Project Alpha

Chapter 21

Archer and I began a slow dance on-screen, swiping pieces, creating pictures, moving strays into the middle column and starting over again. As we completed more puzzles, the pieces fell faster.

We seemed to have a natural rhythm, working at a similar pace and anticipating one another's next move as we strategized ways to unite our strays.

"Hey Marin," Archer whispered as his hands flew across his screen.

"What?" I whispered back, carefully completing a puzzle of DNA's twisting double helix within the confines of my column.

"Why did the monk have a hard time finishing his puzzle?"

I did a double-take, letting my eyes slide over to his face for a second before shifting back to my screen. "Is your skull cap too tight? Are you seriously telling me a joke right now?"

"C'mon Marin, it's a good one." His voice was tinged with a smile, so I decided to indulge him.

"Fine. You got me. Why did the monk have a hard time finishing his puzzle?" Narrowing my eyes, I swiped the final piece of the double helix into place, the picture flashed and disappeared.

"Because he couldn't find his inner piece. Get it? Monk? You know, like zen — inner peace — puzzle piece. Funny huh?"

"Ugh, Archer! You're as bad as Dr. Kelly with that crappy joke." Despite my whispered protests, I pressed my lips together to stop a giggle from escaping into the air. What a goof.

From the corner of my eye, I caught the glow of Edison lights beginning to turn on around the room. While other teams succumbed to the simulation, Archer and I were on fire. A heady, giddy feeling bubbled up from the pit of my stomach as I swiped faster and faster, conquering more puzzle pieces as they fell.

Even if it was just a stupid video simulation, even if I had no idea what it all meant, even if I wasn't sure who the hell I was supposed to be ... maybe this was a sign I actually belonged here.

I flipped and manipulated a flurry of puzzle pieces with confidence as the movement of Archer's hands filled my peripheral vision.

There was something familiar about the new picture starting to form in my column. As each piece locked together, my eyebrows furrowed a little deeper.

What's going on here?

The puzzle pieces were forming the image of a butterfly. Not just any butterfly; the same one I'd seen in the giant egg on the first day of PACK testing.

With each swipe, I arranged pieces into the shape of intricate wings with hexagonal patterns, a geometric palette of red, indigo, gold and green.

As the puzzle took shape, the wings became hypnotic and their colours began to swirl.

Not again.

Sweat beaded under my gel cap and my fingers itched. As I swiped the last pieces into place, the butterfly's wings seemed to undulate. Inside my mind, a cascade of minor keys began to play.

Frozen in front of my monitor, hypnotized by the surge of color, my breath was shallow as a tidal wave of music flooded my brain.

"Marin?" Archer's voice was lost somewhere in the orchestral sound. "Hey -- Marin, are you ok?"

The music was everything. The music was me. Swelling colors infected my brain and were purged by the notes that washed them away again. Over and over, color turned to sound and sound to color, until I couldn't tell one from the other anymore.

"Marin? Marin!" Archer's voice was far away, like he was calling down from the edge of a cliff while I tumbled headfirst into churning waters.

I'm not sure when everything turned black, but I do remember hitting the floor. After that, all that was left was silence.

***
Cognition testing's getting a little hardcore! Sorry this chapter took so long — I did some research to figure out how to put the testing together, and a little longer to try and paint a picture of Marin's experience. Would love to hear your thoughts. What do you think of Chapter 21? Any predictions on where this is headed? Please vote, comment and share if you like the story!!