Sleepers Part 1

Seekers Episode I

Chapter 1

8 years later…...

Life had been relatively quiet on her own. David had set her up in a studio apartment when they had left that night. She had thought it was his home, but she had figured out quickly not to be so. He never stayed with her. The place was another hidden safe house, that was all. The sterile sparse environment hadn’t changed greatly over time either. No personal trinkets or homey touches adorned any of the bare surfaces. She merely existed within its walls until it was time to move on once again.

David had enrolled her into an online school program that she was sure he would never bother to check afterwards. She has since graduated early and enrolled herself into many courses of study through online universities. She was learning everything she could that would benefit an arsenal of knowledge. From the sciences of mind and body to government. She had been meticulous.

David, on the other hand, had been working on training her physically. Equipment had come and gone as she mastered each one that was thrown at her. He was diligent in his teaching and had gone so far as to begin assigning tasks. Complicated puzzles that tested her stamina to complete each one. She had never left one undone. She didn’t know what he had planned for her future. He was very tight-lipped whenever she asked. He was up to something though. She imagined that this was what her life with her mother would have been like. One training her mind, while the other trained her physique.

Her mother, Astrid. Her creator. All the clone pairs’ creator. Cora had a different bond with the scientist than all the others, however. Astrid had given birth to her. Maybe it was because there wasn’t access to containment tanks outside of GenLife. Necessity had called for an implanted embryo instead. She wasn’t sure why the decision had been made. Nor was she privy to why the scientist used her own womb. Her mother had told her many things involving the program and the clones. Those two choices hadn’t been among what was shared.

It was up to Cora now to fill in the missing blanks. Eve, Adam, and Lilith. Names of the projects that started at GenLife. Names of the breadcrumbs she had to find and follow for answers. Whether that came from finding her mother or her mother’s research didn’t matter. The time to fit the pieces was nearing. David’s visits had become less frequent as of late. She could only conclude he felt she was almost ready. Her own preparations had stepped up in response. She had finished her courses already not knowing if there would be a means to do so later. It was better to conclude her studies at this point. Her physical appearance had been altered to the best of her resources as well.

The beautician she had gone to had called it a rebellious faze. Cora had let him believe what he wanted. He recounted his own behavior as a teen while he worked. As if those trivial stories made the two of them co-conspirators. The man had tried to entice her into choosing odd colorings for her hair. The object of her endeavor wasn’t to stand out among the many. She wanted to be overlooked in a crowd. Blandly forgettable. For all his boisterous words, however, when it came time to work on her hair, he faltered. Cora could not be moved though. No matter how he simpered. He did his job. Although he lamented over the loss of her original color and natural curls. Cutting it had almost proved too much for him emotionally. He was an odd man.

Once he had finished, the chair had been turned to face the mirror. It was perfect. She looked no different than anyone else. Meeting the eyes of his reflection, she could swear she saw him wipe moisture away. A very odd man indeed.

That had been two days ago. Today she stood in the bathroom starting at her reflection. The colored contacts had finally come in and she was taking in the appearance as a whole. She had added brown mascara and eyebrow pencil to conceal the last of the golden blonde hair. Her locks were now a light brown. Her eyes were hazel instead of the startling blue they really were. Her gaze moved over the neutral colors of her loose clothing. She was a stranger. All traces of her parentage had been erased. The results were satisfactory.

“Cora?” David was there. Would today be another task or something else?

She entered the main room to find David directing a crew of men around. They wore shirts baring the logo of a moving company. It was time to leave again then. She faced David in time to catch his look of surprise when he saw her. He recovered quickly. She hadn’t thought the change would affect him. Nothing ever really did.

“Pack up your things. It’s time to move you.”

Nodding, she turned to comply. It was futile to argue with his decisions. Not that she ever felt the need to if given the chance. She knew the apartment had been a temporary lodging from the beginning. She had thought he would have removed her presence there sooner than he did. GenLife knew nothing of her existence. It was better if they didn’t. When her mother went missing all those years ago, David had planned for the worst. She understood the circumstances better than she suspected David knew she did. They had never discussed it before. He was obviously aware that Astrid had shared something. Unless he simply figured her lack of reactions came from her gnome.

She wasn’t inclined to ask questions and tip her hand. He may be her ally at the moment, but that could change. She wasn’t sure what could tip the tables out of her favor either. It was better to remain silent and comply. At least until their agendas no longer aligned.

Two suitcases and a computer bag. All she owned filled them up. She had lived a spartan life so far, not really needing more than what she had. Even then, everything within her luggage could be replaced easily. The only irreplaceable piece was the research she had put together on GenLife and the cloning programs. All of it was stored on a microchip that she always kept on her person. If she ever had to leave at a moment’s notice, it would already be with her. Well hidden inside an earing, half hidden within the curve of cartilage. Everything of importance sitting in plain sight. The research on the government run fertility clinic and the clones they didn’t know existed.

David picked up the suitcases, leaving Cora to take the laptop bag. Without a word, she followed him to the door where he paused. Looking over his shoulder, his eyes held hers in an intense stare.

“What do you know about the Eve project?”