The Unfavorable Read online

  They stretch so high up that I can’t even see the treetops from where I stand, they are so closely packed together. I stare at the leaves in wonder and awe. Though I have seen some on the outside of the dome from inside Geha, nothing prepared me for the hues I’m witnessing at the base of these marvelous creations.

  The lowest hanging leaves have a vibrant aquamarine shade to them, which matches the morning sky. This, alone, is mesmerizing enough, but it doesn’t end there. As my gaze travels upwards, the aquamarine darkens and changes to a deep amethyst. From the amethyst, the leaves fade and change to ruby, orange, yellow, and green going up to the very tips. I never knew that Geha was so high up before.

  Seeing the trees from down here gives me a whole new perspective on life inside the walls, as well as out. I feel nothing besides awe for what’s evolved naturally, without further tinkering from man. The atmosphere outside the dome must have made them evolve this way after they were genetically engineered centuries before I was born. It makes sense why I would have only seen the green at the tops, now, from inside the walls.

  Ryder stands just underneath the cover of branches. I can see him in my peripherals as my gaze is upward. He’s watching me, giving me time to absorb the new scenery. He chuckles, faintly, before making his way back towards me, grabbing my hand, and dragging me beneath the umbrella the branches form over us.

  His hand is coarse, but gentle. I grip it tightly with my dainty one to make sure he doesn’t let go and leave me lost in the woods. Although, I wouldn’t completely mind getting lost if I could keep the view. Even the shrubbery has variations of the same colors dotting the trees and grass for miles without end.

  The direction we head is beyond me, as is any time that passes. I’m in a daze until Ryder slows down and stops, still holding my hand. I, reluctantly, tear my eyes away from nature to see the small entrance to a cave ahead of us. It looks like it has formed in the side of a huge hill of the same clay the Boiler room is carved from.

  His hand slips from mine and he closes the gap between us and the entrance. My anxiety spikes, but I follow. He’s the only person I can trust, down here or up in Geha. I have no reason not to follow him. Either way, I’m intrigued. By him, the nature, and everything the Unfavorable world has to offer.

  With the opening only being four feet tall and two and a half feet at its widest point, it isn’t easy getting inside. In fact, if Ryder hadn’t stopped us just outside the entrance, I never would have seen it at all. I’m not even all the way inside the cave before the cool air inside washes across my skin. It’s refreshing.

  As soon as I’m all the way into the space, it opens up, so I can stand without any problems, but Ryder has to duck a bit. He’s standing at the back of the cave, about eight feet away, waiting for me.

  I stretch my arms out to my sides to test the width – my fingertips barely touch on either side. The clay is smooth and cold against my fingers. Taking careful steps, I cross to Ryder, where a blanket, pillow, a small food storage, and the remains of a small campfire lay.

  Off in the left-hand corner, there’s a small pool of bubbling water. I’ve never seen one before, but if I had to guess, it was a natural hot spring. Not large enough to heat up the cave, but enough for someone to bathe if they wanted.

  “Do you live here?” I ask, concern clouding my tone. He shakes his head, and my chest untightens with relief. “Do you sleep here sometimes?”

  “Sometimes,” he nods, but doesn’t seem willing to say more just yet.

  “Why have you brought me here?” I start. If he isn’t going to take charge, then I will continue to – happily.

  “It isn’t safe to talk anywhere near Loyals could be,” he responds, bending down to poke at the ashes from his previous fire. “There hasn’t been an insurgence in a couple centuries, but they still spy on us just in case. Many of us believe there are Loyals disguised as traders going from village to village to earn our trust and learn any secrets.”

  “Do you think that?”

  “Come sit,” he offers, avoiding the topic. “What’s your name?”

  I hesitate. It’s a fair question since I know his, but I feel weird giving him my name – almost vulnerable.

  “Are you going to tell me what happened to Alec Greatmore if I do?”

  “It can’t hurt your chances,” he grins, still playing with the coals.

  “I don’t think you understand how much danger I’m putting myself in by being here,” I warn, agitation thick in my voice. “I’m here because I need answers.”

  “I know,” he murmurs, all humor removed from his tone.

  He refuses to look at me, his bangs hide his eyes. There’s a tension to his movements showing that I’m not the only one feeling a bit vulnerable. When he speaks again it is barely above a whisper, it’s so soft.

  “Please…”

  “Alora,” I introduce myself. “Alora Travene.”

  “Well, Alora Travene, get comfortable,” he insists, a bit of his cheer returning.

  Ryder gestures to the blanket and pillow at his feet. He stands, and I take a step back, not expecting him to. “I’m going to get some wood to start a fire. I know how cold it can get in here.”

  “I don’t need a campfire,” I say, carefully, teeth clenched. I’m getting impatient, but I don’t want to bombard him with questions when he’s the only person willing to help so far. “I need answers. I have no intent to stay for longer than I have to.”

  As soon as those words leave my lips, I regret them. What am I going to do once I find out what happened to Micah? Go back to Geha and work to make advancements in a place where I don’t trust anyone? That seems illogical. The decision will have to wait until I’ve accomplished my current goal, though. Shifting focus will do nothing to help me figure out what happened to my brother, and that’s what is important this moment.

  “I want to give them to you,” he breathes. Something is weighing on him because his shoulders are hunched, and he won’t look at me. “I’m just not sure it’s my place to.”

  “What does that mean?” I pressure him. Silly question, I know, but I don’t understand why he would bring me all the way out here in a disguise just to tell me that. I can’t accept that as his response.

  “What the Tesla do you think it means?” he spits at me, squatting and reaching down to smack the coals into disarray. It doesn’t have the effect that he was going for, I’m assuming, because he makes me want to giggle from how ludicrous it looks. I wait a couple moments to see what he’ll do next, but he doesn’t move.

  “Were you intending for that to be –”

  “Go jump in a Boiler,” he interrupts, agitated and trying to brush the coal smudges off his right hand. The more he rubs, the worse the smudges get. I bite down on my pursed lips to hold back a laugh. Once I collect myself, I speak up again.

  “There’s no need for profanity or rudeness,” I insist, with a gentle tone. There’s no reason to yell in a small space. He looks at me with confusion and curiosity, though. “We may not use profanity in Geha any longer, but we are still aware of the different terms. I know that the word, ‘Tesla’, is used as slang terminology rather than the surname of the gentleman who created electricity on Earth-that-was. As far as being rude, I really hope I don’t have to explain that to you.”

  He doesn’t respond. He doesn’t move. However, his gaze changes from confusion and curiosity, to recognition. As if he has seen me before. Like he has met me long before I ever traveled down below Geha, and we used to meet up for a drink after a hard day’s work. Which is impossible since I’ve never even seen anything outside the walls before yesterday. Instead of bringing that up, though, I try and lighten the mood with some humor.

  “What?” I inquire, raising a hand up to the coal on my cheeks. “Do I have something on my face?”

  A grin spreads across his lips that he can’t stop, though he tries. He looks down at the ground, but his smile grows so quickly that a chuckle bursts from his mouth before he has ti
me to stop it. With a sigh, Ryder rubs the tension from his brow and his shoulders slump from the slack the released strain creates. I smile, pleased with the outcome. His laugh brings a warmth to my belly that I don’t recognize.

  “I’m sorry for my disrespect,” he acknowledges. “When I become frustrated, I internalize it and become angry. It’s a trait I’ve had since I was young.”

  “Although no one in Geha likes to admit it, everyone has their flaws,” I offer, knowing that mine is my inability to let go of Micah and what happened to him.

  Anyone else within the walls would have grieved for him and moved on, like my parents, but I can’t. I need to know what happened the day of his Rite.

  “I find that they give one character,” I continue.

  “Thank you,” he nods, still staring into my eyes, looking for something. After a pause, he speaks again. “You look like someone I know.”

  “That’s not the first time I’ve heard something similar,” I giggle. “The elders would tell me I looked like my brother all the time. Before he disappeared.”

  I have no problem mentioning him, but my heart heavies. It feels like a weight is placed on my chest whenever I discuss his departure. My turn to look away. I fold my hands in front of me and focus on my intertwined fingers, hoping it’ll be enough to distract me and get the weight lifted from my chest. At least momentarily.

  “What’s his name?” Ryder asks.

  He’s careful with his timbre and words. Trying not to break me while talking about this particular topic. It’s as if he can read me better than my own parents.

  “Micah,” I answer, not looking up from my hands.

  “I – I,” he hesitates, still unsure what to do. Whether he should be the one to tell me what he’s trying so hard to say. “I think I know your brother.”

  Chapter 8

  Ryder

  “Go jump in a boiler,” Alora mutters in utter shock, eyes almost popping out of their sockets as she stares at me now, rather than her hands.

  “Did you just cuss?” I ask her, almost as stunned as she is but the left side of my lips are tugging up into a grin.

  A Favorable dared to utter a word considered cursing?

  As surprising as it is, I find her even more alluring for it.

  “You’re joking, right?” she inquires, ignoring my comment.

  “You know what that means, right?” I request.

  I know she’s smart, she has to be if she was given a Favorable grade for her Bleeding Rite, thing, but I have to make sure she understands what she said.

  “Yes,” she raises her voice. “I know that it has the same connotation that ‘go fuck yourself’ had on Earth-that-was. Shut your mouth. You can’t know my brother. It’s impossible. He’s been missing for six years.”

  “I’ve been Unfavorable my whole life,” I remind her, “and working in the Boilers since I was ten. The past nine years, now. Is it really so hard to believe our paths may have crossed at some point?”

  “Yes,” she states, her tone almost a whisper.

  “Follow me,” I wave, standing up and walking to the cave entrance.

  I pass her swiftly, smelling soap mixed with a scent of early spring on her skin. How can she smell like spring in the middle of summer? Soap outside Geha doesn’t have a smell attached to it, but maybe they do inside?

  Either way, it draws me to her. I have to keep myself from veering off course on my way to the exit and running my hands along her arms.

  “Where are we going?” Alora questions, watching me carefully.

  “I’m taking you to your brother,” I announce, stopping at the entrance and looking back at her. “Are you coming?”

  “You’re not serious.”

  “There’s only one way to find out.”

  She hesitates but follows. I gesture for her to go first, and I exit behind her. The Boiler room is on the left, to the northeast of us, but we’re going southeast. Neither of us speak as we walk, so there’s plenty of time for my mind to wander. We both have more than enough to think about as we trek the forest.

  It’s difficult not to think of this girl, but I’m more curious about why I even brought her to the cave. It’s a great spot to talk secretly, but I’ve never shown it to Axe. As far as I know, I’m the only one who knows about it. I used to spend time here when I was younger and couldn’t control my anger as much. I still do. It is my hiding spot where no one can bother or judge me.

  So, why in Leda did I immediately think to bring her there?

  I look back at her a moment, thinking it might glean some insight. It doesn’t. She’s on my left, only a step behind me. She doesn’t seem to notice me look. Instead, her gaze is focused back on the plant life we pass. It’s like she’s never seen a tree before. Every now and then she stops to touch a leaf or blade of grass, testing its tangibility.

  I’m beginning to think she’s going to pick a bouquet and take it back to Geha with her. I find it cute, even though my upbringing tells me nothing good will come of being around this girl, a Favorable. She’s so sweet, though, there’s no way she could bring trouble. She just wants to find out what happened to her friend and her brother, and things will go back to normal. I don’t think it’s possible for her to cause problems. I’ll help her, and she’ll go back to Geha.

  Hopefully, she’ll visit once in a while…

  It’s mid-afternoon when we reach my village, the closest one to Geha. Alora doesn’t even notice us approaching until we join a crowd on the outskirts. Most villagers are still out working, but those that are too old or too young to work are moseying around.

  Trading posts are set up down the main stretch of the village where food, clothing, wooden furniture, and other commodities can be purchased. There are even a couple stands that have handcrafted and hand-carved toys for children.

  “Where are we?” she asks, looking around.

  Her nose is wrinkled, like she smells something rotten. Not a surprise since a lot of people don’t have easy access to bathing water, or soap to clean themselves with. I’ve grown accustomed to the stench, but I’ve seen that look more than once on a new Unfavorable face.

  “This is Landow,” I answer. “My home.”

  The further into the crowd we get, the closer Alora is to me. She even slips her small, right hand into my left to keep herself from getting lost as we walk. Knowing that the hut I’m looking for is still several minutes away, I stop at a stand selling fruit from the orchard. Most of it goes to Geha, but we are able to hang onto some to keep ourselves healthy enough to keep their food stores in order.

  I dig around in my right pocket, not letting go of her hand, and a few coins clink together inside – I should have just enough to get her something to eat. After all, it’s past noon. She has to be hungry. I pull my hand out of my pants to look at my savings.

  “Where did you get that?” Alora squeaks, only loud enough for me to hear. Her free hand goes to mine, examining the coins.

  “I earned it,” I explain, confusion crinkling my brow. “The jobs I work don’t earn me much, but this is part of the wages I earn. Why?”

  “I’ve seen them before. In one of the museums in Geha.”

  “That would make sense,” I concur. “These are very old. The city may not need them anymore, but we still use it out here. The Loyals use the leftover currency that Geha no longer uses to pay the Burners, Drudges, and Harvesters.”

  “Harvesters I can guess,” she whispers, “but what’s a Burner?”

  “Let me get you something to eat and we’ll talk in a bit.”

  She nods and grabs a light blue apple off a pile, studying it closely. Only the orange ones make it to Geha, so I’m not surprised by her curiosity.

  I pay the owner of the stand and direct Alora further down the main street, pushing around crowds as she munches on her treat. I let her finish before answering her question. We’ve walked for several minutes, and the market is coming to an end. The crowd diminishes, and soon it’s just us walking al
ong the dirt road toward the edge of the village.

  “Okay,” I start. She turns her head, so she can watch me as I explain the different jobs the Unfavorable have to take on. “Harvesters are anyone who works on the farms or orchards gathering the fruit and vegetables. Burners are the people working in the Boiler room. Drudges are people like me, who fix the piping and do other menial tasks that others can’t. They don’t teach you where your food comes from?”

  “No,” she admits, embarrassed. “I didn’t know that our food was given to us off the labor of others.”

  “Well, it isn’t free labor,” I offer. “We get paid for our services, even if it isn’t completely fair value.”

  “I suppose,” she mutters.

  “Where did you think it all came from?”

  “I don’t know,” she admits, shame clouding her features. Although, it doesn’t make her less appealing, it simply makes me wish I could take the feelings away from her. Carry them for her so she doesn’t have to feel it. “I guess I assumed, with all the technological advancements we’ve made in Geha, that it was simple to create and store food somewhere.”

  She turns her attention to the path in front of us, her mind buzzing about with the new knowledge, still holding my hand even though there’s no way for her to get lost. I sigh heavily, doing the same.

  There isn’t a whole lot to say now, and it isn’t much further before we reach our destination anyway. My boots fall heavily on the dirt, echoing my heartbeat. I’m anxious to bring her to the man that helped me learn everything I know. She might not come back if she knows what’s happened to him. That he’s here, in Landow.

  Unfortunately, I can’t stall any longer. I step up to the door of a small hut on the right side of the path, letting my hand fall from Alora’s and hoping beyond logic it’s not the last time I get to feel her skin against my fingertips. I even rub my fingers together in an attempt to preserve the feeling in memory, but the softness of her skin fades quickly.