Oasis (The Last Humans Book 1) Read Free Page B

real reason these desires disappeared is because of the neutering effect of the nanocytes.” Before I can ask her about that, she continues, “Of course, given that those nanocytes are also supposed to keep you nice and cheerful, I can only assume that Mason is in this situation because his nanocytes can’t cope with whatever is malfunctioning in his brain. If I had to guess, given his prior manic phases, I’d say he’s bipolar.”
    “Theo,” Mason says, his chin trembling. “I told Grace—”
    “I heard you, dude,” I say, shutting out Phoe’s rambling explanation to focus on my friend. “I’m just at a loss for words. I told you to keep away from Grace.”
    “You also told me I was going through a phase and didn’t know what I was feeling,” Mason retorts. “As did your friend Liam.”
    Liam is closer to Mason than I’ve ever been, but now is not the time to be a stickler for definitions. When Mason confided in us, I didn’t grasp the extent of his seriousness. I thought he wanted to prove that he could be the biggest misfit in our little band of misfits—and saying shocking things such as, “I like a girl,” certainly did it, particularly because he chose the most annoying snitch as the object of his obsession.
    “So you told Grace you loved her?” I shake my head in frustration. “Don’t you understand? She’s going to tell on you, and you’re going to be in a world of trouble.”
    Mason just looks at me. “I don’t care. You don’t understand, Theo. I’ve been thinking—” He swallows. “I’ve been thinking about ending it all.”
    “Don’t say that,” I hiss at him, horrified. “Not even in Pig Latin.”
    “But it’s true.” He sits down on the ground and stares vacantly into the distance. “Sometimes I—” His throat moves as he swallows again. He raises his head to glance at me, and I see that his eyes are red and watery. “It would be so much better if I’d never been born at all.”
    I’m overwhelmed by his words. My face must look like one of those ancient Japanese masks Phoe once showed me. Mason has been my close friend for as long as I can remember, yet it’s like I don’t know him at all. Depression and strange feelings toward Grace are bad enough, but now he’s turned the conversation toward even murkier waters.
    Death and suicide are beyond taboo. In a way, they’re somewhat academic as far as these things go. We all understand their meaning—the concept of death was too ubiquitous in antiquity for us not to come across it—but now that no one ever dies, thinking about death seems pointless. Theoretically, a freak accident could kill someone, but in reality, such an event has never occurred in the history of Oasis. So yeah, unlike cursing, I find it very easy and natural to follow this rule and never talk or even think about—
    “Stop being so self-absorbed, Theo,” Phoe chides me in my mind. “Your friend’s in pain.”
    I look at Mason, who’s now hunched over with his head buried in his hands. Taking a deep breath, I step toward him and ask, “What can I do?”
    This question is meant for both Mason and Phoe.
    “Nothing,” Mason says.
    “Find a way to get him to relax,” Phoe suggests, “and try to fix what he did with that girl.”
    “Listen, Mason. Let me take you to the Dorms,” I say, putting my hand back on his shoulder. “Take a nap instead of going to the History Lecture. I’ll tell Instructor Filomena you’re sick tonight, and I’ll talk to Grace to try to unravel this mess.”
    “You’re wasting your time,” Mason says dully. “I don’t care if I’m in trouble. I don’t care about anything.”
    “That’s cool,” I say, feigning enthusiasm. “After you wake up, we’ll talk about getting into all kinds of trouble. I’m game to do a prank on Owen if you’re still up for that. You know we owe that asshole for leaving dirt in our room. Or tomorrow night we can tell Instructor Filomena to shove her History Lecture up