First of Her Kind Part 8

In the following weeks, Adam spent much of her time with Lucian. He was curious about everything. Given the opportunity, he would have dismantled every piece of equipment, furniture or technology in the house just to see how it was put together. And, more impressively, he could put things back together with ease and recreate the process from raw materials. Apparently his “hobby of the month” as Jessie called it was woodworking. A shop had been built on the grounds for him and he was in the middle of constructing a wood table without using any metal hardware. The top with its geometric star pattern and the ornate legs were inlaid with lighter colored wood. Emily joked that when he was finished, they could sell the table and fund the house for a whole month. Every once in a while, Dr. Sheridan would take Lucian to the lab and Adam would take the opportunity to seek out Evander. If he wasn’t in the back of the lab, which Adam still wasn’t sure what that meant, he was usually watching TV in his room or in the rec room working out. Adam worked out with him, sometimes in absolute silence. More and more frequently though, he began to talk to her, encouraging her to ask questions about his life in the house and teaching her how to properly use the equipment. On a couple occasions, he even joined Adam in the living area to watch movies. She noticed that Emily and Jessie took a great deal of notice, particularly when he stopped sitting in one of the two recliners and joined Adam on the couch.

Adam rolled out of bed to a strange sensation. In the bathroom, she was greeted by the tell tale stains of her mensis. One of those things she hadn’t really thought about or remembered until now. She sighed and searched through the drawers in her bathroom hoping to find feminine hygiene products to no avail. Frustrated, she changed her underwear, dawned black sweatpants and went to seek out Jessie or Emily. She found both sitting at the table with Benjamin.

“I have no period products in my bathroom and I need some,” she announced.

Benjamin, caught halfway through chugging down his orange juice, began coughing and sputtering. Emily scoffed at his reaction while Jessie just sat there wide eyed.

“You started…” Jessie was the first to speak. “You’re menstruating?”

Benjamin, still coughing, stood up and dismissed himself.

“I am,” Adam confirmed.

“It’s ok,” Emily spoke up. “I have some stuff in my room…”

“No,” Jessie said. “It’s not just okay. We performed an ablation on you before you woke up. We took your eggs. We shut down the systems that control reproduction. You should not be cycling.”

Adam felt a strange feeling rising from her gut into her chest and the back of her neck and ears got hot.

“Why would you do that?” She asked in a tone that shocked even her.

“I…”

“You sterilized me?”

“Adam, are you….” Emily reached out, “are you okay?”

Adam tried to shake the feeling growing in her.

“Did you know?” she demanded of Emily.

“I didn’t,” Emily admitted. “I’m not involved in the physiology part.”

“I…” Adam searched for words.

“Adam,” Emily spoke up. “If I understand what Jessie is saying and what you just told us, it’s possible your body has reversed all of it.”

“No, not possible,” Jessie said. “The female body only has so many eggs, once their gone, that’s it and…”

“And, the woman stops menstruating,” Emily added. “I’m just saying, let’s go back to the lab, figure out what’s going on.”

“You come with,” Adam said, looking at Emily.

A pained look washed over Jessie’s face for a moment. She cleared her throat and stood up.

“I’ll call Dr. Sheridan,” she said, dismissing herself.

Adam waited for her to leave before taking her seat across from Emily.

“What am I feeling?” she asked. “I don’t like it. My ears feel hot, my stomach feels upset. I want to yell and…”

“Anger,” Emily said. “You’re angry. And, I would be too.” She reached across the table and took Adam’s hand. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea they did all of that to you. And, I should have known because I’m here to deal with these kinds of things.”

“What is your specialty?” Adam asked.

“Behavioral and social psychology,” Emily said. “I’m pretty much here to study how you guys develope and make sure you guys don’t have any traumatizing moments of realization. Which is why I am going to have a very stern word with Dr. Sheridan after this. And, maybe a few four letter ones too.” Her phone chimed and she looked at the screen. “They want to see you now. Let’s go. And, if I were you, I wouldn’t hold back how you really feel about this.”

In the lab, Adam complied as Dr. Sheridan and Jessie laid her on a table and began an ultrasound, rubbing the sonar up and down her lower stomach.

“I can’t believe it,” Jessie muttered.

“We need samples,” Dr. Sheridan said. “This shouldn’t be possible.”

Emily cleared her throat and gave Jessie a pointed look.

“Oh, um, here,” Jessie turned the screen towards Adam. “This is your uterus. We can see it has a full lining that is beginning to shed. And, if you zoom in on the ovaries,” she touched the screen, enlarging the image. “There’s eggs. I don’t know how, but they're there.”

“We should take one as a sample,” Dr. Sheridan said. “See if we can determine how it was formed and if her body will just keep making more.”

“Why not just take all of them,” Adam snipped so suddenly it surprised even her.

Dr. Sheridan stood up straight, staring right at her. “Excuse me?”

“Were you going to ask before you got your samples?” Adam asked. “Or were you just going to knock me out and take everything out again.”

“Are… is…” Dr. Sheridan looked from Jessie, to Emily then back to Adam. “You’re angry?”

Adam looked to Emily who nodded encouragingly.

“Yes,” she said. “I am. You sterilized me. What practical purpose did that serve?”

“We… we were concerned about the hormonal fluctuations impeding the communication between the neural implants and your nanites.”

“But you had no evidence that it would,” Adam said.

“No,” Dr. Sheridan admitted.

“So, you made a non-evidence based decision to make a clearly unnecessary alteration to my body that would affect my future,” Adam said. “And, you want me to let you go poking around to figure out why it was undone?”

“I…” Dr. Sheridan shifted uncomfortably. “I’m sorry?”

“Are you?” Adam asked. “Am I just a piece of machinery you’re tinkering with to learn how you can bring real people back to life or am I….”

She stopped herself. The word “your daughter” had almost jumped out of her mouth. She drew a deep breathe and finished her question.

“Am I a person myself? Me and the other two. Are we people.”

Dr. Sheridan’s face shifted expressions and his mouth moved as if he was trying to speak. He looked from Jessie to Emily as if one of them might have the answers. He gave Adam another long hard look before turning around and walking out.

“Wow,” Emily exclaimed.

“I’ve never seen him so… defeated,” Jessie said. “Arguing with him is infuriating. He has an answer to everything all the time.”

“He knows he’s wrong,” Emily said. “And, face it. He does treat these guys like machines.”

Jessie sighed and turned back to Adam. “Can I take some samples?”

“No eggs,” Adam said. “Nothing that requires me to go unconscious.”

Jessie nodded in agreement and set to work. After she was done, Emily took Adam back to her room and provided her with some products. Adam retreated to her own room to take a long shower and think.

She found herself staring at her reflection again. Am I a person? Frustrated, she put on some clothes and headed to the rec room.

She found it empty and made a B line for the punching bag in the corner, pressing the power button on the big stereo on one of the shelves as she passed. Evander had taught her some kickboxing and right now, it proved an incredible cathartic outlet. A rock playlist blared from the speakers mounted to the wall as she tore into the canvas bag. She didn’t care when she began to feel her muscles burn. Her mind was fixed on the violations committed against her by Dr. Sheridan and Jessie. How could her father of all people do that to her? With expert form and precision, she landed blow after blow on the sand filled bag. She had trusted Jessie and she withheld such vital information from her. Sweat poured down the sides of her face and the back of her neck. What else did she not know?

She didn’t hear Evander and Lucian come in. Both stood back silently, watching her attack the punching bag as if it alone was guilty of every offense committed against her. Lucian cast a concerned glance at Evander as if asking “should we stop her?”. Evander looked back at Adam for a second and nodded in silent agreement but remained still.

“I’m not getting in the middle of that,” Lucian whispered. “You get her.”

Evander sighed and moved forward, clearing his throat loudly as he reached Adam. Adam spun around, fists still closed and raised.

“You’ve pushed too hard,” Evander said. “You’re going to give yourself away.”

Lucian turned the stereo down and crossed over to join them. “I it true you ripped Dr. Sheridan a new one?”

Adam lowered her hands and nodded. It suddenly seemed as if the anger had drained away from her. She looked at the two of them.

“Did they do the same to you two?” she asked. “Do you know? Did they sterilize you?”

Evander and Lucian exchanged looks and shrugged.

“I don’t think it works the same in male anatomy as it does in females,” Lucian said. “I’d have to research it more, but, I know women, your reproduction systems run on a fluctuating cycle.”

“I don’t know about him, but I still have my balls,” Evander shrugged.

Lucian gave Evander an offended look for a second then nodded in agreement, “yes, my testicles are intact. And, ‘tact’ is an art you could stand to learn.”

Adam sighed, wiping her sweat drenched forehead with the back of her arm. Her aching muscles were beginning to burn and it was becoming hard to ignore.

“I need to go back to my room,” she said softly.

Evander nodded in agreement. As Adam began to walk forward, her legs gave out. Evander caught her and looked to Lucian.

“Remember that time we helped Benjamin sneak his girl friend out of here?”

Lucian nodded and headed for the rec room door. He motioned for Evander to follow. Evander moved effortlessly with Adam’s weight as they navigated their way through the halls. Lucian checked each room as they went, they almost reached the hall to the girls’ rooms when voices echoed behind them. Lucian hurried Evander around the corner and moved quickly towards the voices while Evander jogged softly down the hallway and into Adam’s room. The burning in Adam’s muscles was becoming so intense it was all she could do not to scream. Evander grabbed a pillow off the bed on his way into the bathroom. He shut the door behind him and sat Adam into the bathtub, handing her the pillow. She clutches the pillow to her face and let loose a long, throaty scream. Evander sat back and waited as Adam writhed the worst of the pain, her muscles spasming, tensing and relaxing, mending and growing right before their eyes. Evander seemed unfazed as he waited, even going over to the gift basket of soaps and lotions that still sat on the bathroom counter, sniffing them in turn.

Finally, as the pain subsided into a deep ache, Adam laid back and took several long, deep breaths. A tap at the door drew both of their attention. Evander placed a finger to his lips and moved to stand behind the door. Adam started to lift her shirt. Hoping appear to be getting ready for a bath.

“It’s me,” Lucian’s voice echoed from the other side of the door.

Adam relaxed and Evander opened the door. Lucian stepped in with a plate full of various foods.

“The whole place is buzzing about you tearing into the doctor,” Lucian said. “Everyone’s agreeing to the plan to let you have some space for the rest of the day. I told them I was going to bring you some snacks. Usually, guys aren’t allowed on this side of the house, but they figure you aren’t feeling very trusting of the staff right now.”

Evander seemed to relax a little, “that was stupid, you know.”

“Hey,” Lucian chided.

“We’re all walking wire for our own reasons,” Evander said. “If she blows her physical capabilities, she could blow it for me too. I’ve been letting them believe I’ve reached the extent of my potential and I’m leveling off.”

“Why?” Adam asked.

Evander crossed his arms and fell silent.

Adam sighed and with no small amount of effort, pulled herself up to sit on the edge of the tub. “Dr. Sheridan is my father.”

Evander and Lucian again exchanged glances.

“We already knew that,” Lucian admitted. “I’m sorry. We were under strict orders to not say anything in fear of it causing some kind of mental break.”

“I’ve known for a while,” Adam said. “I haven’t told him I know. I was going to tell him soon, but, after this. Does he even think of us as human?”

“Doesn’t treat us like it,” Evander said.

“At best he treats me like a small child,” Lucian agreed.

“Do either of you know the extent of the modifications they made to us?” Adam asked.

Evander and Lucian both shook their heads.

“Do either of you know where you came from? I mean, before this.

This time only Evander shook his head. Lucian’s eyes glassed over as if he was suddenly a thousand miles away.

Adam leaned towards him. “Lucian? Lucian do you know where you came from?”

His blue eyes locked with hers and for a moment, it looked like her wanted to answer her question but instead he shook his head and abruptly dismissed himself. The bedroom door shutting hard behind him.

“I know I don’t have a good read on people,” Evander said, “but I know that was weird.”

Adam agreed silently, Evander reached over to the plate of food and passed a donut to Adam. She accepted and munched away at it while lost in thought.

“Somehow I was traded for you,” Evander spoke up.

Startled Adam looked at him questioningly.

“I don’t know why I’m telling you this,” he continued. “I could get in big trouble for it. But, when you died, Dr. Sheridan made some kind of deal with General Finley to get your body sent here and make sure no one interfered with him trying to bring you back. In exchange, I started a new kind of training. They have a whole area at the other end of the building. I’m learning hand to hand combat, battle strategy, firearms training, code breaking…”

“They’re turning you into a soldier,” Adam concluded.

“It seems so,” Evander agreed. “And, they’re studying me. Not Dr. Sheridan’s staff, a whole new staff, military personnel.”

“Evander,” Adam said softly. “I appreciate you telling me. That helps me put things together and I won’t tell anyone else. I swear.”

Evander nodded stiffly, perhaps his own, stiff, sideways way of saying thank you. He turned his attention to a lotion bottle sitting beside the sink and lifted it to his nose for a moment.

“I like this one,” he said.

Adam noted that it was the same lotion she used almost daily on her hands and arms.

“It’s jasmine scented,” she stated. “I really like that particular smell.”

He set the bottle down and stood up straight. “Can you stand?”

Adam stiffly rose to her feet and nodded at him. “Yeah, I think I’m going to take a hot bath now. That seems to help.”

“I’ll let you do that then,” Evander said.

Adam watched him walk out. He cracked the door open, peering down the hall cautiously before he left.

As she sat in the bath, letting the hot water soothe her aching muscles, Adam began to devise a plan to extract more information without giving away her hand. She realized that her emotional outburst might be just the advantage she needed to get ahead of Dr. Sheridan. If he felt for her in any way as a father should, he’d want to repair the rift his infractions created. She also realized she needed to speak to Lucian before she made her next move. She didn’t know much about emotions still, but she knew that the pain she saw in his face when she asked about his life was nothing to overlook. In fact, as she sat there and contemplated it, she found a heavy feeling in the center of her chest for him. It was hard to believe, but she found herself worried for him. In her plan to gain his trust by befriending him, it seems she had begun to feel for him as a real friend would. That was unexpected.