A private forest with miles of Aspens and Ash trees mingling with soft-wooded conifers lush with green grass opened ahead. Mila breathed the delicate, but raw aroma of morning dew sogging the earth, and squinting a little, she saw the sun rising behind the forest, on the horizon. A gentle breeze passed swaying the tall grass and the thin branches of the trees in the front garden of the mansion where she stood. Her heart pounded faster. Her eyes widened and sparkled, taking everything in.
“Great, Mila, let’s start without further delay,” Alexander pulled Mila back to the task at hand. His stern voice was a reminder that it was a test, not a field trip. He swallowed the guilt oppressing his conscience, even though it was Masae who ordered the endurance test. Yet he had to play his part in the experiment for the sake of both of them. Making Masae suspicious of his convictions would be lethal.
Mila glanced sideways at Alexander, and then nodded and greeted the team of scientists around them.
“If you could choose a weapon for self-defense, which one would you take?” asked Alexander, directing Mila with a friendly gesture to the arms display.
She clenched her jaw, with this she was brought back from an idyllic dream prancing in the woods to the reality, her reality. She examined the knives of all sorts, swords, short-range and long-range pistols, and light-assault rifles; they weren’t weapons she would use. There were also other items on display that didn’t make much sense to her: a steel walking stick, robes, fishing nylon, matches, umbrellas, pens. They were objects used in daily life, not considered arms. She sighted, turning to Alexander.
“Mila, this test will be by far the hardest you’ve gone through. It is designed to push you beyond your limits.” He stepped away from her keeping his guard up, and his indifferent mask on, for the team of scientists who stood around, anxiously awaiting to begin. “With that in mind, I must urge you to pick the items that could preserve your life in the woods.”
“Dr. Lyashenko, you are throwing me to the bears, aren’t you?” Mila said, narrowing her eyes at him and the team as she walked around the tables again, hiding her fear behind a cold curiosity. “I sure hope I can find my way back without these weapons. Look, how calm and beautiful the English countryside is.” She opened her arms as if opening the land ahead.
Alexander had said preserve your life. She pondered on the word. “Is this one of your psychological tests? Like, if my boat is sinking in the shark-infested waters of the Pacific Ocean, what items would I use and in which order—that sort of thing?” Mila joked, holding an assault rifle and showing it to them. “What does this say about me? Tell me, Dr. Lyashenko. I’m sure you and the team are psychoanalyzing my every move.”
“It doesn’t shock me, if that is what you are going for,” Alexander answered, keeping his distance.
“And this Swiss walking stick?” Mila asked, setting it apart. “Could this help me preserve my life?”
“Nothing in you is conventional, Mila; it might be useful. Besides, these woods seem harmless to you, but they could turn out to be quite dangerous.” Alexander didn’t let the slip of his tongue linger in the air. He quickly turned to the scientists who were preparing another set of gadgets. “This test also comes with the proper attire.” He showed her a light athletic suit. “Please, put it on.”
“I’ll take the walking stick. I think it fits me well,” Mila announced, a walking stick for hiking made sense to her as well as a picnic basket filled with treats, but there was none on display. She glanced at Alexander. He didn’t look surprised as the other scientists, as if he knew she would pick the steel staff.
“Great. Will you put the suit on?” Alexander pressed. He kept his special gift of being able to see a sleeping person’s dreams to himself. He couldn’t tell Mila that he had seen her nightmares every time she lay unconscious in the laboratory. He had seen the frightening one her subconscious kept playing in her head: a vicious fight in which she defended herself from a group of attackers with just a walking stick. He kept her visions secret and safe in his heart. “We are developing this smart fabric and technology, advancing in the science of Electromyography. It is time to test it and who would be better than you? And that’s the reason for the team’s excitement, in case you didn’t notice.”
“Pharma-NorTech’s experimental tentacles are everywhere.” Mila murmured, inspecting the navy-blue futuristic suit. She touched the fabric, pinching and rubbing and stretching it. It was surprisingly soft. It was crafted with mostly organic materials which made it breathable and very light to the touch. She imagined it would feel as if she wasn’t wearing anything. It also carried coin-sized, wireless computers which, once attached to key areas of her body, would measure the activity of her organs and muscles as well as keeping her connected, capturing her essence and sharing the live feed with Alexander and the team. But ultimately, it was all made for Masae.
“What can I tell you? Masae is a visionary with vast resources,” answered Alexander, omitting the part about Masae using her persuasive techniques to turn great scientists into cooperative minions, working in the name of discovery and development.
“Well, since I can’t refuse any participation in my mother’s progressive plan, I’ll gladly put the suit to a test,” Mila said, holding it with shaky hands. Her heart was pounding rapidly.
“We better hurry. It’s a sunny morning, but as you know, on this side of the planet, that might change very soon.” Alexander said, signaling with a hand to the portable dressing area they had prepared for her to change.
“Got it!” Mila said, getting into the dressing curtains and accepting a female scientist help. The suit hugged Mila’s body as if becoming a part of her skin. The scientists adjusted the computers on the desired areas to gather data. Mila’s hands trembled with fear and excitement as an athlete about to begin a triathlon. She wore a pair of water-resistant shoes with strong yet light soles, suitable for running and flexible for climbing.
“As per your suggestion, I’m taking a few more items just in case,” Mila announced, fastening along her leg a thin knife and dropping a nylon reel in her pocket to fish. She adjusted the steel shaft on her back. There was something familiar about it and she liked it.
“I will accompany you during your journey through the smart suit. Needless to say, everything will be recorded. It will film your trajectory from all angles. We will receive and download the informative footage in our systems. The suit goes with this thin helmet.” Alexander handed her a small cap made for the shape of her head. “The cap is a portable functional magnetic resonance imaging device, first and foremost. It will measure and record your brain activity, task, stimuli, and blood flow. And aside from reading your brain waves, it’s a voice-activated computer if you have time to kill surfing online.”
“Was that an attempt at a joke, Dr. Lyashenko?” Mila chuckled despite herself and her situation. She found it better to have this sunny attitude than to rebel. Her freedom to find the places of her flashing visions, to go to college, depended on that test. Masae had to believe she had power over her.
“Well, the visor serves as a protection for your eyes, it is a screen for online searches, but it will also provide you with night vision. It’s adjustable and sensitive to the light change. Apart from that, it will also facilitate our communication. We can talk to each other.”
“So much for a simple sprint around these stunning English woods,” Mila commented casually, but her forehead furrowed with concern as she adjusted the visor. Although she didn’t remember much of anything, she knew a loving mother wouldn’t subject her child to experimentation. A year of compliance was enough. She had to get out and find the truth. Fear fueled her determination.
“Nothing is simple, as you are about to see.” Alexander added as a warning close to Mila’s ear while checking her gear one last time.
Mila stood tall in front of Alexander. Her eyes were full of expectation, like a horse on a race, waiting for the gun to go off.
At the last second, she glanced to the table. “Oh! I forgot something,” Mila said, grabbing a compact backpack with a water bag inside. “For when I get thirsty.”
“There is a river…” Alexander said, clenching his jaw when she picked the waterbag. But it was too late. The others were watching. He cleared his throat. “I just thought spring water would taste better,” he commented furtively. “Does everything fit?”
“You are a man of precision, Dr. Lyashenko. Everything fits well,” Mila answered, adjusting the waterbag on her back. She stretched, bent, and jumped. “I’m ready!”
“I will monitor you from the laboratory. Remember this is a test. We’re in complete isolation for over 40 miles around this castle.”
“I hear the warning. Don’t worry, I won’t try to escape. How long do I have in the Queen’s Garden?”
“Until you have overcome all your obstacles,” Alexander answered, avoiding her gaze. His intelligent brown eyes stared at the woods ahead. “Let’s begin, Mila. Ready, set…go!” Alexander released her, wishing to add please, be careful and come back in one piece.