by Trish Moran
‘That’s right. Decided it’s time I sorted myself out a bit,’ Frank nodded. ‘The old man agreed to give me another chance!’
‘Your new girlfriend inspired you, did she?’ Steve grinned. ‘Getting serious, is it?’
‘Yeah, we’re OK. Better get back to work. Old Milton’s a stickler for time keeping! Catch you later, eh?’ Frank gave him a wave as he continued walking.
Steve stood looking after him.
‘Gross! Running round with a bunch of freaks!’
‘Yeah!’ Callum agreed. He paused, ‘But he might be right about, you know, doing something, you know, work and stuff …’ He looked at his friend. ‘I’ve been thinking myself, might think of, you know, joining up …’
Steve looked at him, ‘You? Join the army? Go around killing people?’
‘It’s not all like that, you know. You do other stuff, too. Learn stuff and things; like those guys at the Centre. I got talking to one of them on gate duty. He got me some brochures and stuff. And we got talking about life on duty up there, at the Compound. And he told me …’ he stopped suddenly.
‘Yeah?’ Steve prompted him.
‘Well, he only hinted at it really; didn’t give any names, but … he sort of said that one of the Labs might be knocked up!’ Callum looked at Steve. ‘What if it was …?’
‘Frank’s freak?’ Steve burst out laughing. His face grew serious, ‘This is a big news story! It could mean a few bucks for us! Come on! Let’s make a few phone calls, matey!’
‘Hey!’ Callum said, ‘Hey, it’s probably not even true! It’s probably just some rumour!’
‘Never mind!’ Steve shouted as he ran towards his house. ‘It’ll make a great story! “Frank, mummy freak, and baby freak”! Ha!’
‘Yeah!’ Callum laughed, ‘Yeah! The freak family!’
The following afternoon, Beth and Frank were chatting happily as they made their way to the village shop when suddenly a car drew up beside them and two men jumped out.
Beth shielded her eyes as a camera flashed in her face.
‘Is it true that you’re pregnant?’ a second man said, pushing a microphone in front of her. ‘When exactly is the baby due?’
‘What the hell do you think you’re doing?’ Frank shouted, putting his arms around Beth. ‘Get away from us!’
‘Just a few questions!’ the man continued. He turned to Frank as the camera flashed again, ‘And you must be the father-to-be, Frank isn’t it? How do you feel about being the first human to father a Lab child? And what do you think the future holds for you all?’
Beth shrank into Frank’s arms.
‘I don’t know where you got your information from, but get away from us right now!’ Frank snarled.
‘So are you denying it, sir?’ the first man continued, hurrying to keep up with them.
By now a number of people had stopped and were watching with interest.
‘Is she one of those from the Compound?’ someone asked.
‘That man said she’s having a baby,’ another said.
‘Young Frank, there, he’s not from the Compound,’ the first said.
‘He’s taken up with one of them,’ Steve had joined the crowd and was looking on with a nasty grin on his face. ‘Must be nuts if you ask me! She’ll probably give birth to a monster with two heads!’
Standing beside him, Callum sniggered.
‘Two heads?’ a woman shuddered.
‘Stands to reason, doesn’t it? They’re not normal!’ Steve continued.
‘Have you any fears for your unborn child?’ the man asked Beth as the camera kept flashing. ‘What kind of tests have been carried out, so far?’
‘Look! I said get away from us, OK?’ Frank raised his fists.
‘Hey, we just want a story!’ the man answered.
‘Frank!’ a voice shouted.
He looked up to see Abel pushing his way through the crowd towards them. He wrapped his arms around Beth.
‘Come on! Move out of the way!’ he screamed at the crowd, forcing a pathway for them.
Soon they were standing inside the shop.
‘I’m calling for help,’ he explained to the startled shopkeeper as he grabbed her phone and dialled a number. ‘There’s no way in here from the back is there?’
She shook her head silently, a nervous expression on her face.
A few minutes later an army jeep drew up. Beth, Frank, and Abel were bundled into the back. The driver sounded his horn as the vehicle edged its way through the crowd.
Some of the reporters followed the jeep while others turned towards the shopkeeper.
‘Do many of those from the Compound shop here? Do you know the pregnant girl?’
Steve stepped forward.
‘I can tell you about the father, Frank, we went to school together. He’s changed completely since he took up with that girl; it’s like she’s hypnotised him!’
‘Ah, you must be … Steve!’ a young reporter said. ‘Aren’t you the one who phoned our office? And a few other newspaper offices, too, by the look of it!’
‘It’s a story that needs telling, that’s what I think. He was my mate, you know, before they came along!’
The crowd gathered around him as he settled down to give his version to the reporters.
Back at the Centre, Frank sat with his arm around a sobbing Beth.
‘What happened?’ Celia asked. ‘How did the press get to know about this?’
Ruby shook her head, ‘The story was bound to get out sooner or later. This is the first Lab baby born. There will probably be many others over the years and they won’t attract so much attention!’
‘I’m so sorry! I never wanted Beth to have to face …’ Frank stammered, pulling Beth closer to him.
Abel patted his arm, ‘We cannot hide away from reality. We must be ready for these situations!’
‘I would like to hide away from all those people for ever!’ Beth said tearfully.
‘It would be better for her to be moved to a quieter, safer place until the baby is born, Abel,’ Celia said.
Frank looked at Beth and nodded.
‘I’ve phoned Isaac; his interview and photos are going to be published in tomorrow’s paper. We can count on him to give a more balanced view!’ Ruby said. ‘He also suggested moving Beth to his aunt’s house further north. It’s not too far, Frank. You could visit her quite easily.’
It was getting dark when Ruby headed back to her own rooms. Abel was standing in his doorway looking out over the rows of prefabs in the Compound.
‘They sound so happy, don’t they?’ he said listening to the sound of shouts and laughter.
‘They are happy, Abel,’ she replied.
‘Happy in their gilded cage! But when they step outside it!’ he murmured. ‘Will we ever be free and equal? Without having to pretend to be something we are not?’
‘It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen, Abel,’ Ruby insisted.
Abel smiled at her, then gently stroked her cheek.
‘If only …’ he bit his lip, ‘if only there were more Non-Labs like you!’
Dette came into the office with a pile of newspapers early the next morning. Celia scowled as she looked at the first one:
First Lab/Non-Lab Baby Due!
Looking at Beth, the Lab girl from the Compound – all is not well!
There was a picture of a sobbing Beth being led to the jeep by a young soldier. Abel groaned as he looked at the next one:
Flying in the face of Nature
Do we really know enough about this new ‘race’ to start producing hybrid young?
Where are all these clinical experiments going to end?
The paper continued with an interview with an eminent scientist who envisaged all the worst-case scenarios of how the baby might be adversely affected by its mixed origin.
Abel threw it down onto the table.
‘I don’t know where he gets his so called facts from!’ he growled.
Ruby held up The Times.
> ‘Look, Isaac has written an article which is very supportive of Beth and Frank. And of all the Labs!’ she said. She read out:
‘“New News? Or old News? “How new is a story of a couple from different races flying in the face of convention and having a child?
How many people of different colours and creeds have enjoyed long and happy relationships and reared healthy, independently minded children over the centuries? Frank and his girlfriend Beth are just two youngsters in love. hey deserve to be given the opportunity to build a future together.”
Isaac had included some photographs of Beth chatting happily with some other girls on the Compound and another of the young couple smiling as they walked hand in hand along a country lane.
Ruby scanned through the article, reading out several more positive comments.
‘It’s nice to see not everyone is full of doom and gloom!’ she remarked.
Abel raised his eyebrows, ‘Ever the optimist, Ruby! Well, I’d better get my ideas organised for the meeting later. Your research has proved invaluable, Celia. Our own lawyers are amazed at the information you have unearthed to help us win our case!’
‘No one knows their way around the internet like Celia does!’ Dette said admiringly.
‘Oh, Simon! What can I say to stop you asking the same question?’ Sakura pulled herself from his arms.
‘Yes!’ he replied pulling her back into his arms. ‘Just say yes, you will marry me! Unless you don’t really love me?’
‘Simon, you know I love you! And you know why I can’t say yes. Not at the moment anyway,’ she looked at him earnestly.
Simon sat up and listed in his fingers, ‘First – children. Well, Beth and Frank have demonstrated that it is fine for Labs and Non-Labs to be parents together …’
‘They haven’t actually had their baby yet!’ Sakura pointed out.
‘But, the doctors say everything is going well!’ Simon quickly replied. ‘Secondly, the legal standing of Labs; Abel and the lawyers are confident of finding a resolution very soon! So what is there to stop us from announcing our engagement right now?’
‘Your parents,’ Sakura answered.
‘My parents know how I feel about you!’ Simon rejoined. ‘And they won’t be surprised.’
Sakura looked down at her hands. She had felt the animosity when she had met Simon’s mother at the music concert. If the other issues were resolved, maybe she could win her approval. She smiled and looked up at him.
‘OK, Simon. Once the Labs have legal standing and Beth and Frank’s baby is born safely; then we’ll think about our future together!’
‘It’s all I think about now!’ Simon grabbed her hands, ‘Tell you what! I’m going home for a week next month. I’ll arrange a time with them when you can visit. Get to know my parents better! They’ll soon love you as much as I do, I know they will!’
Simon sighed as he picked up his rucksack from the carousel. The week had not gone as he had expected at all. He shut his eyes as he recalled the conversations they had had.
‘Do you really know what you’re letting yourself in for, Simon?’ His mother’s hand had shaken as she poured herself a cup of coffee at breakfast one morning. ‘This may only be a sort of crush. Very understandable under the circumstances!’
‘No, Mom. It’s not just a crush. I love Sakura, she loves me, and we want to get married.’
His mother had shot a desperate glance at his father.
‘Well, I’m sure you know your own mind, Simon. She seems a nice enough girl,’ his father had remarked. ‘But you’re still young; no need to rush into anything!’
Simon had smiled, ‘Thanks, Dad. I’d really like her to come and stay with us for a couple of weeks over Christmas. Then you could all get to know each other better!’
‘But your grandmother will be with us for Christmas. And your uncle!’ his mother had protested in alarm.
‘Yes, Sakura would love to meet them all! She’s never known what family life is like; though of course, she has always had her sisters and the other Labs,’ Simon had replied.
‘Well, we’ll have to talk about this nearer Christmas!’ his mother had said.
She was obviously relieved when the phone rang and Simon set off to see one of his friends. As he had left the room, the sharp tone of his mother’s voice had stopped him in his tracks. His stomach churned as he listened to their conversation:
‘“Seems like a nice girl”? Is she a girl? What do we know about these … people? What in God’s name are you doing encouraging him to even consider marrying her?’
‘Honey! Calm down! Like you said, it’s probably just a crush, with all the stuff that’s been happening lately!’ his father had replied, ‘But the worst thing we can do is to forbid him to marry her! That’ll have them heading off to Vegas in no time!’
He had peered through the doorway to see his mother slump into a chair and push her hair back from her face.
‘You’re right, love. I just find it so hard … We had such dreams for our boy … there are hundreds of lovely human girls out there who’d make him a perfect wife! Why couldn’t he have chosen one of them?’
He had raised the subject with his father that morning on the way to the airport.
‘I heard you and Mom talking about me and Sakura yesterday,’ he had said. ‘I thought you supported the Labs, Dad.’
His father had glanced at his face.
‘Look, son. I do, I really do; but; well, we don’t really know how things are going to turn out with the Labs at the moment, do we? We can’t really go overboard at this moment, can we? You must understand, son. We don’t really know what the US position will be on this one, do we?’
‘Go overboard? The US position? What are you talking about, Dad? I told you and Mom I love Sakura and want to marry her! We’re talking about personal relationships here!’
‘I know how you feel, son; I’m just saying, we need to slow down on this.’
He had looked at his father.
‘I understand, Dad. We’re on our own here. OK.’
There had been a coldness as they had said their farewells at the departure gate.
He felt his heart swell as he looked up to see Sakura waving to him from the barrier, a warm, welcoming smile on her face. He smiled back.
No one was going to keep them apart!
Celia breathed a sigh as she sat down in her apartment that evening and pulled her laptop towards her. She was anxious to see if Vincent had made any comment on the news of Beth’s pregnancy on his emails. She had to make several attempts to get into his email box. His security system was frequently updated, against hackers like herself, she supposed.
She felt a thrill as she noticed a recent email to Vanessa and quickly opened it.
Hello Vanessa,
Yes, I, too, have been following the story of young Beth. It makes you realise how far the medical research had gone. They have actually created people able to have relationships and capable of reproducing!
I know I said I would not mention this again, but I feel I must. Sorry. I am thinking of contacting the Centre. I know you think – you always have thought – that I am not allowing myself to move on, but I must know for sure that the cells were destroyed. Maybe then I can finally come to terms with it all.
I must apologise if I have upset you, Vanessa.
Vincent
Celia checked the date on the email. It had been sent the previous morning. She scanned his inbox, but there was no reply from Vanessa. She might have phoned him; or she might still be considering it.
Her heart began to race! Maybe he had phoned today when she was out of the office. She jumped up and made her way back to the Centre office.
While she was looking through the record book, Abel walked in.
‘Working late, again, Celia?’ he asked her.
‘No, I had packed up,’ she replied. ‘I was just taking a quick look to see if there had been anything important while I was out of the office earlier. Valerie w
as in here. No, nothing!’
She turned and smiled at him, ‘How did it go today?’
‘I feel we’re finally getting somewhere!’ he answered. ‘It was decided that the Labs are to be recognised as a “race” under the definition we decided on:
“ A Lab is to be defined as a human who has been created under laboratory conditions through the process of cloning cells. A Lab must be able to exist independently after a period of maturing. ”
‘We spent another hour discussing how long a Lab must have “existed independently” before being entitled to belong to the Lab race – and finally agreed on a month. Dermot O’Brien is confident that now we have achieved this much, most of our other demands will be favourably viewed!’
‘When the Centre closed down, I thought soon we will all be equal, everything will be straightforward! I never imagined that things would be so complicated!’ Celia sighed.
‘None of us had any idea, Celia; Labs or Non-Labs!’ Abel patted her shoulder, ‘Still, we are making progress, slowly! I’m going down to the Compound. I told them I’d let everyone know how things are progressing. Do you need help here?’
‘No, I’m just going to lock up,’ she replied. ‘See you tomorrow.’
It was getting late and she still sat alone in the office. When the phone rang, she picked it up and gave her usual greeting.
A man’s voice answered. He sounded uncertain of himself.
‘Erm, hello, erm, this is Vincent Craig. Erm, I was a subscriber – oh, several years ago. I, em, we actually cancelled our subscription, after, well, we lost our daughter. She was the donor, Marissa Craig.’
Celia gave a sharp intake of breath, ‘Oh, yes, Mr Craig. I remember your name. You cancelled your subscription when … I’m so sorry you lost your daughter!’
‘Yes, yes … thank you. I, em, I wondered; I know we asked for the cells to be destroyed at the time; but with all the news about the Centre; I just wanted to confirm that they were actually destroyed.
Celia’s hand tightened on the phone. She took a deep breath, ‘I don’t actually have access to that data, Mr Craig. I will have to consult my senior officer … If, if it turns out they were not destroyed …? If the Lab was … allowed to develop; what steps were you thinking of taking next, Mr Craig?’