The Circle of Life

The Circle of Life

Prologue.

A man stands in the middle of what seems to be a warehouse — but filled with medical items and mechanics that seem to flow endlessly through the room.

He is relatively tall, and has dark hair and pale skin. Next to him stands a shorter, slightly gentler-looking man. His sandy hair is pushed back by gel, stiff with the substance, while the glasses that rest on his nose can't seem to stay in place.

"We did it," he breaths as he stares at the girl laying on the table. "A life — created simply by our design — not consummated by two beings."

"She's beautiful," the shorter man says. "But Doctor Maras, what now?"

"Now is where you come in, Doctor Clement. You help me put memories into her mind — make her believe she is normal — and send her into the real world."

Clement looks shocked. "Sir, with all due respect, what would be the point of that? To create such a being, and make her seem normal."

"The world has such a small mind, Clement," Maras says, holding his chin high. "They will not be ready for her, but imagine, when they find out, they'll realize she was living amongst them all this time."

"And she will have no idea that she is not human — not in the normal sense at least."

"Exactly."

"If she figures out who we are — if we need to intervene —her psyche could..."

"We will not intervene unless absolutely necessary."

Clement opens his mouth to argue, then closes it. He has only known Doctor Maras for a short amount of time, but he knows the man is determined, though nothing could be sure about the future to come. Something like this has never happened before.

Doctor Maras puts his hands behind his back and paces over to the machines, cogs and pieces turning, just like the ones in his head, staring at the information in front of him.

"Let us begin."

1

"Welcome to Stulus Academy, Miss Cree."

"Thank you," she says, taking the pamphlet.

"Enjoy your first day."

Nova Cree takes a step out of the office and into the school. The noises are loud and she navigates through the halls into a large area that is filled with tables, people, and the smell of food. The cafeteria.

Unknowing of where to sit, she takes the empty table. Not long after, a young woman with brown hair sits across from her.

"Hi," she says.

Nova smiles and puts down the spoon filled with soup.

"Hi." She reaches her hand out. "I'm Nova Cree."

"Nancy Rennen," Nancy responds with a smile. "I'm part of the 'welcoming committee' the school likes to implement upon us during our first days. We have a pretty similar schedule so I'll help you find all your classes."

"Thank you," Nova responds. "That’s really nice of you."

"So where are you from, Nova Cree?"

2

Sitting in a large lecture hall, only the first two rows are filled up.

"This is one of the most difficult classes in the school," Nancy explains quietly as they enter. "Most kids don’t take it 'cause they’re scared — or they drop out."

"Oh."

"Don't worry. You don't seem like one to run from a problem. Plus you’ve got me. I'll help you out."

"Thanks."

-

That night when Nova gets back to her dorm room, she sits at the desk, staring at the homework she has just completed. What started as a small headache starts to grow.

"I need to sleep," she mumbles to herself as she crawls into bed. She turns off the light.

-

Two weeks later, Nancy and Nova sit with each other in the class. Over the recent days, her headaches have been increasing, and she has fallen behind. The teacher seemed to be piling work on more than usual--and anything would set him off.

So when Nova did not have her assignment ready, he makes her stand in front of the class.

"Where are you from, Miss Cree?"

"Ohio."

"Did they let you get away with this in Ohio?"

"No, sir."

"Don't let it happen again."

3

"I thought you were from Connecticut."

"What?" Nova looks up from her unappetizing lunch.

"Connecticut," Nancy says from the other side of the lunch table. "You know. Atlantic Ocean and all that."

"Oh." Nova pauses. "I did say that."

"So were you lying about where you are from, or...?"

"No, no, I just moved around a lot," Nova explains without thinking. "Sometimes I just say the first place that comes to mind."

"Are you sure you're not in the witness protection program?" Nancy's voice gets humourous as she lowers her voice. She then considers seriously. "But if you were... you wouldn't be able to tell me."

"I'm not in witness protection."

"That's what they'd want you to say."

4

Saturday morning, Nova sits in her room alone. Most of the school has left for spring break. It seems like the whole world is quiet.

She had gone to the Doctor for her headaches, but they had said it was stress. Though no matter how relaxed she was, the headaches did not leave.

Deciding for some fresh air, Nova lets her feet lead her, and goes for a walk.

The air is crisp and fresh, but something in it stains her. There is some sort of metallic scent that stuck in her nose.

Streets pass Nova as she walks. The once sunny skies seeming to turn grey as more old decaying buildings tower over her. She slows to a stop with a sigh and places her hands on her temples.

"Come on," she whispers to herself. "Get it together."

Looking up, she finally takes in where she is.

"What the...?" It's an old abandoned area. What is she doing down here?

Turning around to walk back the way she came — hoping she could find her way back —she sees the building she stopped in front of.

There is a familiarity to it — something that seems to draw her there. But that is weird —why would a building draw her? She has no memory of this place, no connection.

Flashes go before her eyes, and the piercing headache sears. Between the flashes are images; of the building, of hallways, of rooms, and a table that was surrounded by machines.

When she becomes conscious of her surroundings again, Nova is on the ground, hands and knees holding her up.

She pushes herself up and lets out a shuddering breath.

What was that? That had never happened to her before.

Her gaze slides over to the building that is beside her. If this area is really abandoned, then there is no harm in going in. She wouldn't be disturbing anyone.

And if she was, she'd just say she was lost. There was no lie in that.

She hadn't been here before. How would she know where to go?

5

The building is eerily quiet as she enters, at least from the sound of people. The buzzing and "clinks" and "clanks" of machines echoes quietly out of the room that the hallway she walked led to. Odd, considering it is supposed to be abandoned.

She enters and stops dead on her feet as she sees the room. It's exactly what she saw when she had what she could only describe as an episode, outside the building.

She forces her feet to move, despite the feeling of dread that fills her.

Entering the center of the large room, she takes the opportunity to look around and try and take in the details. There are so many details — but they all seemed so familiar.

Pain.

"What is your name?"

"Nova Cree."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty."

"See Clement?" Maras says digitally. "Your work is amazing."

"Where would you like me to make her from?"

"Anywhere."

"Here." She breathes out as flashes of this building flies through her mind. "I'm from here."

The past weeks make sense now. The incredible headaches, the dreams that seemed more like nightmares, they all made sense.

She remembered everything, this place seemed to trigger whatever memories that had been inside her, that they had tried to make her forget.

"Oh, my god," she thinks. "I'm not human."

Thunk. Pain hits the back of her head, this time, not the same as the others.

She falls to the floor, unconscious.

6

"Was that really necessary?" Clement asks Maras.

"She figured it out," Maras says. "We need to wipe her and start over."

"Start over, sir?" Clement says, incredulous. "She remembers now! It isn't a clean slate — it won't work!"

"I don't care! Make it work, Clement!" Maras uses his height to loom over Clement. "Or do you forget who's in charge here?"

"No, sir," Clement says, but his heart sinks. This poor girl was in for such a rough future.

"Good." Maras turns and storms out. "Get started."

7

When Nova wakes up, she’s distraught, and memories both true and false flooded her.

"What's happening?" she whispers to the man beside her. "You... you are Clement. Doctor Clement. What's happening?"

So he explains to her, and Nova does not speak for two days after that, having trouble processing and communicating with these people who had created her.

Maras is adamant, always yelling at Clement to wipe Nova and start again, but Clement stalls him, saying that's what he was doing, but he is just buying time.

One night, as Nova is still strapped to some sort of table that stood in an almost vertical position, Clement stays behind as Maras left.

"I've stalled as much as I can," Clement says. Nova's eyes snap in his direction in question.

"Stalling the process of recreating me? Rebuilding different memories? Lies?"

"It's what he wants," Clement says quietly as he puts down his clipboard. "But not what I want, and I know not what you want."

Nova stays quiet. "Why is this happening to me?"

"Because we thought we could play God," Clement says. "And in a way we did. But we are horrible Gods. We should be teaching you, raising you like a parent would, but instead we put in memories of false childhood and lie to you about who you are."

"So what are you going to do to me?" Nova asks. "Are you going to do what Maras says?"

"No — I don't know," he says. "If Maras finds out I did anything he didn't want, he'll put me off of this assignment and you won't have anyone to look out for you."

"And you've looked out for me so well." Nova's voice is filled with bitterness.

"No," Clement says. "You're right, I haven't, but I will now."

Clement leaves, and Nova is left with the light on the desk being the only source in what seems to be an endless dark that surrounds her.

8

"Today is the day, Clement!" Maras enters proudly as he throws his hands in the air. "Get it done!"

Nova had barely slept, staring at the room around her, sorting through memories of true and false. Her heart beat accelerates. Is this the end for her? Is she being reprogrammed?

"I'm a person! I don't want to be programmed!" she thinks, upset. "But if I'm not human... no. I'm still a person."

"Please, don't do this," Nova begs. "Why do this? I remember! I know..."

"That's exactly the point!" Maras says. "You know." He practically spits the word as he walks towards her.

He looms tall, but she believes he is not much taller that her.

"And I don't want you to know." He growls out the last word as if it was poison.

He turns and stalks away, turning on the machine, as Clement writes on his clipboard. He refuses to look up.

"Please, Doctor Clement," Nova asks quietly. "Please."

"Call me Clement," is all he says in response, as he turns away.

Nova had been trying to break free for days, and she tries one last time as Clement places a device on her head. She struggles, but it's no use.

"Be brave," he whispers and Nova glares.

"I'd rather not be a coward like you two."

Clement doesn't look sad, or hurt, but acknowledging. "I know. I know."

Maras gives the order.

"Now!"

And Clement hits the lever, never losing eye contact with Nova.

Unsure what to expect, Nova braces for impact and closes her eyes, but is surprised when nothing happens.

"What the hell?" shouts Maras. "Clement, what did you do?!"

And then... there's the sound of something sparking, surprising Nova as her eyes fly open, and the table she's attached to rumbles.

"Clement!" Nova looks over to see Maras marching towards Clement.

Clement quickly hits a button which unlocks Nova, who falls to the floor on her hands and knees.

She tries to push herself up, and is unsteady as she hasn't stood properly in days, but she finds her balance.

Heat fills the room and she looks over to see something has caught fire. Her line of sight swings back to Clement and Maras, who are now fighting. Clement is clearly losing, and Nova is unsure what to do.

There's another explosion in the distance, and heat blasts through the room. The sound of creaking makes all of them look up, and a large pillar falls down in their direction.

They all jump out of the way of the pillar, falling debris hitting the floor next to them.

Nova looks up from where she covers her head under her arms, and looks to see the pillar has caught Maras and Clement.

"Free me!" Maras' voice is deafening and screeching as he yells at her. "Nova! Free me NOW!"

There's another boom, and another wave of heat.

Knowing there isn't much time, Maras yells more threats at Nova, who ignores him. She only has the strength to carry one person.

She runs towards Clement and manages to lift the pillar enough that he can wiggle out, but he collapses when he does. She pulls him away from the debris and collapses halfway through the room, partially to the weight of Clement, the heat of the room, and the sound of Maras screaming at her.

"I am your CREATOR!" Maras' voice fills her ears. "You will OBEY ME!"

"No!" Nova yells back, her voice rough from the smoke that now is starting to fill the room. "I'm a person. I get to make a choice!"

"You're not person! You're a thing! A freak!" Maras says. "You have no choice! You must OBEY ME!"

A pause.

"I do have a choice." Nova defies him, her voice finally calm now. "And this is it."

She grabs Clement and pulls him with all her strength out the room, and down the hallway, towards the exit.

They make it to the alley outside the building, far enough away from the heat.

Clement regains consciousness, and Nova looks at the old man in worry.

"What happened?" Clement asks. "We're outside?"

"I pulled you out. I chose to save you, but I couldn't save..."

"Hey," he says putting a hand on hers. He coughs ferociously. "He didn't deserve it."

"But who are we to decide who lives and dies?" Nova whispers.

"You are so good." Clement coughs furiously once again. "You stay that way."

"No, no, please don't go." Nova finally shows how scared she is. Tears threaten to fall. "I dont understand. I don't know who I am. I'm all alone. I'm scared."

"I know," Clement says. "And I'm so sorry. But know this. You are a person. You have rights. It doesn't matter where you're from, or why, it matters what you do. Who you are."

"I don't want you to die," Nova says. "I don't know how to save you."

The sound of sirens come from the distance and she looks back to see lights getting brighter and brighter.

"They're coming. Help is coming." She turns back to Clement and her smile of hope falls. "Clement?"

"It's okay." Clement whispers. "Run. Be brave."

"You're not a coward," Nova says. "I didn't mean it."

"I know, Nova." He coughs and his voice is weak. He breathes heavily between words. "Now... Go... Be free..."

He lets out a breath and the grip on her hand that he had not let go finally loosens.

There’s the sound of something else collapsing in the building, and Nova squeezes her eyes shut to avoid the dust and prevent her own tears.

"Run," he finally whispers, and he closes his eyes, weight of his body finally taking its toll.

She lets a few tears fall as she stands up. She looks back to see the cars parked on the street, and runs down the other end of the ally, the shadow of her figure disappearing into the smoke that billows into the alley, as she escapes the world behind her.

9 - Epilogue

Two years later.

"Your resume is quite impressive," the woman says. "We'd love to hire you."

"That would be amazing." Nova smiles.

"Oh, wow. It says you're from out west. Did you hear about that fire that happened a few years ago? Very intense."

"Yes I... I heard," Nova says. "It was quite dramatic."

"Oh, right. I apologize. Let's not talk about things like that." The woman smiles. Her brown hair tied in a bun is silhouetted by the light coming in the window behind her.

"Well, we will get you started right away."

"Thank you, Ms. Righten," Nova says.

"Oh, call me Demetrie," she says. "Are you ready?"

"Very much so." Nova smiles and they enter the boardroom. Scientific writings along with equations fill the whiteboard, and Nova smiles to herself.

"Everybody." Demetrie gets everyone's attention, and all eyes go to them. "This is our new board member. She will be working with us from now on. Go ahead and introduce yourself. Tell everybody who you are."

"Hi." Nova smiles stepping forward. The people around the room are attentive, excited to have a new member. "I'm Nova Clement."

Fin