Keary Taylor: Eden

And then the side effects started showing up. The people who had been improved were having other parts of their bodies change. A cybernetic lung was joined by a mechanical kidney, an enhanced, metallic eye. The technology was evolving on its own, slowly taking over the human’s bodies.

Then it wasn’t just the patients that were starting to lose themselves. It was their families, their close friends. After further research, it was found that cybernetic cells weren’t stopping where they were supposed to. The technology was dubbed as “the infection” and could be spread as easily as touching an infected person.

A war raged through mankind, splitting the world into two sides. There were those who wanted to build an electromagnetic pulse, to wipe the infection out completely. But the rest of them cried there had to be another way. Doing such would send everyone back into the dark ages. Setting off an EMP would wipe out every computer, every car, every water heater, and backup generator.

They waited too long.

It hadn’t mattered, wondering if mankind could now live forever. They were all killed instead.

By month four, ninety-eight percent of the world’s population had become infected, not even human anymore. More machine than man. We, mankind, were a dying race.

Those that had survived figured out real fast that you had to flee into the country. The world was plunged back into the dark ages anyway.

As the first hints of light started to faze into the sky my replacement came, a man in his early thirties named Tuck. He seemed surprised to see me instead of his comrade whom I had relieved. I climbed down from the tower with stiff legs and headed back toward the tents.

I caught a glimpse of the red-haired woman and the small child walking with Avian toward the medical tent. Just as I walked past it, Gabriel stepped out of his tent. He gave me a knowing look and walked with me after Avian. A few moments later I heard someone step out of another tent and looked back to see West following behind us silently.

The air in the medical tent was sharp, smelling faintly of blood and stolen bleach. Victoria was already sitting on Avian’s table, pulling her skirt up to her knee as Avian pulled on a pair of precious latex gloves. It was disheartening how something that had been so mundane ten years ago had become so precious.

“I trust you got some rest last night?” Avian asked as he inspected her foot, the boy standing close by. The skin on her foot was swollen and red, puss struggling to be let out.

“Yes, thank you,” she answered quietly, her expression uncomfortable, as if the thought of a man touching any part of her body scandalized her.

Gabriel sat on one of the stumps that served as a seat, his fingers scratching at his grayed beard. I could tell he was struggling for words, unsure of what his actions were going to be.

“What are your intentions?” he finally asked, directing his question to West. I then noticed that West had been studying me with narrowed eyes. “What is your goal right now?”

“Stay alive, just like all of you,” West answered simply, his eyes shifting from my face to Gabriel’s.

“And where had you been heading, when Eve found you?”

“Just away from the city. We didn’t know if we would ever find anyone else. As far as we knew, our little group could be the only humans left. And then there were only three of us after we got separated from our group.”

Gabriel considered his words. A strange feeling of emptiness filled me as I thought about what he had said. The thought of no one else being out there felt like final defeat. No wonder they had looked so tired last night. They’d had the weight of the world on their shoulders.

“We could use you,” Gabriel said, having seemingly made up his mind. “We’ve lost someone recently; his absence will be felt, in more ways than one.” Avian’s eyes flickered toward Gabriel’s face for a moment. I didn’t miss the pain that filled them. “We invite you to stay with us, if you can be trusted. We won’t hesitate to dispose of you if we find otherwise.”

“We won’t be trouble,” Victoria said, her voice desperate. “Please, we just want to stop running.”

Our attention turned to West. Even though it hadn’t been stated, and even though Victoria seemed to be the same age, he was obviously the one who had taken care of everyone, the one who made the decisions.

He simply nodded.

“I will have some of the extra tents set up,” Gabriel said. Avian looked relieved to hear that he wouldn’t have to share his quarters again with a stranger he didn’t know if he could trust. “How does she look Avian?”

He didn’t even look up as he scrubbed at her skin, Victoria’s face looking pained. “The cut was bad. It’s amazing you didn’t bleed to death. Even more amazing this infection hasn’t killed you. But if we keep it clean it should heal up fine. I suggest she stay off her feet for at least a few days.”

Gabriel nodded, looking momentarily at the boy. I knew it hurt him to see another child. Gabriel had lost a child to the infection in the beginning.

“You will go with Eve to the fields this morning,” he said, taking his eyes away from Brady and looking at West. “This is important. The gardens keep us alive. If he acts suspicious, if you fear any betrayal from him, kill him, Eve.”

West glanced at me briefly, his eyes slightly wide with surprise at Gabriel’s bold words. He then looked back at Gabriel and gave the smallest nod of understanding.

“Come on,” I said as I went to the flap of the tent. “I am already late.” I didn’t wait to see if he followed me as I headed in the direction of the gardens.

He walked a few paces behind me. I listened for any sounds of wrong movement. I kept my hand on the knife that was fixed in my belt, ready to use it on him if he tried to attack. He only followed me, his eyes taking the forest around us in.

“How many are there here?” he finally asked, his voice falling in short waves in the trees.

“Thirty-four,” I said automatically. “I mean, thirty-three. There are thirty-three of us in Eden.” It felt like a rock had just formed in my chest as the image of Tye’s lifeless metallic eye staring at me came back.

“And your leader, his name is?”

“He’s not exactly our leader. He didn’t ask to be one but we all trust him. His name is Gabriel. And the other one is Avian. He is as close to a doctor as there is anymore.”

“And your name is Eve.” It wasn’t a question. “Where do you come from, Eve?”

My stomach knotted up, my hand gripped tighter on my knife. “You ask a lot of questions.” His question felt more meaningful than it should have.

“I’m just trying to figure things out.”

He didn’t say anything else after that and I made sure I didn’t let him see my face. Everyone had come from somewhere in Eden. I just didn’t know where I had come from. All I had were broken images from my nightmares that didn’t link together, a shattered mirror that would never be put together again.

We walked in hardened silence the rest of the way to the gardens. When we arrived it felt as if every pair of eyes fell upon us, growing wide with fear and curiosity. I couldn’t raise my eyes to meet theirs. The attention made me want to run. I had raised myself to keep out of sight and in the shadows.

Pretending like we weren’t being scrutinized, I led West to the storage shed and grabbed a wheelbarrow. “This way,” I said, keeping my voice and my gaze down.

West was well aware of all the looks he was getting but he didn’t hide from them like I did. He met their eyes, his face showing no emotion as he followed me through the gate and down a path. Despite the questions that they were practically screaming with their eyes, no one said a word as we passed.