Inescapable (Talented Saga #7) (9 page)

Cressa wondered again whether she’d made the
right decision in coming to the Institute. There were so many
strictly-enforced rules, a stark contrast to her former boarding
school in Boston. There, the headmaster had been all too happy to
look the other way when one of his students—all young, wealthy
scions—committed an infraction. Even the worst offenses were
forgiven with a sizable donation to the school.

The Institute was vastly different in that
respect. The Karmine fortune and Cressa’s impressive lineage had
gained her admission, but no amount of money would compel her
continued participation in the program. Only adopting the
Institute’s rubric, receiving new abilities, learning to use her
gifts, and passing her exams could ensure Cressa remained a
cadet.

Fortunately, Cressa did not have a lot of
time to dwell on the matter. Dr. Masterson suddenly exited the
cubicle across from number five, stopping to greet the trio in the
hallway.

“
Cadet Karmine, it is
wonderful to see you back so soon,” she said. Despite the warmth of
the words themselves, Masterson’s voice held startlingly little
emotion. Addressing Leslie, she continued, “Cadet Abbot, I
understand you will be shadowing me during the
procedure?”

Spine ramrod straight, hands clasped behind
her back, Leslie nodded curtly.

“
Yes, ma’am. My facility
scores indicate an aptitude for both science and mathematics, so I
am currently being considered for a position in the medical
department.”

After completing the program, cadets had two
basic paths they could follow: administrative or fieldwork. The
admin track was extremely broad and encompassed everything from
teaching to recruitment. Fieldwork also had a wide range of
applications, though the details were classified at nearly all the
cadet levels. Even though Cressa knew nothing about the latter
path, she hoped she’d eventually be on it; she’d prefer to be out
in the world, making a difference.

“
I would welcome a girl of
your caliber,” Dr. Masterson told Leslie. Then she turned to
Gregor, and Cressa noticed a small, beige disc over the doctor’s
right temple. It was no larger than Cressa’s thumbnail and blended
in almost seamlessly with Dr. Masterson’s skin. Curious, Cressa
squinted for a better look. As if sensing Cressa’s gaze, the doctor
quickly smoothed her blue-black hair over the disc and continued
speaking to Gregor.

“
Cadet Ivan, it is my
understanding that your manipulation abilities are progressing
nicely, and that you are considering a future in our neuro-therapy
unit?”

“
Yes, ma’am,” Gregor
replied stiffly.

“
Wonderful,” Dr. Masterson
replied, though her tone was still flat as ever. “There is a newly
minted 2P male in cubicle eight, a Cadet Leonard. The injection
procedure is complete and was successful, though the cadet may be
suffering adjustment rejection. Dr. Wythe is speaking with him now
to determine whether a mental block is appropriate at this
juncture; I believe it would advantageous for you to
observe.”

“
Thank you, ma’am. It
would be an honor,” Gregor said deferentially. With that, he turned
and headed for cubicle eight.

Cressa watched him walk away, once again
filling with dread. She’d never heard of a mental block. It sounded
ominous, particularly when used in the same breath as a phrase like
“adjustment rejection.” In Cressa’s mind, the latter was just a
clinical way of saying that Cadet Leonard wasn’t picking up what
the Institute was putting down. Even though Cressa couldn’t recall
meeting the cadet in question, her heart went out to him. Doubts
were normal. Cressa had experienced them herself, as she imagined
every other cadet did. But the Dame demanded one hundred percent
loyalty and devotion, and it appeared her underlings were prepared
to take drastic measures to ensure compliance.

“
It is already quite late
in the day, it would be best if we got started,” Dr. Masterson told
Cressa.

Fighting the urge to make a run for it,
Cressa nodded mutely and followed the doctor inside the exam
room.

The incubation chamber sat in the middle of
the space, looking as harmless and non-threatening as a baby lamb.
Still, Cressa felt as though the machine was taunting her with its
quiet whirring noises and bright buttons. As she engaged in a
staring match with the machine, the sound of Leslie closing the
door made Cressa jump. The glass walls of the room frosted over,
effectively shielding her from the outside world.

This should have made Cressa feel better; at
least no one aside from Leslie and the doctor would be able to ogle
her while she was locked inside the chamber. Instead, the opaque
walls made Cressa feel trapped. She took several deep, calming
breaths, breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth
like her guru had shown her back home.

Eye on the prize,
she thought.
This is
what you’re here for.

Dr. Masterson pointed to the solitary chair
in the corner of the room, where a medical smock sat folded on the
cushioned seat. “You may change now, Cadet Karmine.”

“
Yes, ma’am.” Cressa
crossed to the chair, heart pounding a frantic rhythm in her chest.
She pulled the privacy curtain that hung from the ceiling closed
and started to undress.

“
How did you feel during
your test today?” Dr. Masterson called from the other
side.

“
Pretty good,” Cressa
lied. The entire time she’d been in that dark room, she’d felt
shaky and on edge. Her stomach had ached and her head throbbed. But
there was no way Cressa was going to admit discomfort. She didn’t
want the doctor to think she was complaining or showing signs of
weakness, just in case those might be grounds for
dismissal.

“
You did not experience
any trouble at all?” Masterson persisted. “You felt completely
normal?”

“
Yes, I was fine,” Cressa
answered.

“
Your vitals indicated
otherwise,” Dr. Masterson replied, the faintest hint of amusement
in her tone.

Cringing at being caught
in a lie, she slid the strange silky fabric of the smock over her
head.
How did she know what my vitals were
during the test?
Cressa wondered. She
hadn’t been wearing sensors.

“
It is normal to
experience a wide range of physical symptoms when using your
abilities,” Masterson continued, sounding as if she were awkwardly
reading from cue cards. “In fact, we expect it. An elevated heart
rate, increased temperature, heightened agitation—these are all
perfectly acceptable responses when employing your talents. In
fact, the strength of these symptoms is directly correlated to the
strength of your gifts. An absence of these side effects would
indicate that the recipient may not be compatible with her new
powers.”

“
O-oh,” Cressa replied,
for lack of anything else to say.

“
In the future, it is
imperative that you are honest with me,” the doctor said. “The exam
rooms measure your vital signs during the exams. For instance, if
your temperature increases, the thermal receptors in the room are
able to detect that increase. All the data is tracked, allowing me
to monitor and understand your response to the serum. So, as you
can see, lying is pointless.”

Dressed in the smock, Cressa emerged from
behind the privacy curtain to find Dr. Masterson studying a monitor
mounted on the wall. Numbers and letters scrolled across the
screen, all of which were gibberish to Cressa.

“
These are your levels
from the first implantation,” Dr. Masterson explained, though she
didn’t elaborate further. She nodded toward the dreaded chamber.
“Shall we begin?”

Knowing that it was actually time to enter
it, memories flooded Cressa’s mind: lying on the cool, hard slab of
plastic and staring up at the dome directly above her nose, the
sides of the tube seeming to inch closer with each passing breath;
the metallic feel of the chemicals running through her veins,
searing her insides; stomach cramps that made her body convulse;
hot flashes chasing cold sweats that stung her eyes and soaked
through her smock.

Dr. Masterson’s firm touch on the small of
her back brought Cressa back to the present.

You can do this. You lived through it once,
you can survive it again. The end result justifies the torturous
means.

“
This second procedure
will be much easier for your body to handle. We have already
determined that you are a good host, and your performance during
the Phase One exam proved that you retain power well. Just try to
relax,” Dr. Masterson coached Cressa in soothing tones. “Cadet
Abbot, your assistance would be greatly appreciated,” the doctor
added as she guided Cressa towards the chamber.

The top half of the tube rose several feet
into the air, creating enough space for Cressa to climb on to the
table within. She drew in another deep breath and took the hand Dr.
Masterson offered to help her up. The breathing exercise seemed to
be working this time; Cressa felt calmer, more determined. She had
come to the Institute to become Privileged. Though the journey was
difficult, the reward was beyond her wildest dreams. She’d been
chosen for this. It was her destiny.

Yes,
Cressa thought,
I am
ready.

On the table, Cressa laid on her back and
slid her arms into the cushioned tubes on either side of her.
Leslie moved forward and began securing the restraint straps across
Cress’s abdomen, thighs, and ankles.

The monitor came alive again as sensors
lining the interior of the arm tubes immediately began tracking her
vital signs. With a faint whirring sound, the imagers in the table
took pictures of her insides.

Dr. Masterson studied all of the incoming
data, nodding in approval. “Your temperature, blood pressure, and
heart rate are all within acceptable ranges. The initial body scan
shows that all of your internal organs are healthy and undamaged.”
Still watching the numbers passing across the screen, she addressed
Leslie. “Cadet Abbot, you may proceed.”

Leslie rounded the table to stand opposite
the doctor. With one gloved finger, she smeared a cool gel across
Cressa’s forehead, and then smoothed a strip of clear, malleable
plastic over the substance. The gel warmed instantly on Cressa’s
skin, which started to tingle after several seconds.

“
No visible
deterioration,” Dr. Masterson commented, studying images of
Cressa's brain on the monitor. The doctor smiled down at her. “It
appears you truly are an ideal host, Cadet Karmine. I see a bright
future ahead of you.”

Pride swelled inside of Cressa at the
doctor’s words. That was why she wanted to be Privileged—to cement
her whole family’s place in the Dame’s carefully constructed new
world. In that moment, she agreed with the doctor; the future was
looking bright, indeed.

“
Are you comfortable?” the
doctor asked.

“
Yes, ma’am,” Cressa
replied dutifully, feeling almost excited. The lingering tendrils
of fear that tickled her subconscious were easy to ignore now. She
simply focused on the future, and the ultimate goal of attaining
Privileged status.

Dr. Masterson opened the small compartment
in the right arm tube, directly over Cressa’s elbow. After spraying
Cressa’s skin with a disinfecting agent, she retrieved a syringe
from the refrigeration unit built into the wall beside her.

“
This first injection is
merely another dose of the telekinetic serum that I gave you
previously, to fortify your abilities. You will likely have greatly
enhanced telekinesis for the next several days, but then it will
settle in.”

The prick was quick and virtually painless.
Cressa felt an instant surge of adrenaline as the power rushed
through her veins. Beeping sounds came from the monitor as her
heart pounded and her muscles tightened all at once.

Without warning, fear lanced through Cressa,
quickly decimating the hope and excitement. With the restraints
holding her immobile in their crushing grip, she couldn’t move an
inch, couldn’t guard against the pain, couldn’t fight or flee.

No. Not again.
Tears welled in her eyes until her vision swam
and the two women standing above her became blurs.
Please stop, I want to stop. Make it
stop.

“
It will pass quickly,”
Dr. Masterson assured Cressa. “What you are feeling is all very
normal.”

Leslie said nothing, watching Cressa as
though she were a fascinating science experiment.

Her head spinning violently, like a rogue
tilt-a-whirl, Cressa barely heard Dr. Masterson’s next words. “And
this one will give you the ability to manipulate light.”

Cressa felt the second needle pierce her
skin, sending another rush of chemicals into her bloodstream. The
effects were instantaneous. Her nausea increased tenfold. Pressure
skyrocketed within her, as though her insides were expanding at an
unsustainable rate. Her skull suddenly felt like it was too big,
stretching her skin painfully until she was certain the bone would
tear it to shreds.

Cressa screamed. She wanted to beg the
doctor to stop, to just leave her alone, but she was no longer
capable of forming words.

It was just like last time, only so much
worse. The power—it was too much. Her body couldn’t handle it.

Frightened, dazed, and desperate to end the
agony, Cressa began to thrash wildly, though the restraints
hindered her movements. She felt as though every organ inside of
her was trying to claw its way out. Involuntary spasms rocketed
through her, Cressa’s back arching over and over, causing the
straps to dig painfully into her. Her eyelids flapped open and
closed, open and closed, open and closed in fast succession. The
effect was so disorienting that Cressa felt certain the world was
tilting too far on its axis. Bile blazed her esophagus, as though
it would burn a hole right through.