Genesis

Chapter 26

Hey y'all, I hope you're having a great weekend! This chapter is kind up setting some things up for the future, so bear through all the backstory and reminiscing please!

Have a great rest of your day!

A/N - This is the last chapter that I've edited for content, so if you read past this point, beware! 

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The next day I arrive in Ximon's office early. Ximon isn't there, but all of his lights are on and the computer is running, so I assume he's in the bathroom or something. 

With nothing to do at the moment, my eyes wander to the items Ximon has on display. With his desk in front of me, I turn to my right first to examine the pictures on the wall. 

There's snapshots of Ximon as a teenager holding his scientist apprenticeship certificate, Ximon with a group of older men who I assume are other mentors, and Ximon surrounded by a group of who look like his friends. He appears to be in his late twenties in this last picture, and he's happier in this one than he is in any of the others. I take a closer look at the other people that are standing around Ximon in the scene.

I recognize Kyel Speare from when he made the dome billboards as "Science Student of the Month." He's dead now; he got hit by a transport a couple years ago. Then there's Ahlex Winters who told me he dated my mom before she met my dad. Larris Bogger is in the picture as well, probably because his girlfriend Valrie Lemon was best friends with Ashly Parker, according to Drayk. 

There's also one more person that I recognize in the picture, but I can't put my finger on who she is. She looks eerily similar to me, though. That's when I realize who she is. It's my mother. Of course she would have been in this group of friends. It makes perfect sense. 

I quickly scan the picture again and, sure enough, I find my dad as well. The picture makes me smile, but it hurts to see my dad alive and happy. He passed away so suddenly and without warning. Every picture I see of him reminds me that he is gone. 

My parents' presence in the picture does explain why Ximon seemed so interested in my mother and my family. He was friends with my mother when she was still living in the dome. A million questions zoom through my head. How close of friends were they? How long did Ximon know my mother? Did Ximon meet me or Drayk when we were younger?

Suddenly, I hear shoes clicking in the hallway outside the office which break me out of my thoughts. I rush to one of Ximon's guest chairs and sit down. I decide to keep looking around the office, as it seems to be the most natural thing to do. Ximon swings into his office and nods his head toward me in acknowledgement.

"Morning, Alio. Did you find my pictures interesting?" he says.

"Yes," I say. "I found my mom and dad in one of them." I hope that my voice sounds as innocent as I am making it out to be.

"Ah, yes," says Ximon. "I went to school with your mom, you know. It's a shame she fell for your dad. I would've married her in a heartbeat." 

I feel my cheeks grow warm with how Ximon is talking about my mother. Ximon notices and chuckles.

"Sorry," I mutter, embarrassed. Ximon's smile remains steady.

"Don't worry, Alio, your mom and I were more friends than lovers anyway," he says. He glances down at the watch on his wrist.

"That said, we've got work to do. Grab a notebook and a pencil out of your locker down the hallway. Lucky for us, today is procedure day where you get to be bored out of your mind and I get to relive my less-than-great apprenticeship days," says Ximon.

"Right away," I say.