TEKULA: SUBJECT ZERO

CHAPTER NINE

I'm back now :)

QUINN HASTILY SHOVES as many files underneath her sweatshirt as possible. Her fingers stumble over the locks on the cabinet as she returns everything back to its rightful place, minus the files on THE TEKULA PROJECT she plans on stealing.

Her head whips around behind her as footsteps sound in the living room, pausing in front of what is probably the kitchen. Opening the door, Quinn hesitantly pokes her head out, looking for any sign of her father. She can only see his shadow cast on the hallway wall.

She makes quick work of relocking the door and creeping down the hall, but a voice stops her.

"Quinn?" He says, when she is mere feet from her bedroom door.

"Yeah?" She hollars back, not turning around to risk revealing the classified files hidden beneath her hoodie. Quinn waits for his reply with baited breath. Could he have seen her leaving his office? No, she checked to make sure he never saw her.

"How are your studies going?"

Of all the things he could have possibly done, small talk was not at all what she was expecting.

"Uh, kinda busy right now, Dad. Can you give me a minute?" She asks.

"Is something wrong?" He questions, taking a step in her direction. It had become quite apparent to Henry that he hadn't spoken to his daughter in quite a while, hence his questioning, but she was making things rather difficult.

"N-no." Quinn hazards a glance over her shoulder. "Nothing at all."

Henry raises a brow. "Why are you holding your stomach? Is it bothering you? If you are sick, you should have just told me, or else I wouldn't have come home--"

"No! I'm not sick its..."

"Well, what is it then?"

Quinn internally groans, already cringing at what she is about to say. "Uh, its--erm." She pauses, knowing she must not let him find out about the stolen files. "L-lady problems?"

"Oh," is all he says in reply before turning around and striding back into the kitchen.

Slamming her bedroom door closed behind her, Quinn sighs in relief. "Could I be any more awkward?" She mumbles. She settles herself crosslegged on the bed, spreading the files out in front of her. Her eyes pour over the various pages.

It is clear that the Tekula Project is finished, considering Theseus and Veronica escaped, but this doesn't stop Quinn from getting a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. She looks back at her bedroom door, hearing the thump of her father's footsteps milling about.

Should she confront him about this? What he did... It was immoral, cruel, heartless, wrong. How could he keep a human being locked underground? How could he deny the love Theseus had for the young scientist? Why would he do such terrible things? No, she can't confront him. The consequences could be much harsher than anything she could possibly imagine. Especially considering the magnitude of a secret such as this.

Quinn has a hard time connecting the man in the files, Dr. Vanderwall, and the man in the next room, her father, as the same person. Of course, he was never a very good father, but she never saw him as a sociopath capable of murder.

Yes, murder. Quinn had seen the words herself.

The plan was to eliminate the Project. They were going to euthanize Theseus like they were putting down a sick animal.

Bile rises up Quinn's throat, forcing her to swallow uncomfortably. These people, and Henry too, are horrible. Yes, Henry. Never would it be Dad ever again. A man like that could not--would not--be her father. Quinn wishes, now more than ever, that her mother wouldn't have left her alone with him. Another horrifying thought races to the forefront of her mind.