I left the school observation halls and walked to the underground for lunch. Below were researchers, mechanics, and others responsible for maintaining the Habitat.

  I bought nlashfid—roasted meat skewered with vegetables from a food vendor. Tables nearby gave me an opportunity to sit and people-watch. There were many Atum. Workers moved human foods on rolling carts. Technicians worked on lights. At the next table, therapists had been observing the youngest humans in the school setting.

  “I find interesting their fascination with the crayon. Their imaginations are complex,” one said.

  “With some of the humans, I agree, but among them are those who prefer instead to break, throw, or eat the crayon. One tiny male put the crayon in his nose and got it stuck. They needed the school medic,” said another, laughing at the child’s misfortune. The youngest therapist at the table chimed in, “I don’t care. They are adorable, and I wish I had one for my daughter. She talks about them non-stop. The poor human would be bathed, dressed, and fed to death most likely.”

  My stomach churned as I listened. At first, I admired how the young therapist spoke of the little humans until she expressed wanting one as a pet for her own offspring. Why was everyone blind to the fact they were our equals? The DNA of the Atum is ninety-nine percent identical to humans. They weren’t as advanced in their sciences and technologies as we were, but was that the only hallmark of an intelligent society?

  As I watched the heavy traffic of workers, I wondered how humans believed the story of their government’s doomsday plan. So many of our people helped to operate the Habitat. Did the citizens of Horizon think they were making this happen on their own?

  I looked at my watch and realized I should get back to the viewings. I walked to the observation hall I left earlier, hoping to be alone. The viewing corridor and the classroom were empty.

  “Hello, can I help you?” I jumped. It was our guide, Nya. “Sorry,” she said.

  “I’m viewing the students but can’t find El…the group I was looking for,” I said.

  “Let’s check,” said the red-haired woman as she tapped on her dataport. “That group is at lunch. I can send directions to your port.” She tapped a few more times and held up her port. I lifted mine to hers, and we tapped them together. “There you are. Enjoy your viewing.” I thanked her and activated my port. There, waiting on the screen was her message with the directions. When I looked at them, I realized why she didn’t simply tell me what route to take. After a ten-minute walk, I arrived at the cafeteria-viewing gallery. At least a hundred students of different age groups sat eating their lunches. I had to find Ellis. She was wearing a shade of violet, which caused her green eyes to sparkle, and I hoped that color might help her stand out from the other humans. No luck. I looked at my port and saw an attached outdoor eating area.

  I navigated to another hall and looked out onto a narrow courtyard filled with tables. There were a few students sitting here. At the far end was Ellis alone. I walked along another hall to get closer. I switched on the monitor even though I was sure she wouldn’t talk to herself. She sat looking content. Hair fell across her face each time a small wind blew. She laughed to herself at the third time of putting it back into place. She had a bag I assumed held her food. She placed the contents before her on the table, and when she had finished, she sat without taking as much as one bite. What was this ritual? She closed her eyes and bowed her head. I had read about religion and prayer. She opened her eyes and took a band from her wrist to tie back her hair. In the distance, her friend approached.

  “Konnichiwa, Ellis,” she said. I wasn’t familiar with that word. “Did you forget the last sushi day before summer vacation?” Her friend held up a multi-colored piece of food in the shape of a circle with two sticks. She dipped it into a brown liquid. “Mrs. Jones told me this was the last of the tuna harvest for the entire year.” I had never heard of that food. “She said I could have the leftovers.” Ana twirled the tuna harvest close to Ellis’s face. “Hmm, spicy tuna, your favorite.”

  “Get your spicy tuna away from me,” Ellis laughed. “Dad made my lunch.”

  “It’s burnt again…yummy,” said Ana whose laughter caused her to spit food into Ellis’s plate.

  “Eww, Ana,” said Ellis. “Yuck, I didn’t want my own sushi, nevertheless what you’ve half-chewed. Don’t make fun—Dad can’t help it. He’s still trying to master the art of the barbecue, but all he can manage is to burn the outside. The inside is sometimes raw. Cooking isn’t his forte, but he loves it. It’s not too bad if you dip it in lots of sauce. Besides, he enjoys making special meals for me.”

  “Yeah, that’s really special. Your teeth are black, gross.”

  Ellis opened her mouth to smile and show how the burnt char of the meat had blackened her teeth. “Have I got something in my teeth, Ana?” Ellis asked, flashing a comical smile. They both roared with laughter.

  “Oh, that’s gorgeous, Ellis. Wait until Bram sees your beautiful smile.” They continued to laugh. Did she say my name? Ellis wiped her teeth with a napkin.

  “I’d die if he saw me,” she said, continuing to use the napkin to remove the stains from her teeth. “Ana, he was being nice, nothing more.”

  Ellis was thinking of me, and she was oblivious to the fact I was interested in her. How could she not know? I had never met a girl who attracted me this much.

  “Ellis, if he didn’t like you, he’s an idiot. You are fun and cute except when your teeth are black. He was flirting with you at the library.”

  “It wasn’t flirting, and I looked horrible,” she said as she searched for another napkin.

  A tall male was walking toward their table. I didn’t remember him from the classroom before. “Hello, beautiful ladies,” he said with a deep voice. I hated him immediately.

  “Hi, John. How was your interview?” asked Ana.

  He sat between them. “Nailed it. No probs.” The board had a lot of questions about technical stuff. Try to control yourselves, but I think you’re talking to the next communications apprentice.” I really hate him.

  “Goof-ball,” said Ana, offering up a piece of tuna harvest for him to try. He smiled and popped it into his mouth.

  “Thanks. Gotta love the last sushi day of the year. Listen, Ana, are you working at the Archives today? I need books that Dr. Williams suggested.”

  “Sure, I’ll be there,” Ana replied. They liked each other. Maybe I didn’t hate him so much. Ellis didn’t join in the conversation but sat quietly wrestling with what remained of her burnt sandwich. She kept glancing at the two of them talking.

  “Great, it’s a date,” he said, not taking his eyes off Ana, who blushed. Ellis turned her head away from them, in my direction with a huge smile on her face.

  A bell chimed, and the girls packed their leftovers. John said goodbye and walked away, leaving Ana staring at him.

  “Date, huh? You beautiful lady.” Ellis teased. “I think you need a chaperone. We should go to the Archives together.”

  “You don’t fool me Ellis Bauer; you hope to see Bram again.” Both girls laughed.

  “Ana, say you’ll meet me after your release at four. Don’t make me tell John you think he’s cute with his new haircut.”

  “Ugh…yes, I will. But it’s not a real date with John. He was teasing. I hope you won’t be disappointed if Bram doesn’t show up again. What are the chances he’ll be there?”

  Both girls turned away from me. I smiled, thinking the chances were outstanding.

  I was getting back inside Horizon. But how? I needed a plan and soon. Our next group meeting was at Brook Haven, the assisted living building. We were studying the older humans in this setting. I had to catch the underground tram, so I left the school. The tram ride should have been my time to devise a plan, but the different Atum workers that kept the Habitat running distracted me. On the color-coded walls were the names of the buildings directly aboveground. This must help workers distinguish the different locations. We passed a gray-striped wall with the words Horizon Hospital in large gray letters. Those stripes gave way to lavender stripes reading Brook Haven in matching, colored letters. I had arrived.

  The tram slowed and ahead I saw my professor. I wanted to avoid him until my plan was complete, but he saw me.

  “Mr. Potter, how are you today? Are you enjoying your observations?” He walked toward me, his arms heavy with books.

  “Yes. Thank you, Professor Dau…Frost. May I help you?” I took half of his books. “Professor, I am glad we met now. I need to ask your permission to stay with my mother tonight. She became ill, and I don’t want to leave her alone. If she isn’t better tomorrow, I’ll call the infirmary, but she’s stubborn and doesn’t think it will last long. I worked through lunch and can finish my reports at her apartment.” It sounded excellent when I said it. But I wasn’t sure he believed me.

  “Your mother still keeps an apartment here? I thought she and your father chose a vacation lake home nearer the Habitat.”

  “Yes, they have a place, but she likes to save time rather than commute every day. Sometimes, she overbooks her daily schedule so she can take a three-day weekend from work instead of two. She likes the convenience of having an apartment.”

  “Well, I will need to speak to her. I know the Habitat rules differ for family members, but she must accept responsibility if you are to stay separate from the school group tonight. He pulled his miniport from his jacket and waited for me to give him the number. I did, but the number I gave connected to her dataport tucked in my school satchel.

  “Dr. Adler, this is Professor Fro…excuse me, Jdochleur Daulchmanu. I am with Bram, and he has told me of his plans to stay over tonight. I wanted to contact you for your assurance his presence within the Habitat would be with your authorization. Please call when you are able.”

  “When I spoke with her, she was planning to go straight to bed. I am sorry for the extra trouble,” I said.

  He looked at me for a few seconds longer than felt comfortable. “I hope she is well. Tomorrow, we meet at Horizon Hospital for our first observation at eight o’clock in the morning. Contact me if you cannot attend. Now, we will be late for this session if we don’t hurry.”

  That was it. Perhaps no one had broken out of the Habitat, but I had just broken in. I walked to the next session, arms full of the professor’s books, and a wonderful scheme growing in my mind.

  I thought the final observation would never finish. The Orchard building was far, so I took the underground tram instead of walk. How could I get from the patient’s exit door in my mother’s office out into the Habitat? When I thought through the system of doors and locks, I realized Ellis and Ana had been the ones to unlock the door at the Archives. Humans couldn’t have that type of access. The moment before they opened the door, I tried my student badge and found it did not work from the backstage, but it had worked to unlock the door from within the Habitat. I would ask my mother how this worked, but I was sure no explanation existed for a human being able to enter that part of the Habitat.

  I arrived at the Orchard building and raced to the second floor. My mother had her observation window closed, so she may have been without a patient. If the window was closed, the volume wouldn’t work, but I thought I heard voices within. I sent a message to her miniport, and within a few moments, she opened the inner door of her office.

  “I’ve finished for the day. Instead of taking a lunch break, I worked. I felt sick, so I asked Professor Daulchmanu for permission to come to your office instead of going back to the hotel. I can’t live through another night of craziness. The students act as if they’ve never been away from home.”

  “Oh, I see. I thought I left you a message earlier saying I was staying tonight in the apartment. You didn’t get it?” she asked.

  “No, do you have a late meeting?” I asked.

  “Well, yes I did, I mean I do, but I’ll cancel so we can go home.” She was holding back something.

  “No, we should both stay in the apartment,” I said, seeing a window of chance for time with Ellis.

  “Bram, this is risky because you might come in contact with humans. I’m not sure.” Her brow creased, and she kept checking her clock. I knew my mother, and something was happening she didn’t want to discuss with me. Mom never kept secrets, but she acted strangely.

  “Mother, give me directions and a key card, and I’ll go to the apartment. You can have your meeting, see your patients, and when you finish, you come there.” My case was getting stronger. I was winning her over, or either her important meeting was convincing her this idea would work.

  “Okay,” she said, breathing out deeply and looking at the clock again. “Here are the rules. You will go straight to the apartment. You don’t have to enter the actual Habitat, out there.” She pointed, as if I might get confused. “I’ll give you the directions to get to the apartment entrance via the underground.” She grabbed her miniport and typed. “Let me have your port,” she said.

  I handed it to her and began, “I could get to the apartment easier if I go through the Habitat.”

  “Nice try, but no. You’re aware it’s against the rules.” She took our two ports and tapped them against one another. “There. You have the directions. Stop and get something for your dinner. I doubt the food dispensary is loaded at the apartment. Don’t wander into the Habitat and don’t answer the door.”

  “Yes, Mother. I understand. I’ll go straight there.” She walked to her desk and laid down her port, eyeing me the entire time.

  “I’m not sure what time I’ll come home. I should be there by nine, but if my meeting runs late, I’ll message you.” She walked toward me with an unusual look. “Are you sure, son?”

  “Mom, I’m an adult, okay? The big, bad humans won’t kidnap me and take me to Area 61.” I leaned in for a hug and snuck a peek at the clock.

  “Area 51. I’m more worried you might harm the Habitat than the humans harm you.”

  It was 3:30. I wanted to catch Ellis before Ana arrived. I had to travel underground to the apartment, exit into the Habitat, and travel back to the outside of this building. If my mother saw me strolling across the street inside Horizon, I would be in more trouble than ever before.

  “Do you remember the details of your character profile if you cross paths with a human?”

  “Yes, Mother. Bram Potter, twenty-two, apprentice to release therapist, Dr. Smith. My mother and father both work in the animal husbandry division. I live at 216 Magnolia Court.”

  “Cute name. I work with animals? No one would ever connect us with that story. But you won’t need to use it, right?”

  “Yes, Amadjir.” She loved when I called her ‘Mommy’ in our language.

  “Please, I’ve already agreed, you can stop being so cute. Message me when you have arrived. Oh my, remember you cannot cross into the Habitat door of my building or enter the apartment without my security key card.” She reached into her document case and pulled out a card. “This will also act as a form of payment. It works below or above ground in case I am out on a visit.” She gave me the card and then took her hand and ruffled my hair like always. It was her display of affection.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll manage; I’m not five anymore. You’ll get a message when I get to the apartment.” I walked toward the patient exit. This was more than thrilling. I reached for the door handle.

  “Bram. The other door.” She pointed. “Don’t make me regret this decision.”

  In moments, I would break every promise I just made. She opened the inner office door, and I walked out with a gigantic smile I was glad she couldn’t see.

  CHAPTER 9

  Therapists require parents within the Habitat to attend child-rearing classes. After orphaned children were assigned to couples in Horizon, weekly sessions discussed the most successful parenting methods. Therapists monitored progress with information gathered during release sessions to determine the efficacy of the training program. If adults proved ineffective at child-rearing, children were removed and placed with another family. Scientists agreed that if the Habitat was to be successful, the overall health of children must be a priority.

  Researchers have completed the twenty-year Adolescent Human Study comparing two groups of humans aged ten to twenty years old. The first group, studied from 2020 to 2030 (pre-war), was compared to the second group, studied from 2040 to 2050 (post-war).

  Finding:

  Habitat adolescents are healthier than adolescents living prior to 2030.

  Increased physical exercise (mandatory participation in hobby activities)

  Absence of unhealthy/processed foods

  Absence of drug, alcohol, and tobacco products

  Routine medical assessments and care

  Improved environmental conditions (absence of pollutants, chemicals)

  Finding:

  Habitat adolescents are more emotionally well-adjusted than adolescents living prior to 2030.

  Mandatory release sessions

  Safe and loving home environments (routinely monitored for efficacy)

  Reduced stress in school

  Stable and positive community support (absence of violence, crime, gang-related activity, etc.)

  Finding:

  Habitat adolescents are more socially/psychologically mature than adolescents living prior to 2030.

 

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