Chapter 2: Locating the Secrets

Casey throws on her white lab coat as she hurries into the lab with her special security pass clenched tightly in her hand, a necessity behind the towering walls of the Calberras. The security pass is an indication of the barriers separating the different realities of the elite and the common people, with the Calberras residing where Washington D.C. once thrived and the commoners outside, unable to enter beyond the walls without authorisation from the head of security, Harold Olderstone.

On Casey's first day at the lab, Harold conducted her induction. She found it odd that someone so senior would take the time to induct her. He loomed larger than life on screens nationwide, a figure of authority, always standing close to the President. Seeing Harold up close, she felt exposed. His penetrating gaze felt like it laid bare all her thoughts, making any questions she may have about loyalty and transparency seem dangerously naive. His formidable presence sent chills down her spine, yet not unexpected as it mirrored the feeling talked about within her community on the other side of the wall. Whenever anyone stepped through to the Calberras' side, a feeling of dread permeated the air; there seemed to be a sense of malice lurking just out of sight.

Completely the opposite of how she felt amongst her people outside the wall. On the surface, there was still a degree of openness and comradery. Love and trust could still be found. Her community had once been vibrant, where beautiful flowers bloomed in hundreds of colours, their petals glistening in the sunlight. Those flower beds still exist in patches. Surrounding them lush fields of crops, with an abundance of grains and vegetables, essential for feeding both the Calberras and the common people. This harmonious coexistence of beauty and sustenance symbolised a community that should thrive on the balance between nature's splendour and the necessities of life, creating a tapestry of colour and nourishment initially intended to support all.

However, there had been a gradual shift. As more crops were ordered to be taken behind the wall, the community, once teaming with laughter and stores, struggled with rationing as the elit demanded more of their produce.

Her job at the lab was to continue the work of the previous chemist, water generation and purification. In addition to being able to use her skills on a critical initiative, she was proud to honour her family's legacy as a chemist. Although she appreciated this, she still felt very uncomfortable; it was a job handed to her because her father had worked in the labs for as long as she could remember. Although her alliances in her community encouraged her to accept the role for various reasons, she felt that it might strain their relationship as she might not be able to meet their expectations. There was an additional dilemma: by working with her Alliance outside the wall, she may disgrace her family.

The obligation to honour the family legacy weighed on her. Could she still honour her family while being a catalyst for a new future?

Despite her father's presence in the lab next door, access to that space was locked away. Although a closely guarded secret, she thinks he's working on the anti-aging formula; at first, it was just a guess, as he never discussed the specifics of his work with her. Oddly, her grandfather, Percy Hemingway's worn and thick lab coat led her to the truth.

Percy Hemingway had died in 2063, three years before Casey was born. Her father presented her with Percy's lab coat when she got the job at the Calberras' lab. It wasn't only his spirit that lingered in the fabric of his lab coat wrapped around her shoulders; in time, it gave up unspoken truths.

She grew more confident she knew what her father was working on when she uncovered what was in the lining of her grandfather's lab coat. There were rumours, but nothing concrete until then. The coat had seemed thicker than the others, but it wasn't until Casey caught it on a nail that she realised something was hidden in the hem. It was several USB sticks. At first, she needed to figure out what they were and how to access them as it was such old technology, so it took a while before she could access the information.

Although the lab benefited from all the latest technology, she knew she was always being watched. So when Casey learnt that holding the USBs in front of the Norabspectra could transfer the files to her thoughts and be embedded in her memory, she knew she had to find a Norabspectra outside of the Wall.

Ruth Bader was the first person to come to mind in Casey's search for a Norabspectra. Ruth came from a long line of attorneys, and although Trump Senior discredited them and banned the family from practising law, the family continued to grow and pass on their knowledge. They leveraged their networks within the Calberras to keep up with the daily radical changes within the Trump Junior government.

Ruth is a short, stocky woman with dark hair and green eyes. She is very cat-like, intelligent, and inquisitive. She was 10 years older than Casey, born in 2053, and instrumental in Casey's desire to learn. In a way, she was a replacement for Casey's mother, who died in childbirth. Ruth introduced Casey to the Alliance.

Ruth didn't take long to airplay the address where Casey could access a Norabspectra. It wasn't far from her home. Although Casey loved her father dearly, it was always important to Ruth that what they shared about the Alliance and Ruth's family legacy remain between them. It was uncomfortable to keep anything from him, but what she was to discover in her Grandfathers' files helped her understand why Ruth was so adamant about it.

Once organised, Casey told her father she was visiting a friend. She'd had a long day in the lab and was tired, which meant she dragged her feet a little. When she arrived at the address Ruth had given her, the shop was closed. She was disappointed in herself, but it had been a month since she'd found the USBs, so a little longer shouldn't hurt.

As she started to walk away, she heard the lock click on the door. No one opened it, so she turned the handle. It opened with a slight squeak, and she walked through it. It was a lovely shop full of fresh fruit and vegetables, and the smell hit her senses in a way that made her hungry.

There wasn't anyone in the front room, but she could hear music behind the door on the left, so she headed that way. A tall, slim-looking man was standing in the centre of the room. " What is your name?" he asked. She replied, "Casey." With a very timid response, he said, "You are late; I was worried." She apologised and walked closer to him.

His name was Martin Gins. On closer inspection, although he had grey hair, he looked young. It was hard to tell if his blue eyes were wide open because they were alert or that he had frog eyes; either way, it didn't detract from his good looks, thought Casey.

Martin asked Casey if she had the files. She pulled out her gloves from her pocket and extracted the USBs. Unlike Casey, he immediately knew what they were and took them from her. "It will only take a minute", he said. "Do you want to sit while I transfer the files, or are you comfortable standing?" he asked. Casey was okay to stand; she had files transferred to her brain regularly, so she was prepared. She had already decided how her brain would accept the files and prepared her brain by visualising a filing cabinet with her grandfather's name on it.

As Martin had said, it only took a few minutes. She didn't want to read the files then; she wanted to wait until she was in a quiet space where she could take her time and categorise them if necessary. Once completed, Martin gave her a basket of fruit to take so that it didn't look suspicious, and she left.

It all happened so quickly that she was a little worried it hadn't worked, but when she visualised the cabinet with her grandfather's name on it during the walk home, she could see it was full of files.