It's My Life

Chapter 20 - Wheels in Motion

Tom was pacing back and forth all afternoon. It had been nearly two days since the brief phone call from Cassi, but he had been on edge since his father had been investigating missing mer-children from nineteen years previous, but Tom hadn't heard anything yet. He knew that his dad couldn't rush the investigations, as data was stored differently in Crystallia. He had to smile then. As much as he loved home, he could never leave the land, unless something called him back. He couldn't give up paper, the computer. His phone rang then and he looked at the screen absently, though he knew who it was without needing to look. He answered the call.
"Dad." Tom said.
"Hello, son. Are you busy?" Andreas asked. Tom smiled slightly. His father had really adapted to the land in the last twenty years.
"You know I'm not. Have you found anything?" Tom asked.
"I'm fine, thanks for asking." Andreas said. Tom sighed.
"I'm sorry, Father. I hope you and Mother are well. I apologise. I just worry about Cassandra. They know about her, I'm certain of it." Tom said.
"Relax, son. I'm sure she's fine for now. We think she will try and call again, she seems smart enough. The minute she does tell her that we are getting her out. It'll mean telling her you are like her. She needs to know." Andreas said. Tom knew he was right. 
"Is that the order of the Correspondence Ambassador?" Tom asked, and smiled. He was proud of his father, doing an incredible job as an ambassador between the Royal family of Crystallia and the world above. Tom had grown up in the world of the land-walkers, but he had spent the majority of his childhood in the ocean as his father learned about the land-walkers and learned the ways of the job from the previous ambassador. Tom, too, had started school in Year 7, but he was lucky that no one had been suspicious of him, unlike that Thompson had been of Cassi.
"It is, indeed. Of all the children born to mer-folk nineteen years ago, only three are unaccounted for. And unfortunately I cannot divulge much more as one of the children is of a very serious nature. We are working hard to find out what happened to them. What does Cassandra look like? That may help a little." Andreas asked. Tom had no trouble bringing up the image of Cass in his memory.
"Black hair to her waist, blue eyes, not too tall, nearly my height but maybe a few centimetres shorter, skin of someone that has spent a lot of time in the sun, but flawless." Tom said. Andreas was silent a few moments, writing down the information
"That helps immensely. Thank you, Thomas." Andreas said, giving nothing away in his tone of voice, and Tom could feel nothing from his father. Trust him to erect barriers.
"You're welcome. Give my love to Mother." Tom said. Andreas said he would, and hung up. Tom put the phone down, now dark, on the table,and sat on his couch. He had felt nothing from his father, but the description of Cassi had appeased him. Or so Tom thought. He didn't know many people in Crystallia, but he'd never met anyone that looked like her, that he could remember. His fathers' words rang through Tom's head. Tell Cass everything. How could he?  It went against everything he'd been taught, even though she was like him, it was a big thing. He tried to pen out what he'd say to her, but felt it best to not have it sound so rehearsed. Tom put his phone on to charge. If Cass called again, he wanted to say all he could in a short period of time.

The next morning I was given breakfast, a jug and a bag of sea salt flakes. I thanked the guard and, before the guard had even moved to the door I had the bag open and pulled out a large flake of salt, putting it on my tongue, nearly melting at the taste. The guard watched me a moment, smiling, and then left. I pulled the breakfast to me, eating slowly, still feeling unwell from the previous day and the pool water, but I managed to get the food down. I then took the bag of salt and the jug into the bathroom, filled the jug with water and then started pouring some salt into it, tasting the water, stirring it best with my hand. It wasn't perfect, but it helped, and tasted great. I smiled to myself and filled the water bottle, then put the jug into the coolest part of the bathroom I could find. I went into the bedroom, feeling very dry, but felt better internally than I had in a few days. I sat down on the bed and waited, but I didn't have to wait too long. A few minutes later I was collected and taken to Shields' office.
"Don't sit down just yet. There is a gym on site, no one uses it this time of morning. You can go in and use the equipment." Shields said. I stood by the door, the guards behind me, and watched him.
"The guards will take me to the gym?" I asked.
"If you want to go, yes. There are guards on site 24 hours a day. So alert your guards in the morning or tell them the night before." Shields said.
"You aren't going to monitor me, are you, or make it part of testing?" I asked. Shields shook his head.
"There are cameras in there, naturally, but no, no fitness tests yet.But that may come up in the near future.." Shields said.I saw him write something down, and suspected it was a reminder to perform a physical test. 
"I would like that, yes. So why didn't you want me to sit down?" I asked. Shields stood up.
"I figured you would like to see the gym, then come back here. Hopefully by then the Director would have reached a decision." Shields said.
"Where is Dr. Thompson?" I asked.
"He is out finding you a watch that can go to extreme depths for you. Now, let's go." He said. Shields moved past me and led the way out of the office, the guards flanking me and we followed Shields.  Once at the lift I was turned to the wall again, and then guided out of the lift. Once I exited the lift I instantly felt sick, the smell of the fake ocean water hitting my nostrils and making my stomach roll. I lifted a hand to my mouth, swallowing thickly, gasping. 
"Are you all right?" A guard asked. Before I could answer, Shields had turned back and moved towards us.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
"She looks like she's about to be sick. Didn't start until she stepped out of the lift." A guard said. Shields looked at me.
"What is making you feel sick?" He asked.
"The smell. Can't you smell that? The water...it's putrid." I said. 
"It's affecting you from this distance? But it's being purified, cleaned through filters" Shields said.
"Yes. I don't know what to tell you, but it makes me feel nauseous." I said. Shields pulled his mobile out of his pocket and pressed a few buttons. 
"Dr. Warden, Dr. Shields here. I need you to to get a sample of the old replicated water and test it again with the blood and skin from Cassandra. Compare them to the results from the previous experiment. Call me with your findings." Shields said, and hung up. "Well, this should be interesting." He added, looking at me. "Come along." Shields continued down the corridor, and the guards moved with me, helping me along. We entered the gym, a decent-sized room with equipment from your basic dumbbells to treadmills, exercise balls, balance balls, etc. I looked around me.
"Are you sure you want me to stay strong? To stay fit?" I asked. Shields looked at me.
"Now that's just overkill. Of course we want you fit and healthy. If I didn't want you healthy I wouldn't be offering the gym, or  trying to get you that watch so you can swim in the ocean on a regular basis. Every two or three days. We can't risk getting into a routine, or people around will start to notice." Shields said. I looked at him.
"I just want to feel the sun on my face, doctor." I said. I wanted more than that, but I felt it best to stick to the plan. My ultimate goal was to  get back to that beach and make another phone call to Tom. I didn't care what time it was. I needed to talk to him. Shields nodded.
"I understand. Being such an outdoors person it must be hard being...cooped up." Shields said, and I noticed the pause. I wondered if he had almost slipped and said 'locked up'.
"Yes. I feel horrible all the time. But I pray hard that it happens soon. That I swim." I said and stepped away from him, checking out the equipment.
"I want it to be a part of my daily routine. Your guards wake me early anyway, what time is it now? Eight? Eight thirty? If they wake me at seven thirty, I get changed and we go to the gym, I will be done by eight thirty, and no one would be none the wiser. I just wish I could go outside. If I go to the beach at night, I won't get the sun that I need." I said. Shields looked at me and sighed.
"We'll see." He said. I nodded and moved from the treadmill to the rowing machine but didn't think that would be beneficial. It was my legs and tail that had all of my strength, which was why I was good at track and field. I figured I should get some upper body workout though, and picked up the lightest dumbbell, one kilogram. After holding it a moment I put it back down.
"So every morning, seven forty five the guards will bring you here, for thirty minutes unless you feel too weak. How's that? Then breakfast in your room, then testing and questioning, once Director Jones makes his decision." Shields said. I nodded.
"If he ever does. I get the feeling the director is going to push me to the edge. It's a test to see if I'll cave. I won't, just so you know." I said.
"I doubt that  very much. He may be  scientist, but he's only human." Shields replied.
"If he were human he'd let me go. You would burn everything you've found and forget me." I said. Shields frowned.
"I could never forget you, Cassi. No matter what, you are a rarity that will never be forgotten." Shields said. I looked at him, then away, scowling. No matter what happened from now on, I'd forever be an oddity, at least in the eyes of everyone in this facility. The guards and Shields watched me as I walked around, looking at the equipment. It was an impressive space, I had to admit, and looked forward to using it.
"All I need now is the sunlight." I mused. Shields frowned.
"Don't start that again. You do as you're told, and you can visit the beach. Be grateful for that." Shields said. I walked back over to him.
"I am not doing anything until your Director makes up his damned mind. I hope he realises he is the one that's slowly killing me." I said. The guard took my arm in a warning hold.
"Be that as it may, you are still to do as you're directed, and if Director Jones tells you to jump, you ask how high." Shield said. I flinched.
"Tomorrow is day three. Tell the director that, will you?" I suggested, and Shields's eyes narrowed. I knew my skin was pale, almost sallow in the harsh fluorescent lights, dark circles under my eyes, my hair almost lank. I washed it daily, but I needed the ocean. I looked down from his scrutinising gaze.
"I'm sorry. I didn't realise the effect this place was having on you. The lights make it different. I will tell the Director when we go to my office." Shields said.
"He was saying he wanted me to go at night. If we don't go tonight, I don't know if I will last til tomorrow night. I would definitely need help, at least. And I wouldn't be able to answer questions." I said. Shields' eyes stayed on me.
"I hadn't thought of that. I will do what I can." He said. I pulled my arm from the guards' grasp and moved to the door. All three men watched me, then followed.
"Take her back to her room and make sure she drinks some water with salt." Shields said. The guards nodded and led me out, supporting me slightly as we walked. In the lift, instead of having me turn around, one guard just stood between me and the panel. I wasn't small, around five foot six, but I made no effort to check where we were. It didn't matter anymore. The lift doors opened and we walked down the hall, the guard still supporting me, and i had to wonder if they were concerned at all, my yo-yo-ing with my health the way I was. One guard supported me as the other guard unlocked the door. I was led in and taken over to the bed. I lay down and the guard went into the  bathroom. He came back a minute later with a full bottle of water, and I could see the salt at the bottom of the bottle slowly dissolving.
"Thank you." I said gratefully and gave the bottle a few shakes to incorporate the salt, then took a long drink, feeling the sustenance from the salt helping, just a little.
"Are you all right?" The guard asked, and I lowered my hand, nearly dropping the bottle. I managed to place it on the floor. I looked up at the camera, hen to the guard.
"I need to be free...I need the sun..." I sobbed, and the guard stepped back.
"I'm sorry. I can't help you." He said, moving towards the door.
"I know." I said softly.  The guards left, and locked the door behind them. Lying down on the bed I looked over at the chair and saw my clean clothes on it, and felt a warmth go through me that had nothing to do with the salty water. Dr. Warden had done my laundry for me. I felt incredibly grateful to her. She didn't have to do anything for me. I stood up, feeling unsteady on my feet, grabbed clean underwear and clothes, and moved into the bathroom, got changed, and went back to the bed. It wasn't quite lunchtime, but it felt as though the day was dragging. I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

"I have the watch." Brad said, showing Jones and Shields. It looked like an ordinary scuba watch, a digital display, and Jones took it from him.
"Good. Put the inhibitor on the back, if it exceeds fifty kilometres it will send a painful shock into her body until she moves within range, or someone from the facility gets to her, whichever comes first. How far away was that beach you found her at?" Jones asked.
I'd say that was around forty-five kilometres away, give or take. That beach was accessible by car, so we can get there in an hour and a half if the roads are clear." Shields replied. Jones held the watch out to Brad, who took it back.
"After lunch question Cassi, though one of the guards said that she has grown much weaker." Jones said.
"Yes, Sir. She said tomorrow is day three, but I think that water did something to her. She's deteriorated faster. If we don't take her tonight, she'll be too weak to do anything." Shields said. Brad was fiddling with the watch, but looked up. Had Cassi only been at the facility for six days? It felt longer, but at the same time a lot shorter.
"I will have the watch ready by morning." Brad said.
"Good. Go and tell her my decision." Jones ordered. Brad and Shields left, shutting the door behind them. Jones watched them leave, and then moved over to his desk, seeing the reports regarding the girl, skimming over the reports on Jeremy and Louise too, writing up his own report and sending it off as ordered, not really thinking about what it would mean to anyone not involved, but once he'd hit the send button it left his mind.  Jones picked up his phone and dialled a number.
"Stevenson." Jones heard.
"Director Jones here. Have you conducted a full interview of the Silvers' since I sent you the DNA test results?" Jones asked. He heard a rustling of paper.
"No, Sir. Did you want me to?" Stevenson asked. Jones thought it over a moment, sitting back.
"No. I'll come there and talk to them this afternoon. Say around..." he looked at the clock on the wall, seeing it was just past eleven, "two o'clock. Have them ready in an interrogation room." Jones ordered. Stevenson said he would have them ready, and the call disconnected. Jones then turned to his computer and started reading through all the information he had on the parents, though it was minimal. No occupations listed, no information at all. Jones smiled to himself. This was baffling to him. Why would the parents hide? Their house, from what he could remember and had been told, wasn't exactly small. He wondered how they had provided all these years. As he thought it over her wrote down questions and how to say what he needed to. He immersed himself in other work that his bosses had allocated to him, and at one thirty he got into his car and drove to the other facility he helped run.