External Forces by Deborah Rix

Author:Deborah Rix
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: post-apocalyptic, future, genetics, sci-fi, dystopia
ISBN: 9780992020811
Publisher: Dime Store Books
Published: 2013-09-15T05:00:00+00:00

11

I sit cross-legged on my bed opposite Sheree. Jay and Hendrick are on the floor, leaning against the wall. I think Jay wants me to get to know Hendrick better. They’ve been spending a lot of time together.

I explain what happened, how it felt as if I was drowning and needed air. They agree that there were a lot of people crowded around, more than usual. Except Hendrick, who’s giving me an odd look.

“What?” I ask him. “I know there’s something. Just tell me.”

“Okay,” he says, nodding slowly. “When I met you, I was intrigued. You know that I observe responses, movements, and look for the common trigger?”

I nod.

“There’s something going on with your body.” He smiles at me as if I’m an interesting science project.

My gut squeezes tight and I swallow hard. I wrap my arms around myself to hide what the Nu-Skin couldn’t keep covered, the ugliness growing inside. How does he know?

“We often use animal responses to study human behavior, and I developed an interest in insects. I can go on and on about that some other time,” he says, with a quick glance at Jay, who must have complained about him going on and on.

“What I’ve observed is that people respond to you the way bees do to the queen,” he says. “It’s been fascinating to watch, and you seem completely unaware of it. I’ve watched for several days, and it seems to be growing stronger.”

Hang on. He’s not talking about the stain, is he? My mouth hangs open as I look back and forth from him to the others. Sheree reaches over and gently closes my mouth.

“I assume you know what pheromones are?” Hendrick asks. “They’re ectohormones. Humans don’t generally produce pheromones that are detectable, not like insects do. And we can’t consciously smell pheromones either, but the receptors are there, in our noses. I’ve been watching, and I know it sounds crazy, but something is wafting off of you, Jess,” he says.

“You mean I smell nice?” I ask awkwardly.

“I’m sure you do,” Hendrick continues, “but this is different. Some pheromones signal alarm, or food, or sex. Yours are not particularly a sexual attractant; they seem more like a chemical charisma. Even though you don’t engage with people very well, they’re still attracted to you.”

I don’t engage with people well?

Maybe I said that out loud because Hendrick rushes to explain.

“It’s not that you’re intentionally rude or anything like that. It’s more as if you don’t see people, you look past them. But when you do, when you look right at someone and talk to them, they’d do anything you asked,” he says.

I’m dumbstruck.

“Some pheromones elicit an immediate behavioral response, which yours definitely do,” Hendrick continues. “But it’s too soon for me to tell if yours are also primer pheromones, which have a long-term physiological effect.”

“Jess,” says Jay. “That’s part of your claustrophobia thing. You think people are pressing in on you because they actually are. I could feel it, sitting near you, people inching closer. You avoid looking at people as an unconscious defense mechanism, so they won’t all approach you.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.