by Yazz Ustaris
Kyrie on the other hand, was very vocal as she inspected me. “Wow!! Gorgeous! You look like a fashion model!”
Winking at me, Jamie said, “You know how we were teasing Gideon about how he’s famous around here for his abs?” I nodded my head. “Well, that’s nothing compared to how some of the guys feel about you. You’re going to break some hearts in this place, I just know it. Just try to let them down easy okay?” I snorted into my food, sure that Jamie was just making it up or taking a page from Sam’s book and being overly dramatic. Jamie just raised both of her eyebrows at me and said, “Seriously. I’m not kidding.”
Setting aside my empty tray, I grabbed my ice water and thirstily downed the whole glass before setting it aside with a sigh of contentment. The moment I finished breakfast, Kyrie popped to her feet and shifted from foot to foot as she beamed at me. “I have to go meet up with my unit now. I’ll see you later Teagan!” Rushing towards me as I sat perched on the end of my bed, she suddenly embraced me in a tight hug before whispering, “I’m glad you’re here.” Releasing me, she flashed me another dimpled smile before saying goodbye to Jamie. Grabbing my empty tray on the bed, she darted out the door so fast I didn’t get a chance to say, “See you later!”
The second the door closed, I stared at Jamie before I burst out laughing. “Okay, what is she? 4’11”? She’s so small and cute, but she has SO much energy for someone so tiny. I might start thinking of her as my little pet since she’s so eager to please me. I just want to pick her up, put her in my pocket, and carry her around everywhere I go.” Another laugh escaped as I shook my head at the situation. “And what’s up with the hug? I didn’t mind it, but I only met her like…half an hour ago.”
Jamie shared a laugh with me before explaining, “Well, like we said last night, Kyrie really is your biggest fan. You’re basically a celebrity in her eyes, and here you are in the flesh. In her room! You’re all she talks about. You’re her idol and she wants to be just like you. When she arrived to these barracks after Boot Camp, Kyrie was scared, depressed and withdrawn. She didn’t want to interact with anyone in her unit. She was afraid to trust anybody and it was a long time before she was finally able to smile.” A sad, distant look was on Jamie’s face as she reminisced on Kyrie’s arrival. Glancing at me, Jamie’s grin returned as she said, “Can you guess who brought Kyrie out of her shell?”
Scoffing at the notion that I somehow could’ve had anything to do with any positive changes in Kyrie, I played along and asked, “Who brought Kyrie around?”
“YOU did, goofy! You know Teagan, I have to admit that your humble quality is one of the things I like best about you. I’m not joking around when I tell you that you did have a profound impact on Kyrie in a positive way. One day we were sitting in the Mess Hall watching you on live cam, and it was the first time you stared right at the camera and waved at it. Kyrie giggled and said you were spunky. She began watching you closely after that, and commented to me that you never cried, or yelled, or argued back to Sergeant Ramsey. She knew, just like we did, how special you are. Sam and Gideon turned out the way they did because of you! Your unit is strong because of you! You’re different from everybody else in the project. Whether you’re aware of it or not, you are a natural leader. The other test subjects aren’t the only ones who have taken an interest in you; the other doctors, scientists, and nurses all like and admire you as well. You have the full respect of all the military staff here. With that said, don’t be alarmed or surprised if one of the staff approaches you for your opinion on something. We all value your input.”
Geez! Even though we were the only two in the room and there were no cameras inside the room, I still felt highly uncomfortable having Jamie singing my praises. I wasn’t really much of a blusher, but I felt my cheeks starting to heat up in embarrassment. Personally I still thought that she was over-exaggerating. Not wanting to seem ungrateful, I thanked her for her compliments and offered my help in any way I could.
“Just continue to be yourself Teagan, that’s all we want from you for now.”
I smiled crookedly at Jamie’s cryptic words. Be myself. Well that I could definitely do because that’s all I had ever done since I had arrived on the military base. As I sat there and fiddled with my ruby ring, I suddenly remembered that I meant to ask how they had gotten ahold of all my old belongings from Washington. Holding up my hand and pointing to my ring I demanded, “How is this possible? How did all my stuff end up here?”
“Aaahh, that’s due to Sergeant Ramsey’s quick thinking. It was easier to get ahold of the personal belongings of the test subjects who already lived independently away from their families. We fabricated a fake Will and Testament on your behalf, stating that you chose to donate all of your possessions to various charities. The government sold your car, and the money from that sale is being held here in a private account under your name. All of your savings from your old bank account, including the funds you received after you sold your parents’ house have all been transferred here to your new account. There’s a little over $245k in your savings. Your money is completely at your disposal. If you want new sneakers or exercise gear, go ahead. You’ve earned the right to buy whatever you want with your money.”
Jamie’s smile matched mine as I started daydreaming about things that might make my life here more comfortable. I gasped loudly as a thrill of excitement came over me. Bouncing a little on my bed, I clasped both hands tightly beneath my chin as if I were praying while I stared at Jamie with hope. Chuckling at me she asked, “Okay, what do you want?” I was glad in that instant that she could read my facial expressions so well. Still, I was afraid to ask for what I really wanted for fear of getting denied.
Hesitantly I asked, “Can I have a puppy? Please, please, please?” I pooched out my lower lip in a pout while blinking my eyes at her in my best puppy-dog expression. I even threw in a couple of whimpers and whines for good measure. It was kind of hard maintaining that expression on my face, but I gave it my best shot. The urge to laugh was strong. I truly wanted to have a real pet back in my life though. As great as Kyrie was, she just wouldn’t do. The last family dog we had passed away a year after the passing of my last grandfather. Ace was a German Shepard and he had been a great dog. I missed having a furry, four-legged buddy to snuggle with. Ace was also a great companion when I went jogging, although I didn’t really have a choice because my parents insisted he be present for my protection. In the Pacific Northwest it tended to get dark around 4-5pm during the winter months, and I did feel comforted having Ace with me when I was out after sunset.
The look on Jamie’s face was comical; half amused and half surprised, and her mouth was hanging open on a slant as she stared hard at me. For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out what that look meant. Disappointed, I asked, “You didn’t answer me yet. Does that mean it’s a “no”?”
“No, it’s not a “no”. You just always take me by surprise Teagan. That was the last thing I expected you to ask for. I was expecting you to ask if you could use your money to buy Sam and Gideon new wardrobes or something along that line.”
“Well that would be nice too. I’d love to help the guys out in that department. I already helped with their hair so the makeovers wouldn’t be complete without new clothes and shoes. That would actually be pretty fun.” I brightened over the concept of helping the guys buy new wardrobes.
“You may help them with their clothes shopping but you don’t need to worry about using your own money. Sam’s parents spent $10k on his funeral, so that money went straight into his military spending account. The funeral home that Sam’s family chose is actually owned by a guy who’s retired ex-military. Sergeant Ramsey approached him and explained the situation, and once he heard why Sam tried to kill himself, he was very sympathetic and agreed to waive all fees. He was also enraged over the type of treatment that Sam had to suffer both at school and at home.” Hmm… it was interesting to hear the various ways the government found to siphon money here and there, into ou
r private accounts. Sneaky!
“Gideon is better off financially than Sam. In most states, the legal age for creating a Will and Testament is 18 years old. Since Gideon is 19, we were able to retrieve all of his funds and redirect it here to his private account. Apparently, Gideon had a grandmother who left him over $600k when she died last year. At the time, Gideon was already 18 so it was deposited directly into his savings account. I believe that having the money in his possession was stressful for him, because he was the only member of his family to receive an inheritance. Apparently, the grandmother favored Gideon and only him. You’ll hear his story when he’s ready to talk about it, but we were able to uncover bits and pieces of his past life. There were problems within his family. Anyhow, Sergeant Ramsey created a falsified Will and Testament on Gideon’s behalf so that his family could not access his money. I’m sure Gideon will be shocked when he finds out he has full possession of his money. None of his former clothes fit him any longer, but we were able to save a few of his prized possessions. We delivered his old comic book collection to his room, along with his guitar and his sketch pads and colored pencils.”
“Wow! Gideon’s stinkin’ rich!” I laughed happily. “I think it’s so awesome that you seized our personal belongings. You have no idea how much it means to me to have all of my jewelry back. All these precious gemstones are real, and they have a lot of sentimental value since each piece came from either my grandmothers or my mom. A few of the necklaces have been passed down three generations to me. For that alone, I consider them priceless. I never thought I’d see them again.” Impulsively, I stood up and leaned over to give Jamie a big hug of gratitude. “I can’t even begin to tell you how gratifying it is being in a good pair of jeans again. I missed all of my old clothes. I’m definitely going to buy new exercise gear. The sweatpants I’ve been wearing do absolutely nothing for my figure,” I teased.
Jamie sighed as she said, “That means Kyrie will be buying new workout wear too then. I did point out that you’re her idol. Didn’t you notice what she was wearing earlier?” I laughed ruefully as I realized that she was dressed like a miniature version of me; sweatpants and tank top. I didn’t think of it at the time though. I just assumed what I wore was what all the girls here wore.
Smoothing out the fabric of my grey top, I asked, “Are you sure that I’m okay wearing these clothes for today? Am I expected to put in gym time today with the others?”
“You’re fine. Gideon and Sam will be dressing casually too. Today is a day of getting settled in and adjusting to your new surroundings, so you’re not expected in the Gym today. You’ll get to do some retail therapy by helping the guys buy new clothes. That’s the most important task for today and it’s at the top of the list since they really need new things ASAP. You’ll also get a chance to buy yourself whatever you need. Since today is Monday, hopefully you’ll be able to get all your orders in before noon so that they’ll be delivered by Wednesday. Later on today, you’ll meet the other military staff. Sergeant Ramsey is eager to show you guys off.” Jamie chuckled at me as she rolled her eyes. “I know he’s told you multiple times already, but he really is very proud of you three.”
Before I could reply, there were three loud knocks on the bedroom door. I was about to yell, “Come in!” but Jamie held up a hand, smiling at me as she said, “There’s a scanner on the wall beside your door and only a select few people can enter. You put your palm on the pad, and when it recognizes your handprint, the little red light above your door will turn green signaling that you can enter. I’m not surprised that you didn’t notice it last night because you were practically dead on your feet, you were so tired.” Intrigued, I stood up from my bed and followed Jamie to the door to see what the scanner looked like.
9
I stood beside Jamie when she opened the door and to my happy surprise, Gideon and Sam stood on the other side. “Gideon! Sam!” I squealed happily as I reached up to hug them both. Sam laughed at me and hugged me back just as hard. When he was done hugging me, he held me at arm’s length by my shoulders as he informed me seriously, “I missed you!” I just laughed at him and hugged him again. My dear little Sam. Even though our rooms were only on opposite sides of the building, it still seemed too far of a distance away. Gideon eyed me up and down when it was his turn to hug me, and I saw the appreciative gleam in his eyes as he grinned back. “Very hot.” He gave me a two thumbs up sign as he walked a circle around me. Accommodatingly, I struck a few faux model poses while Gideon let loose a wolf whistle. I heard Jamie laughing in the background, so I winked at her before executing my last pose.
“Look at you, Miss Fashionista!” Sam let his gaze run over me from my made up face to my black high heeled boots. “Me like very much! Sexy!”
“Likewise!” I laughed back. “You guys both managed your own hair without me! Good job!” I let my eyes run over Gideon’s perfectly spiked mane before appraising Sam’s Pompadour-like style. “I’m so proud!” Jamie and I stepped further back as I motioned for the guys to come in all the way. Currently, the four of us were squashed just inside the doorway. I noticed that both guys were wearing blue jeans and sneakers. Sam was wearing a green t-shirt that hugged his biceps, while Gideon was wearing a white plaid Western-type shirt with his sleeves rolled up on his forearms. “Nice!” I complimented. Gideon grinned at me again, and I rolled my eyes at him as I sighed and clutched a hand over my chest. “Be still my beating heart…I forgot about those killer dimples of yours!” I only had to wait a few seconds before a pink blush darkened his cheeks. I laughed uproariously at him as I ushered the guys to the middle of the room. “Stay right there!”
Before I shut the door, I poked my head into the hallway to see the hand scanner. Jamie joined me and explained how it worked. It was roughly the same size as a DVD case except taller, to accommodate those with larger hands. I told the guys to make themselves at home while I shut the door and stood in the hallway with Jamie.
“Right now it’s a black screen, but when you put your hand over it, the screen lights up blue. If you have access to the room, then the light above the door will turn from red to green.” Motioning to the light above the door, I saw the little red light she was talking about. Glancing down the hallway, I saw red lights above all the other closed bedroom doors. “Once the light turns green, you’ll hear the click of the door unlocking and you’ll have about 10 seconds to enter. If you don’t open the door within that time, it’s not a big deal. You just have to put your hand on the scanner again. The only ones who have access to your room besides yourself, is me, Kyrie, and Sergeant Kami.” Studying the outside of the door, I noticed there was no doorknob. “So I just push the door open when it unlocks? That’s sort of convenient in case I have my arms full or something.”
Hearing a little whirring noise, my head pivoted toward the sound and noticed a camera panning in our direction at the end of the hallway. I grinned at Jamie, and said, “Really? Here too?” She just shrugged as she explained, “Trust me—the others here need more supervision than you three do.”
Waving my fingers at the direction of the camera in acknowledgement, I asked, “So if the others are all exercising in the Gym right now, then who the heck is watching us?”
“That would be the scientists and doctors. Basically all the other military people who remain “behind the scenes”. I’m sure you’ll meet them all much later. Dr. Duffy is amongst the group observing all the units today. We have a surveillance room below grounds where the test subjects can all be observed. We also have our own Security Team and they watch the live camera feeds at all times, partially for monitoring progress of the test subjects, but primarily for the safety of all the participants on the Base. It’s their job to make sure everybody is where they’re supposed to be at any given time, day or night. They’re the ones responsible for bringing to our attention your night time activities in the gym.” Smiling innocently at me, she placed her hand back over the scanner and let us both back into my room.
There was a small couch and bean bag chair that sat in the center of the room, dividing Kyrie’s half of the room from mine. I saw that Gideon had made himself comfortable on the couch, while Sam was sitting cross legged on the floor. When I quirked my eyebrow at Sam, he explained, “I was afraid that all the filling would come out of the bean bag chair if I sat on it. That’s why I’m on the floor.” Dubiously eyeing the fluffy pink pouf on the floor, I admitted, “Eh. You’re probably right. Better safe than sorry.” I was about make myself comfortable on the end of my bed again, but before I got the chance Jamie held up her hand to me and announced, “Since we’re all here, we’ll be going down the hall to one of the empty conference rooms where you guys can do your online shopping. We have this rule that guys and girls aren’t supposed to be hanging out in the same room without a chaperone and as much as I’d like to spend the morning with you three, I have errands to run before I can return to escort you to lunch in the Mess Hall.”
I did a fist pump in the air as I chanted, “Retail therapy, retail therapy!” Sam joined in my chant while Gideon just laughed at us. Jamie smiled as she dug into her pocket and withdrew three credit cards. Handing each of us a card with our names on them, she instructed, “Okay, you each have a $2000 limit on your cards. Make sure to buy what you need. Socks, underwear, shoes, clothes, hair products, etc… I also give you permission to buy whatever you think will improve your living space, so if you want to buy posters for your walls or buy yourself a video game console (Jamie arched her eyebrow in Gideon’s direction as she said this), now would be the time to do so.”