Gene. Sys. by Aaron Denius (best ereader for comics txt) 📕

look at him for a reaction, but the little of his face that I see behind the mask remains unchanged.

“Dr. Kivuli was talking about a council, and she was trying to find out if there were any more planned attacks. She was very intent on finding things out, but the man, Joey, wasn’t really giving away information.” I feel that pretty much covers what I saw.

Rene reaches up and removes his mask. “Did Joey give a last name?”

“I didn’t hear one,” I say.

He frowns. “I need you to tell Ev about this. She is in Dennis’s old room and has a personnel database in there. You can find out which Joey it was. Also, I need you to promise me that you will be as you were with Dr. Kivuli. We don’t need her to become suspicious that we are on to her.”

I hadn’t thought about how I would react when I saw her, but Rene is right. If she suspects anything, we might lose any chance we have of finding out who the Mutineers are. “Okay.”

“Is there anything else?” he asks.

“I guess not.” I look him in the eyes. His eyes are tired. I can’t imagine the stress he must be under. He puts his mask back on and lies down on his bed with his eyes closed. I take that as my cue and head out of his room.

I proceed down the hallway, unsure of where I’m going to go. I figure that I will just get to my classroom early and relax for the next hour. After a few more turns, I reach the classroom door and walk in. It’s dark, and I leave the lights off.

I close the door behind me, head to the back part of the room, and lie on the ground. I stare at the ceiling above me and immediately get the sensation of being trapped. When I used to lie on the library’s roof and stare up at the sky, I felt free. The infinite vastness of space made me feel happy. I had hope.

Now, staring at a dark ceiling twelve feet above me, I feel constrained and hopeless. I realize how guided my will is. I might have the ability to make my own choices, but the options I have were selected for me. I didn’t choose to be a Genesys. I didn’t decide to have to lead them; Rene and the scientists chose that for me. They sent me on this path.

I wonder if it’s the same for the outsiders and humanity in general. Did they ever have true free will? Or was it just an illusion put forth by those in power? I guess people need that. Would I know what to do if I wasn’t guided and given parameters? At this point, it doesn’t matter. I have already committed to my role in this. Whether I am right or wrong, I believe that what the scientists are doing is humanity’s best option. Perhaps when we restart humanity, we can do better at letting people have free will.

The kick to my foot shocks me awake, and I realize that I must have dozed off. My eyes adjust to the bright lights, and after a few blinks, I see Hydro standing above me.

“Morning, sleepyhead.” She smiles.

I wipe my eyes and stand as my heart rate settles. I look around and see both K and Dr. Cicca smiling at me as well. My cheeks get warm with embarrassment. “Hey. Sorry.”

“It’s quite alright,” Dr. Cicca replies as she moves to the center of the room. “Everyone, grab a seat.”

Hydro and K sit next to me, and I realize that I don’t really know much about either one of them. Even with the amount of time that I’ve spent with Hydro, she and Al are usually in their own world.

Dr. Cicca jumps right into her first lesson and tells us about the importance of shelter, especially regarding certain elements. She uses a hologram to show us various shelters, from igloos and huts to caves and even holes in the ground.

We cover the essential structural components needed to build the shelters, things like the importance of weight-bearing support beams, and the need for ventilation shafts. Apparently, the shafts help circulate the air in the shelter and keep it standing in high winds.

We also cover intangible things like what direction to face the doors and other openings. East to west in cold climates, so the sun shines through, and north to south in warmer regions to avoid the sun.

For the last part of the lesson, Dr. Cicca has us work with a simulation hologram to build our own shelters. The class has been fun, and I have completely forgotten about everything else that has been going on for the time being. Hydro and K also appear to be having a great time. I wonder if the other Genesys are enjoying their lessons as much as we are.

After we finish our shelters, Hydro, K, and I head out to the hallway and toward the simulation room.

“That was better than I expected,” Hydro says.

“Yeah! I’m so glad you didn’t put me in one of those engineering ones,” K adds.

“I’m glad I’m not in any of those either.” I laugh, and they join in.

“Do you really think we might have to use dead bodies and bones to build a shelter?” K asks through her laughs.

“I hope so! Just to see the faces on the others when we tell them to gather as many bodies as possible,” Hydro answers. K and I both look at her, and then we all burst out laughing again.

Our laughter simmers down as we get to the hallways that used to have the girls’ bedrooms. I saw them last night, but I don’t believe that either Hydro or K have since right after the attacks.

K looks at me. “Do you mind if…”

“Go ahead.” I give her a comforting smile and find a sturdy spot on the wall to lean against.

Both Hydro and K go