What Comes Next

Classified as missing? Dolion is? How would this man know that for sure?

“You’re right that Mr. Dolion doesn’t skip work, but why would you think he’s missing?”

“Before I continue,” he extended his hand to me, “My name is Lumen. I hope to get along well with you, Von.” I took his hand in mine and returned his greeting. Despite his young appearance, his hand felt as if it belonged to an elderly man. His skin was thin and had the texture as if it would be covered in wrinkles, though I couldn’t see any. Lumen gave a knowing smile as we released hands, but didn’t mention my confusion. Instead he continued to answer my previous question, “James had a feeling that he would be pushed out soon. Because of that, and what we know here about those of higher standing, I think it’s a fair conclusion to say he’s missing.”

“Mr. Dolion knew he would be pushed out? What do you mean pushed out and how could he know?”

“James worked at that lab for a long time and knew how his bosses functioned. He knew what would be considered stepping over the line, and he stepped over it anyway. When I say pushed out I mean he was forcibly removed, does that help clarify the situation?” I couldn’t guarantee that I was getting honest answers, but Lumen’s thoughts didn’t betray him. He was telling me everything that was on his mind.

I nodded my head. It clarified the situation, but it didn’t quite make sense yet. Did we really have boundaries when working?

Seeing the wheels turning in my head as I tried to figure out what could have been the trigger for Dolion’s disappearance, Lumen spoke up again, “The Solution, Von.”

I couldn’t hide my shock as I processed the words that came from the man beside me. My eyes widened and my body grew stiff. I tried to quickly get rid of my surprised demeanor even though I knew it was probably too late, “What Solution?”

“Nick and Jane really treasure that dog you gave them.”

He knew. I don’t know how he knew, but he knew. There were no thoughts in his mind that gave me any answers. In fact, there were no thoughts in his mind at all. He simply hummed a tune as he took another drink from his glass. Did Dolion know what I was doing at that time? Thinking back, it would’ve been obvious to someone as meticulous as him to realize that a couple of things were missing, but he chose to not say anything. Before I experimented on my own at home, he seemed to not want me to try that particular mixture. Was it because he knew that it would result in him being taken away? But why would it? Were the Arbiter’s that against the Ergasia having answers?

That didn’t make sense. If that was the case, then I would’ve been the one to be quietly shuffled away. His fervent dissuasion may have been to serve as a hint. Maybe he wanted me to discover the answers and, eventually, be led to the Inveiglers. It would make sense that he had planned it out.

“I can see the wheels turning, there’s practically steam. Don’t overthink it. For now, I want to help you get a job again. A job where you’ll have some influence would be best, and since you’ve worked for the Arbiter’s directly before, it shouldn't be too difficult.”

I ignored my questions about Dolion for now and let Lumen change the topic, “I think it might be a bit hard. Mr. Dolion wasn’t very well liked because he let me in the lab, it would be hard to find another like him.”

“That’s true, we don’t know a lot more like him on the inside. But what if we said that you had done some research on the side and might have found a new medicine? You might be treated with suspicion, but it would get you back in. And the fact that you’re reporting it and letting them take away your research would make you more trustworthy.”

“You already had this planned, didn’t you?”

“What makes you think so?”

I shrugged, “Just a feeling.”

Lumen laughed, a full belly laugh the same way I can remember my grandfather doing. “James was right, you’re an entertaining kid.” He quickly finished off his drink and stood, “Come with me, let’s go talk about this more with Cain. He’s more in charge of this group than he knows, so once we come to a decision, he can tell everyone and they’ll be more accepting. And his input may also prove helpful.”

He led me towards the gate that separated the downstairs from the upstairs and entered a code before pushing it open and ushering me inside. I didn’t know where Cain had disappeared to earlier in the night, but he had ended up in the room upstairs at some point and was already waiting for us.

“We’re a rowdy bunch, aren’t we?” Cain chuckled, “Though it seemed like you found yourself a quiet place to sit earlier.”

“Quiet enough.” Except for the flurry of thoughts I could hear in such a crowded room. My eyes still ached assumedly from the glitch.

“How much were you able to fill him in?” Cain questioned Lumen while we all found a place to sit in the bleak room, dimly lit only by a couple of small lamps.

Lumen shook his head, “I haven’t said much yet. You’re better at explaining things, so I’m leaving it up to you.”

Cain sighed, “You always do that, I think you’re just lazy, old man.”

I looked over at Lumen, calmly sitting across from me. Old man? How could he be old enough to be addressed as an old man? Despite the aching, and a feeling at the back of my mind that using the glitch would make it worse, I decided to scan Lumen anyway.

Lumen Hamal. Arbiter. Deceased.

Deceased?

“Well, we want you to get a job in the lab again so you can have some kind of in.” Cain began explaining. I shook away my new discovery. My shock, and my questions, would have to wait. “The main goal is to find evidence of medicines limited to the Arbiters. We want to get the word out of what’s wrong amongst the Ergasia, but to get people to believe us we need proof.”

“So that’s why you need me back in the lab, so I can try to get my hands on some evidence?”

Cain nodded, “Bingo. But, you are Ergasia, so we’re kind of at a standstill in our planning. I know nothing of what goes on in such a place and Lumen’s been out here for so long that he’s not sure anymore either.”

I hummed in understanding, “Well, Lumen did mention presenting my findings honestly to someone who works there and ask if I can still work on it. The idea is that I would know something that they don’t want me to know so they have two options: silence me or keep an eye on me. Am I right?”

“Right, indeed.” Lumen sighed, “We can’t know for sure what they’ll do, but I would venture to guess that it would be the latter option that they choose. Because your name is out as an Ergasia that worked alongside Arbiter’s, it’d be strange for it to suddenly go missing.”

It made sense. Even if it wasn’t a sure shot, even if the chances of being killed were higher than the chances of getting a job, I would’ve been fine with it anyway. It’s not like I felt I had a lot to lose after being stuck in, what seemed like, a never-ending spiral in my day-to-day life before this.

Cain clapped his hands together, “Great, then we’ll go with this plan.”

“What happens after I get some kind of evidence?” I asked.

Lumen’s eyes fell and I could’ve sworn I heard Cain click his tongue. After a brief, awkward silence, Lumen was the one to speak up, “We’ve had a bit of a disagreement on what to do next. Some believe that we should use the information to start a revolution of sorts through violent means, others believe that we should simply get the information out, take the blinders off, and work towards a new government in a peaceful manner from the inside out.”

“Peaceful is impossible.” Cain spat, “After the number of times our friends and family went ‘missing,’ after being monitored our entire lives, you think we can solve this peacefully?”

Lumen looked towards me, “See, disagreement.”

It was growing apparent that this was a lot more to this than being lied to about medicine, that it went deeper than I thought.

“Disagreement is a nice way to put it. I may be a bit calmer about this and able to have a conversation, but others want your head, Lumen. Why are you so stuck on trying to do this peacefully?”

“We’re all just human at the end of the day, Cain. Who are we to turn around and just suppress the ones who were suppressing us?”

“Because if we don’t, there will be no end.”

“We can’t be too sure of that. Trying your peaceful method could just get us all killed.”

The two ceased their bickering, if you could even call it that as it was so calm, and let the room grow silent. Lumen’s words echoed in my head: we’re all just human. Then, what exactly makes a human? In what ways are we and the Arbiters the same? Now I had two questions to keep in mind: who is Lumen and what are we as humans?

Von.

Stephen’s voice rang in my ears once again as it had done before.

Can you hear me? If you can, I’m assuming that little glitch of yours that you lied about is giving you a hard time right about now.

The glitch I lied about? I remember him asking what was wrong on the night of my birthday before he left for the store. My head was hurting from taking in pointless information due to the glitch. So yes, I lied. But how would he know that?

Knowing you, you’re probably wondering how on earth I could know about that. Funny thing is, I could always read you like a book and could probably tell you every time you lied and about what. Your vision is off, Von. The day you got your Lens, you were suddenly in pain. It didn’t take a lot to figure out that there was a glitch. You know my dad knew about all of this stuff and would talk about it before he died.

I had to fight smiling to myself while I listened to my best friend's voice play like a record in my head. Even if it wasn’t really him speaking to me at the moment, it felt nice.

Now, to the main topic. I bet you know a lot of stuff you wish you didn’t. I bet you’ll want to get involved. I set up this whole recording and sent it to you as I died with hopes you would hear it before it’s too late. Weird thing is, I’m still kind of in control of what I say, like, post-death. Weird, huh? But don’t get too involved, Von. Be careful. Satisfy that curiosity, sure, but not to the point of putting yourself in danger.

It was like he was here with me. What a strange feeling.

I am here with you, kind of. Like I said, I have a bit of post-death control, however that works. Anyway, just stay safe. Don’t end up like my dad, got it?

Like his dad?

Oops, running out of time. That’s it. Don’t get too caught up in this, okay? I don’t want to see you in the afterlife anytime soon.

His voice cut out as suddenly as it had begun. Because I had studied medicine and not Lens tech, I had no idea where to even begin with how he could’ve recorded such a message that could be altered as it played. But, as curious as it was, that was not the main point I needed to focus on. What happened to Stephen’s dad and what did he know? Why should I not get too caught up?

“After the number of times our friends and family went ‘missing,’ after being monitored our entire lives, you think we can solve this peacefully?”

Cain’s words repeated in my head.

Missing.

Stephen’s dad went missing before they just assumed him dead.

People were going missing for knowing too much.