22

Alice doesn't open the files until Saturday. Between her sessions with Professor Alden and the homework pile that only seems to grow with every passing day, there simply hasn't been time. That, and she can't risk opening them in front of Mirana, which proves difficult because she lives with her. She hates having to keep this from her, but she'd promised Nivens.

She ends up locking herself in a study room at the library after reserving one from her dorm. She shuts her phone off, not wanting to be distracted, and uses the code she's received to unlock the door.

Alice has never used a study room here before, but she doesn't want to risk anyone peering over her shoulder. They're typically meant for groups, but she highly doubts that anyone is seriously going to penalize her for using it alone.

The room has one table that seats six as well as a vase of red and white roses in the centre of it as well as a selection of crisps surrounding the vase. How thoughtful of them. She grabs a bag of Cheese and Onion Squares and sits in the chair farthest from the door. She powers on her laptop, and, as soon as it's booted properly, plugs in the pen drive, declining the scan her computer prompts her to do.

A new window pops up with the header, MCTWISP, BIBWIT H. There are three folders: XX, XY, and Unknown. Alice opens the XX folder first.

The XX folder has subfolders numbered one through eight. Clicking through them, Alice realizes that they're all young girls between the ages of nine and sixteen. XX must stand for the chromosome arrangement, which means that XY must be all the male experiments. If that's the case, then what's the Unknown folder for? Alice forces herself to focus on the current file set. She'll save the Unknown folder for last.

The subfolders contain profiles for each patient. By the time she gets to XX7's profile, she realizes that they're all the same format, the same form with a photo beside each one.

PATIENT'S PROFILE

NAME: Orianna Turkel

AGE: 13

SEX: Female

BIRTHPLACE: Bristol

NATIONALITY: British

BIRTHDAY: March 15th, 1984

DATE & TIME OF ADMISSION: October 23, 1997/09:00 AM

FINAL DIAGNOSIS: Cured.

There's more extensive information, but Alice doesn't read that far just yet. Clicking into the XY main folder yields the same results. Alice dives right into the Unknown folder.

There are five subfolders in this one instead of the standard eight: Subject XXXY Profile, Subject XXXY Experiments, The Rebellion, Subject XXXY Conclusion.

Alice frowns. XXXY. Does that mean whoever this is are conjoined twins, a boy and a girl? She opens the folder labeled Subject XXXY Profile to have a look.

They aren't conjoined twins at all. Subject XXXY is a single person, wearing a hospital gown that is far too small for their lanky body. They have short, dark brown hair and pale eyes, smiling defiantly at the camera. Out of all the files she's opened, they are the only one smiling in their picture. Alice reads the information beside it.

PATIENT PROFILE

NAME: Alfiora "Alfie" Jones

AGE: 16 ½

SEX: Unknown, has both male and female anatomy

BIRTHPLACE: Manchester

NATIONALITY: British

BIRTHDAY: January 17, 1981

DATE & TIME OF ADMISSION: October 27, 1997/05:00 AM

FINAL DIAGNOSIS: Unable to diagnose. Patient died before conclusive results could be drawn.

Alice gasps. Died? What happened?

She opens the next folder, but there's so much within it describing each part of every procedure so meticulously that she decides to open the folder after that, The Rebellion.

The Rebellion contains a single document, written like a journal entry. Alice opens it.

Entry No. 73

12/10/1997

Subject XXXY is getting out of control. It is much worse than before, much worse, and now that it has followers, there is a chance it may try to kill us all.

It started at 0500. Subject XXXY as well as its followers, XX1, 4, 7, and XY3, 7, 8 made an enormous racket in their sleeping quarters, banging on the walls, shouting for Angus and I to come at once and waking the other ten patients in the process.

I entered first and was immediately attacked by XY7 and 8. They had me bound with surprising speed utilizing their bedsheets and the single chair in their room before I had time to react. XX7 wrapped a considerably thick blanket around my throat, not tight enough to suffocate me just yet, but tight enough to remind me that the power had, indeed, shifted.

I yelled for Angus to go back, but it was too late. He came in after me, and XY3 and XX1 had him restrained within seconds, tying him to the bedpost on the bottom bunk. They drugged us with rags and we both passed out.

When we came to, we were in the laboratory, hands still tied but on the floor now, our restraints linked. All patients were present, including Subject XXXY. It smirked at us, with that demonic smile it hasn't stopped using since it arrived. It is truly insane. It commanded XY3 to bring out something called "Freedom Blaze". XY3 left to do so. Angus did not say a word during the entire ordeal, instead silently watching XY2. He had a plan, and XY2 was apparently the key.

XY3 returned with a wooden board bearing several bound matches and a water bottle filled with a yellowish liquid.

It didn't take me long to realize what was in that bottle, though how on earth XXXY had gotten their hands on petrol to begin with is beyond me.

The sight of it caused XX7, standing beside XXXY, to panic. This was not part of the plan. They had planned to force us to sign their release papers, that "Freedom Blaze" was only a last resort.

XXXY did not listen. It took a match from its pocket and approaches the board, which XY3 has set in the centre of the room. It smiled at us, a truly chilling sight, and speaks.

"My name is Alfiora Jones. You took me from my family less than two months ago. I was not the first, but I will be the last." It paced the floor. "No longer will you take in innocent children to 'fix'. We are not broken. We are brave, we are strong, and we are the voice of those you would silence. I," XXXY looked around the room at its followers. "No, we, will not let you continue with your actions. Your reign of terror ends today."

XXXY lights the match, and it was at this moment that I thought I was going to die. Still Angus remained silent, so, as I always have since we began this venture, I trusted him and did not say a word.

Before XXXY can set the matches off and effectively blow us out of existence, that is when Angus spoke.

"Nathan!" he called. XY2 looks at him, seemingly afraid. "You're making a mistake." he entreats him. "Have I not taken care of you? Have I not been a good father?"

XXXY crosses to Angus in an instant and slaps him, hard enough to leave a red handprint on his cheek. "Don't listen to him, Nathan." it growls. "He's full of nothing but lies."

Angus carried on anyway, level, calm. "XXXY is wrong, Nathan. I am the only one who gives a damn about you. I am your only way to salvation."

"Enough of this!" XXXY shouted. "It's over, Angus!"

It dropped the match and ran, taking XX7 with it. The others followed, disappearing out the lab door, but XY2 lingered.

"Nathan!" XX7 yelled. "Come on!"

XXXY continued to drag her. "We can't wait, come on!"

XX7 and XXXY left together. XY2 stayed behind, deliberating, all the while the matches burned faster, closer to that deadly bottle.

"Do something!" Angus commanded.

This snapped XY2 out of his trance, and he grabbed the bottle from the centre and flung it away. He grabbed a nearby blanket and smothered the flames, putting the fire out. He found a knife and cut us both free.

"Good boy." Angus said. "Now, we need to recapture the others." He looked to me. "Alert the staff."

So I did. I roused the staff, who had all been drugged with laudanum, I later found out, and we chased after those making their escape. At the end of the day, XX1, XX2, XX3, XX5, XY1, XY3, XY4, and XY5 escaped. Eight patients remain, plus Subject XXXY. Subject XXXY has been placed into solitary confinement, for now.

It is very unstable. Angus and I both agree that there is only one solution. We must put it down.

I just hope when the time comes, I can do it.

That particular entry ends there, but Alice doesn't need to read anymore. This alone is enough to condemn Dr. Bumby, and if the death penalty were still legal, could kill him. One witness, one child from the experiments would be more than enough.

But it would destroy Nivens's family.

Alice sighs. It would be so easy. This could be over, now! She wouldn't have to do anymore sessions with Professor Alden, Mirana wouldn't have to face Bumby again, and Mason could live in peace knowing he wouldn't be claimed by that awful man. The one piece of evidence Bumby won't be able to refute, and she can't even use it.

At least not yet. If anything, she and Nivens should try to track down one of the children involved with the experiments. They'd have to write them up as another witness, of course, but that wouldn't mean they'd necessarily have to use that person. It will be nice, though, to know that if all else failed, there is still a way that they will win for sure. Perhaps, if XX7 is still alive, they'll track her down. She seemed to be closest to Alfie, to XXXY, and if they find her, they'll have everything they need.

The trick will be in convincing Nivens to do such a thing.

She ejects the pen drive. If it's not one thing, it's another. She tucks the pen drive safely into her pocket and gets up from her chair, a little numb from sitting for so long. She shuts her computer off and slips it back into her bag. It's too tempting, too much to keep inside. She's going to blow up if she doesn't get out of her and do something soon.

"Alice!" Professor Flora rises from her desk to greet her. "How are you, dear?" she asks, clasping her hands warmly.

"Hi, Alice!" Mason calls from a corner of the room.

"Hello, Mason." Alice says with a smile. She peers over Professor Flora's shoulder to find Chess with him as well. "And Chess." she adds. Chess waves back at her cheerfully. Both boys are covered in paint, not a single drop on the canvas set up in front of them. At least nothing's changed in that regard. She turns back to Professor Flora. "I'm fine, Professor. Do you mind if I stay awhile?"

"Of course." Professor Flora gestures at the cabinet near the door. "I just got some new paints in, if you'd like to try them out."

Alice opens the cabinet door. "Shimmer paints?"

"I thought it'd be nice to add some variety."

"Mum!" Mason calls. "Where are the sponges?"

"Under the sink, dear!" Professor Flora replies. She smiles happily to herself. "He calls me 'mum' now. It's not official yet, not legally, but it makes me so glad that he's warmed up to the idea."

Alice picks out the yellow and violet shimmer paints, then takes the normal white paint. "Where is he living now? With you?"

"As much as I'd like that, no. It would be breaking a lot of rules, and that's the last thing we need right now. I did some shifting around with the arrangements. I was originally going to have him room with Tarrant and Bayard, but that would be overcrowding. I considered Nivens as well, but Thackery had already taken that vacancy, and he's more than qualified."

Alice raises an eyebrow. "Qualified for what?" she asks as she sets the paints up by a nearby easel.

"When Nivens returned, he enrolled in a prevention program, which is exactly what it sounds like. Thackery is acting as his protector, which Nivens certainly doesn't mind at all."

Alice picks out a medium sized canvas and turns it landscape. "Are you implying something?"

Professor Flora grins devilishly. "Not implying. Observing."

Alice can't help but laugh at that. She digs into another cabinet and grabs a few choice brushes. "Is that what you all do in your spare time? Pair us off?"

Professor Flora snickers. "Some of us, yes. The French professor, oh, her name's slipped my mind," Professor Flora's brow furrows. "Nope, can't recall. Ah well, anyhow, the French professor has a betting pool going on. Speaking of which, she owes me twenty pounds."

Alice nearly drops the jar of white paint. "Madame Delacroix?"

"That's her name!" Professor Flora exclaims with a snap of her fingers. "Yes, Madame Delacroix."

Alice shakes her head. She's not surprised something like this goes on with the staff, but she didn't expect to be hearing about it. She mixes in a bit of white with the yellow. "What does she owe you twenty pounds for?"

"You and Mirana. She wouldn't believe me until she saw you two together yesterday."

Alice snorts. "Well, I'm glad that worked out in your favour." she says, taking a massive brush and coating the canvas thoroughly.

"I'd be happy for you regardless, because it's about time." Professor Flora says. "Don't mention that to Madame Delacroix, though. Pay is pay."

"Does Professor Alden participate?" Alice fans at the canvas to try and make the paint dry faster.

"Absolem thinks the whole idea is stupid, but he likes to see the results."

"Of course he does." Alice tests the paint with her finger. Good enough. "So who does Mason live with, then?"

"It was between Chess and Baxton, since both live alone now ever since James was removed. I chose Chess because the two of them already get on so well."

Alice dips another slightly thinner brush into the violet shimmer paint. "When will he start living with you?" She applies the paint with long, quick strokes to create some grass.

"Assuming everything goes well at the trial, we start the pre-placement period of one month. Then there's post-placement, which is normally six months, but I'm going to see if I can get that reduced. After that, all that will be left will be to change his name legally."

Alice stops midstroke to look at Professor Flora. "I promise you, we're going to win."

"You sound so sure. How do you know?"

"Lucky feeling."