The Wrong Side

Chapter 39

When I go see the director of the largest company in the continent, I am still wearing the thin hospital gown, not bothering to change into any clothes and not caring if anyone was staring at me as Venning took me to Diana Obarski.

For some reason, it's strange. I had always thought Obarski was a male, but when I heard her voice, I wasn't that surprised. She was listening to us... has that happened before? Venning said that they had surveillance on my house and the town, so it's possible. Who am I kidding? She's probably been watching and listening in on my life this whole time.

Venning doesn't say anything as he takes me to the top floor. The entire trip, I feel guilty for saying what I said but I don't know what to say to him. I also look out onto the city, watching the bustle of life beneath us, all totally oblivious to what's happening here. And my friends... Just a couple hours away probably worried and confused. I need to get back to them as soon as I can.

I glance back at Venning for a moment. He looks like he wants to say something, but is holding himself back. The numbing guilt forces out the words, "I'm sorry." He doesn't reply to me and I look away from him. I feel like my entire life has just been turned upside down. I never would have guessed about his status as the biological father to my friends. Yet, when he said it, the truth didn't seem that hard to believe. If it even is the truth. But this is a world where my entire life can be erased in an hour. Why can't the only man I really knew growing up be the father to my friends?

"I'm sorry," I repeat to him. Through the glass walls enclosing us, I can see the expansive city plunged into a semi-darkness as dusk sets in. "I'm sorry for saying what I said. I think I crossed a line."

He doesn't reply, just looks at me sideways and nods. The sun has been gone ever since I arrived at the building, leaving the sky a deep blue on one half and a few clouds stained with multiple shades of dark orange on the other.

The elevator slows down and the doors open without a sound. The contrast in the technology between the Endurance and the Freeborn is quite astounding. The Endurance are clearly superior to their rival yet they haven't really done anything to get rid of them. I wonder if the familial connection has anything to do with that.

When I see Obarski standing behind her desk in a large office, I recognize her from the article that Matthew showed me a couple weeks ago. The red hair and the bright blue eyes matched with the fair skin and glasses. The pointed chin and defined face. The relaxed, collected expression. I recognize her in a second.

"Hello Damon," she says. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. As you have probably guessed, I've been watching you for a while, but that's not quite the same thing as meeting you in person, is it?"

I look at her, my head slightly tilted, like I'm examining her and I turn back to Venning. Something clicks -- one of the things he commonly used to tell me.

"I thought you said you were putting your job at risk by raising me," I say. "But she's known about this all along."

Obarski chuckles. "Don't get angry at James. I just told him to say those things."

There's an alarm going off in my head that is warning me and telling me to be cautious with her.

"What do you mean?"

She gestures to a chair in front of her desk. "Sit down. You're still recovering from those procedures and this will probably take a while."

"I have friends I have to get back to," I say and a corner of her mouth turns up in a small smile.

"Don't worry. We'll get you back to them, but you need to hear me out first."

"I do?" I retort. "I need to?"