Jack and I were motionless, and I was remembering the wars of our original era. This didn’t look nuclear, but the rending of the buildings was just as fatal. This was open war, and it wouldn’t go unnoticed. The peaceful interlude between my husband and I evaporated, and we were gripping each other’s hands. I turned to him slowly, opening my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. The news had returned to the desk of the station that broadcasted here from Origin, and the reporters were getting people’s reactions to the bombing.
“They’ll be watching, Jack,” I said. “They’ll see this, and they’ll know we’re a threat again.”
“Maybe, kid. But it’s possible they’re engaged in their own dramas, and we’re no longer on their radar,” he said unconvincingly, but I clung to his words like a drowning woman.
“The Director said … well, she said they’d be watching. And that as universal citizens we couldn’t be seen as the destructive force we have a history of being,” I argued.
“There’s nothing we can do about it now. We’ll find out what we can tomorrow. It’s late, and I’ve missed you. Let’s just go to bed, ok? I’m not feeling well, and I think you could help me with that.”
He was certainly back to his usual self, full of innuendo and friskiness. But my worry over him had been replaced now by war elsewhere in the world. He nuzzled my neck, and I felt myself begin to relax. It had been so long since he’d touched me, and I wondered if I should forgive him so easily. But he had turned off the news, and I decided there truly wasn’t anything I could do about the state of the world right now, so I let him lead me to bed. There, we reunited as if no time had passed, as if no tension had been straining our relationship. My mind briefly wandered to the perfect face of Alyssa, the woman who had been able to share a bond with my husband I’d never be able to understand, and I forced myself to not think about her in the midst of my intimacy with Jack. He was present, and with me, and not with anyone else. The world could be falling apart once again, but as long as we were a family, there was hope. And so for a little while, we forgot our troubles and cleaved to one another.
CHAPTER NINE
I awoke to the sounds of Lulu preparing breakfast by herself, the sun dim but warm through the bedroom window. I stretched and yawned, enjoying the sensation of my love-roughened skin in the big bed Jack and I shared. I was content, despite the steady thread of stress I was feeling over the world’s, and our, situation. Jack and I had been together again, and so I had a little hope that things would work out. They had to. Rolling over, I found a note Jack had left. He used to do that when we’d first found each other here in Origin, and I relished the scrawling script that told me he’d gone into the clinic early and hadn’t wanted to wake me, but that he was feeling much better after our night together. Smiling, I hauled myself out of bed and plodded toward the kitchen to find my daughter eating at the kitchen counter.
“How’d you sleep, Owl?” I asked, the smile still on my face. She noticed the change in my demeanor, and it seemed to lift a heavy weight off her narrow shoulders.
“Fine, Mom. Daddy left before I could tell him about my class project today. I’m going to show the other kids how to teach Bouncy to come when you call his name.”
I wasn’t alarmed at this declaration, and instead just ruffled her hair. If the teacher was concerned with my daughter’s ability to train a rabbit, I no longer cared. The other students would have to deal with my daughter’s uniqueness, too. And the Super Moms. I almost laughed at my change of heart. That I wasn’t stressing out over this was quite a change, and a testament to how good I felt.
“Well hurry up, so we’re not late. I’ll drop you off at school and go teach Charlie how to come when I call her, how does that sound?” Lulu giggled in response, and I made my way to the shower. I spent a little extra time on my appearance, knowing how much Jack loved it when I coiled my hair up in the front and left the rest of it hanging like a black blanket down my back. I longed to go for a run, if only to let my mind be free of the worldly worries the evening news had brought the night before. I’d call Eva when I got the chance and grill her about this new weaponry the people on Continent Four had gotten ahold of as well as question her about Jack’s memories.
On the train ride to Lulu’s school, I gazed out the windows despite the vertigo it always caused me. The trains went at speeds topping 300 mph, but the flashes of the city that rushed by were suddenly more precious to me. I wanted to feel like a true citizen, along with my family. I vowed to become a more active member in Original society. Lulu watched my face carefully, and I made sure to smile reassuringly at her as often as I could without arousing her suspicion. But her returning smiles told me she had relaxed back into her childhood.
Out at the station, I found my team engaged in lively discussion over the news that a bomb had been deployed, and what that meant for the city of Origin. Nick was describing the technology that had been used, and his tone was one of grudging respect. The girls were incredulous, and Elizabeth was clearly more tense than any of us. The rule of the Travelers and their Eaters had affected her deeply, and her fear that they would return was evident on her face.
“Enough of this. Let’s get Charlie into the curriculum for today, guys,” I said, hoping I didn’t sound too authoritative.
“But Mina, those gravitational disruptors are amazing weapons. They’ve found ways to use the technology in handheld guns. They actually distort spacetime in waves that move at the speed of light!” Nick was enthusiastic about these advancements, but Marilyn was averse to it all.
“You know the hell Mina went through, bargaining with the Director over the fate of humanity, Nick. How could you think any of this is cool?” Marilyn chastised. I flinched at the mention of the Director, but grabbed Charlie’s hand and led her to her chair. She had been listening intently to the conversation and seemed unworried. I envied her.
“Look, besides the fact that these weapons just killed innocent people is the danger of getting the attention of the Travelers. And I am very aware of that. But can we please focus on our work today? There’s nothing we can do about any of it right now,” I said, my tone indicating that the topic was closed for discussion. Elizabeth looked relieved, sighing and brushing back a wisp of blonde hair before turning her attention to Charlie’s pile of fruit. The others quieted their bickering then, and soon we were enthralled with Charlie’s abilities to form whole sentences that conveyed complex emotions like empathy, altruism toward the rest of her troop, and even jealousy. I wasn’t surprised at how adept she was at learning, but that didn’t stop me from feeling awe at the wonder of the primate. Marilyn had given her a new hair bow, this one colored purple. Charlie was gazing into my face and making the sign for “pretty” when my communicator began its singsong tones indicating an incoming call. I felt a slight annoyance at being distracted from my work, and that the little “phone” was separate from my computer, which recorded all our pertinent daily data. My irritation at the intrusive technology disappeared when I saw Eva’s face pop up, and I stepped away from my team to start questioning her about the bombing. Thoughts of Jack were close behind, and I hoped I’d be able to broach that topic, too.
“We’re all freaking out, Eva. Please tell me the Facility has better security over its weapons than the one on Continent Four. And really, you should know more than any other researcher the danger of developing these things in the first place …” I was in the middle of my diatribe when I noticed her eyes were glistening with tears. I stopped short, and saw she was struggling to speak. A sudden dread filled my chest and belly, the heaviness causing my breath to snag.
“Mina. Listen … I can’t … it’s Jack.” Eva stammered, and her lower lip trembled. She brought a hand up to her forehead as if there was a pain there, and I leaned against the log wall for support.
“What. What? Tell me.” I murmured this, suddenly sure that the world was ending not only for me but for all life.
“He … he began to … morph again. And other clones, the
same ones as before, the same ones we cured. We cured them, I swear it, Mina. There’s no possible way they could be changing again … All around the world, here in the city … they’re morphing again and we got word from Jack’s clinic that he …”
“God,” I uttered, and sank to the floor. So it was true. His muscle aches and memories returning had been a prelude to this. To the horror of morphing into a monster once more.
“But listen, Mina, they aren’t fully changing. They’re stuck between human and … Eater. It doesn’t seem they’re going to morph any further, but they can’t speak to any of us here at the Facility to tell us what’s going on. And no one’s been hurt … we just don’t know, it all happened so fast. We’ve got them all in containment units here just to be on the safe side. It’s a cage, Mina, but you have to trust they’re in the safest place they can be. We have to be sure they don’t become Eaters again, please understand …” She trailed off, but then her voice became steadier when explaining the science to me. My brain was shutting down in increments, and my limbs were following. My team was somewhere near me, holding me up and taking over in conversation with Eva. Nick held my communication device while Marilyn held a cup of water to my stiff lips, and I dutifully drank it. All I could think was, what would I tell Lulu? I had to get to her, keep her safe. If they were becoming Eaters again, they’d be unable to control themselves. They’d kill and eat any Original, child or adult, if they got free of the Facility. I heard Eva’s voice continue, Nick questioning her sharply.
“They’re all here,” I heard Eva tell Nick, who had taken over the questioning. “All the clones who are changing. I need Mina to come as soon as possible, do you think she’s able?” Eva’s voice was full of pain and concern, but it couldn’t begin to match the agony I was feeling. This couldn’t be happening, not to us, not again. Yet here it was, the reality, slapping me in my face.
“We’ll help her to the train. She needs to get her daughter. Give her some time to find someone to watch Lulu,” Elizabeth said, sounding authoritative and looking cool and collected compared to the rest of us.
Yes, who would watch Lulu? I could go to the school and hope her friend Caitlin’s parents were able to take her … what would I tell them? If they knew Jack was morphing again they might think taking Lulu was too dangerous … what were their names? Ron and … my mind wandered, trying to think of the friendly couple’s names. Snap out of this, I warned myself. This wasn’t the most horrible thing to happen to me, to us, in both our lifetimes. I could get ahold of my emotions and be a mother to Lulu and a wife to Jack.
Standing abruptly and surprising the others, I took the phone from Elizabeth’s hands, and before she could protest I said, “Eva. I’m coming to Jack. Just … don’t hurt him, ok? He’s probably terrified. If he’s still in semi-human form, then he’s still with us. Promise me you won’t hurt him, or the others?” My voice was firm, my hand steady.
“We’re doing everything we can, Mina, and you must know we’re capable of quite a lot here. We’ll find a solution. Get here when you can.” With that, she logged off. I stood for a moment in silence, my team watching me carefully for cracks in the veneer of my sanity. Confident I had control of myself once again, I grabbed my bag from the console. Charlie had been sitting quietly, watching the drama unfolding. I signed to her that she needed to go home now, and I sent my mind out to connect with hers to reassure her that all would be well. Her eyes were wise in response, and Elizabeth took her hand to lead her out into the forest. They stopped at the door on the way down the steps, and both looked back at me. Elizabeth gave a wan smile, and then they were gone. Nick and Marilyn insisted on driving me to the train, but at that point I’d leave them to go get Lulu at her school.
On the train, I scrutinized the faces of the passengers. Did they know Origin was perhaps on the brink of being overtaken by terror once more? But not a single person seemed to show any concern or fear. Perhaps word hadn’t gotten out yet about the morphing clones, and the Facility had kept a lid on things. I could only hope. I checked my communicator for the time, and saw that it was near the usual hour Lulu’s school let out, so I wouldn’t be disrupting her day or arousing too much suspicion by taking her out early. That meant that finding Caitlin’s parents would be easier, and I felt some relief at that. My palms were slick on the plush seats, and I wiped them dry on my tunic. I warned myself once more to keep it together, if only for my kid. The train slid effortlessly into the platform, and I disembarked on legs that felt stiff and wooden. I felt grateful that the escalators would take me down to the walkway, and that walking from there wasn’t too far. The marble columns of Lulu’s school loomed over me as if they somehow knew my terror and disapproved. I rushed through the milling children and parents to find Lulu, and with a sigh of relief, saw her standing with Caitlin and her parents. Their friendly, open faces showed some concern when they saw me, and I attempted to release my face from the rictus of terror it was arranged in.
“Dr. Brice, are you alright? You look like you’ve seen a ghost!” said Caitlin’s mother, and I remembered her name was Irene. Lulu was alarmed, too, and I had to try to be a calm maternal presence. She was a genius, but she was also a little girl.
“We’re having some …difficulty right now. Would it be ok if she went home with you today? I’ll come get her as soon as I can. I’m sorry to impose but there’s no one else I can ask …”
Their concern was a soothing balm to my frayed emotions, as they agreed to take Lulu, no other questions asked. I hunkered down to look into Lulu’s face.
“Daddy’s sick. He’s going to be ok, I promise, but I have to go and be with him now. You’ll be able to see him soon,” I assured her. Her brown eyes had grown wider, and she was gripping my hand.
“I don’t want to leave you, Mommy.” It was rare for her to cling to me like this.
“Go with Caitlin and have some fun, ok? And be good for her parents. Maybe you can tell them about your project with Bouncy. What do you say?” She needed to be someplace away from this current drama. At least until I was sure it was truly safe for her to return to me, to Jack …
I stood up before Lulu could argue, and thanked Caitlin’s parents once more. Their daughter hadn’t said anything during this entire exchange, and I looked into her young face to see if she was at all worried. I saw a five-year-old pretty much unconcerned with adult issues and felt a pang of regret that now, of all times, my own daughter was so perceptive and in tune with the grown-up world.
Breathing in some humid air to steady myself, I looked up at the sky and noticed how seemingly indifferent our nearest star was. I wondered if the Travelers were watching this new melodrama enfolding on our planet. I shot a glance behind me to see that Lulu and Caitlin had left with the adults and turned to go back to the train, imagining what awaited me at the Facility. Then I heard a cool voice call my name. My stomach lurched. It was Kendra, and as I turned back around, noticed her entire flock was convened behind her.
“Dr. Brice. I can’t believe you’d show your face here, where all these children are. We’ve heard what’s happening with the clones again. You may recall my husband is on the board at the Facility. We knew it was a mistake for you and your husband to enroll your spawn here.” The cruelty in the way she spat the word out was a gut punch. The Super Moms were a clique of bullies I had always tried to be nice to, trying to find things in common with them. Now here they had their perfect reason to discriminate against me and my family. Gone were the veiled threats and innuendos. This was straight out bigotry.
My hands clenched into fists and I felt myself grow more furious and less cowed. They thought my perfect, wonderful daughter was spawn.
“So your husband is back to being the grotesque monster he always was,” Kendra continued, her gaggle of droids merely nodding as if everything she said was scripture. “You had better believe we will make sure that not only is your daughter kicked out of this prestigious establishment,” she gestured to the building behind her
, “but that no other schools in Origin will take her. Our education system is only for Originals, not clones or the offspring of monsters.” She was satisfied with herself at this, her frigid smile playing up her stony features. I took a step toward her and her gaggle, drawing myself up to my full height. I’d had enough, and it was clear they were at least a little afraid of me.
“You know Kendra, I don’t have time to waste engaging you and your congregation in some pathetic attempt for validation.” I waited a beat, ensuring I had their attention. “Being a clone isn’t as bad as you Originals might think it is. There are some benefits that you couldn’t ever imagine.” I let my voice slide out of me with oily intent, and I noticed several other people stopping to listen to this exchange. Good, I wanted an audience.
“My husband and I are clones, yes. And I KNOW you’re terrified of us. Perhaps you should be, on some level. We are smarter than you, and we know how to love each other better than you ever will. You’re truly pathetic. Now, get out of my way.” I stepped toward Kendra, my fists clenched and my spine ramrod straight. She flinched, and backed down. Her acolytes followed suit, and before they could recover enough to start in on me again, I turned and made my way to the train. Enough of that immature display, those women could fight amongst themselves and within their own little pecking order. I’d established my superiority for now, much like a nonhuman primate assuming hierarchical dominance in the wild. I had to get to Jack. A knife of fear sliced through me at what awaited me at the Facility. Whatever it was, I would have to be able to bear it.
CHAPTER TEN
The train seemed interminably slow although it sped along at the same rate it always had. My intense worry had become a physical pain as each passing train station brought me closer to the Facility. Then, finally, the familiar building loomed above the platform, and I was practically running off the train and down the escalators to reach it. Several researchers, their white uniforms giving them away, stopped to watch me rush past. Surely they knew by now that I was responding to the current crisis. They had clones in there, all of them stuck in a nightmare reality of half human and half Eater. But they remained professional and businesslike, and I didn’t stop at the front desk to announce my presence to reception or security. I’d been here often enough to know my way around the airy, echoing halls of the Facility. It was unlike any other buildings in Origin, which were usually closed off due to the solar panels covering them. I didn’t slow down to admire the cheerful light spilling in onto the terracotta floors of the lobby. Jack was the only thought that was blaring in my mind, and I almost didn’t notice Eva waiting for me at the entrance of one of the vast hallways. Several employees rushed by, on their way to a whispering door that slid open to reveal a cavernous room. I was craning my neck to see into the room when Eva grabbed my elbow, trying to get my attention.
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