by Patra, CS
[Apparently, she used to do this with a friend. The code is basically a plan for fusion. I’ll tell you later. Take care of yourself.]
Doug was being careful with what he said but Nikhil still had to reply with the only answer he had.
[*poop emoji*]
It was a ridiculous response but he couldn’t wait to talk in private. Only poor Misty would be left out of this party. In addition to her having a piano recital that night, she also couldn’t taste anything there. It was probably for the better as it involved wine tasting. Ash was only tagging along because his parents were involved. Otherwise, he would have stayed at home and continued working on his projects.
Nikhil chuckled to himself as he put his phone aside. It seemed like they had a plan though he still felt like he was in the dark. He decided to look up some more information on the Bradley Institute. Something told him that he hadn’t done all his research yet.
The first thing he noticed was the ‘our locations’ link. Up until now, they had assumed there was only one Bradley Institute. Curious, he clicked on the link and saw that there were several places. In fact, there were at least three different institutes in their state alone. The next clinic was only an hour and half away. It was in a town called Rose Hill and hidden deep within the forest. If they got through this weekend, perhaps they could see this other clinic and find some clues from it.
One of the places looked very strange to him. Instead of being fancy and filled with technology, this area seemed very old-fashioned. It looked like the building had come from the 19th century. It was made out of wood and appeared to be a rundown shack. This couldn’t be right. This was no Bradley Institute. This was someone’s home.
“Is someone playing tricks on me?” Nikhil asked, looking at the other pictures. He saw more photos of this old house. It was no lab despite some of the things it had inside. Even the area it was in seemed like it was trapped in the past. At first, he thought it was in Amish country but he shook that thought out. This was very different.
He decided to read the notes under each of the photos. “A glimpse into our facility. There are no white walls to keep you closed in.”
There was something very unnerving about that line. He also saw that they had a lot of midwives in this area. Perhaps this was how they birthed all the experiments. Instead of using the drugs, they went with a simple method. It really did feel like this building was trapped in the past. He wouldn’t know for sure until he actually went down there.
Taking his phone, he decided to send everyone this information.
[There’s an institute only an hour away from here. Do you guys want to check it out next weekend? We can have a road trip.]
The majority of the responses he got were positive although Misty did tell him that she needed permission from her parents. They were curious to see what the new institute was like. He did warn them that it was nothing compared to the Bradley Institute that they knew. After he wrote them, he decided to call Patty.
She picked up on the first ring. “Hello?”
“Hi, Patty, it’s Nikhil!” He greeted her. “How are you doing?”
“Oh, it’s the same as usual. My health is a little better. I was thinking I might get out of the house for a little bit. I heard Misty has a piano recital and it’s not far from my house.”
“It would be nice if you went there. We can’t go because we’ve been invited to another party,” Nikhil explained. “Anyway, I wanted to ask about the other Bradley Institutes. There’s one that I saw in Rose Hill. It doesn’t look anything like the Bradley Institute I know.”
“Oh, Rose Hill’s institute? Yes, it’s very old fashioned,” Patty agreed. “Don’t be fooled though. What’s on the outside is nothing compared to what’s inside. They created perfect humans behind the wooden walls too.”
“You’ve been there before?”
“I have seen it a few times. I don’t know who’s running it anymore though. I think it would be a good idea to check out the other institutes. You might find more answers.”
“Then a trip to Rose Hill it is,” he decided. “We’ll plan one day to go there and see what they have to offer. Thank you, Patty.”
This was certainly taking a turn that he didn’t expect. Rose Hill was quite the drive from where they lived. He had driven through it a few times but never took time to stop by. It was a very small town with not much going on within it. He was surprised to hear that something could be over there. The people of Rose Hill rarely went outside of their town. It did make him feel a little nervous about what could go on behind this place. Why was this area so outdated? Who actually lived here?
Giving the questions a rest, he thought about what had happened before. The fight that took place in the alleyway felt like a dream. He still couldn’t believe he had gotten out of this alive. He was no fighter yet he managed to fend all of them off. He had saved himself and his boyfriend. The proof was on his knuckles and on his face. Perhaps this was what Patty meant by incredible powers. Maybe they were much stronger than they looked.
He looked at his face and saw that the bruise was now turning a different color. So far, he had not called his parents to tell them what happened. He decided to use the excuse that racists had attacked him. They would worry about him and ask if he needed anything but he’d assure them he was fine. The bruises would all heal in a few days. That would be the excuse he would use with anyone who asked about them. In a way, the creeps probably were racist. They were racist and homophobic assholes who couldn’t deal with seeing two people in love. They deserved to get beat down.
What he was more worried about was what Project 99 would do. Clearly, being an experiment wasn’t enough. They could do more than just fuse with one another. He was able to take down a group of men who were stronger than him. How could anyone explain that? It could be adrenaline but it didn’t feel like that. His body and mind felt different.
I’m changing. He realized. Everything inside of me is changing. I didn’t realize it until now. I’m not a human.
It was a painful thing to realize but he was glad he came to this conclusion. It would make things easier in the end. As much as he didn’t want to buy it, he had to come to terms with it. He didn’t think he could reassure Misty anymore. He couldn’t tell her that they weren’t monsters.
Deep down, they were.
Chapter 21 – Jackie
The night of the party had come around and Jackie was feeling a little nauseous. She didn’t know why this illness had returned. She knew she wasn’t pregnant as she hadn’t had sex in months. The only answer was that it was some virus that hadn’t left her body. She took some medication right before she left the house. She was just grateful that work had allowed her to take the time off. Rose, one of the other pharmacists, was going to take her shift. She could handle all the prescriptions for tonight with the help of other pharmacy techs. Tomorrow, she would pick up whatever he couldn’t do. It would all depend on how she felt physically.
“You’re not looking so good, Jackie,” Crystal noticed. “Your face is pale.”
“I threw up right before I came here,” Jackie said. “I can’t seem to get rid of this virus. Everyone keeps asking me if I’m pregnant but I know I’m not. I even took the pregnancy test to prove it. I went to a doctor and everything. The medication works, but this isn’t shaking out of me.”
“Are you taking your medicine regularly?” Nikhil asked.
“I’m trying to. Granted, I have forgotten a few times because I’ve been busy at work. I should get back to taking it,” she sighed. “Anyway, I’m more interested in taking Project 99 down tonight. Are you sure this will end half of our nightmare?”
“I don’t know if it will end it, but it will have them thinking twice about what they do,” Ash said. “I just need everything to go perfectly. It’s a shame Misty can’t watch this.”
“Speaking of Misty, Patty’s apparently going to her recital,” Nikhil said. “It’s nice that she’s finally getting outside
. I imagine she hasn’t done anything like this in a while.”
“As long as her bodyguards are with her, she should be fine.” Pam said, looking over at where the bar was. “All right, when do we start?”
“I need to get in a room with these people first.” Ash said, looking over at Jackie. “Do you think you can ask Dr. Chang if we can have a meeting?”
“Why me? Dr. Chang isn’t that fond of me.”
“She’s not fond of any of us. However, you’re approachable.” He pointed out. “You have skills with other people. You know how to get them to do what you ask.”
“All I do fill is people’s medications and tell them everything about them.”
“Still, you interact with them. You’re better at that than I am. Can you just ask her?”
Jackie sighed and looked around the room. She saw Dr. Chang chatting with a group of people in the corner. “Give me five minutes then.”
Taking a deep breath, she tried to be pleasant with everyone that crossed her path. She exchanged a few hellos, took a glass of champagne, and walked over to where Dr. Chang was. Clearing her throat, she finally got the courage to speak. “Dr. Chang?”
Dr. Chang turned around and smiled. “Good evening. I didn’t think you’d be here.”
“A friend invited me,” Jackie explained. “Anyway, I was wondering if you had a little time to talk in private. It doesn’t have to be now. We can do it after the party. There are things I need to ask you.”
Dr. Chang looked at the group she was with and then turned back to her. “I would be happy to answer your questions, Jackie. Can you give me about twenty minutes? We can talk in my office. You can bring one of your friends if you wish.”
“Um…what made you think one of my friends was here?” Jackie asked, feeling sweat on her forehead.
“It’s obvious you wouldn’t come without your siblings. You all want to know the truth,” she whispered. “It’s all right. I’m willing to talk. I promise nothing will go wrong.”
Jackie nodded and thanked her as she walked away. The one thing that was bothering her was the wire inside of her. There had to be a way to remove it. It had to be inside of her mouth as well. She couldn’t yank out any teeth but she could try to feel where it was.
I know I’m doing this without knowing where it is. She thought. However, I just can’t deal with the fact that I’m being tracked. It just doesn’t seem right. I have to remove it.
Jackie went into the bathroom and took a look at her reflection in the mirror. Things were just so depressing right now. She knew that wire was inside of her and that her privacy was being invaded. There had to be a way to get it out but she still didn’t know where it was. However, that didn’t mean she couldn’t try to dig away at it. Reaching into her bag, she found a pair of tweezers. They probably weren’t sharp enough but they would have to do. She took one look at them before putting them into her mouth and trying to feel around her gums. She poked away at it and tried to break through her gum. The tweezers couldn’t break anything but she kept trying. She kept poking and stabbing away at them, hoping to break through. A few times, she caused herself to bleed but it wasn’t enough take anything out.
Her mouth felt swollen now but she still had no wire. It was frustrating. She felt like she was being watched and her privacy had been taken from her. She didn’t feel safe in her own skin anymore. It was enough to make her cry but she kept her composure. She had to meet with Dr. Chang in a few minutes. She had to stay cool. As she made her way back to the group, she tried hard to keep this a secret. However, it didn’t take the others long to see what she had done.
“Jackie, what the hell?!” Crystal exclaimed. “Did someone hurt you?”
“No,” Jackie murmured. “No one did anything to me.”
“What happened to you?” Ash asked.
“I was trying…” Jackie began, feeling the pain inside of her mouth. She didn’t want everyone else to know what happened. She knew they would never approve of it. Then she whispered in Spanish. “I want to get rid of my tracker. You are free and I’m not.”
“Jackie, come on! That’s no reason to hurt yourself!”
“So you’re trying to hurt yourself?” Crystal asked. “Jackie, what did you do?”
“I can’t take it, guys,” Jackie said. “I want to live my life normally. I want to know where this thing is so I can get rid of it.”
“We all want to get rid of them. You just can’t keep hurting yourself just to get it out,” Ren said. “Do you need anything? I can get you some ice.”
“No, I’ll be fine. We have to meet with Dr. Chang in a little bit,” she murmured, drinking some water. That healed her mouth but it was still sore. “Maybe she can get it out for me.”
“You have no idea where it is though,” Doug said. “Ash just got lucky with his. For all you know, maybe yours is not even in your mouth. You might have to have surgery to remove it. I doubt they’ll be willing to comply with that. Even if they do, you can’t really trust them.”
“Doug’s right. Don’t hurt yourself for this.” Pam said. “We’ll be free soon enough.”
“It doesn’t feel like it,” Jackie murmured. “It doesn’t feel like I’ll ever escape this. How did you get rid of yours, Ash? How did you get so lucky?”
“It really was luck. Believe me. I had no idea about it until my tooth came out,” Ash said. “If I had learned of it earlier, I probably would have done what you did. Still, I would try to find out where it is first before doing anything.”
“I’m desperate, Ash. I just want to live a normal life.”
“So do I,” Doug said. “I had a normal life. I had a family, friends, and a job that I love. Everyone claimed it was perfect and I thought so too. Now I’m not even sure of what I am. I can’t even tell my wife everything because I don’t know everything.”
“Jackie, listen to me.” Pam began. “We are in this mess together. We’ll get out of it together. It’s a slow process but we’ll make it. We’ll learn who we really are. I promise you that much.” She squeezed her shoulders. “Come on. Don’t hurt yourself anymore. Do you need any ice or anything?”
“I’ll be fine,” Jackie murmured. “I’ve got to meet with her in a few minutes. Please don’t coddle me. I’m going to be okay.”
It was what she was saying but it wasn’t what she felt. She was in pain, more emotional than physical, and she was sensing that the worst was yet to come. Only time would tell what it would be. She touched the side of her mouth and felt the pain shoot through her face. It was a terrible thing to do but she wanted to be sure of where it was. Maybe it wasn’t in her mouth.
I need to get rid of this somehow. She thought. I need to remove my wire. I cannot have them following me around. I need to escape them.
She looked over at her Project 99 family and felt for them. All of them were being tracked except for Ash. If he was with them, they could easily find him too. They could do anything they wanted to them. No, she needed the wire out of her body. She needed to leave Project 99 behind.
She needed to be free.
Chapter 22 – Ash
Ash could not believe that Jackie had done that to herself. He knew how she felt but it was a stupid move. She didn’t need to dig into her mouth like that. Right now, she was dabbing away at her mouth with some ice. The bruising had gone down a little but it was still there. He hoped she would be fine in time. They had to take care of some business first.
Prior to leaving, he had packed up everything and prepared himself for a long night ahead. Getting dressed for these parties was not a hard thing but his mother was never pleased. As soon as he came out of his room, she began to fuss over his hair. “Ashton, what on earth?! We have several combs in this house! Surely, you know how to use one!”
“My hair looks fine, Mom,” he muttered as she brushed it back.
“You know how much I hate your disheveled look, dear. It makes you look unkempt and lazy.” She sighed, going off to get the hair gel in the ba
throom. She came back with it and rubbed some of the gunk into his hair. “There we go! That should hold it!”
“I feel like a greasy pig when you put that junk in my hair.”
“Well, you look dignified now. Let me see your shoes.”
“Mom, you are not going to polish my shoes right now!”
“I didn’t say I was going to polish them. I just want to make sure they aren’t dirty.” She looked down at them. “Well, they aren’t shining but they will do. Let me see your tie.” She clicked her tongue and began to untie it. “Oh, dear. It’s lopsided. Time to fix that.”
“Aren’t you ever pleased by the way I look?!” Ash exclaimed. “What is it, Mom? Am I too ugly for you or something?”
“Ugly?” Vivienne Blackwell looked horrified at the thought. “My son thinks he’s ugly? Have you ever looked at yourself in a mirror, Ashton? I’m fussing because I know how handsome you are. I want the whole world to see it. I want them to be jealous of the fact that I have such a handsome, intelligent son. I’m proud of what you’ve become and I want everyone else to see that.”
Ash didn’t expect that answer from her. “You...You’re proud of me?”
“Yes. That’s why I want you to look presentable once in a while. At least dress up nicely when we go somewhere or when we have guests,” she said. “All right, I think we’re good now. Get your coat because we’re leaving in fifteen minutes. Your father is not a patient man.”
“Tell me something I don’t know,” Ash muttered as he went downstairs. “I’ll see you in the car, Mom.”
As he put on his coat and grabbed his things, he thought about what she said. It was the first time he had ever heard her mention that she was proud of him. He had heard talk about how great Harrison had been. He knew she missed her first born and that life wasn’t the same. However, he tried his best to please his parents. He couldn’t replace Harrison but he could try to be a son they wanted. Hearing her say she was proud changed everything for him.