Specimen

“I can handle it.”

“Ya’ve taken good care of yer sister ‘n all, but it’s time ta give it up.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Galen!”

A tall skinny girl runs up from the far side of the barn. The golden hair that hangs well past her waist blows in the dry wind. She’s all smiles and skips as she runs. She’s getting to be too old for that kind of play, but it makes her happy.

“Hiya, Greenbean!” I call back. “How was school?”

“Awful,” she says with a smile. “All they talk about is the condition of the planet and how we have to work together to fix it. I get enough of that from you!”

She laughs. I reach out and tousle her hair.

“Some of the squash is ready,” I tell her. “Go grab a couple and we’ll have them for dinner.”

“Sweet!” She runs off.

I’ve got to make this work even if it means spending everything we have on water. I glance at the large tank near the house, knowing how close it is to empty. If Dad were here, he’d know just what to do, but he’s been gone over a year. It’s only me and my sister now.

“Ya can’t do it on your own, boy.”

“I have to,” I tell him. “I’m the only son.”

I wake.

The lights in the lab are as bright as ever, but the room is empty. I rarely wake before Riley arrives, but I sense it’s earlier than usual.

The dream plays through my head again. It’s all so familiar—the red barn, the white house with cracked shutters, and the young girl who brings out such strong emotions in me. The older man was new to me though. I don’t remember him from other dreams.

Not a dream.

Sitting up in the bed, I take several deep breaths and stretch my arms above my head. I wonder how long it will be until Riley arrives and what she will have in store for me today. The recent simulations have been difficult, and she told me more were to come. I’m nearing the point where I’ll join some of the other volunteers so we can learn to work together.

Volunteers.

I’m not so sure anymore.

He called me by name. He called me “Galen.”

I open my mouth, nearly uttering the name aloud just so I can hear it, but after a quick glance to the mirror on the wall, I keep silent. It’s been a while since I’ve woken up with a beard or a haircut or having forgotten going to bed altogether. I am no longer losing chunks of time.

I have my suspicions. Even though Riley has denied it, I’m sure they have continued to remove bits of my memoires since I arrived here. I have no doubt that I’ve had similar dreams in the past and that I’ve told them to Riley.

I’ve dreamed of the same place many times now—a farm in the middle of dry, cracked earth. Each dream has included the blonde-haired girl.

I have a sister.

Sometimes I sense that she is in danger. I want to help her, but I can’t. Someone always stops me. Details are elusive, and I wake with a dark, gnawing feeling in my chest.

“Good morning, Sten.”

That’s not my name.

I return Riley’s greeting as she steps through the doorway with a tablet in her hand. There’s a sliver of blue beneath her lab coat today, and her shoes match the bright color. She never wears make up or jewelry, and today is no exception. Only the brightness of her clothing, which is usually earth-toned, is different.

“How did you sleep?” she asks.