A Letter

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“I feel like life is beautiful. I can feel the earth's warmth as much as the cold air surrounding me. I have given to this world as much as I have taken. But I am going to take much more. The hole I will leave will be immense, but I still believe in life. I believe that my life has connected pieces of my soul to different people. I intend to bring those pieces together to produce something better. I aim to be free from judgment and to be beautiful in my own eyes. I can no longer see a future where my brain concocts beauty. , Studd

Ralphie reached down and picked up a half-burnt joint that had been sitting on his desk for some time. There was a haze that encapsulated Ralphie's mind. He struck the lighter, the flames nipping at the part of his thumb that was tough from repeated exposure. His hands were coiled and ripped in burns, the flesh spun out on his hands, misshapen and discolored. He had been in an accident several years ago. Ralphies dark hair was tangled and messy, his winter grey eyes darted around. He was decently tall with a thin complexion and a high set of cheekbones that were slightly disproportional to the rest of his features.

His desk was filled with a bunch of papers scattered all about. Sitting on top was a postcard that Leon had given him a couple of days ago from a New Times Reporter. Her name was Lily Adams, and she was reporting on Chuck Thorne's campaign for president. Ralphie was hesitant to speak to the reporter, fearful. Screams still echoed in his mind from his brother's death.

It had been years ago now, but it was the unknowing that haunted him, the idea that he had been subjected to brutal experimentations for CelTec's profit. His mother always blamed herself for his death. She would tell him that Freddie's skull had been found outside of a CelTec Laboratory and to never go near any of the laboratories. Ralphie shivered at the thought of speaking out. It was pointless; it could only get him killed, or worse. One of CelTec's experiments. Sometimes he wondered if death was more noble than living in this world.

“I can’t meet up with the reporter, there’s not much I can tell her that you can’t,” the text from Ralphie said.

Leon sighed in frustration. Ralphie was the primary source that Lily needed to authenticate her story. Otherwise, it was unlikely that she would get any airtime. They had met briefly at the Autonomous Reporters Conference and had exchanged information. From what he could tell, she was a good reporter, one of the most featured reporters, and was somewhat of a celebrity. She was well-versed on the concerns surrounding CelTec and had connections to a small resistance group. She had reached out to him about a week ago. Leon stared at his phone. He had to convince Ralphie to talk to her later tonight. It was a shot at becoming integrated.

The group sat in a circle talking, but none of their words were audible to Leon. He was an actor in how he was able to mask his emotions. After some time, some of the words came through to him, but they didn’t seem too important. His mind had gone numb, and he felt a slight sense of comfort in that. A name that he recognized, “Flowers”, came up in conversation that piqued his interest. He jumped at it, “The old CelTec secretary, Dave Flowers?”

Petey smiled, “Ya, apparently it came out today that the real reason that he retired was that he was smoking weed with the interns at summer camp.”

Leon smiled, “I don’t believe you. Flowers was fired for smoking flower?”

Petey giggled, “Ya, and the only reason that this came out was that he was just arrested for smuggling and distributing more after he retired. He made millions of dollars as everyone does from CelTec, but still decided to distribute grade-school hash just like my dad used to.” Petey winced a little.

Leon patted him on the back, turning his attention to Sage, “How have you been?” Leon asked.

Ralphie eventually walked into the Bar. The red and yellow lights were tangled and loosely stapled against the walls in an apocalyptic fashion. The bright neon light bounced around the inside. It was a common spot for everyone to go to; there was seldom anyone there, besides the workers who were drowned by the loud music.

Both Leon and Ralphie gave genuine smiles. Leon was slightly shorter than Ralphie; he had a strong base and round features that were instantly recognizable.

The two had been friends for as far back as they could remember. There seems to be a greater understanding that doesn’t exist in most relationships. There was rarely any judgment that was exchanged between them.

Leon looked over at Ralphie and wanted to press him a little bit more about the reporter, but he could tell that Ralphie would just avoid the conversation, drowning it out in liquor. It frustrated Leon.

Ralphie hugged Sage. The two had been dating for some time. “How are you always so late all the time?” Sage scolded Ralphie.”

“Sorry, sorry, you hear what Flicks was talking about yesterday?” Ralphie quickly said, diverting the conversation.

“Flicks is always running his mouth about Chuck Thorne and working on something new with CelTec,” Petey responded shrewdly.

“I mean, his dad is campaigning for president; he is the biggest driving force for change. Where is Flicks anyway? I thought he was supposed to be here.” Ralphie asked.

“I'm gonna call him,” Sage continued, flicking open her phone and dialing the number.

“Fuck CelTec if you ask me, the whole company is crazy. I will overdose on Melt if I keep getting those stupid articles that keep popping up on everyone's phones. It's crazy that you can’t turn those off.” Petey said, expressing his discontent before settling with an awkward chuckle that faded out. Petey had a robust drug problem that his dad had set in place for him by passing away in a car crash. It caused his face to twitch uncharacteristically whenever his cravings got bad.

Sage looked up, “It's not like any of us can do anything about it.”

“Fuck not being able to do something. Last week, a whole family died from a CelTec experiment. Here's the fucked part: they were the dumbasses who signed up for the experiments. There are huge signs in the sky. Most people believe that CelTec is always there to help them. Well, it's not. What kind of experiments do you even think they're running there?” Petey responded, anger riddling his tone.

"I heard someone say they extract their spinal fluid," Leon said.

"That's disgusting." Sage looked away and proceeded to talk to Flicks.

“What does it matter at the end of it all? A company like CelTec has been around for over nine hundred years; chances are, they are going to outlive you.”

“How the hell does a company survive that long? Even the most successful companies die after about a hundred years,” Petey added as he swayed his hands in long, frantic motions.

“They took control of The Minds,” Leon responded shrewdly Sage interrupted the conversation, “Flicks says we should come over to the Building. There’s something Chuck Thorne wants us to see.”

Leon looked over at Petey, “Look, CelTec is bad. I agree with you on that, but it hasn’t always been that way. Look at what Chuck Thorne is doing; he has the actual ability to end the experimentations and ethically integrate more people. You're just upset that you don’t have The Minds.”

Petey chuckled, his temper rising, “I’m a thousand times better off without the minds that I am with them. I’m proud to be disconnected. With the amount of money that Chuck Thorne is getting paid, it's filthy, and we're left picking up the scraps. How do you know that he will actually make any change?”

Ralphie stood up, “We know Chuck Thorne will make an impact, he's been making one his entire life, and is the only one within CelTec that will integrate all of us.

“Fuck off, Ralphie, you're only saying that because Chuck Thorne pays for your whole life. Your parents live in that nice, fancy house that he gifted them, while the rest of us scrape by. I’m going to grab a drink. Anyone want another?” Petey asked, fuming.

“I’ll take one,” Sage said before mouthing to Ralphie that she would calm him down. “You two keep an eye on the table,” Sage said, pointing at the two of them as they left.

Leon watched as the two of them walked away. “Prick, how the hell did you get her as your girlfriend?”

Ralphie shrugged, “I don’t know, dumb luck, I guess.”

“Definitely dumb luck,” Leon said, looking at Ralphie. They both chuckled.

Leon sighed, “What would you do if you had The Minds?” He sat there looking down at the floor.

Ralphie hesitated, “I’m not sure, probably work with the space program, I want to hopefully see the stars, if they ever get there. Why are you asking?”

Leon smiled, “I’m just wondering.” Ralphie's eyes bounced around the room. He was always moving.

What about you? What would you do if you had The Minds?” Ralphie asked.

Leon pondered for a second. He always imagined that he would be able to do anything with The Minds. But never thought about what he would actually do. “I’m not sure, hopefully something good. I would probably try to discover something, maybe dig up some of the truth behind how the System was really formed. Help some people along the way.”

“You know you can do all of that now,” Ralphie said, raising his voice as more people walked into the bar. Peak hours were approaching.

“Ya, but it's not the same,” Leon responded. “With the Minds, I wouldn’t have to worry about money or learning something. I might not even have to worry about my health.”

“Can the Minds really take care of your health?” Ralphie questioned.

“I dunno, but I read somewhere that people with The Minds tend to live longer. I guess it's easier for doctors to work on the Integrated. Something about how the technology interacts, I guess.”

Ralphie shrugged it off, “I guess that makes sense. Well, let's hope that we both get The Minds. You would tell me if you got The Minds right.”

Leon nodded, “Of course.”

“You better,” Ralphie said as Petey and Sage walked back to the table.

“Hey, we've got to go. Flicks wants us there,” Petey said as the beer poured down his glass.

The CelTec building was massive, the size of the world's tallest skyscraper, but it stretched the size of an Army Base. It was an amorphous blob structure with nozzles attached to the roof that represented rigid tube-like appendages. The building looked like it had risen from the ground, with the unique gold stars embodied in the building. It had large plate-glass walls that stood fifteen feet overhead, surrounding the outside.

“Flicks, Chuck Thorne,” Ralphie called out.

“Welcome, everyone.” Chuck Thorne’s voice was deep and raspy. He sounded tired. He had white hair on his head and a grey beard.

“You have to see this.” Flicks said like a hyper puppy.

Chuck Thorne took the group throughout the hallways. Studd looked around, contemplating the unique architecture and the bazaar photos that were displayed on the walls. There was an oil painting on one of the walls that displayed an old dog whose ribs poked through its skin. A rat's skull was held very gently in the dog's mouth as if the dog did not want to break it. What a strange painting, Studd thought to himself. He kept looking around at the many doors and art structures he kept passing. The building was a labyrinth with no signs anywhere.

“Chuck Thorne, how do you keep track of where to go in this building? There are no signs anywhere.”

“The Minds take care of everything, my friend. It's nice not needing directions to go anywhere. If I wanted to go to get something to eat, I would simply start driving and know where to go as if I were on autopilot."

“Do they talk to you?” Leon asked

“The Minds? To me, they can, but they seldom do. Emotions are much more effective in communicating. Most Integrated can only communicate through emotions.”

“What's that like?” Sage asked as they rounded the corner.

Chuck Thorne opened a large door, "It's a weird sensation, it's kind of like the feeling of being lucky. You just know you're going to be right, and you always are. It feels like it's from deep inside of you, like a pit in your stomach connecting everything around you.” Chuck Thorne walked into a large room about the size of a football field. Large purple lights hung thirty feet down from the ceiling over large vats filled with metallic liquid.

“Holy crap, this place is crazy,” Petey said, walking in first. “Are these agricultural hot lamps?”

“I believe they are.” Chuck Thornes's raspy voice echoed against the wall. “This is one of the research rooms that we use to study evolution.” He put his palm down in the metallic water, and small razor-thin metal snakes swirled around his fingertips before dispersing throughout the water. They began coiling up until about fifty white eggs appeared woven in metal snakes.

“Tuatara eggs. I recognize them from one of the CelTec articles. They are the fastest evolving animal on earth,” Leon exclaimed.

There were at least fifty of these vats, each made out of a hardened metal. They were the same dimensions as the average bathtub. But much taller, reaching up to meet Ralphie's chest. The room had a musty smell that was stuck in the air. Ralphie’s face resembled shock as he watched the head of one of the metallic snakes press its way through the shell of the egg before disintegrating into dust.

What remained was a small baby lizard with the flesh on its head peeled back. The metallic snake moved underneath the skin of the lizard before wriggling its way towards the brain. The lizard began growing in size as more of the snake wrapped around the brain. It only took a couple of seconds before it became a full-grown adult. Its skin started to form cracks before withering away into dust. The dust settled on top of the metallic water before sinking into the liquid. The snake unraveled and disappeared back into the water.

“It's completely painless and utterly fascinating." Chuck Thornes' eyes were glued to the vat. “This is how we learn more about evolution. It tells us not only the evolution of these animals but also gives us a glimpse into our own evolution.” Chuck Thorne noticed Sage peering over the vat, seeming lost in a trance. “Sage, where is Grace? You two are never apart.”

“Took a Trip to France,” Sage replied, her eyes locked into the vat she was leaning up against. “Should be back soon.”

There was a sudden pulsating in Chuck Thorne’s chest, a rocky shaking in his hands. Something had trapped him, freezing his breath. Every nerve in his body seemed alert and jumping as if every tendon in his body was pulling itself apart. He only had one thought in his mind: “Run”. He made sure to look away from the group. The Minds quickly corrected his breath, slowing it down until it eventually returned to normal. He looked down at his phone. Security Meeting was displayed in bold letters. Chuck Thorne looked back over everyone; they were all smiling, peering into the vats. The snakes rising and falling in the liquid as they went about aging and deaging the lizards.

Chuck Thorne took a moment watching them before saying, “Sorry, everyone, I had planned on showing you the mechanical office; they have some new wing designs. But something has come up. We will have to save a more robust tour for another day. Flicks, will you do me a favor and show everyone out?” He said as he walked towards the door.

“I’ll show you all the sanctuary rooms on our way out,” Flicks said, addressing the group.

Chuck Thorne looked around the room as he was leaving. The still metallic vats lay barren in the room. There was the faintest static noise that could be heard buzzing in the background. He looked towards the group. On the back of Sage’s neck was a long line of raised skin moving through her neck towards her brain.

On the way out of the building, Ralphie noticed that all of the artwork was different than before. We must be taking a different way out, he thought to himself. Ralphie had seldom been to the building. It was too dangerous, he remembered his father saying.

“Studd,” Leon nudged him, taking a curious look around the hallway and up at the rest of the group before lowering his voice. “You need to talk to that reporter; you're the last piece she needs to have her story get airtime.

“Dammit, Leon is not in here,” Ralphie looked around nervously. “Why do you need me? Why can’t you talk to her?”

Leon persisted, “I have talked to her, but she can’t run the story without a primary source. You know Chuck Thorne personally. I don’t. If we can get Chuck Thorne elected, then we have a shot at becoming integrated.”

“If he gets elected, I’ve just been busy. I haven't had much time. But please stop talking about it here,” Ralphie said, his eyes stayed alert. “This place creeps me out.”

“Me too, this place is weird,” Leon said as he passed by a row of carefully crafted paintings. “You know they're not real paint. It's a screen, but it just looks like it's a painting. I’ve heard that at night, the paintings are terrifying to deter potential intruders.”

“I wonder how often they actually have to deal with intruders.” Flicks motioned that they were close.

“Hey, Flicks, is the space program here at this building?” Ralphie asked, causing Flicks to spin around.

Flicks smiled while walking backwards, "There are offices here, but the main station is elsewhere. I don’t even know where, apparently it's highly secretive.”

“Do you think they will actually be able to get people onto other planets?” Ralphie asked

Flicks shrugged, “How the hell am I supposed to know?”

Leon leaned into Ralphie, whispering, “CelTec can’t risk having people leaving the planet. Where would they even go? There's no life anywhere, and the space program is barely funded.”

“Still, I can dream,” Ralphie said.

Leon shrugged, “I can’t even imagine what's all inside this place. Just imagine all the secrets this place holds.” Ralphie was trying to peer inside every door that he could. “I wonder how many experiments are going on in this building right now. How many people are losing their spinal fluid?”

Ralphie interrupted him, “Do you actually think Lily's story will do anything?”

Leon nodded, “I do, she's already been working on breaking through many of CelTec's secrets, and Pollard is old and will step down soon as the President. If you can paint Chuck Thorne in a good light, then it's possible that he could take over as their President.”

Leon looked at Ralphie with confidence in his friend. “We could do it. Put an end to the experimentation. Bring a voice back to the people that don’t have one.” Ralphie looked over at Leon, “I dunno, I’m tired of walking around aimlessly with all this stuff, what if they shut him down. The rest of the world will walk around like nothing happened, and we will be left picking up the pieces. Is it worth the risk?”