“Mila Norfolk, reporting for duty, Dr. Lyashenko!” Mila announced her arrival to Alexander’s lab office, the place where she had awakened months ago. “So, we got to the final test, hah! What could it be?” she asked, dressed in comfortable loose clothes, bouncing on her hiking shoes to show Alexander her readiness and excitement. “Finally, I’ll be out of the castle, roaming beyond the gardens!” Mila said with a happy sigh. She leaned against the edge of Alexander’s desk and traced the modernized castle dungeon with her gaze. She recalled the strangeness of her waking up without a memory to anchor her there, then meeting Masae, and feeling a bubbling anger in the depths of her being. She brought to mind the times she wanted to take a walk around the castle’s grounds, which were extensive. But Masae consistently gave her some illogical reasons why not to be outdoors yet. Her mother didn’t want her out of those walls. She wasn’t to be seen outside, on her own until she remembered she was Mila Norfolk, until she was ready…and for what, she was about to find out.
“Because a cage, however extravagant, is still a cage,” agreed Alexander, opening a few windows on his computer containing her therapy history up to that point. He let her see them. Aside from all her academic learning, she had proven through several cognitive tests and FMRIs, the optimal workings of her brain. “There is nothing wrong with you, Mila. You are more than ready to be out of here, on your own.”
Mila grinned, pushing away the amnesia, the suspicions plaguing her heart, the persistent sleep disturbances, and the quiet anger still stewing in her soul. From all her emotions, that anger was the most dangerous one. It made her volatile. She was a primed bomb ready to detonate at any second, but she considered it best to shove all that out of her way to freedom. She would make sure to pass the test, whatever it was, so Masae would let her live by herself, and more importantly, go to college. But as she prepared to listen to Alexander’s instructions for the day, one question pushed its way out. She studied Alexander and estimated it was the opportunity to get a truthful answer, “Could I ask you something?”
Alexander stopped his work and turned to meet her gaze.
“Would you tell me more about the day I came to the lab? Was the accident really that serious?” Mila softened her voice into a whisper, regretting her possible misjudgment. She tried to read the furrows forming on his forehead, the narrowing of his eyes, and the clearing of his throat. Alexander was the only person closest to a friend she had for those long months, but he was Masae’s head scientist, her right hand. Besides, they weren’t alone, there were cameras capturing their every move, recording their interactions.
The scientist turned to his computer screen and sat with a very straight back. He resumed typing on his desk’s touch-sensitive keyboard. For a second Mila thought he decided to ignore her.
“Give me just a second, I need to finish this.” He said loud enough to be recorded and typed some final instructions for her testing. Although there was not much left to do, and certainly could have waited, he had to think and pretend for their sake.
Mila sighed and closed the space between them. A year had passed by and they had grown accustomed to working together—which had surprised Mila. At first, she didn’t want to admit how much she enjoyed learning with him in the laboratory. He talked to her as a normal human being. He looked at her as an apprentice of equal intelligence, and facilitated her academic development with superb instruction in anything she manifested an interest in. As a result, they had gradually lowered their guards around each other. It appeared, they were forming a bond perhaps out of necessity in her case, in the rugged territory of her new beginning. Or was it only her perception?
“Well, the final phase is ready, Mila.” Alexander rose, towering over her. The undertones of his military stint showed him strong and confident. It was too risky to tell her the truth. In order for her to get her freedom back and the test to succeed, in Masae’s eyes, he had to be who his employer expected of him. He had to play his part for the cameras present. If everything went well that day, she would be able to leave the castle and pursue the truth in a different way, and that was his gift to her.
Mila got even closer to him and whispered so softly only he could hear. “Just show me something that proves that what my mother says is true. Please, anything that will give me hope and strengthen my determination to pass this test.” Mila smiled and backed away from him to sit on the nearby chair, waiting for further instructions or a bit of truth.
Alexander quickened his fingers on his keyboard as if he hadn’t heard her. He carried on with his work—but he was considering how to answer her request when a flash of those months trapped like a quarantined animal passed through his mind. He pressed a few keys which immediately projected a large virtual screen over his desk. He selected a file. “I think you are more than ready to see this footage. I warn you; these images are hard to watch. I imagine, they will be harder for you as this is the aftermath of a gruesome accident.” He spoke for the cameras.
Mila peered at the screen showing an intensive care room with a wide range of machines to monitor the battered woman on the single narrow bed in the room. Mila had trouble recognizing the vision. The woman’s face and most of her body were hidden behind wrapping gauze and a low-quality video.
“The remains of a passion for speed and motorcycles…” Alexander commented dryly, avoiding her eyes. He typed a new command on his keyboard and new images came up. The very place where they stood and where Mila had come out of the coma.
Mila watched with a mixture of curiosity and horror. There she was on the bed receiving Masae’s blood in a transfusion, Alexander injecting her with the neogenesis vial. Her face was bruised and her body battered, like she had survived a battle…or a crash…She got closer to the video as a series of intermittent images went off in her mind. She staggered back. “What happened to the audio?” she muttered, pressing the volume button a few times in frustration.
“It’s just a technical failure,” Alexander replied, keeping his memories of that day at bay. “We haven’t been able to fix it yet.”
“Very convenient, don’t you think?” Mila said under her breath, her gaze fixed on the images.
Alexander didn’t comment; he swiftly closed the screen.
“So? Is there more?” Mila waited attentively for any other fragment of truth Dr. Lyashenko could unearth, although she suspected that the all-seeing eyes were notifying Masae of her inquiries.
“Wasn’t it clear? You received a blood transfusion and the neogenesis therapy we developed in our Pharma-NorTech laboratories. All said and done as Masae has already shared with you.” Alexander answered firmly, but his earnest regard did the rest of the talking.
“All to save my life and certainly in good timing,” Mila whispered, understanding the message: it was time to move on. She stepped back from the screens. Her memory lacked many parts, but shrewdness wasn’t one of her missing pieces. Something in the depths of her being began to rise. She would maintain her good-complying-daughter plan until she was able to leave. She faced Alexander; in a subtle way, he had given her what she had asked for, by showing her the file’s location and how to access it. Perhaps one day she would watch the unedited version.
“Well, the conversation is over. It’s test time,” Alexander concluded for their protection.
Mila didn’t press the issue further. She recognized the relevance of their theatrical skills for the recording cameras. No matter where in the world Masae was, she was watching them both. Consequently, it was important that the recordings of the day would show: Alexander, the trustworthy doctor, and Mila, the grateful patient.
“No more delaying the inevitable. Lead the way Dr. Lyashenko,” Mila chirped, content with the flame of truth ignited by the non-spoken information he had provided.
“Today’s test will push you to the limits, but it will also give you a day outdoors.” Alexander spoke as they got into the elevator.
“Finally, some real action!” Mila joked, following him out of the castle.
A pale English sun shone on their faces.