CJ looked over at Kendra with a pained expression. “And what the hell did you do to her? She ran the course, but it was like there was nothing there.”
Helen offered a smug smile. “A simple test of an experimental technology, one that will allow the preservation of complex skills. It has limitations, as you can see, but it’s only a prototype.”
“You can only use it on Vestals, can’t you?” CJ asked.
“For now.” Helen shrugged. “But we’ve come far closer to isolating the necessary genetic information to create new Vestals than the Group ever did, and then we won’t have to worry about disrupting anyone’s life.”
“You’re talking about taking freedom from more people,” CJ replied. “Just like was done to us.”
“I’m talking about progress. That’s what science is, iterative building upon previous advances with the occasional sacrifice.” Helen pulled her glasses off to reveal her own bright purple eyes and smiled. “We NextGens will take the best of humanity and the best of your kind to make something better.”
Kendra tried not to tremble. There were two freaks against one hybrid, along with a room filled with men with guns. CJ didn’t stand a chance.
He scoffed. “You’re mind-controlling people at a competition. That’s hardly the plan that leads to you taking over the world. I don’t know if I should be outraged or laugh in your faces.”
“Whoever said anything about taking over the world?” Helen shook her head. “Ruling the world’s overrated. Influencing it, steering it, that’s useful.” She gestured toward Kendra. “I’m more interested in results than the glories of knowledge. You’ll find that I, unlike Dr. Quinen, can be reasonable. We don’t need to have some pointless confrontation. We can make a deal.”
Michael glared at Helen, but he didn’t say anything.
“A deal?” CJ frowned and edged toward Kendra. “I don’t get all of this or why you need Vestals. Quinen and that asshole over there are obviously not Vestals.”
The comment cured Michael of his glare. He smirked instead at CJ.
“Most people lack the potential to become NextGens,” Helen said, nodding at Michael. “It’s a rare genotype that can tolerate the procedure, but our evidence points to Vestals being far more likely to survive the process. Until such time as we can make Vestals ourselves, we’ll need to rely on existing stock.”
CJ shuddered. “Wait, are you a Vestal? You let them turn you into something?”
“I was once, yes.” Helen gave him a placid look. “Until they cured me of that infernal longing inflicted on all my kind by making me a NextGen.”
“Don’t you understand what they’ve done to you?” CJ yelled.
“They’ve given me power.” Helen motioned toward Kendra. “They’ve let me become super-human.”
“And the only cost was your soul.” CJ shook his head.
Helen laughed. “Why? Because I’m not waiting around for some hybrid?” Her smile vanished. “Once they came and told me what I was, I understood why my life had been so miserable. I was waiting around for some man who might never come, robbed of my true freedom to be me, forced to be nothing more than a part of someone else.”
CJ shook his head. “That’s not what it is. We’re two halves of the same whole. For every Vestal missing out, there’s a hybrid missing out. It goes beyond that. You’re talking about messing with fate.”
“Fate? We control science. We’re not idiots like the Horatius Group.” Helen’s eyes bulged. “We will control this process. We won’t let it control us. All I’ve done is join the reasonable side.”
“You’re kidnapping men and women and experimenting on them. You just said it yourself, not everyone survives your procedure. That’s reasonable? That’s not evil?”
“There are losses inevitable with all societal advances.” Helen clucked her tongue. She lifted her palm and flicked her wrist. “Winners and losers. The NextGens are simply moving some of humanity to their next stage of existence, without the ridiculous myth-worshipping baggage of the Horatius Group. At least dying in this project is more meaningful than dying from some other pointless reason that doesn’t help anyone.”
A shiver ran through Kendra’s body. She couldn’t believe this woman had once been a Vestal, let alone anything human. The laughter and smiles might as well have been coming out of a robot.
“Helen!” Michael shouted so loudly some of the guards jumped. His voice echoed in the gym. “You’re telling him too much. Enough!”
“I’m making our position clear,” Helen replied calmly. “He’s unarmed, and we have his Vestal under our control. He won’t be leaving here. And this is why I’m in command. You’re willing to throw away a useful resource because you’re obsessed with fighting.” She gestured toward Kendra. “I know how you think, CJ, even if I never bonded one of your kind. You wouldn’t possibly risk her life. And we’re not going to ask you to. You can be with her. You can be together. You can pop out tons of little babies and be happy and content.”
“Children for you to experiment on?” CJ snarled. “And where did you take the other Vestal?”
“Oh.” Helen shook a finger. “She’s long gone from here, but I don’t think you appreciate the situation. You can’t win against this room filled with guards and two NextGens. If you fight, you’ll die in front of your Vestal, and she might end up getting hurt.”
Kendra kept her breathing shallow even though her heart thundered. Sweat trickled down her brow, and she did her best to stare straight ahead.
“I’d like him to fight,” Michael said, cracking his knuckles. “I want to show how weak a hybrid is. I can see in on his smug face. He thinks I’m nothing more than a Glycon who can talk.”
“No. Let’s be reasonable.” Helen smiled at CJ. “Surrender, and neither of you have to feel more pain.”
CJ scoffed. “You want me to go back to being a lab rat? After tasting freedom? You want me to subject my Vestal to that kind of life?”
Helen shook her head.
