The Perfect Machine: Kingdom Of Glass (GxG

40. I am a soldier

We accompany Lara Williams down to the cafeteria with brand new garments. It's essentially the same clothes we find in the closets in Arthur's home. Black cargo trousers and light grey shirts.

The cafeteria is basically empty with the exception of a couple of men and a woman seated around a table in the middle of the large dark room. Lara takes us over there and we're all gathered in front of the metal bench.

Landon, who we met the other day, is here. He smiles softly. I notice it is a really normal thing for him. His glasses rest on his pointed nose and dark spots are hidden underneath his eyes — his short grey hair is in need of a brush.

A short woman with blue eyes and long brown hair sits next to him. She's got a stern expression on her face. She reminds me of someone I've seen before, but I can't tell from where.

A man with an old military uniform decorated with a ton of awards is seated to her right. He appears to have passed a retirement date now.

We all sit in silence, not knowing what we've walked into. Then, a heavy thud from behind makes all of us turn around in our seats. Harlow is being guided in by two guards who point their guns at her back. Her hands are in handcuffs. I roll my eyes with both humiliation and frustration.

They set her down in the seat next to me, so I try not to meet her eyes. One of the guards takes out the key to open Harlow's cuffs, but she bursts loose before he can even bend down. The man's mouth drops and Harlow tilts her head at him. The man looked terrified as his eyes are wide open.

Something in me desires to laugh, but Harlow's present attitude should not be praised. She's been behaving so unusual. It's troubling. Harlow throws the bits of the handcuffs to the guard. The lady in the middle doesn't appear pleased with Harlow's actions.

"Okay," She says, staring at the papers in front of her.

"What in the world are you?" The military guy asks, looking puzzled as he stares at her. Harlow tenses her jaw as she turns to face the man.

"What's this?" The woman sighs, leaning back in her seat to face Landon. The stare between the older man and Harlow comes to an end.

"Well, this is my good friend, Arthur. I told you he would be a great help to this project," Cowan explains as she nods in appreciation.

"This is my daughter-in-law and my grandson," Arthur explains, referring to Mary and her little boy, Harry.

"And this young woman is River, with her parents, and then we've got Harlow," He says.

"So, you're the troublemaker?" The blue-eyed woman asks, looking at Harlow a little offended but still curious.

"What happened to you?" She says right away, and Harlow tightens her fist in frustration, and I reach out for her hand to make sure she's not trying to do anything that she's going to regret. I'm holding her close in my grasp.

"We need your help," I start by looking at all three of them.

"The government is after us,"

"I know," The short lady answers.

"It's all over the news, so I don't like to have you here," She says as she looks directly at me with her blue eyes.

"I'm sorry, but we don't have anywhere else, too," I said and turn to Harlow.

"And we need help with a big problem," I indicate Harlow's illness and the need for a cure.

"So, what is helping you going to bring me?" She asks Harlow.

"Nothing," She says, and I turn to her in frustration. She sighs in irritation.

"I don't have much to give, except what I am," Harlow shrugs and a puzzled expression forms across the woman's face.

"So, what are you?" She asked, leaning forward in her seat.

"I am a soldier," Harlow answers.

"Well, we can all agree that you're more than a soldier, Harlow. What I need is an explanation," Harlow shakes her head while rubbing the bridge of her nose, and she looks agitated and irritable.

"I am a highly classified soldier created by the government to fight battles that no one else could have," Harlow explains.

"Could, like in the past?" The military guy asks with his arms folded across his chest.

"Let's just say that some of us weren't perfect,"

"What do you mean by that?" Landon asks, looking curious.

"We were made not to feel anything emotionally, and yet I do, so I am a mistake. I fleed and not long after, they tore down the program. The others were left to die,"

"How?" Landon wonders as he writes down everything that's been said.

"They've given us pills that are supposed to contain what they've put into me and what's inside of me makes me dominate compared to others, sure, but it's also killing me,"

"How's that going to kill you?" Cowan asks. His eyes are bright with interest.

"Whatever they put in me is streaming through my veins and inevitably it will make my heart stop." No matter how many times she says it, it always leaves me anxious.

"And, looking at it, you've just got weeks left," Landon notes and Harlow nods.

"You think you can handle this, Landon?" The woman next to him asks.

"I can't promise anything, but we're going to try," He says, rubbing his chin.

"Why did they tear down the program? It seems like a huge advantage to the government to hold you in combat," The military guy says.

"I don't know and I wasn't there to ask," Harlow says as the man rolls his eyes.

"Let's presume that Cowan finds a solution for her and she's feeling better. Can we trust her?" The older man asks the woman in charge.

"If I wanted all of you gone, you would have been dead by now," Harlow states harshly.

"He's got a point, Harlow. You could only be using us to get the remedy," The woman points out as Harlow rises to her feet.

"I don't care about the cure. I've been taught not to fear death, and I don't care," Harlow shouts in outrage. I take her by the arm and attempt to lower her down in the seat. She takes the hint and gets down. Her comments have stung like a bee. The three of them look at each other for an answer.

"I guess we're going to vote then. Landon?" The woman asks, and the guy nods.

"I am for it," Landon says, looking at me warmly.

"Norman?" She asked.

"I'm against it," The former soldier says, which was no surprise. We're both staring at the woman in front of us. She looks reflective as she focuses on Harlow.

"I think we should give it a try," She says. I breathe out. I can feel the relief in my chest.

"You can find me in the lab after dinner. Williams should show you the way," Landon says.

"I know where it is," Harlow interrupts and Cowan raises his eyebrow.

"Not many people know where it is," He says in disbelief.

"You've just been here for half a day; how do you know?" Landon questions.

"You should maybe do something about your security," Harlow grins to Norman, who looks pretty offended. I kick her in the leg. I wouldn't say I like her behaviour at the moment. It's like she is trying to piss everyone off, including me.

"Interesting," Landon says as he writes something down on his paper again.

"Major, show them back to their room and update them on our daily routine," The woman says, and we follow Lara back to our bedroom.