I don't know what I am going to put myself through. I walked in that same direction for a long time. I held that square piece firmly. It was the only proof as for now. I thought of contacting Sam to ask for the directions, but at one point I didn't want to. Yeah, I know that I am walking pointlessly. Is this the right way?
I began murmuring to myself. "Where the hell am I going? It's starting to feel unfamiliar now. ", I whispered as I couldn't recognize this part of the Stellar X.
I saw two kids holding pots with a tiny plant on it.
Wow, that's the first time I am seeing a living plant. Back there I only saw dead plants, whose fruits and vegetables were used to make food for us. Mostly as food.
I never saw how they were made.
I approached them out of pure curiosity. When they saw me, they walked a few steps back. I am sure my appearance was not pleasing enough.
Both wore the grey jumpsuits. That made me realize that their parents are coders just like me. I wish they wore a floral dress like in my dream. They are too young to know what's happening to us. Well, some colours are meant to be hideous like our uniforms.
"That's a very pleasing colour. You know that?", I said as I bent down on my knees so that I wouldn't seem a giant beast to them. I looked at the plants they were holding. When I did that, they drew the pot towards them closely.
"No. No. I wasn't going to take it.", I said trying to be as sweet as possible. Children liked to hear calm and understanding voices for so many reasons.
One reason is that the appearances of teens and adults. We are already like ten times bigger than them. That's convincing.
They were still not comfortable with me.
"This is a very beautiful plant. What is it?", I asked them smiling.
From their style of hair, I couldn't recognise what gender they were. But it did seem like a boy and a girl.
"What's your name?", I asked as I touched the leaves of the plant with one hand. My fingers traced over its fine edges to the apex. Then I lifted that end carefully.
It was smooth at one edge and then a little coarse later.
"My name is Alice.", said one of the them . I looked at her. She seemed comfortable now. The other one smiled at me with one of her tooth missing.
"I am Abigail. What's yours?", the other one said as she looked at my head. They were girls. She was looking at my bruise. I didn't want to scare them any further.
"Me?", I said as I placed my right hand on my chest. I never thought that they would ask me my name. These five or six year olds are indeed well mannered.
"My name is Scarlett. It was very nice to meet you.", I said as I stood up. The children were still looking at me. I felt someone's hand on my shoulder. I turned back.
It was my dad.
I hugged him in less than a second. After this whole day, I was planning to see him. Since he is here now, I think I can let go of my feelings.
He hugged me back. I felt like to sob in his arms. But he is an ADM officer.
"I heard you were at the caretakers. I know about Jon.", he said as he stroked my hair.
He always did that whenever he hugged me. Sometimes, being an ADM doesn't change your innate father figure behaviours.
I slowly let go off him and I took a few steps back. Those two kids had already left.
"Did you know about his mission?", I asked as I looked into his eyes.
"Yes. Yes I did.", he said in a melancholic way.
"You both didn't tell me.", I said in a deep voice. I know what he is going to say now.
"Some things are confidential. It can't be discussed even with family unless you are involved in it.", he said as he placed his both arms on my shoulders.
I knew that if he says that it is confidential, I wouldn't be lucky enough to know further more. I decided to leave that topic for now.
"Are you going to the Hive? I think I am lost.", I said as I tried not to judge him more. Maybe he was doing all this to protect everyone and one of them being me. That's what a father will always do.No matter how hard and hatred feelings can be developed against him, he is going to go for it.
"You can come with me.", he said as he patted on my head. I followed him as I had no other choice.
We walked further more as we talked. He instructed me to follow everything they say and to not to diverge from their protocols.
He said that I was putting my life into this and I had every right to do something for the human race. If I were to sacrifice my life, I would have to do it. If I were ordered to go to Earth, I would have to. If I were to act like an AI , I would have to do it.
In conclusion, I am walking right into a world where I will find who I am and what I was destined for.
We came across a silver door now. There were two trainees guarding the door with plasma guns.
When they saw my father, they opened the door without any hesitation. I looked at those guards, they were very tall and more muscular. They could beat up any enemies or intruders in no moment. They stared back at me.
My father gestured me to walk through the door. I nodded.
The next thing I saw, was magnificent. It was a hallway again but the ceiling were transparent. I could see the surroundings of the planet on which we lived.
I saw rocky mountains which appeared to be just close to me. I looked up and I saw brown clouds. The atmosphere seemed to be dusty and windy. But it was beautiful.
I could see the three moons of this planet. They were at equidistant from each other.
I couldn't believe that I spent my life at a boring place like that. I was surprised.
"I think you don't remember anything.", said my dad as he gazed at the ceiling along with me. I looked at him questioningly.
I couldn't have been here. If I were, how could I forget this beautiful place outside us.
"Once you followed your mom right across this hallway. Unfortunately, you couldn't make it very far from here. Your mom had to carry you back and she left for work once u fell asleep.", he said as he placed his hands on his hips.
From the tone of his voice, I could feel that he loved her so much and he misses her everyday . How cruel it must be to love someone so much and to live in their memories?
I missed my mom now. Jonathan is lucky. He knows that now.
We continued to walk. And that's when I saw it. The Hive.
It looked like another artificial habitat from here. It was located near those mountains which were very far from us. It wasn't very detailing in nature but it was truly something spectacular.
I saw my dad walking towards the end of the hallway. Where was he going? It's probably a dead end. There's no way, is there?
"Scarlett.", he called me in a soft voice.
I walked towards him examining the door from every inches. Is this a camouflage? Or is it a secret passage now?
When I approached him, I heard him talking to someone through the armlet. Few seconds after that, the dead end which I thought so, changed into a dark tunnel. I couldn't see anything further from a few feet away from me.
I heard echoes and felt cold wind brushing my ears . When I tried to look through the tunnel again, I heard a faint rumbling noise.
It seemed to get closer to us. And in no moment, there it was close to us.
It looked like a small ship that can accommodate at least four people at a time. So, this is the one who's going to take me to the Hive.
My dad stepped into this ship as it opened its aerogel cover. As I followed my dad into it, I felt warm now. He looked at me with dumbfound expression.
I knew that he's judging me . He's questioning himself of whether he should explain these to me or not. I knew these things. I have seen it over their deleted files.
I had hacked into the Hive actually. I thought I was just borrowing some information from the ADM's but I was fallacious.
I have read about these magnetohydrodynamic drive that used electromagnetic propulsion to drive these vehicles. I know about these aerogel covers too. They are insulators in one way. That's why I don't feel so cold now.
"Hold onto those rails.", he said as he pointed the rail behind me. I looked at him and did as he insisted. When I held them, two belts moved across my shoulder to my abdomen. They interlocked and continued to move around my waist and then it slowly attached itself to the clips on the rails.
I didn't see those clips in the beginning.
When I looked at my dad, I saw him adjusting the belts. I touched the belts and they felt squishy.
"We still follow some usual habits from Earth.", he said as he pressed a white button that was located near to him.
The cover closed us and I couldn't see anything clearly now. Everything appeared to be imperceptible.
"This is called wanderer. She was named according to her purpose. She wanders from here to the Hive frequently. Ain't she a beauty?", he said in a high tone voice.
I nodded and smiled acting like I was agreeing. I wasn't planning on agreeing to anything that was going to happen to me now. Not the ADM's , not the trainees nor the higher officials whom I have never seen.
I am going there to know the reason why we are at the same place as we were before. Why haven't we made any progress till now? Why are we still living in those shadows?
The wanderer moved in a linear motion. I felt like it might hit someone at this speed. I felt like it was gaining speed as each seconds passed by.
My dad was used to this. He didn't seem to care these details. But on the contrary, I was a wallflower.
I might seem quiet, but I was observing everything. In fact, I questioned and kept my agog behaviour.
In a trice, the wanderer stopped. The belts slowly removed themselves from me as the cover uncovered itself once again.
I saw busy Aiders and ADM officers away from the platform where this wanderer stood. Two trainees, approached to welcome us as soon as my dad stepped out of the wanderer.
"The officials were requesting your presence. We've transferred all the details we got for the meeting.", they said to my dad.
"Thank you. I will be there in a minute. This is my daughter. She is an Aider. Would you make sure she reaches to her assigned quarters?", he said as he placed his left arm on my shoulders.
I looked at the trainees trying to hide my discomfort. They understood it.
"Absolutely, sir.", they promised my dad. He left in a hurry. He didn't even care to tell anything. Never mind.
"Follow us please.", one of the trainees said. They walked in constant pace. As I entered into the Hive, it was nothing like I thought so.
It had black floors and transparent ceiling. The faint light from the outside entered into this place.
It was really making the entire hive much more dimmer. Compared to the place I lived an hour ago, it had no artificial sources of good lighting facilities.
I saw that everyone who walked past me and in front of me were very indulged in their own duties. Apparently, I am sure they have seen several Aiders coming in and leaving in no days.
The term Hive did really suit this place. It was always awake.
I saw huge screens that was now showing the prisoners of the AI. They were all very unfamiliar. Mariah dictated their names as their picture appeared.
Mariah was even here too. Finally something familiar to begin with.
"Scar!!", I heard someone calling my name. I looked over in that direction.
I saw a woman approaching me as she smiled. She seemed a little older about the age of my dad. She wore a black uniform. She kept her brunette hair loose and short.
Who was she? How does a trainee know my preferred way of calling my name? Why does she seems to be more surprised to see me? Was she waiting for me the whole time?
Once again, my head was baffled with questions which may or may not have an answer.