The Samantha Project

by Stephanie Karpinske

  “You seem different now. What changed?”

  Erik smiled. “You don’t know me that well, Sam. I can still be a jackass sometimes.” His face got serious. “But I straightened up when I almost got caught one night. I was 16 and hanging out with this girl and a few of her friends. We’d been drinking and the cops came and busted us. I barely got away. If they had caught me—well, so much for staying under the radar. My dad was so pissed. I’d never seen him like that. He wouldn’t even talk to me. And then something just clicked. It’s like I finally realized what could happen if they ever found us. And I felt bad, because here my dad had worked all those years to hide me and then I almost screwed it all up in one night. Sometimes I think he wishes he’d never taken me from that lab.”

  “Erik, you know that’s not true.”

  “Yeah, I guess. But his life could have been so much different. And if his wife hadn’t died—”

  “Jack was married?”

  “When he was in college. Well, right after graduation. He married some girl that he’d dated in high school. Seems weird, doesn’t it? Getting married at 22? Anyway, he doesn’t talk about her much.”

  “Did they get divorced?”

  “No. She died suddenly. I guess she had some heart problem that she never knew about. It was genetic. They think her mom had it, too, but for whatever reason, it didn’t affect her mom the same way.”

  “That’s so sad.”

  “Yeah, and she was pregnant. They had just found out that they were having a boy.”

  “When did she die?”

  “About a year after they got married. My dad was working at some small lab and applying to grad schools. Oh, and get this. GlobalLife was trying to get him to work for them even back then. Said they would pay for his Ph.D. program. He was actually on a job interview the day she died. The interview went on for hours, and when he got home, he found her.”

  “That’s horrible.”

  “Don’t tell him I told you. He doesn’t like talking about it.”

  “Okay. So after it happened, what did he do?”

  “Well, he turned down the GlobalLife job. And then a few months later he found out that he got into MIT and he moved to Boston. Then he ended up working for GlobalLife after that. His wife’s heart problem was really what pushed him to study how computers could fix genes.”

  “You’re lucky that you found each other, Erik.”

  “Yeah. It’s a good thing I ended up in his lab. He’s been a great dad—way better than my real father would have been.”

  It was the first time I had heard Erik talk about his biological father. “How do you know that, Erik? You didn’t even know him before . . .”

  “Before what?” Erik looked at me.

  I didn’t want to mention his father’s death because I wasn’t sure if he wanted to talk about it, so I waited for Erik to continue.

  “Why are you looking at me like that? My parents aren’t dead, Sam. Did you think they were?”

  “Well, yeah. I thought they had an accident like mine did?”

  “No. As far as I know, they’re alive and well. The records my dad found didn’t have any names. Just said ‘donor x’ and ‘donor y’ and some generic stuff, like their age, hair color, eye color.”

  “Well, maybe they didn’t know about you. Maybe they were just donors. You were a test tube baby, like me. They could have just put you into a surrogate, like they did with Brittany.”

  “The report described the pregnancy, Sam. There were medical records. They mentioned a married couple who lived overseas—somewhere in Europe. My dad thinks that they were probably desperate for money so agreed to have a kid, knowing that it might be taken away. When it was—when I was—they must not have been too attached to me because they never came looking.”

  “You don’t know that, Erik. Maybe they’ve been looking for you all these years.”

  Erik seemed uncomfortable. “Can we change the subject? Let’s get back to work.”

  We spent the afternoon on more sensory training, with Erik showing me how to use my enhanced eyesight and hearing in different situations. He talked a little about our heightened sense of touch and how we could combine that with our keen sense of intuition to figure out if a situation or person was a threat or not. But the conversation was awkward because neither one of us wanted to acknowledge the electrifying effect our touch had on each other.

  By early evening, we broke for dinner. I went in to check on Brittany, who was finally awake. “Are you hungry? Erik and I are going to eat if you want to join us.”

  “Sure, I’m starved.” Brittany’s mood seemed to be much brighter. I wasn’t sure if it was all the sleep she had had or if she’d finally accepted her situation. “What are we having?”

  “Probably leftover pizza,” I said. “So how are you feeling about all of this? Being here?”

  “I get it now. If I leave, I risk getting killed. If I stay, I might be safe. What choice do I have?”

  “You should have a choice, Brittany. That’s the problem. These people—the ones who are after you and me. They’ve taken our choices away. Now we’re stuck with this. I wish it didn’t have to be this way.”

  “It’s all right, sis. It’s not your fault. Now let’s eat.” She swung her arm around my shoulder like we were suddenly good friends. I sensed her touch and focused on how it felt, just as I had in the training that Erik and I had practiced an hour before. Something didn’t feel right with Brittany. Her happy tone didn’t match the feeling I was getting from her. Brittany was hiding something.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  The Timer

  At dinner that night, Erik explained our plans for the following week. How we would drive to California and meet up with one of Jack’s old friends. Brittany seemed oddly okay with us leaving town and not coming back. She sat quietly and listened while Erik told us the details of what Jack and he had discussed.

  Brittany even seemed excited about leaving town. “I’ve always wanted to go to California. We’ll probably see celebrities! I’ve got to get some better clothes. I can’t show up there in that.” She pointed to the faded blue jeans and navy t-shirt I was wearing that Jack had bought.

  “I think clothes are the least of our concern, Brittany.” Erik seemed annoyed that Brittany wasn’t taking this seriously.

  “Clothes make the girl, Erik. If you took more interest in girls, you would know that.” She leaned over the table toward Erik, trying to strategically place her cleavage in his view.

  “We’re not going to Hollywood, Brittany. We’ll probably end up staying in a place like this. Small town. Out in the middle of nowhere.”

  “Well, I guess any place is better than here.” Brittany sighed, sitting back in her chair.

  “You seem to be taking this whole situation a lot better than yesterday,” I said.

  “I thought about it. And I figured, why not? Blake’s hanging out with that bitch, Amber. I have no money to buy a decent dress for prom. I’m flunking out of school. And even if I graduate, then what? Go sweep up hair at the salon where my mom works? Or be a waitress? I might as well go with you guys.”

  I studied her body language, trying to tell if she was being truthful. Brittany got up from the table. “Are we done here? I wanna watch some TV.”

  “Sure. Go ahead,” Erik replied.

  When Brittany was out of hearing range, I brought up my suspicions about her to Erik.

  “I think you’re worrying too much,” Erik said. “She seems genuinely happy to get out of here. Given the future she described, I can see why.”

  “Yeah, that makes sense, but I got a strange vibe from her when I touched her. Like she was just saying what we wanted to hear.”

  “That’s because we just practiced that whole intuition thing. Sometimes when you try to read your intuition, your own feelings or wants get in the way and it gets you off track. Maybe deep down you don’t want her going with us so you’re projecting that onto her.”

  “
Okay, Dr. Erik. I don’t need psychoanalysis here. And I’m not upset about her going with. I’ll admit that I don’t like her all that well, but she is my sister. And I do want to protect her.”

  “Then stop worrying about her. It’s good that she’s not putting up a fight. That’s the last thing we need right now.” Erik got up and starting clearing dishes. “I have to do some more packing tonight, so can we move our training to the morning?”

  “Sure. I know it’s still early, but I’d like to get some sleep if you don’t mind keeping an eye on Brittany.”

  “I don’t think we need to. But, yes, I’ll keep an eye on her. Go to bed.”

  I brought my dishes over to him. Before I could walk away, he wrapped his arms around my waist and drew me toward him, so close I could feel his breath.

  “Hey, great job today. You learn fast. Or maybe I’m just an excellent teacher.” He smiled and I wanted to kiss him so badly that I almost gave in. But I couldn’t. I had made it clear that we were friends and only friends.

  But I didn’t fight him so he waited for me to make the next move. “Yeah, I’d say you’re a pretty good teacher.” I smiled back at him, remaining in his arms. “And you’re persistent, I’ll give you that.” My comment referred to his flirting, not his training. He got the message and let me go.

  “Nothing wrong with persistence, Sam,” he hollered at me, as I left down the stairs.

  Even if I would never see Colin again, it was too soon to start something with Erik. Still, I couldn’t deny the intense spark that Erik and I shared the minute we met. And our attraction to each other was getting stronger by the minute, no matter how much we fought it.

  When I woke up the next morning, I found Brittany sleeping in the chair next to me. Erik was upstairs in bed, a sign that he assumed Brittany was no longer interested in trying to run. Brittany was rolled up in a ball, still wearing the same outfit she had on two days earlier. She had washed the makeup off her face, making her look even more like me. Her face had so much of Mom and Dad in it. I could literally see them in her, and it made me sad. She would never meet them. Never hear Mom’s laugh. Never taste Dad’s famous pancakes.

  I wondered if Brittany would be the way she was if she had grown up in my house instead of hers. Would she still be the head cheerleader that bullies the other kids? Would she care less about how she looked and more about how she acted? I wasn’t sure. But looking at her, I knew that she was my sister. I didn’t need a DNA test to prove it.

  At that moment, I decided that even if she continued to criticize my clothes or the way I wore my hair, I wasn’t going to be her enemy anymore. We had to stick together. And I had to protect her. It’s what Mom and Dad would have wanted.

  The door to Jack’s lab squeaked opened, waking Brittany. “What time is it? And why did I sleep in this chair? My neck is killing me.”

  Jack came over and turned on a light. “You girls should get up. It’s 8 o’clock and we have a lot to get done. I’ve decided that we’re going to leave on Sunday morning. That only gives us two more days to pack and prepare.”

  “Why Sunday?” I asked.

  “I heard on the radio that there’s a missing person alert out for Brittany. Her mom didn’t buy the runaway story. She’s worried. She called the police and filed a report yesterday.”

  “She did?” Brittany seemed surprised that her mother even noticed she was gone.

  “Sounds like they’ve talked to all your friends, Brittany, and since nobody has seen you, they’ve widened the search to the surrounding towns.”

  “Maybe we should leave now then,” I said, feeling anxious.

  “No. We would risk running into them. We need to wait. I know these cops, Sam. They’ll look for a day or two and then they’ll figure that she wanted to go. It’s not that uncommon for a girl Brittany’s age to leave town.”

  “But my mom is worried? Is that what the news said?” Brittany was still not believing that her mother was capable of caring about her whereabouts.

  “Yes, very worried. We can send her a message later, Brittany. Let her know you’re okay,” Jack reassured her. “Now why don’t you clean up. Sam can show you the new clothes.”

  “Yeah, I think it’s time to change into something else, Brittany,” I said, picking out a t-shirt and some jeans. “They may not be your style but at least they’re clean.”

  Brittany took the clothes and went to the bathroom to shower. Jack came into the living room and set his laptop on the table. “While she’s in there, I need to talk to you and Erik. I have more information on that timer. Can you go get him?”

  “Me? Oh, I don’t think I should.” The idea of going to Erik’s bedroom upstairs didn’t seem appropriate. He’d be in bed, in his pajamas. What if he didn’t wear much to bed? What if he didn’t wear anything?

  “What’s wrong?” Jack asked impatiently. “Go get him. Hurry up.” Jack was working on his laptop, completely clueless about the situation.

  “Um, okay.” I went upstairs to Erik’s room and knocked on the door. No answer. “Hey, Erik. Your dad wants to talk to us. Are you up? Erik?”

  I opened the door to find Erik still sleeping. He had kicked the sheet off, leaving just him. Just as I thought. Shirtless and boxers. Practically naked. Looking perfect, as usual. What was Jack thinking? Sending me into his son’s room when he’s half naked! It was hard enough trying to resist Erik. I certainly didn’t need this image in my head.

  The floorboards squeaked under my feet as I tried to sneak away. “Sam?” Erik was waking up. I was mortified.

  “Hi, Erik. Your dad sent me up here.” I continued to face the door so I couldn’t see him. “He wanted you to get up. He has something to tell us. Or show us. Well, I’ll see you downstairs.”

  “No, wait. And why are you looking at the door?” I could tell from his tone that he knew exactly why.

  “I was thinking that—that you might want to get dressed,” I said, not moving.

  “I’m not naked here, Sam. Come back and talk to me.”

  I slowly turned around to find him still shirtless, but he’d pulled the sheet up enough to cover his boxers. He looked like one of those male models. His hair wasn’t even messed up, even after sleeping on it. How can a person look that good right out of bed? I thought.

  “We can talk later,” I said, sounding anxious. “I should be going.”

  “So how did it go last night? Is she still here?” Erik asked, completely ignoring my attempt to get away.

  My eyes were fixated on his perfectly chiseled chest. “Who?” I glanced away, hoping he hadn’t caught me staring.

  “Brittany. You know, your sister?” He laughed. He had indeed caught me.

  “Oh, yeah, she’s here. She’s taking a shower downstairs. Which is where we should be. Downstairs! Not the shower! Together! Never mind!” I could feel my face turning beet red. Erik was trying hard not to laugh. “I’ll just let you get dressed.” I turned and headed for the door.

  “Okay, I’ll be right down,” he said. “Hey, what was it my dad wanted to talk about?”

  “He has something to tell us about—” I turned back to find Erik out of bed, standing there smiling, covered only in boxers, his arms crossed over his shirtless chest. He tricked me! He knew I would turn back around. He was getting way too much pleasure from my embarrassment.

  I looked up at the ceiling. “I’ll see you downstairs, Erik.” I turned and left before he could try anything else.

  I raced back down the stairs and ran right into Jack. “Whoa, what’s the rush? I almost dropped the laptop.”

  “Oh, are we talking upstairs now?”

  “I thought we should give Brittany some privacy. Let’s sit at the kitchen table. Did you get Erik up?”

  The image of half-naked Erik instantly filled my head. “Yes, he’ll be here soon.”

  “Good. I’ve spent most of the night studying that genetic marker I told you about. Oh, there you are Erik. Sit down.”

  Erik appeared fully
dressed, wearing jeans and a light blue t-shirt that brought out the blue in his eyes. He smiled at me as he walked in. I could tell he was still amused by his little trick and how it had affected me.

  I tried not to look at him, instead focusing on Jack. “Did you find out if it really has some type of built-in timer?”

  “Yes. It’s definitely a timer. I looked closer at the software and it seems to be running some type of cycle. Only the cycle on Erik’s was shorter, like it was almost complete.”

  “What does that mean?” Erik asked. “Do you know what happens when it completes the cycle?”

  Jack looked worried. “It seems to tell your cells to go into some type of overdrive state. I need to do some research.” He turned to me. “Like Dave, I know all about genetics and computer programming. Those are my speciality areas. But I don’t know as much about physiology and biochemistry. At least not at the level I need for this.”

  “I do. I know about both of those. I kind of like reading science books in my spare time,” I said, realizing after I said it how nerdy that made me sound. “If you show me what you found, maybe I can help.”

  Jack showed me the biochemical reaction that would occur once the timer ran out. I knew instantly that it wasn’t good. “Are you sure that’s what will happen, Jack? Could you have maybe misread what the software was saying?”

  “Of course not,” Jack answered. “I know programming like the back of my hand.”

  “He could take apart and rebuild a program right here, right now, Sam. He’s genius at that stuff,” Erik added.

  “Okay, then we have a real problem,” I admitted, suddenly feeling sick. “Because the biochemical pathway you showed me? I’m pretty sure it would lead to massive cardiac arrest. As in, there’s no time to save the person. It would be instant.”