Gestation, John Gold [good books for high schoolers .TXT] 📗

having that effect, and not your project with the animals.”

Eliza frowned.

“My proposal includes reports on the analysis we did of two focus groups. There’s a clear difference in behavior for problem kids—one group lives ordinary lives, while I still have to keep an eye on the other.

The men glanced at each other and nodded.

“Good enough—we’re in.”

“What was the farce for then?”

“We needed to make sure you were following logic, and not your emotions and motherly instincts.”

That kind of thing said to a student was insulting, but there was a degree of truth to it.

“Understood. No offense.”

“We’ll increase the project’s budget, and we’ll open five new zoos in Project Chrysalis. Send us your list of people for the project and the estimated expenses as soon as they’re ready.”

The pair got up and left the office, while Eliza collapsed wearily into her chair. The happy smile on her face made her awfully beautiful. She’d chosen a career in science and turned her back on the idea of having her own children, so she didn’t have any. The project helped her meet her need to care for someone. Eliza understood that perfectly well, though she was able to control her emotions and desires. Talking with men was always about numbers and facts, and that’s what she’d given them.

“Miss Donovan, Anji Ganet is online and would like to meet.” Moro had politely waited until the end of the conversation before giving Eliza the news.

“What a day! Tomorrow, aliens are going to get in touch and tell me I’m supposed to save the world.”

“Miss Donovan, your sarcasm is unseemly. Patients almost never ask for contact themselves.”

“I know…it’s just been a tough day. Connect Ganet to my room.”

“Okay.”

Eliza laid back in her capsule and entered the virtual space, always happy to spend some time in her childhood room.

Anji was standing in the center. The boy looked happy, almost like a normal child. He pointed at his ear.

“No, nobody’s listening.”

“Hi, Miss Donovan.”

“Finally, you’re talking. And you’re practically bursting with happiness.”

“You’re right. I’m in a good mood, and I have decided to talk with you. You wanted to know why I don’t talk with the other kids, right?”

“Yes.”

“But you already know.”

“Sure. You don’t want to talk with people who aren’t as smart as you. I saw the fight in the center and know why it happened. Do you think that will make you happy? You don’t have anyone.”

“You seriously overestimate my need to talk with people, Miss Donovan. I think most people are idiots who just want to humiliate anyone who’s better than them. They think they can break my will if they’re stronger or come at me in a group…but they’re wrong.”

“Not everyone is like that, Anji. There have been some people who’ve treated you well.”

“Yes, and you tried to use that against me. I appreciate the lesson and won’t let that be a weakness again.”

Eliza tensed up, wondering where the conversation was going.

“You’re a smart boy, and you know that not talking is slowing down your psychological development. Your emotional intellect coefficient is far behind the curve, but you’re still young. We can fix that.”

“Talking… I’ve only ever had two people I considered friends. I feel too guilty to talk with one now, and the other stripped me of a normal childhood and tried to kill me. With friends like that, what do I need talking for?”

“You’re exaggerating. Not all people are that bad.”

“I know, Miss Donovan. There are others, too. But I don’t want…I’m not going to make that mistake. I’d rather stay a child than become an adult like her.”

Eliza could have said that she saw Rachel, but she didn’t. The boy needed to forget about that incident and move on.

“You decide for yourself who you’re going to be. You don’t have to be like her; you’re you. Don’t close the world out just because of people like that.”

“Those are just words, Miss Donovan. Goodbye.”

“Wait! There’s a zoo in Denev, a city in Radaam. Stop by when you think you need to.”

“Goodbye.”

Anji left the personal virtual space. Moro, who had said nothing the whole time, piped up.

“Congratulations, Miss Donovan. The boy talked! Would you like me to add that to his file?”

“No point. We didn’t solve the problem; we just found a temporary improvement. Something’s off about him, too.”

“What do you mean?”

“Anji has already showed us that he always has a reason for everything he does. I don’t think he just missed me, so he probably agreed to talk because of his youth and inexperience. People like that act when they feel like they’re in control.”

Moro and Eliza left the virtual space without saying anything else. There was a lot of work ahead thanks to the new zoos, and the girl had already put everything having to do with Anji on the back burner. All she had were ideas, though something was definitely going on.

∞ ∞ ∞

My mood is great. Malcom told me that he bought the building and will have the equipment delivered in a week, and then it’ll be a couple of days finding the staff and getting them set up. In ten days, I’ll submit a transfer request, and I’ll be sitting in a shuttle on my way to Arpa in two weeks. The list of orphans has already been confirmed.

I get to Imir in the depths of night. There are players running around everywhere, mostly new ones killing poor rabbits while their stronger friends cover them. I have to laugh. It’s a starter location, so the gates are always open, which is why life goes on around the clock.

Throwing on my cloak of death to make sure nobody can see my face, I dash through the city and glance over at the square. Teurus’ main temple, of which I have the fondest memories, is still there. I don’t have any business there, however, so I follow my heart and head home.

The journey that used to take an hour takes just ten minutes, and I stop in front of…my house?

But it isn’t there.