Future Shock

9

There’s a pause. I flatten myself against the wall, trying not to breathe. What are they talking about? What are they worried will happen again? And what did they mean by young enough?

“Then we’ll have to go younger,” Dr. Kapur says.

“Younger? It was hard enough getting five eighteen-year-olds. We can’t get anyone younger! And if we do, they won’t be able to bring back the kind of data we need!”

“It doesn’t matter,” Dr. Kapur continues. “It won’t happen this time.”

They’re talking about us. Does that mean there were other times?

“I hope you’re right,” Dr. Walters says with a sigh.

“I’ve done the analysis and run the tests multiple times. We won’t have any problems,” Dr. Kapur says. I hear movement, the sound of clothes rustling. “It’s almost time. We need to get to the accelerator.”

“Yes, Lynne is waiting, and I need to check the calibrations before we start.”

Padded steps come toward me and I bolt down the hall, tracing my steps back to my exam room. They’re about to turn the corner. I won’t make it in time.

I knock on the nearest door and it opens—Adam! He looks surprised, but I push him back into his room before he can speak. The door shuts behind us with a soft click.

“Elena, what—”

I cover his mouth with one hand and listen. My other hand grips his arm, holding him in place. Adam stares at me with wide eyes, but he doesn’t move and doesn’t speak. I count the seconds in my head. One minute. Two.

When the danger has passed, I realize how close we are. Our bodies are pressed together and my hands touch his lips, his bare arm. He isn’t wearing a shirt and his chest is toned, with a trace of dark hair trailing into his jeans. The heat of his skin burns through my thin shirt, and his eyes never leave mine. He’s only a few inches taller than me, the perfect height for a kiss.

And then I realize I’m alone in a room with a guy I don’t know. Who probably thinks I came here for a booty call. Terror briefly flashes in my chest, but I shove it aside. I release him and take a quick step back. “Sorry.”

“Elena, what’s going on?” Adam sounds more confused than aroused. Good. If he tries to kiss me, I’ll punch him.

I turn toward the door, but I’m not sure I want to go out there yet. The scientists might still be lurking, and I don’t want to have to explain why I’m in Adam’s room. But if I stay here I’ll have to tell Adam something.

I fumble for an explanation. “I wanted to grab a snack before our trip.”

His dark eyebrows pull together. He’s not wearing his glasses. “But why did you run in here like someone was chasing you?”

I glance at the door again. I can return to my room and pretend this never happened, but something makes me want to tell him what I heard. He’s a genius, so maybe he can make some sense out of the scientists’ words. But still I hesitate.

Adam pulls on a shirt and sits on the edge of the hospital bed. His room is identical to mine, with the crinkly paper and the untouched pink, backless robe. He puts on his glasses and studies me with those piercing blue eyes, as though trying to solve me like a math problem. “Is everything all right, Elena?”

I think of the origami unicorn he made me, currently sitting in my exam room with my other things, and make my decision. “I overheard two of the scientists talking near the elevator.”

“Right now?”

“Yeah. I heard Dr. Walters say, ‘How do you know it won’t happen again?’”

Adam listens in silence while I recite the conversation for him, word for word. When I finish, he asks, “Are you sure that’s what they said?”

“Yes.” I’m not sure if I should reveal my secret to him. But I figure we’ll all learn each other’s “talents” eventually. “I remember every word they said. I have an…eidetic memory.” It’s weird to say it out loud after keeping it a secret for so long. Feels like I’m stripping off my clothes in front of him.

Adam sits up straighter. “Really? That’s amazing.”

I don’t want to talk about it. I switch back to the topic at hand, which is far more important anyway. “When they finished talking, they started walking toward me. I didn’t want them to know I’d overheard them, but I didn’t think I’d make it to my room in time.”

“So I was just a convenient escape?” he asks with a hint of a grin.

“Something like that.” I rub my arms, which have grown cold. “Do you have any idea what they were talking about?”

“No, but it’s probably nothing. I’m sure it doesn’t have anything to do with us.”

“Are you kidding me? They mentioned the five of us. And it sounded like they’d done this before.” I pace back and forth in the small space. “And next they want to use little kids!”

“I highly doubt a company like Aether Corporation would send children to the future.”

“But it all makes sense now. Why else would they use foster kids? They know we won’t be missed if something happens to us!”

“They chose us because of our abilities. And we’re not all foster kids.”

“No, you’re the only one who isn’t.” I stop pacing and stare at him. “So why are you here?”

“I…” He shakes his head and looks down. For a minute there is only silence, and I realize that’s his answer.

I turn away. We may have to work together, but we’re strangers. It was stupid to think I could trust Adam. And he’s right—he’s not one of us.