The Hive (Rasper Book 2)

by Kathleen Groger

  Uncle Darren, the Director of Zigotgen, reached out and gripped my hand in a firm, trying-too-hard handshake. I let go.

  “I’m so excited to meet you. I thought everyone, besides Taylor,” he gave him a small nod, “in the program had been lost. I am so excited for what this means.”

  “What does it mean?” Anger dripped from my words. “Adam and I didn’t know we were part of any program. How was that even possible?”

  The director took a step back. “What? No. All participants were signed up with parental permission and informed of their participation once they reached age ten.” He looked sincere, but people could tell lies while seeming to be honest.

  I had too much experience with lying. My fingers clenched into balls. I turned to Adam. “You knew? You knew that you were part of this program since you were ten? Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Carter appeared at my side like a freaking ninja ready to Tase me if I got out of hand.

  “Yes and no. I knew I was helping Uncle Darren. What it all meant, I didn’t have time to worry about it.” Adam shrugged.

  I caught the narrowed-eye look Uncle Darren quickly gave Adam before he smoothed out his expression. I didn’t know what to think. Had Adam just lied to me, or had he really not known all the details? The air in the room filled with unease and anger.

  Taylor must have sensed I was about to lose it. “Hey, Director, will they have the same access as me?”

  I gave him a tight-lipped smile.

  “Of course, they are not prisoners, they are guests.” The director grinned so wide, his pearly white teeth reminded me of a wolf about to devour its prey.

  A man dressed in a suit came out of a shadowed corner. “Adam and Val will both have Level 4 access. This will allow them to freely flow through several areas of the station. I will have it enacted immediately.” He gave a slight bow, then left through a side door.

  “Look, I know how the two of you got here was not ideal. However, I want you to think of this as your safe place. A place where we all care about each other. A place where we are all striving to make the world better.” The director held his hands out, palms up, in a trust-me way.

  It took every ounce of control for me to not to throw up right in his face at his inclusive fake utopia. I had to be smarter.

  “With that in mind, I would like to invite all three of you to dinner tonight in the Round, let’s say at 8:30?” He scanned over us like a lifeguard looking over a pool.

  We all nodded.

  “Good. Carter, please escort Val and Taylor back to the residential area to freshen up.” He placed his hand on Adam’s upper arm. “Adam, could you stay a few minutes longer to discuss some family issues?” the director asked in a syrupy voice.

  I stared at Adam.

  “It’s okay, Val. I’ll catch up with you in a bit.” Adam smiled.

  My stomach burned like a swarm of angry hornets buzzed inside. “Okay,” I reluctantly agreed. I didn’t like this plan one bit.

  Darren swung his arm over Adam’s shoulders, steering him through another doorway. Adam didn’t even glance back.

  “Val?”

  I shook my head. I couldn’t worry about Adam right now. I needed information. “Yeah.”

  “Come on.” Taylor indicated to the door, as Carter took position in front of us leading our pathetic parade.

  Between not getting to ask all my questions, finding out anything about Megan, and Adam keeping information from me, I was furious. My jaw ached from how hard I was clenching my teeth. Doctor Morgenbitch had to know where Megan was. I just had to figure out how to make her tell me. As we turned down the first hallway, I slowed a little, allowing the gap between Carter and us to grow to about fifteen feet.

  I turned to Taylor and, through gritted teeth, asked him the question I already knew the answer to. “Did you know? Did your parents tell you?”

  Taylor looked timid like a dog that had been yelled at. “Yes.”

  I knew he wanted to ask me. Ask if I knew why. Ask why my parents kept this secret from me. This last question was the same one I had.

  Carter’s voice cut in as if he sensed the tension. “Taylor and Val, is everything okay?”

  “Yes,” Taylor said a little too quickly “I just have never been to a dinner in the Round before.”

  My sharpness toward Taylor dulled a little. This dinner thing was new for him as well.

  We passed through the main section, turned left, and went through a blue mist doorway.

  Carter’s voice turned more proper, with a hint of excitement. “The dinner in the Round is a fabulous tradition Director Solomon brought with him from Xcorp. To be invited to attend one is a great honor.”

  He did a double-handed pattern on the shimmering door before us. It disappeared, revealing a hallway filled with purplish light that made me think of twilight.

  “Taylor, I assume you can show Miss Val how the residential wing works?”

  “Yes.” Taylor grinned, but it looked off somehow.

  “She is in room two.” Carter turned to me. “So you are aware, this corridor is locked in the evenings. However, you are not locked in your room.” Without another word, he glided through the opening that formed into a solid door once he cleared the threshold.

  “Here, let me show you your room. You’ll have to order some clothes.” Taylor pointed to a door marked with a 2.

  It was a standard door, but the room it opened into was anything but standard. It looked like a high-end hotel room with a twin bed. One wall was all black, and another had a screen about the size of a window.

  “Here, you need to interact with Asher.” Taylor pulled me over in front of the screen. “It’s a touch screen.”

  “I don’t need clothes. I need to find out where my friend Megan is. Have you seen her?”

  Taylor turned from the screen. “Before you and Adam arrived, I was the only one our age. Sorry, she’s not here. How did she get separated from you?”

  “General DeCarlo had her sent away so I would cooperate with his plan.”

  “Who’s he, and what plan?”

  “He’s dead. Dr. Morgenstern killed him. And the plan is to kill the queen Rasper.”

  “Rasper?”

  “The alien creatures.”

  “Why does he think you can kill the queen?”

  I licked my dry lips. “It’s a long story. So, you said Asher?” I couldn’t trust him with all my info yet. I tapped the screen, and it came to life with a white screen that displayed a black Z with an anchor. It waved across the screen, then was replaced by a blue square that read “New Occupant.”

  “She’s the residential wing room attendant. Go ahead, touch the box.”

  I did as Taylor instructed.

  “Hello. My name is Asher. To begin, please place your right wrist against this circle.” The woman’s soothing voice reminded me of the one that used to be on my phone.

  A green circle comprised of multiple circles filled the screen. I held my right wrist up. A small green beam zoomed over my wrist.

  “Welcome, Val. How would you like to get started today?” Asher asked.

  I glanced at Taylor. He pointed back to the screen. A menu board in rectangular blocks filled the space.

  “Order clothes first.”

  “What?” I read the options, and sure enough Order Clothes was an option. I tapped the box.

  It was replaced by the words Body Scan.

  “Please face the screen with your arms out and feet shoulder-width apart,” Asher instructed.

  Taylor stepped to the side, and I did what I was told even though it seemed weird.

  “Please stay still during the entire measurement scan,” Asher said.

  A red beam started at my head and moved down. When it was chest-level, I almost jumped away because it reminded me of gun lasers.

  “You may relax. Please wait a moment while I calculate your size requirements. Please order what you require.”

  Another menu popped up. This one wa
s organized by shirts, pants, undergarments, shoes, and more.

  I had never gotten clothes this way, and I was too overwhelmed to focus. “How much do I get?”

  “About a week’s worth. Oh, make sure you pick an outfit for dinner. They are dress-up events.”

  “Dress up? Like an actual dress?” I couldn’t remember the last time I had worn one, but knew it had been probably five years. They just weren’t my style.

  Taylor shrugged. “Tap the ‘Dinner In The Round’ box.”

  I did. Dresses, skirts, blouses, and jackets popped up. Since there was no way I was wearing an actual dress, I clicked on the skirts. There were two choices. A long maxi skirt or an above the knee straight skirt. I went with the above the knee. Then I had to pick a color from every available option. I went with black. Next, I picked a gray button-down silk blouse. And topped the outfit off with a black blazer. That left shoes. And the only option in the dinner section was a heel. Oh no way. I couldn’t walk in heels. Dr. Morgenbitch must have created the shoe option. The shoe wasn’t a stiletto, but high enough. I again went with black. Maybe I could wear my boots with the fancy clothes.

  “So, do I just pick out regular stuff now?” I glanced at Taylor, who was doing his lean against the wall thing.

  “Yup.” He gave me a slight smile.

  I was more comfortable making these choices. And this was a whole lot more fun than shopping in a store. My mom had loved to shop. She always dragged me with her trying to get me as excited as she was. I tried, but shopping wasn’t my thing. I went with her to make her happy. I tapped on cargo pants, tanks, T-shirts, hoodies, and boy-shorts for sleeping. All in black. I decided to get a little crazy and make my undies and bras black too. And to keep with the monochromatic theme, I added black socks and boots.

  “How long does it take to get the clothes?” The screen said Order Processing.

  “Long enough for you to use the shower. Come on, I’ll show you how it works.” Taylor left my room.

  I followed him out into the hall. “I think I can work a shower.”

  He gave a small laugh that said that’s what you think. “Ladies are here. Guys over there. Pretty much this side of the hallway is female, that male.”

  A shower. When had I last had one? Site R? Megan’s cabin? Whenever it had been, it had been too long. When the world had been normal, Mom would yell at me every morning for using all the hot water. I fought against the memory. Thinking of the loss of my parents was too gut-wrenching.

  I pushed open the door for the women’s shower expecting standard curtain stalls. But there wasn’t a stall. The shower looked like some high-tech space ship. Two sides were glass, and the other side held different spouts and spray nozzles. I didn’t see a valve to turn the water on. And there was only an opening to enter on the left side and no door.

  Taylor came up behind me. “You get in, and to turn it on, you have to make the shaka gesture.” He held his pinky and thumb up while keeping the three middle fingers down. Then wiggle them back and forth to make the shower turn on and off.”

  I laughed, and it felt almost natural. I turned to Taylor. His face flushed slightly, and I realized how close we were standing. “I haven’t heard of the shaka, but that’s the hang loose, hang ten sign. You know, like surfers do in California?”

  “Along with my photographic memory, I am blessed with the knowledge of too much trivia.” He raised his eyebrows, his blue eyes almost twinkling. “Anyway, use that to turn the water on. The lights and different options derive from the gesture. Like if you do the hand sign but point at the floor, the steam feature is activated. I highly recommend trying it.”

  This time his face went bright red.

  I glanced around him to avoid eye contact. “Towels?”

  He swallowed hard enough that his Adam’s apple bobbed. “In the heated compartment there. Shampoo and every potion you might need is in there.” He pointed to a compartment with nozzles that I hadn’t noticed before.

  “Okay. I think I got it.”

  “Okay, good, I’ll go so you can… shower.” He swallowed hard again. “Your clothes should be in your room when you’re done.”

  He gave me a goofy smile, then he darted out of the room.

  I shook off the weirdness that had been building between us.

  Besides the space shower, there was a sink, and in its own area, a toilet. Before I stripped down, I made sure the outer door was locked.

  “Okay.” I peeled off my clothes, spotted a flap marked Dirty Clothes, and pushed them inside. Turning, I caught my reflection in the glass of the shower wall. My image started out fuzzy, then the glass became clear as a mirror.

  I looked different than I had before. My skin was tan, my brown hair longer and lighter. I looked much older than I remembered. I ran my hands down my sides. There wasn’t an ounce of fat there anymore. All of the running and eating minimally had transformed my once average body into athletic-fit. And now I had to dress up. I stuck my tongue out at my reflection.

  I stepped in the shower and did the hang ten symbol. Water at the perfect temperature rained down from the square showerhead attached to the ceiling. Water also hit me perfectly from at least four other nozzles. Brown dirt and grime swirled down the many drains in the flat stone-covered floor. The shampoo and body wash all smelled like vanilla, reminding me of the Christmas cookies my mom used to make.

  As the water washed over me, my emotions released. All the craziness of surviving this long, and here was this high-tech shower. I’d gone from fending for myself, to caring about Adam and Megan, to losing Megan, and possibly loosing Adam to his uncle. Tears I refused to let anyone see slid down my cheeks and were washed away by the water. I could do this. I had to be strong. Had to find Megan. And if that meant I had to dress up like some doll, then I would do it.

  Before I got out, I tried the steam feature, and I had to agree with Taylor, it was amazing. It felt like I could stay in the shower forever and always have hot water. I finally did the gesture again, and the water shut off.

  I stepped out, toweled off, and hit a button next to the towels that said Robes. A door popped open, and I grabbed the fluffy white robe from the hanger. I searched around the sink for deodorant and found a jackpot of beauty products. And the best part was a built-in-the-wall hair dryer that hit me from all sides as I stood in front of the sink. Instead of pulling my hair back, I let it hang loose. In addition to deodorant and lotion, I applied a tiny bit of lip gloss, then went back to my room.

  “How can I tell what time it is?” I needed to know how long I had before I was expected to be all dolled up.

  “Hello, Val. The time is 7:15 p.m.,” Asher said in a crisp voice.

  “Is it dark out yet?” With the shifting of the seasons and being in a new place without windows to tell, I felt lost.

  “Not quite yet. Would you like to see?”

  I turned, but there was no window, just the video screen. “How?”

  The screen glowed slightly and then blossomed into an outdoor scene. The mountains and lake were tinted pink and purple by the disappearance of the sun.

  I sucked in a breath. “Is it real?”

  “The image is real, but it is a recording from earlier in time, not an actual window. Would you like me to leave it up?”

  “Yes please.” It made me feel better to see some of the outside even if it wasn’t truly a window. The enclosed feeling of the facility made it seem like I was trapped. I sighed. I had to get ready.

  Sure enough, the clothes I had ordered were hung up or folded neatly in the closet. I eyed the skirt and blouse. I could do this. It was just a dinner. A formal dinner like none I’d ever been to.

  I forced myself into the outfit and stared at the heels. Would it really be a big deal if I wore the boots? Dr. Morgenbitch would probably have me Tased again. I jammed my feet inside the damn shoes and took a step. Wobbled. “Damn. Who wears these voluntarily?”

  It took a few minutes for me to walk somewhat normally and not
like a drunk tightrope walker trying to stay balanced. I was a fraud and hated not having a weapon. Guess I could use the shoes in an emergency. I walked out into the hall.

  “You look great.”

  I turned to make a joke to Adam, but it wasn’t him. Taylor gave me a half smirk, half smile as he leaned against the wall wearing a dark gray suit and looking older than he had an hour ago.

  10

  “Hey.” I pushed my hair behind my left ear. “Have you seen Adam?”

  Taylor walked toward me. “Nope. Maybe he’s too busy with his uncle.”

  I didn’t like that Adam hadn’t returned to the rooms. Or if he did, he left without talking to me. “Do you know where we’re supposed to go for this flexing of muscle for food?”

  “I’ve never heard of Dinner in the Round referred to as that.” He grinned, and I had to admit, he looked like Mr. Boy Next Door.

  The door to the residential wing disappeared with a small poof that Taylor didn’t react to. I spun around.

  Carter glided toward us. “I see you are ready. Very good. Follow me.”

  “Where’s Adam?” I didn’t like how harsh my question sounded.

  “He is already in attendance for dinner.” Carter left the residential wing and led us through a mind-blowing number of turns and hallways.

  I had a hard time keeping up in the damn heels. I wanted to slip them off and walk the rest of the way barefoot. Taylor reached out to offer me his hand, but I shook my head. I couldn’t appear weak. Mom had always said a woman’s outfit could say twenty things about her before she opened her mouth. While I hated the ridiculous get-up, I wanted to appear comfortable, confident like I did wearing pants, boots, and my gun. But even if I had a gun, there was no way to hide it with how the outfit fit.

  We finally reached a wooden door that had a tree of life carved into the wood. It begged for me to reach out and trace the curves of the branches. Without thinking, I lifted my hand, but Carter beat me to the idea. He ran his hand along different branches and tapped leaves. The door creaked open, sounding like it belonged in an ancient medieval castle. Carter moved aside, leaving me right in front of the opening.