CHAPTER 7: Human Conditions
Decades ago, humanity had beamed its DNA code into the depths of space, and something had answered. It had read the genetic code of the human species and recognized its future capability.
The government military regarded it as a threat, a thing to be removed, or at worst, a biological weapon meant to wipe out all life on Earth. Humanity in its current state would achieve that without any alien intervention. The government, the military and the entirety of Project Athena had been short sighted, they would never recognize it for the gift it truly was, to unlock humanity's full potential.
A floor to ceiling window separated the lone figure from the scenery she observed. She owned properties the world over, but this modern architectural masterpiece carved into a mountainside was one of her favorites. Sleek and modern. She had added a number of sub levels devoted to R and D. From here, it was only a short journey by helicopter to the corridors of power.
Her vast wealth and status afforded her a degree of anonymity. Anonymity she maintained through a well placed series of intermediaries, shell companies and powerful leverages.
She had kept a low profile for years, working through her many intermediaries to manoeuvre the right people into the right places in the interest of serving her cause. The uplifting of humanity to its next stage of evolution.
Project Athena was now dead. Replaced by the blunt cudgel that was Operation: Medusa. However, through shrewd tactics and guile, she had taken the remnants of Athena into her Private network and funded the project as a more compartmentalized entity.
So far, the only anomaly was S1L-2.0, which had been enhanced in order to assist in tracking down the unfortunate Captain Ross. Samples taken post enhancement showed rampant mutation and a rapid evolution. Furthermore, the subject had proven herself extremely resistant to capture.
Whatever Dr. Baker had done to Eve, had unforeseen and beneficial effects. Effects that were in a constant state of evolution. The Preliminary Autopsy data before Eve's sudden revival had indicated she had given birth to a pure strain child, alas that child had never been located.
Eve was the answer, the key, not only to her salvation, but ultimately the world. Once she had Eve's genetic material, she would be able to implement those changes.
Humanity was on the verge of greatness, but it needed that final push, a push which she would deliver.
She could not help, on a certain level, from feeling a small amount of kinship with S1L-2.0, after all, it had been her DNA that had been sampled to provide the human ovum from which she was created. Why? Because she was exceptional.
She was no stranger to experiments and invasive tests herself. The reason that the government had begun research into individuals with Psi-Emphatic, Psychic and Psionic talents had all begun with her.
The gifted daughter of one of their most prominent scientists. She was what the government now referred to, as a Psy-Gen or The Sighted.
One with a condition similar to hers had been utilized to track down the original Sil. Only more recently, and largely through research she herself had funded in the background, had the genetic conditions necessary for individuals like her to arise, though most of it remained classified and unknown by the larger public.
She had always been a prodigy, set apart from peers at an early age, her condition granting her such traits as a photographic memory, extrasensory perceptions and the ability to know the minds of others, invaluable during negotiations. She also had the ability to Remote View. An invaluable advantage over other power players, but where it mattered most, it had failed her.
Whenever she had tried to sight in on Eve, or her offspring, she had only ever received a single vision… a dark sky, under a dead star. She knew not what it meant, possibly a mechanism of the Alien psyche. She knew how adaptable the creatures were, it was possibly a defensive adaptation to prevent predation. Whatever the case, it had frustrated her efforts.
Alas, however, the brightest stars burn out the fastest. Her doctors had informed her that in a few short years, her nerve fibers would begin to degrade, a cruel side effect of being born with the spark of humanity's future.
Human evolution, it seemed, required a jolt to catch up with itself. The alien intelligence had foreseen that potential and it shared her vision for humanity's future.
The phone buzzed in her pocket. She opened the end-to-end encrypted app she used to communicate with her assets…
MEDUSA FAILED - S1L-2.0 STATUS: ACTIVE - LOCATION UNKNOWN
TEAM STATUS: KIA
CONFIRMED INTERFERENCE FROM LENNOX ACCOCIATES
She had been updated on the entire incident throughout the night. Burgess had his uses, she knew that soon, his usefulness to her purposes would be at an end. He had sped up that timeline with his rash order to terminate S1L-2.0 on site.
Operation: Medusa's goal was elimination of the creature… officially. Burgess had been provided the means to do so effectively within the former Biohazard LVL4 facility, in the form of an experimental fusion generator… The creatures were highly regenerative, absolute termination could only be confirmed by destruction at the cellular level. Therefore Eve would have to be captured and brought back to the facility.
Her assets were embedded within Medusa to ensure she never got that far, a swift interception. Alas, Burgess had armed his thugs with the latest Capacitor Rifles and sent them against Eve. This Ham-Fisted attack would make S1L-2.0 stronger and even more resistant to capture.
She had other uses for Eve and they did not include her death… at least not immediately. This Operation had, however, successfully flushed out and engaged S1L-2.0… or more specifically, she had.
The idea to use a social media campaign hadn't come from within Operation: Medusa, it had come from her… put forward to Burgess by one of her assets within the operation.
So… for now, Eve was alive, and remarkably resilient. Now, she would likely be with Lennox and Baker's little crew. Their activities had been a minor irritation over the past few years, but soon would no longer matter.
Though it was unfortunate they were unable to recover Eve on this occasion, it now offered an opportunity to capture both Dr. Baker and Eve in one swoop.
She had made a direct approach to Dr. Baker in the wake of the disastrous exposure of Forbes McGuire's Lab in Mexico. To re-create what she had done with Eve to make something new, something …better.
When she found Forbes, he had been brilliant, but had proven unstable, he had begun to operate beyond his brief. His operation had devolved into little more than a harem.
The meeting with Baker hadn't gone as expected, even when she had promised to retrieve Eve and have her protected from the military, Baker had refused to join her cause and less than a month later, had attempted to expose the project. A rare oversight on her part. She had failed to recognize the strength of the bond between Baker and Eve, that would not happen again, in fact it could be used to her advantage if implemented properly.
Theirs will certainly be an interesting reunion after all this time, she thought.
The message came with an image of "Evelyn Greene" and updates on the status of the search. She wondered if she stepped within range of a networked camera anywhere in the city, would she trip the facial recognition of Evelyn Greene.
Arianna Fitch closed the app and slid the phone back into her pocket. She breathed a long breath and continued to admire the view of a world she would soon change.
Eve breathed deeply, the first thing her awareness picked up on was the sound of birds, then the feel of warm, clean sheets… a bed? Eve hadn't known a soft clean bed since…..
Am I back in the lab?
Suddenly panicked, Eve opened her eyes and immediately sat bolt upright.
"Hay whoa, hay, hay, Eve, it's ok, take it easy" came a voice from her side.
Eve snapped around to see Consuela Álverez sitting against the wall, on the floor nearby, roused by Eve's sudden movement. Her hands were up in as affirming a gesture as possible "Relax, it's me, you're safe".
Eve's eyes darted around the room. Old, decorative plasterwork and furnishings around the edges of the ceiling and some of the wallpaper was flaked and torn.
Not a lab, not a prison cell.
The "Bed" in which she lay was nothing more than a mattress on the floor, albeit a clean one. Álverez slowly moved closer crouched by the side of the mattress.
"What is this? Where am I?" Eve's voice barely above a whisper, but a demand all the same.
"Eve, you've been out for almost twelve hours. We're in a Safe House. We brought you here last night" Álverez said, trying to be as reassuring as she could.
"...We?" Eve's voice trembled, her entire body trembled.
"Yeah, a friend of Laura's, he helped me find you. Sorry I couldn't get to you sooner…" Álverez still had her hands up. She cautiously reached over and lay a hand on Eve's shoulder. "I promise you're safe with us". Her hand felt warm, reassuring, but the trembles continued.
"...Laura's here?" Eve whispered. She felt a big lump in her throat and it began to well up from inside.
Álverez shook her head and Eve felt her hand on her shoulder grip a little tighter. "No, she has to move around now. We all do"
Eve tilted her head and waited for Álverez to continue...
Álverez gave a short sigh "Listen, Eve, a lot has changed since Mexico…"
Before Álverez could finish, however, Eve became aware that there was nothing between her skin and these sheets, she lifted covers slightly and checked beneath. "Where are my…."
"Ahh, it's alright, you didn't have much left on you that wasn't all scorched and shredded" Álverez gestured to a fresh set of clothes on the other side of the mattress. They looked similar to her old one's but less worn by the wilderness. There was even a new jacket, likely belonging to Álverez. "Those are for you".
Eve began to check herself over. Her body felt stronger and rested. She also felt more alert. Twelve hours, that had been the most undisturbed sleep she had had in months, without being visited by … It.
"Hay, listen, the shower at the end of the hall works, why don't you get cleaned up and I'll get you something to eat, you must be hungry?"
Eve met her eyes and nodded.
"When you're ready, come down and I'll catch you up on everything". With that, Álverez got to her feet and made her way to the door. Pausing as she opened it "It's good to see you again".
It was really beginning to well up within her, Eve's eyes and throat were becoming sore with the effort of keeping her expression steady and offered another small not and a half smile.
Álverez finally closed the door. As her footsteps moved further away down a wooden hallway, that which had been gradually building up in Eve's core since she awoke, finally erupted.
Eve had held it in for as long as she could, it came up in a wave. A long exhalation that brought forth a stream of hot tears. Her eyes stung and she tasted the salt in the corners of her mouth as she sobbed into her hands.
I just want all this to end.
Dan was able to perceive things that others couldn't. After Álverez left the room, he had felt Eve let out a wave of anguish that, to him, was almost palpable unto his own emotions. So much so, that he had welled up himself, and had needed to go outside and get some air. It was mid-morning now. Dry but cold.
He wanted to say something, or go and meet himself and try to offer any comfort he could. But he knew that would only make things worse, first of all, she didn't know him, second, he had gotten enough of a sense of Eve, to know that she hated others seeing her like that. No, he would wait, Eve would eventually appear and then they could, hopefully, help.
Dan could sense, not just the emotional or mental states of others, but on occasion, he could pick up visions. If he was able to find a deep enough well of emotion, he could link that to a person or thing over a vast distance. His abilities had grown since Sil. Part of him wondered if the fact that she had died while holding onto him had somehow triggered his abilities to grow stronger. With Eve in such close proximity, he was able to sense her emotional state much better.
Álverez made her way down the stairs and crossed the hollowed out living space. Several walls of the old farmhouse had been knocked out separating the kitchen, living room and dining room creating one large common area. She made her way over to the kitchen area and began preparing some food.
Dan stepped back inside, closing the old wooden doors behind him.
"You ok?" he asked?
"You're the empath?" she replied with a slight chuckle.
"That's why I'm asking" he said. "Sometimes it's better to hear it".
After a pause, Álverez looked up and shook her head. "Nobody deserves what they've done to her" she said finally.
"You're wondering if you can convince her to join us all, or if you should?" Dan asked. He knew that Eve and Álverez hadn't known each other for long in Mexico, but a bond had formed nonetheless. Eve had trusted her enough to impart all Forbes McGuire's most sensitive files and research to Álverez. An act that had changed all their lives.
Though Álverez had never admitted it, Dan suspected that she had likely sheltered Eve for a time after the attack in Mexico. Apart from Laura, Álverez was likely the only other person on the planet Eve could call a friend.
"Well, it's all strange, I thought I'd find Laura, give that stuff to her and go back home… didn't turn out that way. Now we're up against all this. To put Eve in the middle of all that, doesn't feel right".
"In the end, all you can do is tell her everything that's been happening and let her make her own decision" Dan said.
Álverez thought for a moment then added "The real question is what this is like for you, after your experience with… you know.. the other one?"
Dan tilted his head back, looking up through the old house, focusing in on the being on the third floor. She appeared to be gathering herself now. Eve appeared to maintain a strong grip on her emotions, she knew when to release that valve, and when to close it.
His eyes again met Álverez "What happened with Sil changed all of us". He said, and moved over to help her at the table. It had been a long night and they were all hungry. Moreover, they would likely not be able to fly out till the following day, as per the fixer that Press had arranged to provide safe passage.
All of this moving around under the radar was relatively new to Dan. Burgess had yet to discover he was helping them, but he knew his time was short. Press was the overall expert with Álverez a close second, Dan and Laura did not come from that world and took their cue's from them. As for Eve, she appeared to have perfected staying off the radar by simply keeping her interactions with other people to a bare minimum, which was working until the social media campaign. Part of him wondered if she did choose to join them, how would she even handle being part of a group.
The Safe House turned out to be an old farmhouse, stone built, probably turn of the century or older, very remote. A large area comprising the house itself and a number of outbuildings which had seen various uses over the decades before finally being abandoned. Since then, it had played host to mercenaries and operators travelling through the region on their various ventures.
It had been a long drive to this safe house. When Álverez initially dragged Eve to the truck, he had feared she was seriously injured, but by all appearances, her wounds had fully regenerated on the spot, save for some residual dirt and blackening where her clothes had been scorched.
They had arrived at the safe house close to 2am. Álverez had gone ahead and swept the property, leaving Dan in the truck with an unconscious Eve. When Álverez had emerged and motioned for Dan to carry Eve inside and up to one of the bedrooms while she held doors, he had been forced to hide his uneasiness at the prospect of having to physically pick her up.
Having almost been killed by Sil, and knowing that Eve had become considerably more powerful, he didn't relish the slightest possibility that Eve might suddenly wake up while in his arms. Knowing her emotional state at the time she passed out, he couldn't help but imagine her shock at waking up being carried by a stranger, followed by a violent reactionary response.
Thankfully that didn't happen and he managed to get her to a mattress in the far, upstairs bedroom and left her with Álverez who made her comfortable.
The subsequent phone call to Laura had been an interesting one to say the least, he had been able to hear the relief in her voice. Álverez had been worried that Eve had passed out and been unresponsive, but Laura had put her mind at ease. After some experiments, Eve would simply shrug off the effects of whatever agent they had employed… Other times, she would be unconscious for a period while her body acclimated to a new ability or immune response, one could even think of it as an upgrade.
Despite his trepidation at having to physically carry her, it had afforded his abilities the opportunity to draw upon her emotional state.
Since the incident with Sil, Dan had trained in psychology and gone into the recovery field, using his unique abilities to understand and help others in a wide variety of personal issues. Dan had worked with Veterans, abuse victims, recovering addicts and many more. He could never promise to help everyone, just give them the tools they needed. His abilities were instrumental in providing him a picture of each person's unique issues, even things that went unsaid.
Eve had absorbed and internalized about as much trauma as some of his worst cases. So much so, that she had imposed a form of exile upon herself, dwelling in the remote and untraveled places where people tended not to venture.
Dan had dealt with enough cases of deep, complex post traumatic stress to know that Eve was suffering. But he had also found a spark there, a deep well of strength, resolve and sheer will, though much of it was untapped. Having had time to reflect on it while she slept, Dan suspected Eve was either unaware or afraid of her own power. She possessed a will that Dan had rarely seen, and that gave him hope for her.
The hot spring was one thing, but Eve had all but forgotten what a hot shower felt like. She was used to cleaning herself in rivers, creeks and lakes. Usually in the small hours of the night with products stolen from homes. She always picked places where seeing another person was rare, off the beaten track. but one couldn't account for the occasional lost hiker. That old camper near the spring was the longest she had stayed in one place since the Lab, but she had remained ready to cut and run at a moment's notice.
Even after fully cleansing herself, she stood letting the water fall on her face, savoring every moment until the water pressure finally dropped. She had switched off the shower before the water turned cold to preserve the feeling.
She found herself staring at her reflection in the mirror for the longest time, lost in thought. Last night, she had done something she had never done before... taken a human life. She had never wished harm on anyone, never really hated anyone. There had been the colonel, the one eye's man, HE had directed Laura to do all those experiments and she had tried her best to make it as quick, or as humane as possible, to soften the blow. Without her, he'd have done it anyway, and his way would have been especially more brutal. Still, Eve regarded him with no particular ill will, he was one of the more ignorant humans and just an obstacle to her continued freedom, a thing to be overcome.
She had done nothing to those men, and yet they had tried to kill her, she had been unable to run as she would normally have, and been forced to fight, THAT was the consequence. She wondered what their names were, did they have loved ones, who likely would never know what happened to them… did they even know why they were supposed to kill her?
Are you S1L-2.0? Are you Evelyn Greene? Are you E.V.E. the "Extraterrestrial Vulnerability Experiment" ... Are you….Regent? Is that a name? A Title? If so, of what?
If I'm all these things, why do I feel like none of them? Is it even worth knowing who... what I really am? At this point, that knowledge is trivial, it won't change a thing?
As for that thing. That thing in my dreams. If that is what I think it is. The thing that sent out the message…. I want no part of its schemes either.
A mother… that's what I was. For just a moment….. that's what I was….
Eve felt it well up again, but this time she wasn't going to let it overtake her. She leaned her head against the mirror and closed her eyes. Balling up her fists and breathing deeply. A new level of strength was there now. A new power. She felt it stir within. A new warmth and faint glow coursed through her, starting in her chest and moving outwards to her extremities. Like when one held a flashlight against the skin.
Eve watched the glow fade away into the palms of her hands and remembered overhearing Laura explaining her abilities to someone behind mirrored glass. "Like I keep trying to tell you, the alien biology is highly adaptable, it is capable of creating immune responses, countermeasures if you will, to any threat that it encounters".
This must be her body's way of adapting to attacks from energy weapons like the ones that had almost killed her. Now she could absorb that energy. That attack was a new level of pain she never wanted to experience again. There had been a moment when she was sure she was going to die. She had been lucky, this time. Had Álverez not shown up when she did, drawing away their attention… Álverez another face Eve never expected to see again… Why here, why now?
Gathering her thoughts, Eve looked down at the folded clothes Álverez had left for her. For the most part they were similar to her old one's but less worn by months in the wilderness. New boots, tactical cargo's replaced her shredded denims and a new shirt and dark grey hoodie.
The new leather jacket was the biggest surprise. It had belonged to Álverez, but she had left it for Eve. Eve remembered briefly seeing Álverez wearing it during the attack. The back of the jacket was embroidered with the image of a red snake coiled through a multitude of brightly colored flowers. Álverez had apparently taken some rounds last night. There were five bullet holes in the jacket, three in the front and two in the back, though they weren't noticeable unless one was really looking. She must've been wearing body Armour beneath it.
Eve considered leaving it, or returning it. Too loud, too memorable. She had not survived by being either. She was aware that she was attractive to humans. She would take care of her appearance in the lab, but out here, knowing any encounter could bring her hunters down on her, she started covering herself with her hood. To be unnoticed, to be forgettable.
Then again, her face was known now, and she had lost everything, her pack, all her food, supplies, what little money she had left, what hadn't been scorched by those energy weapons had been shredded by her transformation. No, if it was a gift, she would accept it.
She pulled on the new clothes, now feeling fresher than she had in weeks, and made her way through the house. There were a strange mix of scents. Like the house had seen many different uses. Chemicals of varying kinds, gun oil, alcohol and spirits, even marijuana. There was also something else…. Blood.
At the far end of the landing she found a small window. Pulling the drape, she was able to peer outside. It was a cold morning. The exterior of the house appeared to be a farm, or at least it had been, once. It was clear from the height that she must be on the third floor of an old farmhouse. It didn't look to have been a functional farm in years.
Farms were good places to find food, whether it was livestock, eggs, freshly harvested foodstuff depending on the time of year. Eve had raided enough of them to know. Likely leaving a few farm workers scratching their heads.
Beyond the field, which had grown wild, lay what looked like a thick tree line.
Good! I can lose myself in those woods and find my direction from there when night comes. For now, I'll talk to Consuela and her friend, and hear their story.
Eve wasn't used to extended conversation. She especially wasn't used to being around anyone who knew her, who knew what she was. Eve decided there was only one question she would ask, everything after that, she'd just listen. Taking a deep breath and preparing herself, she made her way down the stairs.
The ground floor looked more open, like it had been converted to be that way. Álverez was sitting at the table, field stripping and cleaning her weapon. There was a larger man with her that Eve didn't know.
Álverez looked up first "Hay, come sit, I found us some food".
The Man looked up now, however, when he looked at her, she felt a strange sensation, almost like the gaze, but gentler, more human. The man radiated an almost innate kindness.
Eve cautiously crossed the room as Álverez packed her things away and cleared the table.
"How are you feeling now? Are you ok?" Álverez added.
"I'm… I'm ok… thanks for this" Eve finally said, gesturing to her new clothes and managing a brief smile "And thanks for last night.. If you hadn't shown up I..". "Don't mention it" Álverez cut in "You would have done the same for me".
Eve hadn't spent long with Álverez, but she remembered that warm smile and disposition to match, one shouldn't be fooled by it. For a human, Álverez was as tough as they came. She had held her own against Forbes' rejects and now taken on heavily armed soldiers. Yet in spite of this, she was kind and generous, always greeted you with a smile and seemed genuinely pleased to see you. "Glad they fit, my old jacket suits you" said Álverez "Sorry about the bullet holes".
Eve smirked and shrugged. It was then she realized the Man had yet to speak. Álverez appeared to notice it at the same time.
"Hay Dan, you alright over there, you look like you've seen a ghost" said Álverez.
The man blinked, breaking himself away from whatever thoughts mired him "Yeah, sorry, it's almost like I have…I'm Dan.. Dan Smithson…. Laura told me a lot about you". He shifted nervously and looked unsure whether he should extend a hand to greet her.
Eve tilted her head, this man was a curious one, he had an innocence about him, an inherent kindness, but something else. Something she couldn't quite identify.
"Dan is an Empath" said Álverez, "He helped me find you. I don't really know how it works, but here you are. Looks like we got to you just in time" Álverez said and then added "Again, sorry it wasn't sooner".
An Empath Eve remembered Laura telling her about what happened with Sil, she remembered that word, Empath, and how such a person with some strange extrasensory power had helped them find her, this had to be him, who else? Turning back to Dan she felt it prudent to ask "Empath?…Like the one that helped track down Sil?"
Dan looked surprised "Yeah, I was there, I didn't know she told you about that". "She told me enough" Eve said softly. A slight awkward pause followed, Álverez didn't know much about Sil, other than that Eve was a genetic recreation and looked identical, whatever the case, Álverez sensed that Sil was a touchy subject for them both. "Eve, you must be hungry, let me get you something and we can talk".
Álverez made her way past Eve to grab some food. Eve moved around the table and cautiously sat at the side facing the back wall, unwilling to turn her back on the wider room.
Álverez returned with plastic plates of basic snacks, but enough to satiate her hunger. "Sorry, this place is used by Press's Merc friends, I think they prioritize beer over food, they leave only the basic stuff.
"Now that you're actually here I don't even know where to begin" Álverez said "Since you left Mexico, so much has happened".
"You found Laura?" Eve asked. "I did" Álverez smiled. "When you talked to her, did she mention my Baby, did anyone find her?". A question that caused Álverez and Dan to look at one another awkwardly.
Álverez reached her arm across the table and took hold of Eve's wrist. At this, Eve took an uneasy breath and her eyes became red. Instinctively steeling herself for the worst. "Eve, when I met Laura for the first time, I told her what you had told me, about what happened that night in the ambulance, she knew nothing about it, they never told her. She did some digging, but she found out that they never found her either. That was a big part of why she decided to expose the whole thing… but it all went wrong from there".
"So they never found her?" That news lifted Eve. There was still a sliver of hope she was out there somewhere.
Álverez shook her head. "We'll help you" Dan said "If that's what you want, if she's out there, we'll help you find her". At this, both Álverez and Eve turned and regarded Dan.
Another awkward silence followed. "Wait..." Eve slowly pulled back, retracting her arm and sitting back. She looked at them both. Now feeling a modicum of suspicion. "Why does everyone suddenly want to help me? In my experience, if something is too good to be true, it's usually a trap. Either that, or you want something from me? So which is it?"
"I'm sorry, Eve" Álverez said.
"Laura was good at saying that, usually after an experiment…so what's this really about?"
Álverez let out a sigh and nodded "Like I said, there's a lot to unpack here".
Álverez and Dan looked at each other again. It was Dan that spoke first. "It's not just Burgess, or even the government who are after you. There's someone else out there, someone worse. We don't know what she had planned for you but we know it's nothing good".
Eve sat back and listened.
"Forbes McGuire was just the beginning" Álverez said "His lab was just one of a Network. They're all over the world…. and the one that runs the whole thing, she tried to get Laura to join her, she wanted to recreate you, then replicate that process that enhanced you, something about fulfilling a greater purpose. After Laura tried to expose the project, we all had to go on the run. Laura, Press, me, and you, we're all in the same situation now".
Eve let out a deep, exasperated breath and shook her head. This was all a lot to take in, but it didn't amount to much, someone else wanted to catch her, it came as no real surprise. "Who is this person? What greater purpose?"
"Her name is Arianna Fitch" Dan said "She's gifted like me, but she's obsessed with building the technologies of the alien signal".
"Fitch, I know that name" Eve said "He created Sil".
Dan nodded "She's his daughter. He used her DNA in the first project".
Eve thought about it and grunted "Rabbit Hole".
"And you were off the grid a long time" Álverez said "Nobody even knew if you were alive, so they created this "Evelyn Greene" and put out wanted posters online to flush you out, it was two whole weeks before anyone commented saying they actually saw you. Laura, Press and I couldn't let them get their hands on you, so we called Dan here, because if anyone could help find you first, it was him".
"We all made a decision, we're not going to let them get to you. Like I said, we're all in this together, whether we like it or not. You're one of us" Álverez said with that warm smile, but it was brief, there was sadness in the way she said it.
Eve leaned forward, feeling the weight of what had been laid on her and set herself to speak.
"Hearing that yet another person wants to capture me for… probably something that will kill me? That's just Tuesday for me… There are some good people, I've seen them. So I know that not every huma… not everyone in the world is after me, I know that not everyone wishes me harm" Eve said softly "But, assuming that they would… that's how I've survived"
"That's no way to live, Eve" Dan said, Eve saw genuine sadness in his eyes.
"I wish it weren't true Dan" Eve said, more firmly now. "But I was the Vulnerability Experiment, as I'm sure Laura told you. I was bor… no I was created, so they could find a way to kill the alien threat. My fate was sealed before I took my first breath"
Dan began "Eve, it's diff..."
"Do you know why Laura told me about Sil, Dan?" Eve cut him off "So that I would know why... had that whole thing with Patrick never happened, sooner or later, one of their experiments would have worked... one of their shots would have found it's mark... and then, when I lay dying on that cold metal floor, most likely in agony, surrounded by uncaring faces... I might have some semblance that I fulfilled my purpose".
There was a long pause.
"Laura did everything she could to make it bearable and I.. I understand that. I could see how difficult it was for her every day. She knew they'd have done it with or without her, so did I. But sooner or later, it would have come to that. Humans will always choose their own over another... and I am that other".
"It doesn't have to be that way anymore, Eve. You can come with us and be safe". Álverez said softly, Eve looked into her eyes and could see a shine, a slight reddening, she was upset.
Eve stood up, still feeling the weight of it all "I… I need to think".
Eve left the table and went outside for some air. Dan was kind, within minutes she was already feeling regret over what she had just launched into. It was the most she'd said in years. Perhaps it had been building up and needed to be said.
The rest of the day had passed quite normally, or as normally as things could be in a safe house in the middle of nowhere with a Psychic Empath and a woman who was part alien.
Eve wasn't used to people, that much was clear. She spent much of the day wandering the land around the farm, lost in thought, then she would approach one of them and exchange a brief conversation, usually getting small details. She appeared to be building a picture of her immediate future, weighing up her options of leaving with them and joining their effort to stop the Network, and going it alone.
Álverez couldn't really gauge which way she was leaning and neither could Dan. After a certain point, he had said she became unreadable, almost like she had found a way to block whatever connection he had with her. She must've decided she wanted to keep her thoughts and feelings on this matter to herself.
Álverez couldn't help but feel for her, for someone to go through so much, to the point they hide away from the whole world, she had known criminals who lived like that, but Eve appeared to have never wished harm upon anyone.
What must it be like to know from early on, that you're probably going to die in an experiment because of the mistakes of a previous experiment?
Álverez had taken a walk with her in the mid afternoon when Eve had said she hadn't killed a human being until last night.
Despite Álverez trying to reassure her that those men wouldn't have hesitated to kill her, or indeed any of them, Eve was clearly deeply troubled by it. The whole thing had actually led Álverez to question the overall nature of these creatures. Eve was likely the most powerful member of this species, and if she was anything to go by, they weren't inherently hostile, but there was always the chance she was the exception, not the rule.
Probably due to the fact of the circumstances under which they met, and that Álverez had indeed sheltered Eve for a time after the attack, they had formed a bond and were able to bounce off one another.
Eve's only other human connection was Laura, Álverez had yet to see that dynamic play out. But for her part, she had seen Eve come out of her shell, she possessed a sense of humour and deep warmth.
Eve had also confided something to her. Something that Dan had also picked up on.
She'd been having dreams, or "Episodes" as she called them. Then she had been enhanced so that she could assist in tracking Patrick Ross, she had formed a mental, or telepathic connection with the creature that dwelt within the man.
She described the dreams as more than dreams, but "connections". They had felt similar to the connection between herself and Patrick. Only it was something stronger, further… older and although Eve couldn't really put it into words, she was able to paint enough of a picture of this "Presence" as she called it for Álverez to know it was malevolent… evil.
Eve had described how it had messed with her head both before and during the attack the previous night. Whatever it was, it had turned its gaze onto her and she couldn't fathom its overall intentions.
Álverez for her part, didn't want to see Eve go, and used their time alone to impart as much as she could to make Eve feel at ease with coming with them. Telling her stories of their time on the run together, the places they'd been. Laura had been wounded during the gunfight at the capitol. Something to which Eve showed real concern.
Through their investigation into this network of underground labs, Laura and Press had discovered they were conducting research into the original alien signal and the DNA code it had contained. The signal, as it turned out, contained much more than its initial clean fuel catalyst and the alien genetic sequence code. It had in fact contained hundreds of components, but Laura was more versed in that subject.
The network was attempting to unlock its secrets, creating new and deadly technologies, weapons and also playing with the alien genetic code to make different iterations of her kind.
For the past three years, Laura, Press, Álverez, Dan and a few others they had gathered along the way, had taken it upon themselves to hunt down the network while Dennis Gamble, the last surviving member of the Exclusion mission to Mars had successfully campaigned for a senate seat, from there he could provide some assistance to their activities and also investigate the Network's powerful backers.
It was a slow process, hunting down one lab at a time in an attempt to shut down and expose their activities before another major incident occurred.
Eve had taken this all on board.
Dan had called Álverez in the early evening, she had left her phone in the house and Press had called. Eve remained outside while Álverez took the call, though she was aware that Eve possessed incredibly keen hearing and could likely hear the conversation.
Press had asked about Eve, and whether she would be joining them to which Álverez had replied that she hadn't said one way or the other. Eve clearly was still undecided. Press had arranged one of his contacts with a transport plane to fly them back in the morning and lay low at Dennis Gamble's private lodge in Minnesota.
Álverez had stayed there briefly before. A large property with several acres and a number of converted outbuildings for guests and was practically the Ritz compared to some places she'd stayed. She had to ask however "If Eve does come with us, is Senator Gamble Ok that he's gonna have her staying at his place?". "I had a chat with him, he's all cued up. Let us know either way".
Álverez finished the call, grabbed a couple of hot decafs and made her way back outside. It was evening and the light had faded. She found Eve sitting on a fallen log by the edge of the field. She was staring out towards the tree line.
When she got close, Eve glanced in her direction. Álverez had spent the whole day with her, getting to know her again. It was easy to forget that one wasn't talking to another human being, but something else.
There were, however, small reminders, the moment Eve turned to face her, her eyes caught a small light source near the building and reflected a bright green in the dark like those of an arctic wolf. It was at once unnerving and bewitching to see and caused her to pause for a moment to admire it.
"What?" she said.
"Nothing.. here" handing her one of the hot drinks and pulling up alongside her.
"Just got word, we're flying out tomorrow. Gamble's place in Minnesota. It's safe there. Nobody looks for fugitives at a senator's lodge. It's a big place, miles from the nearest town".
Eve nodded.
"Look, forget the rest of them for a minute. I want you to come. I'll feel better knowing you're not curled up in the hollow of a tree in the freezing cold somewhere".
"Gamble was in Laura's Lab... He's...Patrick's friend" Eve's voice was so low putting that last part into words, Álverez barely caught it.
It was time to lay her last cards on the table. Things had changed for Eve, and she knew it, but she was looking for any excuse she could to just take off, Eve preferred flight to fight, and after recent events, she was naturally on the defensive. Though she was putting on a front Álverez could tell she'd been shaken by the events of the previous day.
Álverez feared that path would lead her to a bad end, and although she couldn't guarantee it wouldn't all go bad for them some day, at least she wouldn't have to face it alone. Eve just struck her as someone who deserved better.
"You wanna take off again don't you?" she said, looking at the tree line.
Eve turned to face her, giving a slight shrug, she looked like someone at a crossroads with no idea where to turn. Álverez balanced her coffee on the log and then put her hand on Eve's shoulder. "Look, I have to tell you this, I don't think there's anything for you that way" gesturing to the tree line. "They've put your face out there everywhere, how long before someone recognizes "Evelyn Greene" again?"
Eve's eyes dropped, she had clearly been thinking about that. "You said you were heading to try and cross the sea, that might have been easier before you were the latest viral sensation".
"I'm…a what?" Eve looked confused.
"Sorry, yeah, I forgot you don't have the internet" Álverez said, pulling out her phone "You wanna see how much it's been blowing up?"
"No, I know what it means, I…." The penny dropped, Eve frowned and then grimaced, letting out an annoyed groan "Those people filming in the park? So now that's everywhere too?"
"Yeah, throwing guys twice your size like ragdolls tends to grab people's attention. Not to mention taking a cop's taser right to the face without flinching. Look, nobody knows who Eve is, but Evelyn Greene, she's famous, everyone wants to know what she's about… don't worry, and by the way, those pendejos you tuned up, bruised egos and broken bones, but they'll live.
Àlverez let that hang in the air for a moment, then leaned over. Nudging Eve Gently with a smile.
"Besides, from what i saw, they had it coming. It was pretty badass"
That drew a slight smile from Eve and she appeared to relax a little. Álverez continued, all joking aside, being as sincere as she could.
"Listen, if you choose to go it alone, I'll understand. But sooner or later, what happened last night will happen again, and I won't be there to help. If you come with us, we might be all fugitives, but at least you'll have someone watching your back, and if we're really lucky, we might find a way to end all this".
With that, Eve took a long, deep breath. After a long pause, she turned and locked eyes with Álverez. "Consuela, if I come with you, will you help me find my daughter?"
"You know I will" she said, gripping her shoulder tighter.
Eve seemed to study her face for a moment before she reached up to her shoulder and took hold of her hand, those eyes were still reflecting in that enchanting green, but they had become teary.
Eve finally nodded "Ok".
"Muy Buena" Álverez beamed and squeezed her hand. "Hay, and listen, when we get there, if it doesn't work out, I will personally take you wherever you want to go".
Eve was in no mood to sleep, the evening had come to a natural conclusion after she had finally agreed to go with Dan and Álverez. Tomorrow would be a long drive to a private secluded airstrip, and from there, they would fly to Gamble's lodge.
Eve didn't know what the future held, but she trusted Consuela. She had already proven willing to go out on a limb for Eve. Both Consuela and Dan had found themselves a room and gone to sleep. Maybe she would later, but she couldn't help being curious. This "Evelyn Greene" and the response to the previous day's incident online.
Álverez carried a second phone which she had left out for Eve so she could look at these responses, the only thing she asked was that she not make any replies. The military were monitoring these feeds, she could look, but if she responded, it may flag on their system.
She spent the better part of two hours sitting alone at the table downstairs, just scrolling through the different responses. This was the most time Eve had ever used a phone, but she picked it up fast.
Watching the incident after the fact brought back all the emotions of that day, so she tapped the screen to stop the play, and scrolled to the responses.
Álverez wasn't exaggerating, the view count was in the millions and counting, Each iteration of the video from several angles had at least a thousand comments.
Eve had watched plenty of people from a distance wandering remote trails, sometimes even at night, and it wasn't uncommon to see them talking into their phones or filming. She never could understand what kind of gratification came from the activity.
Were they chasing a view count? Chasing comments? As Eve scrolled, she encountered a wide range of opinions on the fight, on the men that attacked her, on the police officer and also regarding her… even her looks. Initially, the whole thing made her feel so uncomfortable that she had put the phone down, but ultimately, that curiosity won out.
They don't know me, they know this "Evelyn Greene" the wanted fugitive…
Some of the comments made references to superheroes and movie characters, most of which she was not familiar with. In her early times in the Lab, with no knowledge of the outside world, there was a time she believed superheroes were a fact of life. She enjoyed those movies.
Eve continued to scroll the comments, some were strange, though she understood she may lack knowledge of their references. Yet some made her laugh. They provided a broad spectrum of human attitudes. It became clear rather quickly that the vast majority of people were on the side of "Evelyn Greene" despite her being this escaped convict and alleged murderer. If they knew the truth, what I really was… would they feel the same way?
- Of course! A 50-kilo woman throwing 80-kilo boys like basketballs. Nooo, no fake news there.
I wonder, if I had changed, would they still think it was fake?
- Look at the incompetence of our police, attacking the girl who was the victim of bullies!
Sometimes humans react before they know the full picture. It's their nature.
- What the hell does this girl eat? Throwing men around like they were dolls. Me, I need her diet by yesterday!
Whatever I can hunt, forage or steal, the only reason I went through that park was because I smelled a burger stand. Wish I'd stayed away.
- I need such a fitness trainer! Can I have her business card!
Eve smiled, this person wanted her to train them. She once had a solid workout routine in the lab, but it was all counterweight, with no components that could potentially be used as a weapon. If she was ever able to go to a real gym… perhaps.
- Wow, that's a woman! I love girls who can kick my ass!
She couldn't help but laugh at that.
- Since when is the super powers a rabies virus?
Eve frowned, puzzled, she wasn't sure what this individual was referencing, she knew what rabies was, having read about it, but couldn't figure out what it had to do with her, or her strength. She had never eaten a rabid animal, her senses always picked up on prey that were unhealthy.
- The Baba Yaga! Give her a coin for each of those guys, and two for that dumb cop!
Eve didn't know what to make of this response, she would use the phone's search engine later to find out perhaps.
- I mean, am I crazy or did I hear the girl growl like a cornered dog? I played that part back like 10 times, that weird growl definitely came from her!
- HA! Speak for yourself friend, wouldn't mind her growling at me like that in my bed, I mean look at her police photo!
If she one day found herself having to break into this person's house to get food and disturbed them in their bed… she may make a point to utter the sound of her other form… She laughed, but ultimately resolved to keep it under tighter control. It was not master of her, she was the master of it.
- Did you see how she tried repeatedly to de-escalate that situation, f*k around and find out!
As Eve scrolled past this, she felt glad that people understood that she had no intention to harm another. She had only responded to defend herself.
- She would own if they put her in the octagon!
Well, thanks, but I've had my fill of cages. She thought.
- Her entire body language before the fight, she was trying to de-escalate before it got ugly. You can tell she didn't want that to happen. You can actually see the moment she gives up. First she said she didn't want trouble, then she gave them a mild warning… they didn't listen.
This person had clearly paid attention. Pity others wouldn't. I'd never go out of my way to hurt someone. All I wanted was to be left alone. Those guys had no idea they were doing the work of a man sitting in a control room somewhere hundreds of miles away.
- 50,000 volts right to the face, she's like "And what?" lolol You go girl!
- Yeah, I was gonna say, either that taser wasn't working or she's made of Iron!
Everything that doesn't affect me now, once did. There was a painful price for every strength. She thought.
- On the off chance this isn't fake, I have no idea how she, or anyone could do that. Adrenaline could account for some extra strength, but the way she launched that guy twice her size…. There's definitely more going on here than meets the eye. Should've brought the kryptonite, lads!
This person had no idea how close to the truth they were. Even the Superman reference, he came from another world too. She used to enjoy those movies in the lab.
- I wonder if she really is an escaped convict or a super soldier who went rogue?
Close.. very close, the project was under the military, and an argument could be made that she had been drafted into the search for Patrick, or would have been had she not offered her cooperation, for her own purposes at the time. There were several comments like this, all of which were either jokes or conspiracy theories… all of them were incredibly close to the truth.
- SWEET! She's a certified badass! Keep it real girl, wherever you are, you stay safe. I'm gonna get a tattoo of your wanted poster! #egparkherogirl
Eve let out a loud chuckle "What? A Tattoo of me?". Eve would be on the lookout for this person with the tattoo.
- For every woman, or anyone who's ever been harassed and bullied like this, she's the absolute G.O.A.T. I hope they never catch her!
This comment had a lot of likes and positive responses. Eve had to refer to the phone's search engine to find out the meaning of that phrase, it at once made her happy to have made all those people happy, and upset that they had all gone through similar things.
- Exactly! I was once jumped and beat by a bunch of guys like that at a party, and just like here, everyone stood around with their f*king phones. I don't care what she allegedly did in her past, or the fact that she could probably snap me in half without breaking a sweat.. if she ever needed a place to stay, my door's open!
Eve found herself staring at this comment and its replies for a long time. This meant more to her than the commenters would ever know, the fact that there were people who had seen a glimpse of her power and weren't afraid.
It's not what I did, I did nothing apart from escape, that part is true. It's just what I am. But… if you knew what I really am, would your doors still be open?
Nevertheless, this comment also had hundreds of responses and even replies of agreement with people telling similar stories, some of whom saying "I wish she'd been there when this happened to me". Eve couldn't help but think of the colonel and his men monitoring these responses, the colonel would likely be very angry about this.
His attempt to use these platforms to flush her out was showing the first signs of a major backfire. Of all the comments, this tested her willpower the most, she wanted so badly to type in a reply, just a simple "Thank you" but it was all being monitored and would likely be traced. In the lab, she had wanted so much to meet people and make friends, now there were hundreds of people actually supporting her despite not having any idea who or what she really was, she had never known such a feeling.
Eve must have scrolled through hundreds of comments and replies, eventually she took the phone and made her way back to the room upstairs. She sat back on the mattress and scrolled through a few more until she eventually felt drowsy again.
She had a long trip tomorrow at the end of which she would reunite with Laura. She was still very unsure how she felt about this, but if what Álverez said was true, there was a chance, albeit a slim one, that she may be safer with the rest of them, at least until the pressure from this "Evelyn Greene" campaign lost it's public interest, then, she may be able to slip away again.
She hoped, as she drifted off, not to be disturbed again by.. Whatever it was that had been haunting her. She had a few years of relative peace, living alone in the forests and hills, now it seemed everyone had a different name for her.
I've had Posting issues with this chapter, things coming out not the way they should look. If anything looks wrong, let me know and I'll sort it.