The S-Gene (Book 1: Amelia) - COMPLETE
The Trial

A/N: Another one before I disconnect for the weekend! I hope you enjoy it!

***

“Good morning everyone!”

Amelia tried not to cringe at the woman’s voice. Peppy wasn’t her thing. Especially not at the butt crack of dawn. She shifted her gaze downward, glancing at her watch. 4h40. Who the fuck was this peppy when the sun wasn’t up?

She lifted her brown coffee cup, hoping to shield her face with it. It was her third cup since she smashed her alarm at 3h00am. She didn’t feel any more energized than she had when she dragged her ass out of bed.

Please, for the love of GOD, kick in.

But no such luck.

“There’s an espresso machine in the back.”

Amelia whipped her head to the side, making eye contact with a short blond woman with brown eyes. She was holding the same cup as her - same shitty free coffee - but she didn’t appear as unhappy as Amelia with her beverage.

“Espresso? And they hide it in the back?”

“Probably not good for anxiety,” she replied with a wink.

Right.

Fuck.

The stressful ordeal of leaving her apartment, paying two months’ rent ahead of time, and quitting her jobs who wouldn’t wait for her to return… had made her forget that she was here because she had anxiety.

A glance at her neighbor was enough to know that she also had anxiety. An anxiety caused by having to replace ways to pay the bills and make ends meet. It eased some of her guilt to know she wasn’t the only one in this situation.

“I’m Stephanie. You can call me Steph.”

“Amelia. Ames. Everyone calls me Ames." She shifted her focus from the high-pitched voice woman at the front to Steph. “Is this your first trial with them?”

She nodded. “I’ve done other ones before, but this is the first with Genecorp. You?”

“Same.” Another newbie. “Did anything happen to you during your initial visit?”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know... Dizzy, fainting?”

Steph quirked an eyebrow. “Nope. I walked in, they took some blood… the machine didn’t work, so I had to wait for the results. Then they told me I qualified for this trial.”

Her machine also failed… a coincidence. Undoubtedly. She was reading into this a little too much. Plus, she had said it. Nothing strange happened. Walked in, and walked out. Her episode was an isolated event…

“Ladies.”

A hushed voice coming from behind them startled them both and Amelia barely held on to her coffee, nearly spilling it all over the ground.

“It would be wise to listen to the instructions.”

She was tall - a good six foot tall - with long black locks wrapped in a neat ponytail. She wore the same white lab coat that all the employees were wearing. Though she was smiling at them, the tone behind her words could not be mistaken. It wasn’t a suggestion.

Amelia had already spent a portion of her saving to pay her rent while she would be gone and she had quit her jobs, meaning she couldn’t afford to not get this money. She put on her best smile, nodding at the woman before refocusing her attention to the front.

None of this information was new. It had all been in the thick-as-a-dictionary packet they had handed her before sending her home. They would follow a specific diet to not interfere with the medicine, they had to submit to routine blood tests and meetings with psychologists. Nothing out of the ordinary.

She tuned her voice out, taking another sip of her disgusting coffee. She wouldn’t get to sneak away for a stronger drink with that woman right behind her. It would have to do for now. Plus, soon enough, she would have her room and some peace of mind.

Sometimes she would steal a glance at Stephanie who appeared quite as bored as she was. This wasn’t about some interest in furthering medicine and helping people. At the end of the day, they were here for the money.

“Please follow us. We will head towards your accommodations.”

The moment she had been waiting for this whole time.

“Finally. I thought I was about to fall asleep standing,” Steph pitched in with a roll of the eyes.

“I know…”

“Hopefully the rooms are nice. Some hotel maybe? There isn’t much around here.”

That was one topic of conversation that they did not mention. The information wasn’t talked about during the morning pep talk and the only reference to it in the documentation said accommodation which could refer to anything.

The group was not large. There were maybe ten of them. Amelia had been in a waiting room with sixty people at least when she had tried to qualify for the original trial. One look around and she could conclude that she was lucky to have gotten into this one.

Yeah. Lucky.

More money.

She followed the group led by the presenter. They were brought to a small, grey, cold hallway before going through a large metal door. Then, they arrived at some sort of underground parking which was filled with large buses. Wait. They looked like the travel buses from the bus station. Why would they need this?

“Your luggage has already been brought on board. Please proceed one by one. There are enough seats for everyone.”

People began boarding, but she felt uneasy. Once she reached the perky woman, she stepped to the side. “Excuse me, where are we going?”

She smiled at her. “We are taking you to your accommodation.”

Yeah, she had gotten that part, but that wasn’t much of an answer. “And where is that?”

“In one of our larger facilities. Please, if you could board the bus.”

Stephanie was already halfway in, throwing her a puzzled look. She watched her mouth what are you doing? She dropped her shoulders, shaking her head. Nothing weird about getting on a bus. They weren’t about to leave the country or something. None of them had a passport.

The bus looked normal. Like any other travel bus.

“Thank you,” she told the woman before hopping on the bus, following behind Stephanie.

Maybe she did need anxiety medication.

***

“PLEASE EXIT THE VEHICLE.”

Amelia’s heart boomed in her chest as she jerked her head back, hitting it against the headrest of her seat. What in the fuck? She blinked, her posture stiffening as she took in her surroundings. Stephanie was sitting next to her, her eyes half-lidded as she was stirring awake as well.

They were still on the bus.

The last thing she remembered was sitting down and talking to Stephanie. The first few minutes on the bus were clear as day but after that… Did they all fall asleep? She pressed her hands on her seat, palms down, and lifted her rear to take a glance around.

Everyone was waking up.

Was it a long ride?

Was it the early wake-up?

Amelia bit the inside of her lip while a knot formed in her belly. She palmed at her neck, feeling the thumping of her heartbeat beneath her fingers. It was the impromptu nap. It was throwing her off. Yes.

“I knew that coffee was shit,” Steph said as she stretched her arms above her head. “The ride knocked me right out.”

She did her best to stretch her lips into a smile, ignoring the twitches coming from the corners of her mouth. “Yeah, me too.”

Before she could say another word, Stephanie threw herself across her lap and then pressed her hands to the window. “Wow, sick.”

Amelia had been so thrown off by her sudden awakening that she hadn’t even thought of checking where they were. She turned her head, staring out the rectangular window by her head. Bushes. Trees. Fences… houses… What was this? A gated community or something?

There were no possible ways that this was where they would be staying. It appeared luxurious, filled with rich snotty people trying to get away from the real world.

“Let’s go,” Stephanie suggested as she grabbed her hand.

She allowed her to lead her off the bus. Once they stepped out, her reflex was to lift her hand, ready to shield her eyes from the sun - but there was no need. The sun wasn’t up high in the sky. Instead, it appeared to be mid-day. She looked at her watch. 15h45. How was this possible? How long had they been on the bus?

Where did they take them?

“If everyone could form a line in front of me, I will provide you with the required information along with your keys.”

“Do you think we get to live in these houses?” Stephanie asked in a hushed whisper. “Seems a little fancy for a trial”

“I’m not sure. The whole thing feels… weird. Why would they give us houses?”

She tried to swallow but her mouth felt like cotton. She licked her lips before clutching her purple shirt. They were about in the middle of the line, which wasn’t moving very fast, and she couldn’t help but tap her foot.

Why wasn’t anyone else sicked out by this?

“Ya alright there? Need the pills already?” Stephanie asked with a burst of laughter.

Apparently, she didn’t need to fake the anxiety. She had the condition required for the trial.

“You’re okay with all this? You don’t think something’s up?”

Stephanie shrugged. “It’s nicer than I expected… but I’m not sure what you’re getting at here… You think what? We were kidnapped? We’re gonna be sold like cattle? Human trafficking? Seems like a lot of trouble to go through to do that. They’ve been in business for a long time. Don’t you think that if people mysteriously disappeared, it would be all over the news?”

Fair point.

Was her mind playing tricks on her? Was it the stress of the lie? Maybe it was the lack of sleep. What Stephanie was saying made a lot more sense than anything she could come up with anyways. Plus, it wasn’t like she had a theory… more like… a feeling.

Then again, trials weren’t supposed to be all warm and cuddly. It was science. Business.

It was fine.

“Next.”

“That’s me!” Stephanie hopped to the man holding the clipboard and smiled at him. “Stephanie Hayes.”

He handed her a yellow envelope along with one silver key. “You will be in house six. You need to take a right at the corner and then left. All your baggage will be brought to your home. Inside this envelope, you will replace the schedule along with need-to-know information. Do you have any questions?”

“No, I’m good.”

“Next.”

“I’ll see you later,” chipped in Stephanie with a smile before heading for her house.

Yeah. Later.

“Name?”

“Hm, Amelia. Amelia Parks.”

She watched as he peered down his list, searching for her name. Once he found it, he checked it with his blue pen. “House fourteen." He handed her the same envelope and similar key as he had Stephanie. “Take a left at the corner, then another left. All your baggage will be brought to your home. Inside this envelope, you will replace the schedule along with need-to-know information. Do you have any questions?”

Pre-recorded speech much? And yes, she did have questions. First one? What the heck was she doing here and why did she agree to this? “Not right now,” she settled on answering. “But if I need help?”

“There is a yellow phone in every house. If you require assistance, pick it up, you will be connected to the main desk.”

“Oh, okay. Than-“

“NEXT.”

Okay then.

She tucked the key in the palm of her hand as she searched the horizon for the corner. There it was, with blue flowers surrounding the asphalt and a bright red stop sign. There were cars here? Who was driving the cars?

Too many questions, and not enough answers.

Two months.

Not one day more.

***

Come on you piece of crap.

Amelia was hitting the airplane button on her phone like a mad woman. She hadn’t noticed it immediately, but once she had sat down, intending to relax, she realized that her phone wasn’t getting any signal.

She tried to replace Wi-Fi but nothing. She tried restarting it… still didn’t work. What place didn’t have free Wi-Fi nowadays? Not even a secure network was showing up on the list. On top of that, she couldn’t even get her own cellular network.

Granted, she didn’t know exactly where they were, but it did not feel like the middle of nowhere. There was no reason she could not use her cellphone.

She had easily spotted the yellow phone while she had toured her little house. A little house that included one small bedroom, a kitchen, a living room, and a rather tiny bathroom. It was more than what she had back home, but it was not the most spacious of living spaces.

Amelia clicked her tongue before leaning across the green couch, reaching out for the phone. As soon as she picked it up, it rang… without her needing to dial anything. So did that mean she could not use this phone to make phone calls to the outside world?

“Front desk. My name is Veronica. How may I help you?”

“Hm, hello Veronica. My name is Amelia. I’m in house fo-“

“Amelia Parks. House Fourteen.Of course. How may I help you today Amelia?”

Creepy.

“I- I was wondering if you might know why my cellphone isn’t working. I can’t seem to get Wi-Fi or a signal.”

Veronica-miss-I-cut-you-off didn’t answer as fast as she previously had. No, instead there was a pause of silence.

“I’m sorry Miss Parks, but cellphones are not permitted in the facilities. It was mentioned in the documents you signed. You may keep it, but signals have been blocked. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

Yeah, she could not change the topic. Cellphones were not permitted? She didn’t remember reading that part. Then again, she hadn’t read the entire contract she had signed… “May I ask why?”

“It is for security reasons. I do apologize. However, each of our mini houses has enough entertainment to keep you busy. You can use the guide by the television to replace something suitable. We also offer you an array of video games, puzzles, and board games. Can I do anything else for you today, Miss Parks?”

“What if I have an emergency, or my family needs to contact me?”

“You can contact us via this phone if you have an emergency, but we also have staff constantly patrolling to ensure the safety of all our patients. If you have family or friends that you did not previously warn before entering your trial, you may give me their phone numbers and we will inform them on your behalf to not cause them any concern.”

She had minimal contact with her family. She had told her friends she was doing this. They knew. It might be her first long trial, but like Stephanie, she had done this before.

“Mm, no, that’s okay.”

“Anything else?”

“No, it’s fine. Thank you.”

She didn’t let creepy Veronica say anything else. She opted for hanging up the phone, sparing herself her cheery attitude.

No phone. No calls. No texting.

Amelia felt like at any moment she would see a camera pop out and she would be told this was some sort of strange TV reality show or some sort of experiment. She leaned into the couch, sighing loudly.

There was nothing else for her to do tonight but overthink. She had glanced over her schedule and the real trial began tomorrow. Tonight was all about getting comfortable and settling in. How was she supposed to get comfortable when this place gave her the creeps?

Knock. Knock.

Maybe it was her luggage arriving. She had looked through every room, but she hadn’t found it. Perhaps they had some delays. She jumped to her feet, heading for the door in a flash. She unlocked the bolt that kept it locked and swung the door open.

Except she didn’t replace some white coat gentleman behind it. No, instead she found a tall, pale man. He was wearing a nice buttoned-up white shirt along with crisp black pants held around his waist by a black leather belt. His black hair was long, brushing his shoulders, as his piercing green eyes locked with hers.

“Hi.”

“Hm, hi?”

“I’m sorry, I saw you walk in earlier. My house is nearby.” He reached out for her hand and then, pressed a kiss to it. “I’m Ezekiel,” he added before releasing her from his grasp.

Ooookay?“I’m-I’m Amelia. Are you here for the anxiety trial too?”

He frowned, wrinkles forming in the white skin of his forehead. “Ah. As a matter of fact, I am here for another… trial.”

“I didn’t know there were multiple ongoing trials.”

“Yes, it is - more efficient this way.”

He was not wrong about that, but it hardly explained what he was doing on her doorstep. She stuck her head outside slightly, but she couldn’t see anyone else roaming the dark streets. Was he a creep? It shouldn’t be too dangerous. Veronica had said they had people patrol the area.

Surely she couldn’t get murdered here.

Right?

Even so, a stranger roaming around in the dark wasn’t exactly inspiring. Was he truly that bored? Would explain why he was so damn pale. Maybe he should learn to walk about when it was sunny outside. A little sunlight wouldn’t harm him.

Amelia clutched the door, keeping her body between Ezekiel and her house. “Can I help you with anything?”

“I simply wanted to introduce myself since we might run into each other. I’m a usual here, I may be able to provide you with assistance.”

Her eyes opened wide. “You’ve done trials with Genecorp before?”

“A few.”

She did have a ton of questions but… none of them felt appropriate to ask someone she had just met. Especially a man. A strange man. He was forward, which - wasn’t bad in itself. The way his eyes kept tracking her, however… that was another story.

The moment he had introduced herself, she’d felt her heartbeat pick up. From adrenaline? Fear? It all felt the same to her. Point was, that he inspired confidence in her as much as the whole trial did. Not at all.

“If I have any questions I’ll let you know.”

“All settled in?”

“Why? Were you hoping to come inside?” Now he was being a weird flirty creepster and she intended on putting a stop to it. She had been polite, she had been nice… but he was lingering. If he intended to enter her temporary home, he had another thing coming.

He might not murder her but it did not mean she trusted him.

“I do not have a habit of coming in where I’m not invited.”

“Good. Goodnight then.”

She swallowed the ball that was caught in her throat and closed the door shut in his face. She wasted no time in locking it, a wave of security washing over her now that he could no longer enter.

Amelia pressed her back flushed to the wall and inched herself towards the window. She peeled back the purple curtain, searching the vicinity for Ezekiel. He was there, near the sidewalk, staring at her house with a smirk on his face. His eyes then shifted and she could swear he was looking straight at her.

Her fingers began to shake and she let go of the curtains, hiding herself from view.

Something was wrong here, very wrong.