Human Again: A Dystopian Sci-Fi Novel (Cryonemesis Book 1) (12 page)

Chapter 14

I felt confident with my plan. Knaan had to be saved not only to save the active citizens’ lives, but those within the simulation as well. We couldn't disconnect them from their comfort just because we felt it was the right thing to do. Their fantasy was real to them, it was their entire life. And as Isaac chose reality over assimilating with his wife, they will need to do the same out of free will.

The second month of training had begun. We were all tired. Our bodies hadn’t yet adapted to the change in lifestyle because our nutrition was not sufficient. Despite this, our reflexes and stamina became better.

Shanta walked inside the cave holding the flexible screen. Bahomi, Dev, Toya and I were waiting for her. We gathered around her.

“This is a conversation my mom had last night with Monish, the captain of the floating city.”

“What floating city?” I asked.

“It's a ship as big as two aircraft carriers. It houses the world's richest people. They moved there in the beginning of the climate crisis and they are helping people all over the world.”

She played the video on the paper screen and president Padma appeared as people usually did in a video conference.

“Monish, long time no see.”

“Always a pleasure, dear Padma.”

Monish looked like an aged movie star. He was a blue-eyed man in his late 40’s but you could see he had some work done on himself.

“What are you doing in this part of the world?” asked Padma.

“Actually, I’m afraid I have some bad news for you. We are sailing north from South Africa and just got these satellite images. “

The flexible screen showed a bird’s eye view of a building caught on fire and military tanks are standing next to it.

“They have tanks?” Padma asked with a hint of fear.

I raised my eyes at Shanta and asked quietly, “the Purists?” She nodded.

Monish continued. “Yes, they managed to find two more after all these years. Do you know where this is taken?”

“I have no idea,” said Padma.

“It’s the research lab near Vinnufossen.”

President Padma looked shock and paused for a moment.

I looked up at Shanta again. She whispered “Norway”.

“So I guess there’s nothing we can do for them?” said Padma.

“I’m afraid not.”

“It’s a horrible loss.”

“I know,” added Monish. “I just wanted to show you this as a warning. Things are heating up in the north. We don’t know how those savages will surprise us.”

“I know, thank you for your showing me this.”

“Keep your eyes open and your teams alert. They tend to raise activities in other areas as an inspiration from one victory.”

“Of course, my dear.”

“I have to go. It's always a pleasure talking to you. I hope we can have more time to chat once we reach the Mediterranean.”

“All the best, send my regards to your men and to Jonas.”

“I will.” Monish signed off.

Shanta rolled the screen into a scroll. There was an intense silence in the cave. We were all looking at each other’s reactions.

I've cut the silence. “This doesn’t change our plans.”

“This changes everything,” said Bahomi.

“It doesn’t matter how they attack us. What matters is whether or not we’re ready,” I added.

“No, it means that we have to strike fast, before they manage to collect more weapons.”

We were all looking at Shanta for a verdict.

“This doesn’t change our plans.”

I felt relief.

“But even Monish warned your mom,” Bahomi said angrily. “They’re not stupid!”

“End of discussion,” Shanta said with a tone that resembled her mother’s.

“But I—”

“—we came here to train. Our plan is final.”

I could now see how Shanta and Bahomi had gradually grown apart. They used to stand next to each other and spar together. Now they barely made eye contact. I felt sorry for them, but it was their fault for asking me in.

When we finished warming up the training there was a shadow cast from the cave’s mouth. Six guards dressed in cactus suits stormed in holding guns. Padma walked in behind them looking like a robot version of herself; expressionless. She was dressed in a cactus too. Shanta and Bahomi looked at each other with terror in their eyes. I jumped aside and grabbed my gun that was leaning against a boulder. I pointed it at Padma.

“Drop it!” She shouted, fearless. “Your nonsense is over.”

All that training was for nothing now that we were being held at gunpoint.

“MOM NO!” Shanta yelled.

They soldiers shot us with tranquilizer darts.

“He worked for her. He did this to us,” Bahomi shouted before dropping unconscious.

I managed to think just two quick thoughts before drowning in the blackness. Did Isaac snitch? Did Padma spy on me all along?

Chapter 15

I woke up with a terrible headache on an unfamiliar bed. Shanta was sitting next to me, stroking my hair. Her hand was so gentle.

“What happened?” I asked.

“Don't worry about it. It's all over now.”

“What—”

“—I talked with my mom, I confessed everything.”

“And she just let us go?”

“She finally understood what we were fighting for.”

I sat on the bed feeling dizzy. I looked around and the room looked brighter for some reason. Maybe I was more sensitive to light after getting shot with a tranquilizer.

Shanta was radiating with happiness.

“I was waiting for you to wake up…you napped for so long.”

She handed me a cup of water. I drank it in four big gulps.

“So, what exactly happened?”

“I broke up with Bahomi.”

“Oh,” I said with genuine surprise.

“’
Oh
’? Aren't you happy?”

“Well yeah.”

I was too tired to show any emotion.

“I saw how you looked at me all the time.”

I moved the back of my finger across her cheek. It felt incredibly smooth. That was the most I could do in that state of dizziness.

“I’m sorry it didn’t work for you two.”

“It was my decision. He became unbearable.”

“I know, he’s a crazy fanatic.”

I smiled but I bet I looked like I was missing a lobe. My face was jelly.

“I think you're still sleepy.”

“I am.”

“Let’s get you something to eat.”

I followed Shanta through the main street. We were holding hands and that was the only sensation I could focus on. Her hand felt so soft. Not like a hand of a resistance warrior. Everything felt distant, like I was riding on a cloud of tranquilizer numbness.

“Your mom, is she going to tighten up security?”

“She will.”

“And we can train more people?”

“Yup.”

I hadn’t seen her so joyful. Something had profoundly changed. Maybe getting caught was a good thing. I had a feeling Padma wouldn’t assimilate her own daughter.

“What about people staying numb inside?”

“We’re still debating that. We’re thinking to have a program that requires you to disconnect from the simulation a minimum of two to three hours every day to help the community. Like painting, cleaning, fixing stuff. Maybe even exercise. I don’t know how people will receive it but it’s worth a shot.”

“All that from one talk you never had courage to have?”

“It was an excessively long talk. Just shouting at the beginning. Some crying at the end.”

“Wow.”

I felt the daze start to fade away. All that risk for nothing. All they needed was to talk to each other and bring all the issues to the surface. It sounded too good to be true but it made my life much easier.

I had to pry a little more.

“And you never spoke with her about it before.” My tone has a little skepticism in it, and I hoped she wasn’t offended.

“Of course I did, when I was younger. But it hit a wall. I felt like she just dismissed everything I said because she alone knew what was best for the city.”

“That the people are all her children and such?”

“Yeah, that bullshit. Try being the daughter of an important and smart woman telling you she doesn't want to listen to your paranoia no more. And that she has so many other children to take care of.”

“I would form a resistance, I guess.”

We laughed together. It felt so good to be out in the open about it. We reached the dining hall I saw on my second day in Knaan. There were people eating delicious looking dishes. Everyone greeted her. Then we found an empty table and sat.

“What would you like?” She asked.

“What time is it?”

“It’s time for breakfast. Eggs? Cheese? Salad?”

“I don’t want to eat that bug-algae shit. It makes me nauseous.”

“Oh no, the salad is real this time.”

“Real? As in grown?”

“Yes, we have hydroponic labs that grow vegetables.”

“So how come I had to eat that crap all the time?”

“Because we can’t grow enough for everyone. That’s just for people on duty.”

“Holy shit!”

I was too loud and everyone stared at me. I lowered my voice immediately.

“Of course I want a real salad.”

“Coming up.”

She walked towards the vending mechanism on the other side of the room.

Everybody was minding their own business like nothing happened. But maybe it was deliberate, to keep the resistance scandal quiet. How would it look like if people found out that the president’s daughter was the leader of the resistance all along? None of us had been publicly identified. It was a tranquilizer that killed our idea and some family diplomacy that revived it in a new form. I still didn’t know whether it was Isaac who snitched or Padma who spied. Could it be Bahomi? Regardless, it had turned out for the best. No more hiding. No more living a double life.

Shanta came back with our dishes. I got a pretty large salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and green leaves. No dressing though. She got herself a Shakshuka, which is basically eggs poached in vegetable ratatouille served over tomato sauce. You’re supposed to eat it with bread but there wasn’t any. I had the first bite of the first real salad I had since I got here. It wasn’t bad. I would prefer to add some lemon juice and olive oil but it did the job. The tomatoes had a weird aftertaste.

“Can you taste the tomatoes?” I asked, handing a fork with a piece on it.

She took the fork and tasted it.

“What’s wrong?”

“Weird aftertaste?”

“Nah, that’s our tomatoes. Get used to it.”

“It might be because you grow them underground.”

“Maybe.”

We ate quietly for a few moments. Was she actually mine? She left Bahomi for me, so could I just be with her without hiding it? Did I even want to be with her? She did manipulate me. But I knew that other than that I could trust her. Or at least I wanted to trust her because I had no one else to trust.

“You know you manipulated me into all this,” I said.

It was blunt but I didn't care. The stressful part was over and I could say whatever I wanted, finally.

She looked stunned for a second.

“I had to check if I could trust you.”

“By lying to me?” I asked.

“I wasn’t lying, I was being friendly.”

“You made me think you wanted me so I’d follow you to that room.”

“I did.”

She smiled. She had something in her teeth. She still looked cute. I pointed to it. She blushed and removed it, lowering her eyes.

“But you were with Bahomi.”

She deserved my pushing.

“Not anymore.”

She grabbed my hand and made me drop my fork. I was still chewing.

“I can think of something that will help you wake up.”

After two minutes we were making up in her room. She literally pressed a button on her bed and there was a door for an inner room that was bigger, with bigger beds.

“What is this?”

“Security measures. The president's family can't be safe in a normal room.”

The door closed behind us and we were alone. She kissed my face and neck. I was kind of frozen.

“Anything else that you 'rich and famous' have that I should know of?”

“We can take longer showers.”

“Oh, great,” I said.

She pushed me into bed and we were making out for real with hands above and beneath the clothes and all. Her tongue was so gentle it made me quiver. She started peeling off my overalls. I had just one more thing that bothered me other than the fact I was as pale as a corpse.

“What about running away north?”

“What about it?”

She apparently didn't mind me interfering with the questions, and set a gentle hand on my crotch.

“Didn't you say you'd rather live up there than staying here, if you could?”

“I did.”

“And?”

It was a bit hard for me to think with her hand stroking me.

“You were right; I didn't know what was up there.” She kissed me to hush me. ”They have a bigger Purist problem than we do. We saw what happened in Norway.”

She started to undress herself. It felt unreal.

“No point of leaving,” she finalized.

“Really? That's it?” I asked.

“I'm staying here with you. Is that ok?”

She was now fully naked, sending me an inviting smile. She was mine. Everything I had wanted since I arrived was being given to me.

“What is this? What’s happening?” I asked.

“Roy, relax. It’s fine.”

She leaned over and stroked my cheek.

“This isn't real, the salad, your skin, your tongue, this room.” I pushed her away from me. “I can't believe anything you're telling me.”

“You're freaking out right know, it's the tranquilizers wearing off.”

I jumped in my place.

“The tranquilizers? Your mom assimilated us!”

“She didn't. I talked to her.”

“But she did, this isn't real. We're inside right now.”

“You're acting crazy.”

I looked at her, studying her face.

“Maybe you're not real,” I said.

She tried to hug me. I shook her off.

“I need to wake up. I want to wake up!”

I started banging on the wall.

“Roy, relax! This is real!”

I banged on the walls so hard I started to hyperventilate. The light began to change.

“Please listen to me. It's me, and we're finally together. No more secrets.”

No matter what she said, it still didn't feel right. The same as my test with Dr. Manu. The simulation didn't get it
just right
and I could feel it. I had been assimilated. I was locked in a dream. She looked at me like I was insane. Her face morphed a little and she looked like Hadar.

“Stay with me,” she said softly. Whoever she was.

I had just one more thing to try. I closed my eyes and thought about flying. I imagined myself higher and higher above ground. Inch by inch. I was concentrating and sweating, my overalls hanging from my waist. But I felt resistance, like a gravity but stronger. I kept telling myself it wasn’t real and I was about to wake up. I opened my eyes yet I wasn't flying at all. I was still standing on the ground. Nothing had happened.

A second later I saw a bright white light, and then fell to the ground.

I woke up with a hand holding me down at the shoulder. It was a doctor pointing a syringe at me. Just like the first day. I didn't like the syringe way of communicating, and this time I was stronger and more conscious. The doctor looked shocked when I looked back at him. I grabbed his hand and directed the syringe to the bed frame while I punched him with the other, which knocked him down. I pushed my chest up to release myself from the strap that locked me to the bed, but I failed. So I used all I had and managed to slide under it. It was a good thing I was still skinny. I took out the IV needle in my arm and the urine collector from my pants. Then I stood up, dizzy, and held the bed frame until I got my senses together. He was about to rise again so I kicked his stomach causing him to wiggle around like a worm. I saw the room's door was open and I looked to the other side. Shanta, Bahomi, and the rest were all assimilated.

An alarm sounded. Red lights flickered. I had to wake them up before someone else came. The doctor on the floor began to move so I stuck the syringe in his neck and he collapsed. I opened Shanta's bed and woke her up, and then I did the same for Toya and Dev. I stopped before I opened Bahomi's bed. Should I raise that asshole? He thought I was responsible. But we needed everyone and he was the best fighter. I opened his bed and woke him up gentler so it’d take longer. Then I went to the last bed. It was Dr. Manu, who had tested my skills. He was our inside man? The chief engineer was the guy? I woke him up and went back to the others and shook them a little more. The red light and the siren did the rest. Then, I went to see Shanta. I could have had her just a moment ago, yet it wasn't real. She was real now but she wasn’t mine anymore.

“We were assimilated, we have to run!” I shouted to them while they woke up.

Shanta looked at me frightened, like I turned her most delicate dream directly into a nightmare. Which was probably true.

“No time now, we have to go.”

We all ran to the secret room as fast as we could without the guards spotting us. We reached the room, gasping for air. After a few seconds Shanta started to talk.

“How did you wake up? No one wakes up from this.”

Then I felt a sharp pain on the back of my skull and I collapsed.