WORLD 4: AWAKENING

Tech Lev was enormous, almost an entire floor of its own. It had to be — traveling billions of miles, maintaining a Colony along the way, required an intense amount of upkeep and innovation in the way of technology. I went there once in a while to visit Baylen. If Med Lev was my happy place, Tech was his. For some reason, tinkering and fixing things really did it for him.

I hadn’t been there in quite a while, maybe only twice in the past six months. After a fabricated dinner, I made my way into the depths of Colony Four. The “Technology Level” painted on the wall at their doors was even more worn than ours at Med Lev; I could barely even read it anymore.

“Hey,” I said to the first black shirt I saw. “Do you know where Baylen is?”

She looked me up and down. “And who are you?”

“I’m Mayla.” I raised my eyebrows as she hesitated to speak again.

“Is there something Med Lev needs? I’m sure I can help you with it.”

I glanced down at my light blue uniform top. “No, we’re friends, I’m just here to see him.”

Without a reply, she picked up a personal communicator from a nearby table. It was a narrow, long box about the length of a hand, colored in a shiny gray steel. She pressed the button on top and was about to speak into it when I heard him.

“May!” Baylen came running up from behind the other black shirt. She rolled her eyes and went back to her station. “What are you doing here?”

“I just got done eating and thought I’d stop by.”

His brown eyes seemed to twinkle. “I was actually going to come by your room, I was just finishing up here.”

“Well hey, looks like great minds think alike.”

“Yeah, well what kind of great mind actually enjoys seeing people sick and injured?”

I slapped him playfully on the arm while he snickered. “Whatever, Baylen! I like fixing people, not seeing them sick.” He narrowed his eyes at me. “Wh — well, hey! You’re weirdly obsessed with your job, too. I mean, what kind of person enjoys playing with junk?”

He motioned for me to follow him through Tech Lev to his station. “The kind of person who gets promoted, that’s who.”

I gasped. “Did you get a promotion?”

“Yep!” He looked over his shoulder with a broad smile. “You’re looking at the new Assistant Supervisor of Portable Tech. So pretty much I’m amazing and you’re still a lowly slave.”

I shook my head; it was like having an annoying brother. “You’re so kind, Baylen.”

“I’m just kidding. We all know you Med Lev freaks are smarter than us. What would Colony Four do without surgeons like precious King Tylenian? Does he get a special office lined in jewels or something?”

My jaw dropped at the insult. “What is wrong with you?!”

We stopped at Baylen’s station. Tech Lev was dotted with them. Tables separated by short walls spread out across the Level for each officer to work on and were filled with different devices and parts. His station was scattered with all sorts of tech that I couldn’t make sense of. I picked up a piece of one of them carefully and held it up.

“What is this?” I asked, still bugged about his comment. “I don’t know why you people think playing with this stuff is so fun.”

He took it from me carefully and set it down again. “It’s actually an important piece of a portable navigation device. We’re putting some together for the on-planet expeditions.” I slightly nodded, making it obvious that I refused to make eye contact. He put a hand on my shoulder. “Hey, I was just kidding about Ty. Here, maybe this will make it up to you.”

“What is it, a piece of some other tech garbage?”

He grabbed a small bundle from one of his drawers and handed it to me. “Nope, even better.”

I snatched it from him with a dirty glance and looked it over. There was something wrapped in the cloth. I undid the layers to reveal a piece of cake.

“What?!” I squealed. Any irritation was immediately forgotten. “Where did you get this?!”

“I stole it out of the kitchens when I was making a delivery. I guess they always make a small dessert every day for government or Command Lev people.”

I scoffed quietly. “Yeah, figures. I can’t believe they let those people get such special treatment.” I put the cake close to my face and breathed in the sweet aroma. “Thank you so much! I haven’t had actual cake in forever! Here, take half.”

“No, I don’t want any,” he said casually.

I held out the piece I’d ripped off. “Of course you do, Bay, everyone wants cake.”

“No, I really don’t. You should have it all.”

I sighed heavily at him; I knew he was lying. He liked dessert as much as anyone. But if watching me go nuts like that over sugar made him happy, I wasn’t about to deprive him of it. I bit into the cake eagerly, closing my eyes as the first rush of delicious sugary flavor surged through me. Baylen smiled and leaned back against the short wall as he looked on.

“This is so amazing,” I mumbled with a mouthful.

He tried to control his widening grin. “Even more amazing than fixing a broken leg?”

I squinted. “Hmm, I think it just might be. Maybe I should switch jobs and work in Food Lev instead.”

Baylen chuckled at my ridiculous display. As I continued to devour the slice, I heard a sound come from his table.

A woman’s voice projected out of a small black box. “Baylen.”

He jumped up and swiped it from the table top. It was a live communicator, similar to the regular ones, but that used images instead of only voice.

He pressed the button on top and set the box down again. Right away, a holographic image of his supervisor’s face appeared coming out from it. “Baylen, how are things coming?”

“Hey, Cass. They’re good, almost done with the navigation.”

“What about the hand lights?”

“Those are done.”

“And those communicators from Science Lev?”

“Done, too.”

“What ab —”

“I’m going to stop you right there.” Baylen held up a hand. “Every single other thing you told me to do is done.”

Cass’ digital face made a half-smile. She shook her short blonde hair out of her face. “You think you can get attitude with me now that you’ve been promoted?”

“What you call attitude, I call confidence,” he said.

“Alright, well make sure that navigation gets done before the expeditions. If those people get lost and eaten by an alien then it’s your fault, Baylen.”

A huge chill snaked its way up my body. I shuddered just thinking about what kind of creatures might live on planet four.

“Alright, Cass, see you.”

“I’m not kidding —”

Baylen put his face near to her digital one and spoke very quickly to cut her off. “Yeah I know I’ll see you later bye.” He pressed the top button and Cass’ face zoomed right back into the live communicator.

Baylen’s co-worker, Miles, walked up from a different station. His black shirt was tight against his pudgy middle and his brown hair even more messy than Baylen’s. “She’s going to fire you, you know.”

“Nah, Cass is harmless,” said Baylen. “I think she’s got a crush on me.”

Mile’s gagged; his rounded cheeks pulled into a grin. “That would be disgusting considering she’s old enough to be your mom.”

“Obviously I’m kidding, man. You need something?”

Miles held a portable screen in his hand with some kind of list; he scrolled down it with his chubby finger. “Did you make the deliveries to Food Lev and Medical today?”

“Yep, everything’s done.”

Miles pressed the confirmation into the screen and looked over at me like I was a new crush. “Hey, Mayla!”

Miles was a few years older than Baylen, but had only been in Tech Lev for about six months. Back home, his family was filthy rich. They owned a mine that supplied the huge amount of metal needed to build the Colonies; it had stripped the mine clean. But in return, the entire family got a place on board, so it had been more than worth it.

I offered up a smile. “How are you, Miles?’

He snorted a little as he chuckled and turned pink. “I’m okay, just working for Captain Baylen here. Ha! Captain Baylen!” he cried. He pointed at Baylen and exploded into laughter.

“Yep, that’s me,” said Baylen. He was making the same attempt of holding in laughter that I was. “Alright, see you later, Miles. Mayla and I were just leaving.”

Miles straightened, becoming excited. “Where are you going? Dinner? I haven’t eaten yet, either.”

“Nope!” Baylen replied quickly. “No, we’re actually going to her room, so…I’ll see you tomorrow.” He grabbed my arm and pulled me along to the front of Tech Lev.

“Okay, see you tomorrow!” Miles called after us. I turned to wave and Baylen pulled on me even harder.

I tried to squirm my arm free. “Geez, why the rush? He’s not so bad!”

“Yeah, he’s not so bad, but you don’t know him like I do,” he said, leading me down the hallway. “He would have invited himself to come with us if we hadn’t left, no doubt. Do you really want Miles hanging out in your room?”

We stepped into the bright corridor transport as it slid open for us, then took off down to the officer rooms. “It would probably be a little weird,” I admitted. “Isn’t he older than us?”

“Yep, three years older than me.”

“That much older, and he just started working this year? Why did he wait so long?” I said. “Everyone always chooses jobs the second they turn sixteen.”

Baylen leaned against the transport wall. “Money has a weird way of making people lazy sometimes. His dad had to kick him out of their family living area to motivate him into actually picking a career.”

“Does he do okay at work?

“I guess. He’s still learning, really, so who knows how much he’ll advance, or if he’ll even last that long.”

“Yeah, well you’re probably right,” I said, “maybe I wouldn’t want him hanging out in my room. He’s a little awkward, even for me.”

Exiting into the hallway, we walked the short length to my door. “He’d probably spend the whole time staring at you,” said Baylen. “He gets a little creepy with the girls.”

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” I chuckled and pressed my fingers to the pad by my room. It lit up white and the door slid open immediately.

I walked the very short distance to my bed and grabbed the yellow sweater sitting folded on it. Putting it on was the first thing I did every night before going to sleep. It was an oversized, pale yellow cardigan that belonged to my mother and was the only physical reminder I had of her. Jinna and Kasley were, too, but not like the sweater. My mother had worn it, touched it, hugged me against it when I was little…I wore it almost every single night on board.

“When was the last time you washed that?” asked Baylen. He jumped onto my bed and laid himself out, leaning against the wall and crossing his ankles.

I wrapped the cardigan around me. “I don’t know. Not gonna lie, though — it’s been a while.”

No matter how much Baylen and I joked around with each other, incessantly teasing, he always kept quiet about the dirty sweater. I knew why — he was very aware of how special that old piece of clothing was to me. And especially since he had his own mother issues: his mom had died giving birth to him. Although he didn’t feel the sting of her death like I had with mine, he still comprehended it more than others. He smiled warmly in understanding.

“Is that thing really worth having in here?” He pointed to the huge, worn-in armchair I’d stolen.

“Of course!” I exclaimed sarcastically and sank down into it with a sigh. “You should get a chair for yourself. I’m sure my dad would let you steal one.”

“Yeah, right!” he exclaimed. “Stuff that in a room this size? I can’t believe you’d have something that big in here. These rooms are so small as it is, it’s a miracle you’ve survived in one. We all know how weird you are about small spaces.”

“Hey!” I threw one of the chair’s white pillows at him. “I’m not weird, everyone has different fears, Baylen. You hate heights, and there’s no way you can tell me you don’t get claustrophobic during a shower.”

“I don’t.”

“You’re lying, I know you are!”

“Seriously, it doesn’t bother me,” he said matter-of-factly.

I threw my hands up. “What if the computer glitches and the wash cycle kept going until it flooded and you drowned?”

“If it was ever going to do that then it would’ve happened to someone by now, Mayla. There are failsafe sensors in there to prevent it.”

I shuddered just thinking about being trapped in there. “Whatever, now I’m picturing it so we have to talk about something else.”

A know-it-all grin spread across him. “You only have yourself to blame, you know. You could have had a bigger room.”

“Shut up, Baylen,” I said and laughed. He was right, of course, but just messing with me like always.

“Oh!” I said. “I saw Tarin today.”

His grin melted away immediately. “Aaaah…and?”

“And she’s definitely still in love with you if that’s what you’re wondering.”

“Why do you say that?”

“It’s so obvious!” I cried. “She can’t even pretend to hide the fact that she’s obsessed with you.”

“Excuse me?!” he said, straightening up.

“She asks anyone who even has the tiniest ties to you how you’re doing or where you are. And do you really think it’s a coincidence that she always eats breakfast at exactly the same time as you?”

“A lot of people eat at the same time as I do, genius.”

“Yeah, okay,” I said playfully. “Everyone just wants a piece of Baylen, don’t they?”

He shook his head, breathing out a resemblance of laughter. “Do you even hear yourself talking right now?”

I couldn’t help but laugh; I doubled over while Baylen sent me a continuous, dirty look. Finally, I changed the subject. “Alright, enough about your creepy ex-girlfriend. So if we’re able to go down to the surface, how many are going with Tech?”

He put his hands behind his head and leaned back again. “I think about thirty. Different people for different things. My team is going for portable equipment, medical tech and other random stuff. There’s also a weapons team and sensor one. What about you?”

“Just five,” I said, then pointed at him. “If we end up being able to go, that is. I don’t want to talk like it’s a sure thing and jinx it.”

He rolled his eyes. “Okay, we’ll talk in hypotheticals, then. Let’s just pretend for a second that we get to the surface.”

“Well in that case, Ty is going as lead doctor, then there’s me and three more assistants. Kai and the rest are staying behind until everything’s set up.”

“I’m so looking forward to spending four days with Ty on that expedition,” said Baylen, his voice thick with sarcasm.

I shot him a look. “Hey!”

“I’m kidding, May. I don’t care if he’s got a big ego, I’ll go out there with him if it means I get to play around in the wild.”

“He’s looking forward to the expedition, so be good and don’t ruin it for him, please?” I said. Baylen saluted me. “Anyway, if this planet works out, then there’s not too many of us from Med Lev going. But I doubt we’ll be in high demand so I’m not that worried.”

“I know for a fact your dad doesn’t want you going.”

“Yeah, I know. He tells me that the planet will be amazing and safe and wonderful, but then at the same time I know he secretly doesn’t want me to go down there because it also might be hostile and dangerous.” I shook my head, trying to erase any hope of a good outcome. “But it doesn’t even matter, stop talking about it like it’s actually happening.”

“Well, if we get there I’m sure Tylenian will protect you with his big man muscles.”

“Baylen…”

“And by the way, who in the world gives their kid a name like ‘Tylenian?’”

I closed my eyes for a second and chuckled at his childish nature. “I’ve told you, it was his great-grandpa’s name. Barely anyone even calls him that. And he has normal man muscles. I still don’t know why you have a problem with him.”

“I don’t necessarily have a problem with him,” he countered. “Something about him is just off to me. And you can’t tell me that he’s not incredibly arrogant. I think his ego is bigger than that armchair.”

“He’s also seriously smart and an excellent doctor. And he treats me really well.”

“I guess,” Baylen mumbled.

“He does!” I assured him. “He’s always been good to me.”

He looked at me more seriously, hesitating. “Is that a good enough reason to marry someone?”

My eyes flew wide open and my posture straightened with a jerk. “What?! What are you even talking about, Baylen? That’s insane!”

“Relax, Mayla. I know you’re not engaged or anything, but he makes it seem like you are.”

I did a double take. “No he doesn’t!”

“Maybe not to you! But believe me, when he talks about you guys to others, he makes it very clear that you’ll end up his wife someday.” Baylen moved his gaze down to the bed.

“I’m sure he’s just exaggerating. It’s not like I’d ever get engaged at seventeen, not even anywhere close to it.”

“Yeah, well too bad. It looks like someday you’ll be Mrs. Tylenian,” he said. I opened my mouth to argue some more but he cut me off. “I better go.”

My shoulders slumped. “You really don’t have to leave yet, Baylen.”

“Nah,” he said, getting up. He ran a hand through his shaggy hair. “I’ve been working all day and kind of just want to go to bed. Have to get up early, too.”

“We both know how much you hate getting up early,” I joked and rose from my beloved seat. We made the very short walk to the door.

“Yeah, no kidding, who in their right mind is a morning person?”

“Definitely not you.”

I smiled and opened the door for him while he came in to hug me. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders tightly and I held onto his waist. His black shirt smelled like technology and machinery. I closed my eyes and couldn’t help but wonder what I smelled like to him.

“Bye, Baylen,” I said as he finally let go of me.

He grabbed my hand. “Goodnight.”

I went straight to bed. Curling up inside of my mom’s sweater, I let my mind wander to everything that had been on my mind. The planet, first and foremost: what we’d find, and if it would turn out to be useless like all the others. Ty weighed on my mind as well — specifically our future together that he’d been planning without my knowledge. It wasn’t something I was happy about.

Closing my eyes, I tried imagining my mother, dessert, anything positive that could get me to sleep, and just hoped that I wouldn’t have nightmares about my stupid, small shower all night long