Genesis

Chapter 35

For the next two weeks I act normally at work. I go about my normal routine and try my best to act like I don't have anything to hide. I don't want any suspicion. As far as I know, my plan is working because Ashly still is her cheery self, Ximon is still cynical as ever, and I haven't heard anything out of the ordinary from anyone else. I'm still wrestling with whether to recruit Ximon or not, though. He would be a great addition to our group and would be an enormous help in getting access to the security room. Part of me thinks that he would easily join us because he was good friends with my mother. Either that, or he'd decline and keep our plan a secret. But, the other part of me still worries that if I tell him, he'll go straight to the One. Then my mother and I will both be dead and this time the One won't just shut us both out of the dome. After two weeks have fully passed, I still am undecided. I decide to go work on my S760 drone to try to think it through some more. I walk into the drone room and fetch my drone from it's quarters. I've been throwing a few ideas around for modifying the S760. One of them is adding a small video monitor on the drone and connecting it to a video screen on my end so I would be able to talk with my mother in a more face-to-face way.

Once I have my drone in hand, I take it over to the workbench and begin to work. While my hands are busy unscrewing the drone's panels, my mind wanders and ponders my situation. I should tell Ximon. I shouldn't tell Ximon. Back and forth until my thoughts are interrupted.

"Are you going to work on that drone, or are you just going to stare at it?" says Ximon. I must have zoned out when I was thinking since I didn't notice Ximon enter the room in the first place.

"Well, I had the intention to work on it but my mind had other ideas, I guess," I say, hoping it is a normal enough response. Ximon looks down at my dismembered drone on the workbench. He gives it a curious look before picking it up and turning it in his hands.

"What are you working on?" he asks. "It seems like you're trying to add a recording device. Maybe a video monitor? Or a camera?"

"Well," I say, my mind frantically racing to think up some idea that seems rational. "I've always been interested in what monsters live out in the petrified forest. I wanted to put a two-way video monitor on the drone so the drone can deposit a small recording device in the forest and I could see what it sees from my side in real time." 

"What particular monsters are you talking about?" asks Ximon. "Did you meet some when you were outside the dome? Because I thought that you just huddled in a bush the whole night." He looks at me expectantly. His eyes seem to burrow into my mind, exposing the truth of my night outside the dome. I'm trapped.

"No, no, of course not," I say, my voice cracking halfway through my sentence. I quickly clear my throat and go on. 

"I just want to know if there are monsters that we should be worried about if we're going to expand the dome further or something like that. I mean, we are the exploration department, right?" I say. Hopefully my voice sounds light-hearted enough. 

"Yes, we are," Ximon says slowly. I can tell he's still skeptical of my claim. 

"Anyways," Ximon says. "I came down here in the first place to tell you that Ashly won't be here for the remainder of this week. Her daughter is getting married and she wants to be there. So, you'll be receiving your lessons from me. Tomorrow come to my office to start the day." 

"Your office here?" I ask. 

"Yes, here," Ximon says. "I have to brief you on a few things. And, we have a few topics to discuss." He gives me a meaningful look. 

"A-alright," I say, slightly stammering through my words. I swallow to lubricate my dry throat. 

"See you then," says Ximon. "Enjoy your night." 

After work, I ride my buzzbike back into the dome. Its engine's steady hum doesn't do much to calm me like it usually does when I'm riding it to work or home from work. I have to discuss things with my brother. Or with Harvel. Or with Camryn. Yes, I need to talk with Camryn. She'll know what to do, she always does. 

"Call Camryn Vaughn," I say to my helmet. A pixelated cell phone immediately materializes in the corner of my visor and begins to ring. I hope Camryn isn't busy. 

"Hello?" says Camryn on the other end of the line. 

"Hey, Cam," I say. "Can I come over? We need to talk."

"Sure. Should I be worried?" asks Camryn. 

"I... don't think so," I reply. "See you in ten." 

"See you," says Camryn. The line clicks dead. I instantly breathe a small sigh of relief. Everything will be fine. Camryn and I will figure things out. 

Ten minutes later, I arrive at Camryn's apartment and quietly knock to signal that I am there. Camryn quickly flings open the door to let me in. I gather her in a hug, my cheek resting on the top of her head. Her soft citrus-orange scent fills my senses and immediately calms me. I haven't kissed Camryn yet, but in this moment I desperately want to. I can almost taste the citrus from her lips on mine. Camryn pulls away before my thoughts can lead me to act on anything. 

"You wanted to talk?" she says. 

"Yeah," I say. "I do."