by Patra, CS
Perfect Human
Book Two: The Chimera
CS Patra
Cover by Amygdala Art
Editing by UltraEditingCo
Formatting by ExNihilo
For my husband. To quote E.E. Cummings –
“Yours is the light by which my spirit’s born: you are my sun, my moon, and all my stars.”
“At bottom every man knows well enough that he is a unique being, only once on this earth; and by no extraordinary chance will such a marvelously picturesque piece of diversity in unity as he is, ever be put together a second time.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
Chapter 1 - Ren
It was a busy night for Ren Abernathy. He had about eighteen orders to take care of and he was barely through half of his appetizers. There were pots and pans everywhere and he was running around like a mad man. He needed to get everything out at the same time. His sous chef had already walked up with the garnish so now it was his turn to finish it all off.
“Order up!”
He pushed his trays out to the window and went back to working on the next dish. This was just another typical Friday night for him. Everyone went out to eat today. They were ordering all kinds of dishes off the menu and the chefs had to make everything from scratch. He didn’t mind how busy it got though. He loved the din and rushed feeling of a busy kitchen. He loved working alongside some of his best friends. He loved food in general and had a palate for just about everything. If something could be eaten, he would eat it.
“Well done, Ren.” He heard the head chef tell him. “You got everything out in time.”
“Thank you, sir,” Ren muttered, now looking forward to the appetizers. “It’s only Friday night. I think I’ll make it.”
It was times like that he wished a busy Friday night was his biggest concern. Life had taken a turn that Ren never expected. He had grown up relatively normal even though he hated his body. He hated the person he was on the outside and slightly hated the one on the inside. However, he had never dreamt that he would be someone’s lab rat. He never thought that he would have another family, one that shared the same issues that he shared. They had that one sliver of DNA that they shared with him. They were all the same kind of experiment from a group called Project 99.
As the days went by, Ren began to believe that he was an experiment. So far, he had not asked his family about it. In truth, he barely talked to them anymore. They dropped him as soon as he came out to them. Now that he had changed completely, they denied that he ever existed. In a way, it was a blessing to lose them. They were some of the most close-minded people he had ever known. The less he associated himself with them, the happier everyone was. He had a new family now. It was a family that consisted of seven other people; Doug Ruskin, Pam Turner, Nikhil Sampath, Jackie Vargas, Crystal Garrison, Ash Blackwell, and Misty Zeng. They were all tied together in Project 99. They were connected in a strange way.
As he kept cooking, he received compliments from his fellow chefs. His work at The Golden Arrow was legendary. He didn’t have any Michelin stars yet, but everyone trusted him to run the restaurant. As a chef, he had tasted just about everything in the world. There were some great things that he had tried such as roast duck, pigeon, beef wellington, and tuna tartare. Of course, there were also some strange things he had eaten such as scorpion and tarantula. As it turned out, insects were very crunchy. Despite some of these delicacies, he knew he had a strong palate.
Tonight, he was working on some appetizers that included a wild mushroom risotto and lobster ravioli as well as some fresh, diver scallops. This was a typical night for him. This was what his night was like back in the past. Unfortunately, he wasn’t as normal as he thought he had been. It was bad enough that he had been born a woman. He never felt like he was the right gender when he was a child. It took him years to accept that he was meant to be a man. He had no idea how Project 99 screwed this one up. They wanted him to be perfect and he wasn’t.
Once he got a break, he decided to give Crystal a call. “Hey, girl. How is all the research going?”
“Very slow,” Crystal admitted. “I have to do research for my papers and I have to look at this stuff too. Dr. Chang did tell us that we had nothing to fear. We were made to be perfect. How come I don’t feel so perfect?”
“You’re telling me. Even though I’m the guy I want to be, I’m still not satisfied,” Ren sighed. “Anyway, I’ve got only ten minutes to talk and then I’ve got to go make more appetizers. Have you been able to talk to anyone else?”
“Actually, there is one thing that Jackie came across last night. A couple of pharmacists are planning on having a party at this hotel next weekend. She suspects that some of them may be working with Genexis. I think she wants to sneak in.”
“Did she say she wanted to sneak in?”
“She was definitely implying it in her voice. I can’t blame her. It sounds like a pretty fancy event. I don’t want to sneak in though. I’d like us to get in with invitations.”
“Yeah, I don’t think anyone is dying to give us an invitation.” Ren looked up at the clock. “Crystal, honey, I have got to go. Can you do me a tiny favor? Find out everything you can about this fancy meeting. See if they need a caterer.”
“I’m pretty sure they’d already have a catering company, but I can check. Do you have a plan of how to get in?”
“Maybe. Anyway, I’ll talk to you later. I’ve got hungry customers waiting on appetizers now.”
“Have fun.”
He hung up and went back into the kitchen. He had about seven orders to work on and got to them right away. Willie had taken over for him while he was out and was relieved to see him come back. “It’s about time. I thought you would never come back.”
“Sorry, I had to take an important call. Let’s see what we’ve got here.” He looked at the tickets Willie handed him. “Two orders of scallops, four orders of risotto, and one lobster ravioli. Sounds like this is going to be fun.”
“I gotta get started on some of this salmon and halibut here. I’m going to need your help once you’re done,” Willie said. Then he lowered his voice. “Are you okay, Ren? You seem out of it tonight.”
“I’m fine. A lot has happened over the days and I’ve been trying to get myself organized,” Ren admitted. “I still don’t know if I’ll ever be back to normal.”
“Well, we’ve got some interesting news. While you were away, we got news that we’re going to be catering for a big party,” Willie explained. “It’ll be in about two weeks. They’re going to give us the menu tomorrow. I can tell you for a fact that we will be cooking our asses off.”
“Sounds like fun. Did he say who we were cooking for?”
“Actually, he mentioned a group of doctors from the Bradley Institute. They are holding a conference in the nearest town. I can’t remember what the hotel’s name is, but it’s a pretty big deal.” Willie looked at Ren who had tuned out. “You okay, Ren? You’re spacing on me again.”
“Huh?” Ren blinked. “Yeah, I’m okay. Did you say that we’re catering for the Bradley Institute?”
“Not the entire group. Just some people,” Willie corrected him. “Why? You don’t want to cook for them?”
“No, it’s not that. It’s just that...” Ren took a deep breath. Opportunity had fallen into his lap and he was afraid to take a chance. It was like the Bradley Institute wanted him to find them out. They were inviting him. “I’m sorry, Willie. I’m just tired. Last week was hell and this week doesn’t look like it’ll be any better.”
“You want me to take over your station for a little bit?”
“Thanks, but I can finish up these orders. I’ll be glad when we close. I
need to talk to someone about this catering affair.” Ren kept his eye on his food. He didn’t want anything to burn at this moment. However, the name Bradley Institute made him feel cold. He really didn’t want to do anything for them. At the same time, he needed to find out more.
This could be the opportunity I’ve been looking for. I wanted to get in after the last time we scoped the place out. He thought. They can’t stop me since I’m technically hired by them. He thought. This was going to be interesting.
“Yeah, interesting,” he murmured to himself as he finished off the food and got it plated. “I can’t wait to see what you’ve got behind those doors.”
A part of him was frightened, but the other half of him was excited. He hated these people because he knew what they were capable. He needed them because he wanted the truth behind his life. No doubt they had the answers that he was seeking.
That night would hopefully give him just what he was searching for.
Chapter 2 – Pam
“A hotel?” Pam Turner couldn’t believe her ears. She was sitting in a video chat room with the rest of her Project 99 family. Her kids were in bed now and she was in the middle of homework when Ren called the emergency meeting. Since nobody could leave at this hour, getting on video call was the second-best thing they could do. They had all come on at this hour to discuss what Ren knew. As expected, Ren wasn’t too happy to be catering to these people. He was curious, but he still didn’t like them.
“It just feels wrong!” He complained. “These are the same guys that may kill us if they want to. Why should I have to feed them?”
“Honey, you got a job,” Pam pointed out. “Look, I don’t like them either. I know they are shady to no end. I know they have answers to all our questions. However, you can’t say no to an opportunity like this. Look at it as a way of getting more money.”
“Pam’s right,” Crystal said. “This is our chance to get in and find out what they’re doing. Maybe we might be able to get in on one of their meetings.”
“And how are we going to do that?” Misty asked. “I don’t think they’re going to allow anyone that’s my age in that room. I’m going to have to stand on someone’s shoulders if I want to get through there.”
“Well, let’s figure out how to get in the hotel first,” Nikhil said. “I know of only one big fancy hotel in the nearest town and it’s called The Silver Oracle. Let’s be real; none of us exceptt for Ash would probably have enough money to spend a night there.”
“So, what are you suggesting? I pay for rooms for everyone?” Ash asked. He was holding onto one of his stuffed elephants and pouting on the other end. “My mother did give me a credit card, but it wasn’t to spend it on any of you.”
“We don’t have to spend the night there. We could pretend to be guests,” Jackie said. “Let’s be real. I won’t be able to take time off to stay in that hotel for more than a night anyway. I am working the Sunday morning shift and then I have to work on Monday. I might possibly be able to do Saturday, but who knows if they’ll still be there.”
“I also have to make sure my ex can take the kids that weekend,” Pam murmured. “If he can’t, then I will have to let my mother take care of them.”
“Speaking of mothers, has anyone else tried talking to their families?” Doug asked. “I know my parents are long gone and my siblings remember nothing about this. I was hoping one of you might have made a break through.”
“I’m still scared to ask them,” Misty admitted. “I told my sister and she told me it’s nothing to stress over. She doesn’t remember much about the past. Then again, she would have been too young to remember when I was born. I don’t know how I’m going to bring this up with my parents.”
“I don’t either,” Crystal sighed. “I’ve been thinking and talking it over and I’m just going crazy. I know they struggled to have children before they had me. My mother told me she miscarried at least three times before I was born. She never really told me much after that. I didn’t think to ask because it’s a pretty painful subject.”
“You can forget about me getting through to them,” Ren said. “They’ve already disowned me. They told me that they have no son. I doubt they’ll want to tell me where I came from.”
“Mine are still in India and I rarely talk to them,” Nikhil pointed out. “If I do, they usually change the subject to when I’m getting married.”
“I highly doubt mine will tell me the truth,” Ash finished off, squeezing the stuffed elephant. For the others, this was a little funny to watch. Ash, who was usually very snotty and serious, had a collection of elephant paraphernalia. They could see rows of stuffed elephants on his bed, elephant figurines on his dressers, and even some elephant printed stuff in his room. “Face it. It’s not easy to confront our parents about this.”
“I guess not,” Doug agreed. “The only way we’ll probably get our answers is if we confront the group itself. Do you think we can get inside that hotel?”
“We can try. Ren’s lucky. He gets to cater for the event,” Nikhil said.
“I am not lucky. I’ll be cooking for tons of people and I’m going to be burned out by the end of the night,” Ren sighed. “Not to mention, I’m cooking for the enemy. I don’t know how I can sneak you into the place.”
“We’ll have to think about that part later. I need to go now,” Ash said, looking over his shoulder. “I’ve got a lot of work to do and I didn’t do half of it yet.”
“I’ve got the same problem,” Crystal said. “I’m going to log off now.”
“Me too. I gotta check on my children and then do some work,” Pam said. “I’ll talk to you guys later.”
Once she logged off, she went upstairs to where her kids were. They were awake once again, playing in their rooms, and hadn’t made much of a mess. Normally, she would have scolded them for waking up, but she couldn’t do it now. Seeing them was enough to rip her heart in half. They knew something was going on with their mother. She felt defeated but she didn’t know by what. It hadn’t been that long ago that she found out about Project 99. She was diving deeper and deeper into secret information. Unfortunately, it seemed like this had caught up with her. Someone ended up running over her daughter and Pam had to take her to the hospital. By some miracle, Adriana had survived. She didn’t have any injuries save for a few cuts and bruises. It was something no one could explain.
At times like these, Pam was happy to have friends and family around. The last couple of years had been rough ones. She had to give up college when she was younger because her father got sick. After he died, she just couldn’t find the desire to go back to it. Instead, she enrolled at community college and got herself an associate degree. Then she worked hard, got married, and had her children. It was rough at times, but she always managed to bounce back. Her ex-husband, Rusty, did cheat on her and she had to divorce him but the rest of her life was fine. She had a nice job, a good place to live, and was back in school to get that degree she wanted. It required a lot of work and she loved it. Throw in the support from friends and family and she was where she wanted to be.
Then Project 99 came around and her life took a different direction. Now she was trying to find answers that were deep in her past. She wanted to talk to her mother about it, but now wasn’t a good time. Three months ago, her mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer and was now dealing with the chemotherapy. She had people to take care of her and promised everyone she would be all right. The treatments were draining her so Pam couldn’t find it in her heart to ask questions now. She would have to wait. At the moment, she was looking for support in other areas and that included her ex-husband.
Even though she was never going to take Rusty back, she was grateful that he was a part of the children’s lives. They didn’t agree on very much, but one thing they agreed on was that they loved their kids. Rusty went to the hospital almost every day that Adriana was in it. He would watch her for hours and was relieved when she woke up. Pam was glad that he could spend tim
e with her because she needed to go back to class. Her professors were all very understanding and allowed her time to make up everything. Still, she didn’t want to fall too far behind. She would study at the hospital and then go to class for a few hours. During that time, Rusty would come in.
Adriana was home now and she was doing just fine. It was as though nothing had ever happened to her. She was running around and playing like normal. The doctors did tell Pam to look after her in case anything happened. Everyone was convinced that Adriana survived only because Pam was her mother. She had to have some of Pam’s genes.
“Does that mean we’re indestructible too?” Misty asked.
“I don’t know, baby,” Pam sighed. “I have yet to see anyone actually fuse and become a powerful human being. I’m a little afraid to try it myself. I saw those pictures. Those things can give anyone nightmares for days.”
So far, Pam had not confronted her mother about this. Unlike the others, she wasn’t upset about what happened. She wanted to know why they went through with it, but it wouldn’t change her feelings toward her family. She could easily call her up and ask those questions. Something deep down was just keeping her from doing so.
The one thing that scared her more than anything was the fusions. She didn’t know if anyone would ever be able to pull that off. She felt sorry for the poor people who had been forced to fuse. When they couldn’t come undone, Project 99 had no choice but to end their lives. They couldn’t live like that forever. For that reason, Pam never wanted to fuse. She didn’t care if it made her stronger. She didn’t want to end up like those other experiments.
I really don’t understand what kind of situation I’m in. She thought. I thought I was finally in the place I wanted to be in life. Now this comes around and I have no idea who I am.
She had seen all the reports of the other perfect humans who had passed away. They had all died by some means or another. She still couldn’t figure out why some of them had committed suicide. What did they know that she didn’t?
