Authors: Kathy Bell
“
Non, do not shut the
lights…I have nothing.” His voice rose, trepidation was building
into panic.
“
We cannot complete
the repair without turning off the lights. They will turn off in
exactly one minute. Ms. Jordan, our monitor indicates you are
present as well, are you okay?”
“
Yes, I am fine.
Please hurry, though.” Henri sank to the floor against the wall of
the elevator, curling into a foetal position.
“
Adya, Peter here. Are
you going to be okay if we turn the power off?”
“
There really isn’t a
choice in any event.” Henri got more and more agitated. She knelt
beside him, setting the transceiver against the wall.
“
We are going to turn
off the power now, are you ready?”
She took Henri’s hands in her own
and spoke toward the device. “Yes, we’re ready now.” The power went
off. Adya was too preoccupied with worry about Henri to be affected
by her own fears of confinement.
“
Oh, mon dieu,
j’espere…”
“
Henri, do you feel my
hands? Focus on them, on the warmth of them in your hands. Picture
them in your mind, holding your hands. Can you do that for
me?”
“
Oui…they are very
warm hands.” His breathing still rapid, she gently massaged his
fingers. He began to hyperventilate.
“
It is so dark, do you
have a light? I need light. I can feel the walls closing in.”
Writhing on the floor, he struck out, hitting her across the
temple. She battled dizziness for a moment before positioning
herself over top of him, her legs straddling his hips and her hands
capturing his flailing arms. Not strong enough to completely
control him, she did manage to slow his movements. He struggled a
little longer and soon began to settle, his arms no longer
resisting.
“
Henri, let’s keep
talking. You need to focus on something.”
“
It is hard, the
darkness…I fear it. That is why I work to make the power and
light.” His breathing accelerated again and he started to fight her
hold.
“
Henri, kiss me.” Adya
found his mouth with her lips, running out of options. He responded
almost immediately, his hands loosening their grip on hers to run
up her arms to her shoulders and through her hair. She could feel
warmth growing in her stomach as he deepened the kiss, their
tongues dancing. He began to take control of the exchange, holding
her head to his with his hands. He rolled them both over, his legs
settling between her hips. First his tongue then his lips ran down
her neck to the neckline of her blouse. His hands moved from her
head, one roaming down her blouse, caressing her breast, while the
other supported him as he kissed her. The original purpose of
distraction all but forgotten, she lost herself in the pleasure of
their embrace. Henri unfastened the first two buttons of her blouse
to expose her bra, placing soft kisses along the upper margin of
her breast above the white lace. He slipped one finger over her
sensitive nipple, and was about to follow suit with his lips when
the elevator jolted to life and light flooded the elevator,
awakening both of them from the stupor of passion.
He groaned. “Terrible timing.
Shall I press the stop button?”
She blushed as the light burned
her eyes, restoring sanity and reminding her she was trying to
distract him, not make love to him.
“
No…Henri…”
“
Ah, I have that
effect on the women. They forget themselves in my presence. Shall
we hope for another elevator failure?” Rising, he offered her his
hand, pulling her up and towards his chest.
Taking a light approach, she
replied, “As much as I would enjoy it, I don’t think it would be
good for our professional relationship. Henri, I regret to say I
will have to attempt to control myself and keep my hands off you.
It will be a trial, but I must manage for the sake of the rest of
the team. It would not be fair for you to be the only regressee
with a partner here at Sanctum.” Pressing her hands against his
chest, she gently pushed. He let her go, his eyes shining with
admiration. They turned to face the elevator doors as they opened,
sporting slight smiles.
“
Is everyone okay? We
have things back to normal now. Some sort of programming glitch.
Are you okay, Adya?” Peter waited in the landing, anxiety marring
his handsome features.
“
Yes, Peter, Henri
helped me get through this. I fear being confined, it almost kept
me out of the Biosecurity Sequence Rooms, and this was much worse.
He calmed me, though.” Henri glanced at her, surprised.
“
Merci, Merci, ma
petite.” He smiled broadly. “My gratitude is beyond
words.”
Peter directed a puzzled glance at
the other man and then Adya, neither volunteering why Henri was the
one thanking her.
“
Let’s reschedule my
tour for another day, I feel the need to take a breather in the
sunshine…or at least, what approximates it a hundred meters under
the surface. Henri, will you join me?”
“
Only if we can drive
up.”
“
Deal. Where can we
commandeer a vehicle?” Peter led them to the parking area,
confirming the availability of a two seat unit before returning to
his work.
Henri drove the unit to Landing
and they picked up snacks before taking a seat on a simulated wood
bench in the commons area. One of the inhabitants had his dog out
for a walk while birds sang and flittered around the branches of
the fruit trees. Sparrows and finches had been brought in to the
city both as early indicators of air quality problems but also for
aesthetic reasons. Watching their flight was a balm to the soul
trapped underground, as were the grassy areas. It was easy to fool
the mind into believing it was outdoors, as long the
multidirectional shadows thrown in the artificial lighting were
ignored and no glances were directed toward the cavern
roof.
They sat for an hour, chatting
about hometowns, projects, the challenges of hiding their knowledge
of the future. Adya warmed with the realization she had another
friend amongst the regressees as Henri walked her back to her
quarters.
“
I don’t mind if you
don’t want to sit with me, I realize you have to continue to work
with the other men after my departure. But, do you think you could
join me for dinner tonight, it gets lonely eating by myself all the
time and I know Peter would probably enjoy a break from my
presence.”
“
Oh, believe me, Peter
is more than happy in your presence. But, oui, I will be happy too
in your presence. Shall we meet at the dining room at six?” She
nodded. “Eh, bien, see you then.”
Adya wondered if resentment
stiffened Peter’s back at the table that night, but he made no
comment as he sat down with them. Together the three developed a
comfortable camaraderie, the rest of the men looking askance.
Whisperings began at the other tables and the expressions on the
men’s faces were not pleasant.
Henri gave Adya his information
package as she joined him on the power generation level the next
day. The operations and blueprints of the geothermal system were
included as well as the tolerances, troubleshooting procedures and
diagnostics. As they poured over it together, she could again see
the pride he took in his work and when she complimented him on his
organization, design, and thoroughness he almost glowed with
pleasure. She spent the week dividing her time amongst the
supervisors working in the various sections, Henri working closely
beside her. Occasionally he attempted to goad her into more
activity like their experience on the elevator. She calmly
redirected his attentions. They had an enjoyable week.
“
I will miss your
company now you’ve moved up in the world. Remember poor Henri as
you rise to the top, stuck here at the bottom of this
heap.”
“
Oh, Henri, you will
never be far from my heart or my mind.” She kissed both his cheeks
as he returned the gesture.
Journal of Doctor Nicholas Weaver
October 19, 98 P. I.
I thought about
sending more back. An entire army to help her prepare. But the
question arises…who to choose? World leaders? Children? Activists?
Everyone who dies upon Impact? No one else aside from Adya’s
descendants have immunity. She is the key player, the rest would be
supporting cast.
After watching her
trials during the first regression, Adya of the open heart and kind
soul, seeing even she could give in to the darker side when faced
with foretelling the future, I could not trust any others with the
burden of awareness. It is ours. Adya’s and mine. Ours
alone.
Adya’s routine at the recreational facilities included a
combination of strength training, cardiovascular development, and
stretching. ‘Canada’s Physical Activity Guidelines’ were etched in
her mind since she and her children had poured over them to develop
family fitness plans every six months. At fourteen, the minimum
recommendation of ninety minutes moderate to vigorous physical
activity was no trouble for her. With the baby inside, she made
sure she didn’t overdo it.
She divided her workout over the
course of the week, focusing on certain muscle groups each day. The
facilities were very well equipped, and she made the most of her
access to such a wide variety of high quality resources. The
population at Sanctum did include a number of families, but the
majority of staff were unattached men. In the middle of her arm
routine, a smiling youth of about twenty approached her.
“
Hey, you really know
your way around these machines.”
She looked up from her set.
“Thanks. Have you used them much?”
“
Not really, I like
the free weights.”
“
I like to use a mix
of both machines and free weights because I can train different
muscles with both.”
“
This one you’re
workin’ on right now, it does arms?”
“
Yes, arm curls for
biceps and triceps. Since I don’t have a spotter, I like to use the
machine rather than bar curls. But, I do free weight dumbbell
curls, which focus on a different head of the biceps.”
“
You know your muscle
groups too.”
“
I’ve been working out
for years…well, at least it feels like years.” She paused,
collecting herself after her slip. “I had a really good
instructor.” Adya felt a twinge as she thought of all the time her
husband had spent teaching her safe lifting techniques.
“
Could you show
me?”
“
We can alternate
sets. Do you normally do bar curls?”
“
No.”
“
Okay, we’ll need to
figure out your proper weight.” She moved the pin, setting the
resistance. “Here, try this to start. When I do my lifts, I do
supersets. First I position my hands wide on the bar, like this.”
She showed him where to place his hands. “Oh, my name is
Adya.”
“
Ron.”
“
Nice to meet you,
Ron. Now, try doing ten reps with this weight setting and then
right away switch your hand position to bring them closer together
and do ten more reps in that position.” Ron did as instructed,
struggling with the last few reps.
“
Can you feel it? You
should be able to feel the burn.” She smiled, feeling stupid
uttering such a bad cliché.
“
Yes, it feels great.
Your turn.” He vacated the seat, allowing her to do her next set.
Shuffling his feet as she increased the weight, he blushed. She
looked up at him “I use this machine all the time, Ron, I know what
works for me on it and once you get a routine I’m sure you’ll
increase your setting.” She completed her set. “This is my final
set then I move on to the bench press. I like to work my bis and
shoulders together with my triceps.”
The youth followed her through the
rest of her routine and she enjoyed the company although knowing
she would have to discourage his interest. His query came sooner
than expected. She thought he would at least wait for another
day.
“
I was wondering what
you’re doing tonight for dinner?”
“
Sorry, I have to meet
with Doctor Merten. I’m on orientation for the internship program
and need to complete the evaluation for the week.” She was
unprepared for his response. Turning completely red, he backed away
from her with an open mouth.
“
I am so sorry to
disturb you, I didn’t mean any offense. Sorry.”
“
It’s okay, Ron, you
weren’t disturbing me. I don’t mind sharing machines with you, if
you want to alternate sets tomorrow I can show you what I use for
pecs and back.”
“
No, thanks, I’m busy
tomorrow. Bye.” He beat a hasty retreat, leaving her puzzling his
change in demeanour.
“
Well, you must have
really shot him down hard for him to run off like that. You
could’ve let the poor boy off easy even if you are out of his
league.” The fitness instructor spoke at her side. She
blushed.
“
I didn’t shoot him
down, I don’t know what got into him but I wasn’t mean.” Defended
herself, she eyed up the man. In his early twenties, he carried
himself with the air of someone who got what he wanted.