From Darkness Comes - Book 2 in The Dissonance Series

Beyond the Wall

The days don't seem so mundane now that I have my "purpose." As much as it pains me to admit it, the work is interesting. I remind myself daily, that by working with Environettix, I'll be able to use their technology and their lab to try and find better ways to help humanity survive, ones that don't involve murder.

I work mainly with Wyler and a team of three other mods: two girls, Sidonie and Cerelia, and a boy named Coven. All three are Gen 3 Mods, born and raised at Environettix headquarters on Earth, living beneath the mine their entire lives.

Sidonie asks endless questions about what life was like outside the confinement of the mine. Her yearning for an understanding of the world I took for granted, makes me have a greater understanding as to why my parents fled.

Cerelia is quieter, only speaking when she feels there is something of importance to say, always being thoughtful and intentional with her words. The two girls have a tight bond, yet aren't afraid to welcome me into their circle. I wish I could feel the same sense of blind trust the way they do. They know that I am one of them, but what they don't know, is that even your own kind can betray you.

Coven is determined and focused. At first he and Wyler seem to size one another up, but then quickly become friends. I'm happy for Wyler, that he has someone else to talk to besides me. But sometimes my happiness borders on jealousy, when I see them in deep conversation. Wyler has tried to put up a strong facade, to keep his feelings for me at bay. Sometimes I catch him watching me, when I peak up from my microscope. My cheeks turn pink and electricity fires through my body just from seeing his eyes on me. I press my face back up against the lense of my microscope, hoping he won't see what he does to me, hoping to hide the feelings that I worry will one day bubble over.

All of the members of our team are incredibly bright. And I realize that this is the first time that I've worked with a team of peers on my same ability level. For once, I'm not the smartest person in the room. I have others to bounce ideas off of. It's exciting and refreshing.

Several top executives at Environettix make appearances periodically, walking through the lab, observing our work. Other than the occasional visit, they mainly leave us alone. They never acknowledge our presence, speak to us, or make eye contact, except for one man, the CEO, Cassius Tarquin: the overweight man who I made eye contact with on the day of my orientation. Whenever he enters the lab, I try to busy myself, shrinking into the corner or standing near Wyler or Coven. I hope I'll go unnoticed, but he always finds me, always seeks me out, watching me while I work. His lecherous eyes drift across my body, making me feel uncomfortable, like I need a shower just from the affect of his disgusting eyes on me. His hair is slick and combed over to one side to hide his balding head. The pinstripes of his suit do little to hide his enormous protruding stomach, often bumping into scientific instruments on the table as he passes by. He looks at me in a way that makes me skin crawl, licking his lips and making smacking sounds with his mouth as if he's eating, only it's me he wants a bite of. Thankfully, he's never spoken to me, so I endure his objectifying looks, knowing that he will be gone soon and not return for a while.

Life passes uneventfully. The other citizens are clueless to the ticking clock on their oxygen supply, which grows shorter every day. Our team has been sworn to secrecy, forbidden to speak of our work to anyone. It binds our group together. We eat most meals with one another, sometimes speaking of Earth and the things we miss, but never mentioning the people we left behind. Wyler respects the boundary I've put up, but I sense an inner turmoil, much like my own. I wonder who will be the first to crack. I doubt it will be me. My guilt, and my confusion over my past, keeps my feelings at bay. Kelly is ever present in my dreams. Lex also makes the occasional appearance, reminding me of my betrayal. Sometimes they even cross into the world of the living, visiting me in the daylight. On more than one occasion, I think I see Kelly wandering through the lab. But my eyes are playing tricks on me. I never speak of any of it to Wyler, fearing he might think I'm losing my mind. I tell myself that it must be side effects of the accelerated memory reimaging reversal process.