The Human Weapon

Chapter 2

When Jackson reached his office, his heart was pounding in his ears. The sight of that girl in the cell, it terrified him. He remembered how she slowly approached him, her menacing grin on her face, her head cocked to the side. She's scary, he thought. But what if he misunderstood her? He had to tell Alex. He looked around his small office. It was organized. There was a desk that sat at the end of the room with a comfortable looking chair behind it. Other than that and a few cabinets, it was empty. First Jackson quickly opened any drawer he found. His thought process was to double check that there wasn't anything Alex wanted him to see in here, so that it wouldn't look like Jackson immediately slacked on his duties and left his office. When he didn't find anything other than a few spare pencils and empty papers, he left to find Alex.

"Alex?" Jackson said into the hallway as he walked out. To be honest, Jackson was pretty nervous while walking with Alex and was barely paying attention to his surroundings. Now he regretted it, trying to find his way back. He realized he was actually in the basement, and took a flight of stairs up. The stairs led to a closed door that Jackson was thankfully able to open with his office keys. He reached a place he recognized. It was a corridor that led to the receptionists desk. He remembered her name was Amy.

"Hello" Jackson said as he approached Amy, "is Alex in his office?"

"No, he's just out running an errand. Should be back soon. Would you like some coffee until he gets back?" Amy asked.

Jackson thought it was generous of Amy to offer, unfortunately he was not a coffee person.

"Any tea?" He asked with a shy smile.

Amy laughed, "of course! Coming right up." And she turned around to open a small door behind her.

Jackson looked around. There were no seats in this lobby so he propped himself against the wall. Why had Alex left so quickly? He thought, and why are they so short staffed? The only people he remembered seeing are Amy Alex and-

Oh no, Jackson had completely forgotten what he came for.

"Amy!" He called urgently, pushing himself off the wall and running to the reception desk.

Amy quickly emerged from where she came from, a panicked look on her face.

"What? What's going on?" She asked frantically.

"It's just- I just remembered. Oh I'm sorry I didn't want to panic you it's just- in the cell there's a girl and-"

At that Amy's face instantly relaxed and she sighed.

"Has Alex not introduced her to you yet?" She asked.

Jackson shook his head no in response. He thought about what happened a few minutes ago, when Alex had said that he would meet her later. His patient. He hoped and prayed it wasn't that girl. Whatever that girl was.

"Well.." Amy pondered for a second, then she responded. "Well don't worry about her, she's just a machine. Like the rest of them."

Amy looked guilty as she spoke. Jackson immediately noticed the way she didn't look him in the eye as she said that. He decided to keep his thoughts to himself, and smiled at her reassuringly.

"Oh wow, how impressive." He said, just to quiz her.

Amy only gulped and nodded. Jackson was not stupid. He was not naïve. That girl was no machine, it was obvious to him now. And it was no mistake she was in there. Why was she trapped in that cellar? He had to get her out.

At that, Alex entered the building. He saw Jackson and a smile grew on his face.

"Getting acquainted? That's great!" He exclaimed, seeing Amy standing beside him.

"Actually, he was telling me about how he happened to see Eleven earlier." Amy said, she looked straight at Alex, her expression serious.

Eleven? Jackson thought. What a strange name. His thoughts were running rampage now. Who was that girl? Surely she had another name. Had they tried to rid her of her humanity by only giving her a number to go by?

"Oh." Was Alex's response.

Alex was taken aback. He glanced at Jackson who stood silently. Jackson was the silent type. The type to sit and listen and contemplate. Alex liked that.

"What did you think? She's our greatest creation." Alex said, however unlike Amy, he spoke those words without guilt. He spoke with pride. His eyes shone and his smile grew.

"And your new patient, of course."