This is set after the current Darkest Powers Trilogy and concerns one of the other groups of subjects that the Edison Group is messing about with. At the moment there are no plans to introduce Chloe and pals, but who knows. Please read on, enjoy, and if you're really lovely, review! More characters to be introduced in the next chapter.
Disclaimer: DP belongs to Kelley Armstrong, lucky woman...
Chapter One - A Meeting
For the past sixteen years the boundary of Alicia's world had been the perimeter fence that encircled the medical compound. It stood three times the height of the tallest man she knew and was topped with a vicious wrapping of barbed wire, but it had never occurred to her that anyone was being locked in – on the contrary, they were being protected from the outside.
Dr Davidoff had been very clear on that point – the outside world didn't understand people like her, they would put her in a cage and experiment on her as if she was a lab rat (if they didn't kill her on sight). Here she was safe.
The morning had started like any other. Breakfast was laid out in the main hall, the long metal tables crowded with people of varying ages and occupations all concerned with eating. Alicia took a seat at one of the tables next to Hendricks, her English tutor, who nodded a greeting and resumed his conversation with the scientist sitting across from him.
None of her classmates were down yet, probably still curled up in bed, she thought enviously, taking advantage of the rather lax rules on punctuality. Of course she could be doing the same but she'd agreed to help Dr Liefsson in the labs setting up the equipment for the afternoons 'mid-terms'. Apparently normal kids got to take multiple choice exams and write essays, but not at the Lake Madeleine Research Centre. Oh no, they got to test spell casting accuracy and precision fire starting -activities which involved lots of bulky equipment that needed arranging at stupid o'clock in the morning. Alicia sighed to herself; she wasn't really annoyed, just nervous.
The tests were the only reminder that the whole set-up wasn't just to protect them as they grew up, they were expected to be honing their powers until they fulfilled the potential the scientists thought them capable of. Not performing well meant more than a bad grade; people had lost their jobs before and students that didn't succeed were removed from the group until they had caught up.
Having thoroughly lost her appetite Alicia grabbed a bottle of water and headed out of the main hall. The Centre had been built prior to the first of the student's births, 18 years ago, but looked as if it had been there for centuries with its thick stone walls and arched ceilings. Dr Davidoff had told them that his inspiration was the monasteries of Europe, the centres of learning in ages past, and it certainly added a sense of importance to the enterprise. However, the monks hadn't been overly keen on elevators or heating, so they'd made adjustments.
The testing rooms were in the left wing and the quickest way to reach them was to cross through the central courtyard. She was just pushing the heavy oak doors open when she heard voices coming from one of the side-passages – unfamiliar voices.
Alicia could count on one hand the number of times strangers had been allowed into the Centre and they had never been related to anything good. The last time was when Keeley had failed her mid-terms (quite spectacularly, by setting fire to everything in the test room rather than the candle she'd been set), Dr Davidoff had come in with strangers in dark suits to talk to Dr Webbe. That was when Dr Liefsson had been re-assigned to head their group; they had never seen Dr Webbe again.
Alicia darted through the open doors and managed to pull them to before the men rounded the corner – through the gap she could see them approaching, their heads turned towards each other as they talked, they were very similar, (dark shoes, dark suit, dark tie) all apart from their hair; one dark, one blindingly blonde.
When they neared the door they stopped. Alicia froze. Had they seen her? No, a moment later Dr Davidoff walked into view and shook hands with the dark haired man.
Alicia let out the breath she'd been holding and was about to turn around and leave when she caught what Dr Davidoff was saying.
"Mr St. Cloud, so glad you could come."
Mr St. Cloud – the founder of the whole operation, Dr Davidoff's boss, was standing not five feet away from her. Something big must be happening, Alicia thought, her pulse racing; she was terrified to move in case she made a noise.
"Of course you are. Is everything ready?"
"The tests will start this afternoon, sir. I've arranged to have the Director's suite opened in the meantime, though."
"Hm. I trust you realise what's riding on these tests, Davidoff." The sharp voice replied. "I will not tolerate another failure."
The slice of the doctor's face that Alicia could see paled visibly and his mouth pursed under his grey moustache. The all-mighty Dr Davidoff was being brought down to size, if she wasn't so scared she would've enjoyed this.
"There were unforeseen problems with Genesis II."
His answer was met by silence and Alicia wondered how long they'd continue their showdown in a public corridor. People would be finishing their breakfast soon and making their way through to the labs and classrooms, they couldn't risk being seen arguing. The thought had obviously occurred to the blonde aide as well because he leaned in to Mr St. Cloud and whispered something in his ear.
Mr St. Cloud nodded and looked up at Davidoff, his features rearranged into a more genial expression.
"How about we have some coffee?"
Davidoff looked relieved and motioned the two men to follow him, they walked out of sight and Alicia heard the soft shush-shush sound of the elevator doors as they left.
It took her a minute to recover; the exchange she'd just overheard was obviously significant, if only for the fact that it revealed Davidoff was not as all-powerful as he wanted people to believe. Failures with Genesis II ... she'd never heard anything like it, was there another compound like Lake Madeleine? More students?
The questions kept on coming but Alicia couldn't wait around any longer, Dr Liefsson would be wondering where she was by now and Alicia knew he would see through any story she concocted to explain her lateness. Pulling herself together she strode off across the courtyard towards the testing rooms.
She had other things to worry about anyway.
Again, introduction of other students next chapter and Mr St. Cloud drama unfolds. Thanks.