Evanescent Read online

  She donned the oxygen plugs and took a quick breath through her nose to ensure they were working properly. How such small items could give her oxygen, she had no idea, but she supposed the doctors knew what they were doing. “If no one is meeting me how do I get into the prison?”

  “This map will lead you to the official prison entrance. Memorize it.”

  She took the sheet of paper from his hands and studied the map. “They know I’m coming, right?” The enhancements the doctors had made to her mind afforded her a photographic memory. In one glance the map was imprinted in her brain. She handed it back to Schultz. “I’ve memorized it.”

  “Of course, they know. The warden, General Kyle Becknall, has been told that you’ll arrive in a private spaceship that cannot dock and of your imminent arrival. He provided this code to the sealed outer doors. Punch four-seven-seven-nine-L-twelve-X-twenty into the control pad. The doors will open and let you into the adjustment chamber. From there, you’ll experience decontamination procedures. When the process is completed, the inner doors will open, and the warden will meet you. He knows you will be arriving shortly. Remember what I told you yesterday. Socialize with them, be nice, smile, and flirt a lot, especially with the warden. Seduce him if you have to.”

  “Sir, after completion of my mission, how do I return to Earth?” Twelve damn well knew the end result but wanted to hear his response.

  “We will discuss that at a later time. Should anyone discover who you really are, why you are there, you need to activate your implant. Do not wait for the successful completion of your mission.”

  Of course, he wouldn’t give her a straight answer to her probing. This mission was a one-way trip. She would never return to Earth and would die if she activated the implant. “I need a weapon, sir.”

  “In the case we are sending with you. Along with your credentials under the name of Sergeant Rachel Evans.”

  Rachel Evans. It was as good a name as any, she supposed. It was strange. She couldn’t think of herself as anyone else but Twelve. She must have had a name somewhere along the line and wondered what it had been before she came to the Institute.

  “Time to go, Twelve. The portal is ready.” Schmidt shoved the handle of the square metal case into her hand.

  “Good luck, Twelve. We are depending on you. Now step into the portal.” Schultz nudged her toward the device.

  She gazed at the glowing portal, the plasma swirling in its center. The sparkling light now flashed like lightning across the surface almost as if a storm raged. Maybe she wouldn’t make it through. The portal had been tested using animals. With no way to return, how could they be sure that the portal even worked? She could end up a pile of goo on the other side for all they knew.

  Oh well. If I don’t survive, then so be it. I won’t have to worry about escape anymore. I wonder if Two made it through alive, and Seventeen and Twenty-four. They hadn’t returned. Had they activated their implants? She tentatively lifted her foot and stepped into the swirling mass. It tugged her in. A tumbling feeling, some dizziness, then suddenly, her feet found solid ground.

  Chapter Three

  Twelve spun around and gazed at her surroundings. She faced strange rock formations, stark cliffs, and sandy ground that looked barren. She saw no vegetation, and there were no signs of any lifeforms. The planet itself appeared to be dead.

  Breathing through the plugs was easy. She set the case on the hot sand, and for a moment, spread her arms and looked up at the sky. It was a deep, dark mauve. Twinkling stars dotted it. A huge moon with a colorful halo surrounding it seemed very close, so close, she felt she could almost touch it. I feel so free. It’s hard to imagine there’s a penal colony here. It really looks quite peaceful. Stark and kind of bleak, yet I see beauty around me. She grinned, then raised her arms in the air and twirled around in a circle several times before a wave of dizziness overtook her.

  As she’d been told, she quickly opened the case, took out one of the neatly folded suits and put it on. It was an electric blue with darker blue trimmings, elasticized, and fit her like a glove. The soles had grips on them that kept her feet firmly planted to the ground. It felt strange wearing a full body suit, but she was sure glad they had provided it. She could hardly imagine parading around the prison in the skimpy outfit Schultz always made her wear in the Institute.

  She had no idea why her clothing was different from the standard training gear everyone else wore, except maybe he liked looking at the tattoos all along the left side of her body. This suit would help her blend in with the other staff members, but there was no way to hide the rose tattoos on her face. She would never be normal or look like everyone else, even with the new clothing and the modified cybernetic arm.

  “Quit dallying, Twelve, you have a mission to complete,” she said aloud. No... not Twelve. She damn well better start thinking of herself as Rachel, or she’d never fool the warden or the guards. I have a name. A grin split her face. “Okay, Rachel, let’s get the hell out of here.” She shut the case, grabbed the handle, and was pleased how the new hand responded. Visualizing the map Schultz had shown her, she began to follow the directions.

  The planet was barren save for the rocks and boulders that littered the area. Even though it was night, the moon shone so brightly that Rachel could easily find her way without tripping over loose stones. In the distance, she could see what looked to be the base of a small mountain range. At least they were small by Earth’s standards. The Swiss Alps towered over the valley where the Institute was located.

  Before long, she arrived at a cliff that had large metal doors at the base. On the left, a numbered keypad glowed a soft green. After punching in the code, the doors opened to reveal a red-lit chamber. She stepped over the threshold, the doors sliding closed behind her. Quickly, she removed the oxygen plugs and put them in the case. When she straightened, a series of clicking and buzzing noises echoed in the room, then a hissing sound as a burst of sonic waves decontaminated her. After the process was complete, a set of doors at the back of the chamber opened. She walked through into a well-lit room. A man stood from a chair to greet her.

  “Sergeant Rachel Evans, I presume?” He held out his hand.

  Rachel set her case on the floor and took his hand with her left. She still wasn’t used to having a right hand that could actually feel something now. “Warden Kyle Becknall?”

  “Yes. I’m pleased to meet you. Using a private spaceship that couldn’t dock was rather an unorthodox way of getting a new staff member here, but who am I to question the powers that be. It’s weird though. Quite a few ships arrive from Earth. Why couldn’t you have traveled on one of those?”

  He flashed her a dazzling smile, and she just shrugged.

  “You are the first female officer to join our ranks. I am pleased that World Leadership decided to send us not only a woman but an enhanced soldier. After you’re settled in, maybe you can tell me about your enhancements. I am quite interested in what Colonel Manning of WLO told me about enhanced soldiers.” His eyes held a curious gleam that made her feel uncomfortable.

  He knew she was enhanced? Interesting. And even more interesting, he was buddies with one of the World Leaders. Does he know about the Institute as well?

  “I am also puzzled how you could breathe the air beyond the entry chamber. We can’t go out there unless we wear oxygen tanks. But you can explain it all to me later.”

  Rachel studied him curiously. Kyle’s auburn hair framed a chiseled jaw and curled just below his ears. He was tall, quite striking, with a charming smile. He didn’t look any older than his early thirties... maybe younger. Definitely not old enough to be a general, or to run this facility. And he was built, too, with broad shoulders and a trim waist. She could see his muscles bulging through the stretchy material of his tight pants and his body-hugging officer’s jacket.

  He was still holding her hand as he reciprocated her perusal. His very green eyes scanned her body from head to toe, only stoppin
g long enough to linger on the roses on the side of her neck and face.

  “Do I pass?” he joked while withdrawing his hand.

  “Sorry.” She felt her face flush with heat but held his steady gaze. “Can you take me to my quarters, please? Once I’m settled in, you can direct me to my place of work.”

  “You’re barely from Earth, where according to my calculations, it is morning. We are about to have dinner. After you put your belongings in your quarters, would you like to join me?” He arched a brow and tilted his head with his query.

  Hell, they’d never been taught how to act socially. What was she supposed to say? She’d barely touched breakfast, so maybe she should accept his invitation? She wanted to, and so far, he seemed very likable and was quite attractive. Maybe her stay here would be a pleasant one. “Yes, thank you.”

  “I will come and get you. You’ll meet the other officers at the same time.” He grinned again and motioned her to follow.

  Kyle escorted her through a series of hallways. Some were marked boldly as restricted, another was marked as an exit. She imagined it led toward the docking bays. He steered her to a well-lit corridor with quite a few doors, stopping in front of one near the end of the passage, then punched a code in on the console next to a door. It slid open to reveal a fairly large room with a plush chaise and two plump chairs situated in the back corner. An ornate wooden desk and bench stood on the opposite end of the seating area. The room sure looked much more comfortable than her lodgings at the Institute. The only thing she hadn’t noticed was a door to a bathroom. Were they communal?

  Kyle opened a desk drawer, pulled out a notepad and jotted some numbers on a piece of paper, then handed it to her. “This is the code to your door. I hope you find these quarters to your liking. This may be a prison, but we do try to make sure our personnel is comfortable. If you have any complaints, do not hesitate to tell me.”

  “Thank you. Everything looks perfect for my needs.” If anything, the staff had futuristic, state-of-the-art lodgings. “Does it have a bathroom?” She scanned the room again, wondering if she had missed it.

  “Yes, you have your own private bathroom. Everything is voice command. Just say bathroom, and the door will open.”

  A concealed door slid open revealing the bathroom. Her gaze landed on the large sunken bathtub. She almost winced when a sharp pain pierced her skull, and a picture flashed in her mind of a young child splashing in water thick with bubbles. The hazy face of a woman smiled down at the child. As quick as it had appeared, the image was gone. Was it a memory?

  “I will be back to escort you to dinner soon.” He gave her one last smile and stepped through the door.

  After the door shut, Rachel heaved a sigh and dumped her case on the floor. She still had the urge to disappear, to just vanish without a trace. To hell with the mission. She just wanted to be free. But of course, that was an idle wish. Nothing in her life was normal.

  She’d been raised in the Institute, experimented on, poked, prodded, examined inside and out, ended up with a fake arm, and was trained as an assassin. And she was here to root out and eliminate treacherous individuals that were stealing from Earth’s treasury. If the personnel were half as charming as Kyle, she’d have a hard time pinpointing the traitors. Socializing just was not in her skill set, let alone flirting.

  Speaking of socializing, did she need to change for dinner? Into what? All she had were the bodysuits in different colors and her skimpy outfits.

  Rachel caught a glimpse of herself in the full-length mirror on the back of the door and scrunched up her face. She’d never seen a proper reflection of herself in the Institute. Mirrors weren’t allowed. Gazing at one’s reflection encouraged vanity, according to Schultz and Schmidt. She stood before the mirror looking at the face in the mirror. Teal eyes stared back at her. She ruffled the short, ash-blonde locks that covered her head. Why couldn’t she have a mass of long curly locks like Two? Many of the girls had long hair, why had they cut hers? Her fingers traced the rose pattern on the left side of her face. The tattoo actually looked quite nice.

  She straightened her hair and decided not to change. The blue of her suit brought out the color of her eyes quite nicely, and she had to look approachable if she wanted to be able to ferret out information from the other staff members. She quickly put on the bracelet that served as a com. It was quite pretty. To her surprise, there was a matching set of earrings.

  A knock on her door announced Kyle’s return. She scanned the panel beside the door and pushed the button to open it, relieved to see he had not changed to formal attire for dinner. From what little she had seen of the contents of her case, it contained just the four suits that had been provided and her skimpy G-string suits. The one she was wearing, one a light yellow, another in dark green, and a red one with black and silver trim.

  “Are you ready?” His gaze followed her tattoo down her face and neck to linger on the rose peeking from behind the dark blue trim of her neckline.

  Cold prickles traveled down her spine. It felt like insects crawling along her skin. A warning perhaps? She shook off the uncomfortable feeling and smiled at Kyle. “Yes, I am actually quite hungry. I didn’t have time for breakfast before I left.”

  “Good. You are in for a treat. A shipment of supplies came in this morning. We’re having stew with freshly baked garlic bread and chocolate mousse for dessert.”

  Rachel had no idea what stew was, garlic bread, or mousse. It was not a fare that was served in the Institute. “Where does your food come from?”

  She allowed Kyle to usher her into the passageway. The door slid shut automatically.

  “We have underground greenhouses. Our meat supply and other necessities come from Earth. They send a shipment every month,” he explained while leading her through the hall.

  Rachel didn’t know whether to believe him. As scarce as food was on Earth, would they send such shipments to a penal colony?

  As they walked deeper into the prison, it began to remind her of the Institute. The walls were painted a stark white, and several doors were marked restricted and authorized personnel only. “Do the prisoners eat the same food?”

  He chuckled. “Certainly not. They are fed a gruel that contains all the necessary nutrients their bodies need. Why waste good food on criminals?”

  The gruel sounded like the porridge the trainees were fed at the Institute for breakfast. It was tasteless but filling. “Does the staff eat in a separate area?”

  “No. We eat in the same mess hall as the prisoners although the staff section is separated by a thick, glass wall. Being able to see us there keeps the vermin in their place.”

  They left the passageway and entered a huge room. Long tables were neatly lined up in rows as far as Rachel could see. Near naked, shackled, bearded men and rough looking women sat around them. Several men dressed in yellow jumpsuits dished a white gluey substance into bowls and placed them on the tables. Rachel noticed they ate with plastic spoons. Many of the prisoners stared at her while they walked through the first aisle to the staff’s mess hall. The front section of the glassed off area had round tables with eight chairs to each. Kyle led her to one where several men were already seated.

  “Rachel, these are my most trusted staff members.” He gestured to the officers at the table. “I’d like you to meet Sergeant Browning, Sergeant Green, Sergeant Fairhouse, Sergeant Cahill, Sergeant Blom, and Sergeant Snyders.”

  Rachel nodded in acknowledgment and sat on the chair Kyle had pulled out for her.

  “Guys, meet Sergeant Rachel Evans, our first ever female staff member.”

  One of the men coughed, and another mumbled something Rachel couldn’t hear. She noticed they looked uncomfortable. It was obvious they’d been used to working with male associates only.

  “Tomorrow I’ll show you around the prison.” Kyle patted her hand, leaving the chill of goosebumps racing down her arm.

  That warning sign again. At least she thou
ght it was a warning sign. It was much like the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach before she’d had her training accident. Surely this couldn’t be what it felt like to be attracted to a man? Yes, he was handsome and charming in an almost feminine way, but his touch felt so wrong. There was just something about the man that was off. Focus, Rachel. You are here to fulfill a mission and Kyle is a means to an end.

  “I look forward to the tour.” She gave him a dazzling smile.

  Men came in carrying trays filled with bowls and platters of food. They were dressed in bright yellow overalls, wore a black cap to cover their hair, and had a number tattooed on their necks. They set the platters on the tables and left again.

  The kitchens had to be staffed by prisoners, she concluded. Watching carefully, she did exactly what the others did. They helped themselves and heaped up their plates. At the Institute, their food was always already portioned, so this was something new for her. So was the food.

  For the first time in her life, she tasted real potatoes and gravy. She didn’t know what the meat was, but it was tender and flavorful, and the vegetables she knew from pictures. Carrots, peas, and red cabbage. Dessert came, and she savored every bite. It was so good, she had to stop herself from licking the bowl clean.

  When dinner was over, the prisoners were ushered back to their units first, then the staff left their mess hall. Kyle escorted her back to her room. He bowed slightly.

  “Breakfast is at seven. Your work shift starts immediately after. Do you think you can find your way to the mess hall in the morning?”

  She nodded. “Yes, thank you. I’ll be fine.”

  Rachel closed her eyes and took a deep breath when her door finally closed. Dinner had been strained with virtually no conversation, and she was relieved that it was over. She took her suit off and threw it on one of the lounges, then sprawled on her new bed. It was comfortable. A lot softer than what she’d been used to in the Institute.