Freak of Nature

by Julia Crane

  The instructor moved to her right rear, reset his shot timer and said,

  “Shooter ready?”

  Kaitlyn nodded her head once, affirming that she was ready.

  “Stand by…” and then there was a loud “BEEP” from the timer.

  Kaitlyn immediately drew her pistol and punched it straight out, arms extended in what was known as position four. She already had the sights lined up and on the left-most target before her arms were even straight. As she reached full extension, she pressed the trigger and then moved the pistol to the second target, using both the momentum of the pistol’s recoil and her own muscle movement. As soon as the sights were on the second target, she fired again, repeating the process a total of six times with a metallic “ping” punctuating every gunshot.

  Once she was done, Frank barked, “Unload and show clear.”

  Kaitlyn complied, movements quick. Reflexive.

  “Holster.”

  She shoved the gun into position and let her hands dangle at her sides expectantly. In the back of her mind wondered what Lucas was doing. She could sense he was approximately fifty yards behind her to the left. It gave her a slight thrill knowing he was watching her when she was in her element.

  Looking down at the timer, the instructor raised an eyebrow and said, “Two-point-three-five seconds. Lets do that again, this time from right to left.” He reset the targets, and then went through the same series of instructions for her to ‘Load and make ready’ and ‘Standby.’ The timer went off, and Kaitlyn repeated her performance.

  “Two-point-three-seven.” Frank eyed her as if he wanted to say something else, but shook his head instead. “Alright then, let’s move over to the next apparatus.”

  They walked to another shooting box in front of three steel targets that were twelve inches square, three meters apart from each other, and ten meters down range. Kaitlyn stole a glance back at Lucas. He lifted his hand and waved. She felt her fake heart flutter.

  “This drill is called ‘El Presidente.’ I want you to have two magazines of six rounds each. Face ‘up range,’ back to targets, hands at your sides. On the buzzer, you’ll turn, draw, and engage each target with two rounds before indexing to the next target. Upon slide lock, conduct a magazine change, then re-engage targets in the opposite direction, again with two rounds each. Any questions?”

  Having none, Kaitlyn didn’t say anything as she started setting up her magazines per instructions. Once that was done, the instructor went through the range commands again, and then the buzzer sounded.

  BAM, BAM, BAM, BAM, BAM, BAM… click click, BAM, BAM, BAM, BAM, BAM, BAM.

  “Unload and show clear. Holster. Three-point-nine-five seconds. That’s…” he paused to self-censor himself, ”… unheard of. Let’s try that strong-hand only.”

  She continued to shoot the various drills the instructor set-up and explained. Each time, unknown to Kaitlyn, she performed at a world class level, something that took competition shooters years of practice and hundreds of thousands of rounds. She did it all without question, without hesitation, and with near-perfect precision.

  As they finished, the instructor said. “Maybe I can get the docs to wire me up….” He grinned and shook his head.

  Kaitlyn stared at him expressionless.

  “Okay, we’re done here.” Frank took off his ear protection. “Clean your piece and put it in the safe.”

  She nodded and broke down the gun. She turned to the left and watched as Lucas walked back towards the lab without a word to her—as usual.

  Chapter Eight

  The next day the door to the lab opened, and Quess peeked around the corner. Kaitlyn had never seen Quess in the lab. “Gramps, can Kaitlyn come out with me? Please?”

  Professor Adams glanced at the clock on the wall. “You know you’re not supposed to come in here, Quess.”

  Professor Adams had strict rules about who could be in the lab and for what reasons. Kaitlyn knew whatever had brought her young friend there must have been important.

  Quess shrugged and entered the room. “I’m bored, and it’s your lunch time, anyway. I already ate with Nanny. She wanted me to bring you the leftovers.” She handed him a plate that was covered in foil.

  “Fine, we’re done for now. But make sure she’s back in an hour.” The professor’s wrinkled face softened into a smile. Anyone else would have been thrown out for stepping foot into his sacred space without asking, but his granddaughter had always been an exception.

  The professor peeled off the bio-rhythmic cuff and released Kaitlyn’s arm from the monitor. She stood, happy to have a reason to leave the stuffy room.

  Quess pulled her sweater tight over her chest and looked Kaitlyn over. “It’s cold outside.”

  “It’s sixty-one degrees,” Kaitlyn said matter-of-factly.

  Quess eyed at Kaitlyn’s long, bare legs. “You should put on some clothes.”

  “I have on clothes.”

  Quess sighed. “Fine. Don’t blame me if you get a cold.”

  Professor Adams laughed and chucked her chin. “Quess, she can’t get a cold. You know that.”

  “How could I forget? You made her non-human,” Quess snapped.

  “I’ve heard enough from you, young lady.” The professor’s playful tone evaporated and his voice brokered no argument. “We’ve been over this many times before. Now you hurry along before I change my mind.”

  Kaitlyn watched the exchange with interest. She found it curious that Quess would argue with her grandfather over her.

  Without another word, Quess turned on her heels in a huff and stalked from the room. Kaitlyn trailed after her.

  Quess banged through the metal doors and into the bright sunshine outside, where they walked in silence until they were at a safe distance from the building and cameras. Kaitlyn watched as the wind gently stirred the leaves around them.

  “You wasted a perfectly good opportunity, you know,” Quess finally spoke up, clearly irritated. “I can’t believe you didn’t grill them more at dinner. We could have found out something about your past.”

  A cursory scan told Kaitlyn that Quess’s little round face was pinched and annoyed. The girl’s heart rate was also elevated, showing signs of distress.

  Kaitlyn smiled. “We gained significant information. How many states do not show signs of season changes?”

  Quess stopped in her tracks and turned slowly, her frown turning into a grin. “How many?”

  Pulling up the file she had saved to her memory drive the evening before, Kaitlyn said, “Florida, Nevada, Arizona, California and Louisiana are a starting point. Should that help in your search?”

  “Definitely. I wish you could come home with me to the cottage.” Quess sighed. “It would be much easier if we could get on my computer together.”

  “I don’t think that is going to happen. I’m surprised they let you spend as much time as they do with me.”

  “Gramps would prefer I don’t see you at all, but Nanny convinced him I need some sort of friend around here, even if it is with a robot.” Quess smiled wryly.

  “Thank your Nanny for me.”

  “I can’t do that. That would give away our secret.”

  Kaitlyn smiled; she really did enjoy the girl’s company. Quess seemed to have that effect on everyone around her. She made it hard for Kaitlyn to keep her all-too-human feelings hidden. She didn’t try very hard around Quess. Being with her she was able to let her guard down. At least briefly.

  “So, I think Lucas is totally digging you.”

  “Digging me?” Kaitlyn tried to make sense of the phrase. Maybe she really did need a slang chip. She could not think of any way that ‘dig’ would have anything to do with her. Dig: 1. to break up, turn over, or remove earth, sand, etc., as with a shovel, spade, bulldozer, or claw; make an excavation. 2. to make one's way or work by or as by removing or turning over material: to dig through the files. None of those definitions matched the context.

  “Yeah, did you see his fa
ce when he walked in and saw you last night? He totally wants you.”

  Kaitlyn had no idea how to respond. “I don’t understand what you are saying.”

  “It means he likes you. He totally has the hots for you.”

  Kaitlyn’s body felt hyper aware, her senses tingling. “You really think so?” Perhaps, Lucas thought of tearing off her clothes like she did his. Somehow she highly doubt it though. The odd were not in her favor. After all she wasn’t even really human anymore.

  “Definitely, it was written all over his face. Thankfully, Gramps is oblivious, but even Nanny noticed he’s crushing on you. She thinks you two would make a cute couple.”

  Kaitlyn hadn’t noticed anything on his face. Perhaps Quess was imagining things. She did seem to have an overactive imagination—one of the reasons Kaitlyn enjoyed the girl’s company so much. It was nice to see things through her human eyes.

  “Aren’t you at least a little excited?”

  “About what?” Kaitlyn asked confused.

  “Lucas! He likes you. You’re obviously interested in him or you wouldn’t have asked.”

  “Oh. I don’t really know what to think about that.”

  Quess sighed. “I wish you felt things like a normal person.”

  “Me, too.” Kaitlyn said softly.

  “So what are you going to do if we find the mystery man?” Quess asked curiously.

  Kaitlyn hadn’t thought that far ahead. But really, what could she do? Show up on his door step and say Remember me? That probably wouldn’t go over well. “Maybe we should stop the search.”

  “What? Are you kidding me? No way. I need something to keep me busy at night. I’m going to find him, plus it will help sharpen my secret spy skills. You know…just in case.”

  “I guess that’s true,” Kaitlyn agreed.

  After they made their loop around the grounds, Kaitlyn sighed. “We need to get back to the lab. Professor Adams says this new update is important.”

  “I don’t know how you put up with them always changing you.” Quess turned and they headed back towards the laboratory.

  “It’s annoying, but I know that’s what I’m here for.”

  “I wish they would just leave you alone. It’s not fair.” Tears welled up in Quess’s eyes, making them look more green than hazel.

  Kaitlyn felt a lump form in her throat, but she wasn’t sure why. “It’s okay, Quess. I don’t mind.”

  “But you should.” She balled her small fists up by her sides. Her pale face was bright pink, and a teardrop escaped, trailing down her cheek. “You should have a normal life. Not caged away like some animal. You can’t even comprehend how wrong this is, that’s the worst part.”

  Kaitlyn watched the young girl swipe tears away, and wondered what it felt like to cry. She hoped it wasn’t painful for her friend.

  “Does this hurt?” Kaitlyn touched the liquid seeping down Quess’s cheek.

  Quess giggled. “Crying?”

  Kaitlyn inclined her head. “Yes.”

  “No. Crying doesn’t hurt.” Quess sobered, using the sleeve of her cardigan to wipe away her tears. She reached for Kaitlyn’s hand and took hold, bringing her hand to her chest. Reflexively Kaitlyn tried to pull her hand from Quess grasp. But Quess just held on tighter. Kaitlyn’s hand relaxed.

  Beneath Kaitlyn’s palm, she felt the sensation of Quess’s human heart beating slowly and consistently.

  Quess held tightly to Kaitlyn’s hand, keeping it spread over her heart. “Crying doesn’t hurt. But when you cry, it’s because your heart does.”

  “Your heart hurts for me?” Kaitlyn asked, puzzled. Though Quess’s strong grip was a little unsettling to her sensors, there was something deep inside her that reveled in the way her friend’s heart beat steadily; reveled in her warmth and kindness. That lump in her throat wouldn’t go away.

  Quess just nodded as more tears filled her eyes.

  “Let’s get back inside,” Kaitlyn said, still trying to process the information. She pulled away from Quess. “Maybe they are upgrading my slang vocabulary, and our conversations won’t be so perplexing.”

  Quess broke into a laugh, a wonderful sound to Kaitlyn’s ears, but she stopped laughing as quickly as she started. “Are they really making you leave next week?”

  “What? Where did you hear that?”

  “I overheard my grandparents talking. They said that you were almost complete, and it was nearly time to hand you over to fulfill your destiny.”

  “My destiny?” Kaitlyn felt like she couldn’t breathe. That was ridiculous; there was nothing blocking her airways.

  As much as she disliked the compound, she didn’t want to leave. Where were they going to send her? She ran scenarios through her mind and came up empty. She had no idea. Her infinite source of knowledge couldn’t give her an answer.

  And that was terrifying.

  As much as she hated to admit it, she had come to enjoy her time with Professor Adams and his bushy eyebrows, Lucas well because he’s Lucas; even the nurse who never spoke a word to her. The daily routine with them made her feel almost normal.

  She didn’t want to think about never seeing Quess or Lucas again. She couldn’t. Her mind rebelled at the thought. “There must be some kind of mistake.”

  Quess didn’t bother to reply.

  Kaitlyn pushed through the double doors. Lucas was sitting behind the desk in the large laboratory and stood up immediately when she walked through. He hit a stack of file folders with his hip, and the tower slid to the floor, papers exploding out. A vial crashed to the ground and splintered off into hundreds of shards.

  “Well, that was graceful.” Lucas picked up a file from the floor.

  “Is it true?” Kaitlyn demanded.

  “Is what true?” Lucas asked, tearing his gaze away from the mess to her, his mouth slightly agape.

  “Am I leaving the compound to go on assignment?”

  Lucas looked away and wouldn’t meet her eye and instead, knelt and stuffed pages back into files.

  Confirmation. Quess told her never to trust someone that won’t look you in the eyes. She felt like she was running, but she was standing still. Her body was revved up, even though she was rooted to the floor.

  “Does it bother you? The thought of leaving?” Lucas asked, finally catching her gaze.

  “It doesn’t matter to me.” Kaitlyn kept her voice level. “Will I return?”

  Lucas’s expression changed and mirrored the look that had been on Quess’s face earlier before she had started crying. His heart hurts. In that moment, she knew she would never set foot on the compound again. Never see Lucas again. She wondered if they were going to send her on a suicide mission in order to shut down the project. She saw a movie about that once. Or maybe they would just hand her off to new owners. Kaitlyn didn’t know which idea sounded worse.

  “We need to upgrade your hardware. I want to add facial expressions to your database that you can filter through to make conversations easier. It will help you react to situations if you know what emotion the person is feeling. You will eventually learn to mimic expressions as well.”

  “Fine.” Kaitlyn resigned to accept whatever was coming her way. Of course, he wouldn’t tell her anything.

  “Please take a seat.” Lucas nodded towards her seat, the white seat that she had spent far too much time sitting in.

  Once she was seated, Lucas hesitated before he stepped forward. “Please turn to the side. This is going to be a large upgrade so you will be unconscious for seven minutes. Give or take a few seconds.”

  Her body moved even though her mind told her not to. She hated that mechanics had so much control over her.

  Slowly, he pulled the collar of her shirt down, exposing her shoulder blades. She trembled under his touch, or maybe it was his hand that was trembling. It was hard for her to tell the difference. She felt movement, heard the soft click. He gently removed a chip, set it on the counter, and replaced it with another.

  Her eyes closed
as her body went slack for the update. She had no idea how long she sat slumped in the chair. Eventually, the humming in her head stopped and she sat up straight. She blinked a couple of times. The mess had been cleaned up and Lucas was sitting behind his desk staring directly at her.

  “Do you feel any different?” Lucas asked. It was an unusual question coming from him.

  She thought about it for a moment, and shook her head. She felt the same.

  She still didn’t want to leave.

  Chapter Nine

  Lucas had seen a spark of emotion in Kaitlyn’s eyes. He knew he had.

  He couldn’t get the image out of his mind. She’d genuinely seemed upset to leave the compound. The emotion was so fleeting that for a moment he thought he’d imagined it, but it was there. He knew what he’d seen.

  The lab felt colder and more silent since she’d left. Lucas sank back into his chair, his mind going over the encounter from beginning to end.

  Could she possibly still have feelings after all they had done to her? It was hard for him to believe. They had overridden the signals in Kaitlyn’s brain that caused any kind of human emotion. She was supposed to look human, but not possess human traits. That was the beauty of the project—or the tragedy, depending on how you looked at it.

  He ran his hand through his hair, agitated. This was like his worst nightmare coming true. His justification for going along with the idea was that she wouldn’t understand what they had done. She wouldn’t care. When she awoke from the coma, she was supposed to have no memories of being human. In essence, they’d saved her life. She would have died from her injuries.

  At least, that’s what he kept telling himself.

  He needed to find out the truth before they sold her off to the government. If she was harboring any kind of human thoughts or emotions, not only would she pose a threat to government security if her own moral compass affected her decision-making, but it would fall back on IFICS.