by Zara Zenia
“And my wanted signs?” I asked.
“These signals are sent in greater quantity. It’s not high enough to start an all-out manhunt, but if someone sees your face in real life after seeing your face on the screen, they will be compelled to call the hotline. It’s a good thing I found you before you moved again, because you certainly wouldn’t have made it much further.”
“So you’re saying that the whole world is brainwashed?” I asked, skeptically.
“Oh, yes,” Kingsley said casually. “It’s nothing new,” he added, seeing the look of horror on Dana’s face.
“How is it that we saw the giant screens and weren’t affected?” she asked.
“There’s only so much technology can do when it comes to the free will of humans. You weren’t open to suggestion because you had a steadfast grasp of the truth.”
“Do you think you can undo the messages that have been transmitted to everyone’s brains?” I asked, trying not to get my hopes up.
“I believe so, yes. It’s not going to be easy, though. There are a lot of people I have to deceive in order to do this. I’ll have to forge your records and you’ll have to die again. Metaphorically speaking, of course.”
“Then what?”
“Once everyone’s memory is rewired, you can go about living a normal life. You’ll have to stay here until I come back to give you the all clear, but then you’ll never hear from me or The Organization again.”
“How long will it take?” Dana asked, chewing on her fingernails.
“I can’t say for sure. It could be days, or it could be weeks.”
“What are we supposed to do while we wait?” I asked, annoyed that I was taking orders from the man who had ruined my life.
“Stay on the down low. Enjoy your time in the woods. Whatever you do, Elijah, don’t let anyone see you.”
“Okay,” I said standing up. Kingsley shook my hand. I couldn’t force myself to refer to him as my father.
“I’m doing something I should have done a long time ago. I know that I can’t give you reparations for all of the wrong I’ve done, but I hope this will help. I’ll be in contact with you soon. Stay safe.”
With that, he was gone.
“What now?” Dana asked.
“Good question. I guess we wait.”
Chapter 24
Dana
Days passed with no sign of the man in the suit. We lived like vampires, staying inside for most of the day and stretching our legs outside under the cover of darkness. The threat of wildlife in the forest at night was hardly scary when there were much bigger things to be afraid of.
After three days of our wilderness adventure, I had to go to the nearest town for supplies. We had eaten almost all of our provisions and the little one inside of me was making food requests that were getting hard to ignore.
Even though my face wasn’t covering every television screen in the nation, I was still afraid to leave the cabin. Luckily, cabin number thirteen was an unpopular pick, so I reserved it for the next few weeks. I promised the receptionist cash at the end of the week, but I had a feeling we could just squat there without being noticed.
I made my trip to the convenience store in the early morning, when there wasn’t a good chance of seeing others on the road. I stocked up on prepackaged food that could hardly be considered nutritious. I hoped we would be free soon, especially for the health of the baby.
Every week, my pants fit just a little bit tighter. My naturally slim torso couldn’t hide the firm mound swelling under my ribcage. I hadn’t been to a doctor since the original pregnancy test, and I was getting a bit concerned. I grabbed a bottle of vitamin supplements from the medicine section, hoping that it would be enough to keep my baby healthy.
Elijah was getting restless in the cabin. Even when we were making love, he seemed distracted. Every noise startled him, and the stress was taking its toll on his body.
He seemed slimmer these days, despite the high calorie crap we were putting into our bodies for sustenance and entertainment. His unkempt hair and beard made him look feral.
“You’ve got to find a way to relax,” I pleaded after an afternoon of watching him pace around. “The stress isn’t going to help Kingsley complete this task any quicker.”
“You’re right,” he said, picking up one of the dusty books on the shelf. “We might as well enjoy ourselves while we’re here.”
His calm demeanor set off some kind of switch in me. Now, I was starting to feel panicky. Maybe I had worked so hard to hold everything together, that when Elijah was calm, the facade fell away.
A million what-ifs flooded my mind. What if Kingsley wasn’t really Elijah’s father? What if The Organization knew his back story and knew that he would buy into it? What if this was all just a trap and they were holding us here until they could get more reinforcements for his capture? Our capture.
In a moment of weakness, I voiced some of my concerns to Elijah.
“You’re not saying anything I haven’t already thought of myself,” he said after I apologized for bringing it up.
“Do you think it’s possible that this is a set up?” I asked.
“It’s definitely a possibility. I find it incredibly hard to trust anyone these days.”
“Except for me?”
“Except for you.” He kissed me on the forehead.
“If it’s a set-up, what can we do?”
“I don’t think there’s anything we can do,” he said. “I’ve run away from two men before, but I could see them surrounding the whole campsite. I can run and climb if necessary. You probably can’t though.”
He was right. Even if I wasn’t pregnant, by no means was I an athlete. I certainly didn’t have the super-human strength to outrun a whole organization.
“Should we try to leave?” I asked. I was now an expert in packing light and moving my whole life from one place to another.
“We could. But I think Kingsley was right about one thing. Everyone outside of this strange hick establishment would recognize my face in a heartbeat.”
“Ever consider plastic surgery?” I suggested, only half joking.
“They’d have to find a way to cut me open first. As far as I know, only The Organization knows how to do that.”
“Right. I forgot about that.”
We sat in silence for a moment, ruminating over possible plans and solutions.
“Is it so crazy to believe that everything Kingsley said was true?” he asked me.
“I’ve heard stranger tales,” I said, nodding in his direction.
“Do you think he could actually be my father?”
“The similarities between the two of you are uncanny. You have the same build, similar complexion, and even your voices sound the same.”
“Did you see his eyes?” he asked me. “That’s exactly what my eyes looked like before I died.”
I looked at his eyes. I could see hints of green, but they were still dark.
“What’s it going to be, then,” he asked. “Stay, or go?”
“I don’t think it’s my decision to make.”
He nodded. “We’ll stay. If anything that Kingsley said was remotely true, it’s in our best interest to ride it out.”
“And enjoy the present moment while we can,” I added.
“Exactly.”
For the rest of the week, we focused on enjoying our time together, and not letting our fears get in the way. No amount of worrying could change our situation; the issue was completely out of our hands. We went skinny-dipping in the lake under the light of the moon. We took long walks through the canopy of the forest, and made love in the middle of the afternoon. We were nearly out of money, and we were in danger of being caught here, but in the moment, we were in paradise in each other’s arms.
Nearly three weeks after we set up our home in the woods, there was another knock at the door. Elijah was out behind the cabin collecting logs and kindling for our fireplace, so I reluctantly answered the door. I tied m
y t-shirt into a knot so my belly would be evident. If someone was here to assassinate us, I wanted to garner some sympathy first.
“Where’s Elijah?” Kingsley asked, without so much as a hello.
“In the forest, he’ll be back soon.” I looked behind him for any sign of reinforcements. “Is it finished?”
“I’d prefer it if he were here,” he said tersely.
I studied his eyes. “Are you really his father?”
“Yes,” he sighed.
“Do you know what you’ve put him through?”
He nodded.
“Are you planning on being in his life, now? Your future grandchild’s life?” I gestured to my stomach.
His eyes opened a little wider. “I’m afraid not.”
“Why?”
“Even if Elijah wanted me around, I’m hardly his father. He has my DNA, but there is no bond between us.”
“You don’t think there could be?”
“I don’t believe so, no.”
Just then, Elijah came through the door. He tensed up immediately when he saw Kingsley.
“I have completed the task,” Kingsley announced. “You are a free man.”
“Really?” Elijah asked incredulously.
“I changed all of the transmitters. Every sign and news story about you is only about your death. I’ve cleared all police reports with your name.”
Kingsley handed him an envelope. “These are your original forms of identification. They have all of your correct birth information on them. In fact, the man who had these made was the one who created your fake IDs.”
“Who was that guy?” Elijah asked.
“You’ll find that there are several people within the ranks of The Organization who don’t agree with their ethics. But, we all know too much. We can’t just resign from our posts and expect to live a regular life. Look where it led you.”
He handed Elijah a second envelope. “When you were born, your mother and I set up a fund and contributed what we had at the time. I didn’t touch the fund for years; it didn’t feel like it was my money to spend. Our small investment grew over the past few decades, and it’s not much, but it belongs to you.”
I peeked in the envelope. It was filled with cash. No large fortune by any means, but it would be a huge help for getting our affairs in order.
“Now,” Kingsley said, getting up from his seat. “Have I answered all of your questions?”
“Not even close,” Elijah said. “What do you know about my new body?”
Kingsley sighed, sitting back down. “The Organization started as a respectable hospital for experimental medicine. They performed miracles on mortally wounded soldiers. However, just saving people’s lives wasn’t enough for them. The small military hospital was shut down and rebuilt as The Organization. As you know, this group’s mission was to create better soldiers. These soldiers could dominate enemies with fewer numbers, and fewer casualties. These soldiers were strong, fast, smart, and nearly impossible to injure. What was unfortunate was that you were brought there in the early stages.”
“We were guinea pigs.”
“Exactly.”
“What all did they do to my body?”
“I looked at your file when I had it destroyed, and there was a fair amount of work done on you. As you probably know, your bones were replaced with a strong, but light titanium alloy. Your muscles and connective tissues were fortified and strengthened, and amplified with supplements. You underwent shock treatments to rewire your brain, and were regularly given stimulants to keep your energy levels up.”
“We were doped up?”
“Immensely. Most of your original organs are in place, but the ones that could not be repaired were replaced with synthetic versions. These are strong and will last a lifetime. They also inserted a few artificial organs that are not found in the human body. You have an added lung that can filter out toxins in the air and deliver oxygen to your body in case of poisonous gas. There’s an extra, flexible layer of tissue that cushions your organs in case you are crushed. Your heart now teams up with a device that can sense irregularities in the bloodstream and can correct problems before they become a problem.”
“And my skin?”
“Yes, your skin was one of their trickier inventions. Your skin is synthetic, but highly realistic looking and feeling. As you already know, it is difficult to break, and heals rapidly.”
“I need to know something,” Elijah said a little softer. “What’s going to happen to our baby? Will it—I mean—is it normal?”
Kingsley frowned. “When you were operated on, you were given a drug that was meant to inhibit sperm production. The scientists thought that a super soldier should not be able to reproduce. They didn’t want you to have many connections to the outside world. My theory is, the whole host of drugs they gave you initially was meant to be given to you for the rest of your life while in the field. I believe that ever since you stopped taking their drugs and supplements, your body started to revert to how it was before your surgery.”
“You think I’m changing back?”
“I believe that you’re slowly becoming more human. Any change that wasn’t done to the structures of your body should reverse with time. As far as I know, there was no major change to your DNA. I think everything should be fine with the baby.”
Elijah and I beamed at each other.
“Your body should be in perfect condition for a long time to come. You were specifically engineered to last in a harsh environment. But, if anything happens and you need to see a doctor, see Dr. Mantis.”
He handed Elijah a card with a phone number on it.
“Some of his research was used with The Organization, but he’s not formally a member. Explain your situation to him, and he’ll understand. Don’t go to a regular physician, because you’ll be exposed again.”
Elijah nodded and took a deep breath of gratitude. “Thank you.”
Kingsley’s eyes shimmered. “I hope the two of you are very happy together. I’m sorry for the pain I’ve caused you. I must be going now. Elijah, you are free.”
Elijah shook hands with his father and left the cabin and our lives, forever.
Chapter 25
Elijah
After my father left, Dana tackled me with a giant bear hug.
“It’s over, it’s finally over,” she sobbed into my shoulder.
We held each other, rocking back and forth. She was weeping uncontrollably, and I had the biggest grin on my face. After a while, she broke free and splashed some cold water on her face in an attempt to fix the redness of her eyes.
She gave a big sigh of relief. “What now?” she asked. “We can go anywhere. We can do anything we want.”
“I think I have an idea,” I said, sliding a hand up her shirt.
We made love, and for the first time, it didn’t feel scandalous. We were a couple with a baby on the way, and we had nothing but potential in front of us. When we finished, we packed up the car, paid for our hotel, and drove back to Avalon.
The drive there was trippy. I glanced at a screen, and I saw my death announcement scrolling across the ticker. From then on, I avoided looking at advertisements. I knew that for the most part, they were harmless, but I also knew their potential.
We didn’t know where we wanted to go, just that we wanted to leave immediately. Luckily, we made it back to my apartment before the next rent payment was due, so we unpacked all of our belongings in my little home.
Dana and I went to her first checkup, and to our great excitement, everything was normal. We decided then that we didn’t want to know the sex of the baby until the birth. We were so accustomed to surprises, that we felt like this should be one of them.
As much as Kingsley provided me with necessary information about my life, I still had more questions. I thought that meeting him would give me some closure, but for every question he answered, five more popped into my head.
I wasn’t sure if I wanted him in my life or not. From wh
at it sounded like, he didn’t want to be in mine. I wanted to know if I had some family out there, people who shared my DNA. I wanted to know if I had siblings, or grandparents, or cousins out there, and if they knew that I existed.
On the other hand, I didn’t want to force myself into someone’s life if he didn’t want me. I was thankful, no doubt, but furious that he had to power to find me, but waited until now to do it. I also didn’t want to be associated with The Organization, whatsoever. As far as I was concerned, anyone helping that group torture and mutilate soldiers could go to hell.
Dana told me that as much as she hated The Organization for threatening my life for their gain, she was glad that they brought me back to life. I guess she had a point.
Things between Dana and I were better than ever. There were no secrets between the two of us, and with a child on the way, our relationship moved quickly. I was proud to have her as my girlfriend. She was always so smart and driven, and she pushed me to be the best person I could be. I used to be terrified of commitment, but with her, it was easy.
The night we returned to my apartment, I told her I loved her. She was red in the face and sweaty from walking up and down the apartment stairs and plopped down on the bed, her belly peeking out from under her shirt.
She was talking about how disgusting she felt and I just sort of blurted it out. She was so strong and beautiful, and in that moment, I knew I had to tell her. It was the first time in my life that I had ever told somebody I loved them. Hormonal as ever, she bawled, then started laughing hysterically. I don’t understand girls.
I got a job at another club in the city. My shift was slightly earlier than the one at the Starlight Lounge, but it still was not ideal to work nights. I hadn’t told Dana yet, but I had been studying to go back to school while she was working during the day. When I had the money saved up for tuition, I planned on studying music production.
Dana found a construction company that could hire her to work full time as an assistant manager once the baby is born. But first, she trained part-time, so she’d be ready to jump right in once the baby is born. She was extremely excited, and I was insanely proud of her.