by Kate Tailor
Agatha raised her palm clearly indicating he should stop. “There’s no fraternizing. One of the benefits of having our girls in Chicago and New York is that we don’t have to worry about people being distracted.”
“Because that would give us something to fill the time,” Dale said under his breath.
Raleigh scrunched up her nose. Agatha had explained Raleigh to them, but she was yet to explain them to Raleigh. “How is it that they create Lucidin?”
“We forgot to tell you!” Agatha touched her head. “We got so caught up in discussing the Designed that I neglected to mention the Modified.”
Dale sighed loudly. “That’s us. We were modified as fertilized eggs to make Lucidin.”
“I thought you didn’t feel that was ethically right.” Raleigh instantly regretted saying those words in front of Quinn and Dale.
Agatha quickly explained. “It was a backup plan... after we realized there might be a problem. The Modified are about five years younger than the Designed. They have no receptors. As you suggested, they only make Lucidin. We modified babies from fertility clinics. The Lucidin has absolutely no effect on them at all because they don’t have receptors. They’re normal in every other way. No sensing. No influencing.”
Quinn leaned back shrugging. “It isn’t bad. We’re normal. I wouldn’t even know what Lucidin was if they hadn’t told me. Grant and Able called our parents and said we had a ‘blood’ disorder and now pay us for our Lucidin.”
“We weren’t moved here until recently,” Dale said. “A few months ago.”
Agatha led Raleigh to a chair. “Safety concerns arose. Once we captured the two Designed, we worried the other eight would retaliate. We needed to keep Dale and Quinn safe. Having them here makes that possible.”
Raleigh wanted to ask if they were infertile, too, like the Designed. That wasn’t an appropriate question, plus, she wasn’t supposed to know that about the Designed. Dale and Quinn did appear normal. With Dale’s chubby face and Quinn’s uneven teeth, it was clear that just the Lucidin had been messed with.
“Let’s get you started.” Agatha attached the equipment.
“Are there more Modified?” asked Raleigh.
Stepping back Agatha turned on the machine. “Yes. So far Dale and Quinn are the only two we’ve needed to contact. Their Lucidin has given us a one-up on capturing the Designed.”
Of course, it had. Sigma had accused Raleigh of giving them hers. Raleigh assumed that the Designed didn’t know about the Modified, or they would’ve mentioned something.
“So here’s a TV and a remote.” Agatha used it to turn on the television. “Just relax, and I’ll be back in twenty minutes or so.”
“Where are you from?” Quinn asked.
“Colorado.”
“You’re lucky you’re here. This is the coolest job ever. All we have to do is give extractions twice a day and we’re set. Nothing else is expected. You can spend the day by the pool or improving your gaming.”
Neither gaming or the pool appealed to her. “That sounds nice.”
Dale stared at the ceiling. “It’s damn boring. All this free time gets old fast. I’m hoping that they capture all the Designed so that we can get out of here and on with our lives.”
“We’re an important part of that,” Quinn said. “They couldn’t have caught Mu and Tau without us. Those are their names, because, you know, they’re monster lab freaks.”
Dale and Quinn obviously viewed their situation differently.
“Agatha didn’t describe them quite like that.” She glanced at the free chairs. “Do they extract here too, the captured Designed?”
With wide eyes, Dale shook his head. “No! That would be too dangerous. They’re locked up somewhere, but nowhere near us. That’s the one good thing. We get to sit back and let the Receps do the work. I wouldn’t want to go up against them.”
“I don’t think I’m going to have that luck. I’m training with Gabe and the others tomorrow.”
Dale said, “Of course, you have receptors.”
Quinn lifted his free hand motioning excitedly. “They’re so cool. You’ve gotta tell us what they’re like.”
“I’ll keep you posted.” She wished she could muster up that sort of excitement. The Receps topped the list of things she dreaded about Grant and Able.
17
THE ANTICIPATION OF meeting the Receps woke Raleigh early. She slipped into the extraction room before breakfast. The bakery hours gave her an appreciation for getting things done early, and the desert morning was serene and beautiful. No doubt the sun would work tirelessly to scorch the Earth, but in the early hours it was no more than a threat.
She’d just finished the extraction when the door clicked open. Her eyes jumped to the entrance, surprised that one of the Modified would be up this early. Gabe strolled in stopping a few paces from her, his legs a shoulder width apart. “Are you ready for today?”
“Yes.” She got up from the chair, and the two of them exited the extraction room and then the building as a whole. The early Arizona desert smelled of dust, flowers, and sunscreen. Out of her pocket she withdrew a white cotton sweatband that she adjusted into place over the port. “Where are we going?”
“I’ve pointed out the dorms, where the Receps and I live. That two-story building with windows is the lab. We’re going to the gym over there.”
The different buildings stood out from one another. The dorms were similar to the ones at the university she’d applied to. The gym had a large dome. She pictured basketball courts and a track underneath it. As they walked past the buildings, she almost missed a small cement bunker off to the side.
Gabe didn’t say anything about the simple structure with high windows and metal doors that gave the impression of an enlarged maintenance shed. Even after her extraction, she could surmise that there were people inside. Creating a visor with her hands, she squinted. The building had a small keypad to the right of the door. Raleigh didn’t ask Gabe about it. If he wanted her to know, he would’ve told her. Maybe Mu and Tau were closer than Dale said. They’d have to be someplace secure. Why not there? Later she would check it out. For now, she stayed on course to the gym.
The wide clear doors to the gym slid open. The dust from outside collected on the mat inside the door, otherwise it was spotless. Chlorine and cleaning solvent competed in the air. They faced a glassed-in room, where the waters of an Olympic-sized pool rested pristine and unbroken. Signs for weight rooms and yoga centers pointed the way further down the hall.
“All this for the Receps?” With training an army, she’d expected something more functional, like a shooting range.
“And you and the researchers. That’s why we have a women’s locker room.” The tour ended in front of a large door with a little metallic symbol of a lady. “Agatha left clothes for you in locker ten.”
“Why do I need special clothes for mostly mind work?”
“Lucidin gives us a better understanding of our bodies, and usually, a person has to be mentally and physically fit before they can move onto sensing and influencing. Only a small portion of our time is spent on working with Lucidin. The rest is focused on fitness and team building. When you go into the field, the guys you train with here will be your team.”
“I’ll get ready then.”
The panel of white lockers sat untouched. The only noise passing through the narrow cavern of a room was the low rumble of an air conditioner. Raleigh found locker ten and opened it. Folded in neat squares was a set of workout clothes. Black, like the ones she’d seen the Receps in the cafeteria wear. She slid out of her clothes and pulled the new cotton shirt over her head. It hung loosely on her, not snug. The shorts too were unflattering and shapeless. It didn’t matter, she had no one to impress. Lacing up her shoes, she wondered who made the foolish choice of black clothes in a place as sunny as Arizona.
Leaving the locker room, she discovered Gabe waiting for her. His eyes raked over her, from her head down to her feet. “
Good. You’re going to fit in.”
“Yeah, hopefully. Is this what it was like when you started?”
“I started before the massacre, so, no. Things were more lighthearted then, a lot of fooling around and pranks.”
“Things are less fun now?”
“Things are more serious. But don’t worry, it’s still a lot of fun.”
The quiet building wasn’t unoccupied. Raleigh sensed the room full of men before they entered the meditations room. Inside around twenty guys loafed around, some sitting cross-legged on the floor, others yawning. A few spoke in hushed voices.
“The newest arrival is always overseen by the second newest.” Gabe put a hand on her shoulder, halting her near a young man. He was about her age, with cropped brown hair and wide brown eyes. “Adam, you’re in charge of bringing Raleigh up to speed.” Gabe went to the front of the room to talk to a few of the Receps.
“I’m Adam.” The guy said as he rocked on the balls of his feet, his raised eyebrows made him less severe than some of the others.
“Raleigh.”
“You’re a girl.” Not a question, more an observation said aloud. “All right, Raleigh, first things first, we all dose up before class. Just go over to that machine and scan your thumb.”
In the corner sat a large vending machine with a short line of Receps waiting to use it. The nearest one put his finger on the scanner and a door opened, revealing a vial. He injected its contents, disposed of the needle, and covered his port with a sweatband. Their ports, like Brent’s, were smaller. Raleigh sensed that Adam had already dosed, the Lucid clawing through him and the other guys. It was different than hers and Rho’s. It erratically hit their receptors and nerves. She recalled Agatha saying they used the synthetic to stretch the real Lucid.
Adam gave her a sympathetic grimace. “It’s a bit weird to see people taking it. Needles suck, but at least you have your port. Go over and dose up.”
“I’m good for now.”
“Gabe already showed you the machine? He personally recruited you, too, didn’t he? That’s where he and Agatha have been. They rarely take such an interest. Most of us are thrown in, helps with the camaraderie. What percentile are you in?”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m in the ninety-seventh percentile. Anyone over the ninety-sixth should be able to influence, but it’s tough. Those guys standing around Gabe are both ninety-nine.”
“What’s Gabe?”
“One hundredth. He should’ve told you what you were.”
“He didn’t mention it.” Percentiles didn’t matter. Like Brent had said to Collin, she redefined their curves.
“You should find out. It determines the hierarchy around here. You shouldn’t feel bad about being in the ninety-sixth, if that’s where you are. It’s not as though you won’t be capable of influencing. You’ll just have to work harder. That redhead over there, Carter, he’s a ninety-sixth, and he’s doing fine.”
“All right, everyone!” Gabe hollered, and silence replaced the chatter. “We have a new Recep. Her name is Raleigh.”
Raleigh waved. None of them waved back. In a roomful of girls, there would’ve probably been some kind smiles. As it was, they showed no emotion about her.
Gabe pointed to one of the ninety-ninth percentile guys. “Dustin, do you want to lead meditation?”
Dustin jumped up—like the prized student who clamors for the teacher’s attention. But it wasn’t grade school, and Gabe wasn’t a traditional teacher.
“Let’s start with some yoga,” Dustin said.
Years ago, Raleigh had taken a yoga class at the Y. She recalled some poses, but it didn’t give her much of an edge. The Receps were surprisingly limber. Adam kept whispering points about technique, but Raleigh wasn’t flexible enough. By the end, her muscles were shaky and aching. At least it was followed by twenty minutes of quiet meditation.
Gabe wove through the Receps that sat cross-legged in neat rows. “Now that you’re all feeling centered, find a partner, and we’ll work on our Lucidin exercises.”
Adam gave Raleigh a worried look. He clearly expected her Lucidin skills to be on par with her yoga ones. “Did you do any sensing during your home training?”
“You could say that.”
Gabe interrupted before Adam could ask what that meant. “Adam, you’re with Wyatt. I’ll be working with Raleigh.”
“Not with Dustin?”
“Dustin will be fine. Get to it before the drug wears off.”
Adam gave Raleigh a meek smile and then dashed off.
Gabe watched him leave and turned to Raleigh. “I’m going to tell you how influencing works, and then you can try. Do you have enough Lucidin in your system?”
“Yeah.”
Gabe gave her the rundown on how to influence. It was word for word the way Rho’d put it. There must be some influencing handbook they quoted from, or some teacher they both had who first described it the way they did now. Her back bristled under the scrutiny of so many pairs of eyes sizing her up. Recep culture was competitive. Gabe finished up the explanations, his facial expression not unlike Collin’s when talking to Rho. She wondered if they’d known each other.
“Earth to Raleigh.” Gabe snapped his fingers. “Am I making this too complicated for you?”
“No. I was just thinking of all the ways I could use influencing.”
“Influencing has many uses, but you have to master the basics first. Will me to feel pain in my finger.”
“You really want me to make your finger hurt?”
“You probably won’t be able to do it... right away.”
That certainly wasn’t going to be the case. Lying was one thing, but scaling down her skills was something she didn’t know how to do. The last thing she needed was for him to figure out that she was holding back. She focused on his finger causing the nerves to shock, as if being pricked by a pin.
Instinctually, he shook his hand. “Great! I knew you were going to be great at this.”
A nearby pair took notice of them.
She glared at Gabe. “Shh. I’m not ready for them to know yet.”
“Why not?”
These guys made her skin crawl, the last thing she needed was for them to know her secret. Collin had been jealous of her. The fact that she produced the Lucid they needed to inject created an uncomfortable dynamic. It would establish her as their superior, and she knew it was easier to bond with equals.
“Are you going to answer me?” asked Gabe.
Raleigh attempted to explain herself. “How am I going to fit in with them if they think I’m better? Do you really like that kid who shows you up?”
Gabe rubbed his chin, his eyes taking in his students. “They’ll be envious.”
“I’d rather have them as friends than admirers.”
“Then tell them on your terms. But be aware, there are plenty of ways they surpass you, and they don’t hold back.”
“Noted.”
They had a chance to prove Gabe right. The next activity on the schedule was basketball. One by one they marched down the hall to a large gym. It smelled of rubber and sweat. She’d watched Lana and Ben compete in sports, but with her blackouts it hadn’t been realistic for her. The Recep voices filled up the large space altering the mood from a quiet to loud one. Gabe gave a speech about how this would strengthen their bodies and teamwork. Then he assigned captains, and they selected teams. The captains picked Raleigh last, but at least she was with Adam.
Gabe blew his whistle, and the guys jumped into action. Raleigh’s team had the first chance with the ball, and they raced towards the basket. She reached the other side after the others but had a clean shot. Waving her arms in the air, she signaled she wanted the ball. Her teammate turned to her, scrunched his nose, and passed it to another Recep who missed.
Now, the opposition had their turn. They stampeded down the court.
“Hey, Ninety-Seven, throw it to me!” Dustin shouted to his teammate with the ball, who obeyed.
Raleigh reached half court as he sunk a basket. Her teammates joined in a chorus of groans and then went back to the game. Now her team had the ball a second time, and again the other team found no point in guarding her. This time she positioned herself right under the hoop, it would be an easy shot, she’d played enough times with Ben in driveway back home to make it.
“Here!” She yelled.
The boy reluctantly threw it to her. With the textured ball in her hand, she rocked on her feet the way her father had taught her. Extending her arms, her hands propelled it towards the basket. She could picture the part of the backboard it would hit. She was going to get a basket. Then Dustin’s hand flew up, knocking the ball off course.
“Should have stayed home, Ninety-Six.” He laughed, barreling past her and knocking her arm.
“Maybe you’d be better as a healer,” one of them suggested after the botched basket. “That’s where all the other girls go. Why aren’t you there?”
“Because I’m here to train.”
She gave it her all, with each step she stretched her legs to keep up with theirs. Her lungs wheezed from the dry air that she roughly inhaled. Even with her efforts, she failed to keep up. They sneered at her, her team’s loss falling on her shoulders.
By the time Gabe’s whistle pierced the air, she was more than ready for practice to end. The day proved that these guys wouldn’t be won over easily. Their camaraderie had to be earned. Being a girl, and a novice to Grant and Able, were two obstacles. It didn’t help that Gabe favored her. The Receps were condescending to her, making her rethink hiding her percentile. If they knew, there was still no guarantee that they’d treat her better. It certainly hadn’t endeared her to Collin. He hated her more for it. No. She would keep her head down.
Everyone headed toward the locker room. They prodded and teased one another, their jabs echoing down the hall. She turned the opposite direction towards her locker room, the sound of the air conditioning blasting the silence.
Gabe jogged over to her before she could duck inside to the privacy of the white room. “Don’t worry, things will get easier. You’ll be sore tomorrow. It would be a good idea to skip training. Agatha wants to give you a tour of the lab. You’ll be back here the day after tomorrow. Clean up and then get some lunch.”