“I know this is a surprise for all of you, and I’m not even sure where to begin,” Dr. Loki said. His voice was scratchy, and speech was a struggle.
Ellyssa bore responsibility for the male’s condition. Remorse started to take playful nips in her. Guilt bared its gnarly teeth.
“How do you know Leland?” Woody asked.
“That’s a start,” Dr. Loki said. A slight smile curled the left corner of his mouth. “I found Leland.”
“Why?”
“That’s a long story. How this all came to be. But first, I want to tell you how sorry I am, Ellyssa.”
Her head snapped up at Dr. Loki’s words as his teal eyes, flavored with regret, examined her. “Sorry,” she muttered; strands of anger woke, peeking between the layers of remorse and guilt. “Sorry doesn’t even begin to cover what I glimpsed inside you.”
“Did you glimpse everything?”
Ellyssa opened her mouth to respond, but the fact was, she hadn’t. The memories that had spilled from the crack were fragmented, incomplete. Regardless, she had seen enough, the forerunner being Ida’s corpse being fed to the incinerator. Hatred sidled over next to the anger. She took in a deep breath. Control. “I saw enough.”
“No, you didn’t. If you had, you would know.”
Tension knotted Ellyssa’s muscles. Rein’s grasp tightened and Woody’s hand stopped massaging and splayed across the back of her neck as if he could stop her if she decided to rise.
Refusing to lose control, Ellyssa relaxed. She was different now. Not an animal, and definitely not a monster. Her father had failed.
“Then explain yourself,” she muttered between tight lips.
The doctor removed his hand from his throat and placed it on the table. Round, angry bruises from Ellyssa’s fingertips still glowed an accusing red.
“Your father was a genius, his IQ remarkable. As you know, he was a child of The Center, as was I. His physical attributes were…well, more defined than mine. His eyes were more pure, his physique within the acceptable guidelines. He was a remarkable specimen.
“We worked together, trying to perfect the Aryan bloodline. To create a superior being, strong, incredible reflexes, off-the-chart intelligence.” He paused, his eyes moving from one face to the other. “You look at me as if I’m lower than an insect. Perhaps I am,” he shrugged, “but I am nothing more than a product of what I was bred to do, what I was trained to do.” His gaze moved to Ellyssa. “Much like you.”
“Ellyssa’s nothing like you,” Rein seethed. “Nothing. She never killed because someone wasn’t perfect.”
“Neither did I. That is what you failed to see, Ellyssa. I was there, but I didn’t kill her.”
Ellyssa understood. In his attempt to keep his secret hidden, the doctor’s memories, when they bled through, were bits and pieces, as of a shattered vase. At the time, she’d known the doctor’s memories were fragmented, but she had reacted before she’d had a chance to puzzle the pieces together. The death of the female she’d found on the computer before her initial flight and her own detestation for her father had brought forth natural instincts. Fight or flight. One thing Ellyssa would never underestimate was that she’d always fight. Always.
Under regular circumstances, Ellyssa would’ve thought things through. Her dark side had been unleashed before she had a chance, though. That scared her.
Taking a chance, Ellyssa lowered her mental shield, sending the tendrils of her mind to soak up the doctor’s thoughts. As if understanding what she was doing, Dr. Loki sat still, his gaze unwavering. His mind freely opened to her, the recollections unfurled. For a minute or two, she watched. The stirring creature inside Ellyssa fell asleep.
“You were her father?” Ellyssa said, not really a question.
“I loved her.”
“And Leland.”
“Yes.”
“Others?”
Sadness enveloped Dr. Loki’s mind as he looked down. “Yes.” A few seconds passed before he found the courage to meet her eyes again. His throat moved visibly as he swallowed, followed by a grimace. “People change. You changed.”
Rein’s head swiveled back and forth between the two of them. “Would one of you like to let us in?” he said, voicing what the others wanted.
“Go ahead,” Ellyssa said, her tone soft, thoughtful, normal. The robot had disappeared. “It’s your story.”
Dr. Loki repositioned himself, straightening his spine before he started. “As I was saying, I worked with Dr. Hirch. Our goal was to unlock the genetic sequence to develop a superior human. We found it, as you can see,” he said with a nod in Ellyssa’s direction.
He studied her for a moment. “As much as I’ve grown to hate your father, I must say his brilliance is awe-inspiring. You are truly beautiful.”
“I fell short. My father had other ideas.”
The doctor nodded. “I understand. The problem with your father was an incredible god-sized ego.
“Anyway, to simplify things,” he said, returning his attention to the rest of his audience, “after we found the correct sequence, we sliced and diced DNA from both of our sperm samples, from other males’, and from different females’ eggs containing the desired qualities, then spliced them together. Amongst our discoveries were several genes that, once enhanced, brought about…special abilities, like Ellyssa’s gift.
“We had hits and misses, Mother Nature’s interferences. Most babies aborted naturally, some died in infancy. Some were born deformed. You understand society’s take on deformities.”
No one said anything. The practice of euthanizing severe imperfections was a practice that had been accepted for decades.
“The female Ellyssa was speaking about, Ida, she was one who I considered, my daughter.” His gaze grew distance as he reflected into his past. “By all accounts, my genetic makeup is not perfect. My eyes, you see. Yet she was the first to overcome all odds. She was extraordinary, strong, beautiful, always laughing. I loved her as a father should. I bought her pretty dresses and dolls.”
The doctor stopped, his eyes moist. Dropping his chin, he wiped away the unshed tears. The group remained quiet, too stunned for speech.
“Average intelligence,” he continued, “which disappointed your father, but she was gifted with the ability to start a fire with nothing more than a thought. Our first to possess such a talent. At first, we didn’t even realize it. Small fires would start from nothing. After a few more mishaps, we realized it was Ida, and a series of tests began.
“Ida hated them. But she was a good daughter and sat through them regardless. What we discovered, though, was she had no control over her gift. It seemed anger triggered the ability, but that wasn’t always the case. One day she killed a nurse by accident. It devastated her. It thrilled Dr. Hirch.
“Against my protest, he locked her up and forced her to use her gift on test subjects while he remained safe behind the lines. Finally, she just curled into a ball and no longer responded to any stimuli. That was when he murdered her. That was when I changed my whole outlook on life.
“The night my daughter died, I fled and hid. I just couldn’t take it. I was weak, I guess. I became a Renegade.” He chuckled a little, humorlessly. “Eventually, I met a contact. Eventually, I gained his trust. Eventually, I ended up here. Since the War, no one had been brought into The Pit to live. The consequences of such actions were too much to risk, but my expertise in the training Dr. Hirch and I developed wasn’t something they could pass up.”
Subconsciously, Dr. Loki brought his hand back to his neck. “I don’t know what brought about the existence of humans from the primordial soup, but I do know this; we were not meant to mess with it. Through evolution, we constantly change, moving toward this broad term called perfection. One day we may reach the ultimate goal; maybe we are closer than we think.”
Woody’s mouth opened. Dr. Loki held up his hand, stopping his unspoken words. “Let me finish. Through the Resistance network, I learned about Leland, who had been
created the same as you all were, many years after I had left. I contacted him and you know the rest.”
“He told you about me?” Ellyssa already knew the answer, but asked for the others’ sake.
“Yes. About you and your siblings.”
“They are dead. So is my father,” she said.
“I know.”
“How?”
“Word reached us about The Center being destroyed. Before Leland… died…” Dr. Loki paused for a moment, pain etching a deep line in his forehead. “…he contacted me. I didn’t really think such an undertaking could ever be accomplished. You prevailed, though.”
“And my ability?”
“As I already said, we knew Renegades were coming because of what little information we gathered and the increase in patrols. I didn’t expect you, though. When I first saw you with your group, your physical characteristics, I knew you were the one Leland had told me about. The one who’d escaped. That is why I let you in.”
“Wait,” Woody said, leaning forward. “How did you block her?”
“A technique Leland told me about when I questioned him about you. Dr. Hirch was afraid Ellyssa would discover his true plans. Leland feared she would find out what side he really worked for.” He smiled. “It didn’t work well.”
“My siblings and I were prohibited from using our gifts against any personnel. I had obeyed. As for the wall you created, it was impressive, but there is always a leak.”
His story done, Dr. Loki slouched in his chair, seemingly exhausted from the recounting. Quiet settled over the group huddled around the rectangular table in the underground steel structure. No one moved, no one said anything. Minutes ticked away.
Finally, the doctor spoke. “I want you to understand that we will not help you get your friends back. We can’t.”
“We understand,” Woody said.
“But in the meantime, you are free to roam around the facility. No more guards.” A sad smile appeared. “There are no more secrets between us. When you are ready to go, you can retrieve your weapons and leave.”
“Thank you.”
The doctor rose. Angry blue and red splotches colored his neck. Ellyssa looked away from her shame.
“The hour is late, so if you will follow me, I’ll take you back to your quarters.” Dr. Loki moved toward the door as everyone got to their feet. He paused after he punched in the code and turned around. Glancing at the hands being held between the two couples, he said. “We will make living arrangements more suitable for your needs.”
“Wait,” Woody said, standing. “One more question.”
“Yes.”
“With all the contacts working together, the Resistance in its entirety, how do you not know about the survival of the other underground communities?”
Dr. Loki smiled. “The same as your failure to realize.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You had contacts helping you, right?”
“Yes.”
“Did you know where your contacts got supplies from?”
“Ordered them?”
“All of it? Really?”
Pausing, Woody mulled for a moment. “Probably not?”
“Did your contacts help others of the Cause?”
Woody shrugged. “We never knew exactly what the others did.”
“There’s your answer. We do our job. We don’t talk. We don’t ask questions.”
36
As the wind howled, shaking the windows in their frames, Aalexis stared out the window. Not that she could see anything. It was like looking at a white wall, a complete whiteout. Even the spotlights from the towers couldn’t penetrate the thick sheets of unrelenting snow with nothing more than a dull glow.
On the window, Xaver’s reflection joined hers, his scent reaching her nose. He wrapped his arm around her waist. She leaned into him, his warmth caressing her. His lips brushed the top of her head; tingles cascaded through her body.
The intimacy of such an act felt strange, but good. Two parts struggled within her, one repulsion at the act, the other relishing every touch. As Aalexis became acclimated to the familiarity, the relishing was winning.
Xaver had been right. Once she’d embraced the connection instead of burying it, the apprehension had departed, the fear of becoming like Ellyssa. Plus, since she’d conceded, Xaver seemed to be even more devoted to her. More protective. A quality she would need if things didn’t go according to plan.
At all costs, Aalexis must live.
“Do you think she will come soon?”
“After the blizzard, I am sure,” Xaver responded.
A burst of wind rattled the glass. Snow continued to pound down across the plains.
“What if she does not survive this?”
“Do you think we would survive if exposed?”
“Of course.”
“She will, too. I would not be surprised if her inferior company froze to death, though. There is no shelter for them.”
The thought of them dying sent a forbidden pleasant thrill through Aalexis. Without the inferior people Ellyssa had formed relationships with, she would come alone. She would be vulnerable.
That was another thing Xaver had been right about, relationships had strengthened the vile Renegades. Unfortunately, Ellyssa had formed a bond with the wrong class of humans. If Ellyssa would’ve waited, her emotional connection could have been shared with her real family. Once Ellyssa returned home with them, she would learn.
Their father’s work would come to fruition. And born from her father’s vision, another experiment to accommodate them while they waited for their superior creations to reach adulthood. Aalexis was a little surprised her father hadn’t tried. An easy concoction to formulate to suppress the substandard humans’ emotions, so they could act as guards until his work was completed. Her father certainly would’ve benefitted from such an endeavor, instead of trusting an emotional, insane person such as Detective Petersen. If the female hadn’t interfered, Aalexis’ father might still be alive.
Anger twinged with her. Xaver noticed.
“What bothers you?”
“Der Vater,” she stated. “We have a lot of work to accomplish when we return home. I will not have someone like that detective in charge of security. We are capable of so much more.”
Aalexis had already handpicked the male to take part in the first trial, the one she’d seen before her meeting with Commandant Baer. She wondered if he would be honored at such a prospect or try to refuse. Either way, it didn’t really matter. Aalexis would have things her way.
“I cannot wait to get started,” Xaver said. “I actually feel excitement at the prospect. Strange, is it not?”
Aalexis heard it too, as the thump in his chest quickened. Xaver tightened his grip on her waist, and she rested her head against his broad chest. His heartbeat echoed in her ear. She felt her hair move under her brother’s soft breaths.
A loud thumping on the door disrupted the calm.
Xaver dropped his arm and moved away. “Come in,” he yelled.
Whoever was on the other side of the door didn’t respond.
“I do not think they can hear you.”
As if in affirmation, the wind moaned noisily as it beat against the building. The knock came again.
Xaver opened the door. Wind whipped through the entrance and cold spread across Aalexis’ skin.
“Who are you?”
“Sergeant-at-arms, sir, here with the report,” a male said, his voice deep and rough.
“Let him in, Xaver.”
Her brother stepped back, and a male wearing a long olive green coat with a matching bomber hat and scarf entered, dark blue eyes peeking over the knitted material. Snow covered the male from head to foot; his boots were caked in frozen ice. He took off his gloves as Xaver shut the door.
“Heil,” he greeted, arm extended.
“At ease,” Xaver ordered.
The male pulled down the scarf, exposing a crooked nose and a fierce
square jaw. Coincidence that the male Aalexis had seen earlier in the day showed up just as she had thought about him. Of course, her father had always said coincidences don’t exist, only science and facts.
“I apologize for the intrusion,” the male said. “I was just informed you have relieved the Commandant of his duties.”
“That is correct,” Xaver said.
“This is rather unusual.” He paused, his gaze moving between the both of them. “I’m not sure I understand.”
Lifting his chin, Xaver stepped closer to Aalexis, fully in protective mode. She thought it unnecessary. The male was no match for her. If she chose not to use her gift on him, she could just as easily break him with her own hands. Xaver was aware of this fact, but he was insistent he be the first line of defense. Aalexis didn’t argue. Her brother was simply carrying out der Vater’s wishes.
“I do not believe your understanding is necessary to carry out orders. Who are you?” Xaver challenged.
The male stilled, his lips parting. Impressively, he did not succumb to fear. Of course, he hadn’t the slightest clue about either of them.
After a moment, he seemed to compose himself. “Yes, sir. I am the sergeant-at-arms. My duty is security of the camp. I have come to deliver to you the daily rosters and report.” He unbuttoned his coat, then reached inside and produced a set of papers that were clipped together.
Aalexis stepped forward, under her brother’s watchful eye, and took the papers. “What is your name?” she asked as the sergeant took an at-ease stance.
The sergeant studied her for a nanosecond, apparently unaccustomed to answering to a young nonmilitary female before he responded, “Sergeant Lukas Gersten.”
“I see.” She walked around him. “Security, you said?”
Flawed (Perfection) Page 26
