The Lunar Life Ch. 01

"Umm, I don't find you attractive." Will choked out.

"It's okay Will, I'm not one of those anti homo types. In fact, the feeling is mutual." If Will's eyes weren't already bulging, they would have doubled in size. "I did say that not all elites were perfect." Thane smirked.

"Whoa wait..." Will started but was cut off by an annoying beeping.

It was Thane's BIC. A biologically integrated communicator or BIC was a watch-like device that was imbedded into the wrist of every Lunarision. The BIC connected to the blood vessels within the wrist, able to monitor the wearers vitals. Apart from its medical uses, the BIC was also a communicator, much like a mobile phone. "Looks like business calls." Thane said, shaking his beeping wrist. "It was nice meeting you Will. Maybe I'll see you again some day." He said, getting up and shooting one last smirk at Will.

"Uh, yeah sure." Will replied stupidly, watching as Thane ran off to the exit. He wasn't sure what to make of what just happened. He thought it was surreal that an elite had just said he felt attraction with Will, a natal of all people, and more shocking than that, was that the elite was a guy. The thought that maybe it was a joke crossed his mind, that maybe it was a common thing for elites to play pranks on unsuspecting natals. Will did know one thing though, and that was that he would probably never see Thane again.

Elites and natals just didn't coexist in the way you think they would. 21 years on Lunaris and it was the first time Will had ever encountered an elite. The boundaries were clear and somehow everyone was okay with that. Elites could sometimes come across as intimidating to many natals, and elites on the other hand, didn't feel like they could connect with natals on a personal level. It was neither of their faults, just that both sects didn't understand each other.

After trying to wrap his mind around the encounter with Thane, Will tried to put it behind him, trying to forget whatever was said. A part of him was scared that he had been exposed, and it was just a matter of time before elites came after him to eliminate the gay from the colony, but he rationalized that he never actually said anything that incriminated him in anyway. He didn't say that he was gay. Still though, the fear was there, but he knew only time would tell if anything would come out from it.

Will looked to his BIC and saw the time, noticing that it was getting late and his parents should be wondering about his whereabouts. He exited the dome and immediately the sounds of the city returned to his ears. Goodbye to the peace of the forest, and hello to the bustle of city life. Will stuck his hands into his pockets, making his way to the tram that was the primary means of transport around Lunaris.

Looking at the world around him, he noticed the different groups of people going about their own business. He looked at the natals who walked by, some carrying crates of paint, others working away at woodcarvings. The area surrounding the forest was predominantly where the preserving jobs were located, especially those that required wood from the forest. Naturally, carpenters and painters set up their businesses in the area.

Will wondered if this was where he would be placed, whether he would be posted to a sustaining or preserving job. He didn't even know which he preferred. He liked the idea of a preserving job, to tie him to human history and heritage, but he was never really good at those kinds of stuff. A sustaining job made him feel like he could contribute more but still it didn't seem right to him. He felt like he didn't fit in anywhere.

As he stepped onto the tram, he looked out the window, watching as the tram shot down the track towards his house. His eyes watched the screens atop the glass buildings, some showing news of events happening around Lunaris while others showing ads and trivia about the city. Will rolled his eyes at the obvious propaganda tactic but couldn't do anything other than ignore it.

Once or twice, President Dart's face would appear on a screen before fading out to the Lunaris logo. President Everett Dart was the top gun so to speak, the overall in charge of all the workings of Lunaris. It was a rumor that he used to be CEO of Highland Corporation, but most people dismissed it as that would make him almost two centuries old. Still, most wondered why President Dart didn't look like he ever aged. He, of course was an elite, but he didn't have the perfect look that most elites had. He still looked human, flaws and all, but it's just another conspiracy theory.

When the tram came to a standstill at his stop, he stepped off. He looked off in the distance and could see the city centre looming in the background. Tall buildings painted the skyline, with one in particular, The Spire as it was called, towering over the rest. The structure was so tall it pierced the ceiling of the dome, leading to a small glass orb that hovered over the entire city. The residence of President Dart. The city centre was where most of the elites lived, a place where most natals never stepped foot into.

Will walked down the path, seeing identical houses to his left and right. Most natals lived in the same type of accommodations, basically a moderately sized two-story apartment, comfortable for an occupancy of four. These houses were concentrated in residential areas, the idea being to foster a feeling of community, but with most natals busy working a lot of times, the idea was just that, an idea. Will for one, hardly saw any of his neighbors, let alone talked to them.

He arrived at his front door, which was a slab of reinforced glass, the usual doorknob and lock nowhere to be seen. Will waved his BIC in front of the door, which beeped once before sliding open, closing once he stepped through it. "Mom, Dad, I'm home!" Will shouted out, his voice carrying through the house.

"We're in the Kitchen dear. Dinner's about ready." He heard his mother reply. Will made the familiar way to the kitchen, seeing his father at the table with eyes focused on the table top, a news article displayed across the interactive glass interface. His father shot him a quick smile before returning to his news while Will's mom got dinner ready.

Trevor Harrison was a man in his late fifties. Despite his young age though, grey streaks painted the sides of his otherwise brown hair, making him look older than he actually was. Sarah Harrison was different though, although the same age as Trevor, looked a lot younger than her age. With her Asian blood, she had classic black hair, which was passed down to Will.

"So what's for dinner?" Will asked, walking up behind his mother, looking over her shoulders to the pot of mash potatoes on the conduction stove. "Hmm, smells good."

"There is chicken too if you're wondering." His mother said as Will took a seat beside his father.

"Oh really? Real chicken or synthetic." Will asked, raising an eyebrow at his mother. All food on Lunaris was synthetic, manufactured in a factory somewhere from basic components like protein, carbohydrates and such. In the beginning, food was grown as it would have been on earth but after awhile, they realized that the yield from growing crops and farming animals weren't high enough to sustain Lunaris, hence the current method of synthetic food.

"Don't ask stupid questions Will." Sarah scolded, which Will simply chuckled at.

"So how was the test today?" Trevor asked his son.

"You know, same as any other CKT session. Didn't really remember what happened in the test though." Will replied, recalling the test that morning.

"Yeah well it's like that. No one ever remembers what happens in the test. Most people think we're made to forget what happens so we can't tell anyone who hasn't already taken the test, anything about it."

"Hmm makes sense, I mean if it's supposed to be unbiased and everything."

"Yeah well, what do you hope to get though?" His father asked.

"Honestly Dad, I really don't know. I mean, I don't think I fit in anywhere to be truthful."

"Oh honey, don't worry. I felt that way when I was younger too, but when I became a nurse, I realized that it just fit me." Sarah said, bringing a couple plates to the table, laying one in front of Will. "Ok Trev, time for dinner." She said, swiping the articles across the table, which disappeared at the edge of the glass.

"Hey I was still reading that." Trevor whined, before Sarah put a plate down in front of him.

"Eat now, you can read again later." Will chuckled at his parent's antics. He knew that natal spouses were paired based on genetic compatibility, and many of them never really fell in love with each other. He was lucky that his parents actually did though; he could see how much his parents loved each other.

"So anyway, I'm assuming you went to the forest again after the test just now." Trevor asked, taking a spoonful of potatoes. Will nodded in response.

"Will, I don't like you going there. You might get hurt." Sarah said, worry etched into her features. She had never liked the fact that Will frequented the forest, although she knew that she couldn't do anything to prevent it from happening.

"C'mon now Sarah. You and I both know that there is nothing dangerous in that forest. Besides, he has Harrison blood in him, I think my son can handle himself if push comes to shove." Trevor said.

"Yeah Mom, it's fine. Anyway, I won't have time to go there much after my posting anyway." Will defended himself.

"And for that I'm glad. And you," She said, pointing a finger at Trevor. "You need to stop encouraging him. You are the tough animal handler, not Will." Trevor worked as an animal handler on Lunaris, one of the more physical jobs you could find. Not too long ago, the environment domes were filled with wildlife from earth, to keep their species viable as well. Trevor was an animal handler whose job was to ensure the upkeep of these animals, as well as to keep any visitors, mostly the occasional scientist, safe while they were inside. They were something akin to a park ranger.

However, a couple of incidents involving animal attacks made it clear that free roaming animals in these domes were not safe. Hence, the decision was made to house all these animals in a sort of stasis. Animal handlers like Trevor no longer needed to patrol the domes and take care of animals in the wild. They were however converted into a somewhat veterinary kind of job, instead looking after the well being of these creatures that were stuck in suspended animation.

"He may be, you never know. For all we know he may become an animal handler too." Trevor said.

"Yeah...no. Sorry Dad, but animals just aren't my thing. The time I interned for that job was a disaster." Will said, shaking his head at the memory of it.

"Well a man can hope can't he?"

"Well whatever you get, I'm sure you'll do fine." Sarah said, patting Will on the shoulder.

"I hope so Mom." Even with all the assurance from his parents however, Will just didn't feel comfortable with the whole situation. He felt that something was off, and he couldn't tell what it was. He chalked it up to him just being nervous about getting a final job and left it at that.

"So anyway, anything interesting happened at the forest today?" Trevor asked, looking expectantly at his son.

"Actually yeah." Trevor looked shocked for a moment, not expecting that answer. So many times he had asked the same questions, more a formality than anything, and always had he heard the same answer. 'Same old, same old.'

"Care to elaborate?"

"Well, I met an elite." Will said.

"An elite, really? A scientist? They don't usually go there anymore." Trevor asked, his interest peaked. Even Sarah seemed a little more curious.

"No actually. He was kinda my age I guess. Said he was there to clear his head or something. Funny thing was, he actually thought he could fool me into thinking he was a natal."

"Wait, he tried to pass off as a natal?" Sarah asked, to which Will nodded in return. "That's strange, I've never met an elite who said anything close to that."

"Do you meet a lot of them?" Will asked.

"Quite a few. A lot of them come to the hospital to help treat some of the more serious patients. You know, all the smart medical types." Sarah replied.

"So what are they like in general?" Sarah shot a curious look at Will, wondering why her son was so interested in the topic.

"They come with all sorts of personalities, much like natals. Why are you so interested anyway?" She probed. Will blushed when he realized he may have come off a little too enthusiastic.

"Oh no reason. It was just the first time I had met an elite and, I don't know, he was kinda weird." Will said, leaving out any other details that he felt shouldn't be said.

"Well you may just find them weird because you don't interact with many of them. They behave a little differently from everyone else. Maybe it has something to do with the authority that they carry." Sarah said, returning to her meal.

"Hmm, maybe." Will said. That was what was bothering Will though. Thane wasn't different. Will was surprised at how easy it was to talk to Thane, even if they were supposed to be really different, and authority wasn't something he felt when he spoke with Thane. One thing was for sure though, meeting Thane had stirred something up in Will. Something that set off his intrigue and curiosity. Will's desire to learn more about elites had been kindled.