All We See or Seem (11 page)

****

In the distance a light flickered on, streaming onto the recreational path. Aaron ran at a steady pace, but veered off the track as he approached the source. He thought he could make out the silhouetted form of a person leaning against the fence. Slowing to a walk, he pulled a penlight out of his jacket pocket and shined it toward the shadow. A sudden gasp broke the silence as he stepped into the fingers of light reaching through the iron bars. Then he heard it. A mere whisper, hardly a breath. But it hung there in the dark silence like a lead weight suspended over a glass table.

“Gryff.”

Aaron's breath caught in his throat. With a trembling hand he lifted the small beam of light he held until it reached the face of the shadow before him, illuminating her with a soft glow, and he knew her.

Gem
.

The thought reverberated in his brain. All the blood seemed to drain from his extremities, sending an icy chill coursing through him. His feet drew him right up to the bars, moving with a motivation of their own and stopping only when he reached the fence.

Gem stared back at him through the barrier. Her eyes were wide with wonder as they traced the lines of his face. A small hand slipped between the bars, reaching slowly to his face, as if any sudden movement might cause the apparition to disappear. Aaron held his breath. He didn't move. His fear was the same.

God, don
'
t let this be a dream
, he prayed. His eyes closed as her fingertips made contact with his cheek; he released his breath through pursed lips and rested his head against her palm as he lifted his own hand to hold hers against his cheek.

Opening his eyes again, he gazed at her, this girl who had haunted his dreams for weeks. This couldn't be a dream. He hadn't slept all night. Fresh emotion ran down her cheeks, but the smile lit up her face.

“Gryff,” she whispered again.

Aaron put his other hand through the fence and cupped her face, wiping her tears away with his thumb. “I'm here.” His voice was so low, he wasn't sure if he had said it or merely thought it. Releasing her hand, he slipped his through the bars and smoothed the wayward auburn strands from her face. Her hands came back to rest on the bars separating them. Aaron stepped closer. He lifted her chin and gently urged her nearer as he lowered his lips to hers. She trembled under his kiss, as if it took her by surprise. Lips, sweet and perfect as he imagined, tentatively moved against his. His breath hitched in his chest as he tenderly warmed her lips with his own. It felt like home; she felt like home. He held her face with his hands, willing her with all his being to stay.

When he finally released her, she stumbled back and put her hand to her lips, eyes wide with shock. Aaron was still speechless, but he reached toward her in desperation, wanting to console her, to tell her it was okay. She retreated from him, blinking as though in a daze, and finally spun on her heel and disappeared into the dim garden.

Left alone in the dark, Aaron grasped the iron bars in his fists and rested his forehead on the fence, closing his eyes. A cold emptiness swept over him along with a tidal wave of disappointment in his loss. His voice returned to him, and he groaned into the desolate garden. “Gem.” And he knew, dream or no dream, he had found her.

 

It was a dream. It was just a dream.
Gem's mind raced, and her heart seemed to be forcing its way out of her chest. Her abdomen constricted as she rushed back through the garden to the clinic door. There was no air outside. The dream seemed to have sucked all the oxygen from the garden and from Gem's lungs. She couldn't get enough, and her rapid breathing caused everything to spin around her. A gray haze threatened to engulf her, but she fought it as she extended her wrist for the door scanner. The door slid open, and she stepped inside, struggling for every breath.

The attendant took one look at her and leaped into action, flying around the counter and taking her by the arm. She navigated Gem to a wheelchair parked by the wall and eased her into the seat.

“Deep breaths,” she ordered. Gem tried to obey. “Are you hurt?”

Gem shook her head and lifted a hand to her stomach. The attendant seemed to understand. Stepping back to her desk, she spoke a few words into the monitor, so fervently it took Gem by surprise. She had never thought the EROMI staff capable of such intensity.

Unfortunately, there was no time to ponder the woman's behavior. As the attendant returned, asking her questions and checking her pulse, the words slurred together in Gem's mind and darkness enveloped her.

****

The darkness began receding from the encroaching dawn long before Aaron turned from the wrought iron fence and sauntered back to the staff trail, casting expectant glances over his shoulder, hoping to see Gem standing there, hoping to hear her call the name again — a name that rang true in his soul though he knew it wasn't his.

It hadn't been a dream. It couldn't have been. He didn't want it to be. But all the dreams ended the same way. She was out of his reach.

Cursing, he pounded his right fist into his left palm once and stalked back in the direction of the barracks, quickening his pace until he was again sprinting.

He arrived out of breath, sweat dripping from him. A quick glance at his watch told him he would be expected at the commissary soon. His mind was a mixture of duty, curiosity, and confusion.

All he wanted to do was find Gem, to discover why she inhabited his every thought, both waking and sleeping. Instinctively, he knew he would have to be careful in his search for her. Stealth came naturally to him in his line of work, but given his position as Chief Head of Security and his background in intelligence, the discrepancy between what he was being told and what he sensed was actually going on here was too great, and it disturbed him.

A shower. And then breakfast. If he was quick, he'd have time to do a little reconnaissance before meeting with his men at seven. He'd only been here a day, but he might as well find out how far his security clearance could get him on EROMI's network.

****

“Another close call.”

“What was she doing this time?”

“Walking in the garden.”

“At four o'clock in the morning?”

“The pregnant stems are encouraged to exercise whenever the mood strikes.”

“The attendant said she was out there for over an hour.”

“Yes. But the lights went out at one point, which means she had been stationary for some time. Perhaps she fell asleep.”

“I want her watched more closely. Put Ms. Birger in her room.”

“But I need her with other—”

“We need twenty-four hour surveillance. We've put enough money into this case, and the client is… anxious. There's no time to start the process again.”

“And what about Ms. Birger's other cases?”

“I'm sure you can delegate them to another capable agent.”

****

“How are you feeling this morning?” Ms. Birger's warm smile greeted Gem as she fluttered to consciousness. “I heard it was a rough night.”

Gem nodded, still groggy from her episode during the night. She stretched and struggled to sit up in her bed. Ms. Birger moved to help her, grasping her arm and situating the pillows behind her back.

“Do you remember what happened?”

Gem shrugged. Her voice was raspy with fatigue. “I went out for some fresh air. I fell asleep on the bench.” She couldn't meet Ms. Birger's gaze. Why did she feel like she had done something wrong? It was a dream.

Still. It wasn't like anything she'd dreamed before. And it felt so real. Her fingers went to her lips involuntarily.

“What is it?” The question jolted her, and her hand dropped to her lap.

Shaking her head, Gem looked into Ms. Birger's eyes. “Nothing. I mean, I don't really know. Just a dream, I guess.”

Ms. Birger frowned. “What kind of dream?”

“Gryff was here. In the garden with me. Well, not
in
the garden, but on the other side of the fence.” Gem glanced down at her hands in her lap. They were trembling. Why had that dream feel so real? Why could she still feel the warmth of his lips on hers?

“Did he speak to you? In the dream?”

When Gem hesitated, Ms. Birger took her hand fiercely. “Gem.” Her gaze shot back to Ms. Birger's piercing expression. “Did he say anything? What happened?” The reaction seemed strangely unwarranted.

“I-I can't remember.” Gem's heart raced. “Most of the dreams are the same. He puts his arms around me like this.” She crossed her arms and wrapped them around herself. “It feels safe. He tells me not to forget him, and I beg him not to leave. Then he disappears.”

“And this time? Was it the same?”

“No.” Gem let her hand wander to her lips again. “No. This time he didn't disappear.” Ms. Birger's furrowed brow was etched with concern as well as something else. Something Gem didn't recognize. A chill tip-toed down her spine.

****

All his searching met frustration at every turn. The only people with clearance on the whole compound were Dr. Admatha and Dr. Izanagi. Beyond that there was little more than what Aaron could find on an outside Internet search. Of course, that served only as a challenge to test his skills.

The morning routine with his men went smoothly enough. His lieutenant briefed him on the protocol; he posted the duty roster, and started his rounds of the compound. The alarm system had to be checked and adjusted. All of this could be done without even a measure of his concentration.

Aaron thought of Gem. He had to see her again, to prove to himself she was real. She was the only true thought on his mind as he strode along the walkways of Endfield, scrutinizing each face for another glimpse of his dream girl. So engrossed in his thoughts was he that it took several minutes to notice Aria had slipped into step beside him. Not until her voice startled him back to reality.

“Find what you're looking for, major?”

Her expressionless face was an enigma. She didn't like him. He had received that message yesterday. Why was she testing him now?

“What do you mean? I'm doing my rounds.”

“Is that what you call it?” She still didn't look at him, but kept her eyes forward as they walked. “You're making them nervous.”

“Who?” Aaron glanced around at the stems busy at their work. No one seemed to take notice of him at all. Not so much as a glance.

“You've only been here one day, and you're already stirring the pot.”

Realization swept through him. Aria wasn't referring to the clones at all. She was talking about an entirely different
them.

“What could I possibly have done in one day? I'm still learning my way around this place. What were they expecting me to do?”

“Just be more careful, major. Their interest in you goes a little deeper than the need for a security officer.”

“What does that mean?” he asked, turning to face her, but she was already gone.

 

“We brought him here in order to observe our little experiment more closely. But what we need is unquestioning loyalty from him. As far as he is concerned, his purpose is simple — provide security for the compound.”

“It's in his nature to investigate mysteries. He's an intelligence officer. If you limit his security clearance, he's going to wonder why.”

“Set up a decoy file.”

“It may be too late. He's already been looking.”

“After one day?”

“I told you. It's in his nature.”

“This is your area of expertise. You deal with him.”

“And if he wants to know what he's protecting?”

“He's a soldier. He knows how to follow orders. And there's always the staff training program. Help him to see the
value
of our work.”

****

“You wanted to see me, Doctor Izanagi?” Aaron stepped into the doctor's office and waited for the response.

“Mmm. Major Jennings. Thank you. Come in. Sit down.” He was fidgety. Nervous. With a stiff gesture, he indicated the chair on the other side of his desk. Never once did he look up from the papers before him. Instinctively, Aaron knew this man was not a good liar. It would be easy to read him.

He took the seat offered and waited quietly for the doctor to collect his thoughts, reading his every movement and mannerism.

Doctor Izanagi cleared his throat. “I have been advised you have been trying to access the secure files, major. Did you have any luck?”

The straightforward approach. Interesting. “No. My clearance was denied.”

“I see. I was wondering about that. Sometimes we get so busy here… Doctor Admatha and I are the only people who can assign security clearance.” His dark eyes examined Aaron's face as he spoke. There was a pause as if he expected Aaron to interject. “I thought he had done it. He thought I had.” Aaron nodded in understanding, but he didn't buy it. “At any rate, I'll have your clearance approved by this evening. In the meantime, is there anything specific I can help you locate?”

Aaron wondered how much he should reveal about his intentions. If Doctor Izanagi was less than forthright, trust wasn't something he could risk on the man. However, the story made sense. Perhaps a test. They undoubtedly knew he had seen his father's clone during his tour yesterday. That would suffice for now.

“I was wondering about my family's stems. I know that my father has a policy on each of us. I saw his stem yesterday. In the clock tower.” Doctor Izanagi nodded, maintaining eye contact. “It made me wonder about the others. Morbid curiosity, I guess.” There. Just enough truth to be misleading.

“I understand. I can help you with that.” The doctor picked up an electronic clipboard and passed it across the desk to Aaron. Then he punched in some information on his own keyboard.

The clipboard in Aaron's hands flashed to life, bringing up a series of stem files, one for each of them — age, test results, schedules, community assignments, living arrangements, and parent cell medical histories. Aaron skimmed through his family's files until he came to his.

In dark red letters across the top was printed the word TERMINATED. Below that were the words REPLACEMENT IN PRODUCTION in green. The blood felt like it froze in his veins. His gaze shot to Doctor Izanagi, who was watching him intently — waiting for him to come to the inevitable conclusion.

Aaron took a slow deep breath to steady himself. “What does this mean?” He pointed to the clipboard. “Terminated? Replacement in production? This is me. This is my file.”

“You were in an accident recently, yes?”Aaron nodded. “Your stem was used to
resolve
your injuries. The replacement stem is in production right now. It takes time to mature.” An awkward, lop-sided smile quirked at the doctor's lips. “You had better be careful. You don't want anything to happen to you before it's ready.”

It was a joke. Aaron didn't laugh. “But,
terminated
? I was led to believe they didn't have to do any invasive surgery. I have no scars. What could they possibly have needed that would warrant termination?”

“I was brought in on the consultation. It's highly technical. You will have to trust me when I say it was necessary.” More avoidance. These doctors were so arrogant. Their belief that no one else could understand the work they were doing combined with the gullible people who believed everything they were told was a dangerous recipe.

Doctor Izanagi seemed to be studying Aaron's expressions for signs of disbelief. Signs of anything really. Fortunately, he had an excellent poker face. “Perhaps you would like to attend some of our staff training classes. You will find out much more about what we do here.”

“Yes. That would be interesting. Thank you,” Aaron answered.
An interesting load of manure.
If nothing else, he would gain some insight into how things were managed here.

“Excellent. I'll take care of that immediately and send you the details. Is there anything else I can help you with while you're here, major? Any other questions?”

He had a million questions. But he wasn't going to ask someone he knew was going to lie. Shaking his head, he rose from the chair. “No, sir. I believe I have what I need for now.”

The doctor stood also. “In that case, you may return to your duties. I'll let you know when your security clearance goes through. Thank you for coming, major.” Rounding the desk, he approached the door and opened it for Aaron.

“Thank you, sir,” Aaron said and left. He needed to go for another run. But that thought made him smile.