Betrayal and Uncertainty: The Price of Progress

Adri

Kymaerio Peak and the entire Zephyr colony are shaken to their core. No one knows who will continue the royal reign or who is right or wrong. Amali calls for an audience with the entire Zephyr nation. Kellan has already shared his knowledge of ectogenesis, the process of growing fetuses in artificial wombs, with Amali and me. Now, it is Amali's job to explain it to the colony and convince them that it can help effectively carry on our species.

Amali stands before the gathered Zephyrs, her voice steady as she begins her address. I watch her with a mix of pride and anxiety, hoping that our people will understand the potential of this procedure. Suddenly, a figure in a cloak lunges at her. My heart skips a beat as the attacker is revealed. Zeera!

Her reappearance becomes apparent as she tries to scare people into dismissing the idea of involving humans in preserving our species.

"No! Don't listen to her!" she screams, her eyes wild. "Humans will only destroy us and the traditions we've worked so hard to keep alive! They cannot be trusted!"

No one steps forward to support her. In fact, the crowd seems to draw back, wary of her presence. Someone even shouts from the crowd,

"Zeera is responsible for the death of the royal family! She cannot be trusted!"

The audience is in awe, and the Zephyr soldiers signal each other to close in on her. Her instincts have never failed her, and she anticipates their every move, spinning rapidly to create a water vortex and vanishing in the chaos.

As the water settles, she is gone.

The time has come for Zephyr-kind to be exposed to humans, and Kellan becomes the bridge between our two worlds. As we prepare to reveal ourselves, he and I grow closer.

Our bond deepens, and we find comfort and joy in each other's arms. The warmth and tenderness of his touch reveal a perspective on life I never knew was possible.

 ∗∗∗

The Zephyrs are free and have set up a small land-town to call our own, still far from people, at The Gateway, until everything is finalized.

During a meeting with top scientists, researchers, and medical professionals who are familiar with ectogenesis, one scientist, Doctor Alec Carthwright, cannot get past the idea that we are a half-human, half-animal species that has been living among humans all this time.

His enthusiasm seems to mask sinister, ulterior motives. Still, I'm so desperate for a way out of the old ways that nothing matters.

I return home from a walk, and Amali and Kellan are both awaiting my arrival in the sitting room.

"And this?" I ask.

"You know we love you, but something about this doctor leaves me uneasy, cousin," Amali says, gesturing for me to sit.

"You both feel this way," I ask, looking directly at Kellan.

Nodding, he adds, "I think your newfound freedom to roam the entire world is blinding you to the harsh reality of this endeavor. Babe, Cartwright is sketchy, to say the least. We can find someone els—"

"I refuse to go back into hiding!" I bark, not allowing him to finish. "You don't know what it's like because you have both been free all your lives."

"We're not asking you to. Please, let's just hold off on the experiments right now. At least until we've got the help of a reliable doctor," he pleads.

My heart agrees, but my mouth won't allow me to utter a word. I walk back out of the house and ascend to clear my head for a bit. Sitting at the top of a nearby mountain, the cellphone Kellan got me buzzes. It's Dr. Cartwright.

He wants me to meet him at his place to discuss the matter of delivering him two Zephyr couples as his first test subjects. Of course, I'll go.

I want to prove to my people that the solution I promised is just a few simple steps away. I agree to meet with him, but only if he first runs everything he plans to do by me, as I'm determined to ensure the safety of my people.

"You're still not telling me how safe this is and how necessary these tests that you want to run are."

He falls over his words and offers nonsensical excuses for the excessive tests and tubes I'm expected to subject my people to, which clearly indicates that the safety of Zephyr-kind is not at all a concern to him.

"Just trust me, Adri. You will be able to give your people the thing they crave most."

His blatant salivation at the thought of having four Zephyrs in his grasp makes me highly uncomfortable.

"I'm going to have to think about it and discuss it with Kellan and Ama—"

Before I can finish my sentence, a giant alloy chain is wrapped around my neck, and he begins suffocating me.

I wake up in a haze of pain and confusion. My limbs are strapped down, and my neck feels like it's being crushed by an iron vise. The room is cold and sterile, with a faint hum of machinery that seems to vibrate through my very bones. My breathing is ragged, each inhalation sharp and labored. Panic surges through me as I try to remember what happened.

"Ah, you're awake," he says. "Look, it's nothing personal, and trust me, if you were in my shoes, you'd do the exact same thing. Sacrifices must be made for the advancement of science; it's just the way of the world."

I struggle against my restraints, my heart pounding in my chest. Suddenly, the door bursts open, and Kellan and a group of royal soldiers storm in.

"Son of a bitch!" Kellan yells, grabbing Dr. Carthwright and flinging him onto a table.

He wrestles with the doctor before ordering the soldiers to finish him off as he comes to free me. The entire lab and building are reduced to a pile of rubble.

With his final breath, Dr. Cartwright says to Kellan, "Ectogenesis is too late for Adri."

Kellan tries to get him to stay alive so he can explain what he means, but it's too late. He's dead, and I'm left with a chilling uncertainty.

What did he mean? Why is it too late for me?

As we make our way back to The Gateway, I can't shake the feeling that something terrible is on the horizon. I must find out the truth, and I have to protect my people, no matter the cost.