Beneath the Light

The inside of the metal door was spotless. It was similar to a homemade spa but instead of sleek wood, the walls and floor were covered by grey unilluminated light panels. There was a layer of thick fiberglass that separated the panels from their feet which was also applied to every surface, including the rectangular seating opposite the door which was good for three.

Ms. Klein handed each of them brochures with simple graphics that used a dark palette. It detailed the process of the treatment with cheer and uplifting phrases such as 'Happy Days are Ahead!' and 'For Better Living!'. If they hadn't known any better, the aide probably wrote it herself.

Ms. Klein, still equipped with her night vision goggles, walked around the room with big hand gestures, pointing at walls and floor, "We provided every Fellden residence with this room. We've taken your race's sensitivity to light into consideration and built this for possible treatment. We're not saying this trait you endure is in any case a sickness. Oh, no, no, no. We simply wish to convey that the option is right in your home."

"What exactly is this?" Abigail furrowed her brows as she brushed her fingers across the light panels on the wall.

"A possibility! What we offer— should you choose or choose not to use it— is the chance at a day; a day where you no longer feel the need to be constrained by your suits and have no need to fear the sun!" Ms. Klein proudly pounced as if she waited for the question. She skittered to the panel beside the metal door like a child excited to show off what was found in the backyard. She pointed to the fist-sized dial and the small screen above it. "With the turn of the knob, you can set the intensity of light to which you are most comfortable with. The lux counter will enumerate the current intensity."

"I don't want Fletcher going into this room by mistake." Abigail shook her head. "Can we keep this room locked for good?"

"Don't you worry, Mrs. Rowe." Ms. Klein went to the door and showed two retinal scanners on the front and the back. "Using either scanner requires residents over eighteen and yours truly. Rest assured, young Fletcher here won't open this door."

"I don't know… It still sounds dangerous." Jonathan's suit churned as he crossed his arms. He had his reservations but he couldn't stave off his curiosity. "Have any of us actually used this room?"

"Jonathan!" Abigail pulled on his elbow.

"I'm not thinking about— I'm just asking, okay?" Jonathan reassured her as he placed his hand over hers.

"In two months, this room has been used a total of eleven times since the project started. I gladly report that there were no incidents nor casualties. I'd say time will be needed to see the results."

"Is this really safe?" Abigail asked.

"I'd recommend the lowest setting for the first month then go from there but-" Ms. Klein pointed to the panel again but to a red button above the lux counter. "I pray the need doesn't arise but this is a failsafe. Press this and everything will shut down and the door will open. But really. As long as you follow the procedure, everything will be more than fine."

-----

Mori Industries was one of the richest conglomerates in the world. They were incognito no more since The War's end for transparency in the name of good faith to the other races. They had interests in everything and dipped into whatever was a percent of profit was worth chasing. Aside from trains, induction stoves, and armored buses, they also delved into plush toys specifically in their own image of the Alui race complete with fox ears and tails.

A week of reading the binders of files and adjusting to their new home passed. Jonathan and Abigail arrived at the spacious cafeteria of Mori Industries where they worked. They were glad to see each other again. Though they were both assigned to cleaning tools and vehicles, they were placed in different crews on opposite ends of the vast building which was embedded beside a mountain.

Jonathan was one of the better miners back in Asrora but cleaning duty was the job the newly immigrated Fellden were given. He didn't like it but the impact of currency above the soil was far greater than below.

Before Jonathan could speak, Abigail handed him a metal tray and tugged him to the lunch line. She was a tailor and it wasn't exactly an option anymore given their prescribed outfits. Unlike her partner, she hated cleaning duty and she was famished.

A grey female Hopsch, who wore a yellow scarf and a blue cafeteria uniform, manned the lunch line. Unlike other races, the Fellden were familiar with them. There were many times when a Hopsch burrowed too deep or a Fellden dug too high. Unlike the hurried scoop and splat, she carefully ladled food onto the tray as if handling a ticking bomb. But as soon as she noticed the female Fellden cross-armed, she realized another fuse would be lit if she didn't pick up the pace.

"What Burrow are you from?" Abigail leaned in. Her stare cut through her dark visor.

"T-T-Tailwug, ma'am," the Hopsch replied meekly. Drops of sauce escaped as her ladle quivered.

"Right. So. When meal time takes half your day, does that mean you eat a lot or do you always take this long to prepare food which has already been cooked?"

Jonathan stayed quiet behind her. He understood that silence was an efficient defense though an imperfect one when in the line of fire. Buried recollections resurfaced and he shuddered. He hoped the best for the Hopsch.

The Hopsch hurried as if chased by a wolf and even slid a hefty clamp of sauerkraut on the side. The metal utensils clattered like a laundromat during an earthquake. With caution, she handed Abigail the food tray. "H-Have a nice day, m-ma'am!"

Jonathan did his best effort to appear as friendly and as unhurried as can be for the Hopsch's sake but even his warm smile was masked by his helmet.

"We have another problem, Jonathan."

"Another? What do you— Oh."

The cafeteria was like a sunny beach with metallic tables and benches. It was curtainless and without tint. The clear grand windows invited generous amounts of sunlight in.

Abigail stared at her tray. The centerpiece was marinated roast beef called sauerbraten. Accompanying the tender meat were potato dumplings molded to perfection and haystack of fermented cabbage thanks to the intimidated Hopsch. She could smell the food through her helmet's vents and fantasized how they tasted. Her hand bluntly hit her helmet when she tried to wipe her drool. Every bit of the moment tortured her culinary curiosity.

"Hello, friends!" A man's perky voice came from behind the couple. His eyes seemed to smile from within his helmet.

Abigail almost slammed her tray against the man's throat. Hand still clamped on the edge of her tray, she recalled her defensive instinct. She eyed the Fellden man who kept waving his hand as if he was in a noontime beauty pageant. She had to ask, "Are you crazy?"

"Whoa! Almost spilled your food there!" The man chuckled. He crossed his forearms then waved in rejection. "And nope! No crazy here. Came here give you both a warm welcome, a quick introduction— name's Theo— and to fill your bellies."

"Fill my what now?" Jonathan barely got hold of Theo's speedy ramble.

"Bellies, man!" Theo squinted as he pointed to a metal door at the far end of the cafeteria labeled: Fellden Lunch Room. He grabbed his food tray from the table nearby. "Come with me, folks."

Jonathan and Abigail were weirded out but there really wasn't any other choice. As the three made their way across the cafeteria, some people decided to let their thoughts be well heard.

"Just because they can't handle some sunshine, they have their own lunch room? Pfft."

"Goddamn worms should've stayed underground."

"We were gutting each other and now we're having lunch together. Ridiculous."

"Go on and crawl back to your caves."

Theo shook his head but kept a questionable air of joy around him. "My, my. Everyone's so energetic in the morning!"

"It's noon, jackass," a grumpy man commented before he returned to blowing his soup.

Jonathan leaned in behind Theo's shoulder. He whispered, "I wouldn't call these guys energe—"

"Just leave it, Jonathan, and walk faster." Abigail pulled her husband back. "Please. I could eat a golem or two this instant."

"Don't you love it?" Theo, either unfazed or simply ignorant, was all smiles. Even if another war came, it wouldn't make a dent on his day. "Morning, afternoon, evening— Back in the dark, we didn't even know what a day was!"

Through the metal door was a small space and another door. Once Jonathan closed the first door, Theo opened the next one. There were no lights but all of them could see perfectly. The room was a fifth of the cafeteria's size and many Fellden had their helmets taken off for lunch.

Jonathan felt ecstatic. He placed his tray on the nearest free table and removed his helmet too. He gasped for air. "Finally. It felt like I was working underwater this whole time."

Abigail did the same but went straight for the food. She forked a piece of sauerbraten and shoved it in her mouth. It was her first bite of savory meat and she relished it so. "This is so different, so tasty, and so much juicier than bugs. Sit down and eat, Jonathan. If we went above ground just for this, I wouldn't mind it at all."

Before Jonathan could have a bite, Theo extended an open hand towards them. The two, meat hanging in their open jaws, were dumbfounded on what to do.

"It's a gesture these humans do." Theo smiled and didn't seem to understand their eagerness to taste the food. He pushed on, "It means 'Hello' or when we agree on something. And I'd like to agree that it was a pleasure meeting you both."

Jonathan looked at Abigail for an answer but she left him to bury her face in the potato dumplings. Seeing how it might be rude to leave Theo's hand in the air, he simply followed the gesture and the two shook hands, which Theo did most of the shaking.

"There we go!" Theo finally released Jonathan's hand which quickly found its way back to the fork, to the meat, then to his mouth.

"Oh god." Jonathan moaned. He now had a dilemma. He couldn't decide which moment was better: seeing the sun for the first time or the explosion of flavor in his mouth. "Why did we ever settle on steamed centipede?"

Centipedes were one of the delicacies of the Fellden. In Asrora, centipede farms were a lucrative business. The insects would grow up to five feet in length where one segment would be enough to feed a family of four for a day.

"Pretty good, huh?" Theo sliced the meat with his knife as he spoke. "I work in the recycling station and—"

"For crying out loud, let the two eat in peace." An older Fellden man, seated with three others, barked from the table across them. The rough lines on his face contrasted his long ponytailed sleek silver hair. "And you should stuff your mouth too while you're at it. I'm getting tired of your human-loving act."

"This again, Heath?" Theo set his utensils down. He leaned forward to the older man. For the first time since the couple met him, his eyes frowned. "I'm trying to fit in. What's wrong with that? Isn't that why we were brought here? We are the pillars of Fellden's future here."

Heath almost sprained his stomach from laughter. He wiped the tear from his eye with his thumb. "P-Pillars of… The humans just don't have enough workers to do the labor they hate. They're lazier than a rock. Stop saying senseless things to the newcomers."

Heath turned to Jonathan, who was distracted by the conversation. "Best thing I can tell you new folks is to keep to yourself. It's a long steam. You gotta wait it out."

Jonathan nodded. It was the only thing he could do. He didn't want to get into their scuffle and just wanted another bite of his food.

Theo brushed him off and turned his attention back to his tray. After a bite, he spoke to the couple with a sigh. "Sorry about talking like that all of a sudden... Heath's just one of many pessimists here."

"It's perfectly fine." Jonathan's voice was muffled by the ball of cabbage in his mouth. He wiped all the sauces off his mouth and continued, "Of course, we understand you too. We want this to work. We came here with our son. His name's Fletcher."

"Is that so?" Theo's smile came back. "That's good. Real good. He'll be a pioneer of the future. I'm sure of it."

Abigail didn't listen to anything that transpired, not even Theo and Heath's brief tirade. She couldn't care at the time. She looked at her empty tray then back at Jonathan. "We're gonna get fat here, Jonathan."

-----

Not far from the apartment, Fletcher walked down a street by the complex. Dressed in his protective suit, he kicked a small rock and simply followed its destination. There wasn't anything to do in the apartment. He was done with his self-study material and he had checked every nook and cranny of the place in the first two days except the Light Treatment Room. His mother would be furious if he did and that was what scared him the most.

As the rock pulled him along, something hit his feet. It was a ball patterned in black and white. He picked it up and lifted it to his face. He examined it slowly and only after a few seconds did he notice the three children staring at him. He took a small step forward and asked, "Can I—"

"What were you thinking of kicking it to that Fellden!?" One of the children shouted at the other. He stormed off and shouted, "It was a new ball too!"

Fletcher watched as the other two scampered towards their furious friend. Ball on his hands, he found himself alone on that empty street. He was unsure of what to do or what to feel. He set the ball down by the sidewalk then kicked his stone once again.

There's a saying in Fellden custom which says 'by the will of the rock'. It didn't include strings of the gods but simply meant that whatever happens happens. And literally by the stone Fletcher kicked, it led him to a wooden store shed. It looked out of place among the concrete buildings and houses around. The beige wooden beams that held it were thick. Above the tinted closed sliding glass doors was a carved wooden sign which bluntly read Store.

Fletcher glanced at his surroundings. He thought it was odd no one was around that afternoon but curiosity overtook his caution. He slid the door open and a bell chimed as he went in.

'I don't know why or how I ended up there and to this day, I'm still not sure whether going in that store was the beginning of when things changed. In any case, name a store like that and you have any curious case like me hook, line, and sinker.'

The store had a simple charm. The dimly-lit interior fashioned the same beige wood as did the shelves which held a variety of items. Above Fletcher was a tinted sunroof though it had a lesser shade than his helmet visor. To the right, there were fruit, bread, and other food items. To the left, there were small toys, candy, and other knick-knacks like porcelain bells and magnets.

Of course, Fletcher veered to the left side of the store. His silver eyes glowed as he held and studied the many trinkets. Eventually, he made it to the front counter where the light from the sunroof wasn't as strong. While peering through a tall glass bottle full of candy drops, he saw a glint of something on the other side of the glass. It was a warped red eye.

Surprised, Fletcher gasped then took a step back and nudged the shelf behind. He was ready to bolt when a Fellden woman moved away from the glass candy jar.

"Didn't mean to startle you." The young woman's voice was sultry. She ruffled her short silver hair before resting her arms over the counter. Her lazy red eyes turned to her lone customer. "You're like a cat. Ever seen one of those yet? They're these little furry animals that move very quietly."

Fletcher was at a loss of words. He wasn't captivated by the woman's beauty nor her unusual red eyes. He thought it was unimaginable but there she was without a helmet. Bothered by a scratching sound, he snapped out of the trance. He finally found his voice and asked, "A-Are you okay? And what was that sound?"

"Just mice. Silly, yummy things." The woman smiled. She took off one glove in one sleek pull and crept it towards the light from the sunroof. She held it there for ten seconds until her skin began to sizzle softly. She pulled her hand back and wore her glove. As she rubbed the burning sensation away, she spoke, "What a sight, huh? That's a year above the soil for you. Well, I'm all out of tricks. I'm Dana from Lithrin and I manage this little shop."

"F-Fletcher… Fletcher Rowe." Fletcher returned to the counter though still a little wary. "I don't mean to be rude but what about your eyes?"

"What a sweet boy." Dana opened the glass candy jar. She rummaged through the pile of candy as if searching for a specific one. "Had them ever since I was born. It's a Fellden condition or rarity. Just like everything else, depends on how you see it."

'Seeing Dana, that was the first time I thought it was possible… To actually live here… To have that sense of a normal life… Whatever that meant.'

Dana had found what she was looking for in the jar. The candy had a glossy red wrapper with no brand. She placed the piece of candy on Fletcher's palm. "Here you go, curious cat. You aren't used to the light yet so don't eat it until you get home."

Like everything else he'd seen that day, Fletcher examined the candy closely. His eyes shot back up to the woman. "Is this okay?"

"Oh, Fletcher. Trust me. It will be."

The bell chimed as the young boy left the store. Dana stood as still as a mannequin. Even as the dusk light crept closer to her, she didn't move. She couldn't contain the overwhelming feeling of serendipity like a torrent within her. She peeked below at the table behind the counter. Hidden from a customer's eye were hundreds of slashes and tiny jabbed holes across the wooden plank. In the center of the markings and splinters was a curved jagged dagger with a tattered leather hilt. At the base of the hilt, there was a monogram of an encircled letter 'M' that was etched in gold long faded.

Dana reached for the dagger but then retreated her hand. She knew it would be foolish to touch the dagger now. "Got you excited too, eh?"