The hover craft was not going to be fast enough to reach the community in time. Sonic alarms were already starting to show diminishing activity in Angeles Sector 09. There would be no time to properly evaluate foot traffic. All of the other sectors had thriving commerce, indoor and out. But whenever an analysis drone flew near to Sector 09 the peoples would vanish. The council had been uneasy about this fact. They didn’t like mysteries especially the mystery of a sole community acting completely independent of its predestiny. If the scripture of humankind was being ignored, they would need to be disbanded and arrested.

Soon Ke-Yu would land the drone orb and solve this mystery and bring balance and continued progress to the Magna Statum. The scriptures taught that being a good humanoid meant serving the greater cause. If there was a drug being manufactured in Sector 09 it would explain the lack of production in this area. Compound 56 was found in the surrounding regions, affecting 20% of the populace in Sectors 03 and 06. Only specified operatives were permitted to be involved in the quarantine and investigation of the drug’s victims. Their conditions were said to be “unusual” and “detrimental to public health.” The compound was deemed highly dangerous to genetic makeup.

Ke-Yu, who was a model androgynous citizen of renowned investigation, found that being a nondescript nonbinary lessened the burdens of extinct humanoid generations. The thought that there used to be designations between male and female was cold and isolating. With neural capacity being freed up from the nuisance of creativity Ke was able to focus on more logical thinking. To imagine that humans had to exist in different, inferiority forms showed how far humanity had come.

Sector 09 appeared below. The streets, as anticipated, were empty. There were rumors, of course, that the drug known as Compound 56 influenced the entire population, that the statistics clearly showed an increase in the compounds usage in all of the sectors who failed to live up to expectations.

Ke-Yu steered the orb into the docking area, knowing full well there would be no one to greet. As the door whooshed open Ke saw the large silos at the epicenter of the community. Appearing the same as all other humanoids, with the white, form-fitting suit, Ke would have been happy to meet others, to explain the purpose of the visit and to be guided to the reception center but as it was the clustered buildings and narrow streets were devoid of life. Everyone must be inside. Ke would need to find her own way.

The silos were big enough to output thirty tons of chloroxine in a single day but the sector’s capacity, at least from the read-outs, was 30% of this. Ke felt this was a good place to start. If they were manufacturing drugs it would make the most conclusive sense that they would be stored here.

Ke had never remembered being this alone, being part of a collective of like-minded humanoids for long, and now on a street with no familiar faces, any face that would mirror Ke’s own face. It was comforting to be surrounded by the same face, seeing yourself in every individual. But in this moment, everything was different, out of place, and unusual. A lone bird flew overhead, making a disinterested squawk. Ke looked up before entering the silo building, wondering, at least scientifically, what it would be like to fly so high.

Inside the reception area was just as empty and unused. The utility console was also offline. Unusual indeed. There were no signs of struggle or even foot traffic. The lobby remained quiet as Ke found the back doors sealed and brought up a virtual map. The wrist map showed that the area ahead contained no life signals. The air vents were offline. That was when Ke noticed a compartment that didn’t appear on the 3D projection, to the right of the doorway. Odd. Ke removed the three-foot wall panel and found a hallway inside, not on the map.

The hall led to another door that opened on approach. The following hallway contained what appeared to be a decontamination room with nozzles on the ceiling and floor. Ke cautiously stepped forward, a white gloved hand reaching for invisible sensors. This tech was old but appeared to have been used recently. Ke scanned the room and found evidence of a strange substance plastered on the wall. But before further analysis could be completed Ke was dragged forward on the moving, tread floor. With one foot on the floor Ke stumbled and fell back trying to jump back to the entry way. Ke was carried along with colorful sensors and buzzing noises going off. The colors were another abnormality, with green, red, and blue light, instead of the standardized white. It distracted Ke for a moment, long enough to prevent proper analysis. Ke was then suddenly overcome with the strange substance that covered the white suit and gloves, emanating from the twelve nozzles in the hall.

Ke couldn’t breathe as the substance came in contact with the humanoid’s skin and mouth, sparking a reaction of goose bumps that Ke thought was a myth. It seeped through the suit and caused a trembling in the humanoid’s frame. A series of emotions struck Ke as the nozzles continued their onslaught. First Ke’s heart beat faster, giving off a sense of unease and panic. During the indoctrination process Ke had learned about these types of antiquated feelings and grew concerned over the possibility that the chemicals were indeed capable of changing DNA.

Ke became encased in a flurry of thoughts that went beyond any known words or identification. The closest verbiage was “hot,” “warm”, and “alert.” More alert. More power. More human. These were the feelings that had been forgotten. Ke questioned the logic of the supreme leaders, of the society that had enacted such uniformity and restriction on itself. A vision came through the soft blue haze, full of energy and tactile sensuality. Ke felt inflammation originating at the chest and moving to the stomach. Ke touched the forming pectorals, realizing they were softer than muscle and then moved a curious hand to the stomach, which was now bulbous and wide. The thought of becoming something different frightened Ke. There was nausea too but it grew into a tingling, a warm tingling. That was the word. An enjoyable tingling, birthed from a diversity in Ke’s frame.

Every sight and texture became a wonder, every structure was a monument. Ke became consumed by a rush of sensations. Vibrant. Unrestrained. Mournful. Symbiotic but free. Alive. She. Her. Ke was no longer a duplicate humanoid anymore. She became a her. She became a flower, spreading out her petals to receive the sunshine. Even the colors of the lights meant more than they did before, flourishing with inspiration and appreciation. The divide didn’t seem so distant. It was before her, in a swath of fresh awareness. A union was desired. A union she could not explain. A bond shared between life essences. The union of man and woman. A union of two separate beings, each side bolstering the other and taking them to new heights of perception and being.

As the spray dissipated, she opened her eyes and saw everything as it truly was. The world had been asleep and she was awake for the first time. An ancient embodiment had stripped them of their souls and they accepted it willingly, absentminded of the consequences. Ke saw the strife between a man and a woman, the contention, the struggles, the turmoil, but this difference came with a yearning to embrace the chaos of unpredictability.

The doors at the end of the hall opened suddenly and a faint humming was heard. Ke felt repetition in the sounds, her body driven to sway with the soft melody. The intoxication moved her toward the door. Beyond was a pallid of unique shapes, colorful lights, the hum becoming louder. It was all she wanted. The music overtook her and she was born again.