Awaken_Ethan Drake Chronicles Page 2

  “But-”

  “Ethan, it’s correct,” he stated before turning around and leaving the room. Ethan glanced down at the letter, his hands shaking in the process. So much for being normal, he thought. He was no longer hungry, opting to take the stairs up to his room instead. He swiped his wrist to unlock the door and walked inside.

  It wasn’t a large or fancy room, but for the last eight years it had been his home. He searched around the small bright white space and realized he would not be living there much longer. The desk where he had spent countless hours doing his homework would soon belong to someone else. His computer which housed his assignments from the last eight years would be wiped clean and given to a new owner. And his bed which stood next to the expansive window and had witnessed far too many fitful dreams would now lull someone else to sleep.

  He didn’t know if he was ready to leave. Part of him was excited to start a new chapter in his life but another part of him was terrified. What if he performed poorly? What if he couldn’t do all that was asked of him? As soon as he started his job, he would no longer be viewed as a child but instead as a contributing member of society. And maybe that was the part that frightened him the most.

  He sat on his bed and sighed loudly, staring down at the letter in his hands. If it wasn’t a mistake, then he would be on his way to the Technology Sector where he would be given his permanent assignment. Hopefully it would be something he could be passionate about and perform well.

  He was thinking about the possible jobs that could be given to him when he heard a knock on his door. “Come in.” The voice activated system automatically unlocked his door, allowing his guest to enter. He watched Caleb saunter in slowly.

  “Hey,” his friend said quietly.

  “Hey,” Ethan greeted back.

  Caleb took a seat on the chair next to the desk. Ethan saw Caleb’s letter in his hands, visibly worn like he had balled it up and attempted to throw it away. He was waiting for his friend to speak but nothing was being said.

  “Is it that bad?”

  Caleb huffed and rolled his eyes. “Bad would be getting assigned Textiles. No. This…. this is inducing suicidal thoughts!” he yelled. Ethan was a bit surprised by his friend’s outburst but allowed him to finish.

  “I don’t even know why they bother testing us or making us do any homework! It’s not like it matters!” Caleb now stood up and faced his friend with tears in his eyes. “It’s not like you can work hard for years and expect to be rewarded!”

  Ethan was sure the boy in front of him was having a meltdown so he tried to placate him the best that he could.

  “It can’t be that bad Caleb. Besides, there’s always the grievances committee, right?” Caleb gave him a sad laugh. Clearly his friend had already given up.

  “What were you assigned?”

  Caleb didn’t say anything but instead handed Ethan his letter. He smoothed it out on his lap and read the placement section. Even Ethan’s eyes widened when he read it.

  “See! I told you! My life is over!” Caleb whined.

  Ethan glanced back up to his friend.

  “Agriculture can’t be that bad, right?”

  “Are you kidding?” Caleb asked incredulously. Ethan paused before he spoke again. He was trying to figure out how to make this job placement sound ideal.

  “Well, you’ll get to be outside a lot and you’ll get to learn all the science that goes into our food. Plus, you’ll probably be surrounded by a lot of girls,” he concluded with a mischievous grin. That last statement caused a small smile to creep up on his friend’s face.

  “See? Always a silver lining,” Ethan smirked.

  Caleb finally seemed to calm down. He had successfully talked his friend off the proverbial ledge which made him happy. The light mood didn’t last, however, because Caleb had asked him what his placement had been.

  “Um….”

  Caleb saw his letter on the bed and snatched it before Ethan could stop him. He watched his friend’s expression turn from curiosity to anger. Ethan stood up and braced himself for the negative reaction.

  “Level 1 Technology?” Caleb hissed.

  “Caleb-”

  “Are you kidding me? Level 1? What the hell Ethan?” the taller boy bellowed as he shoved Ethan in the chest. It was now Ethan’s turn to get upset. This wasn’t his decision and he didn’t like it any more than Caleb did but it certainly wasn’t his fault.

  “You act like I did this on purpose! I didn’t ask for this Caleb!” he yelled back. Caleb shook his head disbelievingly. He had been given one of the lowest placements available and his friend who couldn’t care less about stature or the finer things in life had just been handed a dream assignment. His dream assignment.

  “Whatever,” he muttered, leering at Ethan with disgust.

  He marched out of the room still in a rage, leaving his now ex-friend shocked and hurt. Apparently, their friendship wasn’t as strong as Ethan thought it was. For the last eight years, they had been at each other’s side, sharing in the highs and lows of school but they had never had a disagreement like that. Hopefully, all Caleb needed was a few days to cool off.

  Ethan sat back down on the bed and put his head in his hands. He couldn’t exactly blame Caleb for his reaction. After all, the Technology Sector was all Caleb could talk about. Over the past month, his friend went on and on about how amazing it would be to work amongst the smartest people in the city.

  He said the living arrangements were opulent high rises filled with large dwellings, fully automated systems, over the top furnishings and the best food available right at your fingertips. He could see why someone like Caleb would want that.

  But Caleb also cared about what others thought of him which Ethan found odd. Why would someone else’s opinion matter when they weren’t living your life? It was true that within society those who worked for the Technology Sector were highly regarded and considered the smartest amongst all citizens but that didn’t mean that any other person was somehow less valued. Because in the end, everyone needed to work together for the city to thrive.

  He wished he could have said that to his friend. He was probably feeling worthless, but Ethan knew nothing could be further from the truth. He stared at his letter for a few minutes before resolving to accept his fate and put the piece of paper away. He sighed and ran a tired hand through his hair. It had been an emotionally exhausting day and he was ready for it to be over.

  Suddenly he jerked his head toward his computer as the prompt of a message appeared from his future employer. He went over to the screen and touched the message icon, opening the document. He skimmed it over, realizing it was his welcome letter.

  Congratulations Ethan Drake.

  By being chosen to work for the Technology Sector, you will now be part of the most important facet of our beloved city. You will learn, grow and achieve great things within our walls. Attached to this document, you will find information about to your personal dwelling assignment as well as the security guidelines that we require all our level 1 employees to familiarize themselves with. Read over this information carefully as we take our security measures very seriously. You are not to discuss your work at the Sector with anyone outside your department. You will meet your mentor Hendrick Cole tomorrow at 9am in the West building. We look forward to your contributions and we welcome you to your new home.

  Sincerely,

  Farran Wallas,

  Senior Technology Systems Engineer

  Well, it was now official. Ethan was an apprentice of the Technology Sector and there was nothing he could do about it. But as nervous as he was, he was also feeling something he hadn’t expected; excitement. As much as he hated his friend’s disappointment, he realized he couldn’t control his actions. If Caleb wanted to hate him for his placement, he could, but for now Ethan needed to focus on his own life.

  CHAPTER 2

  E than ran his fingers through strands of hair as he inhaled the comforting scent of the person currently inte
rtwined with him. He could feel their hands on his back, embracing him in a warm hug. He felt happy and calm, but the elation didn’t last.

  The person was stripped away from him as flashes of light surrounded him. His mind was a blur of images, different people moving toward him or being dragged away. Some were covered in blood while others were screaming in pain.

  All he wanted was to get back to that person, the one who made him feel safe but he couldn’t find them. He searched and searched until finally he was faced with several men dressed in white. They surrounded him, grabbed him and forced him on to a table. He was held down though he struggled to get free.

  “Remain calm,” he heard someone behind him say.

  He continued to thrash against the table, his fear growing as the men tied his body to the cold stainless steel. A loud scream pierced the air but it was no use. A tall man with sunken eyes and thin lips came toward him holding a syringe.

  “Don’t worry, you won’t feel a thing.”

  Ethan continued to fight, finding it harder and harder to do as the medication that was administered took effect. Then everything went black.

  Ethan shot up from his bed breathing harshly, his body trying to bring him back to reality. He opened and closed his eyes quickly, attempting to regain his bearings. He glimpsed down and sighed, noticing his shirt was soaked with sweat. He pushed the covers off and made his way into the bathroom, waving at the sensor to activate the light.

  He took his shirt off and tossed it on the floor, resolving to deal with it in the morning. Walking back to the sink, he turned on the cold water and splashed it on his flushed face. He took a moment to consider his reflection in the mirror, frowning at what he saw. He shook his head and grabbed a nearby towel, drying his face with it. He hung the towel up and padded back to his bed.

  He was intent on going back to sleep but for some reason he just laid there, bringing the covers up to his chest. He never talked to anyone about what he saw at night, not even Abby or Caleb. What if they told someone? Or worse, what if something was wrong with him and that’s why it was happening? Ethan shook that thought away. There was nothing wrong with him. He was like everyone else. Except every time Ethan told himself that, it felt like a lie.

  He had tried to bring it up once, asking Caleb how he slept through the night. His friend thought the question was odd and simply answered that he slept fine. When Ethan further prodded him for information, Caleb stated that he saw nothing and remembered nothing when he woke up. This, of course, did nothing to ease Ethan’s fears.

  When morning came, Ethan felt drained but rose out of bed regardless. He had to make it downstairs for breakfast before his meeting with Hendrick. After showering, he chose a responsible outfit consisting of grey pants that had a black line running down each side, a light blue long sleeved shirt and his slate grey jacket.

  He loved that article of clothing mainly because it not only fit him well but it had pockets and zippers all over it. He always felt confident when he wore it. He laced up his grey and white sneakers and went on his way.

  As he walked into the mess hall, his eyes immediately found Abby sitting with Hadley West of all people. He searched further into the room, trying to find Caleb but was unsuccessful. He swiped his wrist at the beginning of the line, prompting a tray to appear in front of him. He took it and walked down the row of available breakfast options. His eyes perused the various offerings, deciding on fresh fruit, oatmeal and soy milk. He had a big day ahead of him and he didn’t want to over-do it.

  He made his way to Abby’s table and sat down. The girls were involved in what appeared to be a very heated conversation about which eye color went with what hair color. Ethan could only roll his eyes as he bit into his apple. Abby turned to him and smirked.

  “See when a guy has dark hair, it causes his eyes to appear brighter. Like Ethan for example,” she said motioning to the boy. Hadley scoffed. “Ethan is not the norm Abby. Most people with dark hair have dark eyes. That’s the way it’s supposed to be,” she said without realizing how it sounded.

  Ethan frowned at the statement causing the girl to apologize under her breath. “No offense.”

  “Some taken,” he mumbled.

  “She didn’t mean it like that Ethan,” Abby whispered.

  He simply shrugged.

  Abby was the only person who knew how Ethan felt about himself. She knew about his insecurities and never made him feel weird about it. Yet another reason Ethan valued his friendship with her.

  “So, you never came back down last night.” By now Hadley was busy having another incredibly important conversation with someone else. Ethan stared at his oatmeal before answering.

  “I had a fight with Caleb.”

  Abby could see the sadness in his face when he spoke. It had obviously been a bad fight. “Was it about his placement?” she asked before taking a drink of her vegetable juice.

  Ethan shook his head.

  “It was about mine,” he mumbled, still picking at his oats. That response surprised her.

  “Why? Where did you get placed?”

  He sighed before answering, “Technology, Level 1.” He said it so quietly that he wasn’t sure she heard him but judging from the ridiculously big smile on her face he realized she heard him just fine.

  “Seriously? Level 1? That’s amazing Ethan!” He gazed up at her and smiled. It was amazing and it was also nice to have someone be happy for him instead of resenting him.

  “I’m really nervous though,” Ethan said. “What if I’m terrible at it? Or I screw up and accidentally set the building on fire? Or what if-”

  “Calm down Ethan.” She placed her hand on his shoulder. “You’ll do great. I know you will. Besides, they wouldn’t have placed you there unless they thought you could handle it, right?”

  Her soothing words seemed to do the trick and Ethan found himself feeling better. He even gave her a genuine smile which she promptly returned. She was right, he could totally do this. After breakfast and what seemed like a thousand hugs, he ran back upstairs and gathered his personal belongings from his room.

  There really wasn’t much; mostly clothes and a few files. And, of course, his silver chain with the blue stone. It was his most treasured possession. A gift, left for him in his room a few weeks ago, on his sixteenth birthday. It came with no note or indication of its origins but Ethan knew it was special. He admired it, running his fingers over the cerulean stone. He had no idea what it meant. To him it was simply a gift but deep down he knew one day it would mean something. One day he would understand.

  He hid the chain in his bag and gave the room one last glance. Propping his knapsack over his right shoulder, he exited, taking the stairs two at a time. He needed to hurry if he was going to make it to the train station in time. As he rode the train, he kept saying Abby’s words to himself over and over. He opened his welcome letter and stared at it briefly, still somewhat in awe of his placement.

  He was heading to the Technology Sector’s West building, one of the largest and most luxurious skyscrapers in the city. He had no idea what to expect. Would he love it? Or worse, would he hate it? Would they accept him or make him feel inferior? The questions were beginning to make Ethan lightheaded, so he opted for staring out the window instead.

  The train ride wasn’t long and thankfully the stations were not overly crowded that time of day. Once he reached his destination, Ethan walked off the platform and stopped briefly to gaze up at the impressive structure. It was easily one hundred stories tall, smooth like a cylinder and covered completely in shiny glass. It was one of four buildings that belonged to the Sector, each named after the direction they faced.

  It was 8:58am, giving him a further two minutes to calm himself. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. When he opened them, he was met with a tall, dark skinned man with a shaved head staring at him quizzically. He was smartly dressed in black pants that had zipper embellishments, a grey sweater with a black asymmetrical vest on
top with a high collar.

  “Ethan Drake?”

  Ethan gave him a small nod, trying to appear relaxed and unfazed.

  “Good, right on time,” he said motioning to his watch. “I’m Hendrick. Follow me.” Ethan walked alongside Hendrick toward a pair of large silver elevators. As they waited, Ethan took notice of Hendrick’s youthful face and guessed he was only a few years older than him, eighteen at most. That was the average age of a mentor. They were in charge of showing the newly placed students to their housing, their work areas and most importantly they were a source of information for whatever questions the students may have about their new lives.

  Ethan visualized his list of questions and panicked when he realized how many he had. But then again, he was certain all new employees had lots of questions. When the elevator doors opened, Ethan glanced at the panel that housed the floor numbers and widened his eyes when he saw the number seventy-five illuminated.

  “The 75th floor?” Ethan asked dumbly. Hendrick nodded his head.

  “You’re level 1 remember?” he clarified.

  He glanced up at the display that indicated what floors they were passing and was shocked by the speed at which they were passing them. In less than thirty seconds, they were on the 75th floor. Ethan waited for Hendrick to step out first and followed him.

  They walked along a well-lit corridor filled with doors on either side, stopping when they reached 7521. “This is you,” Hendrick said, pointing to the door.

  Ethan stared at it for a second before he swiped his wrist and watched the door slide open. His jaw dropped when he walked inside. The floor was shiny white stone that covered the entire open living space, extending into each room.

  Directly to his right was a large touch screen which controlled the dwelling, from the lighting to what he wanted placed inside the refrigerator. To his left, a long sleek alabaster counter with a rectangular basin and a silver faucet that hooked over the sink like the end of a shepherd’s staff.