Regression (43 page)

“
I want to put the
topic of Mitochondrial Eve on the back burner while we get
everything staged for the introduction of Dawn Ingram. You all have
packages I hope you’ll read in great detail before the next
meeting, where we’ll have to further discuss the issue. Regarding
the scene we are about to act out, who amongst you are willing to
be actors?” She glanced around the faces in the room. Some were
eager, others anxious. A few appeared disinterested but most were
accepting. The plans were formulated and all players confirmed
their parts.

Peter commandeered a transport van
and Adya climbed into the back at one of the tower loading docks
the following morning at four. The box, designed for carrying a
corpse, was modified with a false lid providing ventilation. Even
so, Adya felt enormous trepidation as she lay back into the bedding
organized earlier. She prayed nothing would delay their anticipated
timeline since her claustrophobia was barely under
control.

The ride to the airport was
mercifully short. Peter and Melik carefully carried the box up the
cargo ramp onto the plane, not allowing the airport attendants the
chance. As quickly as they could they opened the box, releasing
Adya from confinement. Henri skillfully guided the plane into the
sky and their plan unfolded.

Journal of Doctor Nicholas Weaver

November 9, 98 P. I.

Hope was born in the
Brighton General Hospital. Ironically, that is always where I
awaken after regression. Even more incredible is the fact my
arrival is within hours of her original time of birth. Every
lifetime, when I regained consciousness, I rushed to the maternity
ward only to walk away disappointed.

I was in a coma for
two weeks and then placed in foster care−a fourteen year old cannot
live alone regardless of how mature he might be. It took me six
weeks to track Adya down. To find that both she and Hope perished
in an automobile accident. In the previous ten lifetimes only Adya
died on November 11, 2011. To lose Hope again was a cruel blow.
But, it instilled a greater hope. Her mother was sensing her
calling this time.

Returning to the box unsettled Adya but she managed to
tolerate the unloading at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
The Three Eleven Prerogative ensured no inspection was performed
and no wait was required. As soon as the hired vehicle turned down
Britannia Road and away from the airport Melik opened the lid and
helped her out. Stiff from tense muscles, she cracked her neck and
stretched her spine.

“
That was not
pleasant. May I never have to experience that again.”

“
Hopefully we won’t
have to reinvent you in the future.” Melik graciously rubbed her
shoulders, finding pressure points where the stress of being in a
tiny black space had knotted her flesh. They clambered into the
passenger seats of the van.

“
Congratulations,
gentlemen, you have just attended to the birth of Dawn
Ingram.”

Grinning, he patted her knee.
“Gee, should I feel like a proud Papa? I hope not, that’s kinda
kinky, Ad…Dawn.”

Peter pulled the van into a hotel
parking lot and she collected the travel bag from her cottage.
Hugging both of them before leaving the van and entering the hotel
lobby. The men waved from the van and pulled away. She was dressed
in a ball cap, jeans, and a Toronto Blue Jays t-shirt, looking very
young. The hotel clerk leisurely scanned up and down her body as
she registered under the pseudonym Madison Spencer.

“
Welcome to the
Courtyard Marriot Toronto Airport, we hope you enjoy your stay Miss
Spencer.”

“
Thank you.” Flashing
a wide smile, she took her key from his clammy hand and slipped
into her room for a quick nap before showering, changing into more
mature attire, and taking a cab back to the airport. Her boarding
pass was accepted no questions asked; immediate respect visible
when airport staff read the passport containing the magic words
‘Three Eleven’. She disembarked in Los Angeles and checked into the
Crowne Plaza as Laurie Jones, the desk clerk fawning over
her.

“
Anything you need,
Miss Jones, be sure to contact us immediately and we will take care
of it. We appreciate the faith Three Eleven places in us by making
reservations with the Crowne Plaza.” He reached toward her burden,
“Let me help you with your bags, are they…”

“
Thank you, no need;
they will be going straight to the airport.” The layover while she
waited for the plane was to be spent building a wardrobe
appropriate for her new role as CEO of Three Eleven. A position
involving such power and prestige required suitable apparel
reflecting the respect, attitude and status of the company. To
minimize the paper trail, she was carrying a huge amount of United
States currency, paying cash for all her purchases.

Sporting dark glasses, a black
wig, exceedingly high heels and a beauty mark on her left cheek,
Adya exited the front doors of the hotel and hailed a cab.
Registering at the Sheraton Gateway as cash paying guest Jill
Bailey, she left immediately after checking her room. Neiman
Marcus, Saks Fifth Ave, Prada, and the other premium stores were
outside her realm of experience. She had never entered any in her
life. Everything she would possibly need to maintain appearances in
her new role for one month was bought and delivered. Anything more
at this instant would be pointless since she would need maternity
wear soon. The staff were more than helpful as she shopped, her
tally quickly building beyond one hundred thousand dollars, putting
the shopping fiasco of the 2008 presidential election campaign in
proper perspective. Luggage was also ordered from Louis Vuitton.
All purchases were to be delivered to the Sheraton Gateway hotel.
She made Tiffany’s her final stop of the day.

“
May I help
you?”

“
Yes, I would like to
see that wedding set, please.”

“
Certainly.” The
associate reverently slid out the tray holding an awe inspiring
diamond solitaire. The classic round two carat jewel was flanked by
two smaller pear shaped stones. Slipping it on her finger, Adya’s
eyes misted recalling Daniel’s proposal.

The note read ‘Tiny peepers sing
me to sleep every night; you’ll have trouble finding me by the
daylight.’ Adya shook her head, having gone to the mailbox to get
the mail and instead finding a riddle. They were living near campus
in a little rental house. Daniel loved to play games and she knew
she would never be forgiven if she didn’t follow this one through
to the end. Perhaps he had set up a little picnic rendezvous in the
back yard, or even a strawberry- glazed love-making session in
their sun room.

She checked the glowing gaze ball
floating in their pond. During the day, the ball remained dark but
once the sun set it illuminated with an eerie light. She used the
fish net to pull the ball in, finding another note taped to it,
enclosed in a plastic zip lock baggie.

“
The tallest of trees
cannot reach the sky but with tender love it sure will try.”
Looking up, she approached the tallest tree in the yard, finding
another note attached to the trunk.

“
Two years have been
amazing but we need something more, walk four steps to the north to
find a secret door.” Glancing left, she saw a note posted on the
garden shed door. “Inside this portal your future does wait, open
it only if you believe in fate.” She opened the door. Daniel was
waiting, kneeling on one knee with his arm outstretched, a tiny
diamond ring held gingerly in his hand. She dropped to her knees,
taking the ring and slipping it on her finger before kissing him
and breathing the word ‘yes’ into his ear.

“
Miss? Is everything
okay?” Adya looked up, startled.

“
I’m sorry, I was just
thinking. Yes, that is the ring. And…” she pointed to a double
helix of gold studded with tiny diamonds “I would like to see that
band, please.” She slid the second ring on her finger next to the
first and angled her hand from side to side, mesmerized by the
rainbow of colours. “I’ll take them.”

“
As you wish. May I
box them up for you?”

“
Please do. Thank
you.”

Her purchases awaited at the
Sheraton Gateway, piled in her room like so many bright bouquets,
the bags colourful and cheery. She packed the clothes into the
newly acquired luggage set. Gowns, suits, foot wear, coats. With
each item, she convinced herself of their necessity.

“
Dawn Ingram needs to
represent Three Eleven appropriately.” She tore the three thousand
dollar price tag off of the spring jacket she hung in the huge
standing wardrobe box. “There is no such thing as cheap couture.”
She folded the seventy-five dollar blouse. “No self-respecting
business person would be caught dead in rack wear.” Ruefully, she
shook her head in chagrin as she continued to fold, pack and
tuck.

Finally everything was properly
secured. She called the concierge to take all the boxes and cases
down to be loaded on the shuttle heading to LAX. The cases filled
the entire van. Flushing with embarrassment, she sighed with the
absurdity of the situation. A taxi dropped her off at the Crowne
where she fell into an exhausted sleep.

Adya spent the worst night of her
life tossing and turning while battling incredibly itchy skin all
over, not just the birthmark. A call down to the front desk secured
an antihistamine, thinking she might be having an allergic reaction
to something she ate. Although she was able to catch some sleep,
she awoke in the morning rubbing her cheeks and scratching her
scalp.

“
I hope there aren’t
bed bugs, ugh.” She shuddered at the thought, swirls of curly red
hair undulating with her movement. Still rubbing intensely she rose
and entered the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, she
screamed.

The person in the reflection was
nothing like Adya Jordan. Pale skin, with a light dusting of
freckles across the bridge of the nose, was punctuated by two
copper eyebrows. A riot of thick copper curls rolled over her
shoulders, each curl taking on a sinuous life of its own. A strong
chin and smaller, pert nose completed the transformation. As she
leaned closer to the mirror to inspect the face, waiting for it to
revert back to her true self, she also discovered she was
taller.

“
What the…” The night
before as she brushed her teeth, the counter had been above her hip
bones but now was slightly below. Her eyes widened. “Crap, those
clothes won’t fit. What the heck am I saying, who cares. How could
this be?” Looking into unfamiliar eyes, she tried to compel the
voice inside her to speak. “It’s you, isn’t it? The plasmid? What
are you? Will you please speak to me? I know you do sometimes in my
sleep, can’t you now?” No response.

A knock sounded at the door.
Yelling “Just a minute,” her changed voice increased her anxiety.
She quickly dressed, finding a skirt unaffected by her transformed
dimensions, then flung open the door for Peter, Melik and
Henri.

“
Who the hell are
you?” they uttered in unison.

“
Dawn Ingram, at your
service.” Henri’s appraising look brought colour to her cheeks
while Peter and Melik were more concerned than
interested.

“
Bullshit. Where
is…she?”

“
Peter, it’s me.
Adya.” She leaned to whisper in his ear “Remember the sauna?” He
reddened. “It’s the plasmid. It changed me.” The men were
incredulous. Melik sank into a chair while Peter gathered Adya’s
red curls into his hands.

“
This? This is real?”
He tugged on the tresses.

“
Ouch, yes it is. Stop
it.” She slapped his hands from her hair, guiding him to a
chair.

“
This happened last
night?”

“
Yes, while I was
sleeping. I was incredibly itchy and…the plasmid again…” She
indicated her body with a flourish of her hands.

“
This is turning into
more than we possibly ever expected. If the plasmid is sentient
then we’re dealing with an entirely different set of parameters
here.” Melik’s frown conveyed his worry. “This needs to be
discussed with the executive.” He looked at Adya. “I think some
will voice concerns. You are inhabited by an alien, should that
alien be given control?” His eyes were troubled.

“
We have worked this
entire time on the assumption the plasmid was key and needed
something to activate it. Now it’s activated. It’s helping. Yes, we
need to share this with the executive. But, I don’t think this is a
negative, I think it should be an incredible, amazing positive. We
aren’t alone.” She took Melik’s hands, pleading. “The plasmid is a
sentient being and most likely not from our planet, meaning there
are aliens out there. Think about that.” She was nearly jumping in
her excitement as the ramifications sunk in. “This is
inconceivable.”

Peter glanced at his watch. “We
can continue this conversation on the plane. A limo is waiting
downstairs.”

“
I…uh…need to go
shopping again. It seems I grew. Most of these clothes won’t fit. I
have a bunch of items which are now useless, unfortunately.” The
men looked pained. “I guess I’ll order some in rather than making
you wait. Dawn Ingram’s wardrobe is rather skimpy as of today.” She
shook her head apologetically as they walked out the hotel room
door.