Unforgiving

“Are we ready?”

“Ready when you are, sir.”

“Start the meeting.”

A tall man in a blue business suit sat down at the head of a small table. He had hair like Clark Kent that was well combed, but his blue eyes were cold. In fact, everything about him was radiated darkness and lack of warmth. He was unapproachable, frightening- the stuff nightmares were made of. Everyone in the room, all of the white-coated doctors sitting down at the table felt uncomfortable with his presence. The hairs on the backs of their necks stood up straight, everyone was nervous, wary, and deathly afraid of screwing up.

“Report.” The man spoke, hardly sparing a glance for anyone around the table until his eyes fixed on the two doctors who rose from their chairs. One was a thin, mousy woman with shaky hands and her hair in a tight braid down her back. The other was a slightly balding, middle-aged man with a beer belly and a scraggly brown beard. They both looked nervous, but the man had a confident air about him.

“Dr. Neo, cat got your tongue?” The man in the suit asked.

“No, sir, just reviewing my facts.” The middle-aged man replied, almost cheerfully. The other man’s lip curled the slightest bit, but he gestured to Dr. Neo to carry on.

“My colleague, Dr. Catharine and I,” Dr. Neo paused to gesture to the woman next to him. “Have been placed in charge of Subjects 00194 and 00195." He opened a folder and took out a paper with two pictures- one of a boy and one of a girl. The boy was nice looking, with a contented expression etched on his face. The girl's face, however, was twisted with disdain. She was plain looking but her hostility distorted what could have been beautiful features. Dr. Neo passed them around the table. "As you all know, Subjects 00194 and 00195 were created here in the lab with willing sperm donors. We made them for genetic experiments and kept them in a numb mind state un til they were about fifteen. Then we were able to determine that they were more genetically enhanced than we thought." He collected the pictures.

"Subject 00194, the male, can somehow produce fire from the cells in his fingertips. He basically has a flamethrower in his bare hands." Dr. Catharine cleared her throat, and Dr Neo corrected himself. "Well, that's about how high it can go. He could also, if he chooses, create a smaller flame, like that of a lighter." The doctor flicked his thumb for emphasis. "The femal, Subject 00195, exhibits the ability to move things with her brainwaves, like telekinesis."

"Today, actually, we only finished a little while ago, we took Subject 00194 in for testing. We wanted to see if a lack of oxygen would affect his flame, or if we could teach him to get used to the feel and draw oxygen out of the air." Dr. Neo paused. "He failed, but we are going to try to get his cells to adapt to the change."

"What are your experiments with the female?" The man in the blue suit interrupted. At this Dr. Neo faltered, and Dr. Catharine picked up his slack. "The female is primarily my responsibility. We have not yet begun her experiments, but we are on the verge of trying to conduct and experiment dealing with the subject's brainwaves when she uses her telekinesis. Dr. Neo has started to get the equipment ready for a brainwave control test." She reported confidently.

The man in the blue suit turned back to Dr. Neo, ignoring the other doctor. "Will it be possible to gain full body or brainwave control on either subject?"

Dr. Neo straightened his shoulders, regaining his confidence. "It could be possible in a matter of months-" He was interrupted yet again as a beeper sounded and two scientists got up from their seats and exited the room. Dr. Neo cleared his throat. "But it would take another number of months to work out the kinks and test to see how far the limits of this technology will go." The man in the blue suit nodded, eyes piercing both doctors.

"What sort of kinks might you expect in a task such as that?"

Dr. Neo hadn't expected that question, but he had an answer. "Well, it depends on the subject's brain capacity and motor skills, and, of course, the subject's capability to resist and rebel against the control of technology. That's always a possibility."

The man in the blue suit smirked. "Could you not just put them back into that mind numbing state that they were in for fifteen years?"

Dr. Neo paused to consider this, brow furrowed, looking like e wished he had thought of the idea that had so obviously pleased his boss himselff. Dr. Catharine was pale.

After a moment of consideration Dr. Neo opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, his beeper went off. He picked up a remote and pressed a button. "Yes?" He commanded. A voice over the system came with labored breathing.

"Subjects 00194 and 00195 are escaping, Dr. Neo!" If it was possible, Dr. Catharine had gone even more pale. It was she who reacted when Dr. Neo's frown deepened.

"Impossible," he muttered.

"Do not let them escape! Sedate them if you must, but do not under any circumstances harm them!" She ordered the voice.

"Yes ma'am, but . . ." The boy paused. "Their using their powers- throwing people up against the walls and blowing holes in the doors and shit. I think they're-" his voice was cut off by a scream and a crash.

"Get down there, now!" Dr. Catharine screamed at the other doctors. They were watching open-mouthed and surprised, but moved into action when the man in the blue suit spoke up.

"Get them!" he roared, pounding his fist on the table, like a crack of thunder. His icy eyes flared, burning fireplace pokers, prodding scientists. "Bring them back by any means! I have spent too much time and money here to loose them now!" he yelled, his mouth an angry scowl.

"No!" Dr. Catharine shouted. "Bring them back alive and unharmed!" She didn't have any threats to make, but her tone, stance, and gaze confirmed her superiority. The scientists in their pristine white coats paused again as they waited for the man in blue to argue. His smoldering eyes targeted Dr. Catharine, but he didn't speak. She didn't either. The shouts coming over the speakers came again and the scientists left, presumably to find and stop the rebellious subjects. Even Dr. Neo shuffled his papers, muttering about experiments and subjects as he marched out the door.

Dr. Catharine let out a whoosh of air, her careful, courageous facade crumbling. Her hands started to shake again as she slid down into an empty chair. But she was happy to have asserted her authority. Subject 00195 was hers, like a daughter. If anything happened to either of the subjects, Dr. Catharine would never forgive herself. She was torn between duty- love of science and the want to promote these findings- and the growing feeling that what she was doing was wrong.

She felt cold fingers on her shoulders, burning icy through her lab coat. Do not go against my wishes. Mr. Isaac Bridges' voice resounded in her head, as clearly as if he had spoken the words out loud. Here, alone in this room with him, she was afraid. His words echoed in her head, making her dizzy, clouding out her own thoughts and comprehensions.

But he had not said anything. There was only silence.