The Evolution Trilogy: Hybrid, Complications & Return

by Vanessa Wester

  Catherine gave a broad smile, ‘Okay, well you can start by drinking this.’

  Caitlin looked at the dark brown bottle. It reminded her of the old style Coca Cola glass bottles. ‘What is it?’

  ‘Just drink it,’ Catherine reassured, ‘please.’

  Caitlin took the bottle and sniffed the edge. It smelled really good, but it was not a smell she could place. The smell was earthy. It reminded her of her grandfather and his collection of old copper coins. The nostalgia alone made it appealing. She could not believe she would never see her grandfather again. He had always made her feel special. She did not know if it was the way he always had time for her, or whether it was his infectious enthusiasm. Either way, she would miss him. She focused on the bottle and drew it up to her lips. As soon as she started drinking she could not stop and she downed it in one.

  She could almost feel it working its way through her system, giving her an instant kick. She handed the empty bottle back and gave a wary smile. As she did, she looked at her hands and noticed that the cuts she had made when she punched the wall were healing rapidly. She watched in awe as her hands became smooth. The lethargy she had felt for days also seemed to lift. She had so much more energy, and now she was really hungry. She could murder a pizza.

  Catherine had a stash in a bag she had not even noticed her bring in, as she handed her another bottle. This time she paused when she was halfway, smiled, and then downed the rest. The depression that had weighed her down lessened. Thoughts of Steven came to mind. She was not proud of the way she had acted, she had shouted at him. She dreaded to think what he thought of her. She wouldn’t be surprised if he gave her a wide berth the next time they met.

  Caitlin handed back the other bottle. She grimaced as she took a whiff. It dawned on her she was filthy. She was still covered in the remnants of tomato sauce. She could not remember the last time she bathed. Her hair felt so greasy and her armpits were sticky. She would do anything for waxing and decent deodorant.

  ‘You know you mentioned that I should have a wash,’ Caitlin paused, ‘I could really do with one.’ She gave an uneasy smile.

  Catherine nodded. Her eyes were bright, reassuring, as she spoke, ‘Let’s go take a walk. I’ll explain as much as I can.’

  Caitlin was eager to start again. Depression did not suit her – not one bit.

  They walked out and started to make their way down the hall. Everything seemed to be in better focus now. She could not remember much about her arrival. The lighting was subdued, it looked like outdoor lights used during Christmas time, a long spaghetti of light. At the end of the corridor, they followed the path to the right. She wondered what was down the left. It also had a clinical edge to it. She could not see anyone around, but the walls were white, minimalistic.

  At the end of the corridor they were faced with a set of lift doors and some stairs.

  ‘We should walk, to make sure we don’t inadvertently see anyone,’ Catherine said, as she made for the stairs.

  Caitlin followed, she did not want to come across anyone either.

  It seemed like ages before they reached the bottom. The walls were made from rough rock now. When the stairs ended they walked through a tunnel. It looked as though it had been carved out, it was impressive. The sound of water made her curious and then she remembered what it might be – the waterfall. As the whooshing sound intensified she started to get excited. She could not help a smile spreading across her face when the huge cavern revealed itself. The waterfall was beautiful. The river’s murky, mottled brown water came out of an opening high up in the cavern and landed on a large expanse of water. They had installed a range of coloured lighting. She had a feeling of déjà vu. She remembered seeing the same effect in St Michael’s Cave, when she lived in Gibraltar as a child.

  ‘No-one will disturb you here. Here are a few things that might come in handy. I know you must be used to a different way,’ Catherine handed over a toiletry bag, ‘I’ll come back in half an hour, then we’ll go get some food. Have fun.’

  ‘It’s not going to be difficult.’

  Caitlin watched Catherine walk away. She unzipped the bag. Her face lit up as she saw a shaver, shower gel, shampoo and conditioner. She took the bag and its contents to the water’s edge. Metal rungs had been attached to the side, and on the other side she could see smaller rock pools, behind the waterfall. She considered whether to dive in or use the rungs. As she mulled it over, she stripped off. Decision made, she dived in. If the water was shallow she could handle it, she had done many shallow dives as a competitive swimmer.

  When she entered the water she felt every nerve ending relax. The water was lukewarm. She swam breaststroke underwater, before she surfaced. She turned on her back and swam backstroke at her leisure. It was strange to swim naked, she had never done that before. It was strangely liberating.

  Back to Table of Contents

  Chapter 26

  Blood

  Ingrid had never walked so slowly. Catherine made it clear she had to go see Caitlin, she had this idea that Caitlin would tell Ingrid why she was not well. Ingrid did not hold high hopes for that. Even though they had become friends, she doubted Caitlin would open up to her. Either way, Catherine was convinced Ingrid would bridge the gap. She also wanted Ingrid to explain about the new blood. Ingrid pursed her lips, and paused at the entrance to the cavern. She took a deep breath, and straightened up, she could do this. She could be the best friend to the man she was in love with. She could.

  There was no splashing sound when she entered, which was a bit strange. She made her way over to the water’s edge and looked at the expanse of water, then turned to face the waterfall. She fidgeted with the clothes and towel in her hands and scrunched up her nose. She could not see any sign of Caitlin anywhere.

  She turned to leave, but something caught the corner of her eye. She turned and saw Caitlin’s face poking out from behind the rock pools.

  Caitlin’s eyed widened, before she broke out into a smile. ‘It’s you.’

  Ingrid walked in her direction, more at ease. Caitlin sounded relaxed, it was a start.

  Caitlin raised her voice, ‘Don’t come too close,’ then she lowered her voice to a whisper, ‘I’m naked.’

  Ingrid had to chuckle. ‘So?’

  ‘You can’t see me naked, I don’t like it. I…oh, I don’t have any excuse. I just don’t like it,’ Caitlin gave an uneasy laugh.

  ‘It’s okay. I have some clothes for you to wear. And some other things Catherine thought you might need. We make our own deodorant here.’

  ‘Really?’ Caitlin’s eyes widened again, but she still remained behind the rock. ‘Okay, I’ll get changed first. Can you turn around, please?’

  ‘No problem.’ Ingrid faced the opposite direction. She found Caitlin’s insecurity reassuring. She talked to make the situation easier, ‘What did you think of the waterfall?’

  She heard Caitlin’s voice closer up this time, ‘It’s amazing. I feel so much better now that I’m clean. Can I ask you something?’

  ‘Sure.’

  Ingrid could hear hesitation in Caitlin’s voice as she asked, ‘Do you also remove your hair?

  Ingrid’s lips curled up and she flicked her hair to the side as she said, ‘I have my hair cut every now and again, but I like it long.’

  After a slight pause, Caitlin continued, ‘No, I didn’t mean your head hair. Erm, I meant your underarm hair. I have not had any since I was twelve. I hate it, it makes me smell and it’s uncomfortable. Do you remove it here?’

  ‘Oh, underarm hair,’ Ingrid feigned surprise, ‘no, we don’t remove it actually. But, we know women do where you come from. A search of the web reveals all sorts of interesting habits. There is something called waxing, I believe – it looks extremely painful. None of us understand why anyone would do such a thing.’

  ‘I have had waxing in the past, it doesn’t hurt that much once you get used to it.’ Caitlin stood next to Ingrid. ‘I couldn’t afford it as a student,
so I just shaved.’

  ‘Oh yes, you have to pay for everything there,’ Ingrid mused, glad to see Caitlin clothed again. ‘Maybe you could teach us about this waxing. It could be your skill. If it’s worth it, I’m sure you’ll have people interested.’

  ‘As much as I could teach you, I really doubt it would be my skill. I am not a sadist. Besides, what do you mean exactly by skill?’

  ‘Well, we don’t have money here, but everyone has to pull their weight. So, we all focus on the things we are best at,’ Ingrid paused slightly, she could not believe her luck. This line of questioning was taking her exactly where she wanted to go. She tried to sound casual, ‘I am scientific, so I work in the laboratories.’

  ‘Really? I liked Science, but I am more mathematical and enjoy learning Spanish. Even though I grew up next to Spain it was only when I left Gibraltar at the age of twelve that I really got to find out about the culture, the food, and way of life.’

  ‘Gibraltar? The Rock of Gibraltar? Interesting place… from what I have heard. It doesn’t have the best relationship with Spain though, does it?’ Ingrid arched an eyebrow.

  ‘No, that’s an understatement,’ Caitlin laughed, ‘I never missed waiting in a queue for over 2 hours at the frontier to get into Spain – don’t know why we bothered most of the time. And I never embraced the Spaniards’ love of bull fighting.’

  ‘They kill for sport and prestige. It’s not a good thing, right?’

  ‘No, not for those reasons, but then again who are we to argue with tradition? It brings people together. Many cultures do things that we consider strange. Take for example the use of ivory in China. There’s no way to know if some of the ivory was bought via the black market, and don’t get me started on shark fin soup. I have always had a fascination with sharks…’ Caitlin trailed, her cheeks flushed pink, ‘I’m rambling again. I have a habit of doing that.’

  ‘It’s okay,’ Ingrid smiled, ‘I’m interested. Your upbringing makes you a different person. It’s good for all of us to learn from each other. I’ve learnt a lot from you. In fact,’ she bit her lip slightly, ‘you’ve given us all the potential for a new future.’

  ‘Me? What have I done? I have nothing to offer the community,’ her shoulders drooped.

  ‘Let’s walk and I’ll tell you about it, you’re probably hungry anyway.’

  Caitlin put her hand on her stomach. ‘I’m starving now. Whatever Catherine gave me to drink made me feel better, that’s for sure.’

  ‘That’s actually where you’ve helped us,’ Ingrid said.

  ‘The drink, what do you mean?’ Caitlin stopped walking.

  ‘Okay,’ Ingrid paused, her eyes shifted uneasily, ‘basically for years we’ve been testing different varieties of blood. We’ve been trying to create blood that could heal us, that could enable the change.’ Ingrid glanced over at Caitlin. She was looking ahead, serious. She continued, ‘Steven’s blood was slightly different, but it still was not what we needed. But, and I’m sorry we did this without asking you first, we tested your blood and we believe it’s a perfect match. We found a way to use its genetic code, to sequence it. And the drink you had is the product. Catherine said it healed your hand.’

  Caitlin nodded. ‘It did.’

  ‘Are you angry with us?’

  Caitlin sighed, ‘No, how can I be. There had to be something good out of what I’ve become.’ She fidgeted with her hands, and then asked, ‘So, will it enable the change?’

  ‘We have to test it, we’ll know soon. I just wanted you to know that you have enabled something amazing. It could change everything.’ Ingrid tried to restrain her excitement, ‘We would not have to kill if we can mass produce the drink for the entire community. It is an incredible outcome.’

  ‘I’m happy for you, really,’ Caitlin said.

  Ingrid stopped and put her hand on Caitlin’s shoulder. ‘We’re all indebted to you. I know the decision to be one of us can’t have been an easy one.’

  Caitlin brushed off her hand. ‘The decision to change was very easy, it just happened. It’s what I am now that’s hard to handle,’ her frame tensed, ‘I’ve lost a lot.’

  ‘Yes, you’ve left behind your life, your friends, and family. It’s not easy to...’

  Caitlin interrupted, ‘I have lost a lot more than that, but I’m sure you know this already. Catherine told you, didn’t she?’

  Ingrid shook her head from side to side. ‘She hoped you’d tell me. If you do, I promise I won’t tell anyone. I trust you with everything I’ve said.’

  ‘Okay then,’ Caitlin walked on, then stopped at the entrance and looked back, her eyes brimming with tears. In a choked voice, she said, ‘I’ll never have children of my own.’ Then she carried on walking, her shoulders visibly shaking.

  Ingrid’s jaw slackened, she never imagined that. She had not had any yet, but she always imagined she would someday. The option was always there.

  She rushed to catch up with Caitlin, who had come to a standstill, now in floods of tears.

  She threw her arms around her and held her tight. Caitlin put her arms around her and cried really hard. For the first time ever, Ingrid actually felt like someone needed her friendship. It was nice, even though Caitlin was the last person she would ever have thought she would empathise with. There had to be some irony in that.

  It took a few minutes for Caitlin to calm down before she backed away and said, ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to break down like that. I thought I could handle it, I-I…’ her lower lip wobbled again.

  ‘It’s okay, no-one needs to know. I’ll take you back. When you’re ready then we’ll talk about letting everyone know about you. I think Catherine wanted you to know you would be safe.’

  ‘Safe?’ Caitlin licked her lower lip, her brow furrowed.

  Ingrid hesitated slightly before she replied, ‘Of course. You realise your blood is, well, different to ours?’

  ‘Different?’ The furrow deepened.

  ‘Yes, as I explained. Your blood can heal us, it was the missing link. I thought you realised when Emily attacked you,’ she tried to sound matter of fact, ‘our blood has never healed anyone before, it was the reason I knew Steven was not normal.’

  She saw Caitlin’s mouth form a circle, her face now one of astonishment not bemusement. ‘I see.’

  They continued to walk up the stairs, Caitlin deep in thought. Ingrid did not want to say anything else, she had assumed Caitlin had realised the consequences of what she’d said earlier.

  Ingrid led Caitlin to Else’s office. They had to pass the laboratories and she could see Caitlin’s face harden as she observed those at work.

  When they got to the door, Ingrid faced Caitlin before she knocked. ‘You’ll be safe, you know that, right?’

  Caitlin pursed her lips. ‘If you say so.’

  Ingrid knocked, and then opened the door. Else was waiting as anticipated.

  ‘Caitlin, you look much better,’ Else said, as she stood up to greet them. ‘Ingrid, are you staying?’

  ‘I’ll be in the lab, let me know if I can be of any help. Can I speak to you outside a minute?’

  ‘Sure, please sit down, Caitlin,’ Else smiled.

  Once outside, Ingrid switched to their unique language. It was rarely used, but in these circumstances was useful, ‘I have explained what we have been able to do with her blood, but she’s still worried that she might not be safe. Can you reassure her?’

  ‘Of course,’ Else nodded and went back in.

  Ingrid made her way to the prep room. Once there she found her long, white jacket. Then she tied up her hair in a band, placed a white cap over it and covered her mouth with a mask. Then she slipped on a pair of skin tight, transparent gloves. She pressed the code into the keypad and the automated door swung inwards. She walked through and flicked through the chart. The cell count was steady. The blood was perfect so far. Caitlin was the first person to drink it, and heal from it. Catherine had noted the success.

  She put the chart
back and went to find Eilif. She found him by the centrifuge.

  ‘What are you working on?’

  ‘I’m trying to find out if there are any more properties about Caitlin’s blood we can use. It’s going to take a while to test them all, but I think it’ll be worth it,’ he smiled, ‘how is she?’

  ‘She’s doing okay,’ she changed the conversation, ‘who’s going to change soon? Who’ll be trialling the blood?’

  ‘There are a few. Kayla, Tobias and Lisbeth are due their change. Tobias is first.’

  ‘Can I be there to help?’ Ingrid asked.

  ‘Of course,’ Eilif replied, ‘he’s coming in tomorrow. The timing is just about perfect.’

  ‘Tomorrow it is then. Is everything ready?’

  ‘Do you know me at all, daughter?’

  Ingrid grinned. ‘Of course.’

  Back to Table of Contents

  Chapter 27

  Breakthrough

  Caitlin knew she was not stupid, she was supposedly extremely intelligent, and yet she found it hard to believe what Ingrid, and now Else, claimed.

  ‘You understand that unless we tell people, no-one will ever know that your blood can heal us,’ Else clasped her hands in front of her, ‘the few of us that know will never tell anyone.’

  ‘And how are you going to explain the new discovery, the new blood?’ Caitlin slouched back against the chair.

  ‘We’ve been working on the cure for a long time, but I see your concern. We need to explain how you came to be here. That alone will raise questions,’ she nodded.

  ‘Exactly, you have to explain who I am,’ Caitlin said, as she sat up slightly.

  ‘Let us worry about that, you just have to decide when you want to meet everyone. Do you want to join our community?’

  Caitlin stared at the stone floor for a long minute. She looked up, and answered, ‘Not yet. I’d like some more time.’