Chapter Four (Part Two)

(continued)

Taylor closed the glass door behind her. Everybody was already seated around the oval conference table, listening intently as Forbes gave a blow-by-blow account of the latest duel between the siblings - no doubt for Meghan’s benefit. Matt sat back in his chair, trying hard to mirror the idea that he had absolutely no interest in anything being said.

The poor boy looked more tense than conceited.

Taylor settled herself into the leather chair beside Meghan, studying Matt’s edgy composure in slight amusement. It was normal. It’ll take newcomers a while before they can get in touch with the new realities; their new lives. Taylor knew that well enough. After all, she had been there, done that, and had turned out just fine.

‘Talan did a great job,’ Forbes said. ‘I dare say his reactions had transcended that of what I’d expected.’

It was hard for Taylor to not feel sour upon hearing Forbes complimenting Talan, even if he was her own biological brother. After all, she came here first. She had gotten her powers first, not Talan. Back in her old life, ever since they were little kids, the Adams had always pitted one child over the other, and Talan always won.

‘Talan is the smarter one, the one with the straight academic record.’
‘Talan is the athletic one, the one always bringing home trophies and medals.’

Talan was the son their up-tight parents loved, or that was how it felt like to Taylor. After the incident she mistakenly thought would end her sad life for good, she had came back home from the hospital to parents that never spoke another word to her.

What she did embarrassed and ridiculed the family a great deal, Taylor knew that. But to be on the fair side, she hadn’t expected to be rushed into the hospital after what she did; she hadn’t expected to be saved.

And as though life hadn’t had enough screwing her over, the weirdness started to show from within her, after her return from the hospital. During that quiet family dinner where cutleries sailed into the air before clanging back down onto the table, Taylor’s parents finally uttered their first two words to her.

‘You freak!’ They shouted at her over and over again. Needless to say, she was disowned - sent out into the cold night with a warning never to return again.

Not unless she was cured of her abnormality in being able to move things with just a mind alone.

Talan never actually followed their parents in belittling Taylor, but he didn’t stop them either. Most of the time, he just stood behind silently, staring at his feet. Talan always pretended things were still fine and dandy, talking to Taylor as if she was still normal, and things hadn’t changed a single bit ever since she returned from the hospital.

Taylor hadn't told him before, but she hated it deeply whenever Talan did that.

*

‘Taylor, are you alright?’ Meghan asked.

Though still forlorn looking, Taylor realized Meghan looked much better than she had the past few days. At the very least, her eyes didn’t look as sad and as worried as before.
Taylor knew that unlike her, Meghan was constantly thinking about her family, and even thought about going back to them. Forbes wouldn’t allow her to, though. Not yet anyway.

‘Ahem,’ the old mentor cleared his throat, a bid at slight formality. ‘Everyone, this is Matt. He’ll be one of us from now on.’

The lanky teenager flushed, embarrassed at being made focus point among a group of strangers.
Taylor caught his eyes, and she was once again mesmerized by their intensity of blueness. It reminded her of her ex-boyfriend. He too, had the most beautiful pair of blue eyes.

‘Matt, there is something I have to tell you.’ The solemnity of Forbes’ voice broke the two’s gaze, as they both turned to look at him.

‘What landed you into Salvation City Hospital and your life before that isn’t mine to know, and it isn’t my concern. What I have to tell you is that during your stay at the hospital, you underwent a genetic restructuring program you weren’t told about.’

Matt looked lost.

‘Do you have any recollections of your stay at Salvation City?’ Forbes asked gently.

The eighteen-year-old shook his head. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

Forbes took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. ‘Do you remember the night at Lake Candlelight, then?’

An instant wave of panic swept across Matt’s features. The answer was obvious. He remembered.

‘Yes, Matt,’ Forbes started again, ‘you almost drowned at Lake Candlelight two nights ago. Somebody then saved you and sent you to Salvation City Hospital. That’s a reputable hospital in the state, as I’m sure you’d heard before. Their renowned neurosurgeon, Doctor Campbell, was chief surgeon in your case. He brought you back to life – ’
Forbes gestured to Matt, now full of vitality. ‘– but he also gave you a little something extra.’

The indifferent façade Matt wore previously had disintegrated by then. He hung on to Forbes’ every word, a deep frown indented on his forehead. ‘And what exactly do you mean by that?’

‘During the midst, or may I say under the pretense of resuscitating you, as he did for his many other patients,’ Forbes continued, ‘Campbell engaged you involuntarily as a test subject in a genetic restructuring program. One which he had been carrying out secretly, unknown to the majority of the hospital management, unknown to the public and unknown even to most of his ex-test subjects.’

Except us. Taylor thought to herself. We are the ex-test subjects which learnt of Campbell’s doings. All thanks to Forbes and his tutelage.

‘Most of these patients Campbell saved,’ Forbes said, bracketing air quotations around the word “saved”, ‘they never were quite the same after their operations. They all had something extra in them. Something in the likes of a superhuman ability.'

Mines telekinesis. Taylor thought proudly. The ability to move things with my concentration alone.

‘Though I still hadn’t found out what is Campbell’s true objective behind the program, I know for sure creating mutant human species isn’t what he’s after. The superhuman abilities are restructuring programs gone wrong. Afraid that his underground curriculum might go public, Campbell then tried to detain these failed test-subjects, suppressing them from going back out into the world.’

Forbes paused and looked into Matt’s eyes. ‘All of them here are victims of Campbell’s genetic restructuring program, Talan… Taylor… Susan,’ the old mentor motioned to each one around the table, with Matt’s eyes following obediently. ‘They all have a superhuman ability, and while in here, we’re all safe from Campbell’s intentions. You’re here now, because of the same reason.’

Forbes words lingered in the air, awaiting its turn to be absorbed into Matt’s understanding.

‘You mean I have a superhuman ability too?’ Matt asked with a quizzical frown.

Forbes nodded and smiled. ‘It’s a good thing, but it’s also a bad one at the same time, as do most things in this world usually are.’

Matt’s eyes grew wider, the blueness reflected under the fluorescent ceiling lightings. ‘So if what you say is true…then what kind of superhuman ability do I possess?’

For a few seconds, Forbes said nothing, clasping and unclasping his fingers routinely. ‘That, I’m afraid, we hadn’t found out yet.’

*