CHASM

FOUR

    I can't sleep. All I can think about are the tests Wolliw conducted with me yesterday:

He had studied my physiology, marking abnormal traits in a little notebook.

He also took small samples of my DNA with a strange pill-shaped machine that, once swallowed, collected samples as it passed through my digestive system.

Now, I'm wide awake, wondering what the results will reveal. Will my genes be unlike those of any other being in the Chasm?

My mind wanders:

I wonder what Nur is up to right now?

"Probably looking for Ygrene," I mumble softly, rolling over. Slowly, my eyes droop shut, finally transitioning into sleep.

Suddenly, I awaken in a vast, domed room. It is so expansive, in fact, that I can hardly see its apex.

"I must be dreaming," I whisper.

A strange figure floats far above me, making ominous mechanical sounds.

"Is this a premonition?" I ask myself.

"Perhaps it's more of a metaphor..."

I walk around the room, yet it feels as if I haven't moved an inch.

"Hey, robotic figure up there!" I call out, unafraid.

Nothing changes.

"Hey! I'm talking to you! Where am I? What is this place?" I ask again, yelling violently.

A beam of light shoots down from the figure. Inside it, a small parcel descends to the ground, which, once it hit the floor, I identified as a box of food and water.

"Am I in some sort of prison?"

Light floods into my opening eyes. The dream hastily fades away from me.

"Morning, sleepyhead," Wolliw teases from the kitchen, "Breakfast is ready if you want it."

I slide out of my bed, full of new questions. My stomach rumbles hungrily.

"Coming!"

"So, I got the results on the DNA test," Wolliw announces excitedly.

"After the pill sent me all the data, it disintegrated into simple carbohydrates. No need to worry about it anymore."

"What did the results show?" I inquire, munching on the cereal Wolliw prepared for me.

"Well, you're full of alien DNA but also full of standard Innerchasm DNA."

"What?" I blurt.

"I know. It's unexpected. These results could mean a lot of things.." Wolliw speculates.

"Could I be the product of an Innerchasmic species and an Outerchasmic species?" I suggest, "Or maybe an Innerchasmic species with evolved traits fit for the outside world."

"Who knows, Esir? For all we know, you could be an artificial blend of Innerchasmic and Outerchasmic DNA. Anything is possible," Wolliw explains.

I sigh.

"What do we do now? Conduct more tests?" I ask.

"My level of expertise is useless beyond this point. We need to consult the Bureau of Outerchasmic Speculation."

"Are you sure? Can we trust this 'Bureau'?"

"Okay. Here's the long and short of it:

"The Bureau is a mixed bag. Some individuals want nothing more than the thrill of discovery, while others are filled with corruption. There are almost a thousand members in the Bureau, but since I know my way around the place, we should be able to avoid the bad apples."