Claimed

by Clarissa Cartharn

  The driver stepped out of the vehicle and looked about him uncertainly.

  “Can I help you?” Jared called out to the middle-aged man.

  He spun around with a jolt. His face lightened up, beaming at the dog at his ankles. Wolf leapt up to him and licked his outstretched hands that were now ruffling the dog’s fur.

  “Hey there, Wolf,” he was saying as he chuckled at the excitable husky.

  Jared raised his brow with suspicion. Wolf never had greeted a stranger as he did this one.

  “Do you know my dog?” he asked, as he moved cautiously towards the man.

  “Um… he’s the only one of his kind along these parts,” he replied hesitantly. “I suppose everyone must know him.”

  “People in these parts do,” Jared said. “But you don’t come from these parts, do you?”

  The man scratched his brow with the padding of his thumb. “As a matter of fact, I do live in Sector 8.”

  “When I said these parts, I meant this hamlet, Sector 8 Central. I didn’t mean the affluent gated community of Sector 8.”

  The man grew quiet, looking about him again. “Is your mother home?” he asked at last.

  “What do you need with my mother?”

  “There’s something I need to talk to her about.”

  “Whatever it is, I’m sure I can pass it along to her.”

  The man grew impatient. “I need to speak to Stella.”

  Jared moved closer still, his breath rasped coarsely against the man’s face. “You know my dog. You know my mother. Who are you?”

  “James?” Stella breathed out in disbelief from the front door.

  *****

  The man called James cleared his throat as he sat at the table. “It’s been long, Stella.”

  “Twenty-seven years to be precise,” she said flatly. “It isn’t so hard to count,” she added, nodding towards Jared. “Why are you here, James?”

  James shifted uncomfortably in his chair, not knowing where to start. His reception at the Ryder house was exactly as he had pictured- an unwelcoming one. Jared sat across him with his arms folded across his chest, watching him suspiciously. “Can I speak to you privately, Stella?”

  Stella writhed her hands nervously and swallowed as she turned towards her son. “Jared, will you please?”

  Jared rose slowly out of his chair but couldn’t resist walking over to his mother first. “Ma, are you sure you will be fine?”

  “James was a good friend of your father’s. Let me hear what he has to say,” she assured him.

  He gave her a tender rub on her arm and walked out of the kitchen.

  “Okay, so he’s gone now,” Stella breathed out apprehensively. “What do you want to tell me?”

  James licked his lips. “He doesn’t know about the experiments?”

  Stella sat heavily into a chair; her eyes drooped sadly to the floor. “There was no need. He’s been a normal kid, James. I don’t see why we have to bring all that up.”

  “So nothing strange has happened at all?” he verified.

  Stella shook her head.

  “And he hasn’t been sick or weak or anything like that?” he asked.

  She didn’t bother to answer him, but she didn’t need to. James nodded his head thoughtfully. “I should have known. The experiment wasn’t exactly successful. Most of the embryos did not go to full term in the womb. Yours was one of those rare successful ones and we had all our hopes riding on it.”

  Stella looked up at him with utter shock. “Hopes? That’s my son you’re talking about!”

  “Stella,” James put out his hands, trying to calm her down. “I didn’t mean it that way. I’m only trying to say he was supposed to serve a purpose in our war against the corporations and the government.”

  “I know exactly what you mean,” she minced angrily. “What you did was wrong. What you and Michael and your… Dr. Langford were doing was wrong. It was unethical. It should never have been done in the first place. I’m just glad nothing monstrous was created from all your games in playing god! Your fight with the corporations may be well and good. But when you started getting involved with the experiments, I’d rather have the corporations control the government. Because frankly, you have no ethics, no morals, no nothing which makes you worse than any ruling government. I hate to even think of what it would be like to be living under some Frankenstein government.”

  “Those experiments were the best opportunities we ever had!” he growled.

  “There are ways to win a war. But combining human genes with animal genes in a culture dish is definitely no way of doing it!”

  “And what difference would it have made? We’re already living like animals. The air isn’t ours, nor is the water, the forest, the land and the animals that roam this earth. Everything has got a price, a barcode. Nothing comes free to anyone anymore. Where are our rights to medicine and education? We’re living in the year 3035 and yet those from the ancient world of 2014 had better rights and living standards than any of us could ever dream of!”

  “You deceived me! Michael deceived me and he was my husband. He was Jared’s father! Do you even understand how terrified I was of giving birth to a monster? To have an eagle, cat and heaven knows what genes you injected into my baby? Have you ever wondered why I despised you, James? It’s because you influenced my husband into participating in an atrocious act. An act against mankind, against humanity!”

  “He was bred to save lives!”

  “You were playing god!”

  The floor creaked and when they broke from each other’s ire to turn to the doorway, they found Jared standing at it.

  “Ma?” he asked, his face filled with puzzlement. “What’s going on?”

  Stella sat heavily back into her chair and began to weep. “You need to go, James. Whatever it is you want to say, I don’t want to hear it anymore.”

  James Saunders floundered between Jared and Stella. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, Stella. But I really need to talk to Jared.”

  “No,” she snapped. “You were the reason Michael got killed. I will not allow you to take away my son too! Stay away from him! Stay away from my family!”

  “Ma!” Jared protested.

  “He needs to go, Jared. Tell him to go,” she wept.

  Jared moved towards the table hesitantly. “What’s all this about Da and Frankenstein?”

  Stella stared at him in a stupor. “You heard?”

  “The whole house did,” said Tara, walking in. “I thought we shared everything in this family. Apparently, you’ve been holding a secret; which isn’t surprising after discovering that I was not privy to one of them until a few days ago. It seems there was more to Da’s arrest than just the issue on weapons. Have I been the only open book in this house?”

  Stella gulped, color draining from her face. She turned towards James Saunders, “You shouldn’t have come.” She then sighed and asked Tara, “Where are the kids?”

  “In their rooms,” she replied. “Don’t worry, I sent them off the moment you started that pitch fight with Mr Saunders. Only Jared and I heard any of it.”

  James moved first and pulled back his chair again. “Shall we sit then?”

  James pulled in a deep breath and started, “Thirty years ago, Dr Langford, a geneticist, made a monumental discovery. He found he could isolate genes from animals that gave them their unique abilities; for instance the wings of an eagle and the eyes of a panther.” He looked up at Jared and perked his lips thoughtfully. “Can I get a drink? Something strong, if you don’t mind.”

  Jared stood up and pulled out a bottle of cheap vodka from the cupboard. Hooking four glasses with his fingers, he plunked them onto the table. “Tara?” he asked.

  “Yeah. Something tells me I will need it,” she replied.

  “Ma?”

  She shrugged. “Why not?”

  He filled their glasses and then sat back down, anxious for the older man to finish his tale.

  James swallowed a mouth
ful of his tasteless drink. He smacked his parched lips to moisten them. “You sure it isn’t just water?”

  “It’s a Sector 8 Central product,” Jared replied flatly. “It only looks cheap. But don’t worry; it’ll kick-in in its own good time.”

  James nodded and continued, “It was then Dr. Langford came to me with an idea of… inoculating these genes into human embryos to create super humans.”

  Tara clasped her mouth in shock.

  Jared sat up, uneasy about where his story was heading. “You mean chimeras?”

  “Yes, chimeras or parahumans; whichever you’re comfortable with. At first, I was as horrified. There were of course, ethical and moral dilemmas. In principle, it didn’t sound right at all. But the idea of a human-animal hybrid created to overthrow a manic and corrupt system was simply too tempting. If there was even the slightest possibility that they could be created, these chimeras could be incredibly powerful and extremely instrumental in our war against the government.” He downed another swig of his drink. “All we needed now was human embryos. It was a dangerous task and we had to be very careful of who we brought into our circle of trust. Genetic cloning and stem cell research was still strictly limited and this was way far from tame cloning. If we were ever discovered, this would take us straight to death row. It was then we met Michael Ryder, your father. He was notorious for his rancor for both the corporations and the government. So when we introduced him to our idea, he sincerely thought that this was his way of contributing towards a rebellion. He believed in our cause. He wanted his family to be a part of this new freedom movement.”

  Jared leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. “What are you saying?”

  “Jared, you are a chimera,” James let out slowly.

  Jared scoffed. “That’s bullshit.” He turned towards his mother. “Ma?”

  Tears rolled down her face. “I desperately wanted another child and your Da had long wanted a son. When James approached me, he manipulated my emotions. Fertility treatment centers were never made for the poor like us. They’re reserved for the rich and the affluent in the Capitol. James promised a son at no cost and the offer was far too lucrative to turn away. I should have known nothing in this world came free.” She sighed. “I first learnt of the inoculation six months into my pregnancy. By then, it was too late to terminate the pregnancy without risking my life. When Dr Langford ran an ultrasound, he didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. His disappointment was my joy and I began hoping against all hopes my son would be born normal; without defects. And he was; always has been.”

  Jared paled as the details of his birth began to sink in. “I’m a chimera?”

  Stella reached out for him. “No, no honey. You’re not. They tried. But the experiment failed. Dr Langford declared that it had failed on you. You’re as normal as anyone here.”

  Jared held his head in his hands, shaking it with disbelief. “I’m a human-animal hybrid.”

  “Jared, no!” Stella put an arm around his shoulder. “Don’t you listen to James. You’re not a chimera. You never were!”

  “Your mother’s right,” James muttered. “You were a failed experiment. You’re perfectly human.”

  Jared began to pant deeply, a frown etched deeply into his brow.

  “Jared?” Tara asked concernedly. “Are you alright?”

  He threw back his head and let out a painful cry.

  “Jared! Jared!” Stella held onto him desperately.

  His body began to contort. The nerves in his face and throat popped out, exposing the pain surging through him. “Ahhh!!” he screamed as he threw himself against the back rest of his chair.

  “What’s going on?! Jared!” Stella cried out in a panic.

  Jared whipped his hands about him, toppling their drinks over.

  James stepped back and watched him in bafflement. “Does he have epilepsy?”

  “No, he doesn’t have epilepsy!” Tara growled. “I don’t know… what it is,” she stammered in equal confusion and frustration.

  “My back!” Jared screamed in pain as he fell to his knees.

  “Is it cramping? Jared, please talk to me!” Stella cried.

  Tara hurriedly massaged his back along with her mother.

  He thrashed on the floor, convoluting on it.

  “James, do something!” Stella cried helplessly.

  James ran his hands over his face, thinking rapidly. “Turn him over!” he ordered at last. “Turn him over! Pull up his shirt!”

  “What? Why?” Tara asked in a panic.

  “Just do it!” he said, already kneeling beside him.

  They rolled him onto his stomach and pulled up his shirt.

  Tara let out a shocked cry. His backbone was contorted awkwardly and popped out considerably.

  Stella ran her fingers fearfully on the bone pushing tightly against his skin, desperate to break out.

  “Jared,” she wept. “What’s happening to you?”

  “It’s his scapula,” James observed. “We need to take him to Dr Langford now!”

  “No, no!” Stella cried adamantly.

  “Listen, Stella,” he said sternly. “If we don’t carry him into my vehicle this instant, he’s going to die. You hear me?”

  She looked helplessly at her hurting son and then at James. “Okay.”

  “Good,” he let out a breath of relief. “Tara, help me with him. Stella, pack a quick bag and grab the children.”

  Stella continued to stare at him, stricken with shock.

  “Stella! Now!” he ordered. He turned to Jared as Stella raced out of the room. “Son, you’re gonna have to help me and Tara, okay?”

  Jared nodded, whimpering.

  “Easy son,” he whispered as he grabbed onto one arm. “Okay, Tara?” he asked while she grabbed the other. “Now, easy and gently. We don’t want that scapula ripping his flesh open.”

  CHAPTER 7

  The pulsating sounds of the defibrillator resounded in the air. Clean, fresh antiseptic scent drifted to his nose. Jared fluttered his eye-lids, trying to shake out of his drug induced unconsciousness. He could hear their muffled voices in the distance but it was much too difficult to recognize any of them.

  He tried to turn but his back hurt considerably. He felt his chest was bound tight and he took immense effort to breathe comfortably. He groaned and someone clasped his palm immediately.

  “Jared?” He realized it was his mother. “How are you feeling, honey?”

  He closed his eyes with relief, his mother’s comforting voice soothing his anxiety.

  “Where am I?” he croaked.

  Footsteps scrambled towards him, interrupting his mother before she could answer him.

  “Jared,” said a man. “My name is Dr Mark Langford. How are you feeling?”

  “Langford?” Jared blinked his eyes open. He heard that name before; he couldn’t remember where though. “I feel crook. My back pains like someone’s put a knife through it.”

  The man nodded and noted something on his medical clipboard. “Do you remember where you were last?” the man asked as he continued to scribble on his notepad.

  “I was at home; in the kitchen,” Jared replied, slightly baffled with what was happening to him. And who was this man asking him all these questions? “Now, can someone please tell me where I am at present?” He was growing frustrated and he didn’t like to be hooked up with tubes and cords connected to an annoying pulsating machine. He didn’t like the antiseptic smell. In fact, it made him nauseous and anxious. He wanted to go home.

  The short, wiry haired man drew closer to observe his eyes.

  “Am I in a hospital?” Jared asked with irritation.

  “No,” Dr Langford answered. “You’re in my lab.”

  “Lab?”

  “A laboratory,” he explained.

  “I know what a lab is,” Jared snapped. “What am I doing in a lab?”

  Dr Langford licked his lips and then turned to someone else in the room, seemingly looking for assistan
ce to resolve his conundrum.

  The second man came into view. “Do you remember me, Jared?” asked James Saunders.

  Jared nodded. “You came over to our house to talk to Ma.”

  “Yes and do you remember the conversation we had?”

  Jared frowned as he delved into his memory. A dark shadow fell upon him as he recollected the moments immediately prior to his collapse on the floor of his kitchen. “What’s going on?!” He tried to move again and a sharp pain speared through his back. He screamed, his nerves on his neck exposing the intensity of his agony. But fortitude suddenly overpowered his ache as he grew more resilient to escape his tube bound imprisonment. He tried to pull them out of him but strong hands clasped him down, preventing him from tugging them off him. He thrashed violently on the bed despite the limitations imposed upon him.

  “Jared! Please calm down!” his mother cried with panic.

  “Ma, what’s happening?! What are they doing to me?!”

  “Jared, calm down,” James said as he held his hands down to the bed.

  Jared strained his head, managing to catch sight of the men holding down his legs.

  “Calm down, son,” James said again. “We’ll explain it all in good time.”

  He felt the sharp end of a needle pierce his flesh and just as suddenly, he felt freedom. His spirit was flying, his vision grew blurry and dizzy, and the last he heard was the dimming palpitating rhythm of that annoying heart monitoring unit.

  Jared woke up to the familiar sounds of Fern and Mae arguing with each other like they always did.

  “Stop it, Fern! That’s mine!” she growled, leaping at her older brother as he kept the deck of cards they were squabbling about, high above her reach.

  Jared smiled. His back still ached but the pain had lessened now.

  “Hey brother,” Tara smiled at him. “How are you feeling now?”

  “Much better,” he muttered.