by Beth Hodgson
Is he serious?
“I didn’t want to wake you. If you want, I can leave now,” Emerald said, getting up and reaching for her backpack.
“I’m only fucking with you. You’re fine. Really, you don’t have to,” Kyle said casually, taking another drag, still sleepy. “Unless you have somewhere to be.”
Plopping herself back on the floor, Emerald wrapped her arms around her legs, feeling insecure. Reaching for her chain, she rubbed the gem of the ring with her fingers, wishing she could see Derek again. But that was impossible.
“I think it’s obvious that I don’t have anywhere to go,” Emerald confessed sadly. “And honestly, I don’t know what I am going to do either.” Emerald met Kyle’s eyes through the smoke. As the words departed from her lips, her insides began to tremble. What was she going to do? She had been so caught up in anger when leaving the palace that she had no true plan. “I would hate to impose on your favors any longer.”
“Favors?” Kyle said with an amused look on his face. “Is that what you call it?”
“Yes, favors. The kindness you bestowed on me by letting me stay here for the night. How else would you describe it?”
“I consider favors to be something… very different,” Kyle commented, finishing up his cigarette. “You really are one of a kind, Em.” He got up, digging through a pile of clothes piled up in the corner of the room. “You can stay here until you figure your shit out.” He yanked off his shirt and pulled on a different one from the pile.
Immediately upon seeing his chiseled chest, Emerald looked away, turning her body in the opposite direction. Embarrassed to have seen him in the shirtless state he was in, her cheeks flushed. She heard more rummaging, accompanied by a small chuckle.
“You can look now,” he said from behind her. Emerald returned to her original position, still embarrassed and not wanting to meet Kyle’s face.
“Sorry…”
“About what?”
“A-about…” Emerald stuttered.
Kyle laughed again. “There you go again, Em. Being strange.”
She made a face, looking slightly offended. “What if I were to tell you the same thing?”
Kyle shrugged. “Come on, let’s go.”
“Go where?”
“To get something to eat,” he said, like it was completely obvious. “I’m never up this early, but since I am, damn if I’m not gonna eat some breakfast.” Kyle smirked, his cigarette hanging from his lips. “Bet you’re hungry too.”
She was hungry. Emerald hadn’t eaten anything since before she had escaped the palace. “Indeed, I am,” she answered, reaching for her backpack on the floor.
“No need for that. Leave it here. The less you carry out there, the less likely you’ll be mugged,” Kyle said, motioning for her to put her pack down.
“Mugged?”
“Yeah, you know, robbed? Left for dead in a grimy alley.”
“Oh.”
His eyes snapped to her drawing next to the bag. He leaned over to get a closer look at her sketch, picking it up. “You drew this?” He held out the scrap drawing out.
“Yes,” Emerald said shyly, shuffling her foot. “Although I prefer painting to drawing.”
Kyle studied the scrap another moment. “It’s really good.”
“Thank you,” Emerald murmured politely.
I suppose I can stay with him for a little while, she thought. He’s not so bad.
“Is it someone you know?” he asked, referring to the sketch.
“No one in particular,” Emerald lied.
Kyle took another glance at it, then set it on top of her backpack. “Looks familiar.” He opened his apartment door, holding it open for her. “Let’s get going. I’m starving,” he said, motioning for her to follow.
Emerald glanced back at the drawing, seeing Derek’s face in the doodle. She missed him.
CHAPTER TWENTY
His expression looked so peaceful. Blue light from the cryogenic capsule graced his marred, half-burnt face, frozen in time. His eye, the only one that survived the accident, remained shut in his eternal sleep.
Telly touched the glass that separated her and Drew, pretending she could once again feel his rough visage. Stubble accented his jawline; Drew was always lousy at shaving. She had nagged him so much for not doing a decent enough job when he was living, but now the memories haunted her every time she gazed upon his inert face. So much guilt. She couldn’t shake it no matter how much she tried.
She recalled Director Jonathan’s words. We can combine his research with a new technology, unlike anyone has ever seen. A power with the capability to revive and heal. Don’t you see the beauty in it? He will be made alive again with his own research!
Those words echoed in Telly’s head as her memories faded away. She was no longer in Drew’s cryogenic holding room from years ago. She was back in her lab, staring through the observation window. On the other side of the glass, Drew emitted a strange orange glow and energy from his body, the same color as his left eye. It had changed. It was no longer blue; it was bright orange. The very thought made Telly shudder.
When Telly had approved of Drew being a part of the corporation’s experiment, she’d had no idea what kind of power Jonathan was referring to at the time. All she cared about was finding a way to bring back Drew, choosing to freeze him on the brink of death. And with years poured into his research, her funds dwindling to nothing, she had no choice but to accept the corporation’s proposal. It was the only way to bring him back to life. But what made it so hard for her to accept was that she had to hand over all of her and Drew’s research, and Drew was to be considered company property. Only Director Jonathan knew of her attachment to Drew, and so he had made sure she was positioned to oversee him. Knowing that she could see him alive once again, Telly accepted.
Never had Telly ever dreamt that the variable that would save Drew’s life would be magic. The blood sample that was infused into Drew had powerful life-giving properties, and it was the most remarkable and extraordinary thing Telly had ever encountered. The corporation’s use of bionics, paired with Telly’s expertise and Drew’s research, made the impossible possible.
But knowing how fantastical the blood really was and witnessing firsthand the power of the cyborgs, it was still hard for her to swallow reality. Telly had never been one to believe in superstitions, especially in the ancients’ magic. There had to be a logical explanation for the unusual power within the blood. And for Drew’s unique… capabilities. She needed answers.
A large body hovered over her, permeating the air with the scent of coffee and sanitized gel. Telly knew only one person who smelled like that. The director. His obsession with caffeine and germs never ceased to amaze her.
“Yes, Jonathan?” Telly said, not taking her eyes off Drew. His body faded, flashing with orange like a broken monitor that needed adjusting. It’s just the side effects of the blood, she tried to calmly remind herself. Just like the other cyborgs when we booted them up. Although all the other cyborgs didn’t emit strange power like Drew.
“I wanted to congratulate you and your team,” Director Jonathan said smoothly, positioning himself next to her. He glanced through the window at Drew, then held his breath. “It seems that the magic really took to him.”
“It appears so,” Telly admitted, her face fixated on Drew. Intense bright-orange light continued to burn from Drew’s body, lighting up the experiment capsule so intensely even Telly had to squint through her glasses. His body remained motionless as it fluctuated between a dream and reality. “Why… why is he different, Director?”
“You still don’t believe, do you?” Jonathan said under his breath.
Telly turned to him as if looking at him for the first time. “Tell me,” she said sharply.
“Because the magic chooses. That’s why.” Jonathan’s dark eyes lowered, frowning. Pausing for a moment, Jonathan continued. “Listen, Telly, I am not one to read religious material, but might I suggest you take a l
ook at The Spectrum?”
“And why would I do that? It’s nothing more than an ancient text littered with stories and outdated laws,” Telly scoffed. “What good will that do?”
“Even you, as much as I don’t want to admit it, can’t deny the fact that Drew now has the gift of the orange.”
“Gift of the orange?” Telly repeated, the words foreign on her lips. Telly’s head was overwhelmed by the mere thought of old superstitions. She was exhausted. She had worked so much overtime to ensure Drew would be revived successfully. And now the director was talking to her about magic, power, and a religious text. Telly sighed, her breath fogging the glass in front of her. It was all too crazy.
“Thanks for the suggestion, Director, but I think not. I have no use for that kind of reading.”
“Just a thought.” The director shrugged. “By the way, you better get cleaned up.”
“Why?”
“Because I must report Drew’s abilities to the head director, which he will then report to Councilor Zane. I am sure that the councilor will be here within a couple of hours to inspect Drew. Perhaps even the King himself will make a special visit.”
Telly’s heart stopped. “What? You think Damaris will visit our lab? The King, here, in our lab? You can’t be serious, Jonathan.”
“Look at Drew, Telly. Just look!” he insisted. “Why wouldn’t the King visit here? He now has another subject for extraction. Instead of one donor, whoever that is, he now has two. Even though he sends Councilor Zane all the time, it’s really because Damaris wants to know anything and everything that goes on here. And now that we have a cyborg with magical capabilities, we can certainly expect His Majesty to make a special trip.”
“What does this all mean for me? Do you think I will still be assigned to Drew?”
“I don’t know, honestly.” Jonathan put one of his hands on her shoulder. “But I will do my best to ensure that you do. However, it may be that the King will want to keep Drew with him at the palace. He is rather… protective when it comes to anything remotely to do with magical abilities. Councilor Zane made that very clear to Director Santiago.”
“Drew? At the palace?” Telly’s voice faltered, taking a step back. “He needs to be here, Director! You know that as much as I do! All the equipment is here…” There was no way that she could allow Drew to be taken away from her. He was hers! She had done so much for him. And for them to take Drew away?
“Calm down, Telly, calm down. Don’t get all worked up yet. I just suggested that it could happen, not that it’s going to.”
Telly turned away from him, clenching the tablet in her hand. “It had better not, Director. It just can’t.” Rubbing her eyes under her glass frames, she let out a loud, tired sigh. “Please excuse me. Looks like I need to get to the lab showers. I still have much work to do on Drew.”
“Telly, whatever you two had in the past, Drew will never be the same person. He is mostly machine now. Do not get your past feelings involved now that he is back with us.”
Telly whirled around, flashing Jonathan an annoyed look. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because sometimes we need to be reminded,” he said with caution. He nodded, walking away.
“I don’t want to be reminded,” she said quietly to herself. “I just want to be remembered.”
Giving Drew one last look, Telly made her way down to the lab’s showers.
***
After getting cleaned up, Telly received word from Jonathan that Councilor Zane was indeed en route to the corporation, accompanied by His Majesty himself. She managed to brush her honey-colored chin-cropped hair and dress herself in fresh clothes and a clean lab coat. She carefully wiped the fingered smudges off her black-framed glasses and even applied light makeup, something that she normally was not accustomed to doing.
Telly joined the staff of her level by the elevator lifts, along with several of the directors, including Jonathan. There were nervous whispers amongst the other scientists, making Telly uneasy. Telly had always been confident, and she had never been anxious for any important visits in all her years working in the lab. But today, her insides were a wreck. A complete, nervous wreck. Just thinking about Drew’s near future made her stomach twist.
Just as Telly caught up to the gathering, the elevators chimed, and the symbol on the lift lit up as the doors opened. The King stepped out, dressed in a black royal jerkin trimmed with green and silver. His long silky, pale hair ran down his back, flowing with his icy movements. He gave her a hard stare with his cold face. There was no warmth from that man, nor did it seem he had any emotion. But for as old as he was, he was still incredibly handsome. Councilor Zane came trudging behind the King, also dressed in black but trimmed with reds throughout his garb. He looked as nervous as Telly felt.
Everyone in the lab bowed simultaneously. “Your Majesty,” Head Director Santiago said in reverence.
Ignoring the head director, Damaris proceeded further into the lab and began to eye the rows of glowing glass capsules, each intact with a cyborg in different stages of preparation.
“Director Santiago,” Damaris said, waving his hand at the man, not acknowledging any other staff. “Thank you for preparing the lab on such short notice. I know everyone is extremely busy, especially since they are now weeks behind the initial deadline that I ordered.”
Santiago swallowed but did not change his facial expression to react to Damaris’s stinging words. “Yes, Your Majesty. We are almost at completion. Another week and a half at the most. All the cyborgs are now online. There are several that need more tuning, but other than those few, we are ready to go. We released a large number of the cyborgs into the police force to test them out, which was a complete success. With the use of the cyborgs’ force, the authorities were able to subdue the crowds in record time. Even with the reported injuries inflicted on the cyborgs, most of the wounds had been regenerated by the time they were returned to us. The rate of their healing capabilities is incredible, faster than what we had thought initially.”
“Excellent. That is exactly what I wanted to hear.” Damaris turned to Councilor Zane, giving him a cold stare. “At least I am getting some good news finally.” Councilor Zane did not reply, but nodded to Damaris. “And what of this new cyborg? This new… gifted? I want to see him now.”
The King pushed through the group, waiting for someone to show him the way. Jonathan nudged Telly, then jerked his head slightly, silently telling her to escort Damaris.
“Certainly, Your Majesty,” Telly answered in a high shrill voice, shaken with nerves. “Right this way.” Telly walked toward the King, gesturing for him to follow.
Damaris turned to the head director, annoyed. “Who is this?” No one said anything in her defense; even Jonathan remained still.
“Telly Hearly, Your Majesty.” Telly bowed awkwardly, trying to remain calm with her movements. She had never encountered a royal before, and it was a strange feeling trying to bow to the ruler of Arcadia himself. “I am the lead scientist in Lab 34.”
Damaris poised himself with his head held high, looking down at her with a rigid stare. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest, but she continued. “Please, follow me.”
The King nodded, following her lead. “It is good to know that there are still people who don’t act like lemmings when I ask questions,” he said, directing his words at the group.
Damaris walked beside Telly as she led him past the first set of cyborg capsules. She held her breath, unsure whether she should say something to him or hold her tongue. She decided it was best not to say anything.
Telly led the King down the third long row of cyborg capsules, finally coming to another section of the lab—an area with more restrictions. She inserted her security card in the slot, punched in her code, and the door opened with a chime. The group continued to follow Telly through her team’s workstations, then to Drew’s observation window, where there appeared to be orange flashes from within.
Drew still had n
ot stopped emitting his strange energy.
Damaris watched as Drew’s magic flickered, his face in awe. “Truly remarkable,” he stated, fixated on the orange power.
Telly bowed to Damaris in agreement, then flipped a switch, powering the main lights inside the encapsulated room for Damaris to get a better view. Inside, Drew jolted, the metal flap of his mechanical eye flipping upward, adjusting as his left orange eye squinted. A warm orange glow vibrated around him. Then his body faded in and out of Telly’s vision, like a shimmering star.
With a wide smile, Damaris shook with excitement, his eyes burning bright green with joy. “Open the capsule,” he ordered.
Nodding, Telly cleared the hatch door, and the two of them stepped inside while the rest of the lab scientists remained silent behind them.
Damaris carefully walked over the sprawling wires and tubing to stand in front of Drew. Telly could hear Drew’s cybernetic eye focusing on the King as he backed away from him, though he had nowhere to go.
“I was told that he was booted up last night, is that correct?” Damaris asked, studying the cyborg.
“Yes, Your Majesty. At nine p.m. precisely,” Telly said, bowing before him. I wish we had the tablet hooked up to him.
“What kind of abilities does he possess?”
“He has only displayed this power that you see now. Just fading in and out. He doesn’t move much, as his body is in a state of much confusion. He needs time to adjust to being alive again.”
Drew looked at them both, cocking his head. Damaris studied him, marveling at the power surrounding Drew, the orange glow of his image disappearing and reappearing. Drew inched closer to Damaris, and the wires plugged into him moved with him, like heavy shackles on a prisoner.
“Miss Hearly, how long before he is up and running at full force?” Damaris inquired. Drew shifted his gaze to Telly, as if understanding the conversation.
“He will be ready for deployment along with the others in a week and a half, Your Majesty.”