Somnium Times Sci-fi Character Contest Winner And “Alchemist” Series Inception

The votes are in and we have a winner for the Somnium Times Sci-fi Character Contest!! Congratulations to Team Turner of Athenaverse for their winning entry of “The Alchemist” character. Below is Chapter 1 of the new Somnium Times exclusive series – “Alchemist”.

Alchemist

CHAPTER 1

Arjun readjusts in their cot, shifting weight from one sore elbow to the other as the hanging overhead lights flicker. With a pencil, they trace the changing shadows on their notepad, feeling the burn in their finger muscles, stiff from years of gripping a heavy pick in the lithium mines. The energy shortages make for interesting art, and Arjun enjoys chasing the shadows with their pencil, seeing what recognizable shapes emerge from the cloud of gray scribbles. The System is doing renovations in the lower levels of Arjun’s hive and are no doubt responsible for siphoning most of the building’s precious energy during this dark, stormy night. Arjun hears hive-members in adjacent cubicles shifting around while the construction machines hum loudly below.

Their watch beeps. Arjun glances at their wrist. 

Hasp: meet me at underpass- IMPORTANT

Arjun rolls their eyes. Hasp needs a wingman for a drug deal no doubt. Arjun doesn’t blame them. The monotony can kill, but the last time they stuck out their neck for Hasp, they nearly got killed literally. Luckily, they were only arrested and ended up spending the night in a stinky cell with rusting impounded VR bots, the only evidence of elusive, true criminals. Why couldn’t Hasp use VR bots to break the rules like everybody else? At least, that wasn’t the worst punishment they ever received.

Arjun can’t forget that punishment.

Years ago, Hasp and Arjun escaped their juvie hive and somehow snuck their tiny bodies all the way through the bustling city to the wall marking the city limit. They used to stay up every night, conspiring to make it out of the city to find whatever was beyond – maybe even their parents. They created imaginary rebel communities, growing food and swimming in unchlorinated bodies of water, hunting for wild animals. They swore there were forests where you could hear frogs croak and see the stars at night. These are the fantasies that almost cost them everything.

Arjun feels themself drifting to sleep, when their watch beeps again. It’s Hasp.

Hasp: hurry! not joking!

Arjun jumps out of bed, fast as a lightning bolt. They pull on their dusty work boots and strap them up tightly, then stumble out of their cubicle, bumping into the wall of someone else’s.

“Shut up!” Someone yells. 

Arjun races down the dim hall, passing the locked elevator, following the EXIT signs to the stairwell. For Hasp, they could race down four flights of steps, three at a time, no problem, but there was no need. They pull open the neglected cleaning supply closet atop the first flight and breathe a sigh of relief. Their gliders are still there, hidden in a cobwebbed corner of the closet. It’s a good thing humans leave cleaning to machines now, even if they don’t do that great of a job. They glance over their shoulder to make sure no one has followed them down the hall. The coast is clear. 

They slip their feet into the gliders, which they keep fully charged and ready to go in case of emergencies. For example, making it to the cafeteria in the short span of time it’s open, once the mines close and Arjun has had a decent scrub in the shower. 

Gliders aren’t exactly legal, at least not the fact that they run on a chargeable, homemade battery. If anyone asks about them, Arjun lies that they’re disposable, like everything else, and usually doesn’t get asked any more questions. It’s impossible for anyone to keep up with all the toys kids have nowadays, especially since most of the stuff is either used up within a couple days or gets boring and is traded for some other piece of crap within hours. The suspicion comes if someone notices Arjun’s covered in dirt from the mines. Miners aren’t the type with access to such crap, not unless they’re stealing lithium from the mines… but Arjun doesn’t have time to worry about getting caught now.

Arjun eyes the window across from the top of the stairway. Beyond, the lights of the city sparkle, blurred by the rainwater rushing down the glass. They back up as far as possible until they’re pressed up against the opposite wall. They inhale sharply, then spring forward into a sprint, jumping off the top step and leaping through the air. They reach for the window sill and grab on tight, climbing up to their elbows and hoisting themselves up. They stand on the sill, panting, their body pressed against the cold glass. They push the big window open and look down at the shiny wet tarmac of the alleyway four floors beneath them. 

“Activate gliders” they whisper.

They jump outside into the air. They tighten all their muscles and keep as stiff as possible as gravity pulls them down. The gliders vibrate as they activate, their force field stretching out from the boot soles in search of the ground.

Arjun’s fall gets slower and slower, and finally, they land gently onto the ground without a scrape. 

“Gliders off,” they say. The forcefield disappears, and Arjun takes a beat to gain their balance.

They walk briskly out of the alley into the busy street, crowds of night lurkers rubbing shoulders near vendors selling cheap plastic clothes on the sidewalk, public transports racing through the center. The roar of a million vehicles and voices hit their ear over the occasional *ding* of slot machines and blaring emergency alarms. They pass a hobo being beaten by two police guards, for collecting rainwater no doubt. Arjun winces. At least the hobo wasn’t caught with oil – or lithium- or a painful beating would be the least of their worries. 

Arjun remembers Hasp and them being thrown violently into the back of a van. They had almost made it under the great city wall to the outside. Actually, Hasp had made it all the way out, but had come back for Arjun when they were apprehended by guards. Hasp could’ve avoided everything they went through by going through with the escape, but came back nevertheless. Arjun would never forget that. 

Arjun makes it through the crowded shopping area to the industrial section. It’s almost totally deserted except for guards eyeing lurkers like Arjun. They peer down from the rooftops, scanning the dark streets for suspicious for terrorist activity around the surrounding dams and water channels. The System must protect the water supply, so naturally, they must control it- for the greater good, of course. Everyone in the city depends on The System after all. Arjun smirks to themself, and continues walking as fast as they can toward the underpass.

Hasp and Arjun haven’t met over here in years. Arjun passes by often as the mines are along the city limit, but Hasp hasn’t had to venture out here since moving up in The System into the Census Bureau (CB). Why is Hasp telling Arjun to hurry to their old spot? Why are they there in the first place? Arjun shivers, maybe from worry, maybe because they forgot to bring a raincoat and are now soaked to the bone. Maybe they didn’t learn anything from all the electro-shock therapy they got as kids for trying to escape. Hasp definitely didn’t. Arjun walks faster.

The spot is just ahead. Above it, automated freight trucks cross to and fro on the bridge through the wall, carrying mostly logs from the forests surrounding the city. Arjun remembers Hasp talking longingly about the forest out there. Apparently, there were all sorts of gigantic trees for miles, so many that their branches were touching. It was all they saw before coming back for Arjun. The trees must’ve been beautiful, because Hasp mentioned them a lot. Arjun feels a twinge of guilt, but then remembers that no one has ever escaped the city and lived to tell the tale. Come to think of it, Arjun has never heard of anyone getting out besides Hasp.

Up ahead, it isn’t Hasp waiting, but someone else. They are crouched over, wearing a hood with bright green hair poking out from the sides. They’re picking something up off of the ground – or maybe leaving something there. They look up and catch eyes with Arjun. They are mostly covered by the darkness and the rain, but Arjun notices their eyes widen. Something isn’t right.

The stranger makes a run for it, disappearing behind the overpass ramp, but Arjun is ready.

“Activate gliders.”

Arjuns gliders rumble awake, and they hover along the ground fast as a taxi. Before they know it, they’re already on the other side of the pass. The figure is running straight for the electric fence that precedes the city walls. There’s nowhere else to run to going in that direction besides along the fence, and they’re on foot while Arjun is on gliders. Arjun has them cornered.

“Turbo.”

Arjun’s gliders get hot and they fly after the stranger even faster. They’re gaining on them. The stranger reaches into their pocket and pulls out a disc. They stop abruptly and look over their shoulder at Arjun. They are wearing a face mask, but Arjun can tell by their eyes that they’re smiling. Arjun is yards away now…

The stranger throws the disc on the ground and a thick cloud of pink smoke explodes in every direction. Arjun yells out:

“Gliders off!”

Arjun can’t see a thing. They’re surrounded by smoke, and they can’t move without risking running into the electric fence.

“Come out, coward!” They yell in frustration, but there is no reply.

The smoke clears, and no one is in sight. Arjun is panting in a fury. There is wet concrete and tarmac everywhere. If they were running, Arjun would hear the echo of their footsteps, or at least a splash in some puddles, but all is quiet except for the rain. Where could they have gone?

Arjun hovers at warp speed back to the underpass, back to the spot where the stranger was crouched. There’s a wet piece of paper with splotchy, running ink on the ground. It reads:

GO HOME IF YOU EVER WANT TO SEE YOUR FRIEND AGAIN.

Read Chapter 2 —>