The World We Once Knew Read online

  Addie shuffled out of her tent and was immediately greeted with Quinta's back illuminated with a bright light that hung over her head. Staring as she passed by, Addie watched Quinta glance all around without much direction from her side. Giving a little wave, she slowly dropped her hand when she realized that Quinta didn't acknowledge her. It wasn't until Addie stepped into the middle room did she realize why. Quickly, she was hooked up in the same fashion as Quinta and left alone. Only she did not look as confident or as stone faced as Quinta, in fact she panted out in a nervous manner with her hands gripped on the side rails of the treadmill.

  Dane's nurse inhaled a deep breath once she was given the cue and held her and out towards the exit, “You may go out now for room three.” she explained.

  Dane looked at her for a prolonged moment as he really didn't feel capable now to do anything. He knew he had no choice but to do what they asked and to give his best efforts. The moment Dane stood up, the room spun and he grew nauseous. The nurse's gaze watched over him as he steadied himself twice before he was right on his feet and exited the room.

  He witnessed both Quinta and Addie on a treadmill and ready to go. They didn't seem to recognize the anything that occurred around the mirror enclosed space. Personnel wandered around to watch them from all sides while others measured their base heart rates and stress levels. Once inside his own “homey” box, Dane blew out and hung his head once he was hooked up, monitored, and left alone. He kept repeating to himself that he could do this even though he knew that was a gross understatement.

  The General watched the three of them stare around aimlessly for a few moments before he flicked on the microphone and his voice filtered through the room. Addie was the only one to look up and around.

  “This will be an endurance test that will last an hour. There will be different increments of speed from walking, to jogging, and running done at random. We will be monitoring your breathing, heart rates, and stress. Now, place your feet on the belt and begin.” He said as he set the knob to one.

  A loud buzzer went off to which Dane's stomach sank. He continued to try and stay positive. An hour, he could do an hour especially since he feared that they'd have to go much longer. The treadmill started to a nice walking pace for the three of them but it wasn't long before the General intended to turn the knobs up until the dial read five.

  Without any inclination of knowing what was going on with the siblings, Quinta zoned out once the belt began to move. She stared at her face most of the time with thoughts about the family she no longer had. Especially the one who shared the exact same features she did. All of them, gone. Stolen from her days apart from one another. She missed them.

  Within thirty minutes, Dane was at a full sprint. His well-kept and fit body did its job while he pushed himself to the limit. His feet fell heavily on the wild belt that spun without remorse. All he could see was his own sweaty, red, and sickly exhausted features in the mirror ahead of him. His readings were showing abnormally high levels of stress, his heart was working far too hard, and overall he began to look like the weakest in the chain when it came to subjects one and two.

  Dane's head started to cloud and felt his vision close in on him. With his legs going weak, he gripped the side handles at the last minute to catch himself. The rubber of his shoes burned with friction while they skidded against the belt. This was the only thing that saved him from flying off. In a panic, an attendant quickly turned the knob to zero and everyone watched him with thoughts that he'd have to be put down. As the belt slowed, Dane's arms gave in and he slid off and onto the floor. Panting, he rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand. His heartbeat pulsed through his head and he could feel pressure and a tingled sensation through the cold tips of his fingers and toes.

  A click sounded in the room and he was greeted with the General's cold voice, “Can you continue?”

  Even he noticed that subject three had top results in speed and stamina only to crumble far too quickly.

  A surge of fear washed over Dane's body. He thought about possibly being left behind from Addie and Quinta. Even worse, not let in at all. He knew he could easily be a liability to the sanctuary and denied entry but of course this was just his knowledge based on rumors. On his hands and knees with his head turned downward, Dane nodded to answer. As he tried to catch his breath, he got back to his feet, and pushed himself on to finish the hour. Though, for safety precautions, the dial stayed at a three until the end.

  While Dane persevered, Quinta was at a steady jog which was a break from the three-minute sprint she just endured. Inhaling through her nose and out of her mouth, her body was slicked with sweat, heated, and her muscles burned. Yet she kept on, she had to for her memories and for the promise she made less than twenty-four hours before.

  Addie did her best. She was worn out much alike to her brother by the time she made it half way in. Gasping and panting, she'd stumble here and there from time to time because her mind truly wasn't into the situation. Her head constantly turned to the left where her brother should be in hopes to somehow gain x-ray vision and see how he was. Yet she couldn't, all she saw was herself while she walked at a slower pace to catch her breath. Flashes of Dane's eyes earlier ran through her mind. Though she tried to stay positive and upbeat in their everyday encounters, she'd be lying if she didn't admit that every waking moment haunted her.

  Those could have been her last with him.

  After finishing the run and a secondary full body inspection it was obvious now that Dane was gradually failing. His exertion only exacerbated his illness many times over. The mental evaluation found he was the most exhausted and drained that he'd felt in a while. He gave the analyst a somewhat distant and wavered stare while the man asked even more questions than before. Reasonably, Dane's gaze was slow to lock on and focus on him for the fact that he saw three silhouettes in his vision. From time to time, the visions morphed back and forth from one man to many while his view faded in and out.

  Once again, the analyst repeated himself, “How do you view your will to live?” he asked for the third time.

  This was procedure, when one subject tended to lack what the others had they were quickly brought in for more testing, questions, and evaluations to see what state they were in. Dane was seemingly in a grave one.

  Dane squinted his eyes with a crinkle in his brow, “W-what?” He asked in a groggy tone.

  Pushing his forehead into his palm, Dane asked once again with persistence. This was a request that the former official seemed to disregard or forget.

  “Can I please...have my medication? Please.”

  With a skeptical look over Dane, he buzzed in a request on subject three about medication. Soon, there was a response that medication was noted in Dane's file and the request had simply not been fulfilled. Within a long five-minute span for Dane, one which dragged on for what seemed like forever, he was finally given two pills. Grabbing them primitively out of the analyst's hands, he pushed them into his mouth with a groan and swallowed them dry. He didn't see the cup of water held in the man's other hand.

  Right now, Dane hardly cared about his conduct. He placed his head down on the table, and waited for the effects to take. Setting the cup of water down in front of his face, the analyst watched him with a flicker of human sympathy that broke through.

  “I am sorry.” he murmured in an unprofessional apology.

  Even though he and everyone else on the outer walls were part of a mandated procedure, it was necessary. Lately, they seemed to have lost all sense of care for the ones who entered and treated them like animals until they proved to be human. The system was flawed and needed a revision.

  After twenty minutes, Dane raised his head and appeared to be coherent and oddly back to normal. He was both relieved and frustrated with this place and their people and although this tall individual didn't say, his eyes showed exactly how he felt. Dane looked right at the analyst who gave him the unfortunate news but his voice was as gentle as possible.
/>   “Because of the compromising nature of your previous state your tests will have to be redone. After another blood test, you will be given food so don't worry about that. Then another physical exam will follow but only for thirty minutes this time since you've already gone an hour. Afterwards you will return to me.” He said. He watched Dane's unimpressed, tired features and could tell that he silently festered in his anger, “I will be the last test and then you can shower up and go back to sleep. How does that sound...” He paused. Turning the page over in his folder, he checked for a name, “Dane?” he asked as he looked to him.

  Dane gave a bitter nod, all he wanted to do was leave this shit hole but tests had to be run and obviously this man hadn't done anything wrong.

  The man then shut the folder before he lent a half smile, “Good, Dane. Then please wait here while we set up and I will come back for you.” he said while he turned his back and left.

  Sitting at a table inside her designated area, Quinta held a chilled cup of water in her hands. Tapping her fingers against the wooden surface, her light brown eyes glanced from one guard to the other and back again. After the stamina test and physical, she had waited a full hour with cheese and crackers before her nurse returned with her chart in hand.

  She spoke to Quinta in a calm, uplifting voice, “Miss Patterson, so far so good on your vitals. We will have the results of your blood tests by this afternoon and right now we're finished. If you would follow me, I will lead you to the showers and afterwards you'll be allowed to sleep.” She said with a smile.

  Quinta grabbed one last nibble before she stood up and followed the woman from the room with the guards right behind her. In an instant, Addie's arms wrapped around her shoulders and brought her into a tight embrace. Quinta shoved the rest of the cracker in her mouth before she hugged the young and obviously nervous girl in her arms. Thinking that they were going for Dane next, instead they bypassed his area altogether and exited to the hall. Stopping short, Addie shook her head quickly.

  Fear bubbled in her stomach and clouded her brain as she blinked back tears that appeared in an instant, “W-what about my brother?” She asked.

  The nurse turned to face them to see Quinta with her arms crossed and Addie's panicked expression which urged for an answer, “Your brother has a few more tests to run. I'm sure he will join you shortly. Come along please.” She answered.

  Addie's glossy eyes only looked from Quinta before they turned back to the nurse, “M-more tests? C-can I see him please?” She questioned.

  Quinta lowered her head to the floor for a moment before she looked up at the nurse.

  Without even a glance back, the nurse continued, “This way.” She stated in a curt manner and ignored Addie's request altogether.

  Addie stared back at Dane's tent flap again before she felt the butt of a guard's gun push her forward. Quinta's eyes slanted slightly before she reached out and grabbed Addie's arm. Pulling her along, Addie began to take deep breaths and the tears broke through the barrier. It was obvious that the lack of sleep, testing, and the unknown status of Dane's current situation was too much for her at one time. Quinta held her close until they were forced apart once again to shower in separate stalls.

  Watching Addie wipe the back of her hand against her eyes repeatedly, Quinta wet her lips, “Me goin to be right back for yuh. Wash up.” She said.

  Nodding her head, Addie did as she was told and within a half an hour both women were clean, in fresh clothes, and back within their sleeping quarters; without Dane. Quinta sat on the edge of her cot with her hands over her face. Addie laid beside her with her knuckles were pressed to her mouth as she stared at Dane's empty bed across the way.

  Soon Quinta's face blocked her view while laid on her side with her arms tucked beneath her head, “We should get some sleep.” Quinta whispered as she gently brushed Addie's damp hair from her face.

  Swallowing tightly, Addie huffed out as another tear slipped from the corner of her eyes and onto the pillow, “Do you think he's dead?” She asked in a voice hardly over a whisper.

  Quinta's stomach sank at that question as she glanced down towards the glass wall. The room that monitored them was blacked out other than the glow of the computer screens that illuminated their faces. That, in turn, showed the reaction of Addie's question in the form of concern.

  Once again Quinta's eyes narrowed before she shook her head and met with Addie's blue eyes, “Let's not tink bout dat right now. If dere was sometin’ wrong, me sure dey would tell us. Come now. Me tired, your tired, yuh can sleep 'ere with me. Okay?” She asked with a diversion.

  Addie's mouth turned downwards, her eyes closed, and she nodded her head quickly. She wanted to forget, she didn't want to feel anymore, and the only way that would happen now was with sleep. Quinta pet along Addie's hair softly until her breath evened out and she slipped away. A light snore from her nose confirmed it to which Quinta slowly pulled her hand away and rolled onto her back. She couldn't sleep, and she wouldn't sleep not until Dane was with them again so that her own mind and heart could be at ease

  Going through a repeated blood test, Dane was in better health than he was an hour ago, but even he had to admit six vials in one day was a bit too much. It felt good to eat after so long being that he passed his physical exam with flying colors compared to before. A sweaty sheen coated his body as he sat there and waited for the psychiatric test to begin. Of course, due to his illness they decided to probe into his mindset further. Being an hour and half later, the man from before looked utterly bored and exhausted when he finally entered the room. Sitting in front of Dane, the analyst looked to his notes at the few but simple and deep questions.

  “It's nice to see you back. Are you ready?” He asked as he tapped the pen on the side of the clipboard. Dane took a sip of his water and nodded, “Alright. How do you view your will to live?” The man jumped right in.

  Dane cleared her throat to buy him time as he tried to find a way to word himself, “I have to but I know I can't forever. Next question please.”

  Nodding, the analyst wrote down what Dane said and continued, “What is the first word that comes to mind when I say 'freedom'?” He questioned as he rubbed his fingers across his balding head.

  Dane was quick to answer, “Sanctuary.”

  Nodding again, the next question followed, “You encounter a woman out on your travels. She is pleading for help but looks sickly. She also has a noticeable bump on her stomach. What would you do?”

  Dane's brows tucked together as he thought about it. His first inclination was that she was pregnant though the fact that she was sick bothered him. He thought about helping her but also about his own safety, and if Addie was with him then the answer came to him naturally.

  “I would keep my distance but ask her to explain what was wrong but I would not put myself in danger.” He replied.

  Scribbling down Dane's answer, he only had two questions left of which they would explain at the end of their stay if allowed in, “You're living in the sector and your neighbor, of whom you know has wasted his ration cards, is carting stolen food into his home at night. What do you do?”

  Dane knew these kinds of loaded questions. Reasonably he would think there was a good reason to steal. The person could have many people that lived with him or he could be unable to earn what he should.

  Regardless, Dane instead gave the answer he knew they wanted, “Report to authorities.” He stated.

  The analyst nodded in approval before he let out a strained sigh, “And lastly, why do you think this has happened to humanity?”

  Dane had thought about this in his own time many times over. He heard tales and stories here and there but there was not a thing natural about this. To him humanity fucked itself over and greed had gotten the best of the world. He had the memories to prove it.

  With that, he answered in a single word, “Ambition.”

  The analyst paused and stared up at Dane for a moment before he abruptly ended the session. Standing
from his seat, he waved Dane along who followed and was followed by his set of guards out of the tent.

  The man looked back and up at Dane, “Thank you. Leave out the door to the right. Personnel will lead you to the showers, then hand you more food, and send you to your room. Goodnight.”

  Breaking away, Dane was relieved to finally go back because he was eager to see his sister and Quinta. This also meant that he was in the clear. He took another handful of cheese and crackers the women behind a desk handed him and did away with them quickly.

  Before Dane returned, Quinta slipped in from a restless sleep to being awake for the last two hours. She kept lifting her head to try and see if Dane had returned but each time nothing. Now she had grown sick with thoughts of possibly having to break the news to Addie when she woke up. Laying on her side with her back to the young girl that snoozed away, Quinta's eyes fell shut only for them to snap open in what felt to be a second; in actuality, it had been close to a half hour.

  Dane returned to the end of the dark hall where their room was. Once the door slid open, his silhouette stood in the doorway of the blackened room. That familiar and tall figure entered the room and made a beeline for the cot. His gaze settled on those two with affection and comfort as he knelt by the bed they shared. Unable to see their faces in the light, they looked to be asleep which was a shame but he knew they needed their rest either way.

  Speaking in a hushed tone, he rested a hand on Addie's temple gently, “I'm sorry I took so long.”

  Quinta blinked drowsily up at him as he crouched down, reached over her body, and touched Addie. Confirming it was him by the sound of his voice, Quinta groaned as she pushed herself onto her elbow; her body brushing against his arm.

  She stared at the shadowed features of his face before she blew out, “Yuh good? Dey kept yuh a long time. We were worried dat sometin happened.” She whispered to not wake Addie.

  Pausing, Dane stared back at Quinta with a wide smile on his face. The first in what seemed to be an eternity. He was positively elated to see them again because he knew that they'd worry, at least he knew Addie would have.