Chapter 16

Simon stroked the side of the computer monitor, running his fingers along the side of the screen as the people walked below. "How could your brother not love this?" He began, his voice softer than before. "How could anyone not love this?"

"What...what is this?" Jenna asked. Jason was still recovering from the punch to his stomach. He was glad she asked, not sure if he would have had the courage to ask even if his insides weren't on fire.

Simon smiled, keeping his eyes on the monitor. "This is the result of a century long experiment. And it will continue as long as I have breath in my lungs. Longer even." He put his arm back to his side and looked at Jenna, then at Jason. "You really do look a lot like your brother, you know that?"

"So I've heard." Simon frowned and walked over to him, stopping inches from his face. Jason cringed.

"Dawn is my home, and yet it is so much more than that. It is my past, my present, and my future. It is our future, everyone's future." Jason looked at Jenna to see if she was following, but she looked just as confused as he was. Simon noticed the interaction and chuckled. "Ah, yes. Let me start from the beginning."

Simon walked over to a cabinet at the back wall and opened a drawer, pulling out a notebook. Jason could hear the other men in the room typing away at their computers, completely indifferent to anyone else. Simon brought the notebook closer to them, the top of it glowing in the blue light shining from the computers. The logo on the top matched the setting sun he saw in the lobby.

"Over a century ago, my great grandfather had an idea." He hit the notebook repeatedly into his other palm as if he were getting ready to hit his dog for pissing on the carpet. "He wondered, 'What would happen if the human race were given a second chance?' And by that I don't mean forgiveness." Simon shook his head. "No, no, no." He turned and walked back to the computer monitor with the statue.

"I mean, truly a second chance. A chance to start over, free of the constraints created by our society." Jason's stomach was hurting less, but his head was swimming in confusion. What did a second chance have to do with any of those people? What did it have to do with him? He craned his head up to Erik who still had that blank stare, hands behind his back as if he were waiting for something.

Simon fingered through the pages of the journal, turning his head as he read through. “My great grandfather, Jackson Weld, needed a way to find people that had yet to be influenced by culture or human interaction. That’s where the orphanages came into play.” Simon snapped the book shut. “There was one orphanage in particular, in Wisconsin, that was struggling for money to keep the children warm throughout the winters. A lot of the children were transferred elsewhere. The lucky ones, at least.

“Money was not something my great grandfather was lacking. He offered cash to the director of the orphanage, in exchange for babies.” Jenna gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. Simon turned his head to look at her, raising his eyebrows. “What’s wrong, child? All my great grandfather did was offer a life for these children. He saved them!”

“Saved them?” Jenna spat. “He bought the children, like pieces of merchandise! I don’t believe this.” She looked at the ground and shook her head.

“I suppose so,” Simon chuckled. “But he saved them nonetheless. And believe me, girl, this is real. He bought the babies, about two dozen from that orphanage.”

“From that orphanage? How many, exactly, did he buy.”
“Overall?” Simon said. “A few hundred.” Jenna’s eyes shot open.

“A few hundred?” Jason yelled. “What the hell do you do with a few hundred...” Jason stopped talking, his breath stuck in his chest. He slowly moved his head to the computer screen where he could see children playing games, couples holding hands strolling by, even a young woman reading a book on the side of the fountain. There’s no way.

“You see it now, don’t you?” Simon grinned. “It is truly remarkable, is it not?”

“What’s going on, Jason?” Said Jenna, her hands still covering her mouth.

Jason felt lightheaded, fighting to keep from falling to his knees. This has to be some elaborate prank. “Okay, Chris. You got me. Ha. Ha ha. Where are you?” He looked around, hoping to see Chris peering from behind some cabinet. Simon turned his head like a confused pup. “And I thought I was the crazy one!” Simon laughed, slapping Erik on the shoulder. Erik snorted, motionless.

“My great grandfather and his associates brought the babies here, to Dawn. He did the bare minimum to keep them alive, making sure that nothing he did would influence how the acted, how they thought. They would refrain from talking around the children. You know how much of our way of life is influenced solely by language?” Jason nodded. “Of course you do. You’re a clever boy. Just like your brother.

“Once they were of an age where they would form memories, Jackson backed away. He didn’t want anyone remembering that they were fed by strangers in white coats at the beginning of their lives. He did, however, make sure they had enough food to survive since they yet lacked the knowledge to provide for themselves.” Jason shook his head in disbelief. None of this is real. This isn’t possible. Simon must have seen the look in Jason’s eyes. “Soon, you will believe. If you’re a good boy,” Simon gently  touched the side of Jason’s face, as a parent would a child, “I’ll take you there. You can see it for yourself.” Jason reeled from Simon’s reach, a pang of disgust running through him.

“Don’t touch me.” Simon’s arm sprang forward as he grabbed Jason’s throat and pulled him in close. Jenna gasped from the other side of Erik as Jason grabbed for Simon’s wrist, zealously trying to pry his arm from his throat.

“You watch yourself, boy,” he whispered into Jason’s ear. “Where did you learn to treat your host with such disrespect?” He squeezed harder, forcing a groan from Jason’s throat.

“Let go of him!” yelled Jenna, her voice dripping with fear. Simon squinted in contemplation. After a few seconds he loosened his grip on Jason’s throat and took a few steps back. “I do believe you owe the girl a thank you.”

“What?”

“You heard me.” Simon growled, taking a step toward Jason, his arm reaching up again.

“Thank you!” he screamed, stifling a cough as he turned away from Simon, feeling helpless.

“Now that’s more like it.” Simon grinned. “Now, as I was saying,” he began, “the whole theory behind Dawn coincides heavily with evolution. Since the beginning of man, our brains have evolved to learn more quickly. Maybe if we started over, knowing we would learn faster the second time, we could become more efficient in determining what is right, and what is wrong. There are so many things in our society that we believe is the correct thing to do, based solely on the fact that it is what we are told is the right thing to do!” Simon squeezed his fist, his knuckles turning white. “What makes them right, I say. What’s so wrong about questioning conformity with things that no one even thinks to question?”

What the hell is he talking about?

“We shake hands when we meet someone new, do we not? And do you know why we do it?”

Jason and Jenna shook their heads.

“It is a show of good faith from a long time ago. It shows that your hands are empty, that you have no weapons in your possession. My point is not the reasoning behind such an act, but rather the fundamental reason as to why we shake hands.

“We do it because one day, one person decided it was the way to do things. And that is why Dawn exists. Something so menial as shaking one’s hand is a societal standard because no one questions it. What if you weren’t told how to introduce yourself to someone, if no one told you the right way to do things? You would have to do things your own way, would you not?

“Now,” Simon’s lips parted into a wide smile, “apply that to an entire society! They would introduce themselves differently, their schools would have different curricula, their medicines! Oh, their medicines! Nothing to hold them back!” He was practically dancing at this point, giddy with himself. “This is what your brother ran away from, Jason. This...magnificence, this...beauty.”

Jason thought back to his conversation with Chris.

I think I know how to save Dad.

Was Chris serious? These people, had they discovered medicines that had the potential of curing their father’s cancer? Again, Jason felt lightheaded at the thought of an entire society cut off from the rest of the world, a society that Chris helped to shape. No wonder he left.

“I can tell that the two of you are very exhausted,” Simon grinned. “This is a lot of information for anyone to take in.”

“Kidnapping isn’t exactly calming,” Jenna spat, her hair falling over her face. Simon chuckled to himself.

“Yes, quite right, girl. No one is ever at ease when they get here. I guess I’m not the best at first impressions. At least I’ve got more personality than Erik here, eh?” Simon laughed again, and Erik grumbled something under his breath, too quiet for Jason to make out the words. “Yes, yes. Now! Erik, please show our guests to their rooms. It has no doubt been a long day for them.” Simon reached out toward Jason for a handshake and grinned, “No weapons, Jason. See?” Jason kept his arm to his side, refusing to grab the man’s open hand. After a few awkward seconds, Simon clenched his hand into a fist and brought his back to his side. “I guess the same can’t be said for you, boy.” He looked at Erik and motioned for him to take Jason and Jenna away.

Erik placed a monstrous hand on each of their shoulders, much more gently than Jason would have expected. He led them past the other scientists in the room, scientists who had been oblivious to the entire interaction, eyes glued to their monitors. He took them through a door at the other end of the room, white light from the hallway flooding the room where they stood. Jason covered his face with his hand as the light pierced his eyes.

Soon enough, Erik stopped them in the hallway where a pair of rooms stood facing each other. “In,” Erik mumbled. Jenna looked over at Jason, forcing a smile. Jason nodded to her. We’ll be alright. We have each other here. Jenna nodded in return.

Jason gripped the door and pushed himself in. The room had pure white walls, a cot, sink, and toilet. Just like a jail cell. He took a step in and looked around at the walls, not a single imperfection on them. He looked around for a lightswitch but could find none. “How do I turn off...”

Erik shut the door behind Jason, locking it with a couple of clicks. Soon after, the lights switched off, leaving Jason standing alone in the pitch black room. He felt his way around until his shin hit the side of the cot. He turned around and fell in, the springs rebounding as he settled into the sheets. Jason closed his eyes, turning toward the wall. He could feel his eyes starting to water.

Sleep was the last thing on his mind.