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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Project Gemini
pretender_gurl
Lower Level 7: Nursery
Triumvirate Station
Mongomo, Equatorial Guinea
January 9, 1991
"Do I have to leave?" Jira whispered to Zalika in Spanish.
Jira's mentor smiled as she leaned down and kissed Jira's forehead. "Yes, mi carina. Mr. Raines will take care of you now."
Jira looked at the bald man in the doorway. He was watching her and Zalika with disgust. The voices were warning her not to trust this man.
"Por favor, Zalika, I want to stay with you!" Jira pleaded, her eyes filling with tears.
Zalika brushed them away and gave the little girl a hug. "No, Jira. You must go, and I must stay here to take care of the other estrellitas. Besides, it is your time. Now, hold your chin high and make me proud."
Jira nodded and stood a little taller. Zalika leaned towards the girl and whispered in her ear. Jira's tears began to flow, but she didn't make a sound.
"Come, Jira," said the man in the doorway.
The young girl picked up her small duffle that held a couple of dresses and followed approached the bald man. Suddenly, she turned around and called to her mentor.
"¡Te amaré por siémpre también!" (I will also love you forever!)
"Let's go!" Raines shouted to the girl. She jumped and scurried towards him. They left the room and three Sweepers followed.
"Be brave, mi carina," Zalika whispered as she watched Jira leave. "Be brave."
Sub-Level 23: Room 2309
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
April 10, 1994 ~ 06:42
Jira tried to concentrate on the problems she had been given. She didn't like this new room that she had woken up in. Jira didn't need to ask the voices to know that she wasn't on SL-14 with the other children anymore. Inside her head, the voices were shouting warnings. Jira could feel the cold darkness of evil permeating from the concrete walls. She felt sick as she thought of how close she had been to freedom. Jira had almost reached the highway when that fast Sweeper, Willie, wrestled her to the ground.
As she stared at the vector diagram for the velocity of a remote guided missile, she heard a faint beeping outside her door. A hissing noise followed as the hydraulic lock was released and her door swung open. She did not have to look up to know who was visiting her.
Mr. Raines entered Jira's room with a scowl on his face. She should have finished the problem set four minutes ago! He hunched his shoulders and crossed the room in two strides. Jira saw him coming, not with her eyes, but with her mind. She shifted slightly in her seat, causing the blow Raines dealt her to whiff slightly. Raines noticed her movement and grabbed the back of her collar, lifting her into the air and tossing her onto the ground. Then, as though nothing had happened, Raines picked up the sheet of paper filled with mathematical calculations as Jira scrambled to her feet without making a sound. So much for caution, Jira thought.
"Your conclusions concerning the projectile missiles are promising. Next time finish them on time, and we won't have any unpleasantries. You have a simulation scheduled in twenty minutes, Jira. The Sweepers will escort you." Mr. Raines flashed a horrible smile, revealing his tobacco stained teeth.
"Excuse me, Mr. Raines," Jira whispered meekly as he turned to leave. "May I have permission to ask a question?"
Raines nodded with a smile. She had obviously learned after her outburst earlier in the week. Whoever said positive reinforcement was the only way to teach a child was sorely mistaken.
"Where am I and when can I go back to my other room?" Jira asked.
"You're still in the Centre. You are here to aid in a project, though I don't anticipate your return to the SL-14. After three escape attempts, I think a maximum security floor like SL-23 is perfect for you," Mr. Raines smiled maliciously.
Without another word, he left the room, but the Sweepers remained at the door. Jira shuddered. The Sweepers had given her a wonderful "welcome home" party last night.
Twenty minutes. What can I do with twenty minutes? Climbing back onto the desk chair, Jira was relieved to find that there were no new exercises waiting for her. With a look over her shoulder at the Sweepers, she turned over an old sheet of paper and began to draw. She didn't know what she was drawing, but it was an image that had not left her in a long while. Jira knew that it was someone in close proximity to her. Closing her eyes, but still drawing, she let the images swell over her. There were two men in a room, and they were arguing. She could only see one of the men, he was upset… hurting.
The eight year-old opened her eyes, pushing the image away. Jira looked down at the piece of paper and was slightly taken aback. She had distanced herself from the sketch, which had turned out to be the eyes of the troubled man. They were dark and full of pain, yet they held the innocence of a child. Jira could relate to the emotions that were so visible in his eyes. She felt a wave of desire wash over her as she wished she could meet this man.
Jira jumped as a heavy hand was placed on her shoulder. She must have lost track of time. Crumpling her drawing and tossing it into the wastebasket, she stood and followed the Sweeper out of the room. Jira didn't see the second Sweeper reach into the garbage and pocket her sketch.
SL-23: Room 2303
The Centre
April 10, 1994 ~ 06:50
Jarod paced his room menacingly. He was not going to complete this simulation for them. The application of this information was unforeseen, possibly fatal to millions of people. How could Sydney ask this of him?
Jarod's brooding was interrupted by footsteps coming down the hall. He sat down at his desk, pretending to be busy, but the footsteps simply passed by his room. He hurried to the door, looking out of the rectangular window in time to see two Sweepers escorting a child to the elevators. What is a child doing on this sublevel? SL-23 only contained the living quarters for Centre subjects, and as far as Jarod knew, there were no permanent child subjects. I'll have to remember to ask Sydney about this.
Mr. Raines's Office
The Centre
April 10, 1994 ~ 07:08
"She sketched this after you left," the Sweeper was saying.
Mr. Raines took the sketch and stared at it for a moment.
"Did she say anything about it?"
"No, sir. To tell the truth, I don't think she knows who he is."
"Well, it's a good thing that you're not paid to think, isn't it?" Mr. Raines said coolly.
"Uh, yes sir."
Raines began to wheeze. He reached down and adjusted the knob on his oxygen tank. Less than a year ago, he was caught in a fire in SL-27 that left his lungs seared. Since then, he had been chained to this infernal tank.
"Call the chairman and arrange a meeting. We'll have to accelerate the project, before she perceives any more information concerning Jarod."
"Right away, Mr. Raines."
