Amoeba (The Experiments)

by Jacqueline Druga

“This whole thing just meant more to you.”

  “What? And you’re telling me this now?”

  Cal swallowed, seeing the look in Jake’s eyes. “Jake, don’t get mad.”

  “Cal.” He stood up. “Don’t you think it would have been better to tell me, say . . . LAST WEEK!”

  “Jake.”

  “No, Cal, what the fuck?” Jake’s hand cut through the air. “This is fucked up.” He ran his hand down his face. “For one month we’ve been planning this. One month. And you say nothing? First of all, I cannot believe you would lie to me like you have been. To me, Cal. You knew how much I wanted to marry you.”

  “I know.” Cal stood up. “Jake, listen . . .”

  “No, you listen. You don’t want to be married to me. Fine. Fine.” His hand swung out. “Then you file for divorce first thing Monday morning. As for now, I have a hundred and sixty-two people sitting in that church waiting and you will not embarrass me. You will marry me today. Like it or not.”

  If Cal’s mouth could have fallen open any farther, it would have hit the grass. “What?”

  “You heard me. It’s a tough approach, but it needs to be taken.”

  “Jake.” Cal’s voice took on a high tone. “Where . . . where in the world did you get the idea that I didn’t want to marry you?”

  “Rickie told me.”

  “Then he left something out. I never said I didn’t want to marry you.”

  “Then what is all this about?” Jake asked.

  “My fear. I have an incredible fear of being in front of people. I thought I got over it. It had been since high school. But it turned out to be the same thing. That’s why I ran out. In school, I auditioned for the play, got the lead, rehearsed, stepped on stage, and passed right out.” She lifted her chin. “Where do you think I got the scar from?”

  “I thought you locked your knees.” Jake cleared his throat.

  “No!” Cal screamed. “And I felt myself passing out all over again. Jake, I just wanted to know if there was another way to do this. Like sneak in the back and have Reverend Tim marry us there.”

  Jake started laughing. “You still want to marry me? And it’s only a fear problem? Cal, we can handle that. Just stay focused on me, babe.” Jake grinned and kissed her quick. “Let’s go. And here I thought . . .” Jake grunted when Cal whacked him hard in the chest. “What was that for?”

  “You dick!”

  “What?”

  “You incredibly huge, arrogant asshole!” She hit him with her flowers. “I cannot believe you said that to me about divorcing you. Making me marry you because the guests are there.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Jake!” She hit him again.

  “Cal. Knock it off.”

  “Oh, I don’t think.”

  “I do think. And it’s getting late, let’s go.”

  “I’m not marrying you now.” Cal folded her arms.

  “The hell you aren’t.”

  “The hell I am! Not until I get an apology from you.”

  “I’m lost.” Jake tossed his hands up. “For what?”

  “For being . . .” Cal hit him with the flowers, a few fell to the ground. “That . . .” Another hit. “Insensitive . . .” She hit him again, Jake backed up laughing.. “That you . . . quit laughing at me.”

  “You look really good.” Jake snatched the flowers from her hand, grabbed hold of her wrist, and yanked her into him. “But you’re too slow.” He smiled at her.

  Inside the groom’s room in the church, Chuck stood at the window with the reverend and Rickie. He released the curtain. “Okay, they’re good. Let’s get this thing started.”

  “Jake,” Cal whispered as they entered the church. “We can’t do this.”

  “Yeah we can.” He whispered back and kissed her. “You said you were afraid to walk up the aisle, right?”

  BOOM!

  The double doors to the inside of the church flung open with a huge bang as Jake stepped inside carrying Cal in his arms.

  In the midst of surprise, the organist struggled to play the wedding march. He fumbled the notes when he tried to play quickly to catch up to a moving Jake. Joyce, who was in a conversation with Annabel Roberts, flew to the front by the reverend. And Reverend Tim’s mouth opened about the same time that Chuck slowly spun to see Jake carrying Cal up the aisle.

  Billy closed his mouth tightly and slid down into his seat trying not to laugh.

  “What the hell is this?” Aldo asked in a shocked voice, watching Jake move right down the aisle toward the front.

  Jake set Cal down. Between him and Joyce, they straightened Cal’s dress. “Cal.” He asked softly. “You okay?”

  Cal’s mouth moved, but no words came out. Jake gabbed her hand, which was trembling.

  In a sideways step to Jake, Chuck approached him. “Jake, I didn’t know it was part of the best man’s responsibility. Sorry, I didn’t bring a shotgun.”

  “Ha, ha, ha.” Jake looked over his shoulder to Chuck. “Real funny, asshole.” Jake’s eyes went to Reverend Tim. “He is. Sorry.”

  Joyce braced her hands on Cal’s shoulder to make her stand straight. She mouthed the words, ‘watch her’ to Jake.

  Jake agreed. “Reverend Tim, can we begin?”

  Reverend Tim looked to his Bible and back up. “Jake.” He spoke softly. “Are you sure everything is fine with this?”

  “Oh, yeah.” Jake nodded as he smiled at Cal. “We’re fine. A bit of ochlophobia, but we’re okay. If we could just have the short, nodding version of the ceremony, please, that would be great. Thanks Reverend.” Staring at Cal and not removing his focus at all, Jake laid the side of his hand gently on the bridge of her nose. “Focus. Look only at me, okay? Only me.” He slid his hands down to grab Cal’s and winked when Cal shivered what could have been a nod. “Go on Reverend.”

  Reverend Tim cleared his throat. “The, uh, short, nodding version. Caleen, do you take Jacob to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to live in accordance to God’s will, forsaking all others, till death do you part?” There was silence. “A nod will be sufficient.”

  Cal nodded.

  Jake smiled. “Thanks.”

  Reverend Tim turned to Jake. “Do you, Jacob, take Caleen to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, for richer or poor, in sickness and in health, to live in accordance to God’s will, forsaking all others, till death do you part?”

  “Oh, yeah.” Jake’s hand went straight to Cal’s cheek. “I do.”

  “Rings?” Reverend Tim asked of Chuck.

  Chuck took a step forward and patted his jacket. “Oh, shit. I left them at home.”

  Jake peered over his shoulder at Chuck with a glare.

  Chuck grinned. “Just kidding.” He pulled out the rings and handed then to the reverend. “Thought maybe a tension breaker was due at this moment.” He stepped back. “Sorry.”

  The reverend noticed his extended hand to Jake and Cal went untouched. “Why don’t you two just put them on and I’ll say something.”

  Jake grabbed both rings. “Can you do it, Cal?”

  Cal nodded and took Jake’s ring from his hand, nearly dropping it because her hands were shaking so bad. Jake held out his hand, and, with Cal’s bad aim, the openness of the ring kept missing his finger. Reassuring her with a firm grip to her hand and eye contact, Jake led her had to place the ring on his finger. Then he took hold of Cal’s hand and slipped the ring on her finger.

  Reverend Tim began to recite the rest of the ceremony as fast as he could. “Love is never ending. A circle, unbroken. These rings you have exchanged are symbolic of the love you share. Through the vows you have exchanged along with the rings, you have shown your commitment in marriage. Now with the power invested in me, through the church and the state of North Carolina, I pronounce you husband and wife. What God has joined together let no man put asunder . . .”

  His words of finalization went through Jake. He let out
what seemed like the breath he had held forever.

  “You may kiss . . .” Reverend Tim tossed his hands up when Jake grabbed hold of Cal and began to kiss her. “Never mind. Ladies and Gentleman, may I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Lt. Col. Jacob Graison.”

  The moment the applause filled the church was the moment Jake felt Cal literally shake. He brought his lips to her ear. “It’s over now. Let’s get out of here.”

  Doing what she had done for the whole ceremony, Cal nodded, and Jake swept her up again. Facing the congregation, Cal in his arms, whose eyes were closed, Jake carried her down the aisle and out of the church.

  ^^^^

  Even though Jake wasn’t proficient in wedding receptions, he seemed to have stayed within his realm. Handling the after-dinner tradition of visiting the tables with grace, and introducing Cal to the brass that attended, it seemed like he was an old hand at it. He even got past all those cold, evil stares Joyce kept giving him all night.

  Cal was better at the reception. She didn’t quite expect for it to pick up like it did, seeing how it started out very conservatively, but the music blared, courtesy of Chuck switching the DJ at the last minute without Jake’s knowledge, ensuring that they would hear and dance to oldies and party music as opposed to Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree.

  Colonel Roberts smiled in the odd relaxed moment he saw Jake, standing on the side of the dance floor, holding a drink, loosened up some, no longer wearing his jacket, and his sleeves rolled up. “Jake. Having a good time?”

  “A blast.”

  “Is that a sarcastic answer?” Colonel Roberts indicated to Cal who danced with Joyce on the floor.

  “No, sir. I am. I like watching Cal dance. I’m considering it part of the wedding night preparations.” Jake, in a rare moment, flashed a smile to Colonel Roberts.

  “Glad you’re enjoying yourself.”

  “Immensely. I especially enjoyed watching everyone do that Poking Dance, where they wiggled their arms and legs.”

  “The Hokey Pokey.”

  “That’s the one.”

  Colonel Roberts saw Cal coming Jake’s way when the music switched to a slow song. “I’ll leave you be. Here comes your wife.”

  Jake grinned. “My wife.”

  Cal approached Jake just as Colonel Roberts left. She grabbed his hand. “Jake, you did such a great job on this wedding. I’m proud of you.”

  “Thanks Cal.”

  “Dance with me.”

  “I knew this was a bribe. No. I don’t dance Cal.”

  “Just one time tonight. Please.”

  “Cal, I don’t dance. Just like you don’t say vows, I don’t dance. Why do you think Rickie stood in for me during the bridal dance? I’m watching you, though, so it counts.”

  Cal shook her head with a chuckle. As she turned from Jake, Billy was walking to her. “Hey Bill.”

  “Cal.” Billy looked up to Jake. “Can I dance with the bride?”

  “Yes.” Jake took a drink.

  Billy grabbed hold of Cal’s hand. “Thanks, Jake.” He led her out onto the dance floor. And cordially, in an old fashioned mode, he cupped her hand while laying his other hand with a firmness to her back. “You look really great.”

  “Thanks. Jake did good on the gown, huh?”

  “Surprisingly,” Billy commented as they moved about slowly, their faces close.

  “You having a good time?” Cal asked.

  “A very good time. I really like the short nodding ceremony.”

  “Oh, God.” Cal lowered her head in embarrassment. “A wedding to remember.”

  “I’d say.”

  “I saw you talking to the Vice President.”

  “Yeah. He let me do an interview. Rickie . . . get this, Rickie had him doing shots.”

  Cal laughed. “Is that why he was so loud?”

  “Yeah. And did you hear him going on and on about the president?” Billy snickered. “At one point I quoted him as saying, ‘often he finds himself wishing the president would just trip down the white house steps and get his reign over with, because he’s a pain in the ass.’” Seeing that he got a good laugh out of Cal, Billy pulled her just a little bit closer and continued to dance.

  “Sarge.” Rickie nudged Jake who still watched Cal. “He’s smoothing on your wife.”

  “He is not. It’s called dancing.”

  “I see a little bit of hand-to-hand butt action going there. Don’t you?” Rickie instigated.

  “Rickie. Go find something else to do.”

  “Okay.” Rickie raised his hands. “Merely making a Rickie-meister observation. I have that keen speed racer sense, you know.”

  “Yes. Go.”

  “Going.”

  Jake returned to sipping his drink and watching Cal, until he saw Rickie, though the corner of his eye, sneaking off. “Rickie! Put back our wedding cards!” Jake set down his drink and proceeded to chase Rickie who now ran carrying the small white box.

  Caldwell Research Institute - Atlanta, GA

  April 9th - 11:55 p.m.

  Had the meeting room not had its door open, Dr. Jefferson wouldn’t have seen Greg sitting alone in there, papers and folders stacked up and covered the table. At the point when Dr. Jefferson was walking by, he saw Greg, looking so tired, stretching back and rubbing his eyes. He knocked once on the door. “This is what I call burning the midnight oil.”

  Greg snapped forward in his chair. “You too, I see.”

  “I had an experiment I had to oversee. Government regulations. You?”

  “I was waiting for the ‘OK’ as you can say.”

  “For what? Can I ask?”

  “Sure.” Greg waved Dr. Jefferson in. “Waiting to see that we got an answer and our offer was taken.”

  “On?”

  “The location of Iso-Stasis Thirteen.” He handed Dr. Jefferson a folder.

  Dr. Jefferson sat down as he opened it. “At this cost?”

  “No, lower. Carrington Island. Located a hundred and twenty-five miles Northeast of Hawaii. Fully equipped research facility, vacant now. A couple years ago a chemical gas explosion wiped out anything that breathed on that island and no one has returned.”

  “Until now,” Dr. Jefferson said. “Is it big?”

  “Small, but it has a lot we can use.” Greg took a moment to yawn. “I’m encouraged about this. I wanted it, and I really didn’t think Carrington would sell, but he did. However, part of the sales agreement was that we could not publically disclose anything that we inadvertently find remaining on that island.”

  “Sounds ominous,” Dr. Jefferson commented.

  “Par for the course with the Iso-Stasis experiment, wouldn’t you say?”

  With so much agreement, Dr. Jefferson nodded. “So now what?”

  “Now we finalize the monetary aspect of the deal. I have plans to start tearing down what we don’t need and building what we do next month.”

  “Looks like you are on a roll.”

  “Yep.” Greg was exhausted, but he still held a pleasing smile. “Plans are complete and set in motion. Starting first thing Monday morning, we officially move into the preliminary preparation phase of our Iso-Stasis Thirteen.”

  BOOK TWO

  THE PROCESS

  TWO YEARS LATER

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Caldwell Research Institute - Atlanta, GA

  December 3rd - 10:00 a.m.

  He was a heavy set man, short black hair that had thinned a little. His voice was raspy as if he had smoked too much for too long. He was a truck driver, and if his resume could say it, it would say that Lou Collins was probably a bully when he was a kid at school. But now, at thirty-five years old, he just looked the part.

  He sat behind a table, arms folded across his stomach that protruded some in the white tee shirt he wore. He rocked back and forth in a chair that was not meant to rock, and he spoke to the camera as if it was his best friend. “Loveable,” Lou said. “I’m just a big teddy bear. I think my biggest asset to th
e experiment would be that I can get people motivated. Okay, well, maybe not really motivated to do anything important, but if they aren’t hungry, I can get them to eat. Some of my favorite . . .”

  Greg turned off the video. “He completed his introductory tape this morning,” he said to Stan.

  Stan lifted his head, his face dark and suntanned from his time spent on the island where the experiment would be held. “How come you’re not showing any more?”

  “Well, basically, he just goes on to sing a few verses of his all-time favorite Broadway hit. Not necessary. It came down to him and Skirret, and we chose him. Skirret can be an option if we get a no from Collins.”

  Stan nodded. He had matured, given the responsibility and promotion of being Head Controller on the island during the experiment. “We’re setting up things on the island for a ‘yes’. You don’t think we’re gonna get one?”

  “We’ll get a maybe.” Greg pulled out a chair and sat down. “We’ll have to wait and see until we have the final meeting and everything is explained. I look for a phone call today. So . . . you didn’t tell me. This is your third experiment with us. What do you make of the tapes instead of manuscripts to introduce the participants to each other?”

  “Personally?” Stan leaned back. “Others are talking and saying that it’s weak and a way to save time and money. Me, I’m looking at it from a different point of view.”

  “Which is?”

  “I like it. It’s straight forward and cuts to the chase. I mean, no waiting until they all meet for someone not to like this Lou guy, right? Someone is gonna get annoyed with him and cop an attitude before they even get there. So, therefore, the personality conflict begins before the experiment does.”

  “Amongst other things.” Greg spoke assuredly.

  Stan smiled. “Well, of course, it wouldn’t be the Iso-Stasis if that didn’t happen.”

  Fort Bragg, North Carolina

  December 3rd - 10:30 a.m.

  “Lieutenant Colonel Graison, Sir.” Corporal Grimes, Jake’s secretary, entered the room.