Page 63 of Skyn
His rage is quiet now, but I still feel it in the tightness in his fists.
Instead, he smiles. A terrible, exquisite thing, so controlled it looks like it hurts him. Then he turns his back on her, and the air seems to split.
“We are founding L.O.S.S. island, where softness and vulnerability are not to be punished, mothers stay with their children, and lovers do what lovers do. If you’re willing to be a part of a different type of community, we promise you the best sixty years of your life”, he says, and the room is quiet.
It feels as close to a declaration of independence as any of us are going to get. Maybe his statuewillgo in the square.
“We’re terraforming as we speak, and all are free to come.”
When Josh’s eyes light up, I shake my head. “Almostall are free to come,” I correct.
“My Diamond has spoken,” Ben says, as Josh opens his mouth.
Ben is more unpredictable than I gave him credit for.
This moment wasn’t on the agenda, and he made me part of this audacious leap. I reach for his hand, and in the chaos of the place, we are of one mind.
We are in this together.
Michael’s face displays barely contained panic. He spent a lifetime practicing council politics, and here he is, utterly flummoxed by the simplest of rebellions: failure to comply.
Ben and I make our way toward the exit, an ocean of stunned onlookers parting before us. There’s something radiocast-esque about it. Ben’s grip on my hand is tight, like he’s holding something that’s as unsteady as he is.
The railship waits outside—an ugly, rusted thing that seems like it should never float. But I’ve learned not to judge anything’s strength by its shell. I glance back once, just once. For what? I’m not sure. Memory? Regret? Inside, Lily is still, Michael slack-jawed, Josh is sullen, and Dru is wistful. I flick my head once, and Dru points to her chest with wide eyes. She slips out of Josh’s grip and hugs me. I lead her toward the ship.
Ben kisses the top of my head. I smile and readjust my hair.
“You think you’re going to miss it?” I ask him, not quite knowing where I’m going with the question but knowing that I want to hear him be okay with walking away from Iku Industries, his family's fortune, and his so-called perfect life with Lily. It feels strange now, knowing that he chooses this, a lab and a new society. Me.
Ben is quiet for a moment. I see the muscles in his jaw working, his mind calculating.
“I won’t miss the council meetings, or the money, or the way I had to pretend all the time,” he says, his voice low. “But I will miss the certainty. Knowing what came next, even if I hated it. This”, he points to the ship, “this is terrifying.”
I laugh because he’s right. I’m scared too.
There’s a moment of silence between us as we watch people sign up for Sector Two’s new program, for our new world.
Maybe that’s all you can really ask for in the end—not certainty, not perfection, but someone to stand beside you when the world falls apart.
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