Chapter 14
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“Why is Infinity in two places?!” Harley asked, her young voice echoing throughout the space.
“I don’t know, Giz! How do we figure this out?”
Everyone started yelling, trying to make themselves heard. Amid the chaos, Cameo heard the smallest of sobs, turned and saw Infinity huddled in the corner, tears chasing each other down her face. As much as his heart ached for her, he didn’t even give her a comforting smile, because he knew she still hated him.
Sighing, he turned to Harley.
“Gizmo, go over to that computer and figure out what this place is. This just got a whole lot bigger than a demented president and an exaggerated case of ephebiphobia.”
She dashed over and soon her fingers were flying across the keyboard.
“Watcha doin’, kid?” an unfamiliar Canadian voice asked from the shadows. Harley squealed and ran to Ethaniel, who put a protective arm around her. “Checkin’ out the lab, huh? Pretty darn cool, ain’t it?” A teenaged boy stepped into the light and smiled at the group. “Name’s Torin. Wassup?”
“Who are you?” Tanner asked vehemently.
“I, um, believe I just told you. Torin Knox Wilson. I believe you know – or knew, at least – my brother?”
“WILSON HAS A BROTHER?!” Cameo roared.
“Wuh oh,” Infinity whispered, and murmured something in Tanner’s ear. Tanner grabbed Cameo’s wrist just as he lunged toward Torin.
“Cameo, calm down. You don’t even know him.”
“I knew his brother, and that’s far too much for me. One act of vengeance wasn’t enough,” he hissed.
Tanner struggled to hold Cameo back. “Hey, man, no one is their brother. You and Colton are living proof of that.” Cameo ripped his arm away and turned to face Tanner.
“And what do you mean by that? That Colton is innocent and happy while his brother has clinical depression and violent tendencies? That Colton wouldn’t hurt a fly while I murdered an entire squadron of soldiers and threw an innocent man off of a roof? That Colton loves everybody while I stabbed this guy’s brother to death?! Is that what you mean?!” He paused and blinked back tears. “Because if that’s what you mean, you are absolutely right.”
With that, he stalked away.
Torin sidled up to Infinity.
“Hey, so I see you just figured out that you may or may not be totally human. I know what you are. I can tell you.”
“What? Why should I trust you? I just met you two minutes ago, and you are also the brother of the worst human being on the planet. If you two grew up at all the same, then I want nothing to do with you. Do you have any idea what he did to me? To Cameo?”
“Well, Infinity, I know he was actin’ quite inappropriate and trying to separate you and Cameo. I can say he gets it from our mother. Any other questions?”
Infinity took a deep breath.
“Who am I?”
Torin clapped his hands together, startling everyone else. “Sweetheart, I thought you’d never ask!”
He led Infinity to a strange chair-like device at the back of the room. “Sit here, and I’ll tell you everything.”
She plopped down and crossed her arms. Ethaniel, Tanner, and Harley all followed to hear Torin’s explanation. Cameo hung back and glared at Torin darkly.
“So, I’m sure you are all wonderin’ why there are tanks containin’ things that look like Infinity. I’m sure you’re wonderin’ why all of these are in various stages of development. I’m sure you’re wonderin’ why this Infinity,” he gestured toward the girl in the chair, “has blonde hair, while the rest have brown.” He paused, glancing at his audience. “Well, I’ll tell you. This place is a lab. Specifically, a clonin' lab. Infinity, you’re a clone of the girl you saw in the first tank. Not only that, but you have been genetically modified to have incredible improvements. They are supposed to activate when you turn sixteen. Clearly, that hasn’t happened yet.”
“Why am I out here? Why am I not in some test tube?” Infinity asked, eyes wide.
Torin looked at her. “You were the only experiment that didn’t fail.”
“I’m sorry, are you saying that Infinity is some sort of genetically modified cyborg clone?” Cameo jumped in. “Cause this sounds like a load of BS if you ask me.”
Torin crossed his arms and smirked. “You want me to prove it?”
“I’d be surprised if you could,” Cameo retorted.
“Fine,” Torin said. “Infinity, I need your permission. I need to attach some wires to you and run a few tests. It shouldn’t take more than-”
“You can’t do it without touching her?” Cameo cut in.
“Cameo, it’s fine,” Infinity sighed exasperatedly. “Do what you have to do.”
“Alrighty.” Torin pulled out a helmet, attached to the chair with hundreds of wires. He placed this on her head and pushed a button on the arm of the chair. Clamps snapped shut over Infinity’s wrists and ankles, securing her in place.
Infinity swallowed hard. “Let’s get this over with.”
Torin nodded and started pushing buttons and flicking switches and twisting dials.
“Arming.”
Harley’s brow furrowed. “Arming is generally associated with electric charges, like those used in defibrillators. Ethaniel, she’s going to be electrocuted!”
“What?!” Cameo bellowed. Before he could do anything, Torin yelled “Discharging!” and pulled a massive red lever.
Infinity screamed and her eyes rolled back in her head.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! STOP THE MACHINE!” Cameo howled.
“I can’t stop it once the transformation has started!” Torin responded.
“Wait, transformation?!” Harley exclaimed.
“Don’t worry, she’ll be fine!” Torin tried to reassure them.
“Yeah, not happening,” Tanner asserted. Harley handed him two grinding tools. He nodded to Ethaniel and the two of them knelt by Infinity and began sawing at her shackles. Within minutes her bonds were broken, and Cameo ripped the helmet off of her head.
Infinity groaned and fell, unconscious, into Cameo’s waiting arms.
Cameo shot a deadly glare at Torin. “You’re worse than your brother,” he hissed icily.
Torin threw up his hands in an innocent gesture. “Hey, man, that’s never happened before. Normally the test subject just sits there.”
“She isn’t a test subject!” Cameo cried. “You can’t just do that! She is a person, not an experiment!”
“No,” Torin answered quietly. “That’s exactly what she is."
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