The World Above Us

Chapter 12

DeShawn and Robert

The Carson brothers laughed as they stumbled through the hallways. Each of them carried a bottle of bourbon in their hands. Neither of them had been big drinkers back on Earth. Getting off Earth had been priority number one. And the Academy had forbidden partying of any kind. They needed the most clearheaded and reliable people if they were going to establish a colony on another planet. 

DeShawn laughed loudly, not caring who heard him. He saw some of the high-level guards observing him and Robert, but he didn't feel even the slightest bit afraid. It was for the study, nothing else. Robert was safe. 

DeShawn clapped his brother on the back, causing Robert to laugh. DeShawn realized that this was the first time he heard his brother laugh since their parents were alive. For a moment, DeShawn was brought back to when he and Robert were younger. He remembered playing with the computers, being amazed at how much information the little 1's and 0's held. He remembered leafing through his comic books, being amazed at the colorful illustrations of Clark Kent and T'Challa. People who had the technology and power to change their worlds for the better. 

He remembered playing superheroes with Robert when they were younger. They would run around, Robert as Thor and DeShawn as Black Panther, saving their world. 

"This is great, brother," Robert said from next to him. DeShawn turned to face his adoptive brother, seeing a smile on his face for the first time in years. "Yeah. Yeah, man," he replied enthusiastically. The two brothers walked over to the staircase, where the floor-to-ceiling window gave them an unfiltered view of the Novae Terrae colony. 

"You know, the dust used to remind me of a hurricane. It always caused me anxiety, but now, it looks beautiful," Robert admitted, staring up at the swirling dust cloud that drifted over the Dome. DeShawn nodded his head in agreement. For the first time since he left Earth, he took time to appreciate the weather. Back in Texas, the weather was like a monstrous force that hungrily devoured their lives. But up here, they were safe from the swirling clouds and the lighting. They could admire the weather without it sweeping everything they loved away. 

"To new beginnings," DeShawn toasted, holding up his bottle. Robert nodded his head in agreement and cracked another smile. "To new beginnings, brother," he replied. The adoptive siblings toasted and downed the booze. 

Robert noticed a guard lingering behind. It was the same one who had shadowed Dr. Holland in her office. He felt the burn of eyes on his back, but he didn't care. DeShawn had covered all their tracks. There was nothing for Robert to fear. 

Robert rubbed his pale neck as he stared out at the dust brushing over the Dome, admiring the vibrant hues that swirled through it. All the colors seemed brighter and all the sounds seemed louder. The younger Carson admired the structure of the Dome with its strong space-grade glass and gleaming metal skeleton. He felt his hands unclench slightly. For the first time in his life, Robert felt safe. Safe from Mother Nature, safe from persecution, and safe from losing everything he had left. 

The two brother's laughed and headed back towards the observation room. The guard eyeing Robert was gone, but the brothers didn't notice. DeShawn hadn't even noticed he'd been there in the first place.