“Eve,” a familiar voice called from behind me. As I turned, I recognized Dr. Beeson. His smile was bright as he approached me. “I was just looking for you. You’re companion, Avian, said you were still resting.”
“I overslept,” I said simply as we stood together.
“Would you mind chatting with me for a while? I’m dying of curiosity as to what has happened to you the past five years.”
“I suppose,” I agreed. This man didn’t seem like a threat, and even without any weapons I was quite confident I could overpower him if I had to.
We walked to the elevator, a dozen pairs of eyes watching us as we did. He pushed the number seven button and slowly we began to rise again. When it slid open I was almost startled at all the brilliant blue lights that ran through the walls, along the floor, on the ceiling.
“We use a lot of power on this floor. This level has been specially wired to keep up,” he explained.
We walked down the hall a little bit, stopping at a large solid black door. Dr. Beeson entered a code into a number pad and it clicked open.
The room we entered into glowed with the blue lights, heavily contrasted by the darkness of having no windows into the starlit night. Screens glowed from the walls, flashes of information bursting across them.
“This is my office, my lab,” he said as he looked around the room with me. For some reason all the information flashing across his screens seemed familiar, like a language I had forgotten how to speak. “Please, have a seat.”
I sat in one of the two overly comfortable black chairs, perched on the edge of it, my hands tucked between my knees.
“So, I assume you know what happened to you?” he asked, his voice losing its cheeriness. He had that slightly uncomfortable look on his face again. “About the things that were done to you?”
I nodded my head. “I know that West’s grandfather, NovaTor, experimented on me. The military came in and forced him to place some kind of chip in my brain. I was observed for years and eventually he used the information he gathered from me to create the infection.”
I stopped there, swallowing the lump in my throat.
Dr. Beeson nodded. “First, let me say that I never agreed with what they were doing to you. I was a young scientist then, working on my development of the capacity of the human mind to receive wireless signals. I was fascinated with the work he was doing on you. But you were just a girl. What Dr. Evans and NovaTor did was wrong.
“But, if we would have been able to control what happened, we would have saved millions of lives.”
“Instead billions were killed,” I said coldly.
“Unforgivable,” he said as his eyes dropped to the ground. “I first tried to remedy what I did by setting you free. I used the wireless capability of the chip in your brain to wipe your memory clean. No girl should have to remember the things you were put through. I assume it worked?”
“I have dreams sometimes,” I said quietly, my eyes falling to my hands. “How much of it is purely nightmare and how much of it is something real, I don’t know.”
“The brain is a complex thing. I’m sorry I couldn’t spare you from everything.”
“Will those memories ever be recovered?” I asked.
“I have no reason to think so,” he said. “Would you really want to remember the rest of it though?”
I had to think about it for a while. “No.”
“There were only five of us that escaped that facility, and yet I’m the only one who made it to Los Angeles. Everyone else evolved so quickly. It’s a miracle that I made it out. I tasked one of the other men who made it out to take you out into the country and set you free. I never saw that man again.”
“Avian found me,” I filled in the empty blanks of the past. “Nearly naked out in the forest, covered in blood, but with not a scratch on me.” Dr. Beeson’s face faltered at that. Ignoring his confusion, I continued. “They knew something was different about me. They just didn’t know what. I only found out a few months ago.”
“Tell me what you’re able to do,” he said, excitement building in his eyes again. “Has the programming evolved more? The cybernetics?”
I sat forward again, rubbing my hand over the thin scar that had already formed on the back of my hand from when I had punched a hole through the metal door at the Air Force base. “I heal quickly,” I started. “I don’t usually feel pain. Electricity is about the only thing I seem to feel. It’s made me pass out before though, pain. My brain still registers it I guess.
“I don’t require as much sleep as normal. I don’t get tired very easily. I don’t need to eat as much as normal people. I’m faster than everyone, stronger than most.”
“Have you ever been up against a Bane?”
The smile on my face couldn’t be fought back. “More than a few times. I didn’t understand what was happening the first time one tackled me. I thought I was going to change. But I didn’t.”
“Do you understand why?” he asked.
“Not really,” I answered.
“Because you were given TorBane at such a young age, and in such a specific, controlled way, your body was able to control the technology. You are able to handle it the way it was supposed to work on everyone. After you were given the chip and we saw that more of your body was turning cybernetic, everyone assumed it was because of the chip. But in reality, it was just a precursor to what the later strains of TorBane would do.”
I struggled to keep up with what he was saying. I didn’t understand it all, but it made some sense.
“Have you seen any traces of the cybernetic parts that have saturated your system?”
I nodded. “The Bane have these metal barbs that shock you. I grabbed some once and it burned away my skin,” I said as I turned my hand over, observing the scars there. “I could see all the gears and wires.”
“That must have been frightening for you,” he said.
“But you know that I’m not supposed to feel fear,” I said quietly as my eyes rose to meet his.
He didn’t say anything for a while as he held my stare. I wondered how he lived with himself, knowing he had helped bring about the end of the world and then survived to see the destruction. “You’re right. You aren’t supposed to feel emotion. But we suspected that eventually you would evolve past the programming. Occasionally there were signs that you were moving past it and we’d have to make adjustments. There were times when you got overwhelmed by your emotions and you just blacked out. Just like those Bane you see outside.”
I swallowed hard, my stomach knotting up. “It still happens.”
“Really?” he said, his eyebrows knitting together as he sat back in his chair.
“But only when I’m around one certain person.”
“And how do you feel about this person?”
“That’s the unanswerable question,” I said quietly.
“Do you have romantic feelings for him? Or maybe an extreme hatred?”
I gave a hollow chuckle. “I think both.”
“It’s one of the men you arrived with, isn’t it?” he said with a sly smile.
I nodded. “I didn’t feel things like this until he showed up at our camp. Something inside of me started waking up. I don’t know how to handle it. He makes me feel excited, free, and yet he can anger me so much I almost tried to kill him once. And then I just black out.”
“It’s probably overloading you, or rather the chip. Your body is telling you to feel things but the chip is trying its hardest to block it all out. Your brain and the chip can’t work together and it shuts you down in a way. I don’t think you will be a danger to anyone. It’s not like you’re turning into a Bane. You just kind of…shut down.”
It was a relief to have it so plainly explained to me. And to know I wasn’t going to try and kill anyone. If only the other parts related to it all could be so easily explained.
“Can we talk about something else?” I asked. My voice sounded smaller than I would have liked it to.
<
br /> “Of course,” he said mercifully. “Would you like to see the woman who was your mother?”
“What?” I said, my voice almost sounding like a hiccup.
Dr. Beeson smiled, small lines forming around his dark eyes. He turned in his swivel chair and pulled a drawer open. He rooted around in it for a moment and then pulled out a packet of pages.
“Her name was Emma,” he said opening the packet. He leafed through the pages for a moment. And then he handed me a photo.
The woman who looked back at me was beautiful. Her hair was tied back, perfectly smooth. Her skin was flawless looking. She had a sophisticated pair of glasses perched on her nose.
If she was about fifteen pounds thinner and her skin a bit more roughed up from the wilderness, she would have looked exactly like me.
“She worked for NovaTor. She was a lab research assistant,” Dr. Beeson said, looking through more of the pages. I couldn’t look away from the woman’s face though. “She was young, just starting her master’s degree. But she was brilliant. She was going to go far.”
“What happened to her?” I asked.
“What happens to a lot of young, pretty girls,” he said with a sigh. “She had this boyfriend. They were on and off every other month. Loved each other like crazy, but also couldn’t stand the sight of each other. I don’t think Emma ever told him she was pregnant.”
He handed me another few pictures. One looked like it was taken at some kind of party. They were all wearing white jackets, holding up a sign that said happy birthday. She stood behind the sign looking rather embarrassed. There was another one behind that picture that was more of a candid shot. She stood next to a table, reading some papers. Her belly was large and rounded.
Dr. Beeson cleared his throat and took the last two pictures back. I thought I saw something flicker in his eyes but couldn’t be sure.
“Where is she?” I asked. “Why didn’t she take care of me?”
“She died,” Dr. Beeson said. “Giving birth to you.”
My stomach dropped out. “She died giving birth? That was very uncommon, wasn’t it? Women didn’t die often during child birth before the Evolution.”
Dr. Beeson nodded. “Yes, it was. Tragic. Emma didn’t have any family. Both her parents had died years ago, she was an only child. We didn’t even know her boyfriend’s name. Her work and school were her life.
“We weren’t sure what to do with you. There was no family to send you to. You were born more than two months premature. You were underdeveloped. Sick. You were going to die. Dr. Evans senior decided to do the first human test of TorBane on you. He didn’t tell anyone he was going to do it. He just did it. He figured you were going to die anyway.
“It might have been wrong, and immoral. But he did save your life with TorBane. And that’s the reason you don’t infect anyone. You were given the technology before you were even supposed to be born, in such a controlled and precise way. It’s a part of your very DNA. It stays contained in you.”
I nodded, my brain still trying to process all the information and keep up. “So,” I said, having to force my voice to work. “My father, he could still be out there?”
Dr. Beeson’s eyes saddened. “I wouldn’t count on it, Eve. You know how few are still out there.”
I nodded. It was true. There was no way he was still alive.
“You can keep that, if you like,” he said, pointing at the picture.
“Thank you.”
“Eve,” he said in a low voice. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I know how confusing emotions can be, for anyone. It isn’t fair that it should be ten times worse for you because of what NovaTor did to you. I think I can help that.”
My brows pulled together as my eyes met his. “What do you mean?”
He held my eyes for a long time, like he was analyzing something. He almost looked like maybe he had spoken too soon and now he wondered if he should take it back. But a moment later, he gave the slightest of nods as if he’d made up his mind.
“Your emotional blockers were done with the chip in your head. It was all done wirelessly. And I think I could remove them.”
I stared at him blankly for a long moment, not fully comprehending what he was saying.
“I think we would have to do it slowly,” he continued. “I’m afraid if I just erased it all at once it would overwhelm you. Your body and your brain couldn’t handle it. But I think if we do it bit by bit, over a length of time, you could be brought back to normal.
“You wouldn’t have blackouts anymore.”
My eyes dropped to the floor, my breathing coming in shallow swallows. I would finally understand what everyone else felt. I could allow myself to feel. There wouldn’t be any danger of me attacking anyone any longer.
“Would you like to give it a try, Eve?”
The back of my eyes started to sting just slightly as I nodded my head.
“I can start it right now,” he said as he glanced at his computer screens. “It won’t take very long. I will however, have to kind of shut you down for a while to do it. It will take a reboot, if you will, for everything to take effect.”
Something inside of me swelled as I thought about the possibilities. It was followed by a flood of adrenaline.
“Do it.”
THIRTY-THREE
There were only a few people left in the dining hall when I wandered down the next day. I was handed a scoop of pears, a pile of steaming eggs and a glass of ice cold, formerly powdered milk. I sat at a table in the corner of the room, shoveling everything down so fast the real chicken eggs burned my throat.
After Dr. Beeson’s reprogram, I expected to feel astronomically different. I’d expected to feel overwhelmed. But I only felt more aware of everything. Like everything looked just a little brighter. But like Dr. Beeson said, we were going to have to do this in baby steps.
I caught sight of Royce approaching from across the room. I observed him as he moved toward me. He was in good shape, especially for being in his later forties I guessed. His nose was straight, his jaw sharp. He looked like a leader you would want to follow.
He sat down at the table across from me. “Erik told me everything that happened,” he said directly. There was no dancing around with Royce. I appreciated that about him. “Everything about what was done to you as a child. I also talked with Avian. He told me what you did for the members of Eden. For his sister.
“I’m sorry for my behavior before,” he said uncomfortably. I had a feeling Royce wasn’t one that apologized often. “What you’ve been though is unfathomable.”
“We could use a soldier like you,” he said as he held my eyes steadily. “It’s getting harder and harder to keep them out, times are changing. We want to invite you, and the rest of your group to join with us. We would be honored to have all of you here.”
I just looked at him, trying to make my brain process everything. I felt sluggish from Dr. Beeson’s reboot. “What did Avian say?” I asked.
“He hasn’t given me an answer yet. I talked with West and Tuck as well. They both liked the idea but wouldn’t give an answer without consulting with the rest of your group.”
I nodded. “My answer is the same. It’s not just my decision.”
Royce nodded. “That’s fine. I wouldn’t expect anything different. I want to show you something though. All four of you.”
I stood, returned my plate and glass for cleaning, and followed Royce out into the main front room. We spotted West reading a book in a corner and Royce indicated for him to come with us. West marked his place, set the book down and joined us.
“There are a few things I want to show you,” Royce repeated to West. We spotted Tuck across the room as well, talking to a woman. He joined us.
We entered the medical wing and Avian came walking out of a room with a doctor I had not seen yet.
“That’s a wonderful idea,” the new doctor said. “I’d love to give it a try sometime.”
“When we hav
e more time I’ll tell you how I removed a tree branch from a man’s chest cavity in the middle of the forest with no medical supplies. Without killing him,” Avian said with a chuckle.
“Okay,” the doctor laughed back. He shook Avian’s hand and walked into another room.
“There’s something I’d like to show you,” Royce said when Avian turned his eyes on us. We all headed for the elevator.
We stepped out into the blue glowing hallway and approached the door to Dr. Beeson’s lab. We stopped just outside it.
“I understand your hesitancies in joining us,” Royce started. “Living here has its challenges. But I want you to understand the benefits that come with a place like this, besides the obvious of electricity and running water.”
He opened the door and we crowded into the room. Dr. Beeson sat inside, staring at the flashing screens before him.
“Erik has developed technology that interfaces with the Bane,” Royce started explaining. “Trust me, there are endless Hunters out there who would have ripped this building apart, bit by bit, if not for his research.”
“Hunters?” Avian asked, his brow furrowing.
“Hunters, strikers, finishers,” Royce said, looking at us. “Call them what you like.”
“What do you mean?” West questioned, folding his arms over his chest.
“You know about the three classes of Bane, don’t you?” Royce said, his eyes a mix of disbelieving and annoyance.
“No,” Avian answered simply.
“May I, Eric?” Royce asked, reaching for a writing instrument that sat on his desk. Dr. Beeson just nodded his head, not even taking his eyes from the screens.
Royce grabbed the marker and turned to a blank space of wall between some of the monitors. He uncapped it and started writing on the wall. His letters glowed brilliant green.
“You have Babies,” he said as he wrote the word. “Sleepers…and Hunters. At least that’s what we like to call them.
“Babies are the newly infected,” Royce said, capping the marker again and handing it back to Dr. Beeson. “This stage doesn’t last long. Usually a month, at the most.”