š± Sade's POV
That was the most extraordinary place I had ever walked into.
I took one step forward, then another, slow, reverent, as though I was afraid I would wake up and realize this was all a dream.
Entering the first aisle, my fingers grazed over the shelves, wanting to confirm it was all real.
The Information Centers in the clinics, besides being poorly stocked with books, were mostly used as hangout spots for all the workers. Even if you were lucky enough to get your hands on a rare copy ofĀ Astro Girl Takes on Jupiter,Ā Lolita Dot Com, orĀ Of Mice and Memes, it was nearly impossible to find peace and silence to read them. The dormitories were usually quiet during the day, but we weren't allowed to take anything out of the Information Center.
But here, silence was reigning.
There was no one talking, no feet dragging, no laughter echoing off the walls. Just... silence. Not the kind that would make your skin crawl, but one that would let your mind... breathe.
And I took a long, deep breath, wanting to fill my lungs with the smell of these books.
I had not even noticed the woman watching me from behind the counter until she spoke.
"Hello...?" she asked in an interrogative voice, pushing her thick, dark bangs aside and sliding her red-framed glasses up to the top of her head. Her bright blue eyes shone with curiosity as if she were surprised to have a visitor.
"Hello," I replied, walking toward her, already reminding myself of what V told me to say if I were questioned.
"Oh, hi!" the brunette said again, rising from her seat to walk toward me. "Can I help you with something?" she asked, sounding a bit breathless. "Sorry if I'm being rude, but hardly anyone ever comes down here... When people need something, they usually just message me for a digital copy," she spoke really fast before laughing softly. "I'm Norah, yes, likeĀ NORA, the online assistant. My parents had a sense of humor. I'm the Chief Archivist. Chief of whom? That's a mystery! I'm all alone here," she added with another laugh.
The overwhelming amount of information left me speechless. I smiled, blinking fast as she looked at me expectantly.
"What about you? What's your name?" she asked, not so comfortable with pauses as it seemed.
"I'm Sade. Nice to meet you," I answered quietly. "I'm a Botanical Agronomist. I work with Doctor V."
"A Botanical Agronomist? Wow, that's cool. I didn't know the Genetic team worked with-Anyway," Norah smiled, shaking her head as if catching herself talking too much again. "Well, if you need anything, just let me know... Oh, do you want some snacks?"
She leaned over the counter to grab something, and at that moment, her glasses slipped off the top of her head and fell to the floor.
I tried to catch them, but I was just a moment too late.
"I hope they're not broken!" I said, handing them back to her.
She laughed as she picked them up. "Don't worry, these areĀ regularĀ glasses. Not those fancy, smart reflectors everyone's wearing now... I can't see up close very well... Everyone keeps telling me to get nanosurgery, but IĀ hateĀ any kind of surgery... Weird, I know," she shrugged again with a defeated smile.
She popped a cookie into her mouth and gestured toward the basket. "Here, take one. We're not allowed to eat or drink while flipping through the books, except if you use the ArchiPad, of course."
She offered the basket again, and I recognized my favorite cookies.
"Are theseĀ CocOatCookies?" I asked, pulling out the little box of them I had in my bag.
Her eyes lit up.
"Great minds think alike!" she beamed.
Her warm smile, as well as her slight awkwardness, made Norah instantly approachable. I liked her very much already.
She showed me how to use the ArchiPad, a larger tablet that could scan a book's barcode and instantly let you flip through its pages, all without removing it from the shelf.
"Perfect for when I want to snack and read at the same time," she added with a grin.
The process reminded me a bit too much of the clinic. All clinical trial workers wore barcodes on their uniforms. Only one quick scan and all our personal data, medical history, and vitals appeared on a screen for the staff. I preferred to hold the books in my hands, turning their delicate, real pages.
"Do you know where to start?" Norah asked.
As excited as I was to explore the massive library, it was hard for me to hide how I felt completely out of my depth. Thankfully, Norah seemed so happy at the prospect of having someone in her library, I didn't even have to ask.
"I always recommend starting with a dictionary!" she smiled, leading me to another aisle. "After all... The words we know shape the world we see! I always tell my archivist trainees that if your language is small, your world will feel small to... Expand your vocabulary, and new ideas and possibilities will open like doors!"
In this new aisle, the books looked heavier and way too intimidating. Each dictionary was categorized by subject, such as law, psychology, or music.
Lexicon of Jurisprudence
Musical Terminology Compendium
Glossary of Mind and Behavior
Emoji Semantics Dictionary
Naturally, my eyes were drawn to the wide green volume embossed with delicate leaf patterns. Norah reached out for it, pulled it from the shelf, and placed it in my hands.
The Green Lexicon, I read the gold lettering on the cover.
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