Freak of Nature - By Julia Crane Page 0,5

with machines. Not humans.”

Kaitlyn had thought that was the case, but hearing it said out loud only made her loneliness that much deeper.

“I haven’t been sleeping well.” She wasn’t sure why she told Quess, but it had been on her mind. Anything out of the norm always caught her attention.

“Have you had that dream again?” Quess looked up, her eyes wide.

Kaitlyn gazed across the green courtyard. The sun was setting in the distance, turning the sky a dozen different shades of red. “Every night that I can recall,” she murmured.

“I wonder who the guy is. He must be important if you keep dreaming about him.”

“I have no idea. Perhaps someone from my old life.” A life she could not recall.

“Maybe we can find him,” Quess said excitedly.

Kaitlyn laughed. Her friend was so young and human. “I don’t think that is likely, Quess.”

“You can describe him to me, and I can make a sketch, and we can run a search. I bet he has a Facebook account.”

Kaitlyn had no idea what a ‘Facebook account’ was, but she did know she could describe the stranger’s face, down to the small scar on his chin. Shaggy dirty blond hair, emerald green eyes, an infectious smile.

“If he even exists, he thinks I’m dead. Besides, they would see,” Kaitlyn told her firmly, refusing to allow even the smallest bit of hope to emerge from her human side. “They see everything, Quess.”

“Not everything,” Quess cooed, skipping a few steps. “There are a few hidden spots that the cameras don’t reach.”

Kaitlyn stared down at the beautiful young girl. “And how do you know that?”

“I’ve been watching the gardeners.”

“The gardeners? What do they have to do with anything?”

“Well, they always take their breaks at the same spot. Behind one of the large oak trees.”

“So?” Without prompting, Kaitlyn’s machine kicked in, offering an alternative explanation. Sometimes she hated that thing inside her, kicking out logical commands so that Kaitlyn hadn’t a clue if the thought was even her own. “Maybe they just like to be in the shade.”

“Kaitlyn, come on. You’re the one that told me to look at the little details. How many trees are on this property? Countless, and yet all three gardeners rest in the same place. I’ve even seen one napping.”

Kaitlyn grinned at her astute friend. “You’re going to make a great spy someday.”

“Maybe, or an artist. I haven’t made up my mind,” the fourteen-year-old said matter-of-factly.

“Where is this tree, and do you have paper and pencil on you?”

Quess walked backwards, smiling proudly as she pulled a small notebook from the back pocket of her jeans. “An artist always has something to write on. Follow me.”

Chapter Three

Outside, the rain poured on a dreary early morning. It had taken everything in him just to get out of bed and come to work. He wanted to blame his foul mood on the weather, but he knew that wasn’t it.

“Lower extremities fully functional,” Lucas checked off the box. He pressed harder than he meant to, and his pen ripped across the paper, tearing a hole in the document. Sighing, he smoothed the ragged edges down.

Get a grip, he chided himself.

Looking up from his clipboard, Lucas sneaked another look at Kaitlyn. God, she was beautiful. Just one glance, and he felt weak in the knees. He tapped his pen on the page and willed his mind to get back on task. “Heart rate sixty.” He jotted down the number.

She’s a piece of machinery, no different from half the computers that fill this room. His thoughts made him feel sick to his stomach. What was wrong with him? He tossed the clipboard onto the desk.

There were days he wished he had never crossed paths with the master mind behind this project. His conscience had been bothering him more and more lately. The closer Kaitlyn got to completion, the more he questioned the morality of the project. Sure, it was astounding the way the human body could adapt to the merging of electronics, but still—the poor girl never gave her consent for this. When donating her body after death to science, well, more than likely, she would have thought she’d be dead. That fact alone told a lot about her personality. Not many seventeen year olds would even consider donating their body to science. But that was the type of person she is… or was.

“Kaitlyn, we need to go outside today,” Lucas spoke into the stillness of the lab, his voice barely audible above the steady thrum of rain on the