Altered Image

by Trish Moran

Her face reddened as she stepped forward.

  ‘Milly!’ Lily grabbed her arm. ‘Let’s just sit down and see what he has to say, shall we?’

  Milly looked at Leon and Johnny, the twins whose lives had also been put at risk.

  Leon nodded. ‘Let’s give him a chance to explain why he’s here.’

  Abel looked at Adam as the other Labs sat down. ‘Who are the Independent Labs? And how did you get involved with them?’

  In the Medical wing, Angus lay white-faced and still on the bed surrounded by tubes and monitors. In a clear box near his bedside a small, pale pink artificial heart beat gently. It was linked to his chest with thin wires. At each beat a light pulsed on a monitor above Angus’s head. Occasionally the pulse flickered before resuming a steady beat.

  Zig stood with a look of horror on her face.

  ‘He looks … he doesn’t look as if …’ her voice trailed away.

  Ruby put her arms around her. ‘Dr Schultz is the Lab doctor in charge of the operation. Just let him tell you what’s happening, Zig.’

  Schultz cleared his throat. ‘Let me reassure you that Angus has responded favourably so far. He’s in an induced coma at present. Perhaps it is better if we adjourn to my office to discuss his progress.’

  As they sat down in the adjoining room he continued, ‘Let me explain what we are doing. As you know, Angus has a seriously damaged heart. Over the past two years my colleagues and I have been investigating both Non-Lab and Lab hearts. We have been perfecting an artificial heart that could be substituted for defects we found in Non-Lab hearts. We think this is the best option for Angus.’ He brought up a 3D model on the computer screen in front of him. ‘It’s designed to learn to replicate the original heart, which is why the replacement is linked to the patient’s heart. At this stage, the first twelve hours, the replacement is learning the original heart’s characteristics. This will prevent a rejection at the second stage of the operation, which is when the new heart will be substituted for the original. During the first stage the new organ is also able to automatically detect any flaws and self-correct. This will be carefully analysed before the new heart is substituted.’

  ‘You’ve never done an operation like this before, have you?’ Zig said. ‘How do you know it’s going to work?’

  ‘No, we haven’t operated on any human, Lab or Non-Lab, though similar operations on larger mammals have been successful. The medication Angus has taken has also caused further damage to his heart. Without a new heart he would certainly face a limited life span,’ Schultz said quietly.

  ‘I knew he should have asked for help sooner!’ Zig sobbed.

  ‘We have every hope that this operation will be successful. We will carefully monitor his progress over the next few days.’

  In the meantime Adam was facing the Compound Labs. ‘Since our last … encounter … I have continued my interest in future Lab development.’ He raised a hand as Milly began to speak. ‘I acknowledge that my previous attitude was unacceptable. You can see from the data I have given Abel that I now have the good of all Labs, Compound and Independent, at heart.’

  ‘How do we know this is all the data you have?’ Milly asked.

  ‘You are all free, indeed welcome, to visit the laboratory I have set up at my country home. I would appreciate some input on what Angus and I have been working on lately.’

  ‘The future of your laboratory and your role in the research will have to be discussed and decided upon,’ Abel said.

  Adam’s lips tightened but he sighed and shook his head slightly. ‘I have to accept that, after previous events …’

  ‘Let’s hear about the Independents,’ Leon leaned forward. ‘Where do they come from?’

  ‘And why haven’t we heard about them before this?’ his brother added.

  ‘The only Independent I have met is Angus. He was working with two others, Takir and a clone Takir made of himself, Sanjit. They abandoned Angus when his heart condition became apparent.’

  ‘Well, at least you didn’t abandon him!’ Lily said.

  Adam smiled. ‘Well, he’s still a Lab.’ He continued to tell them all he knew of Independents.

  ‘Angus is aware of three other groups; but I am fairly certain that there are other groups around the world,’ he concluded.

  ‘I think we need to discuss our plan of action ourselves before deciding what role, if any, Adam will play,’ Milly said.

  ‘If you could wait in the room you were given last night, Adam?’ Abel suggested.

  Adam faced the others before following Abel to the door. ‘I understand your reluctance to include me, but don’t forget I can provide useful information, too. I don’t know how I can convince you that I am a changed person. I have a child now; you must know, Abel, just bringing young into the world changes your whole prospectus.’

  Abel returned to a heated discussion between Milly and Celia. Milly wanted Adam to leave straight away, but Celia felt that he could provide valuable information. Leon, Johnny, Isaac and Lily sat silently.

  ‘If we send Adam away, how will we know what he is getting up to?’ Abel asked. ‘At least if he’s working with us we can keep an eye on him.’

  Milly reluctantly agreed. ‘Can we establish Url’s – Adam’s – role though? I do not trust him in any way! He must not be allowed under any circumstances to work unsupervised or to retain any data personally.’

  ‘Or spend time alone with Angus until we know a bit more about him,’ suggested Celia. ‘I think we need to think about the Non-Lab, Zig, too. What does she know about all this?’

  ‘And Adam’s daughter, Ginny. Amanda doesn’t seem to know much about what she gets up to with her father. She wasn’t even aware of his country house,’ Abel added. ‘I’ll get Ruby to talk to them.’

  ‘And we still have the two main issues to deal with,’ Isaac said. ‘Firstly, the Independents, and secondly Adam’s and Angus’s research.’

  ‘Angus’s work will have had input from the Independents he was associated with earlier,’ Lily pointed out.

  ‘Why weren’t we aware of the possibility of Independent Lab groups? How could we have been so blind?’ Celia shook her head. ‘We were so wrapped up in our own lives and the Hybrid children that our eyes have been closed to what was happening around us!’

  ‘How can we find out about the Independents?’ Johnny asked. ‘Especially if they aren’t willing to come forward.’

  ‘Why aren’t they willing to come forward?’ Leon frowned.

  ‘I imagine for a variety of reasons,’ Isaac offered. ‘One, their creators do not wish to put their work under scrutiny. Two, they may be afraid, as early Compound Labs were, about what rights they have. And three, they may, of course, have their own agenda.’

  There was a moment of silence.

  ‘I think we had better start to make contact with the Independents that Angus already knows of and take it from there,’ Abel said eventually. ‘I will talk with Adam and gather all the details he can provide; Isaac, you can work with us to decide on how to make contact. Celia and Milly – take a look at the data Adam has given me. And arrange a visit to his home laboratory as soon as possible.’

  Celia nodded. ‘I would like to be involved in a working party to visit the laboratory.’

  Milly nodded. ‘Me, too.’

  ‘There is just one thing left to consider,’ said Abel.

  The others looked at him.

  ‘How much should we make this public knowledge?’

  ‘I think we should keep this to ourselves for the moment, until we have a better understanding of what is happening,’ Celia said.

  The others looked at each other and nodded in agreement.

  After Adam had been asked to come back into the room, Abel explained to him what they had decided. He spread his hands in a gesture of acceptance.

  ‘I’m just grateful you are giving me a second chance. I won’t let you down.’

  He gave a long sigh as he walked from the room, then closed his eyes
as he heard a harsh voice call his name. He turned to face Amanda.

  ‘So I’m finally able to track you down! I’ve been told you were in very important discussions with Abel and some others,’ she snapped. ‘Now I think you’ve some explaining to do with me!’

  Adam gestured to the small room he had been allocated.

  ‘Certainly, Amanda. Please sit down.’

  ‘Why did you take my daughter to Scotland? Who are these people you have let her associate with? Ginny also mentioned a house she stays in sometimes that I wasn’t even aware of!’

  ‘First of all, Amanda, at no time was our daughter ever in any danger. Secondly, some very important information regarding Lab research came up during her visit to me. Obviously, I could not ignore it,’ Adam told her quietly. ‘Hence the trip to Scotland. As for the house, well it’s common knowledge now, so feel free to visit any time you wish.’

  Amanda bristled. ‘I won’t be treated like this, Adam! I’ve a good mind to take out a court order to prevent you seeing Ginny again!’

  Adam stood up. With both hands on either side of the chair he leaned close to her face.

  ‘Don’t ever think of keeping me away from my daughter! At the end of the day, you are a Non-Lab, Amanda. Ginny has Lab blood in her veins. If you force her to choose, you know what will happen.’

  She flinched as his face came close to hers. He slowly drew back.

  ‘I insist you tell me where you take Ginny and about the company she is keeping,’ she said quietly.

  Adam nodded. ‘OK, I will keep you informed. Don’t worry about the company she has been keeping. Angus is a Lab and the girl, well, she won’t be around for long.’

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  ‘It’s great!’ Angus’s eyes shone as he walked across the hospital room. ‘I’m not waiting for that horrible tight feeling all the time!’

  He gave a deep breath and looked down at his chest. Zig fingered the fading scar.

  ‘It’s nearly gone already! That’s amazing!’

  ‘Lab healing properties.’ Dr Jensen smiled. ‘I was amazed the first time I met Abel and saw how quickly a gunshot wound to his chest healed.’

  Dr Schultz joined them. ‘Yes, our patient is making excellent progress. Abel would like to talk to you as soon as you are feeling up to it, Angus.’

  ‘I’m ready to see him now! I just want to thank you, him and everyone, for all they have done for me,’ Angus said enthusiastically.

  ‘I’ll arrange for him to speak to you for an hour this afternoon. You may feel well, but we should take things slowly, we don’t want to tire you out. A nurse will be on hand if you need any help,’ Schultz continued.

  ‘I’d better leave you for the moment, too. I’ll call by this evening, if that’s OK, Doctor?’ Zig said.

  The doctor agreed as he led a reluctant Angus back to his bed.

  Several hours later Abel found the patient eagerly waiting for him.

  ‘Abel, I’m so glad to meet you!’ he smiled. ‘You, all of you, you’ve given me a new life. I can’t thank you enough. And Adam, where is he? I haven’t seen him yet.’

  ‘Oh, you’ll see him later. I’m glad to see you have made such good progress. Dr Schultz and Dr Jensen said your healing powers are on par with Compound Labs’, but you still have to take things easy, we don’t want any setbacks,’ Abel said, sitting beside the bed. ‘I would like you to tell me about the Independents. We were not aware of any other groups of Labs before meeting you and talking to Adam.’

  ‘Yes,’ Angus nodded. ‘My group and the other groups we came in contact with were not keen on publicity. Not after seeing what you went through.’

  ‘Didn’t you think that from our stronger position, we would be able to help you find a place in society?’ Abel asked.

  ‘Independents are also afraid of letting our research fall into the wrong hands,’ the young man replied.

  Abel frowned.

  ‘Non-Labs, who don’t understand their goal.’

  Abel waited again.

  ‘To produce the perfect Non-Lab or Hybrid.’ Angus said in a low voice. ‘Even my donor, Professor McBride, felt that Non-Labs weren’t getting it right. Preserving life that was so flawed it could be of no benefit to our world.’

  He put a hand on his chest. ‘That’s why I had to work so hard to cover up my own flaw.’

  ‘Tell me about Takir and the work you were doing with him,’ Abel said.

  For the next hour Angus told him about the research they had carried out together. ‘McBride was a slave driver. Looking back, though, I think he knew his time was limited. He tried to keep control over myself and Takir; but once Pounamar died Takir began his own investigations in secret.’

  ‘Adam told me that he cloned himself to make Sanjit,’ Abel commented.

  ‘Yes. Adam said that cloning from a clone was frowned on by Compound Labs,’ Angus said.

  ‘He’s right. You’d have to discuss the technicalities with our research team, but it is not something we would consider doing. Compound Labs who are, as we say, twins or triplets, were cloned from the original donor.’

  Abel took out a notebook.

  ‘According to Adam, your group was in contact with some other Independent Lab groups?’

  ‘Yes, the girls from Cornwall who introduced us to the two guys from London, and the New York group. We had only contacted the New York group by email at the time Takir and Sanjit moved out of the house in Edinburgh. They may have made contact with them and even others by now.’

  Abel jotted down places where they might be able to trace Takir. ‘Celia has started an internet search for other groups of Independents. We’d really like to talk to them,’ Abel added.

  As Abel was leaving the medical centre two hours later Zig came to the door.

  ‘Can I go and see him for a few minutes? Is he tired?’ she asked.

  At the same time Adam and Isaac appeared.

  ‘He can’t have too many visitors, I’m afraid,’ the nurse said, coming from her office.

  ‘We won’t keep him long.’ Adam stepped in front of Zig and pushed open the door.

  ‘Adam!’ Angus sounded delighted to see him.

  Zig stepped back. ‘Oh … I’ll … I’ll call by tomorrow morning.’

  Abel smiled at her. ‘Why don’t you come and eat with us? Ginny was asking about you when she finished her classes. I think she is still here; she could join us, too.’

  ‘I told my friends all about you, Zig!’ Ginny said as they sat in Ruby and Abel’s lounge a short while later. ‘I said that you had earrings in your face and a pirate patch and that you can shoot a gun really well!’

  She lowered her voice, ‘I didn’t tell Mummy, though. I don’t think she would approve of me going to a funfair.’

  ‘That must be her now. It’s a shame you have to go so quickly,’ Zig said as the doorbell rang.

  Amanda came into the room and held out her hand to Ginny. ‘Come on now. We can’t be late for your music lesson. Where’s your bag? Do you have all your homework?’

  ‘See you soon, Gin,’ Zig said giving her a hug.

  ‘Can you come to the school house at lunchtime and meet my friends?’ Ginny asked.

  Amanda gave a tight smile and took Ginny’s hand. ‘I’m sure Zig is far too busy!’

  ‘Not at all! Of course I will,’ Zig smiled.

  She sighed as she sat down at the table with Ruby and Abel. ‘I don’t think she approves of me.’

  Ruby laughed, ‘Don’t worry about it. There aren’t many Non-Labs she does approve of, even though she is one herself.’

  Abel passed Zig her plate. ‘So tell us how you got to meet Angus and the other Independents.’

  ‘It seems so long ago now,’ she began. ‘I was in one of the student pubs in Edinburgh with a couple of friends when Angus came in with Takir. They sat by themselves; they seemed to be talking about something really serious. They didn’t take any notice of anyone else in the pub. I’d written them off as pretty b
oring actually. Then I went to the Ladies’ and in the corridor I bumped into Angus. He was leaning against the wall and looking really ill. Most people seemed to think he was drunk, but I knew he hadn’t had that much. I stopped and asked him if he wanted me to get his friend, but he was way against that! I helped him to go outside and he wanted me to get something from his pocket; so I thought oh-oh, a druggie! But it turned out to be real medicine stuff. He took a couple of tablets and soon seemed fine again.’

  She smiled. ‘Takir came out and Angus grabbed me and kissed me like that’s what was keeping him! Then he slipped me his number before they both went off.’

  ‘When did he tell you he was a Lab?’ Abel asked her.

  ‘Not until after Takir and Sanjit had left, just after Angus’s father died. All the stress of the funeral and everything brought on an attack suddenly. He wasn’t able to hide it. He told me about this later. I thought I’d be able to move into the house with him but he said he had to go away for a while; so we went to London. We went to see some girls there, but they told him they weren’t interested in working with him anymore. They’d been speaking to Takir. We booked into a bed and breakfast place. By this time I thought he must be in trouble with the police or something – he was worried his money would run out, but he said he couldn’t go and claim his father’s house and stuff, even though he was the old man’s only living relative. I told him to come clean with me or I was off. So finally he told me the whole story. I was amazed. My boyfriend was a Lab! We moved further north, where it was cheaper to live, while we thought what to do next. Then we got to meet Adam and Ginny, and that was a really lucky break!’

  ‘So the girls, they were Independents, I presume?’ Abel said.

  ‘Yeah, they must have been, if they knew Takir,’ Zig nodded. ‘They said they originally came from somewhere in Cornwall.’

  ‘What do you know about the research Angus was involved in?’ Abel continued.

  ‘Not much. I’m not really into science stuff. I knew they wanted to make a sort of super-person. Get rid of all the defects normal people have. I’d listen to them talking about it, but it didn’t make much sense to me.’ Zig shrugged. ‘Ginny understood a bit about what they were doing. She’s so clever. Labs and Hybrids are all so clever!’