Vines

The morning light of another identical day filters into my sleep chamber. "Elia," an impersonal voice calls out, jolting me from the routine sleep cycle. Slipping into the same steel-grey jumpsuit as always, I prepare for another day in the uniform world of Sector Alpha-127.

My daily routine changes when I'm assigned to survey the ruins beyond our city's limits. Stepping over the rubble, I navigate through the skeletal remains of the past until something unusual catches my eye—a riotous splash of color. An anomaly. Flowering vines have woven themselves through the old monument, breathing life into lifelessness.

My hand, guided by curiosity more than directive, reaches out to touch a soft petal. Reality blurs, replaced by a surge of... something. Something that throbs in my chest, something new, something alarming. I pull my hand back, my mind scrambling to comprehend this unexpected anomaly.

Upon my return to Alpha-127, something stirs within me. The robotic dog scampering across the plaza isn't just a collection of gears and wires. Its playful antics spark warmth in me, my lips curling upward in a spontaneous reaction. Am I...smiling?

I notice an old bot flickering feebly in a corner, its purpose forgotten. I can't explain why, but a heavy sensation descends on my heart, a vague echo of what I felt when touching the vine. Is this what they call... sadness?

A supervisor berates a worker unjustly. My heart thuds, my hands clench. An unfamiliar surge of indignation pulses within me. I am feeling... anger?

Every day I sneak away to the vines. Each visit unlocks another wave of feelings that color the world. Happiness, sadness, anger, surprise—I embrace them all, each painting my grey world in new hues.

One day, while returning from the ruins, I cross paths with a security officer. His mechanical gaze meets mine, and I feel it—my heart pounding, my palms sweating, my breath hitching. Nervousness, the books call it. I'd never felt it before. It overwhelms me, sends me running back towards the ruins in a blind panic.

My retreat doesn't go unnoticed. Soon after, the authorities arrive at the ruins, their dispassionate eyes assessing the vibrant, twisting vines. Declaring them a threat to the order of Alpha-127, they order their eradication.

As they depart, leaving behind the echoes of their cold decree, something new and fierce kindles within me. Defiance. I will not let them take away the vines, the source of this beautiful chaos within me. I will protect them against the sterile, emotionless world of Alpha-127.

That evening, I take my defiance and turn it into action. I sneak out to the ruins with a plan—harvest seeds and flowers from the vines and plant them near the sector’s air vents.

Luckily, the emotionless security patrols are also extremely predictable. I’m able to easily sneak past them and to the vines to harvest the vegetation.

As I return from the ruins, I turn a corner, surprised to see a security officer. “He shouldn’t be here!” I think to myself.

There's a distinct firmness in his mechanical gaze, an unspoken accusation. I feel it again—nervousness but also determination.

“I heard a rumor,” he starts, his tone impassive. “About a girl who frequents the ruins. They say she’s been quite erratic. Know anything about it?”

Instead of fear, a spark ignites within me. "Yes," I confess boldly, my voice ringing out against the cold steel of Alpha-127. "That girl is me."

The officer stares at me. Then, he smiles—a small, crooked smile. “I know. I’ve been to the vines, too. They’re amazing. Now get out of here before someone else sees you.”

I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. I quickly said goodbye to the officer and hurried away with the seeds and flowers. It was late, but I didn’t go to bed. I had work to do.

After a long night, I finally planted all the seeds and flowers near the air vents. It was hard work, but I knew it would be worth it. Exhausted, I crawled into bed and fell asleep instantly.

I woke up to lots of noise. People were shouting and laughing. I had never heard anything like it. I ran outside to see what was happening.

What I saw made me gasp. People were standing around, talking and laughing. They looked happy. The city felt different. It felt alive.

Then I saw it. The vines had grown. They were everywhere, covering the buildings, growing out of the air vents. The seeds and flowers I had planted had sprouted overnight.

People were touching the vines, their faces lighting up with joy, surprise, even anger. All these feelings, once forbidden, were now filling our city. As I watched, I couldn’t help but smile. The vines had changed everyone, the city was full of life.

Standing there, I started to hum a happy tune. I felt a warm feeling inside me. It was joy. And for the first time, I felt like I belonged.