The Individuality Gene Read online

  It was the only thing that differentiated our diets. Seeing how I was still in full control of my cognitive abilities, it was safe to assume that was the source of the drug. It also explained why all the other men were behaving with such obedience. Everyone but me was under the influence of the compliance drug.

  I was ecstatic. Not only had I found the cause of Jonn’s odd behaviour, but I now had an inkling of a plan. If I could locate the source of the drug and stop its distribution, the humans would revert to their true selves. With proper timing and a whole lot of luck, Jonn and I could convince them to rebel against their oppressors. Once free, they could evolve into the individual they were always meant to become, and history would be set back on course. Of course, there was no guarantee my plan would work, but it was our best shot at fixing our mistake. But first, I had to get Jonn off the compliance drug.

  Purging the drug from my friend’s system should have been easy, but when I tried to take his ration away from him, he attacked me. More animal than man, he pinned me to the ground. The sudden burst of energy surprised me. It also proved the drug was more than a mere compliance enhancer. It was an addictive agent. Clearly, keeping Jonn from ingesting it would be more difficult than I initially believed.

  I managed to knock the bowl from his hands before he could ingest it. I expected him to attack me, but he merely stared at the overturned bowl for a moment before grabbing it and trying to lick what little paste still clung to it. When I snatched the bowl from his hands, he went about retrieving the paste from the tunnel floor. He nearly managed to ingest it, but I distracted him with the promise of giving him my untainted bowl. He lunged at it, but I dodged his attack and dumped the bowl’s contents onto the ground. I then went about covering it with dirt, ensuring my friend wouldn’t be able to retrieve it. Jonn didn’t seem pleased, but his passivity kept him from lashing out at me.

  After a dull meal of bread and water, we went back to work. Jonn seemed distracted and nearly impaled himself on more than one occasion when he lost control of his pickaxe, but he somehow survived the remainder of the day. Then dinner happened, and all hell broke loose. Trapped in the clutches of withdrawal, he turned into a wild animal, attacking people at random for the sole purpose of stealing their food. He nearly succeeds on countless occasions, but I always managed to snatch the paste away before he could ingest it. But there were so many bowls within range that protecting him from himself would eventually become impossible. In the end, there was but one way to keep him safe.

  I knocked him out.

  It wasn’t easy, but a well-placed blow to the back of the head sufficed to put him out of commission. By the time he came too, the meal was over, and every last shred of meat had been consumed. Of course, that didn’t keep the grey-haired soldier from scouring the cavern in search of discarded bowls. It took a few hours, but he finally gave up and ingested the stale bread I saved for him. By the time he was done eating, it was quite late, so we sent straight to bed. My friend tossed and turned for nearly an hour before falling asleep. Once I was certain he was out for the night, I allowed myself to slip into a deep, restful sleep.

  The next morning, I awoke to find Jonn missing. Panicked, I started looking for him, but the growing mass of marching men kept me from exploring. I was dragged along, doing my best to scan the crowd in search of my friend. It took a while, but I finally spotted him nearing the front of the crowd. Pushing through the mass of bodies, I reached him just as the teams were being formed. A few seconds later and we could have been assigned to separate teams.

  “Why did you leave?” I demanded. “Why didn’t you wait for me?”

  Jonn stared at me with a blank expression. He may have been off the drug, but he was still under its influence. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be much longer before it worked its way out of his system.

  The rest of the day was uneventful. As it progressed, Jonn started complaining about his wrist. I found this odd until I realized the drug did more than just make you compliant. It suppressed your pain, which explained why Jonn’s injured wrist healed so quickly. It was also why the men worked themselves to the very limit of their capabilities until their bodies gave out from lack of rest. Now more than ever, I felt responsible for the pitiful state of their lives. But nothing I did now could make up for what my friends and I had done. All we could do is focus on the future and do everything within our power to return history to its proper course.

  It took another full day before Jonn started acting like himself again. I still had to watch him closely during mealtimes, but one more night of rest should suffice to restore him fully. It was out of a sense of relief and victory that I left my friend’s side and went for my first soak in days.

  And now here I sit, enjoying the feel of the water caressing my skin. It’s so cool, so soft, so… scaly?

  Something just touched me.

  My eyes fly open. I scan the water, but the filthiness of my frame had muddied the once clear liquid. All I can make out is a shape. A large shape.

  I remain frozen, unsure what to do. Should I flee or—

  A head emerges from the water, cutting me off mid-thought.

  It’s an alien.

  I stare at the scaly head and the large black eyes that accompany it. It looks so much like R’ha it’s disconcerting. But there’s something different about this alien. Its features are more subtle, more delicate.

  It’s a female, I realize. But what difference does that make? Male or female, this Kra’lor is responsible for the enslavement of the humans. I consider attacking it, but I suspect that, as frail as its body is, its ability to defend itself far surpasses mine. I thus do the only logical thing.

  I flee.

  I’m halfway through scrambling out of the basin when a voice fills my mind.

  Wait, it says. I’m a friend.

  I hesitate. This could be a trick, but there’s something about the way the words are spoken that lead me to believe them. I turn around.

  “Why should I trust you?”

  The alien smiles a lipless smile.

  I have come on behalf of your friend.

  “Who?”

  Kara.

  Memory 25

  I stare at the alien. She seems sincere, yet I have no proof she is who she claims to be. What she says could be true, but it could just as easily be a lie. For all I know, she’s Avalon in disguise, come to manipulate me once more. But what would she have to gain? She already tricked us into altering the past. What more could she possibly want? Not to mention the fact that my ring’s proximity alarm didn’t go off.

  “Kara sent you?” I ask, deciding to trust her.

  The Kra’lor nods.

  “Where is she? Is she safe?”

  She’s safe. I have come to take you to her.

  My heart skips a beat.

  “You have?”

  Another nod.

  This could be a trap, but I can’t pass up such an opportunity.

  “What are we waiting for?” I ask. “Let’s go.”

  Where is your friend? I was told there would be two of you.

  In my excitement, I forgot all about Jonn. I consider waking him, but he’s still recovering from his recent intoxication, and he needs his rest.

  “It’s just me,” I say.

  Very well. Take a deep breath.

  “A deep breath? Why would I—”

  The Kra’lor dives, rendering my question irrelevant. I hesitate for a moment, then fill my lungs with air and sink into the water.

  It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust to the dim surroundings. When they do, I discover the pool isn’t a pool at all. It’s the mouth of an underground shaft. The edges are riddled with outcroppings, but the center vanishes into the dark depths.

  I can’t believe I never noticed. I feel dumb, but now isn’t the time for reprimands. The alien is halfway down the first section of the tunnel, and I can’t afford to be left behind.

  I beat my arms and legs and, within seconds, we’re underway.
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  I follow the Kra’lor through the darkness. As we progress, the shaft grows narrower. Soon, it’s as wide as I am long. By then, it’s so dark I can barely see. We keep going until we reach the bottom. I look up and see a hazy glow high above us. I tear my gaze from it and refocus on my immediate surroundings. Though they remain unchanged, something is missing.

  The alien is gone.

  Dammit! I blindly followed a suspected enemy to what may well prove to be my watery death. How could I have been so stupid?

  I’m about to push off and attempt to reach the surface before my air supply runs out when a voice fills my mind.

  What are you doing? Follow me.

  I look around, but all I see is darkness. Or so I think until a faint glimmer catches my eye. It’s the alien. She stands within a tunnel, her head protruding from the dark orifice. She waves at me, then turns and swims off, vanishing into the channel.

  I hesitate. I can play it safe and swim the known path to safety, or I can choose to trust the Kra’lor and venture deeper into the depths of the underwater passage, but each moment I spend pondering is a moment lost. In the end, there seems to be only one logical option.

  I follow the alien. The tunnel is so dark I can’t see. I swim through the darkness, heart hammering. I bump my head against the ceiling a dozen times before the tunnel starts to rise. My hands and knees scrape against the stone shaft as I progress.

  Time loses all meaning. Seconds feel like hours. Minutes last eternities. Soon, the lack of air begins to affect me. My heart screams for oxygen. So does my brain. My vision grows blurry, though it makes little difference as my surroundings are bathed in darkness. My arms and legs are numb, though I can’t tell if it’s due to the asphyxiation or the fact that I have spent the past week mining ros’tal crystals.

  I consider turning back, but I have long since passed the point of no return. I would drown long before reaching the shaft, let alone the surface. My only shot at survival lies ahead.

  I keep going. Every few strokes, a little more of my strength evaporates. More than once, I wonder why I chose to trust the Kra’lor, but now that my life is nearing its end, it seems pointless to dwell on such things.

  The prospect of seeing the girl I love keeps me moving forward, but eventually, even the thought of Kara’s lips pressed against mine fails to reach my oxygen-depraved brain.

  I’m just about to stop swimming when I see it.

  Light.

  At first, I think it’s the heavenly light many describe when nearing the end of their lives, but the brighter it grows, the more illogical such a concept appears. A shape appears before me, blurry but undeniable.

  It’s the alien.

  Don’t give up. Her voice fills my mind, giving me strength.

  Ignoring the pain of my lungs screaming for air, I swim with renewed fervour. My body is numb, and the world is a blur, but I refuse to give up until I reach the surface. Higher and higher I travel until, finally, the alien vanishes.

  I’m almost there. Just a few more strokes.

  I kick my feet and pull my arms back, using the pressure of the water to propel myself upward. I repeat the process twice more before the water coffin finally releases me.

  I inhale deeply, filling my lungs to full capacity. Moments later, gravity grabs hold of me, and I sink back into the water. I will my limbs to move, to keep me afloat, but they’re too weak. They barely even move as I begin to sink.

  I watch the surface grow increasingly distant. I can’t believe I broke the surface, only to drown mere moments later. But then, just as I’m about to give up, an invisible force grabs hold of me and draws me toward the surface. It seems to take forever, but I finally break free from the body of water. Rising into the air, I travel toward the shore. I notice two shapes standing by the water’s edge, but my blurred vision keeps me from focusing on them. It’s not until the mysterious force releases me and I crumble onto a hard surface that one of the two shapes approaches me. It appears human, but it’s not until my vision clears that I recognize it.

  It’s Kara.

  Memory 26

  K ara is alive.

  The sight of her face brings a smile to my lips. Her eyes are red and puffy from lack of sleep. Her lips are chapped, and her hair is a mess. But none of that matters. She’s still the most beautiful girl I have ever seen.

  “How are you?” she asks, offering me a hand. I take it, and she pulls me to my feet. My legs are weak, but I manage to remain upright.

  “I’m fi—” I begin, but I’m interrupted by a kiss.

  I fantasized about this moment ever since Kara announced we couldn’t be together, but now that it’s finally here, I can’t help wondering why. As much as I enjoy the feel of Kara’s lips caressing mine, the fact remains we’re broken up. Why is she kissing me?

  It takes a while, but the kiss eventually comes to an end.

  “What was that for?” I ask.

  Kara blushes. At least, I think she does. Our surroundings are dim, keeping all but the most obvious of details hidden.

  “I was wrong,” she says. “We can’t let Avalon stand in the way of our love. We’re stronger together than we are apart.”

  I chuckle.

  “I told you.”

  “I know. I should have listened.”

  I shrug.

  “What’s done is done. Now shut up and kiss me.”

  Our lips make contact once more. We explore each other’s mouths for a while before a voice fills our heads, reminding us we’re not alone.

  I don’t mean to interrupt, says the alien, but I we don’t have all night.

  I pull away from my girlfriend and take in my surroundings. We’re in a cavern. It’s smaller than the one Jonn and I have been residing in for the past week, yet it’s still quite massive. The lake from which I emerged takes up most of the space, but a large ring of stone stands around it. The sight of it makes me wonder if perhaps the water that nearly drowned Jonn and me on our first day here came from this lake. Given its vastness, it seems likely.

  Wow! I silently gasp, realizing how lucky we were. Had the robot accompanying us failed to seal the fissures, the tunnel would have flooded in mere seconds. Odds are, the pressure would have caused the entire tunnel system to fill with water.

  Hoping to expel such a thought from my mind, I continue scanning my surroundings, but all I make out are a few crevasses and the occasional boulder. The final detail I take into account are the dozens of ‘tals that protrude from the domed ceiling, bathing our surroundings in a soft yellow glow.

  I focus on the alien and find her staring at me.

  “Who are you?” I ask. Given all that has happened, refusing to trust her is no longer an option.

  My name is A’lara.

  The name sounds familiar, but it takes me a moment to make the connection.

  “You’re R’ha’s daughter?”

  She nods.

  I can’t believe it. The last time I saw her, she was a child. As I recall, she attacked me with floating objects. I don’t blame her, though I feel a pang of guilt at the memory of my dead friend. At least now I know why I didn’t drown, but the Kra’lor’s kinetic ability doesn’t explain why she saved me, or how she and Kara ended up working together. Luckily, my girlfriend is more than happy to answer my questions. In fact, we spend the next few hours bringing each other up to speed on our recent misadventures. By the time we’re all caught up, my clothes have dried, and Kara and I sit with our backs resting against the cavern wall and our arms locked in a permanent embrace. A’lara stands nearby, staring at us.

  “What now?” I ask. Now that the team is back together—well, sort of—returning to Atlantis would be easy, but we can’t abandon the humans.

  “I agree,” says Kara once I share my feelings. “We must fix our mistake.”

  I smile.

  “I was hoping you’d say that. Jonn will be back in fighting form soon enough. Together, we can formulate a plan.”

  Kara nods.
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  “What should we do in the meantime?” I ask.

  My girlfriend smiles. “I have a few suggestions.” She kisses me. I welcome her soft lips and let the feeling of warmth that envelops me carry me far away from this depressing place.

  “That was great,” I say once the kiss ends. “I can’t wait to hear your other suggestions.”

  Kara chuckles.

  “What do you think of this?” she asks and kisses me with even more intensity.

  We need to come up with a plan to free the humans, she A’lara before the situation degenerates. Will, can you and your friend return here after your shift tomorrow?

  I nod. By tomorrow evening, Jonn should have recovered from the effects of the compliance drug. I don’t know if he will be able to swim with his injured wrist, but I guess we will just have to wait and see.

  You should return to your respective caverns before anyone notices you’re missing, says A’lara.

  I doubt anyone would notice—or care—that we’re not where we should be, but A’lara knows more about this time than both of us combined. Still, it’s with a sense of unease that I say farewell to my girlfriend.

  “I love you,” I say, though deep down I’m riddled with worry. What if Kara changed her mind? What if she reverts to her former way of thinking and insists we break up again? I honestly don’t think I could handle another bout of heartbreak. But then she kisses me and all of my worries vanish. I stare at her for a moment longer, then turn away and dive into the lake.

  Memory 27

  T he blaring sound of an alarm wakes me. I sit and look around. The world seems no different than it did yesterday, yet I now see it in a whole new light. The trees seem to shine with increased brilliance, and the moss feels softer than ever. Even Jonn’s snoring fails to annoy me, and it’s all because of Kara.

  I have a girlfriend again. The thought alone makes me smile.

  “Why are you smiling?” grunts Jonn. I look at the grey-haired soldier and laugh. His sour mood means the last of the compliance drug has worked its way out of his system.

  “What the drowned is wrong with you?” he asks.