The Cursed and The Blessed

Chapter 65- West

The water dispenser is exactly where it last was and so are the chairs, the fake vines, the trees and the fountain that made the space crafts feel like both inside and outside. The freakishly long, transparent elevator is perched in the middle, connecting itself to all the floors with a white bridge. I remember being so scared of the lift when I was younger to the point that I forced my parents to take the stairs. Everybody I knew of was scared of it because they were afraid of dropping through.

Around the modern built corridor are curved glass walls, like a shopping centre, leading to community rooms like sitting rooms, gyms, leisure centres, hospitals and much more that stretch down the large structure of the space craft. I once heard someone say it was three times as big as something called the Titanic but I never understood they meant.

The Governors really did try to make us feel at home, giving us a nice, modern, contemporary build that is quite similar to that of our compounds. Tough, they don't feel like home anymore.

"I've missed this place!" Essence squeals, dancing from wall to wall and peering inside through the dark.

Isla goes over to the dispenser and fills her water bottle up. Disgust crosses her face, realising the water hasn't been changed for ten years and she slowly places the bottle down, dusting her hands. "Same. But I remember becoming so sick of it."

Same, but I don't say it out loud. We make our way to the control room, which seems 100 km away. It's right at the end of the space craft, guarded by yet another metallic door. On either side of the walls are the green house's where all our food consumed was grown with 'science', they said.

Noah slides Matthew's card against the door but it comes up with a sizable blue grid instead of a key pad. "Where's the key pad gone?"

"It's a hand scan," Matthew says in a tone that couldn't be more obvious. He snatches his card back and Noah glares at him. "Because only a few people are allowed into the control room."

"Like?"

His face lights up with pride like a light bulb. "Like father."

"So, it won't work for you even though you're related?" I ask. He looks at me momentarily with a belittling expression.

"It doesn't work that way."

"It was a joke; chill."

Enoch points behind him with his thumb. "I think I know where the electrical panel is. It may not always be in the control room." he sets his brief case down and takes out two screw drivers and hands them to me and Noah. "Let's go look."

I consider this idea but for some reason, my mind keeps drifting back to Isla instead. She's staring into nothing and I click my fingers in her face, something I know she hates.

But she doesn't yell. Not even a grimace. She's just... quiet. "Sure. Isla, why don't you go with them too?" she stares at me, trying to figure me out as I look at her side ways. It's been hard to separate her and Matthew lately. "Make things even."

Matthew looks up at me. "She has free will. She can-"

"Shut up." It comes out harsher than I expected and she eyes him. "We won't kill him if that's what you want."

She grins and is about to say something but doesn't. Then she stuffs her hand in her pocket and walks after Enoch and Essence before shouting after us. "Why should I care!?"

Because you do, suddenly. And you're not fooling anyone Isla May, no matter how good of an actor you think you are.

We climb up the stairs as Matthew trails after us and I suddenly wish we sent him away instead of Isla. He tugs my shirt lightly, either to tell me to slow down or to ask me something. "What?"