by M. V. Kallai
Chapter Twenty-One
Looking
Enira stepped onto the elevator in Camden's building and put a key in the panel to access the penthouse. There was a woman, accompanied by three children, in the elevator with her. She gave Enira a quizzical look when her key went into the panel, which Enira ignored. She stared straight ahead at the doors, keeping her back to the woman.
Seconds later, the elevator stopped and the woman and the kids got off. The kids were halfway down the hall in seconds, but the woman turned back and looked Enira up and down like she was memorizing her description in case she needed to give it to a sketch artist later. Just then, two men coming from further down the hall, pushed past the woman, knocking her a little off balance. She threw them dirty looks and then glared back into the elevator at Enira. The men hurried toward the elevator and got on just before the doors closed.
They grabbed Enira by either arm and one man put his hand over her mouth before she could scream. The other held a cloth under her nose. She struggled for a moment against them, but she breathed in and a foul chemical smell filled her nose. Then, everything went dark.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Induction
Dana Hanks stood naked in a small white shower stall. For the last couple of hours, she had been poked, prodded, and scanned. She’d had samples of her skin, urine, and hair taken and now she was apparently being disinfected, or more likely infected with an identifiable chemical that would seep into her body through the water falling on her. The timer on the wall of the stall indicated she had eight minutes left to stand there and bathe. Hopefully this would be her final security measure and she could finally gaze at Tripple Laboratories from the inside. She let her mind wander to the possibilities of what the project was that led Dr. Tripple to hire an assistant. Food development, disease cures, making more land on the planet habitable, infertility treatments...the list in her head ran on and on. She felt her stomach flip-flop with excitement and instinctively looked down. Her skin was red and irritated. She put her hands on her face and felt a rash there too. It wasn't painful, just terrifying. She put her hands against the stall door, but it wouldn't open. Dana was trapped like a lab rat. She looked at the clock on the wall. Five minutes three seconds. She closed her eyes and breathed deep in and out, in and out. Her mind began to rationalize. This is part of the process, she thought, I'm in no danger. Maybe it's the final test. To make sure I am up to the job...mentally. She heard a clicking sound and opened her eyes. Water was falling from a different spout now. The rash on her hands and arms began to clear almost immediately and she sighed in relief. I am chemically encoded now, she thought and smiled at the genius of the doctor’s security system.
When the clock on the wall finished its countdown, the shower door unlatched. A woman named Miranda, who had collected her bodily fluids earlier, was standing outside with a towel.
“Pat dry. Don't rub,” she said and led Dana to a changing room where her clothes were folded neatly in a pile next to a dark gray lab coat with her name embossed into a pliable metal plate, also dark gray, on the left sleeve. Dana smiled to herself as she patted her skin dry.
“When you are dressed and have gotten yourself together, come see me in the office across the hall and we will get you something to eat before you meet with Lee tonight,” Miranda said, “Who knows when you will get a break to eat again once you start working.”
“Thank you,” Dana replied. “I'll just be a few minutes.”
“Don't take too long, Miss Hanks. Dr. Tripple does not deal well with employees who are not prompt.”
“I imagine not. But thanks for the advice.”
When Dana was dry and dressed, she put her wet hair in a loose bun in the back of her head and admired herself in the mirror wearing her new lab coat. She felt in her bones today would be the day her life really started and she couldn't be any happier than she was right now. She smoothed the front of her coat, smiled at herself, and walked next door to meet Miranda.
The two women walked to another section of the building and entered a small cafeteria-style room. There were five square tables with four chairs apiece and a long buffet table along the back wall with the day's selections. It was almost seven so Dana ate in a hurry in order to arrive early to meet Dr. Tripple.
“So, what’s it like? Working with Dr. Tripple?” Dana asked between bites.
Miranda smiled at her naiveté.
“I don’t work with Dr. Tripple. No one here does, except of course Camden Riles, and now apparently, you.”
“Then what do you do?”
“I take care of the lab technicians, making sure they have the proper security access, that they get paid, and that they are in the lab exactly on time when the lady at the desk calls in the request for them to clean up or set up experiments.”
“Hmm. So, what do the lab techs do when they are not setting up or breaking down?”
“They have a comfy break room. Some of them are still learning, so they study, some of them play games, or write, or read.”
“Sounds like a boring job.”
“It is, but Lee demands he have at least four technicians at his beck and call at all hours of the day. There are twelve of them in all and they work in three shifts. Sometimes they go days without even walking into the lab, but working here is a good career stepping stone, so it’s a coveted position.”
“Well, that makes sense,” Dana said after swallowing her last bite of dinner. “Thanks for your help Miranda, but I should go now.”
“Just doing my job, Dear. Good luck in there.”
Miranda took her to the security corridor and Dana breezed through the clearance stations. She put her hand on the door to the lab, took a deep breath and walked in. It was like a wonderland of possibility. The main lab was large and open with several workstations and on the left were two giant storage rooms, one with equipment and the other looked like a refrigeration unit. A long corridor lay beside the refrigerated room, and past that was a room with a desk and a large window. Dana assumed this room to be Dr. Tripple's office.
She walked slowly through the main lab looking at the tissue samples in tubes that were lined up in rows on long lab tables. She leaned over to get a closer look and read a few of the labels underneath. Some said male and female followed by number and letter designations, and some had names followed by alteration numbers. The samples varied in size and shape and Dana could almost make out partial body parts in a few. She couldn't imagine what the goal might be with this deeply intricate experiment but she knew the sample tissues were definitely human. She pulled a notebook out of her shoulder bag and began noting her first observations in the lab. She was too fascinated and intrigued by the size and scope of what she was looking at to wonder about where the samples came from.
Dana wandered around the main lab, staring, taking notes, and getting lost in her own theories of the experiment for about fifteen minutes. She was a little startled when she heard footsteps behind her. She turned and saw Dr. Tripple walking down the corridor towards her. His head was down and he was speaking into his electronic notepad. He turned into his office without acknowledging Dana's presence. He opened a closet door, changed his coat and walked back out and into the main lab and right past her. All the while giving his machine voice notes. Dana smiled with amusement. She admired his focus and intensity and watched him as he walked from table to table, talking away to himself. Finally, Dr. Lee Tripple looked at Dana, who was grinning at him from halfway across the room.
“Um... Hello, Dana Hanks. This is my lab.”
“Hello again, Dr. Tripple. I've just been admiring your workspace.”
“Yes, well...it is impressive. You will help me now to get these samples stocked and cataloged. I will explain my theories of why each group failed the experiment while we work.”
“Of course. What is the experiment that happened here?”
“Re-animation of these tissues,” Lee said, his voice sharp. “Isn't that obvious?”
/> Dana's face flushed with embarrassment. She had let him down already.
“Oh, I can see it now,” she lied and started adding to her notes. Hopefully when they started working, she would see it.
“Where do you want to start?”
Lee pointed to a metal cart parked at the end of a long table and simultaneously nodded toward the workstation directly in front of the window to his office. Dana hoped he would not dwell on her lack of knowledge too long and walked over to the cart and rolled it toward the table he had indicated. Dr. Tripple bustled over to the table himself and immediately started talking about a solution 247, proteins, DNA alterations, ages of cells, planetary orbits, and chemically induced tissue stasis as he showed each tube of human goo to her.
Dana frantically wrote in her notebook in between handling each tube. Tomorrow she would have her voice recorder at the ready. She dared not interfere with Dr. Tripple's workflow by rummaging through her bag for it now. It was going to be a long night.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Long Night
Colonel Ganesh and Sergeant Quinn stared at each other over plates of pasta in the unit's main dining room. Ganesh normally ate dinner at home, or if he did stay late at work, would take his supper upstairs in the higher-ranking officer's dining room. But tonight, he wasn't about to let Quinn out of his sight. They had had a good talk on the grounds earlier and Quinn played his part so well, Ganesh thought. If he were any other Colonel, he might never suspect that Quinn was a Special Unit spy. The fact was, Ganesh couldn't help but like him. He was eager and respectful, but at the same time, witty and quick to laugh. Quinn acted like an average, moderately intelligent soldier with a lot of spunk, but Ganesh knew that he was physically conditioned for extreme situations and sharp as a tack; and he liked that about him too. Maybe because he had a soft spot for the Special Unit. Some of his old recruits were as close as family to him and he just appreciated a good spy, though he had never been the target before.
After they ate, Ganesh instructed Quinn to wrap up a plate of pasta to go. He would take it to Camden later, after Quinn turned in for the night. Quinn was staying in the unit dorms for his new assignment with Ganesh, which meant that Ganesh could monitor him with relative ease. He wondered if he would make it home himself tonight. He couldn't stay in his office but he wasn't above taking a couch in the officer's lounge. As Ganesh and Quinn walked out of the dining hall, Quinn was ready to excuse himself for the night but needed Ganesh to open the lock he had put on his locker earlier.
“I gotta tell you, sir, I feel a little weird having you walk me home for the night,” he said and grinned at Ganesh.
“Well I'm not going to tuck you in if that's what you're getting at.”
“Ah c’mon, sir, just one bedtime story.”
“I should slap you for that comment, Quinn.”
“Yes, sir.”
When they got to the locker room Ganesh took out his computer while Quinn took his personal effects and dressed down for the night. While waiting for him, Ganesh searched for Ari and cross-referenced his name with Camden's. Since he only had a first name to work with, he was unsuccessful. Camden would hopefully be able to give him another clue when he saw him later.
Meanwhile, Mace Magner walked into Camden's interrogation room with two soldiers behind him toting a folding cot. Aldretti, who had been slouched lazily against the wall stood at attention at their entrance. Camden was leaned back in his chair with one arm over his eyes. The sleeve and collar of his shirt were stained with dried blood and his mouth was hanging open to accommodate his swollen cheek and lips. Mace smiled with satisfaction at Camden's state.
“Aldretti,” Mace said. “Take the professor to the wash room so he can clean himself up.”
“Yes, sir, Major. Come with me, Professor.” Camden got up slowly and stretched his legs. He stared hard at Mace and then left the room with Aldretti, cupping his mouth with his hand.
Camden was relieved to use the facilities for only the second time today. He drank water from the sink and then tended to his sore face. He removed his shirt and rinsed the blood out as best he could. His jacket was hanging on the back of the chair in his confinement chamber so he returned in just his undershirt. The soldiers with Mace had set up the cot in the corner of the room.
Mace addressed Aldretti again.
“You are relieved for the night. I expect you back on duty here at seven sharp.”
“Yes, sir,” Aldretti replied and promptly left the room, glad to be going home. He had been bored for hours. Since Mace’s previous visit, Camden hadn't spoken once. “What a waste of space,” Aldretti mumbled when he was in the elevator.
Camden walked up to Mace and looked him straight in the eyes. Mace didn't flinch.
“Lights out in this room in five minutes. Sleep well, Professor,” Mace smirked.
Camden, who had left his cool facade behind hours ago, wrung his shirt out on the Major's shoes then turned his back to him and lay down on the cot with his hands behind his head. Mace snorted and shook the water off his feet. He wanted to hit him in the face again but, as of a few hours ago, he was under new orders from General Pike. Camden's face would be in the news soon and couldn’t be bruised. Instead, he walked over and looked down at Camden and just when Camden looked back at him, he punched him hard in the stomach. Camden's body contracted and he let out a short gasp as the wind had been knocked from him.
“Well, if that is all, Professor Riles, I will be leaving for the night,” Mace said to him with deep sarcasm.
Camden was unable to catch his breath long enough to talk back. Not that he would have. He was through giving this man any of his attention since he'd knocked him out earlier that day. He rolled onto his side to face the wall, turning his back to Mace. Mace laughed and walked out of the room. Camden could hear him just outside giving instructions to the two soldiers to sit by his door for the night. Was he worried he would escape or Ganesh would come back and bust him out? Camden didn't care at the moment. He just wanted to sleep for a while. And, he was angry with Ganesh for leaving him in this situation for so long. It was his fault he was here in the first place.
**********
After wandering the streets in a state of emotional flux, Bearden finally made it back to his flat. He still didn't know what to do, but now wished he'd never read that damned letter. He wanted to call Colonel Ganesh and confront him, but couldn't admit that he had disobeyed his direct order to not open the letter. And he had failed in his mission to get it to Dr. Tripple. He was mad at himself for his loyal feelings to Colonel Ganesh after what he had done to him. “I’m a scientist, dammit! I'm no secret mission guy. Why would he even assume...” Bearden sighed and realized that talking to himself was getting him nowhere. I should tell someone. He thought. He read through the letter again and again and one line kept burning into his conscience.
Camden's life depends on our next actions and I know that he trusts you and therefore, I trust you. I know that you will do right by him.
If Camden Riles died, it would be his fault. No matter how much he didn't deserve the responsibility. He made his decision and left his flat to return to Tripple Laboratories. Since he was being forced to make a choice of loyalties, he would choose himself first and worry about the government tomorrow. He wouldn't be able to live with Professor Camden Riles' blood indirectly on his hands. Bearden would have to get to Dr. Lee Tripple one way or another. He just wished he had a plan beyond standing in front of his lab and hoping for the best. He grabbed his coat and stopped with his hand on the doorknob... then paused. “Dammit!” he said again. He walked back inside, picked up his phone, not sure of whom to call, hung it back up, picked it up again, scanned his contact list from the unit, and placed a call.
“Hello, this is Sergeant Bearden Leitner, the scientist you spoke to this morning... yes, I am calling because I am in a situation and I don't know what to do. I need your help.”
**********
Ganesh made his way down
the corridor on the thirteenth floor with a plate of cold spaghetti in his hands. The two soldiers guarding Camden's door stood and saluted the Colonel as he approached. Since his meeting with General Pike, he no longer felt his visiting Camden needed to be discreet.
“Evening, men,” Ganesh said as he unlocked Camden's door and walked past them.
It was dark in the room except for the small square of light coming in the window from the hall.
“Camden. Are you awake? I brought you some food.” Ganesh heard movement coming from the corner and squinted as his eyes tried to adjust to the low light. “Cam?”
“I'm over here.” Camden's voice sounded weak and strained. Ganesh pulled a small flashlight out of his pocket. He knew that the lights on this floor were controlled from a different part of the building. He placed the light on the table and then he could see Camden sitting up slowly on a cot in the corner.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“I've been better. Where the hell have you been?”
“Long story. I got back as soon as I could.”
“I'm sure.” There was a hint of sarcasm in Camden's voice.
“Really, Cam, we are in quite a situation here.”
“And whose fault is that?”
“I did what I had to do...what I thought, and still think is right.”
Camden got up slowly and walked over to the table to sit with Ganesh. When he came into the light, Ganesh cringed.
“Oh man! Look at you...did you tell them anything?” Ganesh whispered.
“If I had, I might be able to close my mouth.”
“Yeah, that's one fat lip you've got there. I'm sorry you are going through this, Cam. This wasn't my intention.”
