Chapter Twenty-Eight

The field of vibrant flowers surrounded me. I had jumped back to the place I'd visited with Audrina, to get some clarity. The fresh air felt good in my lungs, and everything seemed so beautiful and peaceful. This was a safe place, I thought as I continued to drink in the scenery. My hands drifted over the tops of the flowers.

The idea of finding Theo seemed impossible. It would be like finding a needle in a really, really, really big hay stack. It was a crazy idea. This world was too big. Plus, I couldn't see his physical form or feel his energy. He had changed, and we didn't have a way to track him. I'd been stupid and naive to think I had any chance of finding him if he didn't want to be found. How would I even know if I were close? Was I just going to feel around the empty space, hoping to touch something that felt like his body?

He had the advantage over me. Theo could be anywhere. He could be standing next to me right now and I wouldn't know it. At least, I didn't think I would know. He was the perfect soldier.

The. Perfect. Soldier.

"Oh my god," I whispered, wondering if I had finally figured it out.

This couldn't be happening. If Dr. James wanted to create an army of perfect soldiers, she had definitely found the right recipe.

It was brilliant on her part, but also scary. If she changed all of us, our world would look very different. It suddenly dawned on me. Forget about traveling to another planet. She didn't want to go anywhere. She was planning on changing history. Everything was finally making sense. This had all been about buying her time to create the perfect soldier before she went back and truly changed the past.

I rubbed my aching temples. What if Dr. James had lied to us about Luther and Troy? Theo had said that Audrina and I had already received the serum, but I still felt the same.

I stuck my right hand in front of my face. I could still see it. When I swept my gaze down to my feet, they still looked the same. Thankfully, I had two legs and two arms.

My eyes suddenly darted back to my hand. It looked normal, but then I realized what had caught my attention: my pinkie finger was gone. I reached out with my other hand to see if I could still feel it.

"No!" I said to no one in particular. My finger was still there, I just couldn't see it.

The truth was sinking in, but I wasn't ready to tell the rest of the team. I needed to locate Theo and talk to him, but how in the world was I going to find someone I couldn't even see? What if I didn't have time and suddenly also became invisible? Would we ever find each other, or would I be alone?

I caressed my bottom lip as I continued to think about all that had happened. The past, present and, obviously, the future. If Dr. James was creating her "perfect" soldier then she was also tracking him. The idea brought a smile to my lips.

The only choice was to go to the one place where I knew I would find answers: Artek. Maybe, given the right incentive, Theo might make his presence known.

I touched my medallion, and was soon standing in the middle of a hallway inside the Artek facility. I hoped it was my primary year; otherwise, it would be a failed mission. I looked down at my watch. The year 2105 glowed on the small screen.

Artek's bare walls were now familiar. The sterile smell and emptiness greeted me like a swift punch in the gut. I knew the minute I arrived, my every move was being watched and analyzed by Dr. James.

"Hello mother," I whispered to myself. "I'm back."

My last statement made me quietly chuckle. I had seen a movie when I was stuck back in 2010 with that line.

There was no doubt Dr. James knew I was here at Artek, but I needed her to believe I wasn't entirely sure she had eyes on me. She needed to think I was still weak, but the truth was, over the past few weeks and months, I had come to know my previous self or at least what I knew of my former self. I was getting stronger and stronger every minute. My capabilities were constantly changing, but only for the better.

I crept down the hallway towards several white doors. They were close to the area where I had found Theo. Luther and Troy had to be behind one of them, but which? My pace quickened as I headed for the first door on my left. I had to find my targets before Dr. James approached me, and I knew that was only a matter of time.

Suddenly, there was a soft click at the far end of the hallway. My head whipped around towards the noise.

Dr. James strode swiftly into the narrow area and stopped at the other end. One of her hands was placed on her hip. The icy look she shot me caused me to shift uncomfortably.

We stood there staring at each other for several seconds. I clenched my fists. If she wanted a fight, I was ready.

There were no words to explain the overwhelming, sickening feeling that had crept from the pit of my stomach to the back of my throat. A part of me wanted to turn my head and throw up from all the emotions I was suddenly feeling as I stared at the woman who had given me life but who'd then kept trying to emotionally and physically destroy me.

My gaze darted around the empty hallway as my mind raced with plans.

"So, let me guess. You left the rest of your team to come here and find Troy and Luther?" Dr. James said, her voice echoing throughout the empty space. "I should have known the old Esa was coming back. You would do anything for the fight...even abandon your team."

"I didn't leave anyone. I'm not like you...Mother." I let the last word hang in the air. She needed to hear it. She was my mother. Flesh and blood.

I expected her to shoot back an immediate reply, but instead she turned on her heel and walked out of the hallway. That seemed to be her standard response when she didn't want to talk or answer questions. I looked at my hand. Three more fingers had turned invisible.

"Luther? Troy?" I whispered as I continued toward the doors.

Silence.

Suddenly, I felt a soft breeze.

"Theo? Is that you?" I whispered, glancing back down the empty hallway.

"Yes," he hissed, lowly. "What are you doing here? You need to leave...now."

"I came to find you and get some answers," I said, not slowing down. I had to find Luther and Troy.

"It's a trap, Esa. You've got to get out of here." I could feel his warm breath on my cheek.

"No. I'm not leaving until I find out the truth. Besides, if she is really looking to trap me, I don't know why she doesn't just do it," I responded, continuing toward the doors. I hoped that Dr. James couldn't tell I was talking to Theo.

"You have to go. Open the Jump Line and get out of here. Let me do this." I felt his hand wrap around my wrist. His grasp was tight.

Before he could do anything else, I yanked my arm hard and freed it from his grip. "I'm not leaving, Theo. Where are Luther and Troy?"

"The second door," he finally said, giving my arm a gentle squeeze. "Go home, Esa. Please. Let me take care of this."

"Where's home, Theo? Don't you get it? I need to be here. We've got to know the truth so we can have a home again."

"I know, but this doesn't feel right. If you won't leave then I will at least tell you to be safe."

The hallway suddenly felt empty again.

"Theo? Are you still here?" I whispered, but didn't get a response.

He was gone. He had left me alone. Again. I didn't have time to think about his actions. I headed to the second door. Checking down the hallway again, and then glancing toward the ceiling. She was up there somewhere, watching me. I knew it.

Without another second of hesitation, I pushed open the door, unsure what I would find on the other side. My hand instinctively flew up to my mouth.

"Oh my God!"

In front of me were at least fifty glass cylinders no more than seven feet high. Each was filled with some sort of water substance and a human body. These had to be the normals from NorthStar.

My legs felt weak as I moved closer to one of the cylinders...and then to the next one. At first I didn't recognize anyone inside of the containers, but then I saw her – my teacher from 2010. Her eyes were closed, but it was definitely Ms. Vaughn. She was in the first row, six cylinders back.

"I see you recognize one of them. All of these bodies will make perfect hosts." I suddenly heard Dr. James somewhere behind me. "Troy had promised me he was getting us strong specimens. I didn't really believe him at first, but all of these have been good so far."

"Are they dead?" I asked, unable to take my eyes off Ms. Vaughn. She looked peaceful as her body floated in the liquid. I kept expecting her eyes to open.

"No. They're not dead. At least, not yet."

"Why did you choose Ms. Vaughn?"

Dr. James laughed. "I watched her for a very long time and appreciated her attention to detail and the fact that she never grew tired of telling you to take off your sunglasses. I like strong individuals and she seemed like a perfect fit. I also didn't think she would be missed."

"You and Troy were always working together, weren't you?"

"Captain James, who I work with is none of your business. Trust me, it's very complicated and I'm not really sure you can handle hearing the full truth. At least, not yet."

"Wrong. I figured it out three years ago. Didn't I, Mom? That's why you sent me to 2007. It wasn't to protect your precious research; it was to protect your secret." It was all beginning to make sense. "You couldn't kill me, but you could ensure I wouldn't be found. That is, until you needed me again."

"I missed you, Captain James. You were never one to mince words. Like I've already said, you just don't get it. It's not that easy, but I am happy to report that all of my tests on you have shown that I've been successful and we can now leave this place."

"What place?"

"This planet," she looked as if she had grown bored of our conversation. That didn't really surprise me.

"So, you want us all to leave and abandon Earth when it needs us the most?"

"I don't really care about the future of this world. Besides, I have been helping out this godforsaken place for years. Who do you think came up with the idea to pull normals who were set to expire and provide their bodies to the people in the tunnels? It was me and it was a great idea that gave them many more years to survive. I'm not completely heartless."

I heard the soft thud of a pair of boots somewhere in the distance, and I scanned the darkness toward the back of the room. Paul quickly came into view.

"Hello, Esa." His white hair and teeth gleamed under the soft light.

I chuckled. "The first time I saw you, I knew there was something off. Your hair was jet black. It looked horrible, but that's because you dyed it so that we wouldn't know you had been on the Jump Line."

A smirk pulled at the corners of Paul's mouth. "Very good, Esa, but you still haven't figured out everything."

"And did you also know what mother did to me?" I asked him as I folded my arms across my chest. Had both my parents worked against me?

"Yes. It was necessary that you be taken away from the team so that we could test Marie's research," he said, rubbing his chin. "You have done very well and because of all of your work, we can finally go home."

"Home?"

"Yes, we have a home that we'd like to see again. This planet is boring and we've grown tired of being here. It has fulfilled its purpose. Now, we should go."

"What happened to Troy?"

"He will thank us one day. He thought too small, but thanks to us he will be able to grow much stronger and live a very long life."