The Chimera Complex

The Chimera Complex

“C’mon! My dad gets off in an hour! If we’re gonna do this, it needs to be now!” Alissa yelled over her shoulder. Behind her was a skinny blonde with bright blue eyes and knobby knees. She always ran like she was about to trip over her own legs. “Okay, so I know we said we would sneak into the red room today but a part of me was hoping it was a joke, Alissa!” Bailey squeaked. Alissa was a dark-haired girl whose hair was always pulled back in a ponytail. Her skin was covered in small scratches and niches that could barely heal before more were added. Her brown eyes glinted at the idea of a new adventure in “the town that never wakes up”. “I don’t joke like that, Bailey.” Alissa smiled. Alissa’s father was a bioengineer working on a very important… something. He explained it to her multiple times, but it never seemed to stick. The idea of sitting through another hour-long lecture on The Chimera Project made Alissa shiver. Her father wanted her to follow in his footsteps, but all Alissa could think about was leaving their sleepy town of “Haywood” and never returning again. The world was waiting for her, and she couldn’t wait to greet it.

The two turned the corner to Hayes Industries and quickly ran inside. The lobby looked as if it were made of glass. The ceiling of the building was twice as high as any other she had seen. Chrome chairs with white plastic seats lined the wall near the entrance. Footsteps echoed into forever and the only thing separating the girls from ‘the red room” was a reception desk. Before Alissa and Bailey could take another step, a voice called to them. “Girls! DON’T. MOVE.” Echoed the stern voice. “We made it through the front door and were immediately caught. Worst. Spies. Ever.” Bailey sighed. “Where do you think you’re going?” Said a woman behind the desk. Alissa peered over the desk to see a woman in a pinstripe skirt and white blouse. Her hair was tightly pulled into a bun without so much as a single strand out of place. Her heels clicked loudly as she stood up and walked over to Alissa. “Leah! I thought you were out sick.” Alissa cheesed. She kneeled down and softened her gaze. “I got better. Does your father know you’re here” she said in a hushed tone. Alissa cut her eyes at Bailey who shrugged. “Know? What do any of us really kno-

“Okay, I’m calling him.”

“No, wait! I just- wanted to surprise him!”

“You’r father hates surprises.”

“Not this kind! I got- an A in biology! I was gonna show him-

“Go straight to his office, Alissa. No shortcuts, no tricks, no snooping. Got it?” Leah said pointing a finger between Bailey and Alissa. The girls nodded heavily and walked past the desk. “Are we really going straight to- “Of course not, Bailey. I need to see what’s in that room.” Alissa whispered. The girls dared not to look back at Leah who was definitely still watching them. They passed the red room and walked to the elevators that sat in perfect view of Leah’s desk. Once the elevator opened the two walked in and turned to see a satisfied Leah. Leah slowly turned her chair as the doors began to close. Alissa grabbed Bailey’s hand tightly and yanked her out of the elevator. The two girls scurried to the door of the red room and slipped inside.

“Leah’s gonna fry us in a vat of oil if she catches us…again.” Bailey whispered. “Then I guess we better not get caught.” Alissa replied. Inside the red room was dark but Alissa just managed to make out a row of people all perfectly lined up on tables. “Bailey! She whispered frantically. Bailey turned to see them and gasped. “Are they… Bailey’s voice trailed off. “C’mon!” Alissa said getting closer. Bailey held on to Alissa’s hand as they approached the group of bodies. “Who are these people? Bailey asked. “ALISSA!!” Leah yelled from the reception desk. The girls whirled around to see Leah approaching the red room. “How did she even- Before Bailey could finish her sentence, Alissa snatched her out of view. She quickly pulled out her pocketknife and popped a nearby ventilation cover off. The two girls crawled inside and made their way through the ducts and into an empty office.

There the girls sat behind the desk trying to process what had just happened. Neither said anything for a long time. Finally, Bailey broke the silence. “Is your dad experimenting on people?” She choaked. “No.” Alissa replied quickly. “Then how do you explain- “I don’t know!” “I know what we saw but it couldn’t have been what we think Bailey! My dad’s not a monster!?” Alissa snapped. Bailey looked up at her with sad eyes. “I wish we’d never done this.” She breathed. Alissa thought for a moment before speaking. “He must know what’s going on. Maybe I can ask him and clear things up. Who knows, maybe it’s just a practical joke. ” She said unsure. “That’s a pretty messed up joke.” Bailey said still shivering. “C’mon, we need a closer look. They’re probably made of silicone or something.” Alissa said shaking her head. There was no sign of Leah as the girls went back through the vent. The red room was now pitch black and the door was ajar. The girls inched toward the light switch and flicked it on. The bodies that lay on the tables were now gone. The girls looked at one another in shock. “Maybe she moved them? Look around.” Alissa said. Bailey violently shook her head. “I just want to leave. Something’s messed up here. I’m willing to say it was our imagination and forget the whole thing, Alissa.” Bailey squeaked backing towards the door. Before Alissa could protest, a hand grabbed Bailey’s shoulder yanked her through the door. “Bailey!” Alissa screamed. She took off after Leah who now had Bailey at the waist and was dragging her kicking and screaming. They had just left the room but when Alissa reached the doorway, they were somehow already at the elevator. “Enough is enough, Alissa. It’s time to open your eyes.” Leah said calmly as the elevator doors closed. Panic gripped Alissa as the only friend she had ever known was being snatched away. What was going on?

“Dad!” Alissa screamed as she ran to the elevator. The doors opened and there her father stood as if he knew she would need him. Her father was a tall man with hair the color of coal. His eyes were dark brown and deep, and he moved about quietly. His voice was like a distant thunderstorm. He quickly scooped her up and stepped back into the elevator. In his arms she quickly let the story of what happened spill from her lips. Nothing felt right. Nothing felt real. On the way up, the lights in the elevator swirled around her and she passed out. When she opened her eyes, she was in her father’s office. A large fireplace painted the room a bright orange. He sat calmly in his chair with a glass of dark brown liquid. “I guess it's pretty obvious that I haven’t been as honest as I should have.” He said calmly. “Dad? Bailey?” Alissa groaned. “Every time I push you to see the truth…you break.” He sighed. Alissa looked around weary and confused.

“Where’s?”

“She's not here. She was never here”

“What?!”

“Listen closely, love, because I don’t think I have the will to do this again.” Her father said defeated.

“You are my greatest achievement. My dearest daughter, I love you more than life. You know that? The Chimera Project was meant to do the impossible. To transfer human consciousness into a synthetic being. After the accident, you became the perfect person to try it out. When you were 10, you loved jumping and running and getting into trouble... I guess you still do. Honestly, I couldn’t buy bandages quick enough. One day, you decided to do the ultimate stunt. You were gonna dive from 3 story building onto a pile of boxes. Bailey tried to convince you not to. But you could never be stopped when you wanted something, Alissa. You skipped class, you found the perfect building, and you leaped. You broke so many bones but what got you was the respiratory arrest…it cut off oxygen to your brain. The doctors told me your chances were low and so I took matters into my own hands. You were in a coma for almost 3 years before I finished creating it… The network. The plan- was to fuse your consciousness with a body that wouldn’t break. An android that looked just like my little girl. The network would guide you to your new body by softening the blow of reality. Basically, if we eased you into it, then it wouldn’t be so bad. But it has been 10 years since the upload, and I just can’t ease you into this anymore. This is the part that breaks you... Honey, we are trapped in this network until learn to fuse with your mind to your new body.

Alissa sat in the huge office feeling as small as a mouse. “What…” She trailed off. For a quick moment, she felt her fingers locking up. She looked down at them to see a silicone skin wrapped around mechanical parts. “That’s it!” her father smiled. Her fingers had no sensation and yet they moved freely. She screamed and leaped from the couch. Her hands returned to normal as she clenched them tightly. “I know! I know you don’t want to see it but you have to, honey! Please! Wake up!” He insisted. Alissa’s eyes opened to darkness as panic gripped her once more. She fought her way out of the small container her “body” lay in. Lights and sounds buzzed in her head. The horror and realization forced a blood-curdling scream from her lips. In a moment, her metal body dropped to the floor and she was back in her father's office. “That is as close as we’ve ever been, Alissa! That’s good!” He said excitedly. “What did you do to me!” Alissa screamed. She scrambled backward to the nearest wall. “I SAVED YOU!” her father boomed. His voice echoed. Alissa sat with her back firmly pressed against the wall. “You trapped me. You trapped us! Because I was dying, and you couldn’t handle it- you made me a trophy on a shelf.” Alissa twitched. “What I don’t get is why you’re in here with me. I wasn’t meant to live in the network, right? Why’d you do this to yourself?” Alissa asked. “Because it has been 50 years since I uploaded you. My body began failing me and you were no closer to finding your way out. I ran out of options.” He sighed collapsing on the couch.

“My memories?”

“Stored safely in your new body.”

“Leah.”

“A moderator. Not real.”

“Th-the bodies?”

“I was in the process of programming more people before I uploaded myself. Never got around to finishing them.”

“The real Bailey?”

“Don’t know. Her family moved shortly after you “died.”

“So, it’s just you and I trapped in a simulation until I comply?” Alissa asked irritated. Her father shook his head and looked away. “All you have to do is accept the new body. As long as you accept it, it will keep you alive. I don't understand. Why are you being so stubborn?” He mumbled. Alissa's face turned to stone at his words. Without a reply, she stood tall and walked over to his desk to grab a small stone statue. With every word she spoke, she swung the statue at him. “I’m stubborn? I’m stubborn!? You took my right to live. *swing* You took my right to die! *swing* You took my goodbyes. *swing* You took my mind, my thoughts, my emotions, and I’m supposed to be happy to live in a tin can with you forever!?” she screamed. With the next swing Alissa aimed over her father’s head and at an unseen object. “Wha-what are you hitting?” he asked confused. Alissa quietly swung the statue hitting the unseen object again and again. The lights in the office began to dim with each swing. Her father looked at her in disbelief. “You’re in the android.” He whispered.

In the real-world Alissa’s body continued to destroy the large machine that held her captive. She had picked up a hammer from a nearby closet and was now attacking the console with all her strength. “NO! ALISSA! LET ME OUT!” her father screamed. “You should have let me die.” She said spitefully with a final swing. The simulation was now gone, and Alissa was alone in the basement of her old home. She sat trapped in a shell of groaning metal. Lights frantically blinked from various machines until it all went dark. Clumsily she stepped out of the basement and found her way out of the house. The house had been covered in vines and the concrete driveway crumbled to nothing. Her eyes adjusted to the light like camera lenses. She could see wind blowing the trees surrounding the secluded mansion but felt none on her new skin. Her fingers, toes, heart... they were all numb. She thought of emotions, but none would come. Her eyes could not cry, and her heart could not ache. Was this the existence he had fought so hard to give her?

She could not accept it. In fact, she refused.

The End