Hi, Wynter here, English born, moved to the states when still a young lass, learned the cockney slang to get the boys, ‘I have a fondness for ya, don’t ya know’, strong willed, fought the Orcs on the streets to stop the madness, aren’t ready to commit to evolving just yet. This is my first journal entrée. I needed to say something so here goes.

  I like order in my life and life around me, at least the kind of order where I can always expect a secure, safe place to live with a few essentials like food, water and love or for lack thereof, lust. Ah yes, and how remarkable we are in adapting to chaos, eh! So, this is where we are now and how I fit in.

  Its been four months since we got here and a lot has happened in this dimensional space. A few weeks went by with very little going on until the food drops and search parties began bringing back both things and descriptions of what’s out there. Those two things alone gave us what was required to maintain 36 warm young bodies and the very critical knowledge that someone was looking after us.

  Those things put some order into our lives. Controlled chaos. Since then, we understand from the ‘Volvers, or ‘V’s that a few communities or Pods of other ‘V’s may be located nearby as in beneath us. They may or may not be providing us with answers and have met one in person who left us with the gift of the third strand if we want it. It sounds so surreal but that’s our present world. I was going to say our upside down but I believe that’s what we’re leaving behind and now maybe moving into right-side up. But, it’s going to be a bloody time, getting there.

  But, but, but, always buts! But and you may think this is silly, but it’s where I am personally. It’s a conundrum, not a paradox or an enigma. It’s what occupies most of my brain time recently, all because of a choice being offered, well, two choices and enormous ones that seem to scream DECIDE NOW! And what are these choices, you future readers might ask? Here is where the future is decided. Right here!

  Decision One. To take spit or not to take spit, that is the cosmic question of the hour. All of us holdouts have watched Cuma and the rest, fifteen now by my count, grow into an evolved form of us with no ill effect or noticeable physical changes. They seem like the old them except when they don’t. They’re highly empathetic, caring, tirelessly helping around the Keep and always offering suggestions on improving things. They have enhanced and at least two extra senses, have become stronger with denser muscle tissue, and healthier if not more radiant. And there’s no going back.

  If it was just all of the changes we see and that they tell us about, it would be one thing BUT all of those things give them an evolutionary bump for the rough patch just beginning which was the original purpose BUT for the unintended consequence. Oops! BUT there’s an unknown that they are either keeping a secret or don’t know or care so why bring it up and open a can of worms.

  The Can of Worms. Was the growth of the third strand triggered by the genomic trials or by LUNA. Was this third strand always there as potential but never developed or was it an addon meaning implanted. If so, was it intended to become a regular feature as humans evolved, did something go wrong or was its design intended to only manifest when civilization reached the point where technology could trigger it. Which all adds up to the existential extraterrestrial question, are those thirteen ‘V’s for ‘Volvers, part alien or way overdue evolved humans?

  BUT at this point does it matter much? (Yes, very much so and will get to that soon)

  Decision Two. Do I stay or do I go.

  A high end B & B with all the frills and not that anyone could use half the stuff but OMG! The meeting last night was sort of a free for all, which is about time! I’m all for people bloody saying their peace and not cowering to the hierarchy within. I mean what the hell did we fight for if not for the freedom of voice, expression, opinion. The subject was the B & B and its use. Should there be some criteria used to determine who gets the suites? There’s eleven of them, each rich in polished wood, burnished metal fixtures and oriental rugs. The kitchens are mostly smart, powered by it seems a solar array on the roof protected by a self-regulating shield.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  The units have a master bedroom with canopy beds, two walk-in closets and a bathroom with hot water showers. We’re still unsure of where the water comes from but solar heated. They have an open designed floor plan with a large marble counter separating the mostly smart kitchen from a cozy room with overstuffed futons, a wall screen and fire place with a hoop full of kindling and a small stack of chord and a few chords sheltered behind the building. The dining area is through an arched door, resembling a portal to a room with a rustic trestle table for six, faux wood paneling with prints of famous art work and a French door opening up to a deck with Adirondack chairs, small tables and ceramic pots and a hot tub. I mean!

  Another building, the Café with three floors of also really nice apartments, has been occupied by the ‘V’s. So, the meeting last night was to let everyone have a say on who or how it would be decided who would get to live in the B & B. After everyone spoke their minds, Zenith announced that the only fair way would be for couples and perhaps another building could open up later for more couples.

  The bedrooms we’re living in are small and yet are in this wonderful old library with all the perks and the B & B apartments are too big for just one. BUT I want one but am only one! So, here’s the logistics. There are eleven units, five existing couples not including Abby and Free’d and Zenith and her nameless mate, who would stay here, which means there are six available. When Zenith announced that couples could begin to sign up, there was absolute pin dropping silence when every single person in the room was searching for a mate. LOL. Me too.

  I’m sorry to make this all about me but it is a journal and everyone else is facing the same thing, whether to go ‘V or stay human with those suites providing a huge incentive to find a partner like me.

  Another member of our Keep, Spencer and I formed a job hub in the children’s room for managing everything going on. We let everyone know what’s available with whom and when. We just fell into the job after talking on the steps one night. It wasn’t a step date, just a bumping into each other thing.

  At that time, we had just been casual friends, no chemistry but things have changed. There are pheromones in the smoky air and obsessions. Most everyone who is interested in someone, being near them on a job is a good way of doing it, like oh, hey, you too huh! And search jobs are the best because they offer a lot of free time to comingle.

  So, I’ve been mate hunting like most of the other singles. A day after the announcement, there were already two new couples signed up. So, I was desperate and about to say fuck it and ask Spencer when he asked me. Okay, not that he’s not good to look at, he is And a nice person, very much so, but I thought maybe working and living together would be too much. Spence is an all American iconic young male. He’s 25, good shape, a mop of blond hair and freckles and swears Sagittarius is embedded somewhere on his left cheek. He’s got kind of a quirky smile, a pleasant voice but sometimes seems distant like he’s not there or listening to me but then a few minutes later comes out with a meaningful response. So just maybe thoughtful, mulling things over until he can find the right thing to say. I also thought that he may be intimidated by me because I work out at the little gym at the B & B so it was a welcome surprise, especially how he asked. He walked right up to me, took my hands and said, ‘I would love to live with you Wynter.’

  I grabbed his hand and went directly to Zenith so she could put us on the list, hoping that it wasn’t full. She didn’t say. I was relieved! I’ve made up my mind not to become a ‘V yet, at least until Cuma is back in full, the way they speak of the complete strand completely functioning. How do we know if they don’t switch off their human and become something unrecognizable, when done? There’s been no evidence of that from stories on The Word we watch or from others that our V’s relate to BUT what’s the harm in waiting another few months living with a handsome guy in our own cool apartment!

  BUT, this morning, I got up at the usual time, went upstairs heading directly to the coffee, heard arguing at the front door and went over. The door was open half way. They were all looking down on a crumpled Dak, a pool of blood surrounding it. One of its wings was torn in half and the head was missing. I wondered about the Watch.

  There hadn’t been one. The Dome had gone up yesterday so there was no more need of a Watch BUT a SAT had been taken out that was responsible for creating the Dome and maintaining it. They said that it had been down for ten minutes until LUNA had switched function to another SAT BUT, during that ten minutes, something had taken out Dak and the café. The ‘V’ had gone beneath to the tunnels and were safe. For the first time since we got here, everyone feels vulnerable again so back to square one!