MONO-GLOBE (Chapter 4)
( Please see Chapters 1–3 in my list of stories )
“I’m glad you haven’t been called up yet Tela,” Dev was saying as he put away his NanoPod, after a long work day in the NanoMagnetics Lab. Dev and his coworkers were exploring kinetic energy at the speed of light. This is what Tela had pictured herself doing. As a matter of fact, Tela, Dev, and Finnis, had agreed to put this on their “Source Point” list in hopes that they would all get the same assignment.
Now, three years later, Dev was working on thrilling new developments, and Finnis had already moved up to second place in the HydroPower Energy field and was sure to be first within a year or two.
“I feel useless,” Tela thought to herself, but didn’t say it out loud. She didn’t want her sector mates, her closest friends, to know her true feelings. Even though Synapse was recording these thoughts, she knew they were only for her own private use.
“Dorian wants to talk to me again,” Tela was saying to Dev. She was hopeful that maybe this time she would get her first real Assignment. If it wasn’t for her writing and the books, she thought she might have had to report herself as temporarily “ill-minded.” She knew this would only put off her assignment even longer.
“You know it’s for your own safety Tela.” Dev said.
“There hasn’t been a Scanner called up for Assignment for over a hundred years. Only three in the last five hundred years, and none, in the history of Scanners, have been female.” He paused here for a moment before saying anything else.
“Tela, no Scanner has ever come back. I don’t want you to go, and I’m sure Orator Dorian is just trying to be cautious.”
“I’m tired of caution. I’m tired of waiting. I have to go soon Dev. I have to!”
Dev looked at her sadly, his face was like porcelain and his dark blue eyes seemed deeper than the ocean. She knew her friends were worried about her. Dev and Finnis knew her better than anyone in Mono-Globe.
Dev knew she couldn’t wait much longer. The waiting was starting to show. She had always been strong and beautiful. Her slender lithe body moved with a fluidity and lightness that made her look like a ballet dancer. Her thick dark hair had always been combed neatly into a braid that fell to the middle of her back.
Lately though, she had lost weight, and although she was still graceful in her movements, she seemed unfocused. She had continued her visits to the sector 5 holographic studio, where she would climb high walls and run up and down hills until she was exhausted. But Dev and Finnis had both noticed a big change. She was very thin, and her hair looked like she had slept on it for days and never combed it. She was gone most of the time, but they both knew where she was. The “Tomb” was the only place she went, other than the Great Hall for meals, and most of those she had skipped lately.
“I have to go Dev, or I’ll be late for my meeting with Dorian.” She reached up and laid her hand on the side of his face and looked deeply into his beautiful eyes. “Please don’t worry about me Dev. I’m ready, and I’m not afraid. I don’t know why, but I’m not afraid.”
Dev reached up and laid his hand on the side of her face and placed his forehead against hers. This was the traditional way of saying hello or goodbye to a dear one. “I don’t want you to go Tela, but for your sake, I hope Dorian says something you want to hear.”
“Thank you Dev. I will meet you later in the Great Hall for dinner.” Tela turned and stepped to the door that slide open on it’s own. “Orator Hall,” she said as she stepped into the transport shute, and the door slide shut.
Orator Dorian laid his hand along the side of Tela’s face.
“It is so good to see you again Tela.” Tela bowed at the waist with her hands together, as was custom when greeting an elder.
“It is time Tela. You are Assigned and you will prepare to leave very soon.”
Tela’s heart skipped a beat and she was full of joy and trepidation at the same time. She hadn’t really lied to Dev, she was ready to go, but there was a feeling of uncertain apprehension she couldn’t completely ignore. She was finally on her way, but where was she going?
