“I can manage.” I preferred to let my talent speak for itself.
“Most females in this bunker are fearful of weapons,” he said.
“Not me,” I added. “In our hive, we were all well trained.”
Chase’s head snapped up, and a smirk filled his face. He must’ve been reading my mind.
“I should be training with you in the next few days. I’d love to see what you can do,” Juan said with a broad smile.
“If you happen to have a Glock 27 laying around, I’d love to show you.”
“Glock 27, huh?” Juan gave a crooked grin. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thanks,” I said.
“I have a few more rounds to make. It was nice to meet you, Abi.”
“Nice to meet you too.” I waved as he made his exit.
“See you, Juan,” Chloe chimed.
“Goodbye, Chloe. It’s a pleasure, as always.” He winked.
The look they quickly shared sent a flashback of Tina and Pike through my mind.
I didn’t want to get too emotional around people I’d just met, so I pressed my fork into the meat on my plate and cut a small piece off. My taste buds exploded with the first bite.
“Mmmm,” I hummed. It was the most glorious food I’d tasted. The meat was so tender, it melted in my mouth. And the spices were perfectly blended.
Juan paused at the door. “At least I know someone is enjoying their food. My job here is complete.” He gave one last bow and exited.
“So everyone else doesn’t get to eat this?” I asked, feeling a little sad.
Chase shook his head. “No, and that’s because we’re part of a secret government program and housed in a separate area. We’re fed the cream of the crop so our minds will be at peak performance. It’s a give-give situation. The rest of the population is fed whatever they have left in bulk. Once in a while they’ll get treated to something special, but there definitely isn’t enough chicken to feed the masses.”
“Yeah, don’t feel bad,” Chloe added. “You’ll get used to it. The others don’t even know food like this exists. They’re probably very happy with whatever they’re given.”
I thought of my family, who wasn’t able to experience this. One day, I hoped they would. It was a definite goal of mine.
After lunch, Dr. Simon took me to my room which wasn’t too far from the dining and testing rooms. It seemed as if this whole area was set up for just this program.
My new room was almost identical to the one I had with Tina, except there was only one bed.
“I’ll be back in one hour,” Dr. Simon said. “Try and get some rest.”
“Thank you,” I replied.
As soon as he left, I walked around the new room, experiencing a massive feeling of déjà vu. Pulling open the dresser drawers, I found rows of new white shirts and pants, exactly like the other bunker. I plopped onto the bed, my head was buzzing with unknown questions. Was Tina getting medical help? Would there be someone there to hold her hand and help her through the suffering and pain of loss when she woke up?
I doubted it.
Closing my eyes, I envisioned the Garden of Eden. One day, I would have a garden of my own. A section of earth where I could walk barefoot across a blanket of soft grass, smell the sweet perfume of flowers, and eat fresh fruit and vegetables. The vision was embedded in my mind and heart, and I’d hold onto it until the very end.
“ABI,” A SOFT KNOCK SOUNDED on my door, “it’s Dr. Simon. Are you ready for training?”
I cleared my throat before I answered, “Yes, I’ll be right there.”
Running to the bathroom, I saw my eyes were bloodshot and my hair was a mess. Pulling a rubber band from my wrist, I gathered my hair back into a messy bun and splashed water on my face. Straightening my clothes, I made my way to the door.
“I’m sorry. I must have fallen asleep.”
“Don’t be sorry. You’ve been through a lot and needed the rest.”
“You have no idea.”
“I’m sure after today’s session, I’ll have some kind of idea.” He grinned. “I want to see what happened when you came into contact with the Arvies. Maybe then, I can figure out how your abilities kicked in and how you are able to channel more than one at a time.”
“You can actually tap into my memories?” I asked.
“Yes, but it will take help from you. Are you up for it?”
“Will it hurt?”
“No, but you’ll probably feel drained when it’s done.”
“Tired is something I can deal with. Pain is a whole different ball of wax,” I answered.
“Then follow me.”
Arriving at the testing room, Dr. Simon took me to a corner with a white reclining chair and instructed me to sit. He attached some kind of crazy looking helmet to my head. Multiple wires ran from the helmet to a monitor.
“What’s the monitor for?” I questioned.
“It will allow me to measure your brain waves, and possibly record some of your memories.”
“You have that kind of technology?”
“The government has technology way beyond our years. Mankind has no idea how advanced the research is.”
“It's a shame with all that technology, they couldn’t save our planet.”
“Very true.” He attached more sticky wires to my forehead and temples. “Once we rid the world of these damn mutants and they get the power grid back up, we shouldn’t be living in the stone ages for too long.”
“How long will that take?” I asked.
“Years. But at least it’s something to look forward to.”
“I just want to be free. I’ll work on whatever land or circumstances I’m given, whether it’s on the grid or not.”
“Me too, Abi,” he whispered, attaching the last wire to my temple. “Me too.”
He left his seat and walked over to the wall, then flicked the switch to turn off the lights. The only light illuminated in the room was that of the monitor.
“Where are Chase and Chloe?” I asked.
“They’ve gone down to the Arvy chamber for telepathy training. I didn’t think having them here would help you focus.”
“How many Arvies do they have in the chamber?”
“Oh, a few dozen.”
I swallowed. “That’s a lot to keep captive.”
“It is, but it’s for research. We need live specimens to study, so we can better understand them.” He patted my shoulder. “Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
“Then lay back and relax. I am going to put you into a sleep-like state, and then we will begin our journey back through your mind.”
“My not-too-distant memories are not a place I like to revisit.”
“We are only doing this to get some answers, which will hopefully help you, and us, understand your gift a little better.”
“Okay.” I nodded. “Then, I’m ready.”
“I’m going to slowly count backward from ten, and as I do, I’ll need you to relax your whole body and let your mind go blank.”
I nodded. It was pretty easy to do, given I was still pretty tired.
“One.”
As he started counting, I tried to relax and clear my mind.
“Two.”
I started to feel tingles in my brain and down my limbs.
“Three.”
I could feel myself slipping away into the darkness.
“Four.”
It was the last number I heard.
“ABI,” DR. SIMON SAID, SHAKING me.
My eyes popped open, my heart was racing, and sweat dripped down my neck to the chair below.
“What happened?” I exhaled, breathless.
“You were screaming and unresponsive, I had to wake you. How are you feeling?”
“Except for being a little winded, I'm good enough.”
“Good.” He exhaled in relief.
“Did it work?” I asked. “What happened?”
“It worked,” he answered, nodd
ing his head. “We were able to go back to your first encounter in the city, and I think most of the times after. You’ve experienced a lot more than most people ever will in a lifetime, including me. Most people wouldn’t have lasted that long on the topside. You have a strong head on your shoulders.”
“I owe most of what I know to my father and my Uncle Frank. They instilled a great strength and a willingness to survive. And they didn’t only teach us, they showed us.”
“They’ve done well,” he replied.
“They are two of the best men on this planet.”
“I won’t argue with that,” he noted.
“Did you find some answers you were looking for?”
“I’m not sure yet. There’s a lot for me to go over, and you were right. Your memories were pretty terrifying.”
“I warned you.” I shrugged, with a grin. “Did you get a chance to record them?”
“I caught bits and pieces of different situations you were in,” he said. “There were a few names you kept repeating.”
“Names?” I asked. “What names?”
“Finn and Pike.”
My chin dropped to my chest as I tried to contain my emotions. “My heroes.”
“I’m sorry about Pike.”
I shook my head, trying to hold back the tears, but they came anyway.
“Thank you.” I looked up into his eyes. “Could you see his murder?”
“No, but you were experiencing it when I woke you. The monitor was mostly filled with white static. I do have some good information to go off of for now, but most of it came from your verbal answers.” He held up his notepad, where he had pages of scribbled notes that looked completely illegible.
“I was answering questions? I don’t remember a thing.”
“Yes, you were, and a lot of it was very emotional. I’m sorry for all the losses you’ve experienced. Maybe there will be a way to block most of that out.”
“I don’t want to block anything out. In the future, I’d like to look back and remember those who deserved to be remembered. ”
“You are one of a kind, Abi Park.”
“Thank you,” I breathed. “How long was I out?”
“Almost an hour,” he noted, removing the weird helmet and wires attached to my forehead.
“An hour? It seemed like I just closed my eyes, and then you were waking me up.”
“The mind . . . it’s a strange thing, isn’t it?”
“It is, and my brain seems to have a mind of its own. I never knew I had this gift. There were no signs at all until I ran into the Arvies.”
“I imagine it’s because you’ve never needed it in the past. But I do know if you possess the gift, it’s always been with you. Yours had probably been dormant, and when you came into direct contact with the Arvies, it triggered your gift. And then, each additional time you ran into them, the stronger it became.”
“It does seem to get stronger every time we’ve come into contact. Unfortunately, it’s mostly to my disadvantage. My last encounters were so bad, I began to pass out. I need to learn how to control it because I feel that if I don’t, it’ll kill me.”
“I doubt it would kill you, but nothing is certain. The brain is very complex. It is possible, with too much strain, it could leave you in a comatose state. But, that’s what I’m here to help you with. I’ll going to make you only come into contact with one Arvy at a time during training. As you start to master your gift and are able to channel and shut it off, we will slowly add more.”
“I appreciate that.” Maybe there was a chance for me to get control of this.
“You, Chloe, and Chase are my family now. You’ve been entrusted into my care, and it is my job to ensure your safety.”
“Thank you.”
“I think you’ve had enough for your first day. Why don’t you go ahead and return to your room and rest up for tomorrow? I’ll tell the kitchen to deliver your dinner to your room.”
“When will I be able to see my family?” I asked. My heart was aching and I already missed them so much.
“Actually, you’re in luck. Tomorrow afternoon is the next visit day.”
“Will you be visiting your family as well?”
“I don’t have any family left.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said. “Why don’t you come with me? You’ve already met my father, Dr. Banks, and Finn, but I know the rest of my family would love to meet the person who’s in charge of me now.”
“How many family members do you have here?” he chuckled.
“Thirteen. They should have all come in on choppers from the other hive. I hope they all made it safely.”
“I’m sure they have and thank you, Abi. It would be an honor to meet them. I’ll look forward to it,” Dr. Simon said with a smile.
“Good. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Yes. Have a good night’s sleep.”
“Thanks. You too,” I replied exiting out the door.
As soon as I rounded the corner I was bumped into and a hand was thrown over my mouth.
I was just about to turn and break someone’s nose when I saw it was Chase and Chloe.
Chloe placed a finger to her lips and shushed me. “It’s okay.”
“What the hell?” I snapped in a loud whisper.
“Where’s your room?” Chase asked.
“Down the hall, to the right.”
“Let’s go.” They quickly escorted me to my room and as soon as the door shut behind us, Chase let me go.
“What the crap are you guys doing?” I huffed.
“Don’t get too close to Dr. Simon,” Chase said quietly. “He’s not who he says he is. Yes, he is a telepath, but he specializes in mind control. I’ve heard he can manipulate minds.”
“What?”
“It’s true,” Chloe added.
My head started to spin. “Oh God. I was with him, unconscious, for over an hour. Do you think he did something to my mind?”
“I doubt it. I overheard him discussing your situation with one of the scientists. He wants to know how you can channel more than one Arvy at a time. He can’t do it, and it’s something he’s desperately trying to figure out.”
“He told me that. So, what do I do?”
“Don’t do anything, and don’t act out of the ordinary, or he’ll know we’ve talked to you.”
“But he’ll be able to read my mind and I won’t be able to stop him.”
“We’ve learned how to block out certain areas of our mind, so he can’t read what we think unless we let him. We can teach you if you want,” Chloe proposed.
“I have the rest of the night.” I shrugged with my hands crossed over my chest. “Why not?”
“Cool,” Chase drawled. “Pizza party?”
“Pizza?” My nose scrunched.
He coughed and widened his eyes. “Don’t tell me you’ve never had pizza.”
I shook my head. “Nope. Not in the thirteen years we were underground.”
“It’s heaven in the form of melted cheese, layered on top of tomato sauce and dough, which is baked to a crispy, melted perfection.”
“You have cheese too?”
They both looked at me with wide, amazed eyes.
“Jeez, you’ve been deprived, but I guess most independent hives were. They have cows here, and although cheese is a rarity we are able to have it on special occasions. Tonight we are deeming your arrival as such an occasion. Chloe, call Juan and see if he can deliver two cheese pizzas.”
“I’m on it,” she responded.
“I wasn’t deprived,” I noted. “We survived off of whatever means we had. There’s a difference.”
Chase’s eyes softened. “I’m sorry for seeming a little overbearing and inconsiderate upon your arrival,” he apologized. “I was in a lot of pain, but I’m happy you’re here.”
“You are?” I questioned with a raised brow.
“I’m thrilled.” He gave a cheesy smile.
I laughed. “Hey, so what’s up
with your bruises? Are they really from your nightmares?”
Chase shook his head. “I doubt it. I have a feeling Dr. Simon is in on it though, even though he seems to act concerned. He knows I know more than I should. I believe they are trying to punish me.
“Are you sure?” I said.
“Not completely. It’s a hunch. What he doesn’t know is, I can tap into his brain when he’s not focused. He’s got some pure craziness happening up there.”
“I don’t understand. Why would you think Dr. Simon’s responsible?”
“Like I said, I’m not one hundred percent certain, and I don’t think he personally did it. But it’s a possibility he might have used his mind control to keep me in a sleep state while someone else hammered down on me.”
“Is there any way you can lock your door from the inside?” I questioned.
“Not to my knowledge. It’s all automated. The only way I could uncover who is doing it would be to stay awake all night. I’ve tried it several times, but on those nights, nothing happens and I’m exhausted the next morning.”
“None of us are safe then?” I lamented.
“You’ll be safe as long as you play along and don’t give them cause to come after you.”
“I don’t know what’s worse anymore, the Arvies or the leaders of these government bunkers.”
“I’d consider it a tie.” He smirked.
“I can’t believe it,” I breathed, shaking my head. “Dr. Simon seems like a genuinely kind person, and I really felt like he wanted to help me.”
“Don’t get me wrong, he does want to help, but only because it suits his agenda. They’ve been searching for someone like you - a telepath who can channel more than one person at a time. They never thought one existed and were just about to give up hope when, voilà . . . you arrive.”
I buried my face in my hands. “This is a nightmare.”
“We know.” He exhaled loudly. “He’s working hand-in-hand with top scientists in this bunker, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re in cahoots with the other world shelters. From what I’ve heard, they have a few telepaths as well. Each bunker is trying to develop a serum which can make their telepath’s mind so strong, no one can resist. We will be able to manipulate people’s thoughts and actions. We will become their weapons.”