Genesis

Chapter 37

Alright, who's up for a long chapter? Because this one's long! I hope you enjoy the chapter and don't worry, things will get more action-packed soon. Being an author, I just have to make the story leading up to the action as suspenseful and painstaking as possible. :)

Happy reading!

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Buoyed by Camryn's encouragement, I stroll confidently into the work facility the next day on my way to my meeting with Ximon. I am going to tell him. He will join us or he will leave us alone. I tell myself this over and over again to convince myself completely. I walk down the office hallway of the facility and turn into Ximon's office. He isn't inside it yet, as I expected, and I sit down in a chair across from his desk. He hasn't put nearly as much effort into his office in this facility as he has in his office inside the dome. There really isn't much decoration at all on the walls except for another copy of the picture of him and his big group of friends. It is the picture with my mom in it. I wonder if Ximon wishes he was still with these people. I wonder if he thought he'd end up in the exploration department. I wonder if he ever dreamed he'd mentor someone, especially someone like me. As I stare at the picture, I realize that I don't really know anything about him in a personal sense. Maybe I should ask him some questions about his family today before I drop a bomb and tell him that my mom is actually alive. Before I can ponder it further, Ximon swishes through the door in his long white lab coat.

"Good morning, Kaze," he says briskly. I give him a nod in reply. Ximon strolls behind his desk and collapses heavily into his chair.

"Just finished dealing with some newbie knuckleheads in the Dome Sector," he says while rubbing his temples with his fingers. "They want to give the dome legs 'So it can, like, walk across the dunes or something!'" He finishes his sentence in an imitation of the newbie's voice. I smile and try not to laugh.

"To be fair, I wanted to bring all my friends here and race drones when I was new," I say. Ximon barks out a laugh.

"You would," he says. "Now let's get down to business. I originally wanted to speak to you to congratulate you. You've been doing really well with this whole drone thing and you're actually set to finish the beta program in only a month or two. When you finish, Ashly and I were discussing taking on a few more people to teach them about the drones. Since you have aced all of the drone lessons so far, you would mentor someone. That is, if you're okay with it." I sit there in Ximon's chair for a solid twenty seconds, unable to comprehend what Ximon has just said to me.

"You mean, I would be like you?" I ask. Ximon grimaces slightly.

"That makes me feel pretty old, but in essence, yes. You'd be like me," says Ximon.

"I'll do it, but with one condition: The person I mentor can't be too close to my age, otherwise there's no way they'll learn anything from me," I say.

"Done," says Ximon. "In fact, there's a fifteen-year-old kid that just applied yesterday. From what I've heard, he sounds like a good match for you. He's smart, eager, and he's definitely heard rumors about the drones."

"Cool," I say, genuinely excited to begin mentoring this kid in a few short months. I can't wait to share all my wisdom with him.

"Now," says Ximon. "We have a few other things to discuss." My excitement drains away slightly and I regain my composure to begin talking with Ximon more seriously.

"Also, while we're talking, I need you to be completely honest with me. I'm not going to go and report you to anyone and I'm not planning on gossiping about what you say. Plus, I programmed the security cameras in this area to go dead right about... now. So, I will be the only one to hear what you say," Ximon says with a smug look on his face. He leans back in his chair and folds his arms across his chest.