TEKULA: SUBJECT ZERO

CHAPTER TWENTY

"SO THEY DO share a bond on some level," Dr. Hyung observes as she watches the monitor showing Quinn Vanderwall's cell. Her face remains expressionless as she witnesses the girl crying on her cot. She has been doing so for over an hour and Hyung wonders if her tears will ever end. The mind of a child is quite emotional, it seems.

"No, or at least not in the traditional way," Dr. Vanderwall answers. He watches his daughter with distain, thankful the audio is muted and he doesn't have to hear the extent of her distress.

"What are your observations, Doctor?"

He pauses, chewing his lip in thought. He is silent so long that the woman wonders if perhaps she should ask again. He does eventually answer, and she listens intently.

"Zero's predecessor was completely and totally devoted to Ms. Odair from the moment he first caught wind of her, literally. It was hell trying to keep him contained during the times she was away from him. He followed her everywhere she went and would do anything she asked of him. The extent of their bond was astounding.

"Harmony and the Subject are different. He is just as wary of her as he is of everyone else. The only reason he allows her presence is because she treats him differently than we do. I know how she thinks, and I know that the tears we see now are nothing more than compassion. She cares for him--feels guilty about his condition--and is therefore distressed."

The female considers his words. He makes a good point and he would know better than anyone else considering the knowledge he has of the prior project.

"Should we continue with the experiment or do you think it would be a waste of time to test the bond with the other males?" She asks.

"As I said at the beginning. Their bond could just be different from what we have seen. We must continue forwards as planned. The sooner we understand the bond the sooner we can get rid of it."

*

The cuffs are tight around her wrists, cold metal digging painfully at the slightest wrong movement. Quinn stumbles after the guards, her stomach in knots. She has no idea what fate awaits her this time, and the idea is horribly frightening. After what she saw a few days ago, she is terrified of what might be waiting for her this time.

She has spent most of her time pleading to see the boy, Lupo. Each time she is either met with silence or harshly denied. The fear of whatever it is they must be doing to him eating away at her conscience. To think... He has never even known any different. If they ever get out of here, she promises to give him the best life he could ever ask for.

Perhaps now she is getting to see him. Although, the sudden thought fills her with anticipation. Will he be worse this time? Will he even be conscious enough to recognize her? Will he have forgotten her?

Before she can entertain those thoughts any farther, she is placed in front of a door and told to wait. Presently, the door opens and she is met with the disgusting doctor lady. The older woman's eyes glance down at Quinn's cuffed wrists, a smirk pulling at her lips.

"You will not be permitted to move or touch once you are placed inside. The cuffs will remain in place and any attempts to run will not be allowed."

Quinn gulps silently. What would she want to run from?

Dr. Hyung grasps her elbow and leads her into the room. The space is exteemely large yet primarily empty with the exception of a single metal chair in the center. It is long and rectangular with multiple doors along one side, all of them closed.