Chapter 19: A Tale of Science and Love

The sunlight on my face woke me up. I could hear the birds singing. There was a gentle breeze. A window was open, curtains were flapping in the wind. The air smelled so good; the temperature was just perfect. Not too hot, not too cold. I sat up and took in the room around me: beautiful white furniture, royal blue carpet. The walls were adorned by paintings of seascapes. Everything about this room was picturesque. I had never seen anything like it.

I got up; the door had been left open. I peeked out into the hallway. There too, it had been beautifully decorated. The white trim against the floral wallpaper; paintings of a young girl, of a young boy. There was an oversized family portrait also, in which I recognized both Evian and Hana.

So, this is their home.

I continued. Closed doors lined the length of the hallway, at the end of which I could see a big room entirely made of windows. There were lush potted plants all around, two elegant sofas in the middle. Evian was seated at a baby grand piano, his back to me.

As I entered the brightly lit room, he said without turning: “Before Hana lost her arm, she used to love to play the piano. This was her piano.”

I could hear a pinch of melancholy in his voice.

He turned: “What do you know about me? About our family? About mom and dad?”

The sun suddenly disappeared. The endless night was back.

Had it been an illusion?

I made my way to the middle of the room.

I had been in this room before. Countless times. Without waiting to be invited, I sank myself into the sofa. Trying to collect my thoughts, I unintentionally let out a long sigh.

Evian took this as an invitation to continue: “You know Hana wasn’t her real name. That’s the name she took after she left me. Her real name was Lianna. I called her Lili.”

He took a deep breath.

The memory was painful.

He went on: “Your real name isn’t Fenn either. That was just your orphanage code name. Your name is Fenix.” He turned to look at me as he said these last words.

I am not Fenix, I thought. That is not me.

Hana is not Lianna. Lianna is piano girl. No one else.

I tried to hang on to these truths.

My fleeting truths.

My life had been a topsy-turvy ride for the past three months. At this point, nothing surprised me anymore.

I shrugged.

Evian came to sit on the other sofa across from me.

He smiled and added: “Just in case you wondered, yes, Evian is my real name.”

I hadn’t wondered.

Honestly, I didn’t care.

I was numb.

I had seen too many of my friends die in the last week. Whether her name be Hana or Lianna, it didn’t matter, either way she was dead. My sister was dead. And the boy sitting across from me was the reason for it.

Rage started bubbling up inside of me, but I quickly repressed it. It was better to not feel anything. Not feeling meant not getting hurt. So, I sat there, quiet, with a blank look on my face.

I could tell my silence was making him uneasy. I could almost hear him think. Trying so hard to find his words. He didn’t seem nearly as arrogant as he did the day before. I started playing with the hem of my red shirt.

“Let me apologize,” he finally said. “Perhaps I was a bit harsh yesterday. Lianna’s death completely caught me by surprise.”

At this, I raised my head to look at him straight in the eyes.

By surprise?

With the second bomb, it seemed that his objective was clear: kill both Hana and me as well as any remaining dissidents.

He continued: “You have to believe me, I had reasons to do what I did. Just like Lianna probably had her reasons. Do you know why Lianna was missing a hand?”

I didn’t know.

“Do you know why I killed both our mother and our father? Do you even know who our father was?”

I lowered my head again.

“Lianna was good at telling half truths. It was a talent of hers. Of course, she meant well. Deep down, I think she was holding on to these half truths so that she didn’t have to face reality…a sort of coping mechanism, I guess. She would pick and choose what best fit her narrative. Gosh she could be so stubborn! She was just like mom. Too smart for her own good. Stubborn and proud. But for both of them, their greatest downfall was caring too much. Mom and Lianna were prepared to move mountains to get you back. But along the way, they made a slough of bad decisions.”

“Caring is a good thing!” I blurted out.

“But there are just so many people you can save, just so many people you can care about. I didn’t hold it against her. I admired Lianna for it. Still, I had hoped she would come to her senses. Our last meetings had given me hope. We had made lots of progress on finding a common ground. But now it doesn’t matter anymore, does it! She’s gone. You killed her…”

“I had no choice!” I shrieked. “She was bleeding out, she was badly injured, she was in so much pain.”

“But you could have saved her! YOU of all people, could have saved her. You had it in you to save her. You have powers greater than you could ever imagine. Did she tell you that? Did she ever tell you that your Heighten Characteristic not only allows you to take away life, it also allows you to give life back?”

“HOW?” I injected.

I could no longer control my emotions; I could no longer sit quietly still. The rage was back, stronger than ever. I didn’t understand what he was saying. I couldn’t have saved her. If he had seen how badly injured, she was. Then he would know. There is no way anyone or anything could have saved her. But I was also angry at all this new-found knowledge. Why had she kept so many details a secret? Why rescue me at all if it was only to keep me in the dark even deeper?

“HOW?” I asked again.

“Calm down. Sit. Just listen to me. There is so much you do not know. So much! Let me start from the beginning. I promise, when I am done, it will all make sense.”

He was now nervously looking at me. As if I was ready to pounce on him, devour him, kill him. But I didn’t move. He was my best chance at getting answers. I couldn’t ruin it.

“Our father’s name was Shan Li. He was a brilliant scientist. He was often described as the most brilliant mind of the century and was responsible for almost all the advancements in genetic research. He was a member of the prestigious research team on Life Design at Ortus University where he worked on various projects, some public, some secret, all funded by the government. That’s when him and mom met. They were both appointed to the research team the same year.

If anyone could match his intellect, it was her. Together, they challenged the limit of what humanity thought possible as they tackled genetic issues that laid deep at the center of our society’s short comings. However, neither of them had personal stake in the matter. They were both pure Meliors and beyond the scientific advancements, they didn’t care about Aethereusians.

Their fame and standing gave them great liberty in their research. They also had access to nearly unlimited funding. At first, to conduct experiments, they used Aethereusian newborns as live subjects. But as the rules became tighter around reproduction rights and orphanages were created, their supply dwindled. Then the failed rebellion occurred. For our parents, this turned out to be a complete disaster; and I believe was eventually the cause of their ruin.

For years, the scientists at the Center on Life Design had strived to eliminate the divide and recreate a unified human race. Mom and dad both believed that it could be achieved with genetic manipulation. However, using the rebellion as an excuse, the government’s focus shifted away from gene reunification and enforced policies promoting eugenic cleansing in its stead. It became difficult for scientists to advance in their quest to eliminate the genetic variations of the two subspecies.

But mom and dad were consumed by their research. Nothing else mattered to them. It wasn’t about social justice or even humanity’s survival, for them, it was to be a crowning scientific achievement: Being the first to unite both life forms into one perfect race of beings. They were playing God and they wanted the recognition at all cost. Imagine holding the title of, “Father of Humanity.” This is what dad wanted. And mom was willing to sacrifice everything to make it happen. And so, she did.”

Evian paused again. He was getting emotional. It wasn’t easy for him.

He sighed and continued: “In her research, she had developed a procedure in which one could be infected with carefully crafted aethereusian characteristics. It was never divulged to the public, but it was well documented during trials done with death row prisoners. Unfortunately, their access to criminals was limited and under very severe scrutiny. Occasionally, they would get lucky as the military would catch illegal immigrants arriving on the shores of Antarticum. Almost all those intercepted ended up as lab rats for our parents. Of course, the public knew nothing about it. The controversial subject of their research was best kept quiet in the confines of the university lab. Perhaps that’s when mom got her idea. If dad couldn’t get access to test subjects, she would create them for him. Without telling him, she infected herself with aethereusian characteristics and became pregnant. Nine months later, Lianna was born. At our dad’s complete disbelief, Lianna tested positive right away for aethereusian characteristics. Unexpectedly, Dad thanked God for such a wonderful gift! Through their strong governmental ties, mom and dad were able to obtain custody of her citing the importance of her genes for research. Their beautiful young daughter would become their prime guinea pig. And so, at just four weeks of age, they started experimenting on her.”

My stomach turned. I could see the young girl strapped on an operating table. Evian stopped talking. He too, was struggling with the idea.

A woman entered the room with a tray. Sandwiches, tea, and cookies were put on the coffee table. The woman then left the room, leaving us both staring at the food. Neither moved. Both lost in our own thoughts. I wasn’t ready to hear the rest of the story.

Piano girl was Hana.

I wasn’t ready.

That thought shattered what was left of my heart.

I looked up at Evian. We both had tears in our eyes.

“I don’t have all the specifics of the testing and experiments Lianna went through. I was only able to access the records kept at Ortus University. All the records kept by the government have disappeared. But I can tell you that most of it was torture. Weeks on end, in the lab, she was treated like an animal. In public, mom and dad paraded her like the perfect child. Pretty dress, ribbons in her hair, she was fluent in 3 languages, and was a child prodigy pianist. She had inherited both mom and dad’s intellect. But all this made her into a sad, lonely, angry, child. She had been destroyed by our own parents.

Then you were born. Lianna was four years old. Once more, Dad could not believe his luck! To be granted a second test subject. You tested positive at birth but unlike the first time, mom and dad were not able to secure a special order allowing them to keep you in their custody. The government didn’t feel it was necessary for them to hold on to two test subjects. Furthermore, under constant pressure, it had become increasingly difficult to justify any live testing. Aethereusians were open targets, and there was a strong contingent of the population demanding total eradication. Orphanages were slowly becoming small scale concentration camps, where even toddlers were put to grueling work while being barely given the necessities of life…. But I guess you would know better than anyone about it…

Dad started working around the clock trying to achieve his goal while mom suffered a complete breakdown after you were taken away from her. It was as if you had finally awakened her motherly love. Unable to care for you, she turned all that love towards Lianna and, afraid to loose her too, begged her husband to cure her.

Lianna revelled in that new-found love. Your loss was her gain. And she made the most of it. It was then, the stakes of their research became personal. Mom was hoping that by finding a cure, she would also be able to get you back. But what she found instead, put a bullseye on her chest. Nonetheless she went on, she had found out through friends of hers working for the orphanage control department, that you had been assigned to the Nova Urbi Orphanage and given the code name FENN2409. That information was enough to keep her going.

Around the time she became pregnant with me, dad made a huge breakthrough. He had found a way to isolate the aethereusian genes and destroy them without affecting the rest of the body. The procedure was very complicated and had a dismal success rate. None of the criminals that had undergone the procedure had survived it. But dad was convinced that if the subject were to be much younger, the chances of survival would increase tremendously. Dad took it upon himself to attempt the procedure on his very own daughter, and started preparing lovely little 5-year-old Lianna, for its initiation.

But to dad’s surprise, mom didn’t agree with it. She had just lost you; she didn’t want to lose Lianna too. She threatened to leave him. She threatened to expose publicly the success rate of his research, but in the end, she stayed. She stayed because he promised Lianna could soon lead a normal life; he promised to get you back from the orphanage, and more importantly, he promised her that her unborn child would never have to test positive for aethereusian characteristics.

Two months before I was born, nine months after you were sent to an orphanage, Lianna underwent the procedure. But Dad couldn’t keep his promises. Lianna survived but lost the lower portion of her right arm following the surgery. Her body, weakened by years of testing and experimental drugs, couldn’t quite fight off a secondary infection. They had no choice but to amputate. Her recovery took time, mom devoted herself completely to Lianna’s wellbeing.

A few days before I was born, dad did the procedure on me, in utero. It proved itself particularly effective. The day I was born was a cause for celebration. I was healthy but more importantly, I was a pure Melior. And to prove it, the blood test came back negative.

Nevertheless, things weren’t exactly as they appeared. And dad knew it. On the inside, the detectable markers were gone. But on the outside, our characteristics remained. What the procedure achieved wasn’t a genetic cleanse. It was merely allowing the aethereusian genes to go unnoticed, undetected… and this was hugely problematic for the government.

On the day I was born, Lianna went into a horrific fit. The almost 6-year-old girl, distraught by her missing hand went into a destructive frenzy. She had sat all morning at her piano, silently crying. Plucking notes with her left hand. Her nanny had come to get her for lunch when Lianna started throwing chairs, cushions, anything she could find. The nanny had tried to restrain her but upon contact Lianna angrily sucked away all of her energy, until the poor woman’s heart stopped.

It was dad who found her sitting on the floor in the middle of this room. He did his best to conceal what had happened, but it was too late. The government had already found out. The application to get you back from the orphanage was denied right away and a restriction was put on my custody. They would be allowed to keep me if I did not show any sign of characteristics.

My dad’s failure resulted in huge changes for the population. Changes were made to the testing protocol. Babies were still tested at birth, but there was a much earlier test done of the amniotic fluid, at first sign of conception. This allowed for an early termination of the pregnancy, relieving the pressure on overcrowded orphanages. This early test also eliminated the chance that a modification procedure be done in utero, prior to the birth of the child. The government seized dad’s research and a hearing date was set.

At home, Lianna was kept locked up in her room, under constant supervision. Mom never quite went back to being herself. She would often cry for no reason. Her research had taken a different direction; she became obsessed with the respiratory system. She would spend hour upon hour, mumbling about the end of humanity. She’d cry your name in her sleep. She had become afraid of the moon, afraid of going outside, afraid of the most unusual things. She hated the number 8. She suffered from ongoing mental issues: she had severe anxiety and paranoia.

Yet, she always looked at me with such love. I was the only thing left of any value in her life. So, she loved me. She loved me with all her heart. Eventually, she completely stopped doing any research, she devoted her life to my care. I was treated like an only child. Lianna was always kept away from me. No friends were allowed in this house. It didn’t take long for mom’s love to suffocate me.

As for Dad, he continued his work with the university and started a lengthy battle against the government, hoping to get back his research.”

Evian paused. He looked exhausted. How long had it been? The sandwiches were still sitting on the table. The tea was cold. I looked at the room around me. That was Hana’s piano. THIS was the room where she killed her nanny. This was my parent’s house. It just didn’t sink in.

This is not my story.

This is their story.

I was an outsider to all this. I had such conflicted feelings. This was my house too. The boy sitting across from me was my brother. The piano was the piano from my dreams. Hana was Lianna. But the woman I knew had been angry and tired, restless, and ruthless. She wasn’t like the sad and melancholic piano girl.

I got up. I was done listening to him for the day. There was already too much for me to process. But the biggest question was, could I trust him? Was this another half true story? I excused myself.

I found myself wandering around the house.

Ever since leaving the orphanage, I had never quite gotten use to having free range. To not being treated like a prisoner. I found the kitchen, there was a second living room, a study, a library and quite a few bedrooms of varying sizes. It was a very big house. Although I didn’t see anyone, every room of the house was furnished, every room was in impeccable order.

My parents must have had a lot of money to live in such a house. And Evian had to have some money to keep it running.

My walk brought me to the outside of the house. The wind was frigid. I followed the road leading up to the main gate. Trees were planted on each side, as far as I could see, and fields made up most of the surrounding area. I reached the gate and turned to head back toward the house when it struck me! That house was “the” house from my dream. My heart started beating very quickly. Cold sweats ran down my forehead. That was the feeling I got every time a headache was about to hit me. But this time it didn’t. No fog, my head stayed clear. I wiped the sweat from my face and started walking back toward the house. Hesitantly at first, but then my feet started picking up speed, until I was almost running. I pushed the door open and went straight for the conservatory where I hoped Evian still was.

He hadn’t moved. He was sitting on the sofa fixated on the sandwiches. He didn’t even flinch when I barged in. He was slightly hunched over. He just looked so defeated.

I didn’t care.

I said: “Why? No, HOW did I know what this house looked like?”

He raised his head and looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“I know this house. I have seen this house before. Many times, before! In my dreams. Always this house. Just this house! And the Piano! And the yellow bird! Lianna’s book. How?”

His only answer was, “Ha!” And his face relaxed.

He slowly got up and walked over to me.

“Let me show you,” he said.

He raised his right arm and put his hand on the side of my face. I couldn’t help but spasm when our skin came into contact. I didn’t like him so close to me. I didn’t want him to touch me. But before I could refuse, the worst headache ever, hit me. My head exploded, and everything went black.

Then the pain was gone.

There was just darkness.