Chapter 1: The Fringes: Trouble
Hidden by the canopy of trees, Lilydeen looked with intense curiosity at the gigantic glass dome of Genetica perched obscenely like the monstrous egg of a hideous beast that had been exposed for too long. It looked deathly white as if it had lost its life blood. The city was the size of two hundred football playing areas and its glass covering meant that everything inside was climate controlled. Although the sun shone brilliantly outside, inside it could be pitch black and wintry. The inhabitants lived and moved according to their own time and season.
S he could not help feeling intrigued with its people. What were they like? Were they aware of the pain and suffering they caused to those on the Fringes who did not wish to be part of their genetically engineered world? The most intriguing question was why the Oracle had chosen her. She felt insignificant but her number had been picked. Mario had told her.
R oan was apprehensive of his 16 year old sister. He had caught her looking at the glass domed monstrosity with longing and he was frightened for her.
“Don’t even think about the place,” he said as gently as possible. “It’ll just bring trouble.”
Mario, 17, who worked as a unit with them looked at her with some amusement.
They were all orphans whose parents had been killed by drones or robots manning fast heliships. The trio moved from place to place at short intervals so they would not be caught. When there was a lull in the fighting they spent time with their assigned guardians Uncle Jason and Aunt Hilda at their seaside home. They had been brought together secretly like many others and trained in hand to hand combat and the use of different kinds of lethal weapons. Those like Mario who showed uncanny talent for tech wizardry received additional training. There were no formal training schools and most learning was done in abandoned tunnels, sewer holes, warehouses and forests. They had been chosen as a team and had worked together for a number of years now.
“I’m sure there are people there who hate their lives and want to escape,” she reflected.
“Even if they wanted to do that, they wouldn’t fit here,” Roan said rather quickly. All the inhabitants of Genetica had been cloned. They had heard that the people never got sick, lived very long lives and had perfectly designed features. Only the very rich could afford to live there. While some dreamt wistfully of such a perfect life, others wondered how people without any woeful emotions to spice up their lives could ever be genuinely happy. Surely boredom would gradually set in.
“I’m sure there’s a young guy there who wants to come out,” Lilydeen said as casually as possible.
“Don’t even think of it. It’s dangerous!” Roan said sharply.
“I’m sure there’s no harm in thinking about it,” Mario said as subtly as possible.
“You keep out of this!” Roan retorted.
Mario refused to be intimidated. He was a year younger than Roan who was 18. While Roan was tall and muscular and was built for speed like a jock, Mario had delicate features and built lik e the super nerd that he was. He was always tinkering with machines and high tech gadgets and had a reputation as someone who could hack into complex gadgetry. He was very important to the Resistance and had received special training to be linked to the Oracle program.
Mario’s tech skills had been extremely useful. He was able to jam many of the drones’ onboard systems and bring them crashing down. His biggest challenge was re-engineering the system so that the drones would return crashing into the glass dome or better still fire their deadly rockets at the glistening shell or the heliships.
“I have a strange feeling I will go inside. Soon,”
“No!” Roan screamed. “That’s madness,” He turned accusingly to Mario. “You allowed the Oracle to use her? Don’t you care?”
“I care for her. But she has a mind of her own.” The
Hidden by the canopy of trees, Lilydeen looked with intense curiosity at the gigantic glass dome of Genetica perched obscenely like the monstrous egg of a hideous beast that had been exposed for too long. It looked deathly white as if it had lost its life blood. The city was the size of two hundred football playing areas and its glass covering meant that everything inside was climate controlled. Although the sun shone brilliantly outside, inside it could be pitch black and wintry. The inhabitants lived and moved according to their own time and season.
S he could not help feeling intrigued with its people. What were they like? Were they aware of the pain and suffering they caused to those on the Fringes who did not wish to be part of their genetically engineered world? The most intriguing question was why the Oracle had chosen her. She felt insignificant but her number had been picked. Mario had told her.
R oan was apprehensive of his 16 year old sister. He had caught her looking at the glass domed monstrosity with longing and he was frightened for her.
“Don’t even think about the place,” he said as gently as possible. “It’ll just bring trouble.”
Mario, 17, who worked as a unit with them looked at her with some amusement.
They were all orphans whose parents had been killed by drones or robots manning fast heliships. The trio moved from place to place at short intervals so they would not be caught. When there was a lull in the fighting they spent time with their assigned guardians Uncle Jason and Aunt Hilda at their seaside home. They had been brought together secretly like many others and trained in hand to hand combat and the use of different kinds of lethal weapons. Those like Mario who showed uncanny talent for tech wizardry received additional training. There were no formal training schools and most learning was done in abandoned tunnels, sewer holes, warehouses and forests. They had been chosen as a team and had worked together for a number of years now.
“I’m sure there are people there who hate their lives and want to escape,” she reflected.
“Even if they wanted to do that, they wouldn’t fit here,” Roan said rather quickly. All the inhabitants of Genetica had been cloned. They had heard that the people never got sick, lived very long lives and had perfectly designed features. Only the very rich could afford to live there. While some dreamt wistfully of such a perfect life, others wondered how people without any woeful emotions to spice up their lives could ever be genuinely happy. Surely boredom would gradually set in.
“I’m sure there’s a young guy there who wants to come out,” Lilydeen said as casually as possible.
“Don’t even think of it. It’s dangerous!” Roan said sharply.
“I’m sure there’s no harm in thinking about it,” Mario said as subtly as possible.
“You keep out of this!” Roan retorted.
Mario refused to be intimidated. He was a year younger than Roan who was 18. While Roan was tall and muscular and was built for speed like a jock, Mario had delicate features and built lik e the super nerd that he was. He was always tinkering with machines and high tech gadgets and had a reputation as someone who could hack into complex gadgetry. He was very important to the Resistance and had received special training to be linked to the Oracle program.
Mario’s tech skills had been extremely useful. He was able to jam many of the drones’ onboard systems and bring them crashing down. His biggest challenge was re-engineering the system so that the drones would return crashing into the glass dome or better still fire their deadly rockets at the glistening shell or the heliships.
“I have a strange feeling I will go inside. Soon,”
“No!” Roan screamed. “That’s madness,” He turned accusingly to Mario. “You allowed the Oracle to use her? Don’t you care?”
“I care for her. But she has a mind of her own.” The
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