The Samantha Project

by Stephanie Karpinske

  “Okay.” I got up and followed him outside.

  The porch was screened in, keeping the bugs out. But you could hear them buzzing in the fields. We sat next to each other on a porch swing that was suspended from the ceiling. The swing was small, so we had to sit close. The only other seating option was an old metal lawn chair that looked like it would break if you sat in it.

  “So, not your typical day, huh?” Erik, like me, seemed to feel a little awkward sitting so close.

  “Yeah,” I said, pushing myself to the other edge of the swing to make more room.

  “Are you uncomfortable? We can go inside if you want.”

  “No, I’m fine.”

  He put his arm behind me. I wasn’t sure if he was making a move or just giving us some extra room on the swing.

  “I have a boyfriend,” I blurted out. “His name’s Colin.”

  “Um, okay.” Erik seemed surprised, then hurt that I assumed he was going to try something.

  “Oh, I’m not saying that you’re—no, I was just making conversation.”

  Erik took his arm off the back of the swing and folded both arms over his chest. “So tell me about him. What’s his name again?”

  “I don’t know why I brought him up. We don’t need to talk about him. Let’s talk about you.”

  “No, I want to know about him. How long have you two been going out?”

  “About a year, I guess. We’ve known each other since we were kids. He plays football. Basketball. Baseball. He likes sports.”

  “I wouldn’t have pictured you with a jock.” Sensing that could be taken as an insult, he tried to explain. “Not that you have a type or anything. It’s just that here in Texas, sports are everything. Well, football is everything. And the football players usually date the cheerleaders. Were you a cheerleader?”

  The question made me laugh. “Uh, no. I’m not the cheerleader type. So what about you? Are you into sports? You seem like you would have played football in high school.”

  “I didn’t go to high school. I was home-schooled by my dad. Regular school would have meant having public records and people looking into my background. We’re off the grid, remember?”

  “But you talked about going to high school when we were at the diner.”

  “No. That waitress did. She just assumed I went there.”

  “It’s such a small town. Doesn’t everyone know everyone else’s business?”

  “Sure, for the people who live in town. But for people like us who live out here in the country? No. People see us in town maybe once or twice a month and they don’t ask questions.”

  “You acted like you knew that girl, Brittany. Like you thought I was her.”

  “Again, just going along with whatever that waitress said. When you’re trying not to get noticed, you go along with whatever people say. And you don’t ask questions.”

  “So you don’t know who that girl is?”

  “I’ve seen her in town and heard people talking about her. Her mom works in the hair salon. You know how people gossip at those places. I guess her mom comes into work drunk a lot. That type of news gets around. Brittany’s dad left when she was a baby. I think her mom really struggles to make ends meet. And what little money she does make ends up being spent on vodka and cigarettes. At least that’s what the locals say.”

  My thoughts went back to seeing Brittany at school. She seemed to have it all together. I wouldn’t have guessed that her home life was such as mess. “So why do you think she looks so much like me?”

  “I don’t know. I’m sure my dad’s coming up with some theory about it. I mean, it’s more than you two looking just a little alike. You look almost identical—except you’re prettier without all that makeup.”

  I felt myself blushing. “You don’t like Brittany’s look? Then what’s your type?”

  “I like a natural girl. The outdoorsy type. Low maintenance.”

  “Given how you live out here, that’s probably a good thing. You need a low-maintenance girlfriend.”

  “Yeah, but I can’t really have a girlfriend, Ellie.” He uncrossed his arms. “If I did, I’d have to explain my situation to her and I can’t do that. With anyone. Well, except you.”

  He was right. But the same was true for me. Colin was the only person I would trust to tell all this to. And telling him would put his life in danger. Being with me could get him killed. The thought hit me that I might always be alone. Just like Erik.

  Suddenly, a loud noise came from just outside the porch. High-pitched howling. I jumped and landed on Erik’s side of the bench. His arm caught me before I slipped off.

  “It’s just coyotes, Ellie.” He laughed as he put his arm over my shoulder. But as soon as he did it, he quickly started to pull it away. I hung on to it, wrapping it around me and resting my head on his shoulder, looking out into the field of fireflies.

  “It’s Sam,” I said. “My name is Sam.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Controls

  I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn’t get back to sleep. My mind replayed all that had happened since I left. None of it seemed real. The bus trip. The diner. Seeing some girl who looked just like me. And now living with two complete strangers.

  I wished I could talk to Dave again. To see him and ask him what to do. But I couldn’t and I had to accept that. I was on my own. I had to make my own decisions, no matter how unsure I felt about the outcome.

  My thoughts wandered to Colin. I felt guilty for the unexpected feelings I was developing for Erik. I had just met the guy, yet I felt this intense need to be with him. He was right upstairs, but I wanted him right there beside me. I felt safe when he was around.

  But I missed Colin terribly. I missed everything about him. We had been through so much together. He was my best friend. I didn’t want to think about never seeing him again.

  I must have eventually drifted off to sleep because I woke up hours later hearing footsteps above my head. I got up and noticed sunlight gleaming down the stairs. I could hear Jack and Erik talking in the kitchen.

  “I spent all night trying to figure it out,” Jack said. “And I think she’s got to be a twin. It makes sense that they would do that. It’s basic research design. You always have a control.”

  I went upstairs to the kitchen table where they were sitting.

  “Hey, did you get some sleep?” Erik wore a white t-shirt that showed off his tan skin even more. His hair was still wet from the shower and a light layer of stubble covered his strong jawline. I felt an even stronger attraction to him and had to work hard to hide it.

  “I didn’t sleep much. Kept waking up.”

  “We need to get you some more clothes,” Jack said, pointing to my outfit. I was still wearing the clothes I found in the backpack when I escaped. They were the only clothes I had.

  Jack got up to get some orange juice from the refrigerator. “I’ll go out later today. You give me your sizes, Sam.”

  “Dad!” Erik looked at him, annoyed, then glanced over at me. “I told him your real name. Hope that’s okay. I probably should have asked first.”

  “It’s fine. I was gonna tell him anyway. Hey, Jack, I can go with you. To buy the clothes.”

  “No, it’s too risky. You just tell me what you want. I don’t know anything about girls’ clothing.”

  Erik tried to conceal his laughter. I imagined Uncle Dave and how he had said nearly the same thing about buying me a dress for the dance.

  “So what were you guys talking about?” I asked. “Before I came upstairs?”

  “I was thinking about that girl. Brittany. She looked so much like you that it’s got to be more than a coincidence. I think she might be a twin.” Jack sat back down at the table, waiting for my reaction. I said nothing, so he continued. “I think she might be your twin, Sam. Your twin sister.”

  Sister? The word sounded odd to me. I was an only child. I always had been. How could I have a sister and not know about it?

  “
No, that can’t be. I’m not adopted. My parents had me. Just me. I’m not a twin.”

  “Think about it, Sam. Did your parents have you naturally or did they have help?”

  “I was a test tube baby, so obviously they had help but . . .”

  “And with assisted fertility, what is the standard practice?”

  “I don’t know what you mean.” I felt my face turning red. I didn’t like talking about fertility with Erik in the room. Jack took no notice. To him this was a talk about science and medicine.

  “I mean that they typically make several embryos, correct? Even if they only end up using one or two?”

  “I guess.”

  “So those extra embryos, made using the genetic material from your parents, could become babies, right?”

  I looked over at Erik, who was staring down at the table, obviously as embarrassed as I was by the topic.

  “In fact, in a lab you could even create an identical twin. It’s actually quite common to do that. And that would explain why you two look so alike.”

  “Well, I guess that’s a possibility, but then you’re saying that someone stole one of the embryos? That’s ridiculous. Dave wouldn’t let that happen. He oversaw the whole thing. It was done at his lab.”

  “But it wasn’t his lab, Sam. It was GlobalLife’s lab and—”

  “And that’s how they were able to mess with my genetic code.” I finished his sentence so he would get to the point. “But Dave didn’t know about any of that until it was too late.”

  “And if that was able to happen right under Dave’s nose, then isn’t it possible . . .”

  I was started to get angry. “What are you trying to say? That Dave was careless? That he could have somehow prevented all this if he’d paid more attention to what was going on in his lab? Or that he knew about this twin and never told me?”

  “I don’t mean to upset you.” Jack softened his tone. “I’m not blaming Dave for any of this. But don’t you think it’s possible that someone at that lab could have taken an embryo and given it to someone else?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe it’s possible. But why would they do that?”

  “Well, my first thought is that they needed a control. It’s basic scientific research. You design your experiment so that you have a control along with whatever you’re testing so you can make comparisons. The control twin would have your genetic makeup without the enhanced genes. She’s you without the genetic manipulation, so she has none of your abilities. She’s just a regular teenage girl.”

  I sat quietly, trying to think it through. A control twin made total sense. As Jack said, that was basic research design. But to make a whole new person to act as a control? It seemed creepy.

  “Listen, I’m just speculating here.” Jack got up and paced the floor. “But it’s entirely possible that they wanted the twin so that they could compare her regular genes with your enhanced genes over the course of the lifecycle.”

  “I get that, but going back to how it could happen still makes no sense,” I said getting up to face Jack. “You’re saying that Brittany’s parents, who had little to no money, somehow came up with thousands of dollars for fertility treatments and then got my parents’ embryo instead of their own?”

  “No, that’s not how it happened. Brittany was adopted. That’s not a secret. The whole town knows that. But the adoption was done by a private agency that does pro bono work for people who can’t afford the process. I’m guessing GlobalLife got a surrogate to have her and then acted as the fake adoption agency, placing Brittany in the care of people they specifically picked out.”

  “Why would they pick people like that?” I asked. “I mean, her dad left when she was a baby and it sounds like her mom’s a drunk.”

  “I hate to even say this.” Jack looked down.

  “What? What are you thinking?” Erik asked.

  “Well, if you think about it, if GlobalLife uses the twin as a control, then at some point—say the experiment goes wrong or the project ends—they would no longer need her. And, well, getting rid of the control needs to be easy. They wouldn’t want a lot of loose ends. So they put the twin in an environment where, say she goes missing, and well, nobody cares. Nobody goes looking for her.”

  “Of course they’d look for her.” I imagined how many people were looking for me at that moment.

  “No, he’s right.” Erik said. “Think about it, Sam. Brittany is the type of girl who would run away and people wouldn’t think twice about it. She hates living here. It’s not a stretch to think that she’d run off with some guy and never come back. I doubt anyone would even call the cops.”

  Jack started pacing again. “Another option, well, this is not one you want to think about. But they could want the twin for the sole purpose of organ donation. Say the genetically enhanced twin gets sick and needs a vital organ. With the twin, you have an instant match ready to go. With all the effort and money put into research like this, it wouldn’t be surprising for them to make a human donor.”

  “That’s crazy! Even for GlobalLife,” I said to Jack.

  “No, Sam. It’s completely realistic. These enhanced genes have a powerful effect on the body. Sometimes too powerful. Having them in your cells is risky. Very risky.” He paused and looked at Erik and me. “I didn’t want to bring this up, but you both need to hear this. When I worked at GlobalLife, I learned about the genetic manipulation project years before Erik was born. It started out as a way to cure chronic disease. A way to extend life. At least that’s what they said. But I should have known that didn’t make sense. The company’s lifeblood is pharmaceuticals. You can’t sell drugs to healthy people.”

  “Yeah, you say that all the time, Dad. Keep going,” Erik said impatiently.

  “Well, once I learned that they were changing the human genetic code, programming genes to act in ways that the body was never intended to act, well, that’s when I got angry. They were playing God and I didn’t want to be part of that research. But I was already part of it and didn’t know it. I had been writing the software code but had no idea that’s what it was for. For all I knew, it could have been inserted into a plant or lab rats. I never saw the code as a whole. They had me writing small parts of it while other developers worked on other pieces. None of us saw the entire code or knew where it would end up.”

  Jack’s voice got faster as he continued. “And then Erik showed up in my lab—just a baby. I didn’t understand it. A human baby living in a lab? They told me he was sick with a rare genetic condition. That he was staying there so we could help him. But he wasn’t sick. He was perfectly healthy. I started doing some research. I hacked into some files on the GlobalLife servers and found that genetic manipulation had been done on human embryos for years. Overseas. At their headquarters in Europe.”

  “What?” Erik interrupted. “Dad, why didn’t you tell me this? You said I was the only one.”

  “Let me finish, Erik. They programmed these enhanced genes so that they had to be turned on to be expressed. They tried turning them on during pregnancy but doing so killed the fetus. So they tried waiting until the first year of life. That child died. They continued testing. They turned on the genes at different ages—2, 3, 4 years old—but it was still too much for a young child’s body to handle.”

  Jack glanced over at his son, but Erik kept his head down. “Then they moved the research to the states. My lab. We’d had great success in genetic manipulation of animals and it got noticed. That’s when Erik landed in my lab. When I found the files and discovered why he was there, I figured they would wait at least 10 years before activating his enhanced genes. Knowing that, I focused on keeping him healthy and trying to raise him as normal as possible in that lab setting.”

  Jack took a deep breath and sat down directly across from Erik. Erik kept his eyes on the table. I sat down, too, waiting for Jack to continue. “One day, when Erik was just 5 years old, they took him to a sealed off room in the building. They wouldn’t tell me where he was going
. They knew I had become too attached to him. Days later, they put him back in my lab and I knew that they had done it. They had turned on those genes knowing it could kill him!” Jack raised his voice and slammed his fist on the table.

  “Dad, calm down,” Erik said.

  “I had to get him out of there.” Jack lowered his voice again. “I drugged him with something so strong that the on-staff medical doctors pronounced him dead. And then those people, my bosses, told me to get rid of him! No funeral. No burial. Like he wasn’t even human! They knew how much I loved him—like my own son—and yet they picked me to get rid of . . .”

  Jack stopped to compose himself then waited before continuing. “Well, that never happened, of course, because he was alive. I took him and ran. When he woke up, he was fine. A typical boy, full of energy. He showed some abilities right away. Well, I don’t need to go on.”

  “Why are you telling us this, Dad?” Erik finally looked up again.

  “For several reasons, Erik. One is that nobody really knows what these enhanced genes do to the body. Obviously, GlobalLife waited much longer to activate yours, Sam, because of what happened in the past. But given what did happen and what could happen, it’s entirely possible that a twin was made purely to serve as a human donor. To save the enhanced twin if needed.”

  I shook my head in disgust at the thought of it.

  “The other reason I told you this is because I need you both to understand how invested GlobalLife is in this project. They’ve been working on it for years. I thought they might have given up after Erik. In fact, I had a contact at GlobalLife who said that the project had been shut down because it cost too much and wasn’t yielding results. But then you showed up, Sam, which is proof that they haven’t given up. That tells me that whatever their end goal is, it’s big—really big. They need this technology to work. And Sam, you may be their last hope.”

  “What do you mean by that?”