Mundane

"First and foremost, I'd like to welcome you to The White Arc!" said a holographic woman with glittering teeth and eyebrows. Nadine sat in the cushioned seat near Lizard's bed with her legs crossed and her hands in her lap, a bored expression weighing down her delicate features. Apparently by 'personally explain', she meant, play a recording.

 In her defense, however, Lizard hadn't been very receptive to anything Nadine had to say.

"By now you probably feel like a stranger in a foreign land, or like you're very far away from home. In truth, your physical self has been here, on the White Arc, since before the distruction of Earth Seven! That makes you atleast sixty-three thousand, eight hundred and eighty nine! That's almost  sixty-four times the average lifespan of the citizens of the White Arc! But I'm getting ahead of myself-"

"Pause," Lizard comanded, making the hologram freeze. Her skin was crawling, her chest felt tight as if there was a weight wrapped around her lungs, squeezing them closed.

Nadine sighed.

"I know this is difficult to take in all at once, but prolonging things won't help you. Let's just get through the clip, and I'll answer any questions you have at the end," Nadine touched a screen hovering beside the side of the bed and a fluid entered Lizard's veins, making her completely calm again. "Continue!"

At Nadine's comand, the hologram unfroze.

"Let's start with a simple comparison. Your physical self, versus the self you've known for millenia."

The woman disappeared and a holographic image of a room full of pods like the one Lizard had broken out of shown on the left side of her bed, and an image of a beautiful landscape, that Lizard didn't recognize, shown on her right.

"While your body was perfectly perserved in a place like the image on the left, your mind, or even your consciousness, was free to run rampant in a place like the image on the right."

Lizard scoffed. Add some blown up shit in the background and maybe that image might resemble what she knew as home.

"That place on the right is known as the Gold Week Program, which you probably already knew. What you may not have known, is that the Gold Week Program functions primarily in your mind. What a fun and clever way to-"

"Pause" said Nadine, halting the hologram. "Forward,"

She glanced at Lizard's confused expression and said, "A Moderator and I will give you a tour a little later and give you some more information on that. I want to skip to the pregnancy."

As Lizard understood it, she was nine months pregnant and a small form of a human, would be bursting out of her vagina soon. She'd seen cows and pigs give birth, but she couldn't help but to have the image of a miniature child rolling out of her twat, guns blazing.

The nurses kept her confined to this one white room, and scanned her damn near every two minutes. She should be going into labour any minute, or so they say.

"If you're watching this part of the video, congradulations! You are about to give birth to a member of the first generation of Eve's Kiss. You probably heard the announcement made by Mod K and Mod Renee, but, unless you are a Red Eden player, you don't know how the system operates, or about Adams and Eves. You, a pregnant female, are an Eve, which means an anonymous Red Eden player has chosen you to bear their child. Don't worry, no sexual contact occured."

The way the hologram chuckled when she said 'don't worry' made Lizard irrationally irritated.

"The process is totally safe, and most Eves, as well as Adams, have produced children without ever knowing it. However, Eve's Kiss does have one minor flaw."

There was a dramatic pause.

"No less than 26% of the Eve's that have died in the Gold Week Program during pregnancy have awakened in their pods. Our incredible bio-engineers are searching for a solution as we speak, but for the time being, enjoy the peaceful utopia that is the White Arc."

"Pause," said Lizard, "I've seen enough."

She'd heard enough of peaceful utopia's back home. She wasn't interested then, she's not interested now, and she didn't appreciate her body being used as an incubater for some random persons child.

 "I decide when you've seen enough," said Nadine, but she called for two guards anyway. "If you have any questions, wait until the end of the tour to ask them."

Lizard thought she could ask questions at the end of the clip....

Nadine tapped her screen a few times, and Lizard's bed lifted off the bed rails, then folded into a chair. Her arms were cuffed to the armrests with puddy-colored bands.

The tour was long, boring, and Lizard learned nothing that Nadine hadn't said a dozen or so times before deciding to play the video, except one rule: the twenty six percent were never to meet. That was fine with Lizard.  

The presence of the heavily armed guards made Lizard increasingly suspicious.

"What are they for?" she asked, flicking her head to point.

"My protection."

"Why? Do I have a reason to hurt you?" asked Lizard raising a brow.

Nadine looked over her shoulder, her beads swinging, and gave Lizard a stern look.

"Let's narrow the inquiries down to things that are Gold Week and White Arc related."

"Ok, what's the point of making us have children? Why did it take so long to create Eve's Kiss? And what happens to our physical forms when we die?"

"To answer the first question, no one is making anyone do anything. It's simply an option for those who have earned it. Obviously the adoption tool is still an option. And second, our programmers, bioengeneers and historians all worked very hard to make Eve's Kiss possible for this ancient program. Don't Mock their efforts. Third, that's just it. You die."

"Ok, then why are we kept alive in stasis for so long if you're just going to let us-"

"WELL that's enough of the questions. It's time for you to return to your room, a doctor will be with you shortly. Just know this. Every descision made for the Gold Week Program is for the good of The Arc, and the future of humankind."

...

Before the pretty, brown-eyed doctor put her to sleep, she asked her if she wanted to see the baby before he was put in the incubator. Lizard said no. She woke up a month later, totally healed, in hay colored scrubs.

The first job she tried was patching. Apparently, on The Arc, clothes ripped and tore. It was her job to slowly, tediously, run these torn bio-synthetic fibers through a hot, steaming machine that made lots of noise. Her fabric came out thick and uneven, and sometimes a little fleshy. She was quickly "transferred to another department."

Five jobs and several months later, Lizard and her partner Joel, a nosy man with blue-black curls, were busy fixing an AC unit, or more so, Joel was busy fixing it while Lizard squatted in the vent, waiting for the tme to go by.

"How's it looking in there?" asked Lizard, leaning against the softened walls.

"A little lumpy. Looks like we got some bad cells spreading. Pass me the scalpel?"

Lizard kicked the tool kit in his general direction and allowed him to dig through the octagonal box himself.

Once he started cutting, she had no choice but to help him put the tumors into portable incinerators. She wanted to puke.

"So, how's Abe?" asked Joel.

Lizard sucked her teeth at the mention of her personal baby sitter. She understood that it was his job to get her acclimated to her knew way of life, but she couldn't stand how hard she was being watched. Every morning, Abraham knocked on the door of Lizard's cube of an apartment, and once she let him in, he completely micromanaged her life, making sure she was getting ready in time, checking her hygiene, picking out her clothes. She drew the line at him doing her hair, but that didn't stop him from trying. The fact that even the people at her job knew who he was said a lot.

"Just the same as ever."

She was fired that afternoon.

 But Abe used whatever strange job finding magic he had to get her and interview on the next day.

On the way home, the trolley was tightly packed as always, and a bit slow for her taste, groaning through the air like a frightened whale. However, it was free. Lizard was tempted to sit on the window and let her body out to feel the breeze and enjoy air that didn't just come out of someone else's mouth.

Abe was waiting for her at the dock as always, his emerald tunic glistening in a sea of matte taupes, and browns.

"What's the occasion?" Lizard asked, motioning to his beautiful garb.

"We're going to Block 22 to find you something appropriate to wear tommorow," he started. Lizard could tell by the far away look in his slade eyes that he was about to do that thing, "You don't actually have any secretary type skills but I know this guy, he's a total sleaze. I showed him a picture of you and he was all for it. All you have to do tomorrow is just act like a functioning human, you know, with zest for life. Also, hello to you too-"

Lizard murmued a useless, "Oh, yeah. Hi," knowing Abraham wouldn't hear it for the sound of his own voice.

He placed her hand on his shoulder to make sure the two stayed together while pushing their way through this dense crowd. She was tempted to place it on top of his bushy head.

"I rented us some push peddle scooters to get us over there for cheap," he continued, "They're kinda fun and they have an auto drive function for people like you, who can't seem to understand lanes."

He nudged her elbow to let her know that he was teasing. Lizard didn't laugh.

She was used to driving in any direction she wanted. Here, she had to fly inside some kind of long, often winding, prism that was outlined by confusing, multicolored lights.

"What's wrong, Liz?" asked Abraham, his thick brows raised into an expression that she didn't understand

"Liz- ard," she growled, correcting him for the fiftieth time or so.

"That reminds me Liz, you have to start going by a regular name. 'Lizard' sounds like the name of sime kind of - It's not professional."

"I'm not changing my name."

"Alicia sounds like a lovely name for you. Maybe Iris. Or Hazel. You'd make a beautiful Hazel."

"I make a beautiful Lizard."

Abraham pressed his ring and a holographic screen appeared before them. She didn't have to read what he was typing to know that he was signing her up for a name change.

"I'll let you mull it over."

The pantsuit Abe picked out for her was not to her taste: Taupe slacks that were form fitting enough to be confused with leggings and a chocolate blouse that buttoned high on to her throat, but he assured her that it was going to help her get the job.

Their trip to Block 22 was oddly satisfying, hopping from shop to shop, eating, pretending to look for an outfit that Abraham already had her buy, staring out of the arcs windows and watching the stars go by. This was probably how civilians lived back home. Lizard had never imagined herself living like this too.

The next morning, Abe knocked on her door an hour earlier than usual, before Lizard had gotten around to sliding her bed, (and herself) out from it's place in her wall, where she often lay in the dark. He fussed over her hair, clothes, and perfume until he thought her appearance was satisfactory, then escorted her to the trolley.

"Remember Lizzy, take the third stop to the skyrail. Get on any one cause all skyrails end at Central and it takes about an hour and a half for each of them. You're going to the giant red building. Just go right in and say you have an interview with Mr. Victor Greene. Got all of that?"

Lizard nodded, staring up at the cities', curved ceiling. Another thing she missed, was the sky, but that colorful mosaic was nice too.

Abe flicked shimmer at her frill covered bossom for good luck and sent her on her way, giving Lizard a chance to be alone in a sea of people. As she rode the trolley, the desire to climb out of the window came back again, and she ignored it, as always.

By the time she'd made it to Central, she had completely forgotten what color building she was looking for. Each department was marked by a different color. Hadn't Abraham mentioned being in the same department as him? Wasn't Abraham in the history department? She knew it wasn't programing.

She picked the closest building: purple. If Mr. Victor Greene didn't work there, maybe they could tell her where he did work, or, at least she'd know it wasn't purple.

As she approached the front desk, her eyes met the eyes of a familiar petite woman, yellow skirtsuit complementing her brown skin.

"Nadine!" called Lizard, ignoring the team of holographic tag floating, taupe, brown, and tan wearing,  men and women around her.

The group simultaneously made appalled faces, a scowl flashed on Nadine's but she went back to usual mysterious expression.

She rushed a polite "Excuse me," and her group halted, murmurning various 'Of course's and 'Please take your time's.

They walked and met each other somewhere in the middle.

"How may I help you?" asked Nadine, sounding just a bit cross.

"Looking for a Mr. Victor Greene. I have a job interview."

"I don't know him," she said, her tone icy as usual "Just out of curiosity, how are you adjusting?

Lizard shrugged.  

"What can I say? I kind of miss home, but I'm fine. Why?"

"Most of our 26% have been civilians. There's been a few hunters and scavengers, but only one other rogue. She committed suicide recently." Nadine handed her an animated card and continued, "My moderators are capable of putting you back into Gold Week if that's what you want. Whenever you want, you can press the number at the bottom to make an appointment."

Lizard nodded a quick thank you and left to catch the skyrail. She made an appointment that morning, and signed her contract by the next.

...............

The Lizard channel was still down. The Monster knew that, but checking every morning when she awoke, at night, and at every meal had become a strange habit of hers. She ate her overpriced sandwhich and left the overpriced hotel. Being back in Green Hunt was a bitter sweet feeling. It was hell here, but here she was rich.

Time to go shopping,

Short, wide buildings with rounded ceilings lined the infamous Red Road. Here, anyone could buy anything they wanted, from rare deserts to nuclear bombs. The Monster was here looking for something more like the latter, but nuclear bombs had never been her type. She was looking for something a bit more simple, but her affinity for the grandiose led her to buy the exact opposite. She admitted this, and wondered if the Mod would reward her or penalize her for overkill. Maybe they'd penalize her for wasting her budget like this, but this was definitely going to be worth it. She heard this particular type of explosive was remarkably beautiful and couldn't wait to see it.

The Monster imagined vibrant exploding colors as she weaved through the busiest trade center in Green Hunt, kabob in hand, relishing in the scent of a diverse range of foods. It was best to relax. Tomorrow was going to be a very eventful day.

............

River ran out of food and money way before he'd found a suitable hunter. He wandered from city to city, town to town, village to village, emaciated.

River walked under the arch tentatively, entering the Red Road like a mouse into a snake den. He knew that the Red Road wasn't built for people like him, This was a gathering of hunters and scavengers, not a safe place for civilians. Especially not a place for glitches that didn't know how to defend themselves. But he'd exausted every other possibility. Each merchant he spoke with was not willing to take in refugees. Each hunter he spoke with refused, saying it was too much work, or they only take care of themselves. Looking back at the time he spent travelling from territory to territory, he didn't know what else he thought would happen. Those places are where civilians lived, and where hunters and runners went to rest, sometimes even hide. River really was going to have to step into the wildlands after all.

As the weeks turned into months, River became more and more morose. He waded through his days, choking back tears as he thought of the home he'd left behind.Until he heard of Her. He got the information from an elderly hunter with white hair, and thanked her by leaving one of Nun's powdered croaks under her wilted hands as she lay against the bar, unconscious.As he understood it, she was eccentric, erratic, egocentric, and very strong. She often sheltered refugees, and she treated civilians kindly. Once he heard of her, his mission became focused. He had to find Tank.

The Red Road served as a passage between the wild lands and New Juan, a small yet busy town. It's visitors crossed into civilization enough for River to get a good idea of the people he'd be seeing: heavily armored men and women with weapons hidden in their mirrors. By the time River ventured to the Red Road, he'd depleated his points entirely, nothing to steal. However, the bounty hovering over his thin locs was high enough to attract attention. He had strapped his empty sack, the one that had once been full of dried meats, fruits, and vegatables, as well as Nun's powdered brews, to the top of his head with his belt tide under his chin.  With his belt ebing used for other things, his robe hung like a sack. No one even flinched as they saw him. They'd all seen stranger things.