Flawed (Perfection)

by J. L. Spelbring

  “And what if we get trapped in a blizzard out there? What about then?”

  Dyllon kissed the back of Trista’s hand. “We’ll worry about that if it happens.”

  Still staring at the upcoming storm, Ellyssa felt a hand stroking her hair. She turned and met Rein’s jade eyes, a small reassuring smile in his face. He mouthed, “I love you.”

  She returned his grin. “I know,” Ellyssa mouthed back.

  “Okay,” Woody said, clapping his hands together. “Let’s get the empty boxes piled in the front and the sleeping bags out.”

  Dyllon groaned. “What a waste of time.”

  Ellyssa swung the doors open to a surprisingly clear, crisp morning, not even the stir of a breeze. The sun hovered above the eastern horizon in a pure azure sky the color of her eyes. The snow, which she had been sure would be a meter deep, barely covered the ground. The storm that had pummeled the van, rocking it back and forth and rattling the windows to the point that Ellyssa thought the van was doomed to go tumbling across the vast plains, seemed nothing more than a bad nightmare.

  Ellyssa dropped to the ground and watched as the others followed her, like a line of abominable snowmen, dressed in identical snowsuits that clad them from head to foot in white. She couldn’t help but smile as she remembered Trista’s declaration of that fact. The males had seemed less than delighted at the observation.

  As far as clothing went, though, the snowsuits were remarkable pieces of gear. The thermal lining was specifically designed to use body heat through a fibrous insulation and flexible coils, which vented the suit and maintained the temperature at a constant twenty-one degrees Celsius. The same went with the sleeping bags each of them had strapped to the top of their knapsacks. Regardless of the milder weather, it was still bitterly cold.

  With the three tents, food, water and limited medical supplies, they would be fine as long as the calm weather continued. The problem was what would happen once they reached their destination.

  Closing her eyes, Ellyssa faced the sun, enjoying the feel of it against her skin. Rein came up from behind and folded his arms around her waist. He pressed his lips against her cheek. “Are you ready?” he asked.

  Ellyssa nodded. He handed her her backpack. After a quick check to make sure the cave pearl was still in the side pocket, she slipped her arms through the shoulder straps and adjusted the weight on her back. “Let’s go.”

  “One second,” Woody said, positioning the compass steady in his hand. “Two hundred thirty degrees.” He started to move southwest.

  Their small band followed him toward a vast white and blue unknown.

  27

  After hanging up with Colonel Fielder, Commandant Hans Baer paced behind the desk, back and forth, back and forth, his hands behind his back. Things were brewing; his prescience naggled him. Whatever was to shower down wasn’t going to be good. The Colonel wanted him to double security, but not send out any more patrols. The two faux angels would be returning sometime tomorrow or the next day. All of this, and Hans’ superior officer still refused to divulge anything further than a “need to know” basis.

  Basically, Hans didn’t need to know.

  Hans knew somehow everything circled around the female, Ellyssa. Especially after the information Doc had provided him about the girl.

  According to the Renegade, The Center had been more vested in eugenics than was previously known; Alexis and Xaver were byproducts, as was Ellyssa. Apparently, the Colonel and possibly other leaders knew some of the surreptitious experiments that had gone on. If not before, then definitely now. That was why the Colonel had ordered Hans’ cooperation.

  What disturbed the Commandant the most was that, if The Center hadn’t been destroyed and Dr. Hirch killed then, based on what Doc had said, a paved highway would have been opened for complete annihilation of the human populace, replaced by a super-being, a soldier, created from a test tube to populate the earth.

  It stood to reason Aalexis and Xaver had plans to continue the doctor’s work. That was why Aalexis sought Ellyssa.

  Hans paused at the corner of the desk, his hand twitching over the phone. What would he say to the Colonel? How would he explain his acquired knowledge? Tell the Colonel the deal he’d made with a prisoner? Besides, Hans had a sneaking suspicion the Colonel already knew of Aalexis and Xaver’s gifts. That was what the Colonel had meant when he’d said something about the missing link.

  As his mother used to say, Narren nicht erkennen.

  Colonel Fielder was a fool.

  Letting his hand drop to his side, Hans moved to the window. He stood a little ways back and to the left, where he was hidden in the shadows. Across the compound, the sergeant-at-arms stood. The cap hid his face, but the hair stood on the back of Hans’ neck as if the man’s eyes scoured him.

  He was going to have to do something about the sergeant. He had to give him credit, though; the sergeant was very astute, one of the reasons Hans had requested him in the first place.

  As Commandant Baer watched from the warmth of his office, for the first time ever he had an inkling of understanding how the Renegades felt.

  28

  Aalexis couldn’t help but feel excitement as she walked into the new lab. Her heart thumped and elation swelled in her chest. She tried to hold the feeling at bay, but she was unsuccessful, her body tingling with the forbidden sensation.

  Everything was metal grey or white, clean. Disinfectant scented the air. Freezers, computers, incubators—everything was there and ready for use. From the shiny, state-of-art equipment to the simplest table, her father’s vision of a truly perfect world would be realized. Aalexis reached out and gently touched one of the atomic force microscopes, her fingers running along the base.

  All she needed now was Ellyssa, and from the intelligence Xaver had brought her, her sister would soon be reunited with her biological family. Days had passed since the dead soldiers south of the contact’s house had been found and the van recovered to the west. She’d even had the Colonel call in his troops and the State call in the Gestapo. She knew where Ellyssa was headed. Besides, the incompetent humans wouldn’t have caught her, anyway. But she and Xaver would. The day after next, they’d be heading south to the barren wasteland.

  The trap had been laid; Ellyssa just needed to spring the trigger.

  “Are you pleased?” Xaver asked.

  Aalexis turned toward her brother. Xaver leaned against the frame of the decontamination port, his arms folded across his chest; the white lab coat he wore opened in the front over surgical coveralls. There was a slight grin on his chiseled face that reached his eyes.

  Her heart missed a beat as she studied him. He seemed completely at ease, as if unaware of his emotional display.

  Forcing the excitement at her new toys into check, Aalexis’ face sank into an emotionless mask. “You are smiling, Xaver,” she observed.

  “I believe I am,” he replied.

  His nonchalance was a little disconcerting. That was, if she actually could experience such an emotion. Which she couldn’t.

  Incapable.

  Aalexis hoped he wasn’t going to break down like Ellyssa had, although she had begun to wonder. On more than one occasion, she’d had to redirect him from talk about her sister or Micah’s revelations. She had no interest in such matters.

  “Emotions weaken,” she reminded as if he didn’t already know.

  “Are you weak?”

  “Certainly not.”

  “But yet”—he pushed away from the frame and walked toward her—“I can see you.”

  In an unexpected response, she stepped back and had no clue why. “See what?”

  “More than you want to reveal.”

  Aalexis took another step away. A lab table pressed into the small of her back. “I do not understand.”

  Xaver stopped midway. The grin remained on his face. “You do know what today is?”

  “Yes. December seventh.”

  “Your birthday.”

  �
�It is your birthday, too, and Ellyssa’s. I do not see why we are having this conversation.”

  He looked around at the elaborate setup. “This is quite the birthday gift.”

  “We do not celebrate birthdays.”

  His eyes found her again. “Do you not find it strange der Vater used the same birthday for all of us? A weakness on his part, perhaps?”

  “Der Vater found significance with this date. It was a time of great change. The turning point that eventually led to the conquering of all the great superpowers of the time. As we are to be a turning point, a time of great change.”

  “A connection made from emotion. Would you not agree?”

  Aalexis’ mind whirled as she tried to see where her brother was leading. She was unsure whether she wanted to follow, to play into Xaver’s trap. Especially if it led down the road toward Micah. He stood there, the unsettling grin still displayed under his straight nose. She didn’t like any of it. After a moment, she answered, “I do agree. Der Vater was not completely like us, but his genius compensated. Like Hitler, he was a visionary.”

  Standing perfectly still, her brother regarded her. She felt her pulse quicken, her nerves tweak. She had to maintain control.

  Finally, Xaver spoke. “After Ellyssa is brought back into the fold, would you have the same birthday for our creations? Our perfect soldiers?”

  “No. Dates mean nothing. A tradition which has no effect on the beings we will create. We do not feel emotions to assign importance to dates.”

  “Yet, I can still see you.”

  “I do not know to what you are referring.”

  “Your eyes, they sparkle when you are pleased.” His grin grew.

  Aalexis didn’t respond. All words escaped from her thought process.

  Xaver started toward her again, and Aalexis’ chest squeezed. If she didn’t know better, she’d say she felt fear. But that was impossible. She was not afraid of her brother. There was no reason to be. Xaver’s whole world centered around ensuring her safety. Even with the shortcomings she’d been experiencing, fear was unfeasible. A complete waste. Yet, as he approached her, her heart felt like it was going to depart from the cavity surrounded by her ribcage, and her stomach felt a little uncomfortable.

  Moments like this, Aalexis wished she had Ellyssa’s capability. That way, she’d always know what was coming. Her sister’s gift would benefit the future superior beings greatly.

  Xaver stood in front of her, and she stared at his chest. The coveralls and lab coat hid muscles he wouldn’t have possessed if he had been born from inferior beings. Their physiques were much more mature and had accelerated since they’d reached puberty.

  His scent was overwhelming, the heat radiating off his body. The table pressed against her back. Aalexis felt trapped. Anger stirred within her.

  She tipped her head up and met Xaver’s eyes with hers. “What is your point, Xaver?”

  “We feel,” he simply stated.

  “We do not,” she denied. “I do not.”

  “Although you try to hide it, I can see it in your eyes.” He reached up and cupped her cheek. “The change in you.”

  At his touch, the stirring anger abated, as easily as water dousing a fire. A fluttering sensation burst in her midsection. Before Aalexis knew what was happening, she found herself leaning into his hand, but only for a moment. Her breath seized at the realization of what was happening, and fury burned away the flutter. She pushed him away, hard. A normal man would’ve been thrown back. Xaver wasn’t normal; he stumbled back a couple of steps and his smile fell away.

  “Do not touch me. Ever,” Aalexis seethed.

  He moved forward.

  “I mean it, Xaver.”

  He stopped. “Or what? Will you send your pain through me?”

  The thought had crossed Aalexis’ mind, to protect herself, the innate carnal side of their beings. Unfortunately, her ability would be rendered as useless against Xaver as it had been against Ellyssa. His shield would protect him.

  “Please.” She could hear the plea in her own voice as the anger sucked away, like a black hole and caught the one feeling she was comfortable with. She felt weak, out of control. She felt herself caving.

  “It will be fine,” Xaver comforted as if he could sense her distress. “We need to discuss this…change. Or it might consume us like it did Ellyssa.”

  No,” Aalexis said. “Emotions weaken.”

  Another telltale emotion surfaced on Xaver’s face. An inquisitive one. His left eyebrow rose. For a moment, he looked like der Vater. “Do they?” He moved forward, his hand extending toward her, where he hesitated. “May I?” he asked.

  While looking at Xaver’s hand, Aalexis’ twitched, as if her fingers longed to entwine within his. She balled her hand into a tight fist and shook her head.

  “Very well.” He looked disappointed. “Will you agree to listen to me, at least? To talk? How can we proceed if we do not look at this situation from a logical perspective? You can deny it all you want, but I do see.” His gaze leveled at her. “And I know you feel.”

  She didn’t want to talk. She wanted it all to go away. Instead, she agreed with a curt nod.

  The slight grin crossed Xaver’s face, again. His eyes seemed to dance. As much as Aalexis didn’t want to admit it, he was truly beautiful. Then again, they were all beautiful; they were perfection.

  Maybe Xaver was right. If there was a flaw within her father’s programming, the intelligent thing would be to embrace it and use to their advantage instead of fleeing.

  Ellyssa had fled. Ellyssa had been wrong.

  With an elaborate gesture for her to go first, Xaver stepped to the side. Keeping a stoic face, Aalexis went over to a metal table with a pristine shiny surface. Her face reflected back at her. Then, she could see what Xaver meant. There was something in her eyes. A spark? Small, undetectable to the a normal human’s eye, but there nonetheless.

  She perched on the stool and turned toward Xaver. Unable to look at him, her eyes remained trained on the incubator, a part of their future, comforting.

  Pulling a stool over, the metal legs scraping against the white tile, Xaver took a seat across from her. He launched into the story as if unable to contain the words he so long had wanted to tell. “Before Micah died, he came to me. He told me of what he saw when he touched the music box. The box had belonged to the Renegade who had feelings for Ellyssa, and Ellyssa had touched the box.” He paused for a moment. “But instead of just seeing past events, Micah felt emotions. He tried to explain the onslaught he felt, a rush of emotions, a fluttering sensation in his heart, in his stomach. He said he felt the love Ellyssa held for the subhuman. Overpowering and very strong. The rush of emotion had changed something vital in Micah, like it opened a door that had been sealed shut.”

  Aalexis’ gaze jerked toward Xaver, her lids narrowing. “You had an opportunity to tell der Vater. If he had known, he might have been able to develop another program for us. Something to right the flaw. Why did you hide this?” she demanded.

  “Micah had asked me not to tell der Vater. He was…afraid, I think.”

  “You should have told him anyway,” Aalexis reiterated.

  “If der Vater had known, he might have had Micah eliminated.”

  “As well he should have.”

  “What if it was you? Would you go so willingly?”

  “Yes.” The lie left Aalexis’ lips freely. The truth was something she didn’t want to admit. Her father had instilled self-preservation well, at all costs. Had that been the reason Ellyssa had left? She quickly dismissed the idea.

  Xaver watched her for a moment before he started again. “Honestly, I do not know why I did not inform der Vater. He was consumed with Ellyssa.” He shrugged, Aalexis noted his ease of using body expressions as if he’d been practicing. “The more I thought about the conversation, the more curious I became. I began to examine other humans, the ones with whom we were allowed to come in contact, der Vater and his assistants. Yes, the
y are inferior to us in all ways, but maybe emotions have their use.”

  Xaver’s face took on a faraway look as he considered the possibilities. All Aalexis wanted to do was block out everything, including those same possibilities.

  After a moment, he came back. “Then Ellyssa came. She came for that…despicable human.” Anger tinged his voice and, and for a moment, he sounded like the Xaver Aalexis knew. “Throwing out self-preservation as if the Renegade’s life was worth more than hers. That was stupid of her.”

  “Exactly,” Aalexis agreed.

  “No. Putting the Renegade’s life before hers was stupid, but the emotional bond she had formed with the Renegade was strong.”

  Aalexis hated the words her brother spoke, the possible truth in them. She’d agreed to listen, but she didn’t agree to accept. Aalexis started to shake her head. She was done, but Xaver would not shut up.

  “Undeniably strong. It strengthened her.”

  “No. No. No.”

  Xaver leaned toward Aalexis and placed his hand under her chin, forcing her to look at him. “Listen. It did make her strong. The connections she had formed with the substandard humans made them come together. Two are better than one. Do you not see, Aalexis? Because of their beliefs, because of their bonds, they came into an armed building and defeated us. Us,” he repeated, as if he still could not believe the outcome.

  “That detective helped them.”

  “Propelled by what?”

  She tried to look away, but he held her chin firm.

  “Propelled by what?” he asked again.

  “Emotions.” The word rushed out of her like a breath of tainted air.

  “Exactly. The emotion she felt, jealousy I believe, made her unpredictable. We did not see the betrayal in her.”

  Slowly, Xaver moved his hand to her cheek. This time, Aalexis did not fight it. His touch had a calming effect; there was no denying that.

  “I will have to consider what you have told me.”

  “I have something else to say,” he said, his thumb tracing the contours of her cheek.