Sleepers Part 1

Breakers Episode II

Chapter 2

The car pulled onto a lengthy drive. It was the second time within the last few months that Cora found herself at a new home. She knew this wasn’t a mere visit. Eden knew exactly who she was. She was under no delusions that the woman had intentions of letting her go.

She would bide her time until she could escape. They would have to be destroyed, however, before she could leave. It would be too dangerous to let them live. Tie up the loose ends out of necessity. The thought didn’t bother her a bit. Was it her genetic code or her training at work? Did she care which one? Not really.

A sprawling estate in the middle of a man-made grove was their destination. A secluded property with guards crawling all over it. Those were just the ones that could be seen. There was no doubt more that were hidden from the naked eye. Only someone trained in combat perhaps could find them all. Someone like David.

“Come dear.” She had been engrossed in the tight security to the point of missing when the car stopped. Following silently behind Eden, her eyes drifted about her new surroundings. There was very little in the way of privacy. The rooms were wide open with no partitions dividing them except an occasional wall of glass. Light filtered in from the wall to wall windows, giving an unobstructed view of the outside world. She hadn’t noticed this feature upon arriving. It would make sneaking out near impossible. Even if she were able to get past the confines of the building, there was still the tight security to contend with. The elder woman was a formidable person indeed.

“Join me for afternoon tea, won’t you, Cora?” An order vainly disguised as polite formality. There was little doubt that she would not be allowed to refuse.

“Of course.” She didn’t bother with a pleasant smile. Eden didn’t even flinch as she took the seat beside her.

A tea set was sat on the table between them breaking the eye contact between them. Her gaze drifted up over the woman as she stepped away from the table. She felt familiar in a way that was uncomfortable. It had little to do with her resemblance to her mother. Another Eve clone. It might have surprised her more if she hadn’t already been subjected to the Adam clone. This one, however, did not unsettle her as Remi had. It could have been her relationship with David that made her ill at ease in their home. She disregarded the thought. Her mother had been the one with the attachment to the man, not her.

“Cora, I’d like to introduce you to Trinity.”

“Trinity?”

“Yes dear. You may not remember her, but she helped Astrid with the Gemini project. Well, I suppose we both had a hand in that.” Eden chuckled at her inside joke while Trinity smiled serenely. She wondered at how much the woman had helped her mother. The familiar presence of her led to a guess that it was more than just the clones.

“Hello Trinity.”

“It’s lovely to see you again Cora.”

“Trinity took Astrid’s place at the lab while she carried your embryo to term. Once she returned, Trinity took you under her wing while Astrid worked on her plan.”

“I see.” And she did too. Probably more than Eden had wanted her to.

“That’ll be all Trinity.”

“Yes Miss Qu…..Eden.” The woman left as silently as she had come. Maybe with a little more haste in her step. It had been a slip and a costly one. Eden was hiding something. Though she couldn’t imagine what that was, yet.

The rest of their visit was inconsequential at best. Eden chose her words carefully as she elaborated on her home. How she came to employ not only an Eve clone but an Adam one as well was never brought up. Nor was there anymore mention of her mother. It was clear that she was the only one that thought of Astrid in that regard, however. To Eden, the Eve clone had merely been an incubator for one of the gemini. The elder woman had known her mother. Which was another oddity that needed answers. She got the distinct feeling that Eden couldn’t be trusted.

Grabbing a bell that sat upon the tray, she rang it. Not a moment later, Trinity was back within the room, followed by another staff that promptly removed the tea service.

“Trinity will show you to your room dear.”

“My room?”

“I have rooms ready for all four of my grandchildren. You will use one of those for the time being.”

“Thank you.” Rising from her seat, she stood next to the clone waiting to be led away.

If she thought the room would have any more privacy than the rest of the house she would have been mistaken. There were full walls that enclosed the four individual bedrooms. They were not made out of wood and plaster, however. Each one resembled a fish tank. Animals on display was the asthetic. If she ever wondered what a caged animal felt like, she was about to find out. It was going to take everything she learned and then some to avoid having her movements detected.

“I know it’s a little off putting but bare with it for now. Eden means well.”

“I’m sure she does.” Trinity’s smile was weak. She probably didn’t fully believe her own words, but she was trying. For that, she wouldn’t give her mother’s clone a hard time. Amicable was her norm after all.

“Stay in Eden’s good graces, Cora. You’ll be allowed anywhere on the property if you do.” Interesting choice of words.

“Where would I possibly want to go?” Petulant teen was not her forte, but Trinity seemed to buy it.

“Astrid’s lab.”

Her mother’s lab was within reach. Glancing at the four rooms built for observation, her mind whirled. She knew two of the rooms were meant for her and Jacob. She was not a fool. The other two, logically, would be to house their clones. Eden intended to have full control of all the gemini clones. Would playing along for now be worth what could be gained in the meantime? Absolutely.

“Understood.”