Agents forced Tessa to take a seat and then zip-tied her arms and legs to the chair, preventing her from struggling. Fake Tessa entered the room, and the Director seated her in the chair facing the opposite direction, positioning the two Tessa’s back to back. The Director sat Finn in front of her so he could watch, and she would remember what’s at stake.
Two male scientists in white lab coats entered the room and controlled the contraption above her from the bay of computers. A wired helmet descended from the machine to rest atop her head. Tessa got a terrible sensation deep in her stomach. This apparatus would access her brain and would not bode well for her. H.I.V.E inside her head would spell disaster.
One scientist secured a strap under her chin, so the helmet fit snug. He then retreated to the computer monitors, “Initiate memory extraction.”
Tessa panicked, but there was nothing she could do. She was helpless without her powers. H.I.V.E had her strapped down tight with no escape in sight. Tessa watched the fear in Finn’s eyes grow as the machine whined and power up. Lights of blue and white flashed around the room, and Tessa sensed the device probing her mind. She couldn’t conceive of what they might search for within her mind, let alone what they might do with any information they found.
The machine powered down after a few moments, and the scientists scuttled about, “Initiating memory upload.”
The machine powered back up, but this time Tessa didn’t feel the machine touching her mind. She saw lights flashing from behind her and reflecting off surfaces. She realized what they were doing. They copied her memories and gave them to the fake Tessa. Now the clone would have her ability, knowledge, and her memories. This monster would know everything about her. The only saving grace was that the twin might understand Tessa’s combat skills, but she was still unpracticed. In physical combat training, muscle memory was critical, and the clone might have the memory, but she lacked the trained muscle.
The machine powered down, and the scientists unfastened their new creation. Tessa couldn’t see the Director, but she heard every word. “You have a new mission, my pet. I want you to infiltrate her network of allies. Report back to me on their activities, and I will instruct you on how to proceed. Together we can bring this scourge to an end.”
The fake Tessa walked around to look her dead in the eye. The evil grin across her face made Tessa sick to her stomach. It was an unsettling sensation to witness your own flesh and blood glare at you like a hungry predator. Her evil twin seemed to revel in her suffering. How had the Director engineered her to be so cruel? Maybe her memories would soften the creature or make it understand the truth of H.I.V.E.
The doppelganger walked toward Finn, glancing back over her shoulder at Tessa, still strapped in the chair. The creature turned to Finn and then locked lips. She took a long drawn out kiss as Finn attempted to struggle against her advance. She used her strength to hold him in place, and one hand on his chin prevented him from jerking his head back.
The Director applauded her diabolical creation, “Perfect. Make sure that her friends receive a devastated Tessa. One who is mourning the loss of her lover.” The imposter smiled at Tessa one more time and then exited the room.
Tessa prayed that her friends were canny enough to recognize a fake. Sam and Arica grew up with her, and she had to believe they knew her well enough to foil this ruse. Her friends would see through the facade.
The Director motioned for the guards to take Tessa and Finn to another room. This room was full of Tesla Coils with an energy core set in the center of the room. Tessa smiled upon entering. “What’s wrong? Is your pet not strong enough to do your bidding?”
“She hasn’t discovered your secret to powering the coils and charging the core. She’s only been on this earth a short time. There’s much for her to catch up on, but she is learning. Instead of waiting, I’ll have you charge the core since you’ve already succeeded once.”
Tessa’s smile turned to a sadistic smirk, “You might as well kill me. I’ll never help you.”
“I figured you might say that.” Marlize turned to a mirrored wall, and Tessa realized it must be a two-way mirror. She waved her arm, “Bring them in.”
Tessa’s family entered from behind the mirror. Her father, mother, and brother entered the room at gunpoint, bound and looking haggard.
A seething fury of hate fumed inside Tessa. “You’ll burn for this.”
The Director dismissed her threat, “For now, be a good girl and work your magic, or they die. Simple and easy. It’s your choice. If you try anything, they die along with your boyfriend.”
Using a handheld remote for her collar, the Director allowed Tessa to access her power one more time through the collar dampening device. Tears welled up in her eyes as she realized that if she charged the core, she would save her family but be the damnation of humanity. If H.I.V.E had a working core, they could power their arc and leave everyone behind on earth to die as the planet fell apart. As much as she wanted to rise and sacrifice herself for the greater good, she couldn’t sacrifice her family. She couldn’t watch them die.
Tessa had no choice but to charge the core, and that was what she did. The only hope she had was to escape H.I.V.E again and finish her mission. Tessa wasn’t ready to accept defeat. She would fight to
