Title: Transhuman
Rating: PG-13
Fandom: Criminal Minds
Characters/Pairing: Garcia-centric, team - gen
Genre: Science-fiction/Drama
Summary: In a dystopian future, hacker Penelope Garcia finds herself being hunted by a corrupt organization. Fearing for her life, she must search for help in the strangest of places.
Author's Notes: Betaed by Windy City Dreamer.

Chapter Five

At precisely 1 o'clock p.m, Spencer Reid retreated into his tiny, windowless office for lunch, locking the door behind him. Doctor Gideon didn't allow food in the lab – apparently it was a confounding variable – and as a mere research assistant, Spencer wasn't about to screw up his chances of a good reference. If he did well here, then that could mean everything for his career.

He pulled a plain brown paper bag from the bottom drawer of his desk. He didn't quite make enough to buy his lunches from the cafeteria of the building, and the StayFresh vending machine was broken. He could have fixed it if he was so inclined, but Spencer preferred making his own lunches. They tasted better, for one thing – the StayFresh meals were usually bland and generic – plus, it gave him an excuse not to accompany the others down to the cafeteria. It wasn't so much that he didn't like them – they were all pleasant enough people in their own right – but usually, he preferred his own company.

That restriction, however, did not extend to the occupant of the small cage under his desk. Clearing aside some unfinished paperwork, he shifted the cage so it sat in front of him.

'Hey, girl,' he whispered, careful not to speak too loudly. The rat peeked out at him, tiny black eyes shining in the light. Officially, the rat had been designated P-3442, but after a blunder from one of the other research assistants, the rat's experimental data had been corrupted. Instead of incinerating the rat as he had been ordered, Spencer had instead rescued her, intending to take the creature home once he got the chance.

That was yesterday.

Today, the rat's name was Houdini, in spite of the gender differences between the namesake and the animal. Beyond all odds, she had escaped the testing that would probably have killed her. The experiments had a high mortality rate. It was their objective to lower that mortality rate, a goal that was taking a long time. At the rate things were going, human trials were at least a century off.

Exactly what they were supposed to be doing to these rats, Spencer wasn't quite sure. The research proposal had been censored by the Corp – only those with a high enough clearance level knew what was going on. Spencer's clearance could barely get past the lunch menu.

Technically speaking, EarthTech Industries was a subsidiary of the Corp. Their name was generic enough that no-one – least of all the employees – knew what they were supposed to be researching at any time.

As Spencer pulled his peanut-butter sandwich from the paper bag, Houdini fully emerged from her hidey-hole beneath shredded newspaper.

He tore off a tiny corner of bread, small enough that Houdini wouldn't choke on the sticky substance. She devoured it with enthusiasm, which was no surprise to Spencer. The lab rats had been fed nothing but pellets for the last two months.

Both Spencer and Houdini jumped, startled, at the sound of a knock on the door. 'Spencer, are you in there?'

It was Gideon's voice – Doctor Jason Gideon, Ph. D in Biochemistry. He also happened to be Spencer's thesis adviser. Being a research assistant was just a temporary job, albeit an important one. Once he had his Doctorate, Spencer would be able to run his own experiments.

'Uh, just a second,' he replied frantically, in a hurry to get Houdini's cage back on the floor. He'd have to sneak her out of there that night, under the cover of darkness.

'Don't worry about the rat, Spencer, I just wanted to talk.'

Spencer flushed slightly. He hadn't expected to be caught out so easily. Giving Houdini an apologetic look, he walked over to the door to let Gideon in.

'I'm sorry,' he said, no sooner than Gideon had stepped inside. 'I couldn't just kill her like that.'

Gideon smiled. 'I know. And I respect you for that. Life is a very important thing; regardless of whether it's a human life or not. But if you feel so strongly, then maybe this isn't the place you should be working.'

Spencer gave his boss a slight shrug. 'What would you suggest?'

'You're a smart kid, Spencer. One of the smartest people I've ever worked with, in fact. You don't need a piece of paper to tell yourself that.'

It almost sounded as though he was being fired, Spencer thought. He frowned. 'I need the work experience.' And the money.

'I've got a few friends,' said Gideon. 'I know that any one of them would jump at the chance to have an employee of your caliber. You could go much further in a private company than you ever could at EarthTech.'

Spencer knew that Gideon was right. He had only taken the job in the first place because he had needed the money. By the time he had figured out what "experimental studies" really entailed, it was far too late to back out. He was being given an exit, and he was going to take it.

'Thank-you very much, sir,' Spencer said sincerely. 'It has definitely been a honor working with you.'

Gideon tipped him a slight wink, and handed Spencer a card. 'Here's my number,' he said. 'If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to call. I'll get back to you in a couple of days on the job front. Consider yourself on paid leave.'

He turned to leave.

'Oh, and Spencer? P-3442 – she likes carrots and berries.'

Spencer smiled, and then turned his attention back to Houdini.

'Well,' he said. 'That was unexpected.'

***

It pained Gideon to let go one of his best research assistants. Despite their high , the rest of his staff were blathering idiots in comparison. Spencer Reid was a very gifted young man. He was also a very innocent young man. For all his experience of the world, Spencer had no idea of the injustices that were taking place at EarthTech. To be fair, hardly anybody did, but they didn't have the moral compass that Spencer did.

By letting him go now, Gideon was hopefully, saving the research assistant from an early death. If Spencer had ever risen the ranks of EarthTech – and he would have – he would have seen things that would make a lesser man balk in fear. And he would have done something about it. He'd have been slaughtered mercilessly by the Corp's Department of Security before his fortieth birthday.

That was an injustice for which Jason Gideon would not be responsible.