Hello World

Chapter 23 Hecate

The Genetically Engineered Children Testing Clinic was situated in the right hand wing of the University of Van. It had grey brick walls, and thick metal doors which were designed to lock at the press of a button. Iron bars encased the few existing window.

Gingerly, I walked through those doors, and looked around the lobby. It was lit by bright halogen lights which dangled from the cement ceiling. The diamond patterned linoleum flooring appeared to have once been white. It had faded to purple and grey when water had seeped under it after leaking down from a broken pipe on the floor above. Brown leather sofas lined the two walls perpendicularly to the door. A large wooden desk stood at the far wall.

I had not been here since I was seven. None the less, I felt a twinge of familiarity as I looked around. I closed my eyes and tried to remember that day, the day they had deemed me to have met their satisfaction guarantee policy.

I had been sitting on one of the couches, the one in the left hand corner, closest to the entrance. I remembered looking up at the ceiling, where a skylight window exposed an enticing square of blue. It had been streaked with thick iron bars, and I had asked Samantha if we were in jail. She had glared at me and whispered that we soon would be if I did not stop fidgeting. I had shot around to stare at her, and had obediently set my hands flat on my lap. I had tried with all my efforts not to fiddle with my braids, and to stare straight ahead.

A blonde woman who appeared to be in her early forties sat on a stool behind the desk. She was chewing gum, and reading names as they appeared on a monitor. "Laura James," She called. "Kathy Manners. Christopher Haff."

I pulled myself from my reveries, and watched as small children, all in their neatest clothes, scurried towards the desk as their names were called. Some stood silently, gawking wide-eyed up at the blonde woman. Others chased each other around the front desk. They were trying to pull each other's hair and come up with the foulest insult. Grimly, I wondered which ones would make it out.

The woman pulled a box from beneath the desk. She handed a rubber band to each of the parents, who had fallowed close behind. She instructed them to place one on each of their children. I watched as a young women summoned her twin boys.

"Bracelets are for girls!" one of them complained.

The other remained silent.

One by one, the parents hugged their children, and returned to sit back down. The mother of the twin boys eyed my warily as she walked by. She met my gaze, and I looked away. I stared at my feet as I went to sit in the seat nearest to me. I looked up at the ceiling, where there was no skylight window. When I looked down again, the children had all been led to the back.

"Henry Collin, Loretta Miller, Cameron Jones, Devon Williams, Hecate Green."

As I walked towards the desk, I could see people staring. I could hear their curious whispers. I guessed it was unusual for a product to be tested after a set amount of time; most parents would have considered returning their product well before fifteen years of age.

I was wearing my light blue Sunday dress; it was the colour of freedom. At Samantha's insistence, my hair had been done up in its usual braids. For a moment I felt like an oversized child as the blonde women had me hold out my arm. Around my wrist, she placed a crimson band. "That's good. Good," she said. I was reminded of the way the veterinarian had spoken to Willow. Good girl. Good girl. It's okay."

My heart raced as I was lead down a bright and clean hallway. 

                                                                                     ***

"What do you mean? Wrong product?" I could hear Samantha say shrilly. My heart raced and I tapped my leg nervously as I listened. 

"It is really unfortunate and I apologize on behalf of the company," said the doctor.

"What do you mean you mixed up?" Said Ferdinand, angrily. "This has put our entire family at risk."

"Ferdinand!" said Samantha. 

"I am sorry."

"What are you going to do about this?" barked Ferdinand. 

"We could offer a replacement."

"What!" shouted Samantha. 

The image of the little boy and the biohazard symbol rose in my mind. I shivered and held my breath.

"The best course of action is to offer a replacement. We should still have the genetic code on file. I can check." The door opened and the doctor walked out. He smiled at me as he walked paced. I grimaced and looked down. My heart raced.

"She is our daughter!" Said Samantha. "We can't just give her up so that they can do god knows what with her!"

"Samantha! Calm down. I am sure they have another solution."

The doctor returned, glancing at me as he returned to the room. He seemed rushed or panicked but I could not tell which.

"Unfortunately, we no longer seem to have the code. However, we will happily work with you to design a suitable replacement," I could hear the doctor saying with feigned enthusiasm.

"You lost Kativa's DNA?" Samantha shouted. This was fallowed by a moment of silence.

"What," asked the doctor at last.

"Kativa. Our deceased daughter! Hecate -well the girl who was supposed to be Hecate was based on Kativa's DNA," sobbed Samantha.

"I am sorry ma'am."

For a moment, they were silent except for Samantha's occasional sobs and the sounds of a pen scratching a paper. The doctor once again left the room, this time not so much as glancing at me. I could hear him whistling as he turned the corner. His footsteps echoed through the hallway. I closed my eyes and waited. My mind wandered.