breaking down easily as he chewed it. The inside colored portions of the roll were slightly less mushy in texture, but didn’t seem to have any different flavor profiles of their own. And there it is again, he thought. That faint hint of something like rotten fish. Geon swallowed the half chewed piece with a painful gulp and looked to the others with a perplexed expression on his face.
“Uhm. Are you guys enjoying this? I mean, what is it?”
Sabien laughed as Kumuki gobbled his fourth piece down. “Not most of us, G,” he answered. “I know what you’re thinking. Everything tastes the same. Well that’s because it is the same. This fishy white processed stuff is all we eat. It’s in everything. Get used to it. Take my advice and use a little food lube.” With that he put his second piece in his mouth and took a gulp of his drink to help him swallow the food. Allea sat quietly, studying something on her cuff and didn’t look up at her food. She just jabbed each bite with her fork, often missing the food completely, and chewed without any complaint.
“It’s food, Sabe. It’s for nourishment,” she said. “And it’s not that bad, really. G, you’ll get used to it.”
Disgusting . He had high hopes for this restaurant, but after all the fancy presentation and technology, the food was lackluster at best. Less than lackluster, really. He copied Sabien’s technique of using liquid to move the food down as easily as possible. After they were finished eating, Allea did a quick check on her cuff to make sure the flood had subsided and they proceeded home. On the way to the station, they witnessed a civilian consoling another one who was lying, bloodied, in the wet streets. Geon wanted to stop and help but was advised by the others to keep moving.
Is this the world we live in now? People are hurt… dying, and we just go about our lives?
Geon was quiet for most of the ride home, thinking about the events of this first day. The new world was a mystery to him. From his childhood, he remembered feeling the warmth of the sun on his skin and remembered smiling faces everywhere. This world was different to him. It was dark, dangerous, and frightening. As young as they were, his little sister and their new siblings seemed as if they had to always be on guard for new threats.
They have to know how to live and survive on their own and they already had experienced more pain and death around them than anyone should ever have to bear .
Deep down, though, Geon felt that there was more to this world than what he had seen so far. Something felt off to him. He could tell Sabien felt similarly by the things that he said. There was also an unknown feeling of excitement. Despite the dangers, Geon had a desire to see and explore this new world. He wondered how he would be able to learn more about the world with CARE regulating so much of what they can and can’t do. Looking around at the other three, he was glad to have them in his lives. Despite the condition of the world, he still was grateful to be given a second chance at his life.
“Next stop. Sector eight.”
As they hopped off and made their way back home, Allea looked at Geon and said with a smile, “You’ll get your own LifeCuff today, Geon. And by the way, tomorrow is your first day of school.”
Chapter 4
Geon was brought out of sleep slowly and gently the next morning. The light gradually increased in brightness and hue, the soft sounds of flowing water and exotic bird calls grew louder, and a gentle breeze awakened the hairs on his skin, all from the REMpod around him. Geon opened his eyes and yawned, taking a few moments to think about yesterday. It was so much to process all at once. He needed more time. He was nervous about going to school and meeting other kids. Looking down at his Biolimb, he wondered if they would tease him. He wished he had more time.
But one thought kept pushing forward in his mind. He was alive. He had a second chance. He didn’t
“Uhm. Are you guys enjoying this? I mean, what is it?”
Sabien laughed as Kumuki gobbled his fourth piece down. “Not most of us, G,” he answered. “I know what you’re thinking. Everything tastes the same. Well that’s because it is the same. This fishy white processed stuff is all we eat. It’s in everything. Get used to it. Take my advice and use a little food lube.” With that he put his second piece in his mouth and took a gulp of his drink to help him swallow the food. Allea sat quietly, studying something on her cuff and didn’t look up at her food. She just jabbed each bite with her fork, often missing the food completely, and chewed without any complaint.
“It’s food, Sabe. It’s for nourishment,” she said. “And it’s not that bad, really. G, you’ll get used to it.”
Disgusting . He had high hopes for this restaurant, but after all the fancy presentation and technology, the food was lackluster at best. Less than lackluster, really. He copied Sabien’s technique of using liquid to move the food down as easily as possible. After they were finished eating, Allea did a quick check on her cuff to make sure the flood had subsided and they proceeded home. On the way to the station, they witnessed a civilian consoling another one who was lying, bloodied, in the wet streets. Geon wanted to stop and help but was advised by the others to keep moving.
Is this the world we live in now? People are hurt… dying, and we just go about our lives?
Geon was quiet for most of the ride home, thinking about the events of this first day. The new world was a mystery to him. From his childhood, he remembered feeling the warmth of the sun on his skin and remembered smiling faces everywhere. This world was different to him. It was dark, dangerous, and frightening. As young as they were, his little sister and their new siblings seemed as if they had to always be on guard for new threats.
They have to know how to live and survive on their own and they already had experienced more pain and death around them than anyone should ever have to bear .
Deep down, though, Geon felt that there was more to this world than what he had seen so far. Something felt off to him. He could tell Sabien felt similarly by the things that he said. There was also an unknown feeling of excitement. Despite the dangers, Geon had a desire to see and explore this new world. He wondered how he would be able to learn more about the world with CARE regulating so much of what they can and can’t do. Looking around at the other three, he was glad to have them in his lives. Despite the condition of the world, he still was grateful to be given a second chance at his life.
“Next stop. Sector eight.”
As they hopped off and made their way back home, Allea looked at Geon and said with a smile, “You’ll get your own LifeCuff today, Geon. And by the way, tomorrow is your first day of school.”
Chapter 4
Geon was brought out of sleep slowly and gently the next morning. The light gradually increased in brightness and hue, the soft sounds of flowing water and exotic bird calls grew louder, and a gentle breeze awakened the hairs on his skin, all from the REMpod around him. Geon opened his eyes and yawned, taking a few moments to think about yesterday. It was so much to process all at once. He needed more time. He was nervous about going to school and meeting other kids. Looking down at his Biolimb, he wondered if they would tease him. He wished he had more time.
But one thought kept pushing forward in his mind. He was alive. He had a second chance. He didn’t
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