The guards dropped Evian on the ground. Eva tilted her head, as a subtle smile appeared on her face. How much she hated the damn bastard. About just as much as she hated her own father.

He had it coming, she thought, he had it coming all along.

She took a deep breathe. The room was clean and smelled of bleach. She loved that smell.

The door in front of them opened and four men walked in: Hardi, the head of Project EDEN, Benagher and the Chancellor of Antarticum.

“Hey!” she said, trying to sound as casual as possible.

The head of Project EDEN was an average guy. Maybe he had been good looking in his youth. It was hard to tell. His sight was nor pleasant, nor disagreeable. In a crowd, he would have been easily overlooked for nothing about him struck as interesting. That fact was, perhaps, the only thing remarkable about him. Like anyone else of influence, he was wearing the woolen cloak. Too long on the sleeve, too short around the midsection, he looked like a poorly outfitted beggar. His cloak was old, several model behind the newly redesigned jacket. Moths had settled in and the ravage of time had won over the fiber. He had overgrown dirt blond hair, slightly parted to the side, neatly combed. There was some grey in it. His eyes were blue or maybe green or maybe gray. It was hard to tell. His skin was neither glowing, neither scared. It was the skin of someone who had lived into his 50s. His nose was in good proportion with the rest of his face and so was his mouth. He took a step forward and smiled. His teeth showed. Almost straight, almost white, just the right size. He extended a hand in a friendly gesture. So welcoming was his stance; all leadership qualities were gone. It was hard to believe this small man was at the head of the most powerful military project the world had ever known. It made one wonder what was lurking behind this façade. Perhaps a tale of Jekyll and Hyde, perhaps it was all a disguise. Regardless, he was the man she served and owed her life too.

She too, took a step forward, and shook hand with the man. They exchanged a few words like old relatives.

“Ted! It’s been a while! How have you been doing? How is Mrs. Weatherspoon these days?”

“She’s here with me today, you two will be able to enjoy a warm cup of tea together as you use to. It is so good to have you home, my dear Eva.”

Ted heaved a sad sigh. He was looking at the daughter he had never had the chance to see grow older. Eva had replaced the daughter his wife and him had tragically lost. She had replaced the daughter who couldn’t be saved. To even think that it had been possible for him and his wife, both Meliors, to have birthed an Aethereusian daughter.

He sighed again.

He had been a high-ranking officer, renown expert in cyclostratigraphy, when the nightmare befell upon them. There had been no strings for him to pull, no ways to keep their daughter. They had tried. Soon after the birth, the three of them had run away to the city of Nova Summus in hope of finding a cure for this undesirable generational affliction. Surely something could be done! Research was being conducted in species reunification. There had to be a way to save their poor daughter. But upon their arrival in Nova Centralis, officials were waiting for them. Their offer was simple, come back to us, we will ensure your daughter lives a good life at the Senex Centralis orphanage. You will even be granted visiting rights or… Ted knew there was no real options here. It was that or death. Ted had heard about the Senex Centralis orphanage. It was, in a way, the best they could wish for their daughter. Ted accepted at gun point. The baby girl was surrendered.

Ted returned to the military where he continued to climb the rank until he became head of defence. Mrs. Weatherspoon made her home near Senex Centralis, visiting her daughter weekly. Aethereusian housed at that orphanage didn’t need to wear the usual red cloths. Mrs. Weatherspoon liked to bring pretty dresses and ribbons for her daughter to wear. As the little girl grew older, every Sunday, they would have a tea party together. For both the mom and the daughter, it was the only remaining joy in life. Around the age of 3, Mrs. Weatherspoon started to notice twitching in her daughter’s face. She would draw a blank stare and start shaking. By the age of four, she could barely move anymore. The officials had promised their daughter’s safety, but there was no safe experiments. What ever had been done to this young girl, what ever she had been put through, was killing her.

It was a hot January day, Mrs. Weatherspoon had come early, as she did every Sunday. She had her daughter’s favorite: strawberry jam and scones. Upon her arrival, she was denied entry.

“You are no longer allowed on the premises of Senex Centralis. Whatever business you had here, is no more.”

And that was that.

She knew exactly what it meant. She didn’t need an explanation. A mother knows. She sank to the ground and started crying unconsolably. Her heart had been pulled from her chest. Security was called, to escort her away… she was thrown back to the street.

A week later, they received a letter outlining the expenses for the disposal of the body. She was merely 4 years old. It broke Mrs. Weatherspoon’s heart in a way only a mother’s heart can break.

That year, Ted Weatherspoon named himself the head of Project EDEN and created a special force unit within the military. He enlisted David J. Marshall as a trusted right-hand man. A few months later, he brought home, to his wife, a new daughter. Her name was Eva. She had the same dark eyes, the same tan skin as their Melody. Eva’s mother was no more, Mrs. Weatherspoon was looking for a daughter. It was a perfect match.

But this was all in design. Meticulously planned. Ted had planned it all. Their escape, their capture. The experiment on his daughter. Mrs. Marshall untimely car accident. But perhaps his best move had been to introduce Eva to his dumb wife thus controlling, all at once, David J. Marshall, Eva and the Li siblings.

Eva smiled: “It’s been so long; I would love a warm cup of tea.”

“Of course, you would!” Ted answered unbothered as he stepped over the body of Evian who was bleeding out on the floor, unconscious.

“Come my dear, I’ll have them clean the room. There is no need for us to stay here.”

Eva took a quick look over her shoulder as she was hushed away into another room. Evian was hardly breathing, laying in a pool of blood. Just as the door closed, she jumped at the sound of a gunshot.

Ted took notice of her reaction.

“You know, it had to be done.”

Eva lowered her head.

“Sweetheart, if we are going to save humanity, there will be some unfortunate casualties on the side. He did well. He did his job. Now he was absolute. There was no point in keeping him. When a boat is sinking, you don’t keep dead weight onboard…”

Aren’t we all just dead weight to the planet…?

Ted abruptly turned with a friendly smile: “Ah! Here’s Mrs. Weatherspoon!”

“Darling! That gunshot, just now. I was worried. Is everything alright?” The poor woman worried.

“Of course, my love. Everything is perfect. Eva was just telling me how excited she is to be having tea with you. Didn’t you Eva?”

“My dear child. It’s been so long! You must come home more often. How dare you leave your mother in anguish.”

Eva smile. After years in Nova Urbi, there was so much comfort in seeing Mrs. Weatherspoon. The warm feel of her touch. Her calming scent. Mrs. Weatherspoon took Eva’s hand and gently pulled her to a near by table where tea and cakes had already been set up.

Ted Weatherspoon took this as his cue to depart, returning into the room where Evian laid.

Just as he disappeared through the door, he turned his head and said: “Oh! I forgot! I am so sorry my dear, but it looks like Hardi won’t be joining you for tea today. Or tomorrow. Or any other day.”

Mrs. Weatherspoon stopped mid-motion and slightly tilted her head to the right. A shadow quickly passed through her face. “That’s unfortunate,” she said gaining back her composure.

Eva felt a shiver go down her spine. Ted departed. Mrs. Weatherspoon handed her a steaming cup of tea.

“Just as you like it, my child. With a squeeze of lemon.”

Eva lifted the delicate porcelain cup. Took a deep breath and smiled.

How ironic would it be if this was poisoned, she thought.

She took a sip and waited…

Nothing happened.

Not today, she thought. Yet she knew.

Patience is gonna get me killed, she conceded to herself.