Refracted

- - 39 - -

The next day or two passed in a blur. Following my adventure with Rachel and the rebels, Lucas took me to my new apartment in the centre of Atlantis (only a few blocks away from the government offices). He showed me around but had to rush off for some administrative crisis with the Higher Authority. Before he left, Lucas gave me a couple days off in order to explore the city and acclimatise myself to this new way of life. I did exactly that.

First, I saw the monuments and portraits of all the Alphas that had ruled Terra. Lucas' own statue had already made it into the display. I had stared at it for a while, trying to understand his expression. The sculptor had a real talent and captured his eyes perfectly. His smile seemed genuine but if you looked carefully, you could see just a hint of pain in his eyes - a reminder that he too was human.

That look stayed with me the entire day as I walked through Atlantis' own botanical gardens (no compound hidden underneath this one) and several historical museums. The strangest thing though was the absence of people. Atlantis was supposedly a city built for beauty and tourists yet no one ever got to experience the wonders. Everyone now was constantly consumed with work and survival. There was never any time for such trivial and luxurious things like fun. In that moment, I felt blessed to have the opportunity to understand and make my own interpretations of history instead of swallowing anything the facilities told us.

Speaking of facilities, there were none in Atlantis. In Zyphia there had been at least four but Atlantis was completely free of them, the only exception was the facility from which I had come but whenever I enquired about it, nobody ever knew what I was talking about it. If I didn't have direct memories and experiences from it, I probably would have doubted its existence too. Lucas' goals were strange but this time I knew to be on my guard. I had to be alert. Nothing could slip by me.

My encounter with Rachel was constantly playing on my mind too. I didn't know whether I should go or not but soon I found myself having to make the decision before it was too late.

With a full stomach (something I had always dreamed of having) I pushed the remaining noodles away from me and cringed at the grating noise it made of metal on metal. By now, I knew my way around my new penthouse and I had to admit that I was enjoying the lavishness of it all. Lucas still disgusted me but I couldn't deny the effort he was making. My new, modern apartment had three bedrooms with a full bathroom and en-suite. The kitchen, lounge and dining room were all open plan with an outstanding view from any angle. Huge glass windows showed the gorgeous city with Helios setting in the background.

I sighed.

Glancing at my state of the art DigiWatch, I counted six hours until my maybe meeting with Rachel. Six hours. It would take at least two to make it back over to the construction zone and two back again. It was incredibly rare to own a private hover car and even I wasn't that lucky. Besides, it would only draw unwanted attention to me. In addition to the time actually spent with Rachel, I knew it was going to be a long night. That was it then, decision made - I was going. I had to face it; if I didn't go then I would regret it for the rest of my life and this was the perfect opportunity to covertly get re-involved with the rebellion.

Slowly, I stood up and headed over to the master bedroom. It was still early and no doubt most of the city would still be up but I couldn't be sleep deprived for my first day of work tomorrow. If anyone noticed anything wrong with me then I would be sent back to the facility in a heartbeat. My hands became clammy at the thought of it and I wiped my creased forehead.

A three and a half hour nap wouldn't completely replace the sleep I was going to lose but it was better than nothing. Not even bothering to change my outfit, I collapsed on my mind and clapped my hands twice. On cue, the sliding doors shut and the windows darkened.