The Post-PSO Project by Natalie Martinaitis

Author:Natalie Martinaitis
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: World Castle Publishing, LLC
Published: 2023-11-25T21:59:59+00:00

Chapter 3 - Journey Beyond the Fence

Far on the other side of the planet, Andy stood before his mirror in the bathroom as he did at the start of every new day on Mars. Here, he dressed, shaved, and trimmed his hair. He always tried to keep the brown locks one length, as he had been instructed to do. He then closed the panel, not paying attention nor caring about the color of his eyes, or the pattern of freckles on his face (which there were not many), or the way his jaw set when he turned his head this way and that. He walked into his kitchen to make breakfast. As he cooked his meal, he plugged in one of the tapes that he had used while still a member of PSO’s experiment.

Andy remembered that one year he had spent on Earth, where everything had been loud and where everyone conversed with one another. He hadn’t understood the purpose of these interactions. Why was it that others walked up to one another and laughed and talked and made all kinds of gestures? He hadn’t understood their mundane conversations about the weather or their constant wailing about the unfairness of their lives. There had been moving vehicles everywhere and shouting and this thing called music. It was beyond anything Andy had ever experienced. He wasn’t sure how anyone could truly be happy on planet Earth. On Mars, all was quiet. There were no humans for miles; he could wander outside his dwelling and never have to interact with a soul. He didn’t have to learn how to use contractions (he didn’t even understand the point of them). He didn’t have to use slang or creative sentences. He could be formal, straightforward, or, even better, never say a thing.

Ah, the sweetness of silence.

He sat down at his table with his normal breakfast: one egg and a piece of toast. No butter or jam. No salt for the eggs. He was used to the blandness of life. In the background, the tape discussed how verbs were used in a sentence, and Andy smiled. Well, it was as close to what he understood a smile to be. What was happiness? He didn’t really know. And though he had felt it countless times on Earth, and his division leader in the experiment had told him that that was what he was feeling, he didn’t understand the concept of being annoyed either. Or sad. Or lonely. Perhaps that is why he didn’t mind being alone in this little dwelling in the middle of nowhere on a planet that was simply red sands for miles and miles.

There were plenty of others on this side of the planet. But none of them wished to leave their dwellings either and talk with others. Andy remembered when he had had to report to meetings every week with his division leader. The bane of his existence had been the other subject in the room with him, the control. Oh, how insulting to the human race he was.

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