Synthetic: Dark Beginning (3 page)

Chapter 3

Ruby dropped her robe to reveal a black, bias-cut dress that dripped with lace. It was several sizes too small in the girth but spilled down to a pair of velvet, six-inch heels. Despite her advanced age and weight, she took off at a surprising pace and if not for the rhythmic pounding of her shoes, Kora would have thought she was rolling on casters.  A series of torches ignited in a row illuminating a tunnel that looked more like a naturally formed lava tube than a manmade structure.

“You don’t have electricity out here?” asked Kora.

“I despise electric light. It hurts my eyes,” replied Ruby without slowing down.

They turned a bend and Kora was heartbroken to see the tube descended at an even steeper angle, sinking all her hopes for a bright sunny room. “Who built this place?”

“My eldest, Humphrey. Like you, he has an annoying obsession with windows and light. It’s been hard to keep him under control over the years.”

Kora glanced around at the thick black walls surrounding them. “Seems to me you’ve done good job.”

Ruby didn’t respond and Kora, still struggling with the idea that this old woman was her mother, fumbled around for something to say. “I had no idea you were alive and well in Malibu. I’ve often wondered if I had any family. Did you know I was at Mirafield?”

“Of course.”

They passed a long line of pictures on the wall and Kora, who soon felt winded, stopped to catch her breath while examining one. It was a glossy photo of a young Ruby (with the same hairstyle) standing next to a leather-clad vampire who pretended to sink his teeth into her white throat.

Once she noticed Kora wasn't behind her, Ruby stomped back with a scowl. “What is it now?” Her irritation melted into a lascivious grin. “Ah, you're gazing at Darius Windsor, a wicked, wicked man. I’ve had a lifelong weakness for vampires. For a while, actors satisfied my appetite, but it wasn’t long before I craved something more… authentic. One week from now, I’ll have two real vampires.”

Kora laughed, thinking it was a joke, until she noticed Ruby’s face remained stern. “Synthetic vampires are a bad idea.”

“You make fantasy creatures all the time. Ridiculous things like fairies. Randall showed me a minotaur you made a while back that was mildly interesting, but for the most part your creatures are nauseating.”

Kora's face heated up along with the words on her tongue. “At least those sorts of fantasy creatures are harmless. Vampires drink blood so there's no way to chip them and make them safe around humans. They're too dangerous and I refuse to make any.   Not even one.”

Ruby, who seemed unaccustomed to hearing any opinion but her own, raised her painted eyebrows.  “While you're here, you'll do whatever I tell you.” 

“No I won't,” said Kora. “Vampires shouldn't exist beyond the pages of books.”

“I don't know much about books, and I have one of the greatest libraries on the West Coast, but I do know movies, and when I see something on the silver screen that I want, I create it. Pure and simple. Whatever I crave, I make without consequences.”

“There are always consequences. As creators, we must be careful what we bring into the world.”

Ruby pressed a black tipped finger into Kora's chest. “Inside that half-assed shell, you really haven't changed a bit, have you?  Still sooooo shallow and responsible.  Remember, daughter, I taught you everything I know.  All of your riches and your fancy apartment—you'd have none of it without me.  Your scientific knowledge is a poor copy of mine.  Never forget that.”

“Ishma—” Kora thought twice about revealing her precious squid to this strange woman. “My assistant taught me a lot of what I know, not you.”

Ruby pushed open a door that was much wider than the others.  “I see you need proof. That hasn't changed.”  Hundreds of torches burst into flame, drenching the room in a light more appropriate for practicing witchcraft than science.  An iron tower thrust up from a stone base toward the vaulted ceiling like a muscular arm topped with fingerlike trestles that gripped a tarnished ball nearly twenty feet in diameter.  Around this sphere hung an intricate web of rods and metal coils attached to oblong rings.  The contraption resembled a primitive model of the solar system that looked ready to come alive with a few vigorous turns on some rusty crank.

“What’s that for?” Kora pointed at a thick metal slab at the base of the tower. Worn leather straps hung from each corner of the rectangle along with three wide pieces of metal that threaded down the center like belts.

“That’s where my creations lie after I've removed them from the tank. Their platform moves on a gyroscope to keep them at an optimum angle to absorb energy. I’ve stood here many times as the main coils shot a million volts up the line and spun that ball into a fiery explosion like a portal into hell.”

“This is really an amazing set.  Randall mentioned you used to have a reality show about freaks and mutants.”

Ruby’s rapturous face melted into a dangerous scowl. “This isn’t a set.”

Kora laughed. “You’re kidding, right?”

“This is my main laboratory where I completed most of my creatures.  You'll meet a few of them later.”

“There’s no way you could make anything in here. These machines are junk. Movie props.” Kora knew she’d gone too far when Ruby’s face, already pale beneath her makeup, turned chalk white.

“How dare you, of all people, lecture me!” Ruby raised her arms so the fabric of her dress spread out on either side of her like black wings and for a moment, Kora believed the woman capable of zapping her into a toad. “I created life long before you came along and fashioned yourself into my hideous shadow.” Ruby breathed heavily through flared nostrils until she slowly lowered her arms and a pained expression twisted her face. She pressed her hands against her chest.

“Are you okay?” asked Kora. “Why don't you let me listen to your heart? I'm an excellent physician.”

“No,” heaved Ruby.  “It doesn't need to beat much longer.  Forgive me. I forget my manners. You must be exhausted after that long drive.  Allow me to show you to your room.”

Kora exhaled a breath she’d held in, relieved that Ruby wasn’t going to attack her. Something was definitely wrong with the woman both mentally and physically.  She followed Ruby back to the mouth of the lava tube where she unlocked a thick wooden door. They stepped into a windowless, damp bedroom lit by a single torch.  A rusty Victorian zoo cage sat along the far wall with the word MONKEYS spelled in the twisting iron fretwork at the top.  Even in semidarkness, Kora saw dirt on the walls and floor, and she felt certain the smell of mildew was emanating from the bed.

“A prop from one of my favorite movies,
Satan’s Zoo,
” said Ruby, pointing at the cage as she descended the shallow steps to the stone floor.

“Interesting, but why are we here?” asked Kora.

“This is where you'll sleep while you're here.  It's one of our best guest rooms.  If you need anything, just pull that rope and Ivan will come.”  She pointed at a grimy tassel hanging near the bed.  “Now rest. You must be exhausted.”

“I'm not tired.  The trip from Santa Monica to Malibu isn't far.”

“Still,” said Ruby, leaning heavily on the railing as she climbed back up the stairs.  “I want you fresh tomorrow morning.”

When the door closed, Kora rushed over and swung it open but the hallway was empty.  Ruby must have disappeared into one of the nearby rooms.  Kora wandered over to the bed, pulled back the sheets, and smelled the mattress.  Mold, sweat, and something else... blood.  When she stood back up, something bit the end of her nose. She cursed and knocked some kind of insect off of her face just as the door to the hall swung open with a loud bang. A tiny man stomped down the stairs holding a tray. He was no taller than three feet, wore a meticulously constructed purple suit trimmed in orange fur, and a pair of polished black boots.  Kora wondered if she was hallucinating from sniffing the moldy bed.

“Hellloooo, anyone home in that pretty head?” said the creature.  His voice was rough from either too much smoking or yelling, but when Kora looked closer at his deeply wrinkled face, she decided it was probably from both.  “I’m Ivan. Ruby said you’d be hideous, but I think you look pretty good. Hiding something?” He rolled his eyes hungrily over Kora’s body until they stopped on her skirt. “Why are you wearing those dreadful white clothes?  You look like a nurse, and not the good kind but... nunnish.”

Kora glanced down at her outfit that now had a smudge of dirt on it. “My clothes are all specially made for me in Paris by top designers.”

“What a waste of their time.  A girl like you should have some color in her wardrobe.” Ivan’s eyes lit up as he stared at her blue hair. “Orange. You would look incredible in bright orange with green fur at your neck.”

The door from the hall yawned open and Ivan spun around, his finger already wagging in the air. “Caleb. I told you to stay in the kitchen while I brought the tray down to the guest.”

A deep grunt rattled the room as a massive head appeared from behind the door. Caleb’s yellow eyes, lodged deep beneath a colossal brow, roamed the walls until they settled on Kora. Then he squealed like a baby delighted to find a piece of candy and stepped boldly through the door. His square body filled the room with nine feet of hard muscle clad in tailored black pants and a burgundy dress shirt with a slight ruffle. The giant lunged at Kora who hopped onto the bed and screamed.

“You’re scaring her, Caleb,” yelled Ivan. “She doesn’t remember you.” Caleb backed away, wringing his hands and whimpering. “You don’t have to be frightened,” Ivan said to Kora. “Caleb’s never hurt anyone. He must recognize you from when you lived here before.”

 The idea that she once dwelled in filthy rooms with an ugly giant roaming the halls overwhelmed Kora with disgust. She unfolded herself from the wall, but kept a careful eye on Caleb in case he made any sudden moves.  “Do you remember me?”
she asked Ivan.

“You’re from way before my time, sugar. I’m only nine.”
He waggled his bushy eyebrows at her.

Kora appraised Ivan’s severely aged face. “Then you're the poorest quality synthetic I've ever seen.  In fact, I don't think you're even synthetic.  You look slapped together from human parts which is why you're degrading so quickly.”

She wished she’d kept her mouth shut. Ivan’s jaw dropped open and his little face contorted with fury, making his wrinkles even more pronounced. “What!”

Kora winced.  “Did I just say all that out loud?”

“Who the hell do you think you are?” hollered Ivan.

Kora lifted her chin.  No use turning back now.  “I'm the lead synthetic designer at Mirafield so I know what I'm talking about.”

“Well then, missy,” said Ivan, holding up her tray.  “I'm the lead cook here at the castle and
I
know what
I'm
talking about.”  He slammed the tray down onto the floor sending an explosion of mashed potatoes into the air.

“No!” Kora was hungrier than she thought.  She squatted down on the floor and did her best to salvage what was left of her lunch.  She wanted to throttle Ivan.  He was just a servant, after all, but she had a feeling that if she complained to Ruby, the old woman wouldn't be sympathetic.  This place was a dark, grimy madhouse.  All the same, she needed to smooth this over with Ivan or god knows what would end up in her food—if she ever got any again. “Maybe it’s just the way you style your hair that makes you look a bit older than you should.”

Ivan's frown disappeared as his fingers flew up to fuss with his blond tufts. “I have to comb it in a certain way to cover up the fact that my hair is receding. I think all the years of bleaching has taken its toll on my scalp.” He squinted at Kora’s hair. “You must touch up your roots often?”

“I’ve never dyed it before. It just grows that way and I have no idea why. Same with my nails.”

Kora held out her hands to show him her blue nails and Ivan drew in an excited breath. “Can you do something like that for me? I’d love it if my hair just grew in blond. It might keep it from falling out.”

Permanent hair, skin, and nail pigmentation was an annoyingly easy task for Kora; something that she generally left to Mirafield's army of lower technicians. The only hair Kora ever tended herself were Randall's thin wisps of gray which she bulked up into a thick brown mop. “Why not just let your hair grow in its natural color?”

“Everyone in this miserable house has black hair, except for maybe Vaughn whose hair is dark brown.”

“Vaughn—who's that?” Saying the name sent a shiver through her.

“He’s a pain in my ass that never goes away. Like a hemorrhoid.”

“Are you related?”

“Four brothers. Vaughn is the black sheep.”

“That’s wonderful.” Kora felt a pang of envy for the tiny man. “I’d give anything to have a family.”

Ivan looked as bored as a teenager. “Can we get back to my hair?  I want a classic California look: blond with little highlights all over so it looks natural.”

Kora stared at Ivan’s fried clumps. “I suppose I could do that…if you found out some information for me about when I lived here.”

“You don't remember?”

She shook her head.  “I only remember waking up at Mirafield ten years ago.”

Ivan yawned and Kora noticed his mouth was full of baby teeth in desperate need of brushing.  “I have no idea and frankly, I don't care.  Not my bag.  Never heard a thing about you until a week ago.”