The Unforeseen

Parents

Chapter 43
Instantly, I whipped back to the door. I plowed face first into two guards that seemed to appear out of nowhere.
"Come, have a seat. I'm not going to hurt you: I just want to speak with you." He said, apologetically.
I grit my teeth: there was no way I could overpower these two. I had no choice but to stand before the desk. I didn't want to sit: I'd be putting myself in a corner if things went sour.
He waited, but after realizing I wasn't going to move any closer, he let out a short sigh. "My name is Vice-Admiral Katsurou. I've been waiting a long time to see you again."
I crossed my arms. "What do you mean again?"
"Do you drink coffee? Or do you prefer tea?" He asked, rising to his feet and moving towards the coffee machine.
"Neither. What do you mean again?" I repeated curtly.
"You know, tea has been around for hundreds of years." He said, pouring himself a glass. "If you trace its roots, you can find out who created which tea and what it was originally intended for. For instance, this tea was originally made by a group of herbalists looking to ease pain. Amazing, isn't it?"
"Get to the point." I snapped.
He took his cup and returned to his desk. He examined me, and a small smile tugged at his lips.
"You look so much like your mother." He observed.
I knit my eyebrows together. "You knew my mother?"
He nodded his head. "A long time ago. It doesn't surprise me that she didn't tell you. But yes, she and your father worked here, in this very naval base. They were our top scientists, leading our research into a bright future."
"I don't believe you. My parents were doctors, not scientists." I countered.
"Yes, but their passion to help others drove them to become scientists. You see, while they were here, they were working alongside some of the brightest minds in the world. Their goal was to create a serum that allows someone to heal in the blink of an eye. After years, decades even, they finally succeeded. The serum was stable, and we began testing. A new problem was presented, though: the human body continuously rejected it in all of our participants. We lost a lot of good people to this serum, but your parents were determined to succeed. Then, your father realized that the subjects we had been testing on were simply too old. That was when they realized they had a child they could put forth for science. That child was you, Alissa.
"A day after you were injected, we were seeing positive results. Unfortunately, there was a member on the team that grew greedy. They tried to kidnap you, the serum, and all the data that had been collected. He wanted everything to himself, so he burned the lab behind him. We were able to rescue you just in time, and he died shortly after his capture.
"Your parents, concerned for your safety, requested clearance to leave the base, and raise you in private. They promised updates every year on your condition, and so we obliged. They always reported there had been no change, but judging by the now non-existent cut on your cheek, I'd say they down-played their findings."
My hand went instinctively to my cheek. He was right: there was nothing there. It had healed on its own while he had talked.
"What do you want?" I asked. "You wouldn't go through all this to get me here, and tell me all that if you didn't need something."
"You're very smart, Alissa. I can see that. Which is why I'm hoping you will return, in a sense, to our labs and help us continue our studies."
"You want me to let you experiment on me?" I let a chuckle escape my throat. "You must be out of your mind."
"Say what you want for now. I will let you explore the base, and grant you full access to the lab. I will also assign a marine to be at your beck-and-call in case you have any further questions."
I rolled my eyes. "Goodie. So in other words I'm a prisoner here."
He frowned. "Not at all. I just want you to spend a few days here, two at the least, thinking about all your options. If, at that point, you still reject the offer, I will arrange transportation for you to return home."
I studied him. Something about him told me I could trust his words, but my instincts were screaming not to. I only had to stay for two days. After that, I could have them drop me off somewhere, then I could contact Ace and have him rendezvous with me.
"Fine; I will stay for two days, consider everything you have told me, but I assure you my answer will still be no."
He nodded. "Fair enough. I am pleased to hear that you will at least consider it."
Without another word between the both of us, I opened the door and found no guards waiting for me. Ignoring that, I walked out of the office and back to my room.