The Beyond: Dystopian Survival Fiction (The Breeder Files Book 4) Eliza Green (fantasy novels to read TXT) 📖

the same growth machine in the medical facility. Without any memories to the contrary, by normal standards, he had barely lived.

She shifted from the chair to sit on the bed next to him, and pulled him into a hug. ‘Choose what’s right for you.’

He nodded into her hair but pulled back quickly, as if the moment was too much for him.

She stood. ‘See you in twenty-four hours.’

Alex grinned, looking more like his old, cheeky self. ‘Looking forward to it.’

She left the room with heaviness in her heart. The physical fight might be over but the battle was not yet won. It wasn’t a physical battle they faced now, but a psychological one. One that required them to choose what life they wanted. Each of them had been ripped from the only life they’d known and was facing a new future, with new choices.

She walked away from the guards, worried about what the new city might hold. Agatha was delaying its reveal on purpose.

Maybe it was bad. Maybe there was no city and this base was all that remained.

But the prospect of a functioning city and a new life worried Anya more. Because it would force her to face a future she wasn’t ready for.

31

Dom

Pain radiated up Dom’s arm and into his shoulder. He rotated his arm slowly, still blazing from having pulled open the heavy door to the Region.

Would he do it again? Definitely.

What was the point in having this damn tech if he couldn’t put it to good use? All the experiments on him, all the torture the Collective put him through—meaning Quintus—would not be for nothing.

He stood in one of the labs next to Anya, who had her arms folded. Her eyes had narrowed and she was eyeing everything the lab technicians were doing.

Set on two gurneys before them were the Copy medic and Carissa. Both were out, or disabled. Dom wasn’t sure which. The technicians hovered around the pair. Jacob barked at one to be careful when he went to move Carissa into a new position.

Dom moved closer, seeing the blank look on both their faces. It reminded him of the guards in sentry mode in the Great Hall.

Agatha stood next to the lead technician. They chatted in hushed tones.

‘We’re ready,’ said the lead technician finally.

Jacob looked back at him, his brows pulled forward in worry. ‘Are you sure she won’t feel anything?’

The man in the white coat shook his head. ‘It will feel just like waking up.’

He stepped forward and motioned for another to bring a machine over. The second man wheeled it into place. It had a set of wires attached to it, which the doctor connected magnetically to the Copy medic’s connection point. He set the machine running. Dom heard a low hum building in intensity, until there was a snap. The Copy jolted hard on the table.

Jacob glared at Agatha. ‘What’s happening?’

‘They have their new NMCs. We need to deliver a blast of energy to wake the chips up.’

The Copy medic stirred, her eyes fluttering open. She looked around, clearly startled by the room full of people. She jerked up into a seated position, but the lead technician stopped her.

‘Take it easy. Just lie down for a moment.’

The Copy medic did as she was told.

The technician removed the wires and copied the procedure with Carissa. Jacob chewed on his thumb as the energy inside the machine built up and reached a fine point that jolted Carissa’s body.

Jacob grabbed her hand, one eye on the machine, the other on Carissa. Carissa opened her eyes, blinking hard against the new light. She looked around.

Jacob lifted her hand and pressed it to his chest. ‘Miss, are you okay?’

‘I... think so.’ She blinked again and looked around at the others. ‘Where am I?’

The old man smiled and breathed out. ‘You’re safe, miss.’

She tried to sit up. The technician stopped her, pulled the wires off her, and she tried again. Jacob helped her to sit.

Dom watched as the girl, dazed and disorientated, took in her surroundings. The Copy medic also sat up and perched on the edge of the gurney. One of the technicians shone a light in both their eyes and asked them basic questions.

‘What do you two remember about Praesidium?’

Both of them frowned and Dom saw their eyes move rapidly, as if processing.

The Copy medic answered first. ‘I have no memories of such a place existing.’

Carissa answered next. ‘Neither do I.’

The lead technician waved a wand over their heads and checked a diagnostic machine. He gave a quick nod.

Agatha seemed to relax.

Dom asked her, ‘What’s next for them?’

‘Now, we give them new programming, which will give them a new life. We need to take them to the upload room.’

Jacob helped Carissa down from the gurney while one of the technicians helped the Copy medic.

‘Will she remember anything?’ said Jacob to Agatha as one of the technicians took control of Carissa.

‘No, I’m sorry. She is a blank, a newborn.’

Jacob’s shoulders slumped a little.

Carissa looked up at Jacob and frowned. ‘Why are you sad?’

Jacob attempted a smile. ‘I’m not sad, miss. I’m happy you’re well.’

Dom couldn’t bear to look. Before him was a man who had lost a daughter, even if that daughter had been a Copy.

Carissa’s eyes narrowed at him. ‘Why do you call me miss?’

‘It’s... it used to be your name.’

She cocked her head. ‘Like a nickname?’

Jacob nodded.

She nodded back, as if she’d decided something. ‘I like it. And I will call you... I will call you...’

She frowned as if stuck on a name.

‘You can call me Jacob.’

She smiled. ‘Jacob. Nice to meet you.’

The technicians led the pair of Copies out of the room and Jacob went with them.