Dystopia

Chapter 10

Ikay was currently on his way to the laboratories inside the Military Base. After the incident in the training grounds two days ago, Ikay's superior was restless as to why his soldier rejected a direct order. But that wasn't what bothered him the most. It seemed as though Ikay could feel emotions. He felt pity for the target and therefore could not comply with the order to kill.

Ikay stopped in front of the metal door and awaited for the computer to analyze his circuits and allow him passage. It was done, and he stepped inside. Dark blue lights lit up and machines hummed at his presence. Ikay spotted the Examiner walking in the second level of the laboratory, studying some Humanoids. His white lab coat reflected the dark lighting, and the room was so quiet the scribbling of his pen on the clipboard was audible.

"I am I-111502. I was sent here to--" Ikay began.

"I know who you are and what you were sent here for." the Examiner interrupted in a bored tone without looking at Ikay.

The Examiner descended through the metal staircase to encounter the fourteen-year-old male. He studied him up and down, noticing the mark on his chest making him part of the Intelligence Task Force. That's when he noticed his mismatched eyes. One grey, one violet.

"At rest, soldier." The Examiner commanded.

Ikay stood at rest waiting to be examined.

"I'm told you rejected an order, is that correct?" The Examiner circled him.

"I-I did, sir."

"What order was it?"

"An order to kill, sir."

"To kill?!" The Examiner turned on the computer as he muttered to himself.

"There must be a terrible fault in your DNA coding. Why did you reject the order?" The Examiner inquired, fearing the worst.

"We were ordered to kill . . . a person. Someone from the Undesired, we had to shoot them. I couldn't do it. I felt something . . . something inside of me was telling me not to do it! They were innocent people who had done nothing wrong, it didn't feel acceptable to kill them." Ikay explained as best as he could. He knew it was something different because he couldn't explain it. The words were not in his vocabulary.

"Damn it!"

The Examiner extracted folders from the projected computer in the center of the lab. He searched for I-111502's DNA archive. Once he found it, he ordered the computer:

"Show me the fault in his system!"

"Searching for faults in the DNA." The male computerized voice responded.

After a minute, the computer zoomed in to a section and proclaimed:

"All other genetic data appear to have the sequence RTGCAT00907012H87G in fragment coordinates twenty million and B. This Humanoid carries the sequence RTCGAT11150212H87G."

"AT111502 . . . " the Examiner read. "Fix the coding error, computer!"

The computer paused for a second, and Ikay was beyond puzzled. He did have a coding error. It should've been impossible for that to happen since The Founder created the first DNA codes that could be fully manipulated artificially. No other force could act on it, and natural mutations were eradicated.

"The sequence is locked. Solution or correction not applicable." The computer stated.

The Examiner cursed in frustration and walked to a small computer in a corner.

"I-111502!" He shouted.

"Yes, sir?" Impostor stood at attention.

"Until I say so, you will not attend any form of training. You will be subjugated to a series of tests in the following days. I will inform your Superior about this, understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Now, leave."

Ikay bowed respectfully and left the laboratory. As he was on his way back to his chamber, he spotted C-011818 walking down the hall in his direction. Ikay felt that familiar unfamiliar rush inside of him, like his heart sped up a couple of beats. He walked faster to reach her, and when he neared her, she merely glanced sideways at him.

"C-011818!" Ikay called and she stopped.

She turned around to face him, and again, Ikay felt a certain flutter in his chest. Her beautiful skin still flawless, her grey eyes mystic, and her black haired tail looked like waves of shining onyx.

"Yes, I-111502?" C-011818 responded.

"Would you come outside with me?" Ikay asked, feeling heat rise in his face.

C-011818's expression seemed to soften and a flash of brightness crossed her grey eyes. She started feeling a certain spark, as she stared at I-111502. She nodded and allowed herself to be lead outside the base. If they were caught together, they would most definitely get killed for it.

As they stepped outside into the raging blizzard, Ikay still felt heat throughout his body. C-011818 was beside him, and she shivered slightly. The two human machines were feeling reactions in themselves neither could explain. They had no knowledge of what was occurring or why it was. Why they were the only ones who could experience this.

"What did you bring me out here for? We're not supposed to even know about each other." C-011818 trembled.

"C-011818, you've been in my head every day. Every day since I fist saw you." Ikay walked to her, he didn't know what he was doing. He just felt a need to be closer to her. To shield her. To protect her. "I feel . . . I feel something when I'm near you. Like a spark, something like a rush."

"Is there a malfunction in your system, I-111502?" C-011818 inquired.

"No no, it's not that. There's something more to it . . . because I don't feel it with anyone. I only feel this with you Celeste."

C-011818 widened her eyes. Something inside her chest warmed up. It beat faster and stronger, as if wanting to escape her rib cage and join its other half with Ikay. He gave her a name. Just for her.

"Celeste?" C-011818 asked.

"I sense you're different to me from the rest, you're not a letter and six numbers. You're way more than that to me." Ikay confessed.

He wasn't supposed to consider anyone special or different from others. The lack of emotions he was born with prevented him from that. But why was Celeste special? All the other members of the Female Group in the military looked exactly and acted exactly the same as she did. Why was she different?

"You are unique to me as well." Celeste said as she raised a hand to touch his cheek.

The beautiful pair of silver eyes that stared deeply and fondly into Ikay's was committed to memory. He never wanted to see Celeste endure pain or turmoil.

"Call me Ikay." Ikay whispered as his voice faltered.

Signals coming from seemingly nowhere and arriving nowhere fired through the Humanoids. The rule of separation dissolved with the wind carrying the snow, and without stopping to think what these reactions meant, Celeste and Ikay sealed their bond with their lips. Nothing in this moment mattered, they were only two still snowflakes in the storm.