Free Minds

Chapter 109.

   It's official. When this whole thing was over–if that ever happened– I was going for two years of intensive AI therapy afterwards. Normally, I would be opposed to venting my feelings to an AI Doctor that would never be able to relate despite its over the top people skills and dance moves that would beat me any day. But if I didn't, the countless surprises I've been bombarded with in just a few hours would be the reasons I'll become crazy enough to believe pigeons are the government's eyes or that apple-picking should be an Olympic sport.

   The two ways I knew that I wasn't insane–still debatable– were the choked gasps from Rav and Dorian, who, with their wide twitching eyes, looked like near corpses with a foot in the grave.

   As messed up as it was to say, their reactions were comforting. Otherwise it would have meant that I was the only one who was seeing the sea green complexion covering every inch of Camila's body with the exception of her purple mouth and eyes.

"B-but," I was not surprised that Dorian was the first to speak, "h-how did i not realise?"

"Because unlike you, I actually fit in with other humans." Camila flipped a loose strand of her once light brown now raven-black hair over her shoulder. "And I didn't blurt out my identity while under the delusion I was in love."

   Ouch. "That was very uncalled for." I frowned.

"But the truth." She didn't budge. "I mean, what were you expecting, Dorian? Lacey to jump into arms and beg to have your mixed-species babies? Give me a break. Look at Beth's reaction when she saw who you really were. She was obviously repulsed by yo–"

"Shut up, Camila!" I snapped. "You know that's not true!"

   A tense wave of silence reigned for an uncomfortable amount of time.

   Until Rav broke it, "Okay, so, just to be clear, Camila, because you're an alien like Dorian–"

"I'm nothing like Dorian!"

"So because you're an alien with brain capabilities similar to..." Rav gulped at the gun that became unstable in her hand. "...He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, you weren't affected by the Neuroskel. Nothing about that explains your–er...alliance with Speck."

"True," Camila nodded. "The genesis of everything that led to that can be traced to a place. A place not just I in this room am familiar with. Those who run it had a different name for the place but people like me who lived in this place called it The Institution."

   The strained squeak that left Dorian was the proof I needed that I was going to have a future AI Therapy buddy. "Y-you were there, t-too?"

"Yes, Dorian, just like you."

"So you knew who I was all along."

"Yes and No. I knew you were an alien but I didn't know you were one of the kids from the institution until I saw the scars on your chest alongside your tattoo here."

   Now makes sense how Speck knew Dorian was an alien .

   The Institution.

   The source of most of Dorian's childhood trauma that resonated in his nightmares, insomnia and serious trust issues today. The place which gave him his damning chest tattoo.

   I wasn't sure what Camila's story was going to be, but since it had to do with the cursed place, I already knew it would have a lot to do with how she was now.

   Camila released a huge breath, "The government's policies on planet exploration and alien immigration benefited less than a handful. Underneath it all was The Institution; the place you get when the earth's top government officials pair up with rich assholes and alien traitors to invade and exploit other planets and their resources, kill off all the genuine aliens who condemn them and drag their surviving children to earth against their will because these people don't want them to 'have any ideas'."