Athedian Heaven

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Chapter 1: The Dawning

Sunlight shimmered within a sea of purplish clouds, as the wind lightly touched the land below with its hands. Mountains and trees were reflected off the transparent dome, as birds sang proudly against the oncoming night. Water gurgled with richness while the plants wavered with the breeze. Land prowling animals growled and purred, as they were getting ready to settle down for the night. It was a heaven. It was beautiful. A picture of loveliness that men could rarely see. At least, that was not possible a few centuries back. But now, in the thirtieth century, everything was possible. Walking among the puffy white clouds with the birds, and swimming along with dolphins in the ocean could be as real as they could get.

Technology had leaped a major step. Holographic technologies, anti gravitational equipments were made, and many more were invented one after another in an incredible rate. But mankind had finally achieved the impossible by using genetic materials from various sources to create a flawless human. A human that had modified bone structures and internal organs. A human that could almost combat all viral and bacterial infections. He could endure pain far better than the originals. He had better physique. He was above all. He didn't know though, that he was different than everyone else. He saw himself as a normal kid, only with strict rules and restrictions. The scientists wiped out all the important memories after the embryo had developed. They feared that the new species of human could fight back and take over. It would be hard to destroy a creation that was so stunning, and so dangerous also. To be able to control the new specimen was essential.

Nevertheless, how long could those humans hold their leash onto the boy?

*******************************

I sighed as I lay on the warm, sandy beach. My dark brown hair matted with the sand. My tanned arms lay beside my body. At the age of twelve, I was pretty muscular. Veins were bulging out, showing off the power that I had within me. Muscles rippled across my body. I stared up into the sky with my almond shaped eyes, pondering about the wonderful land that had once existed several hundred years back. I had read books about the Earth. I had watched the scenic pictures that were taken while people could still navigate freely in the wilderness. But because of the humans' arrogance and their greed, they had destroyed their only exquisite environment. A pity really. They said that humans were smart and all, but their ambitions and egos were too big and too powerful to control. How could they be as good as they said they were, if they couldn't oppress their covetous mind?

The sea roared as it splashed against the rocks. White foams were dancing along on the top of the waves. I laughed out loud into the artificial air. Now all we could do was living in some pathetic dome structures. Cities were built under a reinforced shield that was tough to destroy. Humans now lived in enclosed areas instead of in open spaces as their ancestors once did. Sure the domes were safe and were wonderfully made, and we could grow food and water in our new surroundings. And sure we could have fresh air and everything. Yet, life was just not as the same as before.

"Jake zero zero one, please report to the Biolab forty-three. Jake zero zero one, please report to the Biolab forty-three."

An announcement was made over the speakers in my room. Sighing once again, I got up from the virtual beach. I stood there, in the sunset, looking around the surrounding scenery with longing. Finally, I cleared my throat and said to no one in particular: "terminate program."

The visual display was instantly gone, leaving only a bare room with a few LCD screens on the walls.

"Jake zero zero one, please report to Biolab forty-three immediately."

Growling with frustration, I stared at the video camera that was suspended near one of the corners in the room. "All right! I heard it already!" I yelled.

I wished that they could give me a real name and not just some uncanny numbers. The name, Jake, sounded fine, but that 'zero zero one' part was really annoying. Walking up to one of the walls, I stopped. After half a second, a door appeared with a slight hiss.

Moving into the cool hallway, I walked toward the lab. Lighting poles were embedded into the solid steel walls, giving off white light. The air flowed down from the ventilation ports on the ceiling. A few people were walking in the same hallway as I do. Most of them wore white overcoats that covered their entire body. Nametags were clipped onto the coat near the left chest. Often, I wondered why people all wore the same kind of clothes. Surely, there had to be other kind of fashions, weren't there?

Turning right, I came to face an iris scanner. Leaning close with my right eye, the computer automatically started scanning. A moment later, the titanium door in front of me opened swiftly. I was tired of all these safety precautions. Although they told me that it was for the best because they wanted to protect me. However, I thought that this was a bit over the edge. Why had I only saw a few people wandering around near my own little room ever since that I was little? Shouldn't there be more people as stated in the books? And why couldn't I acquire more knowledge that was stored in the databank? They had stopped me from reading more materials than what they had given to me. I craved invaluable information.

Shaking my head, I went into the Biolab.

*******************************

"Ah! Jake! How good to see you!" a middle aged man walked forward with a big grin. His hair was white and his teeth were yellow. Wrinkles had crawled all over his face.

"Yea, me too, doc," I replied softly.

Staring around the all-too familiar testing lab, I smelled the disinfectants. The lighting was efficient. It was bright, and clear. Tools of every kind were laid out neatly in a row on a wheel cart near the center of the room. There, beside the cart, was a medical bed with monitors and wires attached to it. A metal helmet was hanging above the pillow by a cable. Computers were around the room. At least six other people wearing lab coats were at the consoles.

"So how are you feeling today ever since our last checkup?" the doctor asked me with extreme warmness. He placed his aged hand on my shoulder.

I was taller than he was. By a head at least.

"I feel fine," I answered obediently. I stripped down my clothes.

Naked. Walking over to the bed, I propped myself onto the soft bedding and rested my head onto the soft pillow. The helmet was lowered onto my head, covering my eyes. I felt many tiny needles being stuck into my skin. I felt the electronic pads being placed on my bare chest. I took a deep breath.

The metal restraints came up and over my arms, stomach, and legs. I shuddered at their cold touch.

"Doctor, we are ready," one of the assistants, reported.

I couldn't see a thing really. My vision was blocked. I couldn't move at all. I could feel my body tensed up, something that usually happened whenever I had the Test.

"Just relax, Jake zero zero one," the doctor cooed. "You will be fine. Soon, it will be over."

I didn't reply.

"Turning up the Neural Sensor Log,” one other assistant said. "Increase electric pulse to one-zero-one-five PM."

"All systems are functioning at their maximum efficiency."

"Let's do it!"

I gasped. I felt as if thousands of watts of electricity were being poured into my body. My heart rate increased. My brain became numb. My ears, they were buzzing rapidly. I couldn't breathe. I could feel myself jerking involuntarily. I felt tears of agony flowing down my face. Sweat began to appear and began to cover my naked body. I couldn't take it anymore. The pain! It was hurting me! I couldn't endure it any longer! I must fight free! I-

A warning alarm sounded. It beeped loudly over and over again.

"Doctor! Something was wrong!"

"What?"

"The mapping system is going crazy! The pulse chart went off the scale!"

"Shut it down!"

"We are trying! But the system had locked itself out!"

"Shut it down now! Pull the plug if you have to!"

A while later, the pain subsided. I choked and coughed. I cried. I drew in ragged breaths of air. I gritted my teeth as I tried to move.

Finally, the helmet was taken off my head. I squinted at the sudden flood of light. Faces were hovering above me, looking down at me with concern. The restraints were taken off also. I tried to lift myself up.

"Easy," the doctor helped me.

I was scared. My body was sticky with sweat of pain and fear. I felt a little dizzy.

"Are you okay?"

I nodded slowly. I got off the testing bed. I went to my pile of clothes and put them on. Tears were still on my face. I wiped them off as quickly as I could. I didn't like other people to see me cry. People were moving around the room, checking the computers to see what the problem was. Unfortunately, they couldn't find the problem.

"I am sorry about this. We don't know what had happened. However, we will make it up to you. Would you like some virtual tour of the Earth in the old days?" he asked again.

"No, thank you. I want to get back to my room now," I said with slight irritation.

He nodded gravely as he guided me out of the Biolab. He said a goodbye as the door closed behind me.

I didn't want to do the Test again. Never.

*******************************

During the next few days, I had weird dreams. I dreamed that I was being genetically engineered. I dreamed that I was a mutant, that I was not normal at all. I dreamed that there were more people living in the dome, not just those in the hallway outside my room. I dreamed that I was being contained in a very big prison. I dreamed that I was in a giant greenish glass tube, that my body was a shape of a giant tadpole.

I woke up almost every night. I knew that they were only a dream. They were not factual. The Council of the New Government had stated that my parents were killed in an accident near the Lunar Moon, a few light years away from Earth. I believed them. I also believed that those doctors were just trying to help me. They didn't want me to be upset over the death of my parents. But you know what? I didn't feel a thing. When the day that I asked them about my father and my mother, they said that they were killed. Normally, people would cry over the death of their beloved, wasn't that right? Yet, I didn't feel anything. I had no emotions at all. Of course, they said that I was too young to feel sad, but I didn't think so.

Like I said before, during these past few days after the recent Test, eccentric flashes of unexplained images were appearing inside my head. I didn't know what to do. I thought that I should tell the doc, but I didn't want to go through that entire twinge again.

Then one day, something had hit me. I didn't know how to explain it. But I felt as if everything was clear all of a sudden. Why should I obey the rules that those people had laid out for me? I was not a slave, was I? No. I am a live, human being that should have the same equality as the others. Why should I be the only one that was being tested like some lab mice? No. I wouldn't let them torture me anymore. Just because I was a sixteen years old boy, that didn't mean they could control my life.

Making up my mind, I had decided to break free of my restraints. I would live free with no Tests and no constraints. It was near twelve pm at night when I had breached the security codes and opened up the main gate that was at the end of the hallway. Normally the gate was sealed tight with magnetic locks. I smashed the video camera that was in my room, and I ran out of my confinement and into the cold, metallic corridor. I could see the exit in front of me. It was only a matter of few miniscule steps before I could finally embrace my new life and my new destiny with my hands. I would show those humans how pitiable they were.

I grinned at the thought. I would show them all right...

~End Chapter 1~

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