Memorize (Book One)

Shaken

The sound, as sharp and invasive as a needle, became deafening within a matter of seconds. The Chamber had instantly turned into a moving, indefinable space. Jay felt a crescendo of vibrations shaking the ground and as he began to see clearly again, he caught a glimpse of the Retrievers running away, abandoning him. He got to his feet, while thousands of boxes were tumbling off their shelves and piling up in the aisle. He had never had to heed this alarm, but he knew it all too well. It meant there was a worse danger now. Something more lethal than what he had faced or imagined so far.

In the Caves, nobody seemed to care anymore about the drama that had been going on. People hurried towards the same direction in a flash, squeezing themselves on Gliders, or simply racing away whenever the gliding spots were too crowded. The Medics left Starling's body and headed for the exits. The lights went off one by one, leaving the place faintly lit by dark tangerine emergency beacons. Ananda heard the signal too, and like all the well-trained colony-dwellers, she knew exactly what it signified: imminent life-threatening situation of an exceptional type. She looked at Starling, who was still motionless. Some cracks were already appearing on the structure separating them from the Deep Pool. Soon enough, the place would be flooded. The low, powerful rumble that never stopped informed her about the nature of the problem. She grabbed her friend's hand, hoping to feel the gentle pressure that had brought hope back into her heart.

Oh Star, give me a sign, any sign. Please! You have to be alive!

"Leave him, or you'll die in here. He's finished anyway!" shouted the last Medic as he disappeared from the Caves.

What's the point of running away...if I have to leave him here?

Soon the mad crowd became thinner; the screaming and shouting subsided. The walls of the Caves kept reflecting the recurring sound of the alarm. Plunged in the orange glow of the emergency lamps, alone in a desolate abysmal inferno, Ananda started shaking Starling with all the rage left in her. The waters of the Deep Pool had become an invisible threat, and the merciless vibrations were drilling holes through her nerves.

Emergency. Please reach the emergency shelters. This is a decamillennial seismic event. You have five minutes before the Swimming Grounds are locked down for safety. Please reach the shelters now.

Jay picked his box and hurried to the entrance of the Chamber, avoiding being hit by flying boxes and broken shelves. Just as he was about to leave, he heard Epos.

"No better than the rest of them. Hope you don't make it to the top."

He stopped in his tracks and turned back to take a look at the man who had sentenced him to death. He wavered for an instant, gazing from Epos to the heaps of memory containers.

"You hold this box tight, or I finish you off. And you shut up."

Jay swiftly grabbed his enemy by the shoulders, heaved him from the ground, and proceeded to the next room, holding him firmly. Epos didn't make a sound and held Jay's box obediently. His face had turned expressionless and paler than ever.

This is a high emergency. Please proceed to the shelters. Leave all belongings. You have four minutes before lock down.

The high-pitched alarm was almost unbearable. Just when Ananda thought Starling's life had gone for good, he grasped her hand and feebly opened his blue-grey eyes.

"Oh my God, you are alive!"

"Go away... now...Nanda."

"No!"

"You've got to" protested Starling in a feeble voice.

"No!"

"It's all going down. I can't make it, but you can."