Jason

by Feyna Blackwell

  “No, I just find it...interesting. Perhaps a bit peculiar, but there is nothing inherently wrong with changing your mind.” Dr. Flanders studied him a moment longer. “Thank you for speaking with me, T985. You are excused.”

  Jason rose from his seat but paused before going to the door. It could be a mistake to ask, but he had to know. “Will I be allowed more nights with Marina? Since it was good for my mental health.”

  “I cannot make that decision yet. First, I must speak with Marina, and then we must see what kind of effect the night had on your output during the collection.” Dr. Flanders lifted an eyebrow. “I assume you will be participating without argument today? It has come to my attention that you have been rather uncooperative in the last few days.”

  “Yes, I will cooperate.”

  “Good.” Dr. Flanders motioned toward the door. “You may go rejoin your group.”

  Jason turned and left the office, anger burning deep within. The woman acted as if she had complete control over him and everyone else at the collection center. For the moment, he wouldn’t do anything that could prevent him from staying with Marina again. If Dr. Flanders refused him another visit, however, he would have to fight back against her dictatorship somehow.

  * * * *

  Marina finished her paperwork for the day and sighed. She still hadn’t heard from Dr. Flanders, but she had observed Jason taking part in the collection without even a hint of argument. Hopefully that would make Dr. Flanders happy enough to allow him more nights in Marina’s apartment.

  She closed up her office and descended the stairs. Her footsteps echoed on the empty collection floor, and she paused to stare up at the row of machines awaiting the first batch of men in the morning. How had she worked in such a place for so long and never realized what it was doing to the men?

  A part of her had died at the hands of the tyrant, and then having to keep her emotions hidden all the time for safety reasons had closed her off from connecting with anyone. Still, that was no excuse for becoming blind to the suffering of the men she monitored. Spending time with Jason had clearly done wonders for his mental health, but she was still learning just how much good it had done her as well. Without him, she might never have awoken to the disregard for the men’s emotional health.

  She turned toward the exit once more, but before she could leave, Dr. Flanders entered with a security guard on her heels. The guard took up a position just inside the door, appearing incredibly bored.

  “Marina, I’m glad I caught you,” Dr. Flanders said, striding up to her with a more severe expression than usual. “We need to talk.”

  “Is something wrong?” A sense of foreboding filled her.

  “Not for long. As you know, I spoke with T985 this morning.”

  “Yes, I remember.”

  “He shared some rather interesting information with me.”

  “Oh?” She had no idea what Jason could have said that would be so interesting, but she didn’t like her boss’s expression.

  “According to him, you didn’t follow my instructions.”

  Marina’s mouth fell open. “What? I did everything he asked!”

  “Except have sex with him, which is why he asked for time with a woman in the first place.” Dr. Flanders crossed her arms and glared. “Why did you resist?”

  “I didn’t. He never asked me to sleep with him.” Marina’s heart ached. How could Jason have lied about what happened?

  “Are you certain of that?”

  “Positive. What did he tell you?”

  “Enough to know that what went on last night is not what you were to do.”

  Suspicion rose, and Marina studied the woman before her. “Did he tell you I never once argued with anything he asked or resisted anything he suggested?”

  “He mentioned something to that effect, yes.” Dr. Flanders took on the emotionless stare that unnerved so many people. “He also told me enough to question your suitability for the facility.”

  Shock numbed Marina as she realized the direction of the conversation. “I have given my life to this facility and supervising the men. Never have I caused a problem or given you any reason to question my ability to work here.”

  “Until recently, that’s true. But your time with T985 last night has proven you are not as immune to men as I previously thought.”

  Marina wasn’t sure whether to scream in frustration, laugh, or slug the woman. “Dr. Flanders, I have never in my life implied I am immune to men. I was married, for Pete’s sake! But I do have full control over my emotions, which enables me to safely work here and help keep the men in line while they are on the collection floor.”

  “Yet according to T985, you have a heart and care about him.” Dr. Flanders shook her head. “Such shows of emotion cannot be allowed in a place like this, Marina.”

  “You told me to do whatever he wanted. He wanted someone to care about him, so I did. Now you’re going to punish me because I did what you ordered?”

  “No. I am punishing you, if you wish to call it that, because I feel that your continued presence at the facility will be detrimental to the men and to your safety.” Dr. Flanders motioned to the guard still waiting by the door. “Carter will escort you to your quarters. Once there, you are to pack your belongings and make whatever arrangements are necessary for you to leave here by tomorrow morning.”

  “You’re firing me?” Marina had to be misunderstanding. Surely the woman wouldn’t fire her for being human.

  “Yes, I am firing you. Now, go with Carter and be out of this facility by nine tomorrow morning.” Dr. Flanders spun and stalked out of the room.

  Carter lifted a hand toward the exit. “After you.”

  Marina sighed and headed for the hall. Despite her doubts about the facility’s director, she had never believed Dr. Flanders to be capable of such idiocy as to fire a person for caring about the people she had to supervise. Then again, Dr. Flanders had been growing increasingly more irrational and difficult to work for. There had been whispers of the possibility the woman was cracking up due to the extreme pressure of her job, but Marina had refused to give such rumors credence. Now, however, she had to wonder if she had ignored too many warning signs.

  * * * *

  Jason stepped onto the collection floor and stole a peek at Marina’s office, hoping for a brief glimpse of her in the observation window. Thoughts of her had kept him going throughout the previous day and night, but he longed to see her again. After the brief taste of normal life she had given him, he was hooked. And to share such a life with Marina would be a dream come true. Yet he saw no sign of her this afternoon. A stranger stood in her usual position at the large window.

  “Don’t know what you’re looking for,” the guard said behind him. “Marina’s gone.”

  Jason stopped and faced the guard. “What do you mean, she’s gone?”

  “Just that. She got canned last night and cleared out of her apartment this morning.” The guard waved a hand toward the collection units. “Now, get on over there and do your thing.”

  “No.” If he had no chance of seeing Marina again, he wasn’t going to cooperate a moment longer. No incentive existed for him to put himself through that torture any longer.

  “Don’t make me force you to your unit.” The guard widened his stance, apparently expecting a fight.

  Jason didn’t move. “I will not participate in the collection any longer. The only person in this place who actually cared about us is gone. Until she comes back, I’m not going near those units.”

  “You don’t have a choice.” The guard stepped forward as two others approached.

  “Yes, I do!” Jason backed away from the men determined to keep him in hell. “I am a human being, not a machine or a cow. I deserve to be treated like a human. We all do.”

  The other men in his group cheered, giving him hope that they could change the way the center was run. Jason turned to his fellow robe-clad prisoners.

  “We should be free to live how we want
! We deserve the same rights as every other person on this planet.”

  Another cheer went up, and the guards grabbed Jason’s arms. He fought against them, determined to gain his freedom one way or another. Then the stranger from the office came down the stairs. Jason’s heart stopped when he saw the woman’s identity.

  “Dr. Flanders.”

  “I see you’re causing trouble again, T985.” She shook her head and looked past him to the guards. “Take him to his room and lock him inside. He is to stay there until he is willing to be cooperative again.”

  “You can’t make me a prisoner, Dr. Flanders,” Jason said as the guards dragged him toward the door. “I have rights!”

  “You have a bad attitude that must be corrected.” Flanders focused on the guards once more. “I’ve changed my mind. Take him to the infirmary and lock him in one of the isolation rooms. I am afraid he is ill, and I don’t want to risk the other men catching it.”

  “The only thing I have is the desire to live as a free man. Every man in this place has the same desire. Locking me in isolation won’t change that.”

  She turned her back on him without a word.

  “Fight for your freedom!” Jason shouted as the guards pulled him into the hall. “Resist the collection until they treat us like real men!”

  He repeated himself as they dragged him down the hall and hoped the men they passed would listen. By himself, he had little chance of effecting true change. But the more men joining the protest, the better the chances of Dr. Flanders and the rest of the people in charge of the facility changing the unfair policies.

  The guards shoved him in the isolation chamber and slammed the door. Jason listened to the lock activate, and then he waited. As soon as he was certain he was alone, he sat on the cot bolted to the wall and dropped his head into his hands. Why was Dr. Flanders punishing him for wanting to live like a human being? Where had Marina gone? What would she do without a home or a job? Who would she rely on with no family to help support her?

  He stretched out on the thin mattress and stared up at the white ceiling. Had he made a mistake in standing up for himself and those around him? Now that he was trapped in a windowless room, surrounded by white everything, he wasn’t so sure his protest had been a good idea. At least the collection only took a small portion of his day. Here, in this sterile room with nothing to occupy him and no one to talk to, he realized he had gone from a semi-bearable prison to one bound to drive him mad.

  8

  Marina looked around the cramped apartment she’d managed to find on short notice and sighed. Boxes were stacked everywhere, the furniture shoved in haphazardly. The place was depressing after her years in the elegant quarters at the facility. Why hadn’t she ever thought about finding a nice house somewhere? She could have continued to live at the facility and vacationed in the house until she retired. Others had done that, but she’d never given a thought to life beyond the facility. She’d assumed she would have years to plan for her retirement. Getting fired had never even entered her mind.

  Unable to deal with unpacking right after moving everything in, she left her new abode and headed for the nearest pub. A hearty meal and plenty of alcohol sounded appealing. Her thoughts drifted to Jason, but she had no way of finding out his condition. Would they tell him the truth about her departure? Would he blame himself for her termination?

  Worse, would he think she had chosen to leave rather than see him again?

  The thought brought tears to her eyes. He trusted her, possibly the only person he trusted, and now she wasn’t there. She couldn’t continue fighting for better treatment of the men. Couldn’t fight to get them the emotional care they needed. It wasn’t fair, and her anger at Dr. Flanders renewed itself. The woman had made a huge mistake and was mistreating the men entrusted to her care. Would the new collection supervisor see past the collection to the men participating? Would she stand up to Dr. Flanders with a better result than Marina had experienced?

  So many unanswerable questions plagued Marina as she ate a meal she barely noticed. Still feeling a combination of anger, depression, and concern, she took a seat at the bar. By her second drink, she’d eased her anger. Her third helped with the concern. But the fourth didn’t touch her depression. Before she could order a fifth, a silver-haired man sat on the stool beside her.

  “Marina Altman, right?” he said, turning toward her.

  “Senator Healy.” She straightened and tried not to show how much alcohol she’d consumed.

  “Are you celebrating or drowning your sorrows?” He raised an eyebrow and waved a hand toward the empty glass in front of her.

  “That obvious, huh?” She leaned an elbow on the bar and gave up trying to hide her inebriation. Clearly, it hadn’t worked.

  “I’m afraid so.” He studied her. “From your expression, I would guess you’re not celebrating.”

  “No. I got fired from the breeding facility, and now I don’t know who’s going to take care of the men.”

  “Why don’t you tell me the whole story?”

  She was confused for a moment. Why would the senator care about anything she said while drunk? Then she remembered some of his work. Senator Healy had been expressing concern over the breeding program for some time. He wasn’t convinced it was necessary any longer, and he worried about the well-being of the men and women participating.

  With that in mind, Marina told him everything that had happened in the last week. Well, not quite everything. She left out most of the details of Jason’s overnight visit, but she made sure to let him know about Jason breaking down and his abnormal reactions to touch. When she finally finished, she noticed a cup of steaming coffee sitting in front of her.

  The senator indicated it with a smile. “I thought you could use it.”

  “Probably. Alcohol doesn’t help as much as I’d hoped.” She picked up the cup and sipped the strong, bitter brew. Clearly the person who made it hadn’t read the same directions Jason had followed.

  “Maybe I can help. Tomorrow, when you’re feeling a little more…”

  “Sober?” she supplied with a sheepish smile.

  “Yes, sober.” Senator Healy chuckled. “Perhaps you would be willing to come by my office for a meeting with some others who share our concern for the treatment of the men.”

  “I’m willing to do whatever it takes to change things in the facility. Jason brought up serious issues, and Dr. Flanders is acting in ways that are detrimental to the men. I can’t stand back and let it continue, but I can’t do anything on my own.”

  “That’s why you’re going to share your story with others. Individually, we may not be able to effect any change, but all of us together will be able to accomplish something. At the very least, we can launch an investigation into the running of the facility. With you guiding the questions we should ask, I have no doubt that the issues you described will be revealed.”

  “Just tell me where you want me and what time to be there.”

  They settled the details, and Senator Healy gave Marina a ride home. When he pulled up at the curb outside her apartment building, she faced him before climbing out of the car.

  “I apologize for being a little drunk. You found me at a bad moment, but it won’t happen again.”

  “On the contrary, I think I found you at the perfect moment. It’s clear you’re a little drunk because you can no longer work to improve the treatment of the men in the breeding program. It’s also clear you care very much about Jason, and your concern for his well-being now that you’re not there to oversee his care is admirable.”

  She had a feeling the senator knew it was more than responsibility tearing her apart where Jason was concerned, but she appreciated his attempt to keep the conversation from becoming too personal. “Yes, it’s difficult to know I can’t continue working from the inside to solve this mess. I’m afraid few of the people at the facility have looked hard enough to see what we’re doing to the men. I know I didn’t until I was forced to confront it.”r />
  “You’re working to change things now, and that is what’s important.” Senator Healy studied her. “Have you started looking for new employment?”

  “Not yet. I was going to start searching tomorrow.”

  “Why don’t you hold off for now? I may be able to secure a position for you, but I’ll have to talk to a few people before I say any more.”

  “Thank you, Senator.” Marina’s heart lifted with the knowledge she might not be unemployed for long.

  “Don’t thank me yet. The position I have in mind comes with great responsibility.”

  “I’m used to responsibility. It was standard procedure at the facility, especially once I started overseeing the collection.” She opened the car door. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  He bade her good night, and she went inside. In her apartment, she cleared off the sofa and collapsed onto the cushions, too tired to make the bed. Memories of her time with Jason on this same sofa made her ache so much she feared her heart would shatter. Would she ever see him again?

  She rolled over and closed her eyes. Tears slipped through her lashes as she cried herself to sleep.

  * * * *

  “T985.”

  Dr. Flanders’s emotionless voice sent a bolt of anxiety straight to Jason’s stomach. He opened his eyes, but didn’t bother rising from the hard bunk. She undoubtedly wanted him to admit to something he wouldn’t or do something he didn’t want to do. That’s what had happened for the past two days. He seriously doubted a third day had changed anything.

  “T985, you will look at me when I speak to you.”

  Heaving a sigh, he turned his head until his gaze fell on her. If he didn’t she would probably have the guards force him to look at her. She’d done it before.

  She stood in the open doorway with two of the facility’s largest guards standing behind her like hired thugs. Same as before. The woman clearly had no imagination.