I finally settle into the chair when Kaiser asked me the question, the words tumbled from his lips like little pebbles onto sand; with his cinnamon eyes peering into mine. A heavy silence settled over us, thicker than the uneasy tension in the atmosphere. My tongue had permanently been tied, as my mind jumbles to tell him the truth or to brush his comment aside.

His gaze remained a straight face as he leaned up from the bed, his long legs cascading to the floor his back slumped over, causing his elbows to dig into his thigh; anticipating my answer.

"Well, um, what do you want to know?" I ask; looming my face over at my cup, avoiding the presence of his hard eyes.

"What is this place?" Kaiser asked again, his facial expression; bleak.

I decided that who cares if he knows, Kaiser has already seen too much to bother anyone. "This facility like many other was created by the higher-ups, they believe that young minds can't just shape our world but build a new. Once we turned ten, we get separated from our parents and start living on our own and gaining a four-year bachelor degree in biology by the age of fourteen. We were forced to take classes such as biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and computer science. After we took that we take two-year graduate program taking advanced classes at the graduate level which covered topics like biochemistry, neurobiology, ecology, evolution and molecular, developmental and cell biology."

"The higher-ups?" He asked.

"It's an organization, that took over after the fall of the government. They took us underground, fed us, made all places like this a home they took everything that was salvageable, canned food, guns, utilities, and equipment. Without them, we wouldn't be here."

"How many faculties like this?" Kaiser questions pointing to the ceiling above us.

"Like this one? Only five, but in all of the world twenty-five." I answer swiftly before continuing, "The other facilities are for repopulating, gardeners, and most likely agents from the higher-ups. We are only taught so little of the others, as we mind our business and do as asked."

"How do you even get here?" He asked he must be confused by the age that everyone looks here.

"We are drugged before we leave the repopulation facility, so none of us know where we are; so in long term, we can't contact our parents and let them know, how we are or tell them where we are. We aren't allowed to contact them until we leave this facility and head back to where our parents are located."

The look upon his face was bewilderment, he stayed silent allowing me to continue.

"We aren't robots, we want to help, to find the cure, and figure out how we can manipulate the cells that the animals and humans produce that make the virus attack. When we do find the cure, we want to implement a wide rang vaccine and rebuild this world. But we haven't even come close, we test on homegrown rats that have been slightly affected by the virus, causing them to be our test subjects."

His eyes still trained on me, as I shift uncomfortably from his gaze, "But each day we get a little closer to utopia on earth, every day. We learned to make a world where nice people prosper. In the higher-up terms 'In our old systems, it paid to be ruthless. But when people who combine intelligence with meanness, psychopaths even, rise to the top it warps the whole of humanity.' That's why only selective people are chosen to be put here."

Unblinking, he places the cup on the bedside. "When can you leave?"

"Well, that's a difficult question; if none of us find a cure by the age of twenty-four, we get booted to another facility to produce more children; so future generations can find a cure. Over the past ten years, nobody has even come close." I sigh with weary, I was the closet scientist to ever reach the smallest victory.

It signaled the end of deliberate effort and the beginning of passive deterioration, I knew we were here to do good for the world. I might be desperate to see my parents and take another gaze at the earth, but it all be worth it once I find the cure.

But it felt embarrassing telling an outsider that my life had already been planned out for me, that everything that I hoped for was that one day we would all live up top again.

"Have you ever thought of leaving?" His honest eyes bored into mine, and my heart leaped inside me.

***

Akira's eyes shifted to the side again and became glazed with a glassy layer of tears. As she blinked, they dripped from her eyelids and slid down her cheeks. She bit her lip tightly in an attempt to hide any sound that wanted to escape from her mouth; Kaiser's heart sank.

Someone's life was taken and planned before them, and for once he was glad he never was integrated into the underground, he had freedom. When none of them have a clue what beauty had been up on the surface, on even if the world was still habitable.

Kaiser wanted to wrap his arms around her shoulders and pull her close, but he only just met her and he still couldn't trust her.

She sniffled her nose and brought a sleeve to her under eyes masking the tears that were building up in her tear duck. "Kaiser, humanity is in our hands. Don't we have a right to bring it justice? To strive again?"

Kaiser shook his head, not knowing to agree with her comment or to tell her that she's been programmed to do as they say. She might not be a robot, but the certainly implemented it into her learning.

"Kaiser," Her voice squeaking as if it was about to break, "What's it like up there?" This time it was her directing to the ceiling, a gleam in her eyes makes the colors look like their dancing in her eyes.

He creates a heavy sigh, he never would have thought he would be explaining the earth to someone of the same species.

He was amazed at her curiosity and reach to the back of his memories to describe his favorite place so far; the forest. "Along the forest floor lie trees of yesteryear, fallen in storms long forgotten. The decades have been harsh, stripping away the bark and outer layers, yet rendering them all the more beautiful. In the forest, the sky vanishes almost completely, only a few fragments of blue remain- like scattered pieces of an impossible jigsaw puzzle. The air is rich with the fragrance of leaves and loam, damp too. Even so many hours after the rains have passed, the soil remains wet, slowly releasing its heavy fog. The only movement is the occasional swirl of the wind pressing against your vulnerable skin creating a shift in the trees The sound of running water in the brook has taken in all the air my lungs will hold and expel it slowly."

The gleam dies out in her eyes as Kaiser finishes the sentence, but he wasn't the cause of it. The blonde hair, hazel eyed man had entered the room with anger building up, as his mouth was shut tight. The man stood there he looked like a toddler expanded to adult size, irritation in his anger, a sort of impetuousness.

"You think feeding lies to Akira is okay?" He doesn't even cast a glance towards Akira, ignoring her presence.

Every word stung only fueling the fire that burned inside of Kaiser, he was no liar. Sure things weren't the best up there, but it had its moments, at least he could still see nature and not be hidden by four walls held deep underground.

"Arthur," Akira huffed out shortly, "I just asked him a question."

Arthur continued to ignore her, remaining a firm stance towards Kaiser. "You think that saying those things, and infecting her with those distasteful lies; will make her come with you. You got another thing coming, Surfacer."

Fires of fury and hatred were smoldering in Arthurs small narrowed eyes.

"Kaiser, my name is Kaiser."

Arthur stifled back, a touches of humor presses against his snarly face, "We don't need formalities Surfacer, you won't be here much longer."

Arthur cocks his mouth to the side practically spitting on the floor with his venom, every violated phrase was like gasoline to it, Kaiser fists began to clench and his jaw rooted. When the final mento had been added to what was building up inside of him exploded with anger, with no control.

He threw his body weight behind the fist that edged closer to Arthur's jaw, and before Arthur could even think of retaliating.

***

"Maybe I want to leave, maybe this isn't enoughfor me anymore!" Words flew from my mouth that I never thought I'd even think, let alone say out loud. I knew instantly from the look in Arthur's eyes that they'd hit their mark. In that instant, whatever relationship we had shattered into glassy shards. Nothing would ever be the same again.

Arthur's face goes pale, as Kaiser stands firm behind me; white knuckles from clenching my fist too hard, and gritted teeth from an effort to remain silent, my face was red with suppressed rage, and when Kaiser set a finger on my shoulder, I swung around and was ready to mentally snap.

When Arthur's voice turns to a slithery sound of venom, "That's treason beyond all means Akira, you know what I must do."