Subjects

14- Dangerous Power

Footsteps.

Far.

Getting closer.

One, no- two people.

Stop.

"What about the girl?"

"We can't let her go, she can be dangerous to our plan."

"We need to make sure there aren't any others like her."

"We're already working on it, the special unit already began making house calls to all of the agents."

"Good, this situation is out of control. I want a full status on the girl in an hour and the reports too. You know how close we are, the next version is already being processed. We can't let this get out."

"I assure you this won't happen again."

The handle turns.

In walk two aliens. One of them is the older one that picked them up before. The other seems to be around the same age. The two of them are now wearing white lab coats.

"Have you finished the first sequence?" the older alien asks the younger one.

"Yes, I have full reports on all of them," he says proudly.

"Good," the alien that is probably in charge around here speaks. "Take the one that has the best reaction time. I want to get some results on the girl."

"Of course," the older one touches the control panel below the dark window to the room next to them. The light in the room turns on but the subjects see nothing because the window is too high.

The young one turns to Eva and says, "Eva, do exactly as I tell you too, no more and not less."

And then the oh so familiar sensation washes over her. She tries to run from it but then she understands.

Do nothing. He said to do nothing.

So she does nothing.

The alien unties her and orders her to go to the window.

"You said she can't see us, right?" the one in charge says and the older one nods. "Fascinating."

"Eva," says the young one. "Push this button," he points at a control panel right below the window to the other room.

Eva, as expected, is stepping closer to the control panel. Slow steps, measured. She reaches for the button and pushes it.

The three that are still sitting can't see what is happening but they don't need to. They can clearly hear the horrible cry of pain. A girl's voice, small and heartbreaking. They look worryingly at one another.

"What are they doing to her?" Emily whispers.

Ben and Roger have no answer. Is this part of the experiment that Leo told them about?

They wait.

I know, I know, why don't they do anything? Trust me, things would be much worse if they interrupt. Plus, they're super scared.

"And...?" says the boss-alien, "what's the big reveal?"

"Wait for it," says one as the other is busy with the control panel.

"There," the older one explains when he's done with the settings, "now she can see us."

The little girl, when she notices the so-called people in the other room, looks up at them and just stares. The aliens don't pay too much attention to her but Eva can't look away. She feels different all of a sudden, she has a different purpose now. She can't hurt this girl.

"Eva," the young one calls her again. "press that button."

Eva wants to push it, she really does, but then her eyes meet the brown big eyes on the other side of the window. She know she can't do it. It will hurt this girl, and she could never hurt her. And so she just keeps standing there, looking at the girl right in the eyes.

"What is she waiting for?" asks the boss-alien.

"She's not going to do it," explains another alien. "She can't. Watch."

With a single touch to the control panel the window is back to it's normal state, when the girl can't see them. Her head drops down as she gives up.

Eva feels that something has changed, although she can't quite tell what. She can't remember what exactly was she doing. Looking at the girl, she has this warm fuzzy feeling inside her. You know this feeling when you get home and you look through the window and you know that inside you will be safe and happy? That's more or less how Eva feels, even though she has no clue why.

"You're right," says the boss. "She's too dangerous. We can't let her interfere with the plan."

And I think we all know what that means.