The Soulmate Prophecy: Book 2: The Journey

By Yasmina Haque

The 21st century scientific realm clashes with a 4000 year old supernatural prophecy in the trilogy, The Soulmate Prophecy.

Dr. Kaelyn Khan, a superior enhanced human geneticist, born in the Underground, a top secret research facility located a mile beneath the Pacific Ocean which was created in one of the Galápagos Islands that dis

• Language: English
• Publisher: Authors Press
• Release date: Oct 2, 2019
• ISBN: 9781643141541

Yasmina Haque

Yasmina Haque graduated from Michigan State University with a Master's Degree in Economics and Management. She has recently retired after twenty-three years in the medical profession. She lives in Rochester Hills, Michigan, with her husband, three daughters, dogs, and a cat.

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Copyright © 2019 by Yasmina Haque

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

The Soulmate Prophecy - Book Two - The Journey is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

AuthorsPress

California, USA

www.authorspress.com

A top secret testing facility clashes with an ancient supernatural force in Yasmina Haque’s The Birth, a fusion of science fiction, spy thriller, and historical romance.

...action, suspense, romance, emotion, history, setting the stage for more to come in The Soulmate Prophecy, an exciting new cross genre series.

- Clarion Review

The Birth is a remarkable story, unlike anything I’ve ever read before. It captured my attention from the very beginning and allowed me to enter into a different world, that of the Underground. Haque has new, fresh ideas that are able to capture beautifully multiple genres in one novel. It will appeal to many kinds of readers. I truly enjoyed reading this book and I couldn’t put it down.

-Tristenb

Onlinebookclub.org

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Six

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty-One

Chapter Forty-Two

Chapter Forty-Three

Chapter Forty-Four

Chapter Forty-Five

Chapter Forty-Six

Chapter Forty-Seven

Chapter Forty-Eight

Chapter Forty-Nine

Chapter Fifty

Chapter Fifty-One

Chapter Fifty-Two

Chapter Fifty-Three

Chapter Fifty-Four

Chapter Fifty-Five

Chapter Fifty-Six

Chapter Fifty-Seven

Chapter Fifty-Eight

Chapter Fifty-Nine

Chapter Sixty

Chapter Sixty-One

Chapter Sixty-Two

Chapter Sixty-Three

Chapter Sixty-Four

Chapter Sixty-Five

Chapter Sixty-Six

Chapter Sixty-Seven

Chapter Sixty-Eight

Chapter Sixty-Nine

Chapter Seventy

Chapter Seventy-One

Chapter Seventy-Two

Chapter Seventy-Three

Chapter Seventy-Four

Chapter Seventy-Five

PROLOGUE

August 22, 2015 @ 6:15am

The Underground

Jake

Attention Sector Four and Sector Nine Underground inhabitants. All members must report to Dr. Karkova’s laboratory prior to ten this evening for inoculation. I repeat, attention Sector Four and Sector Nine Underground inhabitants. All members must report to the infirmary prior to ten this evening for inoculation. This is the end of my message.

August 22, 2015 @ 6:15am

Kaelyn’s Apartment

Kaelyn

Bloody hell! I can barely get out of bed and there’s a procedure today! Of all days!

"Jake, bring up Show Off, I command laying stone still. Scroll for me." He scrolls through my holographic tele above me. I don’t find anything about any breakthrough and why we would need an inoculation today. We have been vaccinated against practically every medical condition. I’ve been putting off my cancer vaccine since I found a cure. Our last inoculation was six months ago for diabetes, which, of course, I discovered. It was all over Show Off and was administered to every Underground inhabitant.

I wonder why only Sector Four and Nine?

So obvious.

August 22, 2015 @ 8:00am

Samantha Stonebridge

I hope it doesn’t hurt like the last one.

You’re such a baby, Ari, says Zen. It’s just a shot. Girl up!

An inoculation can mean anything. Remember the Parkinson’s disease inoculation years ago? The twelve long pricks into our temple. That fucking hurt! And we were just toddlers at the time! yells Ari. Everyone standing behind us seems now more weary than before.

Not as bad as your experimental soufflé the other day. At one point I thought you wanted to kill me, I say with a straight lipped laugh. The line of people behind us snicker at my comment. I give them a thumbs up sign.

Yes, yes, I have to agree. I should have used cilantro instead of basil and rosemary. What a brain fart!

More like a brain coma, comments Zen. We give each other a knuckle punch. Ari just folds her hands saying it wasn’t that bad.

Next, waves Dr. Amelia Karkova towards her room.

You go first, says Ari cowering behind Zen. I enter the door to the exam room as one of the other sector nine inhabitants exits. So cool, he mouths to me. I didn’t get a chance to ask him if it hurt or not. Thank goodness I have a high pain tolerance unlike Ari. She needs to be put under just to get her yearly fluoride treatment.

Good morning Dr. Karkova. So what’s this all about? I ask propping myself up on the cloth coated leather examining table. She brings out a small device. It’s long and round and seems to be made out of steel, or platinum.

Are you left handed or right?

I can go both ways, but I prefer my right. A jealous smile flies across her face.

Let me see your left wrist Sweetie, palm up. I do as I’m told and fold up the sleeve of my pink lab coat. She places the device at the middle of my wrist and presses a button at the top of her device. Wincing to the ton of pressure for those fifteen or so seconds, I was waiting for some sort of pain, but surprisingly none.

You won’t ever need your cell phone again. I’m going to test in a minute, she says. I wait looking at my wrist. It looks exactly the same. No marks or discoloration. She presses her wrist. Dr. Chowdury, please call Samantha Stonebridge. Within minutes I see in my vision a 3D formatted call in front of my face coming from Dr. Chowdury. His name appears before me.

What do you see?

I see an incoming call from Dr. Chowdury in my sight.

Press your wrist where I gave you the inoculation. I do as told. The vision of his name goes away and Dr. Chowdury’s face appears.

Hello, Samantha. Can you hear me?

Yes, Dr. Chowdury! I can hear you and see you! Where are you? I exclaim.

I’m in Mid-Section having breakfast. Like your new toy?

I love it!

You can send text messages, too, for someone to view within sight. Dr. Karkova will show you how. Good day. I watch him press his wrist disconnecting our line. His image immediately disappears. That’s so cool! But what if I don’t want to be disturbed?

Press your wrist twice and it will deactivate. Press it twice again and it will reactivate. All your calls and messages stay stored, so when you reactivate, you will immediately see what you have missed in your line of sight. Slide your finger over your wrist and you can take calls while you’re working, and you won’t have to deal with face time. That’s how I prefer it.

I slide my finger over my wrist.

How do I call someone? What if I want face time with only certain individuals?

Press your wrist and just ask who you want to call or text. If the person is available, you will be able to hear the individual or see the text in your view. If you want face time, just press and then slide for the incoming call. However, face time has to be mutual. One party can’t work without the other. It’s very simple really.

Who designed this? I ask rolling down my sleeve and jumping off the table.

Dr. Chowdury and I. We have been working on it for the last two years.

Congratulations! The best invention of the 21st century so far! Why only Sector Four and Nine?

"Samantha, guess how much that serum I just put in you costs? Zenith won’t allow it for the entire Underground, yet. It only has a radius within the Underground. Zenith leaders are pissed off because it doesn’t work on the Surface." She winks smiling at me.

I understand. Yahoo! No more cell phone to carry around! I say practically dancing out the door.

You can even activate your favorite apps and bring them into sight. Let’s say you want to play some sort of trivia game. Just press your wrist and ask for it. The images will appear in front of you and you can play with your finger right in front of your face like a holographic tablet.

"I’m actually a Candy Crush girl. I have a feeling I’m not going to get much work done today. I bet everyone in Sector Four and Nine will be playing around with your invention." Dr. Karkova smiles at me.

Just another amazing day in the Underground.

Does it hurt? asks Ari as she enters the room with Zen. They are clinging onto one another.

Like a bitch! I exclaim winking at them.

Their expressions are priceless as I walk out. I love teasing my roommates because I love them so.

Chapter One

August 22, 2015 @ 6am

Sector Seven - Underground

Percy Mink

NFL Theme Song plays overhead at exactly 6am.

Another day. Another boring day. Praises to Mother Earth for another boring day.

Fifteen years ago, I didn’t think this would be my future. I had far different visions. I thought my life would be more exciting. I thought I would be more busy. I suppose it’s a blessing that my days are boring rather than not. I pray every night that nothing happens to the people of the Underground. I also pray that Zenith never gets revealed. I used to be a church going man. What a fucking waste of time that was.

However, as boring as it is, my life is definitely more rewarding. I get to protect Zenith and the inhabitants of the Underground. I am beyond blessed. I am beyond at peace. If anything is Heaven on Earth then, maybe, it’s right here.

I know my views are a contradiction. The Underground does not believe in prayer. Much. They only believe in themselves, in their community, in Zenith, and in their work.

I have been up before the music from my alarm clock played. I always do. Frank Sinatra’s my favorite.

I have learned that sleep is a waste of time. I can sleep when I’m dead. I basically follow the unwritten laws of the Underground.

I turn to my side and decide whether or not I should read in bed. I have a regular tablet with the SuperNet on it. I can bring up some simulating reading. I enjoy reading Chicken Soup for the Soul books. I know nothing spectacular is going to happen and I could probably stay in bed until noon tomorrow without any incident. I won’t do that. Discipline, discipline, discipline. Just like the inhabitants of the Underground, it’s the law I live by.

I attentively sit up as my military training has taught me. I have a simple double bed with a wood frame around it. The sheets are only four hundred thread count. There are no posters around my bed or canopy above me. There’s no plush carpet to sink my feet into nor any heated marble flooring. My feet stand on cold tiles the moment I get up. I have a small red cashmere throw rug that leads to the bathroom.

I do not have an opaque wall. Only Sector Four and Sector Nine have those walls in their apartments. There are just make believe windows in my apartment that depict a forest scene outside. The scene is of a lush forest full of small animals and birds that do not really exist. I can hear the tweets of the make believe birds that start chirping at seven in the morning. Thank goodness I’m never at home to hear them so I don’t bother telling Jake to turn them off.

My apartment’s in Sector Six of the Underground. Although nothing special, looks like a palatial estate compared to what I had to endure in when existing in the Bronx. I do not have anything in my dwelling to remind me of my life on the Surface except for a picture of my ex-wife and children in a silver frame on my wood nightstand next to my bed. We were all on an aircraft carrier. We were all smiling. I learned later that they were all artificial smiles.

I hate thinking about my past family. I want to forget them, but I’m afraid that will make me weak.

I once thought I had it all; a wife, two children, an exciting career in the Navy. I was one of the best of the best until an accident on a mission off the coast of Saudi Arabia left me inoperable. I was miserable. My wife was more miserable. My kids didn’t give a flying fuck. I was suicidal. I even tried it once. I even tried it twice. I failed miserably. I’m such a loser.

I couldn’t even kill myself right.

After my second suicide attempt, the Navy told me they had no tasks for me anymore. My wife told me that I was pathetic and useless. That was fifteen years ago. I keep the photo of my family by my bed not because I miss them. I keep the photo of my ungrateful family that I provided for day in and day out for twenty years to remind me how lucky I am that Zenith believes in me.

I stopped taking Zoloft a couple of weeks after it was prescribed after my incident to protect my country. My body, soul, and mind were broken. The side effects of the medication weren’t worth it. After two years of battling my misery, my wife left me. She took Grayson and Grace with her. I didn’t fight her.

What a blessing that turned out to be. A true love would never leave no matter what the future held. She was obviously not my true love.

I didn’t know that Zenith was monitoring my every move. I just remember the cold, rainy morning when their task team approached me in my little rundown apartment in the Bronx. It was well before dawn. There was barely any food in my little refrigerator and the cupboards were bare. They said they had a job for me.

A lifelong job.

I told them that my spine was injured and that I could barely move anymore, let alone run anymore. I’m not the Navy Seal that I used to be. They said they know. That’s not why they wanted me.

I listened and then I accepted.

Now I realize all those years on the Surface were a waste of my time. My real mission’s down here. To protect the Underground. To protect the saviors of our Mother Earth.

And I have been Chosen.

And I have been Honored.

And I will not Fail.

The Underground physicians helped me with my disability. My physician couldn’t have been more than fifteen years old at the time all those years ago when my spinal surgery was performed using equipment and medicines I never heard of. I can now run like a greyhound and I do it every day to prove to Zenith and to the Underground that I’m not useless. I run on a hover track five miles every day and keep myself fit. I swim and press weights also.

My Underground apartment is small. I do not have all the luxuries the scientists and students have. Nor do I care. I live like the wait staff in the Underground. It’s small, but comfortable. My thousand square foot dwelling is a castle to me. Jake percolates my coffee and that’s good enough for me. I do not take advantage of the drones to send me food. I always go to one of the restaurants in Mid-Section. There, I can socialize and the Underground chefs can feel useful and appreciated.

I wish I could feel more useful. Nobody needs me as much. Life is very secure in the Underground. There hasn’t been any major recruits problems in the Underground, but if the need should ever arise, my task team and I will be more than ready.

I saunter out of bed with a big yawn, and decide to do my morning run above the Surface today. I’m one of the very few that is allowed to travel above and below the Surface. It’s such a privilege and I do not take it for granted. I’m one of the very few that gets fresh air and sunshine although Zenith has done a perfect job mimicking all of Mother Earth’s natural weather in the Underground.

I stand at the edge of my bed rubbing my face. I shaved last night, but I need to shave again. I absolutely hate that stubble feeling. My salt and pepper hair’s cut short, military style. My entire security force is mandated to stay neat and trim. They all rolled their eyes when they first heard the order from me to stay clean and shaved. They knew that was expected of them and I didn’t need to be a babysitter, just their commander. Zenith knows exactly what they are doing.

Just as I’m about to leave my bed to go to the washroom, the NFL Theme Song plays again summoning me to my cell phone.

Who in the world could possibly be calling me at this early morning hour?

The name on my cell phone flashes ‘Salvatore - surveillance sector.’ I don’t know any Salvatore. I do not have a Salvatore in my contact list. Jake must have added it. All the Underground inhabitants always know whose calling. What a blessing that unknown numbers do not exist in our world. I don’t know if this is a good sign or a bad sign that Salvatore is calling me. Coming from surveillance, it must be important nonetheless.

This is Percy, I say strongly.

The young gentleman introduces himself and then states his business. I become fully awake and my mouth goes dry as he instructs his task for me.

Yes, Sir!

Salvatore disconnects our call.

Only days after do I realize that Salvatore is only ten years old.

What an honor to have been able to serve him!

Chapter Two

Sector Nine - Male Dormitories

August 22, 2015 @ 4:45am

Salvatore

My clock reads 4:47am and I’m wide awake. Christoph, Kato, and Jay still sleep. Kato’s softly snoring. I hope I never grow up to snore. That’s embarrassing! I know he had a long day in Fusion Lab yesterday. He said he was having so much fun that he didn’t want to come back home. I completely understood his predicament.

There are days I hate leaving my workspace and my educational team. Dr. Winkle has been teaching me a variety of computer hacking methods lately. Not the simple stuff, but the really nasty stuff. The kind of crimes people on the Surface go to jail for if they’re caught. The kind of crimes that ruin other people’s lives on the Surface. The Deep Net on the Surface is a wicked place. Thank goodness we do not have to worry about all that with our SuperNet. Our SuperNet is one hundred percent secure.

That’s because my task team and I secure it.

Unfortunately, I have a strict curfew. Apparently, us genius children still need ample sleep. I’m quite ticked off with whoever at Zenith came up with that.

Sleep is for the dead.

That’s the unwritten law in the Underground; definitely in Sectors One, Two, and Three where all the main laboratories are. That’s why there are no clocks in those sectors. There are clocks galore in the Maintenance section which is Sectors Seven and Eight. Every one of my holographic screens has a digital time stamp based on satellite time. We record everything in the Underground except for everyone’s private dwellings.

Zenith is always watching.

Jake, I whisper. Can you put my overhead light on please, but not too bright? A dim light goes on immediately above my bed. Thanks Jake! I whisper again.

You are most welcome Master Sal, whispers Jake back.

I swing my bare feet over my bed and let the soles of my feet hit the glorious navy blue heated carpet that immediately warms between my toes. Nobody in Sector Nine ever wears socks in their dwellings. The plush and silky carpet is amazing. Jake heats it to whatever temperature we desire. We don’t care for heated marble and wood floors like Sector Four has. Marble flooring isn’t cozy or exciting for teenage kids. You can’t study on it or wrestle around in it. We may be young scientists, but we are children nonetheless and still love to horseplay with one another. That’s painful on hardwood and marble.

I turn to my right gazing at the African Savannah view on my wall. It’s early morning and the beautiful animals still sleep. By six my wall will show the animals waking to start a new day. It should be a spectacular sunrise. It always is. Too bad I’m going to miss it. Again. I could tell Jake to fast forward the sequence of events, but I don’t want the sunrise from my wall to wake the others.

Jay has a view of Maui’s beach on his wall. That’s an amazing sunrise too. The sunset’s even more breath taking. We all wish we could witness these amazing Mother Earth views in person, but that would mean we could never be in the Underground.

Then we all feel utterly blessed because we can’t.

Right now on Jay’s wall, all I can see is a faint glow of the waves slowly subsiding onto the beach by the bright full moon overhead. I know the sound of the waves is soothing, but I cannot hear them from my side of the room. The underwater tropical fish can be seen swimming around as we have breakfast when he has this scene up.

Jay and Samantha text each other every night about their view. They decide on the same one and that’s how they stay connected to each other at nighttime. I think it’s kind of sweet. I think it’s kind of goofy, too.

Christoph has a starry sky with planets revolving around his wall. It looks really cool as the planets move around its axes. Kato’s wall is blank. It’s always blank before he goes to bed. He likes it dark when he sleeps. He doesn’t care to wake up to any special view. He doesn’t care to fall asleep or wake up to any soothing sounds. That’s okay. He’s still a cool guy.

My shower’s short and sweet like my protein bar breakfast. I should have gone to King Triton’s or Sunrise Sunset (only breakfast and dinner because most scientists get so absorbed in their work that they work right through lunch) for a better breakfast, but I know nothing will go down my throat so early in the morning. I can always have one of the drones bring me a mid-morning snack at work. My boss, Dr. Winkle, doesn’t mind. He loves to snack, too.

I dress in my usual crisp French cuffed dress shirt (today it’s purple) with black slacks and black dress shoes. I have at least two dozen cuff links. I like jewelry. I wear one simple twenty-four carat gold chain around my neck every day. It was a gift from my parents the day I was born and I have never taken it off. I won’t ask Zenith for more. Zenith has never said ‘No’ to my cuff link fetish (they love that sort of professionalism), but I won’t take advantage of them. I’m, however, not the bracelet sort of guy. I’m not the blue jean type of boy either even during my off time. I like to lounge around in athletic wear because it’s comfortable although I’m no athlete by any means. I’m definitely more a book worm.

The A & B Line trains I take to work aren’t all that crowded this time of morning. I have fresh squeezed orange juice on the B Line train. It’s heavenly. Just the perfect amount of sweetness. The oranges must have been perfectionally engineered. I’m sure Kato had something to do with growing these oranges in the Underground.

I depart at Platform Horizon. I go effortlessly through security. I honestly don’t understand all the security in the Underground. There are only about a thousand of us and we are all on the same mission. We respect each other’s work and each other. We would never try to jeopardize one another. The only reason such crazy security is in place is because Zenith is paranoid about the Surface finding out about us and exposing our work. Apparently, too many million radicals upon the Surface could destroy us.

Any unauthorized personnel or intruder in the individual sections where an intrusion occurs is immediately shut down. If the docking entrance into the Underground is breached, every section in the Underground shuts down. Zenith has billions or maybe even trillions invested in the Underground. I don’t understand much about money, but I’ve read about it. I guess I can’t blame them for all the security.

Anything exciting, Robert?

"I wish little guy. I spent the entire night watching MLB TV. Tigers won yesterday."

I want to lift my hands in the air and cheer, but I can’t remember if Robert is a Tiger’s fan or not so I just nod. He sounds so tired that there’s no enthusiasm in his voice.

I have no clue about any sports team. Sports are just not my thing. Robert talks about them all the time, and I act like I know what he’s talking about, but it really goes in one ear and out the other. I like to hit golf balls at the simulator for exercise, but ask me who the PGA pros are, I haven’t got a clue. I’d rather read. I read about Tiger Woods, but he even seemed boring. And stupid.

I relieve the night duty staff. Dr. Winkle and the others should be here shortly.

You sure, Sal? I can keep you company.

Robert’s so nice. His eyes are red and I know he’s tired. He was an orphan that Zenith brought to the Underground. He’s not anything special, but extremely dedicated and loyal. I think he’s more special than most of the humans on this planet. Zenith must think that, too. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be here.

Thanks, but you get some breakfast and go to bed. I got this. We give each other a knuckle punch and I take my usual seat. I sit in my burgundy high back leather chair that I become dwarfed in the moment I sit down, but love nonetheless, staring at forty or so holographic monitors in front of a large console.

You are the bomb dot com little guy! Robert says as he heads out of the sector towards Platform Horizon.

Robert’s too nice. I love him like my older brother just like Kato and Jay. He’s so funny. There’s no ‘dot com’ in the Underground. Only ‘dot perfect’ or ‘dot savior’ in the Underground are at the end of our email addresses. Nobody even Snails here much unless it’s work related. Jake is our communication flyway. Snail is just a backup source. Snail stands for SuperNet email.

I look up scanning the wall in front of me with its forty or so scenes. As usual, nothing exciting is happening. I wish something exciting would happen in the Underground besides the amazing accomplishments the students and scientists achieve. I can’t watch what the scientists are doing in their private laboratories because that’s private footage. The classrooms and student laboratories are public footage. That can be fun to watch.

I look up to a few of the screens on my right. The A & B Line trains are all on time. As usual. We have never had a derailment in the Underground.

Above Fathoms of Fitness which is Sector Fourteen is full of people trying to get their morning workouts in before the work day starts. The restaurants that serve breakfast are still on the quiet side. Shops don’t open until nine so that part of Mid-Section is empty at the moment.

I scan the left side of my screens and see K-9 Cruisers already dropping off baskets of dogs and cats at the Canine Carlton. Their kitchen wait staff is busy preparing the canine breakfast of sautéed ground turkey in chicken broth, with brown rice and peas. The felines are having fresh lightly pan fried halibut today. I wish I had a cat, but Christoph is allergic. Maybe when I’m older and have a place of my own in Sector Four. Wishful thinking.

I try my best for Zenith. Hopefully, they will reward me one day with an apartment of my own in Sector Four. I’m not a laboratory scientist so the chances are slim to none. Most of the Maintenance crew lives in Sector Six. It’s not all luxury consuming like Sector Four, but it’s nicer than Sector Eleven where all the wait staff live. Sector Eleven has the most apartments in the Underground. They are really nothing more than the slaves to the high and mighty scientists, but nobody mentions that as so. There’s definitely a class system in the Underground.

All democratic countries want you to believe that all men are created equal. That’s such a crock of shit! Even democratic countries have a class system, but nobody talks about it.

I quickly scan the rest of the sectors. Of course, everything’s routine as usual. Nothing’s out of the ordinary. I slump into my chair. As usual.

"Jake, can you please have Sunrise Sunset send me a basket of one sesame bagel with chive cream cheese, a four cheese soufflé, and a pint of fresh squeezed orange juice by nine?"

Of course, Master Sal. Would you care for that bagel toasted?

No, thank you.

Very well, Master Sal. Your order has been placed.

I slump back in my chair. Maybe I can get a game of Call of Duty in before the rest of the morning staff arrives. I wickedly smile to myself. As brilliant as Kato and Jay are, they will never figure out how I always beat them.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

I’m summoned out of my haughty smile. What the heck? I sit straight up glaring at a red flashing light on my control panel. I know what that light means. It’s air traffic control in Ecuador receiving a distress signal. Any other signal to Ecuador air traffic control wouldn’t alert me. I hack into Ecuador’s air traffic control center via the SuperNet. I need to intercept the signal right away because the red flashing light means that the flight space above the Underground or Hawke Enterprises is in play.

Mayday! Mayday! This is Captain Jack from private jet Charlie Tango Four Six Eight Tango. We have lost an engine and need immediate assistance! We are going down! There are four souls aboard!

I have four computer monitors that survey the flight space above the Underground and Hawke Enterprises. I hit a few more keys on my holographic keypad and bring the flight space to my middle four screens instantaneously on my surveillance wall.

Oh, no! I can see a mid-size white and blue jet coming in hot towards the island of Marchena. Even I am helpless to stop it.

I wish I didn’t relieve night duty! I wish Robert was here! I’m not going to panic! Oh, shit! I’m panicking! What do I do! What do I do! No! I cannot panic!

I take a few quick deep breaths and think back to my training. I hit a few more keys on my holographic keypad. Captain Jack, this is Ecuador air traffic control. Assistance is on the way. Over and out.

Zenith, I hope I did that right!

I then place a call to Percy Mink, head of security.

Jake, please call Percy Mink now! The line rings a couple of times. Pick up! Pick up!

This is Percy.

"This is Salvatore from the surveillance section of the Underground. We have a code fire red emergency. Mid-sized civilian private air craft carrier malfunctioning heading towards the island of Marchena. Four souls aboard. You and your task team are needed for immediate assistance. Ecuador air traffic control has been disabled. You are on your own. No interference. Your next set of instructions will come directly from Zenith."

Yes, Sir!

My next call is to the President of the United States.

I wished for excitement in the Underground.

Stupid, stupid Salvatore!

Chapter Three

August 22, 2015 @ 6:00am

Kaelyn’s Apartment

Kaelyn

I wake up completely exhausted. My clock reads 6:05am. I told Jake last night not to bother me with a wakeup call. I don’t feel like going into work. I don’t feel like going to the gym. I don’t feel like getting out of bed. This is the first morning in my life that I don’t feel like doing anything.

I must be dying.

I feel so warm. Again. I turn onto my other side. I feel very hot, and it’s getting smoldering with each passing second. I throw the covers off and lay on my back. I feel as though I’m burning up from within me. My bed sheets are warm. My pillows are hot to the touch. My bed must not still be working. If I was running a fever I would be freezing and shivering. Something’s not right with me. I should go to the infirmary and have my body scanned again. I don’t feel like getting out of bed. Ever. I take a deep breath. My heart seems to be beating faster than normal. My head hurts like I’ve never felt before.

Jake, please lower the thermostat to sixty degrees.

Done, Sir.

I can feel air circulating around me, but it’s hot, not cool like it should be.

Jake, I want a view of Antarctica. Maybe a visual will help me feel cooler. I turn to my right and see miles and miles of snow and ice. The sky’s a beautiful shade of light blue with streaks of never ending white clouds. There’s no sun, but it’s bright nonetheless. I stare at my wall for minutes, but I don’t feel any cooler; I actually feel hotter. I’m beginning to sweat and feel sticky all over.

I then hear Jake’s announcement of an inoculation. Annoyed, with a tremendous amount of will power, I get up after scanning Show Off. As soon as my feet touch the marble floor, the tiles begin warming.

Jake, turn off the heat from all the floors. The warmth of the floor dissipates, but I still feel like I’m walking on charred coals. I want the tiles to cool. I walk ever so sluggishly to the washroom. I don’t seem to have much energy this morning.

I have never received such a request, Sir, but I’ll see if it is possible.

I don’t feel the tiles cooling any. Jake tells me that he has no program to cool my tiles, but he has put in a request to Zenith.

Damn! I wish he didn’t do that. It’s not Jake’s fault. He’s programmed to evolve to learn our needs. Temperature should be perfect down here according to all the Underground inhabitants. I hope Zenith’s not going to think that there’s anything wrong with me.

Jake, please set my shower water to seventy degrees and do not warm the towels. I strip off my white silk pajama bottoms and walk into my shower spa. Eight jets simultaneously hit me all over. The water’s cold, but my body still feels hot. I can’t seem to cool down. I raise my head to the two waterfall jets above and let the cold water slide all over my face and hair. My head starts to hurt even more so. I can’t understand why, and I don’t think it’s from the cold water. My body hurts as well like I’m being tumbled in a hot clothes dryer. The sensations are nothing like I’ve ever felt before.

I feel the coldness of the water, but I can’t seem to cool down. Something’s definitely wrong with me. I just stand there and let the sprays hit me over and over again. I want to feel numb from the ice water, but that doesn’t happen. The freezing water helps a bit, but not as much as it should. Maybe I should take an ice bath. I gasp and cough. My mouth feels dry. My eyes and lungs burn. I know every medical ailment there is and my symptoms don’t match anything that I’ve ever read about.

I’m so exhausted. I’m sore all over. I need to get to the infirmary, but if I can’t diagnose myself, I don’t know who else possibly could. Maybe I’m dehydrated and just need some I.V. fluids or a hydration patch for a few hours. I don’t really feel dehydrated though.

Shower off. I get out and towel dry myself. I begin to heat up again immediately. I don’t want to get dressed. I leave the bathroom for my closet. My apartment should feel like an arctic ice box by now, but it doesn’t. I don on a pair of white athletic shorts. I towel dry my hair just enough to get the water out. I’m hoping the cold air in the room on my damp hair will cool me off. It helps a bit.

"Jake, I want a large mango smoothie and a half gallon of chilled orange juice delivered asap from Squeeze Me."

Ordered, Sir.

I put on a thin navy cotton muscle shirt and head back to my bedroom. I’m beginning to cool a little. It’s not even seven o’clock, yet. I sit at the edge of my bed on top of warm sheets. I can’t even comprehend why my bed is so hot and I can comprehend everything. Jake, please call Michael.

What’s wrong? were his first words.

I don’t know. Just a bit under the weather. I’ll be in a little while. Can you take Loopy’s measurements for me this morning?

Sure. If she’ll let me. That little thing has a mind of her own these days. I smile at the thought. She’s becoming more mischievous day by day, and I haven’t figured out yet whether I love it or not.

I know. She’s intellectually growing as well. I don’t even want to think now about how smart she can get. I’ve been tempted to show her an alphabet and see if she can understand the concept of reading.

Wow! You’re way ahead of me. I was just thinking memory games in the Rainforest.

That’s a practical start, Michael. If you have time this morning, you can try it with her.

Really? She’s your baby. You really trust me with her? I think about his words. I’ve never trusted anyone. He understands that about me. Well, apparently everyone understands that about me.

I hesitate. I don’t know if the words will come out. I want them to come out.