Of Monsters and Humanity: The Genesis

Chapter 61 - Damian

One day before....

Yesterday, he told me to come in the day before the ball in order to go over a few things.

I was supposed to have off today. There was a lot that I wanted to fix within my speech and I wanted to see Flora Mae again. There were a lot of things that I wanted to say to her--most importantly, I needed to break up with her. I came to that realization last night when I woke up in a cold sweat. She had given me her guarded heart and all I would give her was heartbreak. I really, truly hoped that she wouldn't hate me forever after this. She could find another man, someone better than me. Maybe someone who liked punk music and her alternative style.

It was just that I liked those things, and I wanted so badly to be that man who made her happy. I couldn't think of a day where I wouldn't talk with her for hours and laugh at internet memes all night long. After her and I started talking the day she met General Gabriel and a lot of the soldiers and SWAT members from Project X, I started to fall head over heels. Terra was hot, super intelligent (probably more than me or anyone else at Project X when they were her age), and really talented, but she wasn't someone that I pictured myself with. It was really shallow and sexist of me to just think of Terra as a close friend with a curvy body, but she really was. Sure, at one point I thought I liked her. But I didn't realize that there were additives to the "Terra" I thought I knew.

After I made my way up to Agent Byligan's office while dodging the gaze and presence of many doctors and soldiers, I locked the door behind me and stood to look at him sitting at his desk. He was writing quickly on a notebook, the deep-set wrinkles on his forehead visible and his brows were furrowed. He was in serious concentration before I locked the door.

"Good, I'm glad that you're here so early," he praised, though his voice was kept low and grave.

I sat on the brown leather recliner and pulled a notebook and file from my bag slung around my shoulder. "There's a lot that I need to ask about this plan of yours--" I started, attempting to find a pen in the depths of the bag. I found it next to a bottle of water, but I dropped it through my nervous fingers. The past week had been a constant anxiety attack and I just had not come down yet.

"Terra had brought up some serious points that altered some of the plan and I would like to debrief you on those after I update you on some new information," Byligan responded, flipping his black leather notebook shut and putting his fountain pen down on the desk.

"New information? What's going on?" I anxiously asked. I started to shift uncomfortably in my seat. Everyday, something else came up. There was always a change of plans or new information materialized or something went wrong. Nothing about this escape would be black and white. That, or easy. I couldn't just wait for Agent Byligan to get me out of this one--I had to actually help this cause.

"I wasn't able to tell you much yesterday as we were in the Observation Room talking about Xander's test results--or, really, the fake results to the fake tests--so I would like to continue that this evening," he started, his brow bones and eyes hard on me. It was like they were staring into the deepest, darkest places of my subconscious. Like they were hypnotizing me into making sure that I would follow through with his plan. "Xander, a few days ago, mentioned a man named Rune Tymek. He said that Rune could help you and Terra disappear. After some research and getting into contact with the man himself, I learned that he is in the business of fake identities. He's so good, in fact, that some of his work is completely flawless. I've hired him to help us."

"Good," I mumbled, though my mind was suddenly blank and my heart was racing. Disappearing from my family and friends.... Christ. "When will they be done?"