Chapter 19

  This is my daughters future. Jennifer and Maria are in the other room chatting, I'm looking over a virtual representation of what Jennifer's memories will be of her life up until now, scanning though the perfect childhood, she'll have a pony named Russell. Her favorite teddy bear will be Teddy. The Countess will read her Goldilocks and the Three Bears. She'll never know me, but she'll have a chance to live a happy life. Jennifer's confused about why we're here, but that'll all soon be forgotten, my life will be forgotten.

  We're in the Collectives HQ, it was a short discussion; we can't stop Stinger, Maria will die and I can't protect my daughter. The logic of it doesn't change the pain in my heart I have from it all.

  I take the viewer off and walk into the other room to Maria and whisper to her “You can have a look now.” I say.

  “It's Ok, I've seen it.” She puts her hand on my arm, I pull my arm back.

  “Yeah, of course you fricken have.” I spit back. I reach down and pick up Jen. “Are you behaving out here?” I ask.

  “Yes Dad. Everyone is nice but they all seem the same.”

  She's very observant, they are all a single minds thought. Is she super special or do all parent's think their babies are more special? Objectively, probably a bit of both with Jennifer.

  It's 11:14.

  Damn it all, damn the world, damn every human to ever exist. Accept Jennifer. She's perfect. We go into the operating room, Jen looks nervous.

  “What's going on dad?”

  Calm Stanley, hold it together. You don't want her last memories of her to be your selfish feelings. “It's a greaty day Jen, we'll be able to leave the island. You just need a small procedure, when you wake up we'll watch a movie together then leave the Island. You'll get to go to school and play with kids your own age. Doesn't that sound fun?”

  “It does, but why does that make you sad dad?”

  “I'm not sad about that dear. Your mother and I have been here a very long time, it's just a lot to get used too.”

  She knows I'm lying, but she trusts me. I lift her up in the chair

  They go to give her a sedative.

  “Wait.” I say, I hug her. “Never forget we love you.”

  “What's going on Dad?”

  “We'll go see a movie when you wake dear, we can talk about it then.” I say.

  The sedative takes effect, she drifts off to sleep. I turn and Maria is sobbing. She hugs me, I just put my arms around her, hugging her doesn't give me comfort anymore, she's just like the rest of them.

  They lead us to an observation room.

  “This can be stressful procedure. I can't emphasize this enough; you can not interact with her. These are major changes in her brain and interacting with her in her old life will fracture her psyche.” A tech says.

  Maria holds my hand, we've barely spoken. If she told the truth to me maybe things could have been different. The only person I can trust in this world is going to have all memories of me erased. There she is, eyes closed, smiling, forgetting us, sliding into new memories, her new life. She'll never know me, but be happy in life. I'm sick of fricken people.

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  Jens face is changing, wait, she looks afraid, no, terror. The Collective Techs are all looking at each other, their heads twitching, they're communicating.

  “Somethings wrong, what's wrong?” Maria asks.

  They don't respond to us.

  “Dammit what's going on? Stop whatever you're doing!” I say.

  Jen starts screaming.

  One of them turns to us. “We can't stop it. We don't have an answer but the 'C' option for reprogramming her mind was engaged instead of the 'A' option.”

  “You got you wish brother.” Stinger says, we turn, he's standing in the room behind us.

  “What did you do?!?!”

  The Collective guard immediately opens fire with his automatic riffle, the guards head is all blown off.

  “Like that trick? It was a bitch to learn, running back bullets, I blew my fingers off three times.”

  Jenifer is still screaming.

  “What did you do?!?” Maria screams at him.

  “Collective Tech, tell them about what 'C' Option is.”

  “'C' Option is she remembers all, being raised by you two, she doesn't forget. However, what she is seeing now is, traumatic.”

  “Well tell us!” I yell.

  “'C' Option is, the same to date, only in her mind she just witnessed you two being killed by the Others.”

  “Why the hell is that even a consideration?” I grab the Tech by the throat and slam him against the wall.

  “It was a consideration at one point with the idea that when she's older you may be able to see each other in the future and with guidance be able to accept you are her parents.”

  “It is what you asked brother; you told me you don't want her to forget you.”

  “That's... not this way... How much older?”

  “Her mind with guidance should be able to accept you back when she's mature adult, her early 20s.”

  I immediately turn to Stinger, my punch to his face doesn't strike him and slams through the metal door of the cabinet behind where he was standing. I pull my cut up hand out.

  “I'll see you later brother.”

  The door busts open and he's gone.

  I look on as they calm Jen. My feelings are very conflicted; it wasn't the right choice, but part of me can't deny I'm on some level happy she has memories of us.

  Maria shoves me. “What did you tell Stinger???”

  “I thought I was hallucinating, it was in my head.”

  “What did you say!”

  I've seen this look in her eyes, never directed at me. No, this is bull shit. “I said what I thought! I told him I hate the idea of her forgetting us, forgetting me! I'm not going to fucking be sorry for thinking that!”

  “Look what that thought lead too!”

  “How was I supposed to know?”

  “Just go...”

  “Maria...”

  “Go!”

  I walk out the door, to the lift. It's the slowest lift ride I've ever been on.

  I refuse to feel guilty, fuck them all, every last one of them used me, toyed with my mind, now its my damn fault for having a thought of my own?

  Stinger is too fast, too strong. He's the worst part of the problem, I need to protect Jennifer, the only way to do that is to rid the world of my brother.

  It's been a couple of days since I last saw her. Plan 'C' going forward is Jen is to be raised by a Tech and a mystic in a quiet part of the province, she's been transported there safely, according to Jodi. That's if Jodie isn't bull shitting me again.

  I'm free now, I think. All that matters is Jennifer is safe, I need to ensure that, I have a plan to deal with Stinger.

  I've been staying in Jodi's personal quarters in the Cavern, hiding from the world. I've just been sitting here staring at the wall. I know what my plan is; I still need to protect her. There is only one option; I need to find that training module Stinger trained with, to even have a chance.

  Jodi enters.

  “Did I get the call?” I ask.

  “Yes, right now. Use my personal terminal. Are you ok? There...”

  “I need this call Jodi, we talked about it, this is the only thing keeping me moving forward in life right now. Please transfer it.”

  “Stanley, you need to slow down.”

  “Just transfer the fucking call or I swear I'll swim over to Liverpool to talk to them if I have too! Or die trying, because I have nothing to live for without this.”

  She turns on the screen. “You will loose yourself in this Stanley.” She stands and walks out.

  -Goliath, how are you?- Father asks.

  -I need the training module Stinger has. You have contacts around the world, do you know where there is another one?-

  -Goliath, take some time to sort your head...- Mother says.

  -All I have in life is to protect her from a psychopath that is unstoppable unless I get this training. You must know?-

  -There are 3 I know of. Underwood no longer has the one he used on Stinger. There is only one that I know of that they may let you use. It's far away.-

  -Where?-

  -Japan. We can help you get transport, I will fund you personally. I would do the same for any one of my children. You'll want to learn the language, there will be time for that, it's a long journey to get there.- Father says.

  -Please, set it up.-