“Some people don’t need the recognition.”
“Yeah, dead ones. Trust me, when recognition is the only thing you can’t have, you begin to crave it. It becomes a necessity, like air. The same goes for human contact.”
At the end of the corridor stood an even larger set of double doors, much thicker than the rest.
“What is that…ground zero?”
“It’s the nerve of the Epicenter. So, in a sense, yes, it could be considered ground zero. That is where you will be spending your time for the next few days.”
“That’s where an ordinary human becomes a superhuman?”
He shot a sideways glance in my direction. “Yeah…super,” he grumbled. We turned left down another corridor where I could hear other voices, surprisingly friendly voices, echoing throughout the hall. “We’re going to the dining hall,” he announced without missing a stride. “Everyone has gathered for breakfast, and you’re going to be the honored guest.”
“Honored guest? Look at me. I literally just rolled out of bed.”
“Like I said, you won’t need to look presentable for what you’re going to be doing today.”
“But still…you know, first impressions and all.”
“Trust me, this isn’t the first time any of them have seen you.”
“You’ve all been stalking me…good to know.”
“Here goes nothing,” he said, entering the dining hall.
The dining hall was just as elaborate as the sitting room. A ridiculously long oak table filled with people sat prominently in the middle of it. Every five feet, a candelabrum was displayed on the table with flames dancing from each of them, putting on a show for their captive audience. Curtains framed the faux windows with daylight streaming in, adding a touch of normalcy to a place that was anything but. Busboys and waiters blew past me, carrying trays of food. My stomach let out a sigh of approval. It had been a while since I last ate anything.
“Good morning there, Celaine,” a familiar voice called out. My eyes scanned the table, taking in all of the unfamiliar faces until one familiar one caught my gaze. “You’re…looking….well…uh…you’re really looking,” Cameron chided.
“Cameron, geez,” a fair haired woman with a peaches and cream complexion said in obvious disgust. “Have you no couth?” She looked at me apologetically. “The rest of us really do have some class.”
“It’s okay,” I replied. “I had a younger brother…once.” I couldn’t take my eyes off her. Aside from being pretty, there was something oddly familiar about her. Her face was one I’d definitely seen before but couldn’t quite place where exactly I’d seen it and, from her expression, I could tell the same was true for her about me.
Sensing my confusion, she spoke again. “My name is Kara, and I’m a nurse here. I’m sure you’re a little overwhelmed as there is a lot to take in here. I wish I could tell you that it only gets easier and that things start to make more sense, but as any one of these men and women could tell you, it doesn’t. You just have to take everything one day at a time and just know that, if you ever need to talk to someone, we’re all in the same boat as you.” She paused, trying to gauge my expression. “I guess what I’m trying to say is, my door is always open.”
“Yeah, you better leave it open, too,” Blake muttered.
“Thank you, Kara,” I replied.
Blake motioned for me to follow him, leading me around the table to two empty seats facing Kara and Cameron. He gestured to each person at the table, giving me a formal introduction. “Seated next to Cameron are Edwin, Lars and Marcus, our scientists. Next are our physicians, Dr. Harris and Dr. Martin and therapist, Dr. Lin. Then there are the tech guys, Kyle and Drew. Finally, there are our researchers and inside intelligence officers including Lana, Brian, Inez and Caine. Our kitchen staff you see running around here consist of Henry, Colby and Becca.”
“Is everyone going to wear name tags for the new girl?” I asked him under my breath.
He rolled his eyes; a gesture I was sure I was going to receive quite frequently from him. Everyone around the table took the time to give me a friendly smile and “hello”.
Inez, at least I think it was Inez, spoke next. “Celaine, I trust you’ll find our accommodations fitting.”
I wondered if that was a question or a statement. “They’re great, thank you,” I replied.
“Actually, I think they suck, but that’s just my opinion,” Drew offered.
“Always the pessimist,” Brian muttered.
Kara spoke up again. “We all actually get along much better than this. It’s just been an off day, and well, quite frankly, we’re still trying to figure out how to act in front of you…testing the waters, so to speak.”
I could tell that Kara was trying her best to make me feel welcome and a part of the group. “Well,” I offered, “just act the way you normally would.”
“In that case,” Cameron interceded.
“Oh, god,” Kara sighed.
“I’m Cameron, I’m single, and my room is just a couple of doors down from yours, so if you’re ever lonely and want to engage in a nice long…” There was a collective gasp intermingled with chuckles around the table. Kara’s face turned bright red with the horrified expression still evident even after she backhanded Cameron over the head. “Ow! What? I was going to say conversation,” he responded.
“Well, you have to admit, she left the door wide open on that one,” Lars said.
“Yeah, that’s Cameron. Our brilliant yet socially inept walking hormone,” Lana chuckled.
I looked over at the head of the table, noticing that the seat stood empty. Catching Blake’s eye, I nodded towards the empty chair.
He leaned in and whispered into my ear, “That’s Victor’s seat. He’ll be joining us shortly.”
“Is he the head honcho here?”
“Unfortunately.”
I shot a look of disbelief at him, wondering what in the world would elicit such an unenthused response from him. It’d become increasingly clearer to me that Blake was none too happy with the life he had chosen for himself, and I found myself wondering what had brought him here in the first place. A sudden clang at the table jolted me back to reality. Becca and Colby were arranging various platters with what I could only assume to be breakfast on them. The aroma was almost too much to bear, and I was dying to rip the covers off the platters right then and there but didn’t think that would go over too well.
“Oh, Celaine,” Kara’s voice pierced through my anticipation. “We never asked if you had any food allergies or preferences in food choices.”
“Believe me,” I replied, “even if I did have allergies, I would look the other way right now and, as far as preferences are concerned, I have the sinking suspicion that a few of you may already know what those are. It’s become pretty obvious that there are no secrets around here.”
A few uncomfortable glances were exchanged across the table. Kara looked at me with a twinge of guilt etched on her face. “I’m sorry,” she said. “We really should have tried to make you feel a little more comfortable. We just didn’t want to smother you right away with all you’ve been through so far.”
I realized then that I’d been a bit rude. “I’m sorry,” I said, looking around the table. “This isn’t like me. I’ve just had a rough few hours.”
“That’s completely understandable,” Edwin spoke up. “As much as I admire the task placed upon your and Blake’s shoulders, I don’t envy you.”
“Me neither,” Blake grumbled.
“Well, aren’t we just big balls of sunshine this morning. How about we just eat and let Victor catch up later?” Kara announced.
“Oh, thank god,” I cried.
An eruption of laughter reverberated across the table. “Hey, at least this one has personality,” Edwin responded. Blake shot him a dirty look.
“Well, on that note,” Becca giggled, lifting the covers off the various platters.
“Dig in, Celaine,” Kara offered.
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She didn’t have to tell me twice, and my plate filled up fast with scrambled eggs, toast and waffles, anything to satisfy the hunger pangs in my stomach. It was truly breakfast heaven. I looked over at Blake. His plate appeared nearly empty as he sat in his chair looking bored, rolling a scrambled egg around the perimeter of his plate with his fork.
“Is it like this every day?” I asked, trying to lighten him up a little.
“Pretty much.” It grew noticeably quiet around the table while everyone ate. I wasn’t sure if it was the norm around here or if it was just because no one knew how to speak to the new girl.
“We’re not usually this quiet,” Lars broke the silence after a moment. “It’s just that we’re all still pretty somber as, I’m sure you’ve heard, we lost Blake’s former partner, your predecessor, Liam, a few days ago.”
“I had heard something about that.” I set my fork down and looked at Lars. “I’m sorry about your loss…all of your losses.” Everyone shook their heads collectively. “How, if I may ask, did he die? I didn’t think that could happen to people like him and Blake.”
“Science isn’t perfect,” Lars answered. “As much as we believe we’ve perfected something, there are always exceptions. We just haven’t found a way to keep people from dying…yet. In fact, we came pretty close to losing Blake too that night.”
I looked at Blake. For someone who’d been on the brink of death only a few days prior, he didn’t look half bad. “What are my odds of dying, too?” I asked.
I noticed that no one at the table would look me in the eyes except Cameron, who saw it fit to offer an answer to my question. “Well, I guess it all depends on whether or not you survive today.”
Kara’s face turned an instant shade of crimson, more from anger than embarrassment this time. A loud snap sounded next to me. When I turned to find the source, I noticed that Blake’s fork was broken in half next to his plate.
“That was uncalled for, Cameron,” Inez spoke up.
“Exactly what is going to happen to me today?” I asked.
“She needs to know,” Edwin piped in.
Dr. Martin added, “I know she needs to know. I just figured that we were going to have Victor explain it to her like he did with the others.”
“And he will.” A voice boomed from the doorway, startling everyone but Blake.
“Good morning, Victor,” Cameron called cheerfully. The same greeting from everyone but Blake followed.
“Good morning, everyone,” Victor greeted us.
He looked surprisingly normal for a man of his power, with only a hint of menacing sprinkled in. Tall and broad in stature, he was extremely pale, almost deathly so. Despite it being summer, he was clad in a way-too-warm-looking turtle neck paired with dress slacks. He scoured the table until his eyes met mine, a smile spreading across his pointed face. It reminded me of the wide-eyed hungry look of a cat preparing to pounce on an unsuspecting mouse. My heart started pounding, my stomach sinking as he made his way in my direction. Figuring that the only proper thing to do now was to stand, I did so, an act which seemed to please him. Cordially, he took my hand and bowed.
“Enchanté, mademoiselle.”
Oh, great, not only did he scare the shit out of me, he was a charmer as well. This was going to be interesting.
“I trust, Celaine, that everyone here has made you feel welcome?”
“Yes,” I said. “They’ve all been trying.” Kara gave me a sheepish smile.
“That’s good to hear. I apologize for the lackluster sleeping quarters but, as I’m sure Blake already pointed out to you, you won’t be using them much.” Victor made his way to his seat at the head of the table.
“He mentioned something about that,” I said, sitting back down. “I’m not going to be able to sleep much? I think my body will beg to differ.”
“I think not.” Victor loaded his plate up as if he hadn’t eaten for a month. “You’ll be amazed by what your body is going to be able to do.”
“With all due respect, I honestly don’t know why you picked me of all people. There’s nothing strong about me. I’m not fast, agile or even graceful for that matter.”
“A mere formality for now. Trust me, after today, you will think differently.”
With that, Blake excused himself, standing up to leave the table. His demeanor had changed substantially since Victor’s appearance.
“Really, Blake,” Victor interceded in his retreat. “You should eat more. You need to keep up your strength.”
“I’ll work on it,” he responded, clearly annoyed.
Victor shook his head, mumbling something inaudible. I must have still been stunned by the sheer amount of food on Victor’s plate as he caught me staring at it and chuckled. “Eat up,” he said to me, breaking my trance. “After you’re done eating, Celaine, please accompany me to Dr. Harris and Dr. Martin’s office, and I will brief you about the events of the day.”
Chapter Fourteen
The Transformation
The doctors’ lab was unlike anything I had ever seen before even in all my meanderings through the halls of Hope Memorial as a child. It was a mixture of a mad scientist’s lab with a dash of high tech trauma bay included for appearances. There were books scattered about one corner of the room as though it served as some sort of research center. Medical encyclopedias, some of which I recognized from my father’s den, along with computers and other monitoring devices, dotted the room, encircling what resembled an operation table of sorts. Tubes led to pumps, the likes of which I’d never seen before; cords led to monitors and other large, unfamiliar devices. Surgical tools were dispersed throughout the room, ready to report for duty at a moment’s notice.
Despite all of the obvious technological anomalies in this pseudo-hospital, one common link remained: the smell of sterility. In a strange way, this familiar smell set my mind a little more at ease, creating an odd sense of comfort. I searched the room some more. Alongside one of the walls stood a sink, wash basin and counters. But it was the peculiarity situated directly above the sink that immediately caught my eye. Examining it further, I deduced that it was a window to what was most likely a viewing room like the viewing rooms the interns and residents used at the hospital to view surgical procedures. Great, if I die today, I’m going to have a captive audience, I thought to myself.
“Impressive, isn’t it?” a voice from behind me enquired in a tone meaning he meant it to be more of a statement of fact than an actual question. I turned around and saw that Dr. Martin had entered the room.
“Yes,” I replied. “I spent a good share of my childhood following my father around in the hospital he practiced at and, I must say, I’m ashamed to admit I couldn’t tell you what most of this equipment does…or… really what it even is for that matter.”
“That’s because you’ve never come across some of this equipment. It’s not available in modern hospitals and won’t be for another ten to fifteen more years.”
“I’m going to be a guinea pig, then?”
“Nope. Blake was our guinea pig. We’ve thankfully worked out all of the kinks just in time for you.”
“Well, that’s very…comforting. So, tell me, will this surgery cause me to develop the same sparkling personality Mr. Cohen so exuberantly displays?”
“Afraid not. He came off the assembly line with that one. It wasn’t one of the after-market parts we installed.”
“What do you mean by ‘install’? I’m not going to wake up with a third eye or something…am I?”
Dr. Martin glanced up at me with a sly grin, returning to his notepad to scribble down more notes.
“Don’t let him worry you.” Dr. Harris entered the room with Victor following close at his heels.
“Marty here just needs to work on his bedside manner,” Dr. Harris chuckled, patting Dr. Martin on the back. “We won’t let anything too bad happen to you.”
“How about we start with what exactly is going to happen to me.” I felt a twinge of concern.
“Gentlemen,” Victor interceded. “If you will allow me, I will explain it to her.” The doctors nodded while Victor moved to face me, looking at me with an icy glare so piercing that it sent chills through my body. “The human body is an amazing creation as I’m sure you’re aware.” There was something about Victor that made me uneasy. His half-smile only exacerbated this uneasiness.
“You see, unlike the rest of the living organisms in this world, our kind can think and feel. We learn and we improvise. We develop meaningful relationships with each other that blossom into love. However, with all the exceptional natural abilities we possess, we are also fatally flawed with our sheer physical limitations. We’re weak…slow when compared to most animals, lacking a measurable amount of agility and strength. Physically, we are essentially at the bottom of the food chain when compared to our opposable-thumbed deficient friends.” He braced himself against the operating table as though the very act of standing and lecturing were too much for him. “Fortunately for us, though, there is a feature that unites us with the rest of the pack, whether they are a denizen of the land, sea or air. Have you ever heard of the fight or flight response, Celaine?”
“Sure. It’s where your body senses the presence of danger and prepares itself by releasing adrenaline through your system.”
“Good. The fight or flight response is probably one of the most primitive defense mechanisms that we humans possess. The hypothalamus sends chemical signals to the adrenal glands, activating the sympathetic system, causing the adrenal glands to release adrenaline and noradrenaline from the amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine.” At this point in Victor’s lecture I wished I’d actually read one of George’s medical encyclopedias. “These hormones create a state of readiness that aid us, as humans, to confront challenges head-on, making us more agile and giving us the ability to exhibit astounding strength.”
I remembered the stainless steel fork Blake so effortlessly broke in half and shuddered.
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