CHAPTER ONE: THE SIDE EFFECT

Piece by piece, a gray world slowly forms before my very eyes. Bricks and concrete create a platform and railway tunnel that stretch endlessly on either side. Metal tracks materialize from thin air, twisting violently into position at the base of the tunnel. The final brick slab is placed. It's the familiar central hub of Capitala's Grand Metro Station; ground zero of the Red August bombing that took place almost eighteen years ago.

Apparitions fill the station like white fog on a crisp winter night. At once, they whisper to me through pitch-black voids that appear on their face. Their words are like a foreign language. The longer I listen, the angrier their tone gets. Their whispers become harsh cries, and the station rumbles beneath my feet, forming cracks that cut across the concrete foundation like intricate lightning strikes.

I cover my ears in an attempt to drown out the bellowing sound coming from the haunting figures. Then something gently tugs on my shoulder behind me. The wails from the apparitions stop. I turn over. Before me is a towering human-shaped silhouette. The dark mass has no visible features yet I feel it gaze into my soul. It reaches out and points their finger to me. The station once again starts to shake and crumble. A hellish red glow emits from behind the figure. A fiery inferno consumes the station which knocks me off my own two feet.

The blow jolts me from the nightmare in a cold sweat. I feel my heart pound erratically all the way up to my throat. It beats faster and faster. I grip my chest and take long, deep breaths but it only accelerates more. I writhe in distress. I can still hear them wailing my name, pleading for me to shield them from the fire. I reach for the Serodyx tablet I set on my nightstand the evening before. I pop the tablet in my mouth, swallow, and pray the effects kick in quickly.

My heart rate decelerates. My thoughts vanish and a numbing sensation washes over my body. I sigh a breath of relief then wipe the beads of sweat from my brow. I turn to my side, feeling a heavy weight pinning my left arm that I hadn't noticed before. Keith is sound asleep on my arm. I rake my fingers through his soft, fair hair and try to lift his head off my arm. He squirms a little before tightly wrapping his hands around my forearm and nodding off. Realizing there is no other option to get my arm back without waking him, I simply press the mechanism behind my left shoulder and detach my cybernetic arm.

Gently throwing the sheets off me, I get up from his bed and make my way across to the bedroom door. Using the one good arm I have, I brush along the hallway until I find the light switch. The blinding light greets me into a minimalist living space, one gray loveseat, and steel coffee table with a television projector mounted in the middle. Making my way to the kitchen, I open the fridge and look for anything to munch on. I lean down, scoping every level to find anything that looked like it would satisfy my craving. I find a lone green apple. Not exactly what I'm looking for but it'll do.

Taking the apple from the shelf, I shut the fridge behind me and make my way back to the living space. I plop myself on the seat, and attempt to reach for the projector remote with my temporarily non-existent arm. I scoff, and focus on the remote only a few feet away on the coffee table. The remote instantly shoots across the table and into my open palm.

I switch the projector on. A late night rerun of 'Tea Time with Tyra' slowly fades onto the wall. I glance at the clock mounted on the wall beside the projector. It's five in the morning. There's likely nothing good to watch besides infomercials or the home shopping network. I switch the station over to watch the news. Not my first choice, but it's better than watching vacuum cleaners.

After a short set of commercials, the jingle to Arcathia News Network plays. Deborah Locke, the lead News Anchor for ANN appears behind her desk along with her fellow correspondent, Kale Davenport. The two look up in attention as the camera begins to center on them.

"Welcome back. A gruesome update has been unearthed on the Floras Mining Accident as more bodies are being uncovered from the site. Investigators and rescue crews confirmed six miners' bodies have been dug up from the rubble this morning following Sunday's collapse," Deborah reads from her teleprompter. "Prime Minister Cain is finally planning on holding a press conference later this morning in North Capitala to address the tragedy and the alleged improper safety practices conducted. This will be the first statement he has made since the incident…"

"Ayden, I invited you over so I can spend time with you, not your arm,"

I turn my head over to face Keith, who is leaning against the wall of the hallway, cradling my cybernetic limb as if it were an infant. He juts his jaw into a pout, expecting some sort of response. I simply cut him a half smile and pat the seat cushion next to me. He wobbles over still half asleep, then sits beside me on my left and attempts to work the cybernetic limb into my shoulder socket.

"I got it, babe," I say, trying to reach over to help him with the alignment. He brushes my hand out of his way then proceeds to lock the limb with a ka-chink, confirming it is in place. He nuzzles my metallic shoulder plate.

"I still don't understand why you choose to hold that arm. I got another arm, it's made of flesh, and a lot softer to the touch," I suggest, extending my right arm and flexing as to catch his attention.

"It would be easy for anyone to hold onto that arm," he replies without missing a beat. I remain silent, not wanting to press the subject. I feel Keith flip my arm to view my palm; he takes his and matches it with mine. Running his hand down softly, he taps on the middle of my wrist, which activates a hologram displaying my body's vitals.

"Heart rate was up between four thirteen and five," he says. "It was Red August again, huh?"

I nod, then casually take another bite of the apple.

"Was the figure there again? Was there anything distinctive about it that you could see?" he asks.

I shake my head. "No, I can describe to you everything else but the figure…"

"So what happened after? Did you wake and have an episode?"

I reluctantly nod my head.

"Did you not mention this to me sooner because it triggered your powers and you broke something again?" Keith asks with a stifled chuckle. I giggle along, knowing he was making a playful jab at the last time I stayed over and broke the bathroom door with an involuntary telekinetic blast.

"No babe, nothing's broken," I reply.

"Well, we may have to up the dosage of Serodyx. Maybe go up to two pills a day," he suggests. I let out an exaggerated and displeased sigh.

"Serodyx is the reason why I'm having these recurring nightmares to begin with. The fragmented memories that would normally trigger an episode in the day now just plague my dreams at night."

"Well, then I can try and get an appointment set up with a psychiatrist. They can talk to you and help break down the dream to its roots and—"

"Can we not do this right now?" I growl. "Can I talk to Keith for a moment? And not Doctor Everett?"

Keith falls silent and hangs his head in shame. "You're right. I'm sorry," he apologizes sincerely. I take a moment to breathe and settle down.

"I'm sorry I snapped. I know you're trying to help…"

"It's okay," he kisses me on the cheek. "Let's just go back to bed and we can talk about this in the morning. I'll rub your tummy 'til you sleep."

"You always say you'll do that but you wind up falling asleep before I do."

"I wont this time, c'mon," he pleads.

"Alright, alright," I sigh.

Keith passes out the moment he hits the mattress. I stay up, and gaze up at the ceiling tracing the ridges of drywall. Hours pass, and the sun's rays creep through the bedroom curtains, leaving the room with a soft orange tint. Shortly after, Keith's morning alarms blasts into the room playing a tune from his favorite R&B musician, Kim Rae. Keith sits up then stretches his arms before hopping off and making his way to the bathroom. I re-adjust myself in his bed, taking a moment to enjoy the space to myself. Keith comes back from the bathroom with a toothbrush in his mouth.

"Can you step out for a moment? I need to get dressed," he says with the toothbrush clenched between his teeth.

"Why? Are we going somewhere?" I whine.

"Yes, it's Friday. I need to get groceries," Keith replies.

"Fine, I guess," I scoff. "... but I don't see why I should leave considering you've seen me naked on more than one occasion."

"Those were accidental walk-ins," he replies with a dull glare.

"Those accidental walk-ins were pretty convenient if you ask me," I say, making little quotes signs with my fingers. "Can't you just undress in the bathroom?"

"No, Ayden. My bathroom door is still jammed from when it you warped it out of place,"

"Right… I'm going to fix that one day…" I say, knowing damn well I know nothing about handiwork.

"Look, Ayden, I don't want to have to drag this on longer than I have to."

He turns around and tugs down on his pajama pants and black boxer briefs, revealing his pale behind and all its glory. I spring up in full salute then playfully howl. He shimmies his pants up in place.

"Har-Har, very funny! Now make your way out of my room!"

It's a short walk to the neighborhood monorail station. The train takes us directly to downtown Capitala city where Keith prefers to do his shopping. We climb the steps to the raised platform, half expecting the morning crowd to congest the station. To our surprise, the platform is near-empty except for a few security guards and high school aged kids in the far end sharing an e-cigarette.

"Huh, never seen it like this on a Friday morning," Keith comments, swiping his train pass over the turnstile twice.

"Who cares, we get a bench to ourselves."

I vault over the backrest of the nearest bench. Keith sits beside me and takes out his medical tablet that he uses for work. He powers on the display. Peeking over his shoulder I see he is logging a detailed report of my anxiety attack this morning to the Evolution Genetics patient database. Even when he's not working, he's working.

"Why are you so obsessed with me?" I say, bumping my shoulder with his.

"Hm?" he says, half-attentively. He glances up from the screen.

"Arcathia to Doctor Everett, come in, Everett," I say, pretending to speak into my palm to imitate feedback.

"What…?" he says. He pouts when he realizes what I'm doing.

"C'mon, babe. It's Friday, why'd you even bring that thing?"

"It's going to be really quick, I just have to—"

Keith stops mid sentence as the sound of footsteps draw near. He and I our heads in the direction of the sound. A slim figured woman stands a few feet from us, wearing only a colorful strapless sundress held up by her large bust and even larger belly. She's at least eight months pregnant by my guess and approximately in her mid twenties with golden blonde hair that curls around her pale face. She stares ominously with eyes blue as ice.

"Hello. Can I help you?" asks Keith with a cautious undertone. The woman continues to stare without uttering a word. Keith glances to me with an unsettled expression, pleading with his eyes for me to step in and say something. The woman then begins to hum a song. It's slow in tempo and gentle to the eardrums. It's almost like a lullaby. She rubs her swollen belly, still humming. Goosebumps form all across my arm. I grab Keith by the hand, guiding him to stay close with me.

Luckily for us, the station's intercom announces the arrival of an incoming train followed by a three tone chime. A silver monorail decelerates to a complete stop before unloading a few people coming from Capitala city. I snatch Keith and pull him into the crowd, glancing over my shoulder to see if the woman is still watching us. We enter the first available car take a seat at the window facing the woman. Keith looks for the woman in the crowd.

"Don't mind her, babe. She was a little strange," I say.

"A little?" Keith protests. "She scared me out of my skin! And the humming? What was that all about?"

I shrug and turn over to get another glimpse of the pregnant woman. Not to my surprise, she's still watching us closely with the same unsettling gaze from before. But the train doors close and the woman quickly becomes nothing more than a dot in the distance.

When we arrive in Capitala city, I take a big whiff of the salty, stale air with immense pleasure. I look up to the sky where towering skyscrapers stand over me like idols made of glass and steel. I love the sights and sounds Capitala has to offer. It's too quiet in the suburbs for my taste. So quiet as a matter of fact a fart could wake up the whole neighborhood.

Keith and I head down to street level where the city is most lively. The morning rush is in full force, congesting the city's narrow streets and sidewalks. As Keith and I weave through the bustling sidewalks, I rest my chin on the top of his head.

"Babe, you are so heavy, you are anchoring me down!" he says as I tickle his sides .

"You walk too fast! I had to run to catch up to you!" I reply, kissing the top of his head which smells of a floral paradise compared to Capitala's air. To pass the time, I turn on my cybernetic and open the game application StarForge, a popular online strategy game played by millions around the galaxy. Keith scoffs as he recognizes the game's familiar loading screen projecting from my arm.

"Oh jeez, you still play that? I'm terrible. My fleets are always crushed!"

I chuckle. "That's because you invest all your money into your flagship. You have no defensive ships. You need frigates."

Keith rolls his eyes. "I prefer Monster Summoner. The little avatars are cute and they allow auto-battle scenarios, so the game plays itself."

"Where's the fun in that?" I ask, furiously punching fleet orders to my armada as I invade an enemy's home base within the game's PvP arena. Suddenly, I hear the lyrics to a Kim Rae song play from Keith's holophone.

"How can I ~ forget you ~ when ya' just keep calling ~ " she sings mellowly.

It's the ringtone Keith set for when his work calls. I remain completely silent. EvGeni condemns their physicians from fraternizing with patients. It's practically their first rule according to Keith. He takes out his holo-phone and takes a deep breath.

"This is Keith," he replies, masking his disappointment with a perky façade. He rubs the bridge of his nose after a long pause.

"Yeah… I can be there… I'm in the area so it shouldn't take me too long. Thanks, Trysha."

He closes his holo-phone and cocks his head back, groaning hysterically.

"They seriously want you to come in right now, on your day off?" I ask with a scoff. Keith places his phone back into his pocket.

"Yeah, the EvGeni big wigs want to speak to me post-haste for some sort of evaluation. I don't know. My secretary, Trysha, said they were very scarce on providing details."

"You're not in trouble, are you?" I ask with a stifled chuckle. Keith cuts a stern glare to me.

"Oh please, I'm always on my—"

A ring from my cybernetic arm interrupts him. I look to the display on my arm to see someone from EvGeni is now trying to reach me. My heart plummets. I turn to Keith to show him the caller ID. He furrows his brow, his eyes portraying that he's equally as puzzled as I am.

"It's fine. They have no knowledge of us. Answer and be as casual as you can," he assures me. With a shaky finger, I accept the call then place my open palm to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Good morning, Mr. O'Hara. This is Trysha calling from Doctor Everett's office. How are you?" asks the bubbly secretary.

"I'm doing okay. What's the matter?" I ask.

"I'm calling to summon you to an evaluation with Doctor Everett as soon as you are able. I understand this is extremely short notice and EvGeni is willing to compensate you for the inconvenience."

"Can I opt out? I'm in the middle of something," I lie.

"Is it a family or medical emergency?" she asks, maintaining her bubbly persona.

"No." I reply through gritted teeth.

"Then you may not opt out. If transportation is an issue we can arrange pickup."

"That won't be necessary. I'll be there when I can," I reply with a defeated sigh.

"Thank you for understanding. When you arrive, just find me at the front and I will point you in the right direction. See you real soon," she says then quickly disconnects.

"Well isn't she something else…" I smarmily say under my breath. I turn to Keith was in deep thought, possibly formulating an idea in his head on how to approach the issue at hand.

"What are you thinking?" I ask, hoping that by now he would have an idea. Keith breaks from his train of thought and looks to me.

"I go in first, get settled at my office and figure out what is going on. You show up a little later and we tackle this thing like we've done everything else."

"You sure this has nothing to do with us?" I ask a final time to settle my doubt.

"They're completely oblivious."