The Darcy Project

The whole time I was being tested, my mind wandered to the early hours of the morning. The three tubes still haunted my thoughts, forcing me to question where the fourth could be. Even as Dr. Dietrich held an intimidating machine in front of my face, designed to examine my eyes, I continued to mull over what could be going on.

“So, how are you feeling, Darcy?” Dr. Dietrich asked, his thick German accent impossible to ignore. I blinked, focusing on his question.

“Perfect.”
A little confused, but still perfect. He stood behind the machine, leaning into the viewing screen as if my eyes were performing some sort of trick, not just occasionally blinking.

“Very good,” he said, stepping away from the screen and smiling at me. I’d only spoken to Dr. Dietrich a few times, and they had all been conversations involving tests of my vision and mental health. He was neuroscientist along with an eye specialist. “How was your first week with Mr. Evans?”
He gestured to the seat a few feet away from the eye machine. I sat down and he sat in the seat across from me, picking a clipboard up from the table. He watched me expectantly.

“Good. I’ve been accepted at school and I think Sophia will eventually warm up to me.”
Dietrich tilted his head to the side, a slight frown forming on his face.

“Sophia doesn’t like you?” he asked, his pen poised to scroll down my answers. Everything I did during this session, every move I made and word I spoke, would be components in measuring my mental stability.

“No, she thinks I’m a robot,” I said, smiling humorously. I wasn’t a robot. I may have been created by scientists, but I was made of flesh and bone. It made sense for Sophia to think of me that way, though. I wasn’t offended.

“Does her dislike towards you upset you?”
I shake my head.

“She’s entitled to her own opinion and feelings. It would be unreasonable for me to be upset by something I can’t control. Like I said, she’ll eventually see I’m just like her.”

“But you’re perfect,” he said, “aren’t you?”
I nodded. “Well how can you be the same as her if you’re perfect?”

“We’re both human beings. My perfection shouldn’t separate us.”

“But obviously does, otherwise Sophia wouldn’t detest you so,” Dr. Dietrich with sudden abruptness, as if her were egging me on. Whatever psychological games he was trying to play with me, I wouldn’t give in. This was all just to test my reaction. He wanted me to lose my head.

“Sophia doesn’t detest me. She just doesn’t understand me.”

“Is that so?” he asked, leaning back in his chair, his tone patronizing. I smiled, nodding. He placed his clip board down on the coffee table to his left, standing. I stood and he shook my hand. “I believe that’s all I need to hear. If I’ve been informed correctly you have an hour of free time before your next test.”

“Thank you for your time, Dr. Dietrich,” I said, exiting the room, still smiling. When I reached my room, Micah was sitting at the chess table, all the pieces already in place. I slide into the chair across from him.

“How was your session with Dr. Dietrich?” he asked, lifting his eyes from the board. I move my first piece, like usual, I was the white pieces, which meant I started every match. I already had an unfair advantage, I would have to let Micah be white next time.

“Good. I think he still doubts me a little, but ultimately he’ll acknowledge my perfection.”
Micah nodded, moving his own piece. We played silently for a few minutes; naturally I was in the lead. My interest in the fourth Darcy was consuming me and I couldn’t hold back my question any longer. I took his queen, sighing loudly.

“Why is there only three Darcys?” I asked hastily, catching him off guard. His eyes grew a fraction and he straightened his glasses.

“What do you mean?”
I sat back in my chair, having hunched forward toward the table. I ran a hand through my silky hair, thinking of how to phrase what I needed to say. I was going to have to admit to leaving my room last night, but I hadn’t caused any harm.

“Last night, I’d woken up in the middle of the night, well early morning to be more specific, and I couldn’t sleep. So I gave myself a sort of personal tour of the lab.”

His face grew paler, something only my attuned eyes could catch. “And I found the room where the other Darcys are kept. But there was only three of them, which is illogical, considering I am the fifth Darcy.”

He didn’t say anything, so I continued, “so where is the fourth?”

His muscles were tensed and how ill at ease he was wasn’t hard to notice. I almost regretted bringing what had been troubling my mind all day up, but I needed answers. Or I needed to be told something concerning the missing tube.

“I think it’s in your best interest not to worry about the fourth,” he said, standing, although our game was not finished. I was about to win, too. “Don’t bring this up with the others alright?”

“Alright,” I said, completely compliant to his words. If I wasn’t supposed to think about the fourth Darcy, then I wouldn’t. I would follow my order. It was in my perfect nature to do as I was asked. Micah stiffly walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

My eyes fell to the uncompleted match in front of me. I may not have been allowed to win this game, but there would be others.

Eventually, I would win.