Project Aquarius (The Sensitives Series Book 1) (27 page)

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

Sara

Her new office was set up in the sports equipment storage room. They had given her a desk and a computer with a printer. Other than basic office supplies there wasn’t much else to work with. Essentially, it was a glorified closet.

    Sara’s new post in Survivor Inventory and Processing did not require her highly specialized research skills. She was to be a data-collector and a greeter of sorts. Dr. Shin said he had chosen her because of her people skills. Sara wasn’t sure she had used her people skills in years, but it was true that she was more personable than the average scientist. She sat at her sad cramped desk and opened her inter-agency email to find interview instructions from Dr. Shin. The directions made the whole inventory process seem awfully Gestapo, but Sara didn’t have a choice. She had to follow orders to keep herself safe.

    She checked her ponytail in the reflection of the lockers and peeked out the tiny glass window in the door. There were more people lined up than she had anticipated. Sara opened the door and waved the first survivor in.

An adult woman entered and sat down abruptly. It shocked Sara that they looked to be about the same age. Based on her orders, Sara had assumed that she’d be interviewing children. The woman’s body posture was tight and guarded and her hands and face were in desperate need of washing. She had some visible bruising on her wrists. Sara could tell this woman had been through something awful on the outside. She needed to be careful.

Sara began, “Hi, I’m Dr. Owens, I’ll be taking your information today.”

The woman pursed her lips and shifted in her seat. “What kind of information?”

Sara took a deep breath. Dr. Shin’s directions had been clear, ask the questions, don’t answer them. “Your name and date of birth, please.”

“Laura Harding. September 23,” the woman answered.

“What year?”

“Why do you need to know that information?” she said defensively.

“We’re trying to collect a survivor census.” Sara smiled. As far as she knew that was the truth, though she suspected more behind Dr. Shin’s request.

“I’m 33. You do the math.”

The woman was going to test her.

“Okay, great. Place of residence?” Sara continued, not missing a beat.

“You tell me. I don’t know where I am. They blindfolded me when they took me.”

Sara gasped involuntarily. Quickly, she tried to cover her reaction with a fake cough. They were blindfolding people? Taking them against their will?

Sara continued with the census questions, “I meant former place of residence. Where you lived before The Pulse?”

“Medford. I still don’t see how—”

“Good.” The woman was warming up to her. “And how did you survive The Pulse?”

“The Pulse? That’s what they’re calling it? A pulse of what? Deadly nerve toxin? Brain frying electrocution?” The woman’s voice was steeped in paranoia.

Sara tugged on her polo to compose herself and tried again, “How did you survive the Pulse?”

“I heard you the first time. What are you a robot? Do you work for them? The people behind it?”

Sara nodded almost imperceptibly. “Please just answer my questions. Your questions will be answered in time.”

She followed the script. She had to follow the script. No deviation or there would be consequences.

“You do know what you’re doing right?” The woman’s eyes were wild with vitriol. She wasn’t going to give up. “You’re one of them. A Nazi, following orders for the greater good. You’re just as guilty.”

Sara locked eyes with Laura Harding and made an instant and irrevocable decision to befriend the woman. They were both prisoners of the project in different ways. Sara bit her lip and slowly held her index finger up to her lips. She needed to shut Laura up before Dr. Shin found out about her dissent.

The state of the art intercom and walkie-talkie speaker system in the GenetiCorp building allowed for eavesdropping as well as outward communication. It was two-way. Slowly, Sara repeated the shhh sign once more and then pointed to the innocuous gray intercom on the wall. Laura nodded. Sara motioned to continue to the interview. Laura nodded again.

Sara continued, “Ma’am I just need you to answer the question. How did you survive?”

“After an intense searing pain knocked me to the floor, I crawled into a walk-in fridge. I think it saved my life.”

Instead of typing Laura’s answer in the computer right away, Sara quickly scribbled a note on a Post-It that read
We’ll talk later. Hang in there.
This was a real human connection she couldn’t afford to lose.

Quickly, Sara returned to the interview, “And are you aware of any other survivors?” She shook her head no to telegraph the answer to Laura.

“No.” Laura cleared her throat, indicating a lie.

“And any personal belongings to declare?”

“No. I wasn’t allowed to bring anything with me.”

Sara sighed in empathy.

“Okay… I’m going to need to get a height and weight, if you could step onto the scale right over here.”

They had found a vintage green scale that reminded Sara of trips to the school nurse’s office as a child.

Laura fought back, “Height and weight? Why is that any of your business?”

Sara couldn’t tell if she was acting for consistencies sake. If she was, it seemed very authentic.

“It’s part of the procedure. We’re getting one from everyone.”

“You ask a woman for her weight and you make an enemy.” Laura winked. She was playing along after all.

“Please step on the scale ma’am.” Sara recorded the results quickly. “Great, thank you for your cooperation. You may return to your bunk.”

Sara tapped the Post-It with her index finger one more time and Laura nodded. As the door swung open, Sara heard a swell of excitement outside her door. There were still dozens of people waiting in line.

“Next!” she called out to the queue.

A little girl, barely school age, walked in clutching a small infant to her chest. Sara’s stomach sank. Orphans? She hadn’t fully realized the implications of few adult survivors until now. The idea that thousands of children were left without parents made her nauseous. The data supported that Sensitive children were crucial to the next wave of human evolution, but The Pulse had been so strong, Sara wasn’t sure how many had made it.

Before her stood a little girl that exuded composure and maturity beyond her years. A Sensitive.

“Hi there, I’m Dr. Owens, and who are you?”

“I’m Riley Kowalski. I’m six years old,” the little girl said, anticipating the next question.

Riley briefly curtseyed and returned to her perfectly poised stance. She was absolutely radiant, glowing, brown hair with blonde highlights and an angelic face.

“Well, hello Riley, and who’s that you’re holding?”

“I found him at the daycare when I went to get my sister Mackenzie, she’s three. I don’t know his name. Mackenzie hasn’t talked since it happened. I call him Eli.”

Sara made a note on the surviving siblings. Very interesting.

“Okay, Riley and… Eli…I like it.”

“It means My God.” Riley’s eyes were big and all knowing, eager to make a connection.

Sara smiled back. “Does he have a last name?”

“I thought we could name him after this place, maybe? Eli Aquarius.”

Sara chuckled quietly. Egocentric Dr. Shin would certainly like that.

“That’s a beautiful name. And where did you and Eli Aquarius live before?”

“Newton, Massachusetts 02459.”

Her formality was adorable.

“And were there any other survivors in Newton, Massachusetts?”

“Oh, yes, we’re all here. There’s a bunch of older kids, my sister Mackenzie Kowalski, and Wyatt… I don’t know his last name. Sorry.”

“There are more of you?”

“Yup. They’re waiting outside. Mackenzie is going to come in with Kyle, since she hasn’t talked since the thing happened.”

“Great. Thank you Riley for all the wonderful information. What I really want to know is how you all survived?”

Sara was less nervous about deviating from the script for a six year old. She doubted Dr. Shin knew the first thing about talking to children.

“I survived because I talked to God,” Riley said simply.

Sara shivered in spite of the warm room.

“You talked to God? What do you mean? Like you prayed?”

“No, not like that. I talk to God all the time. And he tells me what to do.”

“So… What did God tell you to do? How did He help you survive?”

“Well, on the morning it happened I woke up and I didn’t feel good. I had a headache and a stomachache. God told me to stay in bed, so I did. But my Mom was mad that I didn’t get up for school. I told her I didn’t feel well, but she got madder and madder and told me I had to go to school anyway and that I was making her late for work. But I really needed to stay home. I felt it all the way down to my toes. God told me the only way to convince her. So I went into the bathroom and sat on the floor next to the toilet. I closed my eyes and imagined I was on the spinning ride at the carnival. I was spinning and spinning with my eyes closed. Then I opened them and threw up all over the bathroom floor. My Mom was mad that she had to clean it up, but then she knew I had to stay home. Just like God said. So Mom called Grandma to come babysit me. I went back to bed and Mom got Mackenzie ready for daycare. Mom told me to stay in bed and that Grandma would be there really really soon. She would have to leave me alone for only a few minutes so that she could get to work on time. Then Mom kissed me goodbye and left with Mackenzie. It was only a few minutes later when God told me to hide under the covers and imagine myself surrounded in His love. So I focused on being healthy and happy. I know He heard because I felt a wave wash over me. It pinched a little, but the more it stung the more I tried to relax. I knew nothing could hurt me because death doesn’t hurt.”

Sara was aghast. She had stopped typing a while ago.

“So, did you die?”

“No. That’s silly. I’m here with you right now,” Riley said.

Sara had to know more. This gifted little girl was the reason why Sara had gone into the noetic science field. Riley’s existence gave meaning to Sara’s work. “So… what did you mean that death doesn’t hurt?”

“Death is really nice actually. You get to see your family and everyone you love. Before I was Riley, I used to be a grown up lady. Then I died and came back.”

Sara felt a burst of exhilaration. She was discussing reincarnation with a six-year-old. This was proof of human evolution!

Riley continued, “God is letting me remember things from my other life, like how to be a Mom. So I can help Eli. I’m here to help other people, too. So are you. That’s why He spared you.”

“He did?”

“Oh yes, we’re all here for a reason, Dr. Owens. Even Eli Aquarius.”

Riley held the infant out to Sara, who took the boy awkwardly in her arms. He squirmed and let out a baby yelp. Sara jumped at the tiny sound. But the boy’s expression looked peaceful. He grasped at her hand with his tiny baby fingers and smiled.

“Now do you see why I named him Eli? You can just feel God’s love coming right out of him.”

“That’s amazing,” Sara said. She felt truly amazed.

“Not really. We all have different things that make us who we are. God says everyone here at Project Aquarius has a gift. Kyle has a perfect photographic memory and he can sense the energy in objects.”

“And who is Kyle?”

“He’s a nice older boy. You’ll meet him soon. He’ll be coming in next after me… Can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” Sara said. She didn’t have to adhere to protocol with a six-year-old.

“What’s your gift? What can you do?” Riley’s eyes widened with curiosity.

“I don’t know,” she lied. Though it wasn’t a total lie. She wasn’t sure what to call it. “What’s your gift Riley?”

“I have many gifts. I know many things. Like how to read auras. You’re a purplish color. You’re an Indigo. That’s how I know you’re here to help.”

Indigo. It was a word Sara had come across in her research. This little girl had just solved Sara’s two decade long search for a word that explained the totality of her paranormal experiences. Her Sensitivity had a name.

“Thank you for that.” Sara had to get back to business. “Can you step on the scale for me Riley?”

The girl tentatively stepped up and Sara recorded her weight. She felt renewed from spending time with Riley and Eli. Maybe there was hope after all she thought as she handed the serene infant back to his little protector.

“Thanks sweetie. You’re all set. Can you send in Kyle and Mackenzie for me?”

Riley curtseyed goodbye and held the door open for a teen that looked like an extreme version of the boy next door. He oozed youth and energy. The young man was tall and confident with a forgettable face. A navy polo stretched taught over his fit frame. It was obvious to Sara that the disaster hadn’t aged him like most.