Read Online The Chimera Vector by Nathan M Farrugia - Free Book Online Page B

looked a bit nervous. He had a round face, slightly curled brown hair and pinkish cheeks. His skin was paler than Jay’s, but he didn’t look American. He sat with his hands in his lap. All Jay could see above the table was a head and shoulders.
    ‘Hey, I’m Jay. Do you speak English?’
    The boy blinked.
    ‘What’s your name?’
    ‘Damiano,’ he said. ‘Uh, Damien.’
    ‘Damiano.’ Jay grinned. ‘Sounds like a superhero name. What’s your superpower?’
    Damien blinked again. He looked confused.
    ‘Your ability?’ Jay leaned closer, whispering. ‘I think everyone here can do something cool, you know? Like run super fast. Or see people naked!’ He nodded. ‘I want that one.’
    Damien shook his head furiously. ‘No. I don’t have anything.’ His cheeks flushed.
    ‘Yeah, right.’ Jay winked. ‘It’s a secret, huh? So, do you think we’re going to be X-Men?’
    More kids milled about, taking whatever seats they could find. Jay leaned back, didn’t say anything more. The spaces next to him and Damien filled quickly. And, finally, the food trays arrived. Jay’s side of the table was served first, then Damien’s, but they were a tray short. A boy on the end, sitting next to Damien, had missed out.
    Damien was inspecting his food, perhaps deciding what to eat first.
    ‘You’re not eating that?’ the boy said, and slid Damien’s tray towards himself.
    Damien looked confused. ‘That’s my tray,’ he said.
    It was the boy’s turn to look confused. ‘No, this one was meant for me. You stole it!’
    Jay ignored them and started eating. He was so hungry. He shoved a sandwich triangle into his mouth in one bite.
    A man in a white coat returned with another tray of food, which he gave to Damien. The boy scooped up Damien’s choc-chip cookie.
    ‘Can I have your cookie?’
    Damien froze again. ‘No, that’s mine,’ he said softly.
    Jay swallowed his sandwich triangle and picked up another.
    ‘But you’re not eating it,’ the boy said. He took a mouthful out of the cookie. ‘Hey, these are nice!’ He chewed enthusiastically and took another bite.
    Jay felt the air heat in his nostrils. He dropped his sandwich triangle, picked up the milk bladder and peeled the foil cover open just a little bit.
    The boy finished Damien’s cookie and picked up his own.
    Jay extended the milk bladder towards the boy. ‘Want some milk with all your cookies?’
    The boy looked surprised. ‘What for?’ He sprayed crumbs as he spoke.
    ‘To wash it down.’
    Jay squeezed the milk bladder. The foil cover shot off and milk exploded over the boy, coating his hair and face. Laughter erupted from around them. Jay laughed too.
    Damien moved unexpectedly fast, snatching the boy’s cookie from his grasp. There was a splash of milk on it, but Damien didn’t seem to mind. He grinned at Jay. ‘Nice one.’
    Jay shoved another triangle in his mouth. ‘Thanks.’
    Suddenly, his body seized up. Jay shut his eyes and cried out. He fell off the seat, onto the floor. Pain surged through him.
    He opened his eyes again. The dreams were over. He was awake now, back to his adult self. On an operating table. He couldn’t quite remember how he’d ended up here.
    He craned his neck to look down. Legs. Check. Arms. Check. Good, he wasn’t injured. Or limbless. But the pain was fucking unbearable. He lay there, breathing heavily, as it receded.
    A man in a white coat lingered over him. ‘Please relax, we’re almost done.’
    Jay turned his head to see Damien lying on a table next to him. His brother.
    The man in a white coat stepped between them, blocking his view. He slipped a needle into Jay’s arm. Liquid rushed his bloodstream. He couldn’t feel the needle’s sting any more.
    ***
    Denton wiped a smudge from the one-way glass. He turned to Major Novak, a short, solid man with rosy cheeks and a thick mop of black hair that he wore a little too proudly.
    ‘Scrub them from the shocktrooper program and requalify them for