Authors: Paula Bradley
The grin faltered slightly when she saw her reflection in the mirror. Yellow eyes with elliptical pupils stared back at her. White hair, slightly darkened by the water, plastered against her skull. Her teeth weren’t really pointed, just ... maybe ... sharper.
With a sigh, Mariah quickly wiped the remaining water off her body, wrapped herself in a dry towel, and left the bathroom. She would have to face him sooner or later: now was as good a time as any.
Thomas was a lot closer to the bathroom door than she expected. Turning right, she found herself captured in his strong arms. He pulled the towel off her and lifted her off the floor, his lips coming down on hers in a demanding kiss filled with passion and urgency.
She smiled inwardly when she realized that he had taken off his clothes while she was in the shower. His naked body pressing against hers was beginning to have the desired effect.
“Thomas,” she groaned, her body tingling from the long overdue sensations he was eliciting, “I’ve got to ... mmph, stop, you have to ... oooh ... Thomas, please...” He wasn’t interested in talking, that was obvious, but she had to make him look at her to see what had happened during the night.
He broke from their kiss just long enough to scoop her up in his arms and deposit her on the bed. He lay down next to her, pulling her up against him, only to resume his assault on her lips as his hands roamed possessively over her body. Mariah was nearly lost; she felt like she was on fire. From deep within she found the strength to push him gently away.
Looking into his eyes hot with desire, she said in a voice husky with her own cravings, “You’ve got to look at me, and not the way you’re doing now. I’m serious, you might not want...”
His lips plundered hers before she could finish. A soft growl from the back of his throat told her he was totally uninterested in what she had to say. Before she lost all coherent thought, she pushed at his shoulders again and cried, “
Thomas
!”
“Man, you sure know how to kill the mood.” His voice, and the heated look he gave her, negated his words. Rearing back slightly, his eyes scanned her from head to toe. “Okay. White hair: confirmed. Yellow eyes: confirmed. You don’t have to open your mouth, I felt the pointed teeth.” He leered at her. “Do you want me to continue itemizing the rest of your body parts or can I just use the Braille method?”
“That’s all you’re going to say? Aren’t you shocked? Don’t you
care
?” Mariah was bewildered, unable to understand the mind of this man.
“First, I’m not in the mood for conversation. Second, Paradise brought me up-to-date about the changes before I snuck into your room. Oh, and third; the only thing I care about right now is making love to you.”
Giving up, she lost herself in the fire that burned through her body. The last cognitive thought she had before her mind turned to mush was:
thank God for horny men
.
“What do you mean, ‘they’ve been in there for two hours’? Haven’t they come up for air since he got here?”
Although he addressed David Paradise, Gabriel Winters faced the closed door of Mariah’s hospital room. His sports jacket was pushed back, his fists jammed on his hips. Scowling, he turned to eye Paradise whose face contorted ridiculously in an effort to keep from laughing. It was all Winters could do to maintain the scowl on his face.
“Well, Special Resident Agent Winters, I did hear some noise about forty-five minutes ago, like they were moving furniture. I almost went in and then I heard Ms. Carpenter laughing hysterically and then she quieted down real fast, so I decided...”
“Spare me the gruesome details, Paradise, and can that irritating title. We need to talk to Ms. Carpenter immediately about the press conference.” Exasperated, Gabriel resumed staring at the door, missing the grins exchanged between David Paradise and Manny Silverstein.
“Well,
I
think the reunion has gone on long enough,” he groused. “Two damn hours. The man is a machine. This is a hospital, damn it, not a bordello.” David snorted as he turned away, unable to contain himself any longer, clapping his hand over his mouth to keep from laughing out loud. Doctor Silverstein bit his lower lip in an attempt to stifle his own laughter while producing a series of high-pitched noises that sounded like a whining puppy.
The corners of Gabriel’s mouth twitched.
I’d better do something quickly before the three of us lose it altogether,
he thought. Rapping on the door with his knuckles, he said, “Ms. Carpenter? Doctor Silverstein and I need to talk to you.”
Silence filled the hospital corridor. Winters pressed his ear against the door. Glowering at Agent Paradise whose face was in spasms, he reared back and brought his fist up to knock on the door again. However, before he could do it, they all heard two falsetto voices on the other side.
“Who iiis iiit?”
That did it. Growling deep in his throat like a wounded tiger, Winters glared at the two men who were now howling in hysterics. What instantly sprang to his mind was an image of Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari, the stars of
Bosom Buddies,
a 1980 sitcom about two men seeking affordable living in Manhattan who dressed as women and took up residence in an all woman’s hotel. Every time someone knocked on their door, they would “sing” those words in the same tone of voice that now issued from behind this door.
“That woman is going to be the death of me,” Winters muttered. He cleared his throat dramatically and addressed the door once more. “This is Agent Winters, Ms. Carpenter. You remember me: tall, black, extremely handsome, no sense of humor?” Hearing Mariah giggling on the other side of the door, Winters finally lost it and grinned while David Paradise staggered to the men’s room at the end of the hall. Just about to hammer on the door again, Gabriel heard the voices sing out, “Whaddaya waaant?”
Manny laid a sympathetic hand on Gabriel’s shoulder. “Let me try, Agent Winters,” he said, eyes moist with tears of laughter, voice cracking as he brought himself under control.
“Mariah, this is Doctor Silverstein. We need to discuss the upcoming press conference and we would appreciate your participation.”
Now both men pressed their ears to the door, trying to hear the conversation between Mariah and Thomas. When the door opened abruptly, they barely caught themselves from falling in, looking like two guilty children eavesdropping on their parents. Thomas, dressed only in his jeans, grinned at them. “Come on in, gentlemen, the lady is getting dressed.”
Raphael had the tousled, dreamy eyed look of a sexually satisfied man. Winters marveled at the man’s ability to ignore the fact that his girlfriend was beginning to look like something from another planet.
Following Winters into the room, Manny paused to shake Thomas’ hand and wink at him conspiratorially. “So, young man,” his voice boomed out, “did you have a nice visit?”
“Yes, sir,” Thomas said, nodding his head, the grin threatening to split his face from ear to ear. “We visited and visited and...”
“That’s enough out of you, buddy. Doctor Silverstein and Agent Winters haven’t come here to discuss our ‘visit,’” Mariah said, emerging from the bathroom. Manny eyed her critically, noting the look of contentment in her eyes. Unbelievably, the white hair framing her face made her look younger, and the light yellow eyeballs made the hazel in her irises greener.
Amazing
, he thought,
the changes have just made her lovelier
.
“Glad to see you’re doing well, Ms. Carpenter,” Winters said, trying to keep from gawking. Although he had been briefed about her appearance, it was still a shock. “Sorry we cut your ‘visit’ short, but we have to strategize on how we’re going to present you to the public.”
Abruptly heat blazed in her eyes as she stared at Winters. “Strategize? How are
we
going to present
me
?” The soft rasp in her voice was replaced by the sound of steel toed boots crunching crab shells. She folded her arms across her chest, her feet braced slightly apart as if she was about to dance are or fight. Even with his limited knowledge of her, Manny knew Agent Winters was in trouble.
“I think I’m quite capable of presenting myself, Agent Winters. It’s been a long time since I’ve needed an introduction. Besides, what would you say? ‘Ladies and gentlemen of the press, behold the Changeling!’ Getting through that damn press conference is going to be difficult enough without making more of a fuss.”
She dropped her arms, barely able to contain the animosity in her voice. “I know what you want from me. You want to explain me. Forget it. No one can do that. I’m trying to forget what’s going to happen, and my nerves are frayed.”
For the first time since meeting him, Mariah saw something in Gabriel Winters’ eyes that made her question her firm belief that he had no human emotions. It wasn’t pity; she would never accept that from anyone and he was not the type to offer it. His jaw tightened and he shook his head slightly, signs of the frustration and helplessness he felt being unable to fulfill his genetic programming and protect her. Lurking more subtly in the depths of his eyes was admiration for her independence and strength in the face of such overwhelming adversity.
She smiled at him and he smiled back, the first genuine display of friendliness between them. For the first time in his professional career, Gabriel Winters was not in charge of the situation and he felt impotent. In the back of his mind alarm bells went off. He suddenly had a gut feeling that the scientists in the CIA would never be able to make this woman do anything she did not want to.
“Ladies and gentlemen, you were invited here personally by Mariah Carpenter.” Chief of Staff Menachim Silverstein leaned on the lectern in the hospital’s main auditorium, addressing the one hundred and fifty-two journalists. Although he was pleasant, there was an edge of steel that no one missed.
“I’d like to remind you of that once again, before the heads of several departments present the details of their examinations. Ms. Carpenter is under no obligation to share this information with anyone, nor would any of it have ever been made available to you under doctor/patient privilege. If, at any time, the interview turns into a military offence, I’ll shut it down.
“Just in case my military reference did not compute, there will be no disorderly conduct; you will raise your hand and be acknowledged.
“Are there any questions so far?”
Silence filled the hall. No one moved, no one even coughed. Those that had previously attended Doctor Silverstein’s press conferences knew how serious he was. Those that had not were clued in prior to being seated in the auditorium.
“Here are the non-negotiable rules, then. I reserve the right to declare certain questions, and their answers, off-the-record. This covers everything said.”
As soon as Manny took a breath, a hand shot up in the auditorium. Manny smiled down at Rolando Chavira, one of the more senior journalists are and one of the most vocal.
Manny nodded and Chavira stood up, yanking his navy blue sports jacket down and straightening his already perfectly centered white tie. Against the background of a dark red shirt, the tie looked like a stripe on the American flag. Chavira looked as he always did: patriotic.
Chavira’s voice, authoritative and belligerent, cried, “This is outrageous! You’re claiming unilateral authority? We haven’t even agreed to the ground rules. This constitutes prior restraint!” There were murmurs of assent, but they were not very loud. Those present had been through similar rules with the Chief of Staff.
Manny smiled at Chavira, a smile that never reached his eyes. “I quite understand your taking exception, Rolando. I might were I in your position. I am not following normal protocol because there’s nothing normal about this interview. As I stated, these rules are non-negotiable.”
Glancing around at the assemblage, he said, “If any of you feel your rights are being violated, you are welcome to leave. I’ll not hold you captive.” Several people smiled slightly, but no one made a move toward the exits. Shaking his shoulders and grumbling about “dictator” and “censorship,” Chavira took his seat.
Manny nodded and continued. “After each doctor finishes his presentation, you may ask questions by raising your hand and being recognized. When Ms. Carpenter comes on stage, she’ll do all the talking, and then the same process will be followed. No one shouts out her name; she already knows it.” They chuckled, the tension a bit more relieved.
“No pictures will be taken. If you all behave, she’s agreed to give you five minutes of picture taking at the end. You’ll better understand why I declared these rules after you see the presentations.”
Manny paused dramatically then leaned further across the lectern as if he was about to share a secret. The only two video cameras allowed to film the proceedings zeroed in on his face. Behind his glasses, his eyes were unwavering.
“Just a few more points, and then I’ll quit. After this press conference is over, you will not be allowed to leave the auditorium for approximately twenty minutes while Ms. Carpenter heads for her home. If you have to go to the restroom, please make your way to one of the exits and an FBI agent will escort you there and back. And you will hand your cell phone to the officer until he escorts you back to the auditorium. Also, please shut your cell phones off. There will be no phone calls made or received while inside the auditorium.” He grinned at them again. “I already know it’s illegal to hold you here against your will. But I have permission from the government.” Again he received the expected laughter as he introduced Arthur Bouzane.
Generously provided by Dr. Silverstein, Mariah gobbled handfuls of M&M’s as she watched Dr. Bouzane on a television screen in the small room behind the auditorium. Why not give permission? She could no longer hide her appearance from the public and, trusting in the sanity of the majority, they would be more likely to accept what was happening if they felt they were being told the truth. Yet, seeing it through the eyes of the media, she was struck anew by just how bizarre it was.
The X-rays of her skeletal structure consisting of her change in height and the thumb and pinkie finger phenomenon was the first presentation, easing the audience into what was to come. Each questioner tried for a professionally neutral voice, but for the most part, failed.
How can bone grow without some mutation of a gene
?
In this case, it appears as normal growth, although there shouldn’t be any
.
Besides making her taller, is the bone functional or just appended
?
Believe me, it’s fully functional
.
They had so many questions; most of them didn’t know what to ask first. With heightened anticipation, their heartbeats began to accelerate as Aubrietta Ward explained the Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Mariah’s brain, accompanied by technical explanations concerning usage of undocumented segments.
The questions became more pointed:
What can Ms. Carpenter do now and what are the indications of future changes
?
No way of knowing the source of this occurrence, only speculation as to how the human brain would ultimately perform
.
When Lincoln Brown displayed the three-dimensional echocardiogram, they were stunned into temporary silence. Here before them, like some crazed scientific experiment on
The Island of Dr. Moreau,
was a second heart attached to the aorta. A wave of excitement mixed with awe swept through the assemblage like flames in a high wind. The handouts, provided when they entered the auditorium, sat in their laps unnoticed. All eyes were glued to the physicians on stage and the colored images produced by the latest and greatest technology.
Is it an appendage, like a sixth finger
?
No
.
Can it sustain her life if the original heart becomes diseased
?
Not only can it sustain her, this smaller heart, now a third the size of the original, is actually stronger and more efficient
.
And then the last presentation, the one that literally brought the house down: Lucas Recine and his genetic enhancements. Here was undeniable proof of a dream only realized in books and movies; genetically produced immortality. Not only eternal life, but also the reversal of cell damage, heightened brain activity, increased strength, and resistance to disease. The two additional chromosomes never before seen,
evidence of a human evolving into a new life form? Possibly,
said Doctor Recine. It caused considerable consternation. No matter Luke’s caution about jumping to conclusions and waiting until extended research could be concluded, they barraged him with questions for over an hour. When Manny finally cut them off, the auditorium filled with groans of protests.
“I realize you have many more questions. Doctor Recine has called a conference with other experts in genetics and, if so permitted by Ms. Carpenter, will publish his findings. We have to end this if you expect to talk to her. She’s been sitting in a tiny room for over two hours, watching all this on a little screen. I think we’ve kept her waiting long enough ... don’t you?” To thunderous applause, Manny smiled and held up his hands.
Expectant silence settled over the auditorium as he turned his head to the left. His professional smile warmed as he held out his hand off and Mariah Adele Carpenter walked out from behind the curtains to join him at the lectern.