Page 70 of Us Dark Few

“All clear,” the guard said, resuming his position.

“Follow me.” The Genesis guard turned and walked toward the elevator. He placed his hand on a panel, and a light flashed green before the doors opened.

Khalani and Serene exchanged wide-eyed glances but crossed the threshold.

The Genesis guard held up his hand in salute as the doors closed. “Loyalty to Apollo.”

The two Braderhelm guards saluted and shouted the words back, but Khalani and the other prisoners remained silent.

The elevator jolted and began rising. She shifted her weight from side to side and rubbed her palms down her legs as the elevator climbed higher.

And higher.

They turned their heads to look out the glass. All of Apollo lay below. The pristine, white Council Chambers grew smaller, and the people walking the streets looked like black specks.

Her anxiety spiked when they were suddenly surrounded by rock, dirt, and soil.

Earth.

They were almost to the surface.

Khalani’s body jerked to the side when the elevator came to a screeching halt. The back door opened with an electrical buzz. The prisoners turned in unison, and Khalani witnessed something she’d only ever dreamed of.

Sunlight.

The brightness was overpowering. Blinding.

Golden rays filtered through Khalani’s fingers as she shielded her face. She peered over her shoulder and spotted Serene and the otherprisoners covering their eyes as well.

Even through her dirty fingers, the sun was captivating and compelled her to move forward.

Her nostrils flared. The very air tasted different. Clean. The lingering stench of the cramped underground dissipated.

She didn’t know air could taste so…pure.

Her knees shook as she stepped off the elevator and her heels sank into grass. Was that what it was called? Yes, green grass all around them. She’d only seen it in pictures before.

The blades were uniformly one inch tall, the purest green she’d ever seen. Khalani had a near undeniable urge to remove her shoes and feel the grass beneath her bare feet.

She flinched as the elevator's doors shut and glided back to Apollo, a metallic cover sliding over the hole.

Her eyes finally adjusted to the blazing sun, and she mustered the courage to remove her shaky hand and look up.

Instead of being surrounded by a desolate wasteland, she found herself in an open field. Colorful butterflies fluttered around her in a meadow filled with flowers of all different colors, shapes, and sizes. Her mouth formed an O when she realized there was no dome overhead, only massive trees encircling them in the distance.

The luscious green trees stood tall, towering higher than she ever imagined. She squinted in disbelief when a brown creature swung through the branches.

Was that a monkey?

“How is this real?” she whispered.

“It’s not,” the dark-haired prisoner said, sliding to stand beside her.

Khalani whipped her head to her. “What do you mean? Where’s the dome?”

“You’re staring at it.” The girl pointed to the jungle. “It’s like the virtual windows in Apollo. The dome is translucent and will depict any illusion that keeps the Genesis citizens content. The temperature is regulated too. The only parts of the dome that aren’t an illusion are thesun and the rockfalls.”

Khalani tilted her head up further. The sun rode high in the sky, bathing them in a bright glow. The virtual trees swayed as if actual wind blew through their branches.

---