Chapter 12 - Michael's voice wasn't his own.It belonged to Jonathan's father.
Jonathan stepped toward him.
"Michael."
The boy trembled.
"I can't stop it."
Evelyn rushed forward.
"Don't touch him."
Jonathan stopped.
Michael fell to his knees.
Lily crawled toward him.
Evelyn grabbed the baby.
"No."
Lily screamed.
The entire chamber shook.
Lights exploded.
Machines began activating.
Jonathan's father smiled.
"The final phase."
Jonathan turned.
"What did you do?"
"Nothing."
His father pressed a button.
"She did it herself."
Lily's crying became louder.
Michael screamed.
The machines around the room started displaying biological readings.
Blood pressure.
Neural activity.
Cell regeneration.
Every number climbed rapidly.
Evelyn looked terrified.
"They're synchronizing."
Jonathan shouted:
"How do we stop it?"
"We can't."
"Then what happens?"
She whispered:
"They become one system."
Jonathan stared.
"What does that mean?"
"They'll share memories."
"That's all?"
Evelyn shook her head.
"They'll share cellular information."
Jonathan looked at Lily.
"What are you saying?"
"If Lily gets injured, Michael could repair her."
"And if Michael gets injured?"
"Lily could repair him."
"So they're immortal."
"Not exactly."
Evelyn's eyes filled with fear.
"They would become something new."
Jonathan looked at his father.
"What do you want?"
His father smiled.
"Humanity has been afraid of death for thousands of years."
Jonathan's father pointed at Lily.
"She is the answer."
Jonathan shook his head.
"She's a child."
"She's more than a child."
"She's my daughter."
"And that's why you are the only person she trusts."
Jonathan understood.
"They need me."
His father nodded.
"You are the bridge."
"Between what?"
"Between ordinary humans and the subjects."
Jonathan's legs suddenly collapsed.
Pain ripped through his spine.
He screamed.
Lily cried.
She reached for him.
Evelyn shouted:
"Jonathan, don't let her touch you!"
He tried to crawl backward.
Too late.
Lily touched his leg.
Warmth exploded through his body.
Jonathan screamed.
The room filled with light.
His damaged nerves regenerated.
He stood.
Not barely.
Fully.
His legs supported him.
He took a step.
Another.
His father stared.
Jonathan walked toward him.
His face changed.
"Whatever you did to me..."
He clenched his fists.
"I'm done being your experiment."
His father laughed.
"You still don't understand."
Jonathan stopped.
"Understand what?"
His father pointed toward the monitors.
Jonathan looked.
His medical readings had changed.
His cells were regenerating at a rate never seen before.
But another number was rising.
Neural activity.
Jonathan's brain scan began changing.
Evelyn stared.
"Oh my God."
"What?"
She looked at him.
"Jonathan..."
"What?"
"You're becoming compatible."
Jonathan froze.
"With what?"
Evelyn whispered:
"With Lily."
His father smiled.
"Exactly."
Jonathan understood the trap.
The baby hadn't simply healed his legs.
She had altered him.
And now his body was becoming part of the experiment.
Michael screamed again.
His eyes turned silver.
Then he looked at Jonathan.
"I can hear her."
Jonathan stepped closer.
"Who?"
Michael pointed at Lily.
"She remembers you."
"Remembers what?"
Michael began crying.
"Before you became her father."
Jonathan stared.
"What does that mean?"
Michael answered:
"Because you were there when she was created."
Jonathan's heart stopped.
He turned toward Evelyn.
She looked away.
"You lied to me."
"I had to."
"What did you do?"
Evelyn's eyes filled with tears.
"Jonathan..."
He stepped closer.
"What did you do to our daughter?"
Before she could answer, alarms erupted.
The facility's outer doors began opening.
Hundreds of armed men flooded the corridors.
Jonathan's father laughed.
"The government has arrived."
Jonathan looked around.
"We're trapped."
Evelyn shook her head.
"No."
She pointed toward a hidden door.
"We have one way out."
Jonathan opened it.
A tunnel stretched into darkness.
But carved into the wall were seven symbols.
Six silver crescents.
And one black circle.
Evelyn whispered:
"That's the original chamber."
Jonathan stared.
"What's inside?"
May you like
Her voice trembled.
"The truth."
