Dystopia

Chapter 22

"I-111502 report to Lab 003." Ikay's superior said through the radio that laid on the table next to his bed.

Ikay got up and walked to the lab. All scientists and superiors kept eyes on him ever since he defied that order to kill. As he walked, he caught sight of Celeste walking. Just as he passed her he whispered to her:

"Outside in ten." 

She nodded discretely and kept walking. 

Ikay finally reached the lab and entered. 

"Mathew?" Ikay exclaimed as he saw a boy speaking to one of the lab technicians.

"Pardon?" The boy turned to Ikay. 

He looked exactly like Mathew, except his eyes were darker. More void of emotion than Mathew's lively blues. So, this must be Mathew's twin.

"Soldier." the technician called.

Hiding his surprise, Ikay stood at attention. He could feel his heart racing, and sweat beginning to form on his forehead. 

"This is Mr. Andrew Raynott. I'm sure you know his social status." The technician introduced. 

"Sir, it is an honor and a privilege to meet you, sir. I am I-111502." Ikay spoke. 

This was the brother Mathew said he killed. 

Andrew stepped closer to Ikay and began circling him. He was wearing a black suit with a black tie. His blond hair was combed and he looked with evident disgust at Ikay. 

"Why do you have a grey eye and a violet one?" Andrew spat. 

Ikay was shocked. Nevertheless, he responded:

"I do not know sir, I was born from the laboratory this way. As far as I know, there is a fault in my genetic coding causing me to be different, sir." 

"Different . . . " 

Ikay kept his eyes forward even though he wanted to track Andrew's every move. He didn't seem like someone who could be trusted.

"I-111502, is it?" Andrew asked as he kept circling him. Like a predator on a prey.

"Yes, sir?" Ikay answered.

"Do you know who Eric-434 is?"

Ikay's eyes widened in surprise. His heartbeat was erratic and his breathing sped up. He's looking for Eric. He knows.

"Soldier, Mr. Raynott just asked you a question. Answer it!" The technician commanded.

Ikay snapped out of it and answered:

"No sir, I do not know who he is, sir!"

Andrew had stopped circling him and stood right in front of him, staring with merciless eyes. Ikay tried to keep still like his life depended on it. If he showed any sign of faltering right now, Eric would be doomed.

"So you don't." Andrew whispered and turned away.

He walked away to a table with his hands behind his back. He then picked up a syringe with a blue glowing liquid inside.

"At rest. I'm sure you're wondering why you have been called here." The technician referred to Ikay.

Ikay listened while watching Andrew.

"Mr. Raynott has approved the administration of a possible cure for your genetic malfunction. Consider yourself under a medical treatment. From now on,"

The technician walked to the table Andrew was in and request the syringe from him. He walked to Ikay with it and continued explaining:

"You will receive an injection every night at 2200 hours. At the passing of one month, I will check if it has made any progress on your malfunction. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well then, now please present your neck."

Ikay was afraid of what this drug could do to him. His genetic malfunction was in fact what brought him to Eric, and to Celeste. What if it was corrected and now he was incapable of feeling? What if he couldn't love Celeste anymore? Or his unborn child?

But he had no choice. It was too early to expose those he cared about.

Ikay moved aside his black hair and presented his bare skin. The technician pierced his skin without warning, and as soon as he began pushing the blue liquid inside, it burned through Ikay's veins. He stifled his pain by gritting his teeth. He dared open his eyes and saw Andrew with a discrete, mischievous grin on his face.

Ikay was dismissed and he went to meet Celeste outside. She was standing in the middle of the snow and Ikay ran to wrap his arms around her. Celeste returned the embrace and Ikay laid a kiss on her lips. He loosened his arms and placed a palm over her belly. He smiled brightly as he saw her smile too.

"How do you feel?" Ikay asked her.

"Excited, a little sick in the mornings. But also . . . afraid." Celeste looked into her love's eyes.

Ikay looked back at her. He could see her worry and he was worried too. To the Government, they have just conceived an illegitimate child. However, to them it meant the world to have this infant. Ikay knew at some point he would have to tell Celeste about the rebellion he's joined, the secret base, and his new treatment.

"Celeste I have some very important things I must tell you." Ikay spoke seriously and Celeste became worried. "You must keep them secret, for your safety, the child's, and the people I am involved with."

"I will. But what are you talking about Ikay?" Celeste asked as she caressed his face.

"I am involved with a person from the Commoner Elite and the Undesired Elite. We are trying to start a rebellion against the Government."

"What? Ikay you can't! You're part of the Military!"

"I know Celeste, and I know it's risky, but I'm doing this to be free to be with you and our child to live happily. I would hate for them to be born in a world where they must live in secret or be killed."

Celeste paused to allow him to continue explaining.

"There is a secret base where we will operate from. I can't tell you where for your own safety, but when our child is born, I want them to be taken and raised there. Our baby wouldn't survive here Celeste." Ikay spoke quicker as the longer they disappeared the more likely they were to be caught. "Lastly, the Lab Technician has started me on a treatment. He is injecting something in me to fix my malfunction but I don't know what. And I don't know if it will affect me or us. But I need you to promise me something."

"No, Ikay, please." Celeste's grey eyes formed tears as she knew what he would ask of him.

"Celeste please." He took one of her hands in his, and pressed their foreheads together as he placed the other hand on her cheek. "If I hurt you and our child, don't let me near either one of you. And if I become a constant threat to you, please--"

"No Ikay I won't do it!"

"Celeste! If I become a threat, please kill me."

* * *

It was 12:00 am at the White Wings Psychiatric Center. Mathew was laying on the ground of his cell, thinking about what Eric had said. He said he had met Andrew, but that was impossible. He saw his dead body himself.

"Freak!" A guard said over the P.A.

Mathew rose to his feet, facing the wall.

"You have a visitor."

Mathew furrowed his eyebrows and turned around to the glass window behind him. His eyes went wide and the blood on his veins began to boil as he saw the visitor.

"You're alive . . ." Mathew seethed in rage.

"Live and well, brother." Andrew smirked from behind the window. "Tell me . . . how are your friends Eric-434 and I-111502?"