Sleepers Part 1

Dreamers Episode I

Chapter 1

          Genlife had a compound outside of the city well hidden away from civilization. The cluster of buildings was where all the children were brought once, they had awakened to begin programing.

          One of the structures was designated as dorms for all the sleepers who resided there. It was the only one that resembled somewhat of a prison. The program creators couldn’t have their assets running loose.

          The next building over was for the instructors that would educate the wayward children living there. Some of the adults lived off site, only visiting when needed. The rest of the compound comprised the very places that the children would receive their training. Both in academics as well as combat.

          It had been a couple of days since Amy had been brought to her new home. Dr. Green, while not a resident that normally lived on site, had a room of her own. She staid to acclimate the children she would acquire upon their awakening to make sure they adjusted. It all usually went rather well. There were however a select few that proved problematic to the change. Dr. Green had a feeling that Amy would fall with in the smaller group. To head off any problems she had requested the young girl placed into Levi’s room for now. It was a temporary fix that wouldn’t be allowed to last long. After all they couldn’t have boys and girls getting used to living together. For now, it was an acceptable measure. A decision that was sustaining Amy’s compliance for now.

          Dr. Green would be leaning heavily upon Levi to teach Amy how to behave in her new environment. She expected the young girl to rage a bit at first. She would have to make sure that Amy was kept preoccupied enough that the growing pains that came with the adjustment would be minimal. Levi would help in that aspect as well.

          From watching the two of them together the last two days Dr. Green could tell there was something unique about the pair. They weren’t quite as moldable as the other pairs before them. She had sent word to the scientist responsible for the pair genome. She needed to speak with her about the current two sleepers to find out what the woman had done. Levi and Amy alone were not enough to raise any suspicions. When they lived in the compound with the other children though it was hard to miss. She supposed to the untrained eye they would seem like any of the others. Dr. Green could see it. Something was amiss with them. She needed to know exactly what was done to the samples to know how to proceed. If they were treated and trained like all the others, they could fail. Failure was not in her vocabulary. She had been turning out successful specimens since the project’s conception. She wasn’t about to change her stats now. Not because some scientist developed delusions of grandeur.

          Releasing a weighty sigh, Dr. Green paused the video of the newest pair. When she got her hands on the woman that had created them, she would put her in her place. What good was a trained monkey if they didn’t do what they were told. The silence in response to her request was disconcerting, however. The young scientist should have gotten back to her within an hour of her initial communication. It wasn’t unheard of for the scientific team to get so emerged within projects that a few hours would pass without a word. It had now been a full day since she had reached out. Something was off and it didn’t set well with her at all. A couple of agents had been sent to retrieve the young woman that morning. There was still no word. Not from the scientist and not from the agents. Things were not going according to plan this time at all.

          First, Levi and Amy awoke too early. Then the one who created them had been out of reach for twenty-four hours. The plans were going off the rails. After all the years that the program had been up and running Dr. Green wasn’t about to let it get wrecked now. It was imperative that things went according to plan. They had just entered stage three by opening the program up to the public. Genlife was projected to be a large step forward for the sleeper program. It couldn’t mess up now. Not in the beginning stages.

          A knock on her door brought Dr. Green’s thoughts back to the present. Closing her laptop, she called out for them to enter. Settling into her chair she was the picture of calm when the agents walked into her office.

          “Reporting on the asset.”

          “Well get on with it. Did you bring her?” The two men standing at attention shifted on their feet before answering.

          “She’s gone.”

          “What do you mean gone?”

          “She has not been to work since the night that 426 was collected. Her residence has been emptied of important items and abandoned. Her work hard drive has been tampered with as well.” Dr. Green’s heart rate picked up the pace. A light sheen of sweat broke out across her hairline with the report.

          “Tampered with how exactly?” At her question the second agent, who had remained silent up to this point opened the door to escort someone else into the room. The scrawny scientist skittered his way up to her desk. He placed a drive down before stepping back and pushing up his oversized glasses. Clearing his throat, he was wringing his hands together before speaking.

          “All of the data for the pair genome is there except one pair.”

          “I assume the missing pair is Levi and Amy?”

          “Yes mam. We’ve tried to retrieve the data by all means available but, it doesn’t appear that the data was ever on the hard drive to begin with.”

          “How is that possible?” Dr. Green’s ire was rising. Picking up the drive she clenched it in a tight fist while glaring at the young man. Swallowing visibly, he took a step back before delivering the final blow.

          “The collective has come to the conclusion that she had a secondary hard drive that she took with her.” Growling Dr. Green stood up ready to strike out in anger. Eyeing the small group while she composed herself a new idea formed. Taking her seat again she addressed the room.

          “I want any scientists that can unravel their gnome to come to the compound. A full diagnostic will be run on Levi and Amy. Whatever she did to them needs to be figured out.”

          “I understand.”

          “You two, I want her found now. She needs to be treated as a hostile instead of an asset. Bring her in. She has much that she needs to answer for.”

          Each replied in the affirmative before leaving to complete their new orders. Dr. Green waited until the door closed behind them to open her computer back up. The still of Levi and Amy had remained on her screen. She stared at the image with a growing sense of apprehension. Just what exactly had the scientist done?