The Deeper Awakening

His Present

The room lit up as the dark setting adjusted to the morning, the natural light from the window flooded in, slowly piercing the shut eyes of the person fast asleep. The curtains lifted and made way for the sunlight to come inside the high-rise apartment that was elevated higher than Mount Everest from sea level. This apartment was built in the new age utopian city of Avalon, which stood firm at an elevation more than even four times that of Mount Everest from sea level. This was the only way the civilians would be protected from destructive radiation, dust, and tropical viruses that ran abundantly in the hell they once called Earth. Avalon was the haven only a few among the human race were able to escape to, created by noble and brilliant minds who wanted to preserve the Earth to its former glory but were hindered by the greed of the rest of the humans who destroyed the Earth. Their savior Dr. Arthemius Musk was the pioneering inventor and Dr. Lancellian Wilkes was the architect for this modern utopia. The Avalonian forefathers' joint efforts saved the good in the human race and hence their legends were spread everywhere. Avalon was founded on the principles of equality to curb the greed that eventually took down the former paradise called “Earth”. The people lived in the Avalon to serve ‘The Renaissance’. The children or adults alike are well versed with the principle of service upon which this city was built.

"The Renaissance is greater than the 'one' and it serves the 'all'."

A phrase you’d happen to hear from the street speakers while walking around or repeatedly from the high-level civilians. These people were full of praise for the ‘central dome’. Most of the 1st class and 2nd class civilians were employed in some form at the ‘central dome’ which ran the entire Avalon. The central dome was the brain, the jury and executioner, and the protector of the city. If you belong to the class of high-class citizens you would be given a chance to serve Avalon and protect it from unknown external threats.

Their forefathers intended to preserve this utopia. Their will lives in the city, has its presence in every child and every adult that breathes the artificially created atmosphere to keep them alive and healthy.

Dr. Lancellion Wilkes was the brilliant architect who designed the transparent dome to keep harmful radiation from the sun and nuclear remnants of the war out of the city. Civilians inside could glance at the blue sky and clouds but never actually reach it. The sky turned pink once in a while which meant the harmful particles produced by the external aliens were again polluting the outside environment. The forefathers designed the dome transparent in order to let the civilians have one last connection to the world that once was. And the actions of external aliens had caused it to completely collapse. These ‘externals’ were of the same human race. But their greed resulted in the destruction of the Earth. The externals were often made fun of inside the dome for their lower IQs and the animalistic ways they lived. The stories of the external ‘scavengers’ are popular inside the dome. Only a few of the high-class civilians had the occasion of getting to see the outside world due to the military duties. And they describe the horrors of the outside in explicit details to the many fascinated civilians in the bars.

Josh was finally awake. He rubbed his eyes and got up. The day was beautiful and you could see the dome police in their flying cars keeping up their good work. Some officer landed on Josh’s balcony and took his hat off and politely bowed. Josh was happy to see his old friend Angad. Angad was a brown civilian whose DNA originated from the land of India. His forefathers were activists in the olden times. They tried their hardest to save their beloved earth, however their efforts were in vain in front of the greed of the externals.

“So how’s the morning patrol? Any external threat that has been reported?’ Josh asked to which his friend replied…

“We are lucky to have none till this hour. I just came to inform you that you’ve been listed as the lab assistant to change life liquid for subject 001. You can sign a confidentiality agreement here”

Josh quickly obliged Angad with his signature.

“Alright, then I’ll get ready for the day.”

Her Past

Natalia was scared her friend Miura would have left by now. Japan was under attack from the federation. She wanted to tell Miura what she felt about him. She was running with all her might towards their hangout spot. The warnings against going outside were heard loud and clear on all the speakers.

“All men, women, and children should go to the underground shelters. Take refuge”

“I must hurry, I want to see him one last time, my family is going to leave Japan soon.

Ever since the war broke out Natalia’s father wanted to take the family back to the US to ensure the safety of the children. When Natalia found out about this she was heartbroken that she would have to leave the only friend she ever had behind. She texted him to meet in the playground, where they first met, she wanted to confess her feelings to him. Even though they never met again in their lifetime, he would remember her somehow. She needed to tell him before she left or else the regret would eat her alive. A bomb loudly burst in the nearby block. Her eyes opened wide in shock. A man presumably belonging to the Japanese front came to pick her up.

“Child, what are you doing here? Hold on. Are you Ambassador Collum’s kid?" He almost shouted, his voice showed his anger as he helped her to get up.

"How are you allowed to be in this neighborhood? The bombs are going off left and right. Hold on, I am going to take you to the shelter.”

The man scoffed and cursed the silliness of the foreigners thinking the child wouldn’t understand Japanese, but Natalia did know what it meant. She knew that he was right, she was being silly. But she needed to see her friend one last time. The man held her hand and took her to the nearest shelter, which luckily for her was really close to the playground she wanted to visit. The soldier asked Natalia to run to the shelter as he was called for another impending matter.

Natalia was happy that she would finally be able to make it to the playground and see her friend. Just one last look at his face is all she needed before going back to the shelter. Her heart knew he would be there. The tears were flowing from her eyes and carried by strong hot winds.

“Miura-Chan” she screamed as she made it into the park. “It’s me, Natalia, I’m here, where are you?”

She screamed at the top of her lungs knowing for sure she would get a reply…. she didn’t hear anything just the sounds of gunshots and bombs in the distance. Her heart started beating really fast. Her tears started rolling down profusely, “Mi-Miura, where are you?”

She heard some faint cries behind the swing, and a child’s face suddenly appeared. Her sobbing stopped, she screamed in joy, “Mi-ura, there you are...” She burst into joy while stepping towards the swing beyond which the boy was standing. “I knew you’d come...”

“Natalia-chan”. Miura looked really pale and his voice was faint. “ Why did you call me here?”

She looked closely at her friend. He was sobbing as well, but it wasn’t because of joy….

She ran towards him so that she could hug him, but as she approached him, she saw that his right leg was blown apart from an air-shot. She screamed in horror. He said don’t come close, they fired them here, while I was waiting for you… My father didn’t return from the war and my mum is in the hospital. I don’t know what to do now, I can’t take care of her.

Natalia’s tears started rolling but she hugged his friend and started crying, I’ll take you to the hospital. I’ll take care of your mum… She wanted to promise everything to this boy, who was completely fragile and was losing blood as each moment passed.

“Ms. Natalia Collum, your Dad requests of you, Go back to the shelter at this very moment.” A battalion of soldiers that served his dad appeared, all of them armed.

She screamed, “No, we need to take him to the hospital right now”

One soldier came and grabbed her hand tightly and dragged her across the field. “We only take our orders from your Dad”

Natalia cried and screamed but was unable to resist the force of an adult soldier.

Another one of them spoke, “don’t worry we’d take care of the boy”...

She heard another gunshot, her eyes widened due to shock while a smug grin appeared on the soldier’s face…

“This is war, an enemy’s child is still an enemy”

Natalia fainted once she realized what she had done to her best friend.

The Lab

The lab was dark however, blue-green lights coming from the inside of the vessels lit the lab in the strangest ways. The vessels contained live human test subjects, which were preserved by the Avalon for information gathering purposes on the externals. Keeping their minds alive was the most crucial aspect of the central dome. Their minds powered key software that helps them program their security updates to fight external threats. There are 1000’s of these subjects, however subject 001 is the most crucial to the survival of Avalon. This was no ordinary external, this was the leader of the revolution in the heyday of the externals. She collapsed their government and was an underground hacker. Nobody understood the mind and instincts of externals more than she did. She was fundamentally against everything externals stood for and was in close alliance with the forefathers of the Avalon, yet she turned on them in the last phase. Her death is mentioned in history as the collapse of the last hope for externals, however, she never died. This is the secret kept amongst the top-level Dome officials and nobles.

“Natalia Collum, Cause of death: Suicide, Depression."

is what one would find on the DomeWorld, an internet-like network, where civilians search for the information they need. However, there are some externals who believe she made some sort of truce with the founders and had to disappear. There are other conspiracy theorists believing she was captured by the founders, hence they plan to attack the Avalon to look for her.

Josh came in and looked at the vessel. Her body was cryogenically preserved in the state it was since she was 27. She was floating in the ‘life-liquid’ a special formula made by Avalon scientists to keep the subjects alive, not aging but also in hibernation.

“How long has it been?” Josh spoke, while tears rolled down his eyes…..

“I’m so sorry I couldn’t do much else for you friend” his voice reflected the heaviness in his heart.

The monitor near him lit up, there was brain activity from the Subject. Joshua was surprised because the subject hasn’t spoken in the last 15 years.

The waves on the monitor fluctuated

“ .. -- … ---... ---- ….”

“What's that, A Morse code?”

Josh quickly grabbed a notebook and a pen and started decoding. It was Morse code…

“Welcome”

the first word…

“old-friend”

the second word…

Josh’s excitement brought tears to his eyes and he couldn’t believe he finally could speak to Natalia. She always knew he was visiting her. He would usually just stare at her lifeless frame and talk to her.

How different their lives would have been together if there was no war. If she would’ve just come to the playground earlier than him getting shot, what if they ran together much before the war…..

“Mi-ura san, Aishiteru (I love you in Japanese)” Another morse code appeared on the screen. Josh’s tears flowed on the notepad as he decoded it…

“I love you too” he spurted out his emotions alas there was nothing he could do other than just tell her about his life. He pressed his hand on the glass vessel, containing her lifeless body….

“How have you been?” he kept talking, but the monitor didn’t lit up this time. However, the body flowed towards him, which slightly shocked him. The body pressed the forehead where his hand was placed before he jumped back in fear. His fear dissolved in joy, his curiosity as a scientist disappeared, as to why a lifeless frame was doing this. He placed his hand back to the glass vessel where the forehead was. His eyes opened wide in amazement as he saw a subtle smile on Natalia's face.

“She can see me, there’s no way. She can feel me, but how is this happening” Did her mind hack the central dome in her coma?

Regardless, this is the first time since they cryogenically froze her, her brain has shown any activity on its own, which is unprovoked.

His tears fell down since they had only this way to communicate with each other.

Josh, whose real identity was Miura, was a child abducted in the war from the country of Japan and inducted in the project Nexus. Years later project Nexus made the city of Avalon. When Natalia found out Josh’s life was again at stake if she destroyed project Nexus, she surrendered herself, leading to the collapse of last hope for the externals.

Josh pressed his face to the vessel, hoping for the day he would be able to take out his best friend from it.

Now he had hope in his eyes instead of the tears.

[To be Continued in Nexus: Triology]