Wherever You Are

Sixteen: Lydia Macline

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"Jack, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for any of that to happen, I just didn't know where you were," I fretted, as Jack led us back to his apartment and swiped to lock the doors behind him. Shaking his head, he put his finger to my lips and spoke softly.

"Charlotte it's okay, this is my fault. I shouldn't have left without telling you, I just had an important meeting I was urgently asked to attend last minute and I didn't want to wake you," he told slowly, almost knowing how anxious I was inside and trying to keep things mellow.

"Tell me next time, I can't wake up to you gone again...I can't do that," I hesitated, tears welling in my eyes as my dream started coming back to me. Nodding, Jack understood completely, and wrapped me up in his arms once more to comfort me. "Why was there a meeting? What's going on?" I asked, my voice muffled a bit from being held against Jack's chest.

"Remember that scientist I told you about who created the metal tree system for everyone to breathe down here?" Jack asked, making me nod into his chest and reply.

"Lydia Macline, right?"

"Yes, well the thing about scientists duties down here, is that you're stamped with a "life-long term" to begin with, but if you are to produce offspring, female or male, your duty shortens until one of your children has become of age, around twenty, to be qualified for replacing you," Jack spoke, our embrace ending as I looked to him in confusion.

"So she had a child and he or she replaced her? Where does she go then?" I wondered, the semi-darkness of the room without any windows turned on making it a bit hard to see Jack.

"She is made to join the government above ground to continue helping with research and funding for the underground experiment. Therefore, she is still in the system and we don't have an overload of scientist's underground,"

"Alright, I understand. So what about her?" I asked again, curious as to where he was taking this conversation.

"Well apparently the head scientists ruled to send her back down here to help us with more issues we are planning to have soon in the future. She is a very intelligent woman, I don't blame them," Jack laughed, brushing his hand through his hair as he walked over to turn on a window and bring some light into the living room. 

"The thing is, they just notified us they're bringing her down here today, around seven in the afternoon to be exact. That's kind of a big deal for everyone, the last time she had been down here was well, probably around ten or fifteen years ago."

"Oh so you're not fully prepared or something for her arrival?" I butted in, not sure if he was finished speaking or not. Nodding, Jack responded with a yes while he went to get a glass of water to gulp down. He sure did enjoy his water. I thought to myself with a laugh, due to that being the only thing he basically drank.

"All the scientists and citizens will have to line up to welcome her back around that time, that's basically what the meeting was about. I don't know if I would categorize it as such an urgent thing to be making scientists come to at five in the morning, but either way it is important," he ended, setting his glass down by the sink and coming over to grab my hand. 

"I'll still be able to go with you to see your family, so don't worry. My curfew's six, though," he laughed, making me smile up to him and nod. "Do you want to get some more sleep now? You must be exhausted from all the commotion," Jack questioned, running his fingers through my hair. He knew I liked when he did that, so it wasn't just something he did out of habit, but mainly because he knew it made me happy.

Leaning into his touch, I shook my head to sleeping and perked up as I remembered something else. "I have another question, it's about that Dr. Barns," I told, Jack becoming a bit tense. It was obvious that the relationship between the two wasn't a good one and it seemed to be that way for quite some time. "Why was he so upset about presuming you loved me? I understand he didn't know who I was and that he thought I was a citizen, but I don't get it. I don't get why he had to yell that insult at the end either about if we had kids."

Nodding, Jack didn't even have to think before answering; it must have been that obvious of a question. "Citizen's and scientists don't go together, romantically, as friends, or anything in between. It's just how it goes, of course, there's no rules about it, so whatever you want to do in the end is your choice. Dr. Barns once had a romantic relationship with a citizen named Anna before her death a couple years ago. They would go everywhere together, he would even be down below in their town and visit with all the others if it meant being with her," he told, making me smile as it seemed like he used to have a kind heart. 

"But, as time went on, their relationship became much more and soon Anna became pregnant with his child. Dr. Barns was oh so pleased with the news, for it would be the first human-cross-bred child to exist in the world. However, we knew little of what could happen, and hence didn't know how to treat Anna the right way throughout her pregnancy which eventually led to her death. Dr. Barns was traumatized, heartbroken, and turned evil and mean in the years after. Ever since, he has held a grudge towards any citizen and scientist being together," Jack ended, making me realize Dr. Barns' backstory was something I never expected to hear. He looks like the type of gruff man who could have no compassion for others and definitely no heart to love anyone with.

"So that's why he was so upset about it. I see now," I responded, looking down to my stomach once more as the thought of children from his story elapsed my head.

"Yeah, so don't worry about it. It doesn't apply to us," Jack spoke, lifting up my chin to look to him and kissing me on the lips. "I won't leave you again without telling you, so hopefully you won't have to encounter him ever again either," he smiled, before taking a deep breath and grabbing my hand. "We should get ready to go above ground, it's almost eight in the morning already," he told, butterflies swarming in my stomach the second he reminded me as we walked over to gather our things...