26 – Camp Reincarnate #2
Electra plasters on what must be a manic, fake smile if the wary glances from the eight reincarnates in the spacious, sterile room are any sign. She wants to shout, “It’s okay. I’m one of you!” But the dismal holding center is enough to give her pause.
Res6 stands beside her carrying the silver case, which, it’s strangely comforting to know, has something to do with Camp Reincarnate and not with whatever secret project he’s working on behind locked doors. His irritated expression has bled away. He now wears an appropriately concerned grimace.
Inspector Wanda swipes at her tablet. “When your name is called, please come forward.”
Only a few people acknowledge her. A man sitting in a metal folding chair in the center of the room glares at them as he gets up and turns the chair to face away.
His glare makes Electra feel unwelcome, like an intruder seeing something they shouldn’t.
Another person, a woman sitting in a cross-legged meditative pose, blinks her eyes open to gaze in their direction before taking a long inhale and closing her eyes again.
Three people sit in a corner talking quietly.
There is a couple huddled together, dozing against the far wall.
The last person is a woman lying facing the wall, trembling.
Is she sick? As a manupartner, could she ask?
Will Res6? He’s similarly scanning the space.
“Marshal Withers!” Wanda booms.
Several reincarnates jolt at her loud voice. The man who turned his chair shakes his head but gets up. His defeated, sagging posture suggests he’s resigned to whatever Wanda’s about to do to him.
Electra represses a shiver. What has he been through? She isn’t sure she wants to know, but her urge to help them is firing. But she’s powerless to do anything except get herself caught. Then she’ll be forced to join them.
She watches in horror as the reality of their circumstances hits her.
That’s the impression Res6 was hoping to make.
Well, his plan is backfiring because this is even more proof that she needs an ID.
She can’t end up like these people—in a barren holding chamber awaiting some government agency’s decision about what to do with her.
How long have these people even been here?
She glances at the shivering woman, and her stomach tightens.
As Marshal approaches Wanda, his gaze snags on Electra’s for an extended pause. Look away, she wills him, hoping he can read her mind. Finally, his gaze slides to Wanda.
“Hello, Marshal. This is Res6 and his manupartner.” Wanda says, not bothering to mention her name. “He’s going to do a few quick scans.”
Marshal shakes his head. “How many more scans do we need? I’ve told you and every so-called expert you’ve brought in here the same story.
” He turns to Res6. In an annoyed monotone, he says, “My name is Marshal Withers. I’m a twenty-eight-year-old mechanic from Idaho.
The last thing I remember is fishing at my buddy John’s pond outside of Fort Hall.
It had just started to rain—rain always makes for amazing fishing.
Keith, my other buddy, who’s an amateur weatherman, said it was only supposed to be a light drizzle.
That thunderclap came out of nowhere. I remember nothing after that. See. Same story.”
“Of course,” she says, blatantly blowing him off.
“Just one more for good measure. Res6 is the owner of a company like the one who created you. That means he has special insight into your nature and can help us understand what is wrong with you. Our goal is to prevent it from happening again in the future.”
“I don’t need no more scans. What I need is to go home.
My wife’s gonna be pissed as hell that I’ve been gone this long, and she’s never gonna believe I got picked up by aliens.
” Several of the other reincarnates glance in his direction.
“She’s probably havin’ the lawyers draw up divorce papers as we speak. ”
Oh my God, Marshal thinks these strange future people are aliens. It’s a fair guess.
“That’s all very good, Marshal. I’d like you to tell Res6 what year you think it is now,” Wanda says.
Marshal covers his eyes. “Not this again.”
“Marshal,” she scolds.
“It’s 2016.”
Electra gasps. He’s from her time. She has a million questions, but she can’t voice a single one.
Wanda turns to Res6. “I’m sure you understand the ramifications if NHOS determines the risk is too high.”
He clears his throat. “I do. As I mentioned on the call, CHOICElover’s resources are at your disposal.
Your threats are unnecessary.” Res6 and the inspector stare at each other for a long moment before she finally looks away.
The corner of his mouth tips up. “I’ll need a table for my equipment.
Marshal, please be seated and I’ll be with you in a moment. ”
Wanda leaves them in the reincarnate room to fetch a table. As soon as the door closes, Electra spins to face Res6. “You’re helping her to protect your company, aren’t you?”
His eyes widen. “Did you not hear what I just said, or are you intentionally being obtuse?”
“These people are traumatized, not to mention they’re probably terrified out of their minds—”
He leans down, pressing his lips to hers. When he pulls away, he whispers, “Cameras, Electra.”
Her stomach dips. She didn’t even consider that they were being watched.
Well, not them specifically. The reincarnates.
Is someone watching their exchange right now?
NHOS is evidently rounding up reincarnates.
Are manupartners like her being scrutinized?
Anxiety shoots through her, but she clenches her jaw and forces a smile.
“Be a good girl and go sit down.” He points to a chair. She does as he asks without hesitation.
A few minutes later, Wanda rolls a metal table into the room. Res6 opens his silver case and retrieves a now-familiar scanner.
It takes him two hours to interview and scan every reincarnate.
Thankfully, when they get to the shivering woman, Res6 confirms she isn’t sick, just cold.
By the time Wanda escorts them out of the room, Electra’s tailbone aches from sitting and her cheeks are pinched from her asinine smile. Still, it doesn’t waver.
Wanda guides them to an upper-level floor—her office? A few screens sit on a sleek stone desk. Several gray metal cabinets line two walls. A third wall is a large particle pane displaying a flat concrete-texture background.
When they’re seated across from Wanda, she sets her tablet on the desk, tapping the screen. “Our conversation is being recorded.”
Electra doesn’t blink.
After a few pleasantries, Wanda says, “Now that you’ve interacted with them, in your expert opinion, would you say we’re dealing with faulty manupartners, or are these indeed people from the past?”
No blinking, Electra. Smile. Show your teeth. Not that much teeth! Act like a manupartner—like Chryl. Oh God. She points to the gray concrete in the particle pane. “I like that texture. It feels soft!”
The corner of Res6’s mouth tips up. He pats her hand. “It’s very pretty, like you.”
Wanda’s eyes brighten, and she points to Electra. “See! They’re nothing like a normal manupartner.”
She has to force herself not to melt into the chair. Don’t lay it on too thick. Stop while you’re ahead. She sits motionless.
“True enough. And to answer your question, yes, I believe we’re dealing with something unprecedented here. I’d like to do a little more research, but I believe the eight people in that room are experiencing reality as if they’re from the past.”
Wanda’s warm skin goes ashen. “How could this happen? Considering the testing . . . and I know the Consumer Rights Protection Agency would have . . . There are protocols, aren’t there?”
He offers her an easy smile. “Of course, Inspector. This is my area of expertise. I’m happy to work with NHOS as a liaison during this challenging situation.
And believe me, I’m dismayed that a competitor would have such a concerning issue.
I’m a champion of proper protocols to prevent such mishaps.
” Wanda nods appreciatively. “As for the issue of how this happened, I’ll need more time to study the scans, but my initial guess is they tried to push out their Realer Than Real advancement before they were ready.
Each company’s NAM suppression sequence is patented, and I can’t speak to their proprietary electrowave oscillation pattern, but it seems instead of repressing, their technology caused an expression event. ”
“Okay, but answer this. They all claim to have been born prior to 2050. Why?” she asks.
“My best guess is GROW’s Realer Than Real update had an adverse reaction because of the purity of the DNA in combination with the collection standards of the time.
That was prior to the birthing industry, which began tampering with DNA to achieve specific outcomes, and modern DNA preservation techniques.
These are the only variables we’ve come up with. ”
That’s basically what he’d told Electra when she first woke up. Perhaps he’ll find something different after he studies the scans.
“And you say CHOICElover has never had such a mishap?” Wanda prods.
Res6 smirks. “Never, and I assure you, we won’t. Manupartners are perfectly safe. The issue with GROW appears to be a quality control issue. I’d suggest investigating them as soon as possible.”
Wanda stiffens. “I know how to do my job. Must I remind you that you’re a consultant on this investigation?”
He shakes his head, giving her another amiable smile. “No. Only a suggestion.”
Wait, is he pretending she’s a manupartner? Is that his technique for dealing with social situations that make him uncomfortable, like giving a speech and pretending your audience is naked?
“Great. Please have your team study the data you’ve collected, and if you find anything significant, I want to know immediately.”
“I’ll make sure that happens.”