Mind/Mind

For some reason, one way or another, I began to wonder more. I don't know why, but a small bubble of warmth started to grow from within. She had something to do with all of this. Strangely, a deep longing grew inside. For what, I don’t know. 

"Wow, Exp-" Dr. Vex was cut off by the glare of Daiya, "Uh, I mean, Daiya, haha, uh, when was the last time you've been above ground?" he asked her.

"Since I escaped with you," She replied, "Why?"

"No reason, just curious," he clasped his hands together to release the light projection, with the image of the junkyard fading. It returned to the dim city scape with the looming yellow sky hanging above us. The streets glitched like always, revealing a checkered pattern across the buildings. Even though this is another part of the city, it looks the same. I wonder why above ground is so colorful.

"Where are we going?"

Dr. Vex looked around cautiously in both directions before speaking, "Well, I'm glad you asked! While I was gone, I teleported around below ground through about...mmm, let me see, 500 cities? Yea, 500, sounds right, haha! And I found something,"

"500 cities below ground? That can't be right, can it?" Daiya responded.

"Oh, indeed it is. There's no end to Nolan...so I think," he scratched his head, "Most people who dwell down here are so consumed in their factory work or whatever it is they do, that they never leave their area. Rather boring, no?"

"I suppose." I wondered, trailing off. 

I watched him mutter while he looked around at the people jumping and flying past us. Lately, he's started to glance around more. Like something was coming. I was reminded of the man with the violet eyes. How indifferent, yet curious they were. He warned that the attacks would become more frequent, and we had everything to do with it.

"Well, off we gooo! There should be a tube some-"

"Wait," Daiya paused, "I don't feel safe. The last time you dropped your barrier, those men came and attacked us. What makes you think they won't come back?"

"Oh, they will come back, guaranteed. Yep, yep, yep," he spoke softly, glancing over his shoulder. The look he gave felt off. Like he knew something. "This world, it's so strange. Nolan is the last city on Earth, they tell us. There's no limit. Only one city is needed. We've evolved. We control light to the point where there isn't any place we couldn't be or create. But they ban teleportation above ground, don't allow image projection. Wonderful advances only for them to be restricted. Why?"

If it weren't for Dr. Vex, I wouldn't have known anything besides my hollow reflection existed. He showed me things I didn't think possible. What more could be outside this shallow world I so readily accepted for what it was?

"I mean, look!" He ran over to a person that was flying in the street, "Excuse me, sir. What is your name? Your age? Do you remember the last person you saw?"

The man gave him a blank stare. His eyes dilated and lowered for a split second, before opening his mouth to speak. "I'm not sure. If you'll excuse me, I will be late for work. Maybe someone else can answer your question," he smiled, turning away to leave until Dr. Vex grabbed him by the arm again, changing his tone to talk with the man, "Hey, long time no see! How've you been?" 

The man paused before looking at him and turned to speak once more, "I'm sorry, have we met before? If you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be," he smiled at him again, before he flew off in the distance. 

"See?! See?! They all act like that, why?! There's no reasoning to it. All this research, all these years...why?" he trailed off, "But you two, you-you, uh, you don't act like that. Why? I used to be like that. How could I never have noticed?"

"That's enough...let's just, uh, let's... go." Daiya pulled on his arm, "What was it that you found? Was it interesting? You were excited to tell us, weren't you?" she asked, clearly trying to change the subject.

"I'll tell you on the train. We're going to Nolan-50."

(*-*)

It never gets old. 

We stood in line to board the train and for the first time in my entire life, I looked forward to something. That there could be more people like me, who get me. Who know how to control this power welled up deep within.

 The silence of the city above ground was still stifling, but the green landscape of Nolan-2 kept me wondering what else was out there. But Dr. Vex had begun to act strangely and I can only feel my stomach turn at the thought of what was to come. The good and the bad. That interaction with that man...I was used to it. No one could reciprocate, they would only stare and walk away. I understood that. But I suppose the why never dawned on me. It seemed to affect him more profoundly and I guess...I don't know. Maybe he isn't wrong, to want to know why. 

Pink and green streaks lined and swirled around the floating train tracks in the sky as we boarded. I sat next to Dr. Vex as he muttered to himself while I activated [light mode] on my glasses. Daiya sat across the aisle from us, and I never got around to ask her why she doesn't wear glasses. Was it due to her advancement in Manifestation that allowed her better sight? There's still so little I know.

"Nolan-2 departing, Nolan-2 departing. Next stop, Nolan-3..."

The events of recently have only begun to sink in. It was only a few days ago that I saw her for the first time, chained up to that metal table. With...tears rolling down her face, as I felt her cold embrace. Then I met Dr. Vex, who introduced me to Daiya. The man with the violet eyes. those three men who shot light beams from the palms of their hands. It's hard to believe that these events are isolated. 

"When I was working back at the lab, we came to a conclusion that each Experience shared qualities amongst each other, but all had separate ways it played out. Each one represented an aspect of human life. There are 7. This we understood..." Dr Vex spoke in a low tone, carefully choosing his words. 

A blur of colors rushed past my eyes as the train sped along the path and whipped around and through the city. I wonder what Nolan-50 will look like. I hardly paid any attention to his words until Daiya had interrupted him. "So, what am I? And why tell us this now? You've already put us in so much danger for your little projec-"

"Oh, no, no, no! Not a little project. One that has opened up a window into the humans of prehistoric times! You...are Experience IIII, the Emotional. Experience II over there is the Physical. We measured behavioral patterns, physical responses to pain, internal trauma, reactions depending on words, environment, everything...it's safe to say many questions arose. Danger? The moment you became a test subject, your life belonged to him." he whispered, staring out of the window.

"Him? Who's him?" Daiya asked, but Dr. Vex remained silent.

"Was this nature essentialist and permanent? How does memory connect to Experience? What made one subject react stronger with certain stimuli than others? It was then, we got our answer. Experience VI, you met them Daiya."

Daiya remained quiet, so did I. It's hard to know what to think, knowing that I'm only an experiment to him. To them, I was outlier to be studied, but to me, it felt, I don't know. A subject was better than a nobody. At least I could understand why they all stare. 

"They were the first one out of all the 7 Experiences to show independent thought and growth. It was then we lost track of them and have been looking for them ever since. The rest were put under extreme lock down and surveillance. And today, we're going to one of those places! Woooo!"

"Why?"

"Why? Hmmm, why?" he paused, looking out the window, "Why? Well, that's the question. Who knows? Every step I take closer towards Experience, the less I understand. I was chosen to be a scientist for Nolan by him, you both were born without light. These aren't coincidences, believe that."

For the rest of the ride, it remained quiet between the three of us until Dr. Vex nudged me. He reached in his grey suit jacket and pulled out a tattered book, held together by a single black thread that ran down the middle. "This," he pointed to the book, "...will save your life someday. If you ever need me, or, here," he stuffed it in my hands, "Read it and you'll understand. After all, they've been looking for me non-stop for 100 years over this ripped up piece of junk, hahaha!"

"Why give it to me?"

"Nolan-50 arrived, Nolan-50 arrived. Departing Nolan-51, Departing Nolan-51..."

Dr Vex sat quietly, biting his lip and straightening his white hair back. He looked at me and smiled, then tapped me lightly on the shoulder. He had that same look in his eyes that I saw in myself. The one where I never saw any light.

"Let's go! I think there's someone you're gonna want to meet! Woooo!" 

Something doesn't feel right.

***