Amoeba (The Experiments) (17 page)

“Rickie!” Jake scolded.

“Of course, it could have been more,” Rickie instigated, “If I had felt like reading that letter again. I kinda got wore out.”

“Rickie!” Jake stood up. “This is not appropriate dinner table conversation. I need a beer.” He gave one more scolding look to Rickie and moved to the kitchen.

Laughing, Billy shook his head at Rickie. “I cannot believe you have lived with him this long and you are not dead.”

“Can’t die
, dude.” Rickie tossed his hands up. “I’m a monster.”

Again
, Billy started to laugh, but saw the look in Cal’s eyes. “Am I missing something?”

“Iso-Stasis Twelve.”

Billy quickly looked back at Rickie. “Oh, shit.”

Rickie looked serious
ly at Billy, growled, and then laughed again.

^^^^

“Cal!” Jake called from the family room.

Moans erupted in the
living room from Cal, Billy, and Rickie.

Cal stood up. “Pause the movie again.” Waiting for the screen to freeze, Cal walked from the
living room to the family room where Jake sat in front of the computer. “What now?”

“I’m stuck again.”

“Here.” Cal leaned over his shoulder and helped him out. “Jake, you’ve been on this for four hours. Come watch a movie with us.”

“Cal, I am determined to conquer this. After all, you got me that program.”

“You asked for it.”

“A real survival program
, sweetie, not a simulation.” Jake felt Cal’s arm go around him, and he smiled. “Of course I beat it.”

“So now you’re tackling the net.”

“Nothing about fishing here. I’m trying to find an interesting military news site. Rickie said I could.”

“All right. See this here? Just type in what you want to find and hit the ‘search’ button. O
kay?”

“Got it.”

Cal kissed him again. “I’m going back to my movie.”

“I’ll be there in a minute.”

“That’s what you said an hour ago.” Cal, shaking her head, returned to the living room. “All right, Start it.”

Rickie pressed the remote. The movie played.

“Cal!”

Another unison of moans,
and Rickie paused the movie again.

“Yeah?” Cal yelled out.

“What is this . . . bookmark thing?”

“A shortcut to my favorite places
,” Cal answered.

“Thanks!” Jake called out.

“God.” Cal rolled her eyes. “Go on Rickie.”

Just as Rickie began to start the movie, Billy stopped him. “Rickie, wait. Cal? You don’t have that site I sent you bookmarked. Do you?”

Cal’s eyes widened. “Oh . . .”

“Cal!” Jake shouted.

“ . . . shit.” Cal cringed and slid down on the couch when she heard the thumping of Jake’s footsteps.

Jake looked
frazzled and shocked when he walked into the living room. “Cal, do you realize that on that screen now are people engaged in hardcore, sexually deranged behavior?”

Rickie had the solution to the awkward pornographic discovery moment. He just started the movie again, and turned up the volume loud enough to semi-drown out Jake’s moral bitching at Cal.

From standing side by side with Dr. Jefferson, Greg moved behind him, watching the video tape of the retired Honorable Theodore King, or, as he had been called for years by family and friends, ‘Judge’. A black man, stern and strong, greying temples, he had retired early for no stated reason. Mild mannered, reasonable, and calm were the mannerisms he projected on his introduction of himself on the video tape.

Greg noticed the look on Dr. Jefferson’s face as he turned off the video tape, a look of staring bewilder
ment, maybe a feeling of being lost. Greg cleared his throat. “Words of encouragement would go well right now.”

“Where are the offsets?” Dr. Jefferson stood. “I sat and watched all but Cal and Jake’s video tape.”

“Which they’ll make today.”

“Where are the offsets?”

“Sir?” Greg titled his head.

“The weaknesses these people show
. Yes, there are weaknesses, but there are no extremes. There has to be extremes.”

“There will be
,” Greg stated.

“With this bunch?” Dr. Jefferson pointed to the blank screen. “I’m sorry
, Greg, but your selection isn’t very exciting. About the only exciting prospects are what you have planned for Cal and Jake, and is that really enough? If they aren’t killed, the other seven people are not going to break.”

“On their own, probably not
, but as usual, we’ll help them along. You’re only looking at them individually.”

“Excuse me
, Greg, but isn’t that what you said the plan was, individualized planning?”

“True.” Greg nodded. “I stand corrected there. But I was careful about this selection process. Instead of one year, I took two. Chemistry is a valuable key with these people.” Greg paced. “For example, let’s analogize these seven people as inanimate objects. Three are lit matches, three are gas leaks, and one is a sealed off room. Singularly, if left to their own accord, they could falter or
maybe cause a disruption. But put them all together at the same time, and what do you get?”

“An explosion.”

Greg smiled. “Exactly.”

^^^^

Stepping from the cab with Cal, Jake spotted the long black limousine. “Christ, why do I get the feeling I know who this is.”

The moment Jake said that, a chauffeur got out of the limo and walked around to the back door, opening it. Aldo stepped out.

Jake held out his hand. “There you have it.”

Cal smiled
. “Aldo.” She hurried to him. “This is a surprise.”

Aldo gave a warm hug to Cal and extended his hand to Jake.

Coldly, Jake shook it. “Mr. Connilucci.”

Aldo looked at his watch. “I know you have a meeting with Haynes. Can I get you two to come inside the car for a minute beforehand
, please?”

Jake looked at the entrance doors to Caldwell. “Actually we . . .”

“Sure,” Cal answered jumping inside the limousine first.

Jake tossed his hands up and shook his head in disgust
following Cal in.

After Aldo had entered
and the door shut behind him, he asked, “Would either of you like coffee?”

“No
,” Jake said. “What is this all about?”

“Jake
,” Cal scolded.

“Cal.”

“Kids,” Aldo snickered. “Actually, I’m coming to the meeting, too, but I wanted to speak to you both first. It’s important.”

Irritated and looking on edge, Jake adjusted himself in the seat. “Go on.”

After first looking at Cal, Aldo began to talk. “Dr. Haynes approached me some time ago about the prospect of investing again in the experiment. But he approached me with a different angle. He asked me if you two agreed, if I would be willing to invest, not two, but three million to cover the cost of you two going in as a team. As one. I, of course, would have you in the game.”

Cal seemed excited. “Oh
, Aldo, that is so great. We’ll win for you.” She tapped his knee. “Don’t you worry, you’ll get your money back.”

Jake reached for the door handle. “Is that all you needed
, just to make sure you get a return on your investment?”

“Jake
, has anyone ever told you that you can be a real asshole?” Aldo said.

“Yes
,” Jake answered. He reached for the door again. “Ready Cal?”

“Stop
,” Aldo called out. “You will not leave this car until I have said what I need to say before this meeting. At least give me that.”

“Why should I . . .”

“Jake!” Aldo scolded him. “I have a bad feeling, Jake, a really bad feeling about this experiment. They aren’t going to play fair.”

“They never do
,” Jake stated. “That’s why it ends up like it does.”

“Yes
,” Aldo nodded. “But, the experiment never bred anyone who could talk. Talk enough to cause an investigation into the experiment and eventually close it down. You two can. I believe, and this is just my gut, I believe they are going to go after you full blast and with both barrels.”

Cal looked at a very serious Aldo. “Do you
really think that?”

“I really do.”

It took a second, but the instant Cal looked at Jake, they both grinned widely.

“Yes!” Jake spoke through his grin. “This is great. And we’d better get in there to get this started.” He opened his door. “Let’s get a small idea where they are headed
, then you and I have to sit down, Cal, and really work out a starting game plan.”

“Jake.” Cal scooted across the seat. “Do you think they’re gonna hit us mentally harder or physically harder?”

“Oh, Cal, I hope both.”

Cal paused in getting out. She looked back
at a baffled Aldo. “You coming up?”

Aldo tossed his hands in the air. “Sure,
why not.”

^^^^

“Before we begin . . .” Greg slid himself into a chair at the board table where Cal, Jake, and Aldo sat. “I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind talking about Rickie first.” He shifted his eyes to Cal and Aldo. “Do you two mind
? It’ll only take a minute.”

Aldo and Cal shook their heads.

“Good. Okay.” Greg flipped open a folder. “Jake asked me why we don’t feel he should be on his own yet, so I’d like to . . .”

“Jake.” Cal hit his arm.

“What? I was asking.” Jake held his hand out to Greg. “Go on.”

“Thank you. First, let me ask you this
, Jake. How different is Rickie today than, let’s say, when you met him three years ago?”

“Same
,” Jake answered.

“Exactly
,” Greg said. “Rickie hasn’t matured, grown, or changed in any way physically. He’s sort of in a stalemate, and that concerns us. Not that it will cause him any harm, but we’re trying to narrow the tests to determine if possibly, because of the mutation factor in his genes, Rickie will still be saying ‘cool’ and whipping that hair around when he’s fifty.”

“Impossible
,” Jake stated. “There’s no way. He has to change eventually. I have seen many eighteen-year-old boys not change until they hit around twenty-four. That’s they age when the average male’s bone structure conforms to a more masculine shape.”

“Exactly, so he can pretty much be a slow bloomer
, and that’s what we’re hoping. But mentally, Jake, you have to admit he has not changed. How many jobs had he gone through?”

Jake took a moment to think. “Same jobs that he went back to, or different ones? He went th
rough six in the past month alone.”

“What about relationships?” Greg asked. “Friends, girlfriends.”

Cal interjected. “He has his friend, Len. And he went out on that date last month with some girl. He doesn’t date much or get into relationships. I can’t recall him getting into a long-term relationship, at least not one he told us about.”

“Not true
,” Jake corrected. “There was Estelle.”

Greg quickly checked his notes. “That would be the mature woman he was involved with for six months. Rickie stated he was in love with her
, Jake, and you made him break up with her. Or rather, made it uncomfortable for him to see her.”

Jake glared at Cal when she snickered. “That is entirely untrue. I took a stern father approach, but I didn’t step in until she took him for every single cent of his hundred grand
, suckering him into bad real estate investments for which she’s serving five to ten. I see he failed to mention that.”

Greg nodded with a slight grin. “Rickie failed to tell us that. Of course
, her taking his money would explain his biweekly calls for us to experiment on him for money, which brings me to the point of this whole thing.” Greg folded his hands. “Rickie has yet to be tested continuously or under certain elements. Now, when you had your attorneys renegotiate his contract with us, we got to keep the two week option, meaning we only have to give Rickie a two-week notice before pulling him for an experiment. We’re letting you know now that we fully intend on bringing Rickie into Iso-Stasis thirteen.”

Jake immediately looked at the
panicked look on Cal’s face., and he grabbed her hand. “Remember what he is.” Jake looked back at Greg. “You’re not injecting him, are you?”

“No.” Greg shook his head. “Rickie will be there not as a participant, but mainly for us. And
, of course, to annoy the hell out of everyone.” Greg smiled. “Rickie won’t be taunted or teased or sought after. We’ll be observing him. I expect some jealously from the other participants because Rickie will pretty much get his way there. He’ll have resources there only for him, through the controllers on the island, that he can tap into. And I’m sure, knowing Rickie, he will rub that in with the others. Any questions about Rickie?” Greg waited for an answer. “I’ll leave it up to your discretion on when to tell him, Jake.”

Jake nodded. “I’ll wait until March 2
nd
.” He felt Cal squeeze his hand tight. “What? He’ll drive me nuts for the next three months if he knows.”

Greg stood up. “Now we can move on.” He began to pass out contracts. “Standard participant agreement forms.” He gave one to Aldo. “Aldo
, you can review the forms with them.” Greg handed Cal and Jake the pens “As you can see, they are the same ones you signed before, only the date has been changed . . .”

“Six months.” Jake looked up. “The experiment is only six months.”

“That’s all we’ll need.” Greg sat on the edge of the table. “But everything else is the same. There are three things that you may request a six month supply of. Should you fail to emerge from the experiment, you belong to us.” That statement elicited a smile from Greg. “Compensation when the institute deems you have completed the experiment. Uh . . .” Greg rattled on and thought as Jake and Cal read. “You must remain silent for thirty-three months post-experiment. You will rely on the resources left with you. You do not hold us responsible for any mental or physical duress you may suffer, during or after . . . you know the routine.”

Aldo laid the contract down. It was one he had seen many times before. The date and length were the only things
that had changed. But something wasn’t right. After a few minutes time, he saw Jake getting ready to sign, and he grabbed his hand. “Think about this.”

“I did
,” Jake responded and looked at Cal. “Ready?”

“I’m with you Lt. Col. Graison.”

Greg watched with pleasure as both of them signed at the same time that Aldo slumped in his chair. “Good.” He walked over and took the contracts. “I’ll have my secretary copy these. Now . . .” He returned to sitting on the table’s edge. “Basically, what are the rules of the Iso-stasis? Jake?”

Jake looked up. “There are none.”

“Exactly. What we plan for you is never disclosed. All participants go in blind. That would be impossible for you two seeing how you have done this before, so fair is fair, don’t you agree? And since you already know some things, I might as well tell you the rest.” Greg’s whole demeanor began to change. “Things are different this time, so we’re going to do things a little differently. We’re going to let you both in on the rules that pertain to you, and I will gladly rip these contracts up if you don’t agree.” Slowly, he slid from the table and began to pace. “You are a team. You start as a team, you finish as a team. Should one of you die or break, the team is done, and the other is air lifted out. Not only are you a team, you are a couple, and you must finish as a couple. According to paragraph eighteen of the agreement, you will receive your compensation when the experiment deems you have completed it. One-half of the money is given to you at the end, the other half one year later when you two are still married.”

Jake looked curious. “So basically, if you can’t mentally break us or kill us, you still have the stress thing that can play into our relationship.”