazed above the earth. It was like the sun, but
with these bright tendrils curling around its body of light. “What you see is
not a star. It is a planet. We call this planet Niaysia. A little over thirty
years ago, ARTIKA made contact with this planet. When our first pioneers
landed, they discovered something monumental. They discovered a civilized
intelligence unlike we have ever seen.”

Niaysia? Another world? I should have known. The humans had
already gone far enough, but the thought of enough was a pinnacle in their
minds. It was the end, and the humans knew no end. They knew no bounds.

“The natives of Niaysia refer to themselves as the Meridian,
meaning The Blessed Ones. They are a very refined and cultural people. We
learned a lot from their kind. In return, they learned much from us. But as
time passed, we became wary of their power. Of course, the Meridians knew that
we were becoming dependent of the resources we harvested from Niaysia. What
began as a peaceful system of trade turned to war. The Meridians tried to push
us from their land, but we couldn’t leave. Our survival depended on it. The
nuclear effects of the Trinity Wars has left Earth nearly uninhabitable.
Without the resources from Niaysia, our world risks total destruction.”

Humans were weak, but they were persistent. That was why I
was here. I was to be their strength, their shelter. They valued life too much
to enter the other side themselves. I had to enter it for them, armed and
alone.

“Know that there are two separate agendas to this mission.
Depending on your individual skill, our MW’S will green-tag or red-tag you. Our
first priority is Guardian. Guardian requires green-tagged arsenals to protect
our miracle workers. Green-tags travel the wilderness with our scientists and
make sure all gathered resources are shipped back to Earth. Then there is
mission reko. reko is designed to keep the Meridians from attacking our harvest
zones. We place red-tagged arsenals in a perimeter around each zone. Red-tags
must first clear the area, then work to keep it open for operation.”