SILVER EYES (GXG)

Chapter 40: Lights In The Dark

Thirty pairs of curious eyes watched us as Brooke repeated, for the third time, that lengthy speech. The visit to Lumina Junior School was an annual tradition. We went through all the classrooms and delivered a well-rehearsed talk to the students.

Lumina was one of the most important educational centers in the Reg Society. When I first stepped foot there five years ago, my jaw practically hit the floor. I'd never seen a real school before, at least not like Lumina. Back on the other side, schools were just these drab, crumbling buildings. Lumina, however, was in a league of its own. The classroom walls were like giant windows, so you could pretty much see everything that was going on. I loved the vertical gardens in the nature area. I even spotted some glow-in-the-dark plants! The meditation room was also pretty cool, with its ceiling projecting an amazing realistic night sky. Some kids were there, legs crossed, eyes shut, totally zen. And don't even get me started on the tech stuff! From holographic screens to gigantic robots, Lumina had it all. There was even a lab where students tinkered with REG tech implants.

But what really blew me away were the students themselves. They were razor-sharp, always hitting us with the best questions. Yet, I couldn't help but wonder if their multiple implants played a big role in that. Thoes days, it was hard to tell, especially since it seemed like every kid had at least one implant. And with the new rules the school rolled out this year, even fewer were without them.

At just three years old, you were expected to get your first implant, and parents got to pick the type. Most went for BrainSpark, which specializes in cognitive enhancements for kids. Then, by the age of nine, you had to get the second one, but this time the school took the reins, choosing based on your skills and progress. So, yeah, this year, there were more implants than crayons.

Brooke seemed happy, though. She was a Lumina alum herself, so she was always treated like royalty, someone the kids looked up to with admiration.

At the end of the speech, as expected, many impatient hands shot up.

"Wow, so many questions already," Brooke said, pointing to a girl with a mouth implant. "You, go ahead," she said.

"Why was the wall raised in the first place?" the girl asked, her lip color changing from soft pink to blue.

Brooke pondered the question, although it was just a performance. We answered that question every year since apparently, it kept popping up. It was interesting to see how much the wall amused them, even though they had always known of its existence. But there was something that seemed to spark curiosity beyond Brooke's answers. So, there we were, answering that question once more.

"The wall was raised for our protection. And it still serves that purpose." She said. The girl frowned and then, a boy interjected. "Protection to what?"

Brooked looked at the teacher as if asking for permission to continue and the teacher nodded.

"The Earth where we live is dying." A murmur filled the classroom and the teacher shushed them. "We could not live any longer without a change. Think about it, here you live under the acid rain shield, and with all thoes beautiful implants you have that make you stronger and more resistant. By staying here, and being part of this society, we are not only saving humanity but the whole planet itself." Brooke said.

"But why do people still live on the other side?" Another girl asked. She had implants in her eyes, which shifted from purple to green.

"Some choose to stay there, some are still waiting to join us. We can't force people to be saved." Brooke said. Quite a simple way to put it, I thought to myself, but I wasn't going to say anything.

"What's it like on the other side?" a tall boy asked.

"Well, the other side... it's..." Brooke gazed at me. "Grace could explain better. She was once an outsider."