by Chris Yee
Day 553
Weight: 50 pounds
Height: 48 inches
Izzy spends more time with me in my office nowadays. She likes it better than the labs, and I enjoy her company. No one else comes up here, so I don’t see the harm in letting her stay.
It’s funny. Considering how talkative she is around me, she is very shy around the labbies. She barely says a word to them, and if I’m nearby, she hides behind me. I guess she’s shy at heart.
Day -
Weight: -
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I am writing this in haste. I fear this may be my last entry. The Spire is under attack. Simon has breached the third wall, and his men are storming in. I have issued an emergency. All of my workers should be in the safe rooms, hopefully away from danger. Regretfully, I do not think there are enough evacuation pods for everyone. I will bring Izzy to the pod in my office, but first I wanted to write this last entry. I should have had the courage to share Izzy with others. I was a coward. I let Simon’s savagery get the better of me. By the time anyone finds this, Izzy and I will be away, safe from danger. We are leaving the City and never coming back. No one will see the angel that I have created, but they should know she exists. That is why I am leaving this message. To whoever finds this journal, announce it to the world. Make sure everyone knows that a miracle happened. That miracle is Izzy. People deserve to know. Victor Greene, signing off.
P.S. Screw you, Simon.
SEVENTEEN
THEY WERE ALL speechless. Processing the information was overwhelming. They stood in silence, trying to figure out what it meant for them.
“Wait,” Alan said, stepping back from the desk. “I’m confused. Is Izzy Greene’s daughter?”
“He certainly loved her like a daughter,” Charlotte said, flipping to the back cover. There was a picture of Izzy’s face sewn into the inner sleeve. She clamped it shut and placed it back on the desk.
“She’s an experiment,” Vince said. “Like me.”
“I had no idea Greene had a secret project,” Charlotte said. “He’s been hiding it for two years. Hiding her for two years.”
“Only three people knew about her,” Vince said. “Greene, Humphrey, and this Trish Beaumont.”
“Two of them are dead,” Alan said. “Rest in peace Humphrey. You were a good man.”
“Trish Beaumont,” Charlotte repeated. “That sounds familiar. Where have I heard that name?”
“She spoke at the ceremony,” Vince said.
“I have so many questions,” Alan said. “We should find her and squeeze some answers out.”
Charlotte walked back to Greene’s control panel. “Finding Izzy is priority. Once she’s safe, we can track down Trish Beaumont.”
“Don’t forget about Simon,” Vince added.
Charlotte scrolled through the logs on the screen. “Simon and Izzy are most likely together. If we find her, we find him.” She sorted the list by date and time, placing the most recent logs on top. “They’re using labbie key cards to get around. It looks like they brought us to the cell room, and then headed up to the labs on Level 149.”
“We were just there,” Alan said. “How did we miss them?”
“The lab area is big. You only saw a small portion of it. There were dozens of vitality experiments taking place all at once.”
“And Project Monika was one of them,” Vince said.
Charlotte clicked the camera icon to show the security footage. They saw an empty room with a bare wooden desk against the far wall. A mug sat on the surface, but nothing else. The top corner of the screen read Vitality Lab No. 88.
“There’s no one there,” she said. “Let’s try this.”
The label changed to Operation Room No. 88, and the view switched to a room full of people.
“What are they doing in there?” Alan asked.
Charlotte moved the image around, zooming in and panning the camera to get a better angle. “There are so many people, it’s hard to tell. We’ll have to go down to find out.”
“Is it possible to delete the records of Snow Peak?” Alan asked. “I don’t like knowing they can spy on us.”
“Yes, I can do that.” She searched for Snow Peak and a full list of records popped up. “Everything?”
Alan nodded. “Everything.”
She clicked a trash icon and the list rapidly shrunk until it was gone. A small window popped up. Records Permanently Deleted. Next, she returned to the camera systems and again searched for Snow Peak. She clicked a red icon, and another window popped up. Cameras Permanently Disabled.
Alan slung his bag over his shoulder. “Great. Now back to the elevator to rescue the girl.”
Vince grabbed the monitor journal from the desk and stuck it in his bag. “This may be useful.”
They rode the elevator back down to level 149 and trudged through the hallway towards the labs. They covered their mouths, stepping over the maggot-ridden flesh piles. Alan tried not to look down, in fear that he might gag.
When they reached the entrance to the labs, Charlotte held a finger up to her lips again. “Whispers.”
Vince and Alan nodded.
Just like before, Charlotte knew her way through the complex system of hallways. They came across a patrolling guard and knelt in the shadow of a wall. The guard strolled down the hall and reached the far end, before turning around making his way back. They waited in the darkness, staying perfectly still. Perfectly silent. Perfectly invisible. When the guard passed, they slipped out unnoticed, moved down the hall, and swiftly turned the corner.
Charlotte tiptoed to a door and pointed inside. It was Lab No. 88. Vince and Alan pressed against the side of the door and gave a thumbs up. She slowly approached the door, waiting for the scanner to pick up her key card. With one more step the door slid open and they entered the empty room.
It was in the same condition that it was in on the camera footage. Nothing of importance. Just a desk holding an engraved turtle mug. She signaled to the back corner, where a sign hung above a doorway. Operation Room. There were muffled voices coming from inside.
Again, Vince and Alan pressed against the side of the door, guns clasped tightly in their hands. Charlotte listened to the voices, but could not make out who they were.
There was no way for them to sneak in. The door would automatically open once she reached its proximity. They were relying on the element of surprise. She held up three fingers. Three. Two. One.
She charged at the door as it slid open, gun raised and ready to fire. Vince and Alan slipped in behind her, covering the right and left corners.
Simon glanced up, startled. There were seven others in the room. Trish Beaumont sat in the back. One of the three guards was pointed a gun at her head. The other two pointed at Simon’s. Jonah stood at the far right, flashing his crooked teeth with a smile. Another man stood over the operating table, in what was unmistakably a doctor’s uniform.
On the table, was Izzy. She lay face up, unconscious with a plastic mask pumping gas into her lungs. Various wires latched to her body, connected to a tall stack of machines that constantly beeped.
Vince glared at Simon with expected hatred. The man who killed his oldest friend, right in front of his eyes. The blood boiled in his veins.
Simon sighed with relief. “Finally. You took your sweet time getting here.” He pointed to Crooked Tooth. “Jonah here decided to grow a pair.”
Jonah looked at the three of them, standing in the doorway. “How did you get out of your cells?”
“The power was off, you idiot,” Alan said. “It was easy as pie.”
“Put an end to this,” Simon said pointing to Jonah. “Shoot him.”
Alan looked at Simon in pure amazement. “Why in the world would we help you?”
“Are you blind? He has your girl. He’s going to cut her head open.”
Vince kept his glare on Simon, his temper rising.
Jonah waved a dismissive hand. “Don’t listen to him. He doesn’t know wh
at he’s talking about. His vision for the City is all screwy. Greene was a problem for me, but I do believe in many of the things he did. These tests are one of them. They enhance people’s lives.” He pointed to Simon. “This nut wants to end all of that. He wants to stop the tests forever. He says Greene went too far with his tests, but I say he didn’t go far enough. He wasn’t reaching his full potential.”
“See what I mean?” Simon said. “He’s gone mad.”
“Shut up!” Jonah yelled, spraying a mist of spit across the room. “I’ve put up with your nonsense long enough, but no more.” He pointed to the guards. “They’re aiming their guns at you. That means I’m in charge. You’re not calling the shots anymore.”
“What are you doing to her?” Charlotte asked.
Jonah smiled. “I’m glad you asked. You see, she is the perfect example of lost potential. You may not know this, but Izzy is a very special girl. You see, her brain has mutated in ways which we can benefit from. Greene was chasing immortality. He made many great strides in the field of longevity, but he never quite reached his goal. We are so close, and she,” he pointed to Izzy, “is the key to it all. We just need to slice open her head and see what makes that brain tick. Greene was too soft to make that sacrifice.”
Trish shook her head and called out from the back. “You’re a sadistic monster.”
Jonah raised his palms over his head. “Hey, I’m just doing what you said. I’m continuing Greene’s work. That was a beautiful speech, by the way. Very inspiring.”
“Don’t you dare twist my words to justify whatever this is.”
“I don’t have to justify anything. This is going to happen whether you like it or not. I don’t need your approval.”
Charlotte and Alan moved in with their guns raised. The guards moved forward to block their way, aiming their guns directly at their heads.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Jonah said. “These guards aren’t afraid to kill. I mean, just look at that hallway out there. A real mess.” He wandered over to looked down at Izzy. “You know, when I woke up this morning, I had no idea I would be blessed with this gift. After we found Greene’s journal, we knew we had to find her. We needed the only person alive who knew she existed. Trish Beaumont. That’s why we were out there in the first place. That’s why we attacked the ceremony. Not in the slightest did I expect to find the very girl herself. But here we are. I guess luck is in my favor.”
“Luck runs thin with traitors,” Simon said. “This girl isn’t a slave to these tests. She should be free to do as she pleases.”
Vince ignored his words. Their interests aligned at the moment, but rage clouded his mind.
Jonah placed a hand on the doctor’s shoulder. “Please, continue. They won’t disrupt you.”
The doctor grabbed a scalpel and nodded. “She’s ready. I am making the first incision.” He raised the scalpel up and pressed against Izzy’s forehead.
Vince lunged at Simon and grabbed him by the neck. One arm squeezed his throat, and the other covered his mouth. They all jumped with surprise at the sudden outburst. The guards swung their guns to point at Vince.
Jonah tilted his head, puzzled. “You know, that doesn’t give you much leverage.” He chuckled. “I don’t care if he lives or dies. Go ahead, kill him.”
“He deserves to die,” Vince said. His words were spaced between large breaths of anger. “He’s killed so many. He killed Saul.”
“I am truly sorry about that,” Jonah said with cheer. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned from working with Simon, he’s one hell of a wild card.”
“He deserves it,” Vince repeated, breathing heavily. “He deserves it. He deserves it.”
Alan and Charlotte shared a nervous glance.
Vince’s muscles tensed, and the small tendrils emerged from his pores, hungry. Simon’s eyes shot open when he realized what was happening. He twisted and turned, but struggling only tightened the grip around his neck. He opened his mouth, but his cries for help were muffled by Vince’s hand. His eyes darted back and forth until pain shot instantly through his body. His muscles lost control, and his eyes rolled into his skull.
Vince held Simon’s body firm, restricting even the smallest of struggles. His face was full of blood-fueled rage. Everything Simon had done. Everyone Simon had killed. At this moment, he would pay for it all. He would pay for Saul. His payment, a painful death.
He sucked the life through Simon’s skin, the power surging into his body. It was a power he had never felt before. The energy of a human being. It was overwhelming at first, but he quickly embraced it.
Simon lurched from side to side before finally going limp. Vince released his grip and let the body fall. He looked up at the others, with heavy breaths. A smile covered his face. Adrenaline pumped through his veins, shooting pleasure throughout his body.
Jonah examined Simon’s corpse and then peered up at Vince. “Very impressive. We’ll have to study you as well.” He signaled to the guards. “Get him boys.”
The guards moved in. With renewed energy running through his chest, Vince felt unstoppable. He slammed his fist into the jaw of the first guard and threw his shoulder at the second one. They stumbled back and then charged in again. The third guard raised his gun.
“Don’t shoot him, you moron. I need him alive.”
The guard lowered his gun and joined the others, kneeing Vince in the stomach. Vince grabbed his leg and swung him into the wall. Fists swung into his face and drew blood from his mouth. He wiped it away and swung back with a fury of hits. One of them drew a rod from his belt and flipped a switch on the handle. A bright spark flashed from the tip. He held it forward and thrust it into Vince’s leg.
Vince’s muscled tightened as the current shot through his body. He froze in place, unable to move, glaring at Jonah with furious eyes. When the guard finally lifted the rod, he fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes, motionless.
“Vince!” Charlotte yelled.
Alan was too shocked to speak.
Jonah chuckled. “Again, very impressive. He took on three fully trained guards and put up a pretty good fight.” He looked back to Izzy. “Anyway, where were we? Oh right. You were just about to cut into her scalp. I’m itching to see what’s inside.”
The doctor glanced at Jonah, nodded, and lifted the scalpel for another try.
“No!” Charlotte yelled. She raised her gun and pulled the trigger. The doctor’s hand exploded in blood as the bullet cut clean through his palm. He dropped the scalpel and grabbed his wrist.
A guard turned in one swift motion and shot Charlotte straight through the head. Alan dropped his gun and fell back in a stupor, with Charlotte’s blood splashed across his face. He stumbled through the doorway and ran for the exit. The guards started to follow, but Jonah raised his hand.
“Let him go. He’s not coming back. We’ve got business to do here.” He examined the doctor’s hand. It was spurting blood as he grabbed it with the other. “Damn it, now we can’t operate!” He marched over to Charlotte’s dead body and knelt down. “Because of you, now we have to find another doctor. I hope you’re happy.”
He stood up and patted the doctor’s back. “You’ll be fine. You won’t be performing surgeries any time soon, but you’ll live.” He clapped his hands together. “Well, I guess this project is postponed.” He pointed to Charlotte. “Clean up this mess. Lock these three up in the cell room. And make sure the power is on this time, damn it!”
EIGHTEEN
RUPERT AND ELLA sat at the dinner table, joined by Charlotte’s friend, Trevor. They munched on a hearty vegetable stew, prepared by Rupert himself. Ella stared at the table, pushing her food around the edge of her bowl.
Rupert glanced at her. “Is something on your mind?”
She did not respond and continued to play with her food.
“Ella?”
She flinched and looked up to see who called her name. “I’m sorry, what?”
“Is something on y
our mind? You seem distracted.”
“It’s just a feeling I have. Something is wrong. I don’t know why, but I feel like Alan and the others are in trouble.”
“Of course they’re in trouble,” Trevor said, shoveling stew down his throat. “They charged into a place full of people that hate them. What did they expect?”
“So why didn’t you stop them from leaving?” Ella asked, frustrated. “Charlotte’s your friend, isn’t she?”
“Yes, a good friend, but she can think for herself. It was their decision to go back. Who am I to say if it was the right or wrong decision? They had their reasons to leave, and we had ours to stay.”
“But you knew their lives were in danger. It’s your responsibility to stop them, or at least try.” She looked to Rupert for help, but he only shrugged.
“Hey,” Trevor said, scraping the bottom of his bowl. “I’m safe and sound in this village. As far as I’m concerned, that’s all that matters.” He eyed her bowl. “Are you going to finish that?”
She shoved her bowl off the table and shot up from her seat. “You’re such a pig, Trevor. Quit eating for one second and think about someone other than yourself.”
Trevor raised his hands in the air. “I’m not selfish. I’m just being honest. There is no way we would have convinced them to stay. They already made up their minds. At least Charlotte did. I’ve worked with her for a few decades. I know how she thinks. The City is her home, no matter how dangerous. I, on the other hand, want home to be safe. Apparently, you do too. Otherwise, you would have gone with them. We’re not being selfish, just reasonable.”
Ella glared with wide eyes and sat down again. She hated to admit it, but he was right. They had all made their own decisions. Now she was questioning hers. Maybe she should have gone back with them. To her, home was where your family was. Whatever dangers they faced, they would face it as a family, but instead, they split up. Ella sat comfortably in Snow Peak, but her comfort was hindered by a feeling of regret. She could see it in Rupert’s face as well.