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Chapter or Story
Refuge
pretender_gurl
SL-23: Room 2309
The Centre
15:22
Jira was running as fast as she could. Ahead of her, she could see her grandmother beckoning to her. She looked over her shoulder and screamed. There was a dark shadow chasing her, getting closer and closer. Jira began to falter.
>Come on, baby girl! Be strong!< her grandmother called.
>I can't do it! It hurts so badly!< Jira sobbed as the shadow loomed over her.
Catherine Parker smiled at her granddaughter. >Just come to be, darling. I'll keep you safe.<
Jira put her head down and ran faster.
SL-23: Room 2303
The Centre
15:23
Jarod kissed Miss Parker's neck and she leaned into him. She had threatened Broots into giving her twenty minutes this time. He had whined and said something about having to loop the feed for all of SL-23, but Miss Parker didn't care. She was longing for Jarod's touch.
"Have I told you how truly beautiful you are?" Jarod whispered in her ear.
"Yes, but once more wouldn't hurt," Miss Parker replied.
"You are beautiful, Miss Parker, inside and out."
Miss Parker pulled away and looked down at the floor.
"You're wrong, Jarod. I-I've changed. My father…"
Jarod lightly placed his hand on Miss Parker's cheek and gently lifted her head. She looked up at him with sad blue eyes that glistened with tears. Miss Parker leaned into his touch.
"How I feel about you hasn't changed and it never will, no matter what happens," Jarod said softly before bringing her closer for another kiss.
Mr. Raines's Office
The Centre
15:31
"You scrambled her brain like Angelo's?" Mr. Lyle asked in disbelief.
"We don't know yet. There is a period of recovery from the neurological shocks. Once she comes out of it, we'll be able to run tests to determine the effectiveness of the treatment," Raines explained calmly. "If all goes as planned, her ability to relate to the outside world will be erased. Nothing will distract her from her work and simulations will be run with three times the efficiency.
"And if it doesn't work?" Lyle asked with a raised eyebrow.
Raines shrugged. "We have another Gemini."
SL-23: Room 2303
The Centre
15:48
Jarod was lying on his cot with his hands clasped behind his head and a goofy smile on his face. The room still smelled of Miss Parker's Chanel No. 5 and the feel of her lips lingered in Jarod's mind. Eight years of dreaming about this woman had not prepared him for the real thing. Yes, Jarod could now die a happy man.
He was shaken from his thoughts when the vent cover to his room squeaked open and a shaggy head poked out of the shaft.
"Little One is hurt! Needs help, Jarod!" Angelo cried urgently.
Jarod only hesitated for a moment. Angelo had never led him astray and Jarod didn't think he would start now. Jarod lifted himself into the vent shaft with ease and followed Angelo a short distance before the Empath stopped. They entered a room that looked identical to Jarod's, although it appeared to be unoccupied at the time. A small whimper from the corner of the room made Jarod spin around quickly. He gasped when he saw Jira curled into a tight, trembling ball. Jarod rushed over, and checked her vital signs. She appeared to be in shock. Jarod grabbed the blanket off of her bed and wrapped it around the girl.
"What happened to her, Angelo?" Jarod asked.
"They hurt her like they did me! Like they did me!" Angelo exclaimed.
Jarod nodded. He didn't know what exactly had happened to Angelo, but he knew it must have been horrific.
At that moment, Sam the Sweeper came through the door to Jira's room. Jarod ran at Sam and pushed him up against the wall.
"Did you do this to her? Tell me!" he shouted.
"I didn't do anything to her! I heard a rumor that she was hurt, so I came to check on her!" Sam replied.
Jarod let go of the man's collar and stepped away. "The rumor's true. I think Mr. Raines used the same technique as he did on Angelo."
Sam crossed the room and lifted the tiny girl easily into his arms. She let out a small whimper at his touch, but her eyes remained blank and unseeing. Anger welled up inside of Sam as he looked at the helpless child in his arms.
"Where are you taking her?" Jarod growled.
"None of your business," Sam snarled back.
Jarod threw himself in the doorway. "I'm not going to let you hurt her!"
Sam sighed. He didn't want to hurt the young man. "Look, I'm not going to hurt her. I'm taking her to Sydney."
"And then what?"
"I'm getting her out of here," Sam replied resolutely.
Jarod blinked and stepped out of the way. "Y-you're taking her out of the Centre?"
Sam nodded. "Children don't belong here." And with that, he rushed out of the room.
He ran up the two flights of stairs to SIM Lab 1 and started banging on the door to the Centre's psychogenic researcher's office. Sydney motioned to the Sweeper from behind his desk and pressed the stop button on his digital voice recorder. Sam shifted Jira's weight and opened the door. He ignored the shocked look on Sydney's face and walked directly to the chaise lounge where he laid Jira. Sam took a pillow and chenille throw from a nearby armchair and tried to make the shaking girl more comfortable.
"Do you have a washcloth in your bathroom?" Sam asked gruffly, nodding to Jira's sweating brow.
Sydney nodded dumbly and disappeared for a moment. He returned with a damp washcloth which Sam placed across Jira's forehead. She cried out at the coldness, but didn't struggle.
"Sam," Sydney said softly, "what happened?"
"I don't know. I found Angelo and Jarod trying to help her in her room. Jarod said that Raines did what he did to Angelo."
"Damn him!" Sydney cursed.
"What? What is it?" Sam asked.
"He tried to artificially enhance her pretending abilities by taking away all of her sense of self."
"Bastard," Sam whispered. "What can we do?"
Sydney sighed sadly. "Nothing. It's all up to her now."
Jira was faintly aware of something happening around her, but she was still running from the monster. Her grandmother was beckoning and Jira gave her last bit of strength in a final effort to reach the safety of Catherine Parker's arms.
"I'm taking her home with me, Sydney," Sam said suddenly.
"I think that's a very good idea," Sydney replied grimly. "I'll research the effects of the procedure and see if I can't find a way to help her."
"Thank you. Now, I've got to get her out of here."
Sydney nodded. "Go down the SL-26, towards the infirmary. No one will think twice if a Sweeper is taking a subject there. Then you can make a dash for the elevator to the parking lot. Be quick and careful, Sam."
Sam grunted his assent and took Jira in his arms once more. This time she didn't make a sound. Without a backwards glance, Sam left the SIM lab and headed for SL-26.
