Chapter 4 – Initiation

Aurora stared at the different tools in the examination room. She didn’t know the purpose of any one of them: syringes, tubes, flasks, and a pair of tweezers that had been laid out on the table to her right. To her left, she spotted rows of filing cabinets with bottles of multicolored liquids sitting disorganized on top.

She was sitting on a flat examination table with a mirror above and below her. In the bizarre reflection, she saw levers and buttons beneath the table where a patient would rest their head; she hoped they were for comfort and not for restraints. She shuddered at the thought of being used for more experiments. With such a thought in her mind, relaxation was impossible. Every time she moved, the rustling of her clothes made her nervous.

She grabbed the sides of her white gown, which a Haw Tech official had asked her to wear. Even through her nerves, she felt ridiculous. As ugly as she found the robe, which was seemingly made out of toilet paper, she had begged to be allowed to wear a pair of pants. And so there she sat, in a jumbled mismatch of gown and trousers, looking like a bag of potatoes while shaking like a leaf, left with nothing but to contemplate her fate. Each time she shifted, the pants rubbed together and made a loud noise. She groaned.

Where are the others?

She’d been called to level B-7, far beneath the compound, but just as she was about to leave, a suited man had appeared, asking her to come with him instead. Apparently, there’d been some unforeseen trouble in the original examination room. And so he’d left her alone here in this room; the man’s only words before leaving had been instructions; she’d been told to remain seated, touch nothing, and await a laboratory technician to come examine her.

Aurora didn’t have a clock, but she was sure she’d been sitting there for at least ten minutes. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, cringing when the paper clothes rustled again.

God, I hate that sound. She glanced at the door in front of her. What’s taking them so long? Did something…?

Before she could finish her thought, the door opened and a woman in a white coat hurried inside. She was panting, and when she saw Aurora sitting on the chair she gasped. “My Gosh, I’m so sorry for the wait.”

Aurora didn’t reply—this equal respect thing was freaking her out a little. She wasn’t used to the kindness, and she had no idea how to react .

“My name is Charlesta Callan, but everyone calls me Charlie,” the woman said. She placed her clipboard under her arm and extended her right hand. “You must be Aurora, right?”

Aurora took the woman’s hand and nodded. “Yes, that’s me.”

“Nice to meet you. We’ll be working together on this project.” Charlie smiled before releasing Aurora’s hand. She licked her lips, glanced down at her clipboard, and hummed to herself. Then she gave a nod of her own. “You’ve just arrived, I see. That means we have to do the mandatory procedures before we proceed to the fun stuff.” The woman winked playfully and turned to the table with the many tools.

Aurora waited patiently for Charlie to continue speaking.

“All right. I’ll do a brief rundown of the things we need to do today. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask.” Charlie turned around, still studying the papers. She shifted between them before meeting Aurora’s eyes. “Is that okay?”

Aurora nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

Charlie scoffed. “Please don’t use formalities with me. It makes me feel old.” She grinned before taking a chair and sitting down. “This might sound a bit weird, but the first thing we have to do is inject you with little robots that will collect highly detailed information about your DNA. See, we need this to tend to you in the event something … unfortunate happens during out experiments.” Charlie reached over to the table and retrieved a small tube, inside which contained a clear liquid. “This won’t hurt, but you might feel a bit dizzy.”

Aurora nodded again. “Okay, but … did you say robots?”

“Of course. Haw Tech uses only the most state-of-the-art Nano machines on our Immortalias.”

“How do they work?”

Charlie opened her mouth then paused. “I’ve been told I get way too … excitable when I discuss this kind of thing, so I’ll give you the simple version: they are smaller than a single red blood cell, and they can act as a sort of DNA machine, which means they can be substituted for your own nucleic acids. But we won’t be using them for that purpose today. This is just for a preliminary reading.”

Aurora nodded and smiled. She had less than no idea what the woman was talking about, but this was her first day on the new job, and she didn’t want everyone to think of her as an idiot. After all, for the first time in her life, she was being treated to a bit of respect—it wouldn’t be in her best interest to be both an Immortalia and the office idiot. Oddly, she smiled as she thought of what Zachary might think if he’d been in this room.

“The fuck is a nucleic acid?” he’d say. “How’s that gonna make me money?”

Aurora didn’t know why she’d think of Zachary at a time like this. She supposed it was her nerves seeking to settle on something familiar, if not pleasant.

“The next thing we’ll have to do,” Charlie continued, “is place this small device under your skin.” She turned around and grabbed something, which revealed itself to be a little square, not much larger than the quarter of a stamp. “This is a tracking device. It will enable us to find you wherever you are, even outside of Haw Tech. The area might itch while you heal, but it shouldn’t hurt.”

“Wait…” Aurora frowned. “You said, ‘Even outside of Haw Tech’? Does that mean I’m supposed to leave the premises?”

“Perhaps in the future. It all depends on what the outcome of our experiments are. Haw Tech may ask you to assist on certain missions.” Charlie leaned back against the table and crossed her legs. “It’s also a precaution in case you choose to run away from us.”

“I wouldn’t do that…”

“You’d be surprised how often Immortalias feel the need to escape Haw Tech. I’m aware of your code of honor, but some of your kin—usually the younger—are so dependent on their owners that they run back to them.”

Aurora scoffed at the idea. She sure as hell wouldn’t run back to Zachary. She hated the fact he’d still be working with her here. She wanted to be free of him once and for all.

“The last thing we’ll do today is to test your healing ability. We need to calculate what medical needs you might have in the event of trauma. Specifically, we need to know what, if anything, can harm you.” She gave a compassionate frown. “This won’t be pleasurable, and it will most likely hurt like a bitch, but sadly, it’s needed.”

“I’m used to pain,” Aurora said. All things considered, she couldn’t imagine Haw Tech being any worse than the scarification Zachary put her through.

Nevertheless, knowing that she was soon about to experience pain, she prepared her mind for her method of escape … for her method of meeting him. It had been days since she’d last used her routine, and despite the possibility of pain, she couldn’t help but feel excited. This time, she wouldn’t let him slip away from her—whoever he was.

“May I ask you something, Aurora?”

The question caught her off guard. “You’re asking my permission?”

Charlie bowed her head. “I am. This is a question that is not required by protocol and is for my own interest, which is why I’d like your consent.”

Aurora shrugged. “Well, you’ve got it. What is your question?”

“Most Immortalias have a way of dealing with it—the pain, I mean. Is this the case for you too?”

“You know about that?” Aurora was shocked. Not even Zachary knew what went on when she zoned away. How much did she know?

“I know a little bit. I don’t know what happens or why. Actually, no one does. We’ve never been able to get an Immortalia to explain what goes on when they … ‘leave.’”

“It’s … private,” Aurora murmured. “I don’t like to talk about it.”

“That’s fine. You’ve sated my curiosity, at any rate. All right, let’s get started then. You have to lean back and try to relax. I’m gonna tie this rubber band around your arm to find the vein, and get started.”

Charlie took out the blue rubber string, and Aurora extended her arm before lying down. “Just relax. It’ll hurt more if you tense up.” Charlie flicked the vein in Aurora’s elbow twice, then turned around to the desk.

Aurora’s eyes widened as she saw the huge syringe. Could they be any bigger? It looked like a torture device rather than a medical instrument.

“It’s big on the point, I know. It’s so the Nubots don’t clutter up. We’ve had … incidents, in the past.”

Aurora was curious about these incidents, but she didn’t ask—it wasn’t her place to know. Actually, did she really want to know? She obliged and tried to relax her muscles. Shortly after, she felt a stab at her vein. Her eyes were firmly fixated on the wall. There was no way she’d look at the syringe—just the thought made her shiver.

One of the things she always silently thanked Zachary for was how she could avoid seeing his art. He was more interested in her shoulder, thighs and back than any other part of her body. He said her body was the perfect canvas without the limitations of curves and links. It wasn't like her thighs and shoulder were her healing powers She was never forced to watch as her skin was mutilated. Granted, from time to time, he’d ask what she thought of a design, but not until after he’d cleaned up the blood.

“See? That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Charlie asked. “I need you to turn around, and I’ll reposition the examination table. The chip will be inserted in the back of your neck.”

Aurora rose from the chair and the dizziness hit her instantly. Supporting herself on the table, she watched as Charlie pressed a button and made a stool, where she could rest her head on a little lever. It resembled Zachary’s chair at the exhibition.

Charlie came over and offered her a hand. Aurora took it and stumbled over to the chair. She spread her legs and almost fell down. Closing her eyes, she tried to stop her head from spinning.

“I don’t feel so good,” she said, feeling suddenly nauseous.

“It’ll pass in a moment. For now, focus on something you like while I make the incision for the chip. Just breathe and relax.” Charlie gave a gentle push on Aurora’s head, forcing her chin onto the small rest. Aurora tried to do as she was told, and she could feel Charlie remove her hair and bare her neck.

As the small blade of the scalpel grazed her skin, Aurora tensed up. It had been years since she’d allowed this without her routine.

“It’ll only hurt for ten seconds. I’ll make the cut, insert the chip, and your skin will be allowed to heal on its own. We won’t perform any tests before this device is safely in place.”

Aurora nodded—she understood that. But that didn’t mean she had to like it.

“Take a deep breath.”

Aurora sucked in a mouthful of air and held while Charlie made the incision. It took less than ten seconds, and the only pain afterwards was the sting when Charlie pressed the device into her flesh.

“There. We’re done.” Charlie removed her rubber gloves, which Aurora only now noticed she’d put on. “Now we just have to wait for the site to heal before we can proceed.”

“What will we do in the meantime?” Aurora asked. “It won’t be long.”

“Well, we could talk while I fill out this form.” Charlie held up her clipboard. “I have some questions I need to ask you.”

“That’s fine.”

“All right then. Well, Aurora…” She scanned her papers. “Do you know your exact age?”

“In this body? Around twenty-five years.” Aurora had to fight the urge to scratch her neck. The chip annoyed her flesh, and she already wanted it out.

“I meant in general. When were you first born?”

Aurora exhaled deeply. “That’s a hard question. I can’t remember the exact date.”

“Just an approximate time then.”

“It was before we started to count the years.” Aurora tried to recall her first life. Yet she couldn’t remember much. Many years’ worth of suffering had tainted her memory.

“That’s impressive.” Charlie scribbled something on the paper. “Have you always been in the Thompson family?”

“No. I was sold to the Thompson’s in the 18th century.”

Charlie wrote down something. “And what have your tasks included?”

“Maid, advisor, teacher, mine worker, and you know”—Aurora pointed to her back—“a canvas.”

The lab technician’s eyes filled with sympathy as she nodded and wrote it down. “What did you teach?”

“Back in the days, when I was sold to the Thompsons, my task was to teach the kids how to read and write.”

“That’s good.” Charlie hesitated before tapping her chin with her pen. “The next question…”

“Yes?”

“I need to remind you that these answers won’t be given to Mr. Thompson now or in the future. Only official Haw Tech employees will ever lay eyes on this form.”

“Okay…” Aurora dreaded what was coming. The woman’s tone implied something uncomfortable was about to be asked.

“I need to ask you…” Charlie averted her eyes. “How were the circumstances when you signed the current contract with Mr. Thompson?”

Aurora’s heart skipped a beat.

The Contract.

Part of her had hoped she’d be done with it by now. She should have known better.

“I was young, but I don’t remember how young. I’d lived my first years unaware of my nature. When my maturity reached its peak, I started having high fevers, coughing up blood every other minute.” Aurora closed her eyes. “I was informed that I was an Immortalia, and I had to find my owner in order to get better.”

Charlie took note of everything.

“I’d already gone too long without contacting Zachary. In the final week it was just a matter of luck. My previous owner—Mr. Thompson senior—had only one son, and there were no records of where he’d gone to live. It took a while to find him, and it took even longer for him to believe me when I said he needed to make the contract.

“He refused at first, but I begged him. Finally, on the last day he offered me a contract. I didn’t have any choice but to sign it. I only managed to get two conditions in place, because I was too sick to fight for more.”

“And the two were the possible causes of a breach of the contract, right?”

“Yes.”

“What did they involve?”

“If I was raped or managed to permanently bear a mark.”

“Raped? By him?” Charlie frowned.

“By him, or by someone working with him. Basically, if my body was used for sex under his command, regardless of who used me.”

“What about the mark?”

“It was the first thing I told him about. That clause has been in the contract ever since the 18th century when I became Thomson property.” Aurora sighed. “It’s a clever move. As someone with healing skin, that would make it impossible to breach the contract.”

“Surely the prevention of rape would be a nice add-on then?”

Aurora shrugged. “Not compared to my previous contract with Zachary’s parents.”

“How so?”

“Up until Zachary, I’ve always managed to find the families early on. That gave me the possibility of discussing the terms of contract.” Aurora stretched her limbs—she was sore now. “The last generation of humans was much more dependent on Immortalias. Zachary didn’t need me—I needed him. He took advantage of that.”

“Just out of curiosity…” For the second time, Charlie looked away. “Did you have to fight for it? For the hands-off clause, I mean.”

Aurora took a moment to realize what she was asking. With a small smile, she answered, “Truthfully? No. Even without such a clause, I don’t think Zach is the … take-by-force kind. It’s one of the only positive things I can say about the man. He likes his art more than he likes his women, and he likes his women to be infatuated with him, to stroke his ego. I don’t think Zach has it in him to have sex with someone who doesn’t view him as a God. It would shrivel his fragile ego—among other things.”

“Ah. I see.” Charlie wrote something down before placing the clipboard on the table. “Let’s take a look at the chip now."

Aurora turned around and lowered her head, exposing her neck.

“It’s already healed—that’s good.” Charlie’s finger touched the wound. Aurora still had an itch, but it wasn’t much.

“Your healing abilities are magnificent. I think we’ll get some good results from our next test.” Charlie walked over to the table and took her pen, then noted something down.

Despite how pleasurable this woman appeared, Aurora didn’t trust her. The lab technician’s voice had been far too excited about the next couple of tests for her liking. Those would be the ones to hurt.

“All right. New chair position,” Charlie said. “Please stand up again.”

Aurora did so and watched the lab technician reposition the chair again. This time she would be sitting upright. Charlie gestured for her to take a seat, and Aurora obliged.

Something in the back of her mind told her that now was the time to begin making her escape. Mentally, she prepared herself for the routine.

This is going to hurt, she thought. I can’t screw this one up.

Charlie lined up a bunch of tools, which Aurora ignored. They didn’t look enjoyable, and she didn’t want to think of their purpose. Those kinds of thoughts made it more difficult to complete the routine.

Ten. Nine. Eight…

“Please prepare yourself. I’m going to begin momentarily,” Charlie said. With understanding in her voice, she added, “If you need some extra time to do whatever it is you do, I understand.”

Not wanting to be taken from her routine, Aurora gave a slight nod but said nothing.

Seven. Six. Five…

It seemed to be working, but Aurora didn’t allow herself the excitement. It would ruin her concentration if her heartbeat sped up. Inhaling and exhaling slowly, she closed her eyes to shut out the world.

Four. Three. Two…

Her muscles relaxed, and she sank down into the chair. It was working.

One…

The familiar sensation of being whirled through time and space overcame her. Her stomach churned, but she knew it would soon disappear.

When Aurora opened her eyes again, she was surprised to find herself back in Manhattan again. The tall buildings towered over her, shadowing her body from the burning sun. Though she wasn’t certain of the exact date, she knew this was Manhattan as it had been years ago. There was no wind today, only the suffocating heat. She had to open her mouth and take a breath. Panting, she looked around.

Why am I here again?

Her hallucinations were never the same twice. And while it wasn’t the exact same spot, she could recognize the smell and see the Empire State Building in the distance. Cars were honking on the streets, and Aurora was surprised to see it so busy—normally, she’d be alone with him. This time, it was more lifelike. Even the smell of hotdogs mingled in with the reek of exhaust from the buses and taxicabs.

“I bet you’re wondering why you’re here?” The sweet voice was like honey to her ears.

“Yes.”

He was behind her, and she could hear his footsteps nearing.