I look at the picture and try to see what he saw in me. I’m slender, and have a pretty good shape from swimming, but I’m far from a knockout. He was right about one thing, though: I am a mix of them both. I have my mom’s pale blue eyes and warm, but slightly crooked smile. My ghostly complexion comes from my dad. My mom called it peaches and cream; her polite way of saying that I would never tan, so don’t even try. But, despite having my dad’s dark auburn hair, I don’t have any of his abundant freckles – and that’s certainly a plus. My favorite feature is my hair. It’s a deep shade of auburn that only really flares red when in direct sunlight. It’s long, well past my shoulders, and it naturally falls into abundant loose curls without getting frizzy. But, looking at the picture, I know my dad was just trying to make me feel special. He was always doing things like that.
I wedge all the pictures up inside the door of my locker, and then fish out the rest of the box’s contents. My parents gave me the cross, but I’m just too conflicted with everything that’s happened to feel comfortable wearing it. Right now, I’d feel like a hypocrite with it around my neck. So I slide the cross off, place it in the locker, and replace it with my dad’s ring, before putting the necklace on. I tuck the necklace into my shirt, and notice how the white gold of the ring feels cool against my skin, while at the same time its presence warms me.
As I head out of the dorm, I don’t have any idea where I’m walking to. I just know I’m not up to dealing with other people yet. I try blaming it on my recent waking episode, but honestly, I realize my recent antisocial tendencies are more deeply rooted than that. But where should I go? Next to my bed, lying on a warm patch of grass was my favorite place to read, but there is none of that around here. I don’t need to open the handbook to know that going beyond the fence by myself won’t be allowed.
Yet despite realizing this, I find myself walking the perimeter of the fence.
The forest is even more striking and beautiful up close. It looks like someone has combined a tropical rainforest with the familiar New England forests that I know and love. There are large, tall trees that resemble pine trees – but instead of needles, they have things coating the branches that are shaped like ferns. There are various oak and maple trees mixed in with bark ranging from snowy white to a bluish charcoal gray. Intertwined with the trees are more plants than I can count. Some wind up the trunks of the trees, flowers bursting out across them, reaching for sunlight. Others are content to hug the ground and soak up whatever filtered light that comes through.
I’m amazed at the range of colors before me. The trumpet flowers on the vines that climb the trees are sapphire blue. Another bush resembles hydrangea, but the flowers are shiny silver, sparkling like well-polished metal. It’s unnerving just how much I yearn to get out beyond the fence to study and explore everything. I had never considered becoming a biologist, but now that I’m here, on this planet, I can’t imagine ever wanting to do anything else with my life.
I come across a boulder close to the fence. I chuckle at how much it resembles a kidney bean. I test it out, and I decide it makes a pretty decent chair. I can enjoy the view, get some sun, and read at the same time. I settle myself in and start flipping through the content pages of the handbook. In the end, I decide to just start reading from the beginning.
I have just finished reading the tedious introduction, when I feel the need to look up. I have the strange feeling of someone watching me. My gaze meets the stare of a beautiful set of violet eyes. I stand up and start walking towards them. They are mesmerizing, these strange eyes. I need to discover who, what kind of creature, they belong to. I am almost at the fence, I reach my hand forward—
“Stop!”
I jump and pull my hand back. The eyes quickly vanish back into the greenery. I turn in the direction of the deep, booming voice that startled me.
“What do you think you’re doing? You don’t know if any of those plants out there are poisonous or even carnivorous.” The sharp edge in his voice instantaneously angers me.
Is he seriously lecturing me? Momentarily, I worry he’s security, and that I’ve broken some unknown rule – but as he marches closer I notice he’s wearing black with purple, like me. He’s a scientist, just like I am, and I’m pissed. Who the hell is he to lecture
me
? I wasn’t actually touching anything, yet. I would have stopped before reaching the fence – at least that’s what I’m telling myself.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I snap back at him defensively.
“I’m trying to keep you from hurting yourself. You could be a little nicer and say thank you,” he snarls, but I can see by his expression that he’s startled by my tone.
With my voice dripping in sarcasm, I say, “Sure, thank you. Thank you for butting in where you don’t belong, and thank you so much for startling my creature away. Did you ever stop to think that I was looking at something beside the plants? And, just maybe, that I was reaching out to see if I’d get a similar response from the animal that was looking at me? And that, just maybe, you’re not the only one with a shred of common sense who knows not to touch something when you don’t know what it is?”
I cross my arms and simply glare at him. A part of me realizes that he only meant well, but I’m not in the mood to be understanding. The shock of waking up, the disappointment of the dorms, all my doubts and my losses are being taken out on this poor sap who happened along at the wrong moment. I know it’s not fair of me, but it’s not enough to quell my fury.
“I’m sorry,” he retorts condescendingly. “The next time I think you’re about to do something foolish, I’ll wait until after you’re hurt to tell you that it’s a bad idea.” I notice he’s smirking at me now, apparently amused by my reaction.
“And you can save the lecturing until after the fact next time, too.” I huff, turn around, and sit back down to read my handbook.
“It’s a deal then.” He holds out his hand to shake. I look up and see a Cheshire cat smile plastered on his face. I can’t stop myself from smiling too.
“Deal.” I shake his hand as I feel my anger subsiding.
“I’m Ryan; Ryan Traven. And you are—” he asks, raising his eyebrow.
“Brett Bradbury,” I answer. Realizing we’re still shaking, I quickly tug my hand away. He chuckles warmly at me.
“So you’re a biologist?” I notice his voice has a soft, gentle quality to it when he isn’t scolding me.
“Yes, and let me guess: you’re a botanist,” I say, coyly.
“Guilty. Sorry if I sounded like I was lecturing you. I’ve been walking the perimeter, looking at all these strange plants, and wondering what qualities they possess. I really was just worried for you.” He shrugs his shoulders apologetically.
“Thanks, Ryan. I’m sorry I was short.” The embarrassment over my reaction is setting in. “I’m just frustrated that the creature ran away before I could get a look at him.” I gesture awkwardly toward the fence.
“I guess I’d be short too if someone messed with the plant I was studying. Well, I’ll let you get back to your reading. Maybe the creature is just as curious as you and will find his way back again. See
ya
around.” He waves and starts to turn away.
“Maybe. See
ya
.” I look up as I say goodbye. He smiles as he turns to leave. Now that I’ve calmed, I finally notice his face. He is devastatingly handsome, with neatly combed, short but thick brown hair; the kind that just begs someone to mess it up. A strong chin and strong cheekbones nicely define his face without either being overpowering. He actually still has a slightly boyish quality to his face; I guess he has several years before it will be entirely lost. His amused smile goes all the way to his eyes – vibrant and green his most notable feature. I could get lost in eyes like those.
My stray thought makes me blush. He notices and smiles even more.
I shove my face back into my handbook and concentrate on not watching him walk away. I’m so furious with myself. How could I let a stupid boy get me so riled up like that? He has no business scolding me as if he knows more than I do. And now he must think I like him –
ugh
. I only reacted that way because he’s the first boy I’ve seen in, well, centuries. There is nothing special about him.
Stupid boy. Okay, time to concentrate on the book and forget about him.
My first assessment of the handbook was right. There is a rule for everything, even when we sleep. Curfew is at 10pm, and breakfast starts at 6:30. Eight hours to get our optimal amount of sleep, and a half hour to get ready for the day. Exceptions to the sleep schedule will be determined by field managers. I wonder who decides who the field managers will be. As I suspected, leaving the base at will is not allowed. Departures must be job-related. The supply store will provide us with whatever standard issue items we need. If something beyond standard issue is needed, a field manager’s authorization is required. The rules continue like that, on and on.
The sun feels nice and warm. Soon I doze off, and begin to dream.
In my dream, I am walking through the forest. It’s dark from all of the overgrowth. Ahead of me, I see a shadow of a person, and I quicken my pace to catch up. They match my pace, walking just ahead and out of sight. As soon as I get close enough to see them, they disappear around another corner in the path. I keep following, until there is a break in the canopy. I find myself standing on the edge of a rocky cliff. I shield my eyes while they adjust to the brightness. Across the way, there is a beautiful waterfall cascading down. I listen to the roar of the water crashing into the rocks below, and find it soothing.
I hear a noise behind me and quickly turn to see a pair of vibrant green eyes looking at me from the edge of the forest. The eyes move towards me, and I realize it’s Ryan. He reaches out to me and grabs my hand in his. He runs his other hand up my arm, along my neck, and then rests it on my check. I close my eyes and breathe him in. He smells like lilacs mixed with fresh-cut grass. His touch is warm, soft, fuzzy. He begins tracing my face with his hand, and I realize it is covered in fur. I open my eyes and see that his eyes have turned from vibrant green into beautiful violet. I draw a quick breath in with the shock of it, and shake myself awake.
A dream. Only a dream. I console myself as I try to shake the eerie feeling away. I’m still sitting on the rock, but the handbook has fallen to the ground. The dream had just been so
vivid
. I search around me, looking for the set of violet eyes – but there are none.
My stomach grumbles.
Time to visit the dining hall
. I stretch and reach down to pick up the handbook, but as I reach, I notice something on my shirt sleeve. I take a closer look: small hairs, purple and white. A shiver runs through me. My entire dream hadn’t been imagined.
I gather up the hairs and place them in my shirt pocket. Hopefully I’ll have a chance to look at them under a microscope soon.
Chapter 4
The main entrance of the dining hall leads directly to a cafeteria-style serving area. I fill my tray and head out the other side, where it opens up to a large room filled with an assortment of differently sized and shaped tables. Some tables sit only two; but others are large enough for twelve. There are small half walls placed strategically throughout the room to give diners a sense of privacy.
I quickly realize that I’ll pay the price for my antisocial behavior. Everyone is already paired up in groups. In high school, dining alone is a social death sentence; it was better not to eat than to be seen at a table by yourself and get labeled a loser. I consider turning around, but my stomach protests, and I can’t just grab something when I get home anymore. So I decide to take my chances and dine alone. Just when I am about to sit down at a table for two, I hear a familiar voice shout.
“Brett, over here!” the welcomed voice beckons.
I look up and see
Andi
, my roommate from testing, waving over to me. I can’t suppress the ear-to-ear smile on my face. I was wondering when I’d get to see her next.
I join her at her table.
Andi
introduces me to everyone else, even though she knows how horrible I am remembering names. Wendy, a petite dark-haired girl with gorgeous copper skin is wearing hunter green. She’s a nurse. Her sugary-sweet voice gives her a childlike quality. Zachary is in gray; he is in mechanical maintenance. He proudly informs me that he’s responsible for putting together and maintaining everything from the lights to the solar panels. As he talks with his drawn-out southern accent, I can’t help but picture him in a pair of farmer overalls, with his shaggy brown hair waving in the wind. It turns out he was one of the original construction crew members, but as the need for construction was fulfilled, he was retrained in the pods and reassigned.
Troy is actually the farmer. I feel bad for his luck in uniforms. His bright orange hair totally clashes with the olive-green, but he doesn’t seem to mind. He smiles broadly as he informs me that he works in the greenhouses. He, like Zachary, was also part of the original construction crew. Jeremy, a tall, lanky dirty-blonde, is wearing all black, just like
Andi
, but is too busy staring at her to tell me about himself.
“So what kind of scientist are you, Brett?”
Andi
asks.
“Biologist. What about you two?” I gesture to Jeremy and
Andi
.