Genesis

Chapter 10

Whew! This chapter is a truckload of information and revelations so I am so happy to finally be publishing it!

Sorry, I posted this chapter a bit late but I'll try to do a double update this week.

Enjoy!

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I almost laugh. The One is the leader of our Genesis dome. He is the grandson of the original builder of the dome and has been with us since I was born. The One has the final say in what jobs people get, what food is administered, and what businesses people open. I have never met him in person, but I have never gone hungry, and I don't know anyone who isn't happy with their job or business, so I'd say he is a good leader. My mother's stare tells me she thinks otherwise. 

"I am dead serious, Kaze," she says, gazing deep into my eyes. I try to keep my composure as my mother did just save me from carnivorous rabbits. 

"Why do think that?" I ask. 

"As you know, I was a scientist before I was trapped outside the dome," she begins. "I was going about my job when one day I got summoned to meet the One. At the time, I believed he was a great leader who looked out for his people and did what was best for everyone, so I was ecstatic to finally meet him. The whole time I was in his presence, though, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. I had been working as a scientist for almost my whole life and the One had never bothered to meet me. I wondered why was he taking the time to do it at that specific time. I thought I got my answer when One told me that he wanted me to become his personal scientist to carry out top secret operations for him."

"What?! I thought you were seeing if life could be supported outside the dome!" I interrupt. 

"That was my cover job. I couldn't tell anyone what I was actually doing or I'd be shot." my mother says, giving me an apologetic shrug. 

"Anyway, I was flattered. I immediately said yes and I got to work. At first, the experiments were innocent enough. I was asked to test different materials from outside the dome and things like that. After a while, the tests took a dark turn. I was forced to test different poisons and weapons on prisoners of the One. It was terrible listening to them scream and thrash about as the poison or weapon began to torture them. I didn't want to do it. Even if they were prisoners, they were still humans, and we were treating them like lab rats."

"I told the One that I didn't want the job anymore and he should find someone else to do it, but the One threatened to take you or Drayk as a test subject instead. So, I stayed and kept doing these horrible things to people. The worst thing is that every time the One came to check on my work, he would smile and even laugh whenever a prisoner screamed. I wanted to quit the job. I also didn't want the One to be our ruler any more. My vision of a just, kind leader had been destroyed and replaced with a sadistic man who laughed at other people's pain."

She shivers, obviously reliving the horrid memories of the time. I want to comfort her and tell her that it's okay now, but I don't want her to lose her courage and stop talking. My mother continues. 

"One day, when I was at home after you and your brother went to bed, a stranger rang the doorbell. I was confused as to why someone would show up to our house so late, but before I could say anything, the person jammed a piece of paper into my hand and walked away. I called after him, but he did not show that he even heard me. I looked at the piece of paper to find a phone number which I immediately called. The person on the other end gave me an address which I went to with your father the next day. It looked like it was only an office building, but it was just a cover for what was actually going on inside. The people there welcomed your father and I with open arms. We both had about a million questions." 

My mother gives a whispering chuckle, pausing for a moment. She resumes her story, the faint smile on her lips quickly disappearing.  

"They said they knew what my real job was. They said he knew what I had been forced to do. And they said that that was the reason someone had been sent to me. Those people were a secret rebellion to overthrow the One."