Hello.

...

Good Morning, David.

Today is Tuesday, May 1st, 1962.

It is 6:00 AM

Today’s weather is Sunny, 0% chance of rain.

Body conditions: 100%

Mental Stability: 100%

Immune System: No ailments found.

...

Proceeding draining Stasis.Chamber. 5 minutes and 30 seconds remaining.

…

Unlatching drainage and feeding tubes.

…

As a Serf it is your duty to Serve Prism and their allies. You are under the servitude of Prism first and foremost, your country next, and lastly your masters.

All Prism and Prism Affiliate sectors will be under lock down for the next 72 hours, Please be reminded to remain indoors until then. All Serfs will be on standby for the remainder of the event.

For further instructions please keep all televisions and radios active.

…

Please exit the Stasis.Chamber with caution.

Thank You for using Stasis.Chamber_XP-002.

Have a pleasant day.

…

I step out, the floor is very cold. The mineral gel used for the stasis.chamber makes the floor slippery, too. I should add a mat before I secure a full night’s rest. I see my uniform hanging over a chair along with a few piles of towels.

There is a note resting on the towels.

“Gracias.” That is rather strange, why would they thank me? Shouldn't I be thanking…

The snow. The threat. The alarm.

I do not remember accessing my chamber. I do remember trying to get inside the shelter.

…

I took one of the towels to clean off the mineral gel from my skin and hair. It is very much thick and sticky, I should shower and remove it but it is currently out of order.

…

I hear footsteps a floor above me, the floorboards creak slightly as a door opened and a staircase dropped down. I cover my modesty by wrapping a towel around my hip.

Kyle climbed down with his arms filled with fruits. “Buenos días,” he greeted.

“Buen dia,” I replied. Judging by how active the boy is, I can safely say he is recovering. “¿Cómo te sientes?” I need to be reassured. He seemed slightly startled with my question.

He leaves the fruit over the table and turns to me, “me siento bien, solo son rasguños,” he says.

While he may think they were just small scratches, he had too many of them. I am surprised he didn’t go into shock when I found him the day before.

He is recovering, that is good. “Que bueno, me alegro mucho de que te estés recuperando rápido,” I say.

…

He stares at me, and I stare back. Kyle then sits on the open chair, swinging his legs back and forth.

“¿Hay algo en que pueda asistir?” I asked. It seemed strange to me this child wanted to stay in my chamber.

He perks his head and shakes it, no. “¿No me puedo quedar aquí?” Kyle asked.

“¿No tienes responsabilidades para hoy?” I ask.

“No, hoy no iré al colegio.”

It made sense that Kyle had to stay home due to the lockdown, but I still can’t understand why he needed to be here.

“Oyé,” he snaps me out of my quick thoughts. Kyle stands and fishes a pearl from his pants pocket. “Gracias por guardar la perlita, pensé que la desechastes,” the boy ads.

I don’t see anything special about the pearl, perhaps the color is rather rare, but it was still a pearl regardless. “De nada. Me imaginé que era especial para tí.”

Kyle smiles and clutches the pearl close to his chest, “si, es cierto!”

His voice…

...

That was very odd… it sounded like a sound breaking through water, like an aquatic chirp.

“O-oyé…” Kyle hesitates, “¿Estas bien?” He asks.

…

“Sí, me tengo que vestir. Por favor, dame un momento de privacidad.” The boy seemed suspicious of my intentions to ask him to leave, but he does so anyway.

Kyle is a strange kid, his voice was bizarre and somehow familiar. Everytime I hear him my chest hurts and my head aches.

Perhaps my hearing aids are not functioning. I should report this in my next sleep cycle.

For now, I have some responsibilities.

I leave my quarters to find little to no residents in the shelter. I see Francine speaking with another woman in the hall.

“Do you really think the red demon will come?” The other woman asks.

“No, I think that red demon thing is a hoax to scare us… Prism thinks we’re dumb…” Francine replies.

At that moment I think they both noticed me, Francine not too happy with my presence. “Who the heck let you in?” She asks.

“Is that a Prism soldier..?” The other woman asks.

“The children did. And no, I am not. My name is David,” I bow to them. “I am a Serf. We never were acquainted properly. I assume you are one of the 20 members of this shelter—“

“I don’t think you fully grasped yesterday that I kicked you out…” Francine said. “I don’t want you here. Your services are not welcomed anymore.”

I honestly couldn’t fathom why I angered her, but she clearly dislikes me for some reason unbeknownst to me. “My apologies, however your father has full authorization of me, only he can dismiss my services. If under any circumstances Master Sin’Clair dies, you have full power over me and may dismiss me officially—“

“For someone designed to follow orders you seem to talk back a lot…” Francine remarked.

“I only clarify. It is in my best interests to please my master and his community,” I don’t know how else I should respond. Perhaps I am speaking out of line.

“If you really want to please us then get out of our sight—!” The woman interrupts Francine.

“Hold on, Francine you need to calm down… If he is here to help then we should accept it. Especially if we put money into him… even if it was unbeknownst to us.”

“No, because of him Kyle returned home hurt hours after lockdown,” Francine said. “And failed to tell us he was in the hospital.”

The woman looks at me, “did you hurt him?” She asks.

“I did not. I found him on the beach. To Prism’s understanding, he was attacked by an ozone dwelling threat.”

The woman looks at Francine. “Francine I don’t think he is at fault. If anything you expected too much for what little he could offer. I think we should give him a second opportunity to redeem himself.”

“I don’t trust him…” Francine said, “if you want to trust a goldfish then go for it. I refuse to participate.” She turns away from us and leaves to a different room and locks the door behind her.

The other woman sighed, she seemed stressed. She looks at me, “do you know anything about the lock down?”

“It is currently active for the next 72 hours, as for the information as to why eludes me. My apologies if I did not answer your queries to your liking. Once I get the information I will happily share.”

“No, it’s fine. Look, don’t worry about Francine. She lost her boyfriend to the Rapture, so she’s a little sensitive. Especially with this lock down.”

“My condolences,” I say. “But Raptures only occur during night time while we sleep, this must be a routine Prism lockdown.” But it is in all of the Prism Territories. Why would they be active?

“I suppose so,” the woman sighs again. “I will, I don’t know. I suppose I should watch Television…” the woman turns and leaves to the living room.

I still have chores pending since the day before. So I stepped in the kitchen and I saw a mess of food and plastic containers all over the counter. I should clean it and then at least start the bathroom.

I should tune in to 491.58 on the radio as I cleaned the dishes.

“Kkzzz… ah— kkz- to all Pris—kzz yesterday a sky dweller was found on the shores of Jupiter’s beach. The monstrosity was dissected in Prism labs and they concluded that the monstrosity was female and pregnant. Some eggs were found but as to the rest of the clutch it is believed to be circulated to the shore lines. These eggs are fertilized and there is no confirmation as to how these creatures will respond. These eggs seem to simulate pearls,”

…

“If you or anyone you may know has possibly come into contact with these pearls please report it to your local Prism Knight, Domestic Serf, or please reach out to the Prism line 762-0097-12. That’s 762-0097-12–“

…

I look back, seeing Kyle sitting in the living room with others, in his hands… a pearl.

That has to be an egg, I am positive.

…

I could be wrong. A pearl could just mean a pearl.

“...All Serfs will stay on high alert and wait for further instructions. The eggs are ready to hatch at any time, please proceed....”

… Kyle waves at me and approaches. “¡Hola! Ya veo que te vestiste, ¿quieres jugar conmigo?”

… “Desafortunadamente, estoy pendiente al código de acción en el momento que me digan.”

“¿Tan… Tan mala es la situación?” Kyle seems nervous and pockets the pearl.

…

“No, al momento no.”

Kyle was quiet for a moment, “Tengo mucho miedo, ¿Me puedo quedar contigo?”

I do not comprehend why this child needed to be near me at all times, but it is best if he did for now so I can watch the pearl. “Si.” I turn back to the sink and scrub the black pot clean.

“¿Te puedo ayudar?” Kyle asks.

“Es probablemente mejor descansar, otro día que estés en mejores condiciones de salud física me puedes asistir.” Kyle should be resting but instead he wants to assist me.

I should be sure about that pearl, “¿Donde encontrastes esa perla?” I ask.

Kyle is hesitant, his breathing pattern changed. “La encontre..”

“¿En donde?”

…

“...”

The child is avoiding my eyes, I have a feeling he knows he shouldn’t even have that.

“La encontré en la playa el día que mi mamá murió…” he finally speaks.

I hum in acknowledgement and proceeded with my chore. “Disculpa por traer un tema sensitivo para usted.”

…

He didn’t reply, he just stayed quiet. I should take the pearl and terminate it.

“... in other related news, new pilot tech is in development to eradicate void dwellers. Prism estimates it’s completion in the next 2 months..”

…

I set the pot to dry and dry my hands. I take some boric acid, flour, and sugar and make a dough when mixing.

“Voy a fumigar el baño,” I say and as I leave Kyle follows.