In Irina's Cards (The Variant Conspiracy #1)

by Christine Hart

  I looked at my reflection in the window of a hat boutique. The top of my reflected head lined up with a blue denim newsboy hat. I smiled noting the seams and partial pocket on top of the hat. If it hadn’t been made of recycled jeans, it was meant to look that way. I saw the price tag and my smile fell. I kept walking. Shopping could wait.

  What I needed to do was keep working at Innoviro, learn more about my abilities and how to control them. Once I grew more comfortable with Ivan, I could ask him for help. He probably already knew about me from Rubin. Maybe if I volunteered for testing, they’d teach me in return. Could I find a way to make a vision happen on command? Was it possible to learn more about a person or a place when I needed or wanted additional information? I’d certainly use my gift for the company if I could use it for myself too.

  I assured myself I made all the right choices as I set Ivan’s cup of coffee down on his desk. I hung my jacket on my chair and turned on my own computer. The little alcove down the hall where Ivan had set up my desk was semi-private and had a window looking out onto the street. I sat with my back to the window, which I actually preferred, because it meant I had privacy regarding my computer monitor.

  If I cracked my window open, it was noticeably quieter on this side of the building and I had a view of the courtyard. Ivan’s window looked out over Johnson Street, including the bridge and a large slice of the Harbour. I wasn’t envious. I knew I was damn lucky to be employed at a sophisticated company and even more fortunate they’d sought me out in the first place.

  I wasn’t sure yet what my tasks were for the day or for the rest of the week. So a Google search on ‘psychic skills’ felt like a responsible way to start my day. I quickly saw what a silly plan it was to conduct research like this online. All kinds of scams and nonsense crap popped up as the top search results. No thank-you to the ‘reading’ from a random website. What would they read? My electronic essence? Seriously. I tried a more academic approach and went to the website for Greater Victoria’s public library. Maybe someone who had taken the time to write a book on the subject earned more credibility. I had clicked on a link titled ‘Treasures of the Psychic Realm’ when a knock on the wall next to me made me flinch.

  “Irina, I wonder if I could have some of your time this morning,” Ivan said, not phrasing it as a question. All I’d done so far was run his errands. But, at least he acted politely. My last boss snapped his orders at me.

  I followed him to his office. “What can I do? Your coffee isn’t cold, is it?”

  It looked like he hadn’t touched his soy vanilla latte. He looked confused for a second, and then said, “No, the coffee is fine. I wanted to take you on a little tour of the building. I meant to do it last week, but I had a few fires to put out.” He looked at the glossy black rock hanging around my neck and smiled. “I see Rubin was successful in getting you settled.”

  “Yes, I’m very happy with the new place. I have to say, I’ve never heard of an employer paying for accommodation and offering a wage. I had no idea . . .” I suddenly lost my train of thought and felt awkward. “It still feels like everything is happening so fast.”

  “Rubin mentioned to me that you’ve been getting to know some of your co-workers and doing your best to learn more about Innoviro. I think it’s time to have a more serious discussion about what we do here and why we’ve brought you on board.”

  I blushed. It had never occurred to me that my evening at Cymbals stood any chance of getting back to my boss. Was he put out? Or disappointed? My stomach sank.

  “I was doing some research on my ability this morning–only because I wasn’t sure what to work on today and I wanted to stay productive.”

  “That’s very thoughtful of you.” He showed no emotion with a perfect poker face and then smiled again. It looked odd, an unnatural smile. Was he disguising disappointment or contempt? I wondered if I’d ever feel comfortable around him. It occurred to me that he must have some kind of mutation as well.

  What could it be? Was he like Rubin, able to read my thoughts?

  Chapter 6

  He walked briskly to the end of the hall and the mysterious steel door. I hustled to keep up with him. I’d gotten used to seeing people pass my desk, coming and going through that door without knowing who they were, where they were going beyond the door, or what they did for Innoviro. The door opened to a small foyer containing a painting, a planter, and one elevator door. I followed Ivan into the elevator which played a folk-sounding flute and piano tune. I almost laughed and asked where he’d found the Muzak, but I refrained.

  Ivan didn’t say anything. He pushed a combination of numbers on the panel. The elevator moved downwards. I expected to go down several floors, but I had no idea how far down we really went. The numbers on the wall looked more like a vintage phone interface than an elevator panel. Nothing indicated where the elevator was or where it was going, no digital display, no lights. I wondered how many levels the building really had. I was sure I wouldn’t see all of them.

  The elevator finally stopped with a ding and the door opened. A white hallway stretched in front of us with pale tile floors and more stainless steel doors. We walked part way down the hall until we reached a window looking into a large lab.

  “Okay, starting off our tour this morning, we’re looking at Innoviro’s main research and development testing area. We won’t disturb the more sensitive specialized labs on this floor. As I’m sure you’ve come to understand, much of the testing we do here relates to genetic research. We also experiment with viral strains, bacteria, plant matter and other substances that affect people like us differently than other humans. We also do research in the areas of climatology and geology.”

  As Ivan spoke, I realized I’d been holding my breath as I gawked at the handful of lab coat and goggle-wearing individuals who were all going about their work, mixing liquid-filled beakers, extracting droplets, entering data on keyboards, and God knows what else. I had no frame of reference to understand. I didn’t recognize anyone.

  “The testing we’re looking at here in this lab relates to a contract we’re fulfilling for a cosmetic company that is developing a new form of sunscreen. The approach is two-fold. Deliver accurate test results to our client regarding toxicity levels of their formula. Many manufacturers of chemical products sold for mass consumption achieve a higher level of credibility by participating in the kind of independent testing we provide. Every time we take on a new project, we also gather data for our own purposes. In the case of sunscreen, we’re assessing the client’s formulas to determine if they’re effective and safe for the general public. But we also want ideas for health solutions to benefit our more photosensitive employees and subjects. What I mean by ‘subject’ is someone we deal with that doesn’t actually work for us. Not every person we discover with a genetic gift will receive employment with Innoviro, but it is our intention to help everyone we can. And not to worry, collecting this data is perfectly legal.”

  “Even if it’s not legal, it has to be done, right?” I blurted out and slapped my hand over my mouth. “Sorry, I realize we’re doing everything by the book, but I do understand what Jonah and Cole were saying. This is sensitive work that most scientists wouldn’t even believe.” I immediately regretted confirming the fact that I had been discussing Innoviro’s secrets with other employees. “But, they weren’t giving me any details about their work or anything like that!” I needed to stop talking.

  “That’s okay. I want you to become part of our team and to develop an understanding of our work. I don’t expect you to become involved in the science of what we do, but I’d like to help you understand your own gift as much as possible. I think an important part of living with a mutation is an understanding of exactly what it is. In your case, your genetic variation is located almost exclusively in your brain, which is difficult and time-consuming to investigate. Fortunately, we’ve been succes
sful in examining psychics and telepaths post-mortem, so we already know quite a bit.”

  I felt my eyes widening from the full impact of his words. I remembered Cole’s insistence that all Innoviro’s human testing had strict safety standards. How much information would the company share with me and how quickly? What exactly would I provide in return?

  “This is a lot to take in, but not to worry, we are completely prepared to train you and to develop your role here at Innoviro.” Ivan walked towards the end of the hall and I followed. We passed more identical steel doors. I noticed Roman numerals on each door. We reached the simple metal door at the end of the hall and Ivan pushed down on the long bar handle.

  The stairwell behind the door led up a narrow brick hallway. A florescent pot light in the ceiling outside the doorway threw off a bit of light, but the passage got darker as we walked upward and only dim natural light glimmered. As we climbed, I noticed dampness in the air and a musty smell growing fouler as we got closer to the top.

  “I know you’ve already seen some new and strange things in the last month, but I want to prepare you for the people you’re about to see. These catacombs are a haven of sorts for people whose gifts or mutations are more extreme. For physical and or emotional reasons, these people don’t feel they’re able to lead normal lives, integrated into society. I’m cautioning you because it can be embarrassing to gasp or stare.”

  “Thanks, I appreciate that. I’m not the sort of person that stares, but I have a feeling you’re about to show me things I’ve never seen.”

  “I also don’t want to alarm you with the conditions here. Innoviro has made every effort to make these people comfortable, but you can understand that some individuals reject anything they might view as charity.”

  “So they’re basically camping out in a sewer?”

  “Put bluntly, yes. Rubin keeps an eye on this area for me. He makes every effort to fit in, although he has an apartment of his own.”

  “Will he be there today?”

  “Probably not. I’ve sent him on an out-of-town errand and he’s gone by now.”

  We reached an arch at the top of the stairs. I followed him through the open doorway and the unpleasant chill that had been wafting down the stairs evolved into a forceful reek. Decaying fish, seaweed, salt, excrement, and diesel fuel made the seaside sewer location unmistakable.

  The sound of running water and muffled voices increased as we walked along a wet sidewalk that hugged the wall of the expanding tunnel. The corridor opened into a central room, very dimly lit by small shafts of sunlight high above and a few small fires in barrels and makeshift pits. I tried to guess what street we were under and where. How did a place like this remain undisturbed? I’d seen a shelter a few blocks north along the waterfront at the point where downtown transitioned to a light industrial area. If someone living in a sewer frequented a doorway in that neighborhood, they would probably blend effortlessly.

  We paused at the edge of the room, unnoticed so far by the community in front of us. In total, roughly two dozen figures stood, leaned on the wall, or sat on lawn chairs and milk crates. Tents lined an open landing on the far side of the room. The moat around that little concrete island would have been charming if it didn’t have noticeable flotsam and bits of foam throughout. Other than being a hidden tent city, nothing looked out of the ordinary. I kept scanning the room, straining my eyes in the poor light. Did Ivan plan to introduce me to anyone?

  Then I recognized the bouncer from the bar. Casey! That was his name. He was having an animated, yet friendly-looking conversation with a small woman around my size. He gestured with his arms, shook them, and the unbelievable happened. His scars opened wide and another set of arms flipped out. Casey’s gigantic muscular arms became four slim-sized arms in the blink of an eye. If I hadn’t been watching, I wouldn’t have known what happened. A surreal mythological character stood where a man once was. The woman he was talking to laughed and a giant red forked tongue rolled out and flicked the air. Something ruffled along the side of her neck and disappeared again, like her skin had fissures that opened and shut seamlessly.

  Ivan put his hand on my shoulder and I jolted. I’d been staring. In my mind, I whispered that I was so sorry. No words came out. He gestured ahead and I followed as we approached an abandoned cardboard shelter consisting of a large floor piece and a smaller open box propped up behind it. It made my heart ache to think of someone sleeping and passing long, lonely, hungry hours on scraps of cardboard like this.

  As my foot connected with the cardboard floor, the sewer dissolved around me and I was transported to the ocean beach from my earlier vision. Suddenly I stood behind my mystery man. He walked on the sand ahead of me next to a giant wave. The sea curled down, crashing into calm bubbling fingers on the sand. As I watched the back of his head, he turned and looked directly at me with a glass-eyed expression that chilled me. My reflex to step backward yanked me off the beach and brought me right back into the sewer with my feet on bare concrete again. Ivan looked at me intently. “What did you see?”

  “That man. I saw him before I came to Victoria. I had a vision of him and I can’t tell you exactly why, but it was extremely compelling. Before I got on the Greyhound and came down here, I had seen other parts of the city. But, with this guy, it was like we had a connection, even though I had never met or even seen him in my life.” I lowered my voice as I caught my tone and volume amplifying.

  “Would you recognize the setting around him, if you saw it again in real life?”

  “I think so.”

  “Good,” Ivan replied firmly. “Very good. I hoped that bringing you down here would force a stronger connection. This,” he gestured at the cardboard shelter, “is where Ilya slept. He’s my son and he’s missing.”

  I think I gasped. It made total sense now, why I’d seen the young man with Ivan. If I found Ilya, I might finally figure out what my visions meant. Most of them, anyway. Ivan said that it was easier to leave by passing through the sewer to come up in an alley down the road from the Market Square and Innoviro’s office. He sounded so far away. I followed him robotically.

  His face had been fading from my mind, but now I had a clearer picture than ever. And I had a name. Ilya. I connected to him for some reason and I’d come here with wild notions of finding him, along with whatever insight came with him. My priorities had completely changed, which made sense on the surface. Regardless, guilt gnawed at me. Everything had become about building my new life and Ilya was obviously in trouble, maybe even in pain.

  Ivan and I emerged in another hidden corridor, much like Fan Tan Alley, only quieter. The steel door to the sewer stairwell thudded shut behind us and I looked up to see a faded yellow sign in Chinese characters hanging over a tiny herbal remedy shop. The alley smelled of spicy incense. To our right, office windows sported closed blinds. To the left, a metal fire escape zigzagged up the side of a brick building. Around the corner, a dark tunnel led to muffled traffic and the voices of pedestrians.

  “Irina, I want you to take the rest of the day off. You’ve got a lot to process now and I don’t think you’ll be any good to us with so much on your mind.”

  “I feel bad, but I think you’re right.” I laughed nervously.

  “I want you to consider one more thing before you come back to work tomorrow morning. You remember what I said about the research we’ve been able to do on psychic brain activity?”

  “Yes. It’s kind of hard to forget something like that.”

  “Our research has produced an experimental drug. My motives are selfish, but I think any man would do the same to find his son. I’m hoping you’ll consent to receiving this drug. It’s a serum which I believe can enhance your abilities.”

  “Enhance how? What would change?”

  “We can accelerate your skills to a level that you’d take years to reach on your own
, if ever. Ilya has been missing for two months now. If you feel a connection to him, there has to be a reason. His gift is extra-sensory, like yours, but somewhat different. He’s more like Rubin, but stronger and capable of creating illusions. He should be able to get out of trouble on his own. The fact that he hasn’t come home makes me certain something fairly serious has happened. Understandably, I don’t want to turn to the police and risk an investigation that exposes my work or any of the many people who rely on Innoviro for discretion. I think you are our best hope to find him, and if you do, I think we can solve more than one mystery.”

  Ivan stopped talking and we stared at each other for a long moment. His face was as motionless as a mask. An artist’s rendition of fortitude. I broke eye contact and looked around the alley, but we were still alone.

  “I don’t know what to say. I totally understand why you’re asking, but I get the what part too and that’s pretty scary. I’ve never done any regular drugs, never mind mind-altering stuff. I mean, I’ve smoked a little weed, but this is different.” I couldn’t bring myself to confess that I’d recently contemplated this exact exchange of resources between me and Innoviro.

  “I know this is huge and that you’re already overwhelmed. Take some time and think about it. Know that your job is not at stake. If you decide not to take the drug, we’ll still keep trying. I’m grateful for whatever help you can offer.”

  I nodded, thanked him, and walked slowly out towards the street noise of Chinatown. I wasn’t worried that he would change his mind about giving me time off, but it felt odd. I had only the car dealership to compare as an employment situation and they were as different as night and day in so many ways. Most people wouldn’t have sent me off to think just because things got stressful. Then again, I didn’t exactly have much experience with decent employers.