ridge. The test results depicted something shocking and unexplainable. There was an extra brainwave present, but it didn’t show up in the readout. Beside it was a caption that read: unable to identify, no compatible data. I reran the test to ensure there wasn’t a malfunction. As the results reappeared on the monitor, the wave that wasn’t there returned. I searched through medical records for an explanation but found nothing.
I suspected the extra brainwave was the carrier of my consciously obtained reflections of future events. If my hypothesis was correct, COR, the name I’d given to the elusive brainwave, was the key to proving my precognition. I set the parameters in the brain frequency analyzer to capture COR and send out an alarm whenever it was detected. I decided to keep quiet until more data was gathered for analysis. My silence was prudent as I overheard Kai boasting to the Overseer about how he helped me develop Harmony. This was the first lie that began to unravel my blind loyalty to Unity.
INFINITE PRESENT
A flock of exploiters clustered around to take my picture as I made my way down the aisle of Unity Hall. I sought refuge in the preparation room to rehearse my induction speech. After delivering the introduction to my reflection in the mirror, I directed the rest of my oration to the chipped paint on the wall that reminded me of Master Avery’s face. My recitation became more passionate as I envisioned him sitting in the audience, rubbing his hammer-shaped nose while pondering over how I surpassed his expectations.
Wade entered the room unannounced and stepped in front of me with his forehead creased. “Either you’ve finally lost your mind or…” Wade pointed at the chipped paint. “You’ve mesmerized the poor wall into silence with your hypnotic words and spellbinding gaze.” He smiled and handed me a bottle of our favorite alcoholic beverage.
“If I have the same effect with the Corporate Hierarchy, my career as a maroon will be off to a promising start.” I inspected the label.
“It’s not the cheap stuff,” Wade said. “I know better than to insult an upper color.”
“It won’t be official until after I receive my uniform.”
“Then I guess I’ll give this to you after the ceremony.”
Wade went to grab the bottle, and I pulled it back. “You were never good at keeping track of time.” I removed the cap. “I see no reason for you to improve now.”
“If that’s professional advice, I’ll gladly follow it.” Wade lifted up his half-consumed bottle. “To your success.”
We clanked our bottles together and drank.
“Enjoy it for as long as you can,” Wade said. “When you finally acknowledge Harmony’s destructive truth, it’ll be too late to do anything about it.”
“And once you experience its true potential, you’ll be thanking me.”
“For what? I can’t get into a decent fight with anyone, and every woman I date is disgustingly happy all the time. I want a female to complain over how much I talk about sports. It’s the natural order of things.”
“That’s a small charge to pay. Harmony will eventually bring an end to reintegration. You won’t need to fill out another request for a new assignment because you’ll be out of a job.”
“Tempting…but I’d gladly continue to pay the higher price for a woman to lecture me over all the hours I spend in the pleasure room.”
I was about to follow up with my own quip when I had another vision of peering over a cliff side at Wade’s dead body.
Wade waved his hand in front of my face. “Still in there?”
I clenched Wade’s wrist. “We have to cancel our camping trip.”
Wade pulled back his arm. “What are you trying to do, break my wrist?”
“I had another vision.”
“I refuse to live out the rest of my life in fear of your visions. That would be far worse than your vision coming true.”
I gulped down half my drink, trying to expunge the image of Wade’s broken body from my
I suspected the extra brainwave was the carrier of my consciously obtained reflections of future events. If my hypothesis was correct, COR, the name I’d given to the elusive brainwave, was the key to proving my precognition. I set the parameters in the brain frequency analyzer to capture COR and send out an alarm whenever it was detected. I decided to keep quiet until more data was gathered for analysis. My silence was prudent as I overheard Kai boasting to the Overseer about how he helped me develop Harmony. This was the first lie that began to unravel my blind loyalty to Unity.
INFINITE PRESENT
A flock of exploiters clustered around to take my picture as I made my way down the aisle of Unity Hall. I sought refuge in the preparation room to rehearse my induction speech. After delivering the introduction to my reflection in the mirror, I directed the rest of my oration to the chipped paint on the wall that reminded me of Master Avery’s face. My recitation became more passionate as I envisioned him sitting in the audience, rubbing his hammer-shaped nose while pondering over how I surpassed his expectations.
Wade entered the room unannounced and stepped in front of me with his forehead creased. “Either you’ve finally lost your mind or…” Wade pointed at the chipped paint. “You’ve mesmerized the poor wall into silence with your hypnotic words and spellbinding gaze.” He smiled and handed me a bottle of our favorite alcoholic beverage.
“If I have the same effect with the Corporate Hierarchy, my career as a maroon will be off to a promising start.” I inspected the label.
“It’s not the cheap stuff,” Wade said. “I know better than to insult an upper color.”
“It won’t be official until after I receive my uniform.”
“Then I guess I’ll give this to you after the ceremony.”
Wade went to grab the bottle, and I pulled it back. “You were never good at keeping track of time.” I removed the cap. “I see no reason for you to improve now.”
“If that’s professional advice, I’ll gladly follow it.” Wade lifted up his half-consumed bottle. “To your success.”
We clanked our bottles together and drank.
“Enjoy it for as long as you can,” Wade said. “When you finally acknowledge Harmony’s destructive truth, it’ll be too late to do anything about it.”
“And once you experience its true potential, you’ll be thanking me.”
“For what? I can’t get into a decent fight with anyone, and every woman I date is disgustingly happy all the time. I want a female to complain over how much I talk about sports. It’s the natural order of things.”
“That’s a small charge to pay. Harmony will eventually bring an end to reintegration. You won’t need to fill out another request for a new assignment because you’ll be out of a job.”
“Tempting…but I’d gladly continue to pay the higher price for a woman to lecture me over all the hours I spend in the pleasure room.”
I was about to follow up with my own quip when I had another vision of peering over a cliff side at Wade’s dead body.
Wade waved his hand in front of my face. “Still in there?”
I clenched Wade’s wrist. “We have to cancel our camping trip.”
Wade pulled back his arm. “What are you trying to do, break my wrist?”
“I had another vision.”
“I refuse to live out the rest of my life in fear of your visions. That would be far worse than your vision coming true.”
I gulped down half my drink, trying to expunge the image of Wade’s broken body from my
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