Parallel.

She was scared. If she was seen by the wrong people she knew it would be the end, and she had to get out before it was too late. Life and death. Or worse than death. She was crouched against the wall in the corner behind the door, hoping to get to her locker and then away.

The lights were low, just the security lights in the hallway shining dimly through the windows of the lunchroom. She moved slowly towards the back wall, when she realized she wasn’t alone. One of the research scientists was there, in his white coat, and she froze. Had he seen her? Was he on her side or was he one of them? He just turned his head and glanced towards her, and she turned to run.

The light flashed, and again everything was the same, and yet everything was different. Her clothes were the same, she still felt the need to escape, and she was still in the lunchroom. He was still there. Yet everything was different. The light was warmer, the colours brighter. She was still turning to run.

“Wait,” he said.

His voice was kind and soft. She expected him to be stern and commanding. She realized she had never heard him speak before. But he was one of them, and they were all cold and hard.

“Please wait,” he said. There was an accent in his voice she couldn’t place. She slowly turned to face him. He wasn’t wearing his white coat. He was wearing brown work pants and a cotton shirt that buttoned up the front. She was more willing to trust him without the coat, but she kept her eyes down, still stood on edge, ready to run.

“You are beautiful,” he said. “More beautiful than you can know.”

She didn’t understand. How could she respond to that? He was one of the scientists, she was a worker. A drone. Barely a step above those they experimented on. She was amazed he saw her as human.

But his coat was nowhere to be seen, and she remembered the light flash. Could she be dreaming? Was this real? It felt very different than a moment ago.

“I have seen you working. How you help those around you. Your heart is so kind,” he said slowly, almost hesitatingly. “You have so much beauty. I have wanted to meet and speak with you for a long time. “

She dared to meet his eyes, and they took her off-guard. Clear blue, soft, warm, and shining with feeling. He had a gentle face. His sandy brown hair was slightly scruffy, and he had little crinkly wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. There was strength in him. One hand was slightly extended towards her, reaching out to her. A strong hand. A capable hand.

She felt rooted to the ground. She couldn’t speak. She looked away, to the floor, feeling there must be some mistake. He has confused her with someone else. She tried not to think about how nice he looked.

"Ah yes," he said. "You look away. You are afraid to see me and hear what I am saying. You choose to close your mind to my words, because no one has spoken to you in this way." He paused. "Just because you haven't heard it before does not make it untrue. I am real, and what I am saying is true. You are beautiful." He repeated.

She pulled her eyes back to his, and they locked together. Her senses and nerves seemed more heightened, she was very aware of her clothes, where they were tight, where they were loose. Where her hair brushed her shoulders. The tiny tingles running over her skin.

“I have wished for this,” he told her, taking a small step towards her, “a chance to tell you, to speak with you. You think of yourself much lowlier than you should. I wish you could see how lovely you are.”

He was almost in front of her now, almost close enough to touch. She realized she was holding her breath as he came closer.

The light flashed, and the world was dull and grey again. She could hear the screams and cries of the lowest ones, and knew the fires were getting closer. She had to get out. She glanced around, he was gone. There were people hurrying down the corridor, but no white coats, so it could be worth the risk. Most of them were dressed similar to her; work clothes, dirty and distressed. She grabbed her coat and tied it around her waist for when she would need it later, outside. If she made it outside. But she couldn't dwell on thoughts like that right now. She joined the people in the corridor, rushing towards the higher levels. Smoke was rising from below, past the railing, mingled with the screams. She wondered if anyone was helping the low ones, but knew they were sentenced to death. She could see the sinister glow of the fires coming higher. Up and out was the only way.

The light flashed. Suddenly she was alone in the corridor, all was quiet. She reflexively dropped to a low crouch and froze close to the wall. There were voices further along the corridor, but she couldn't make out what they were saying. The voices were calm, as if everything was normal and ordinary. They were coming closer, she could hear one talking, the other murmuring agreement.

"...seems fine, but we'll have to have further tests. Perhaps one of the workers would give better results. I personally don't trust the low ones for this kind of thing, they are hardly better than using animals. No, since the feeling of the subject is so crucial in this case, I think one of the workers will be more suitable. I'm not even sure the low ones have feelings..."

The voices faded away. She breathed again. The fear was still there. Always there.

Outside, he blinked against the pale sunlight. He looked around at the barren landscape. He didn't know how he'd gotten out there, and he didn't know where she had gone. But he knew he needed to save her.