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1Tracy's eyes scurried over the fog and debris, trying to find something to connect to, something to focus on. It was a trick her mother had taught her right before her aptitude test: whenever she felt control slipping away from her fingers, all she had to do was find an object and focus on it. At that moment, that was all she needed. From under the desk, surrounded by people running away for their lives, Tracy focused on a single shard of broken glass, her reflection staring back at her.
2
3She looked terrified. All things considered, it was an upgrade from how she had looked five minutes ago, when news of the experiment's escape rang out.
4
5Tracy was just 24, but she was already climbing high on the ranks of the Organization. That was what they called it: the Organization. Once upon a time, before the war, before the destruction, before everything, they called it the government. But now, it was called the Organization, because that name made it easier for people to accept that the Organization was never going to go away. Tracy was an executive assistant in the Organization's Center for Weapon Development, a position she had only achieved after years of studying non-Organization approved books.
6
7That was the secret: if you just studied the pre-approved books, you'd certainly fail the aptitude test and get assigned to a laborer job for the rest of her life (like Tracy's father). But if you were smart, if you were sneaky, if you were the kind of person who'd rather make the rules instead of obey them, then you'd search for the forbidden books, the secret knowledge, and ace every question of the test (like Tracy's mother). That was how she had gotten a first row seat to the carnage... the failure of the Human Weapon Experiment (again, the Organization liked straightforward names).
8
9Not only had all 12 of the Human Weapon Experiment's test subjects rebelled against their sadistic trainers, hellbent on transforming them into killing machines so that the Organization could expand their lands, but they had also learned how to use their powers in terrifying new ways. Just on the way to this desk, to this hiding place, Tracy had seen at least thirty people being burned alive by a nine-year old boy with the power to produce sun rays from his eyes. She had also seen the girl with the missing hand use her powers to meld fifty two people into a living, writhing mass of flesh (she could still hear their cries of pain because that's how loud fifty two voices were). And she was pretty sure she was covered in the gore of at least three people, after those same three people imploded trying to escape on a tank.
10
11Tracy silenced her thoughts as a man fell to his knees beside the desk, his entire body shriveling up as it aged five hundred years in real-time. She held her breath, waiting as the oldest test subject- the one who they were trying to make into a living god- floated towards the the man, who was still aging. With a wave of an unseen hand, a blue aura leaped out from the man's chest, and his ancient body fell to the ground, turning to dust the instant it touched the ground.
12
13Tracy wanted to say that was the first time she saw someone losing their soul, but alas, it wasn't. And it certainly wasn't going to be the last.
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15-----------------------------------------------------------
16
17"Here are the casualties." One of Dr. Kisselloff's lackeys said, cleaning his throat before taking the microphone closer to his lip. "82% of Center staff is now dead. The nearby city of Rockford no longer exists. The twelve test subjects are finally dead. The Organization has told us not to worry, and that Dr. Kisselloff's failure will be dealt with harshly, despite the opportunities it has provided."
18
19The lackey looked up at the half-destroyed assembly hall, seventeen shell-shocked lab coat wearing adults spread around the chairs. Behind him, the first shot rang out as a man in tactical armor and a balaclava gently planted a bullet on Dr. Kisselloff's executive assistant. "Starting today, Dr. Goodman will be the new Center chief. He is happy to inform you that-" Another shot, another body to the ground. "-that his office door is open to any ideas as to how to restart the Human Weapon Experiment." A third shot, and Dr. Kisselloff's blood quietly leaked out of his head.
20
21"I loved working with all of you." The lackey said, adjusting his glasses, as the fourth shot rung out. The man in the balaclava pointed his gun at the lackey. "I just wanted to say... Tracy." He looked over at the woman in the front row, who looked like she was still processing last night's events. "I love you, baby. God bless the Organization."  
22
23-----------------------------------------------------------
24
25Tracy's eyes focused on the royal painting of Dr. Goodman, hanging in the middle of the northern wall of his waiting room. Much had changed in the past two years... or at least, that's what she told herself. Sometimes, she'd wake up in the middle of the night with that same lost look, and she'd wonder if she had grown up at all, if she was still that quiet little girl hiding behind her Mom as her Father drunkenly ranted at them.
26
27A door opened, and her eyes zoomed towards the real Dr. Goodman, a jolly, portly man of about sixty years old. For twenty years, Goodman had been the leader of the Organization's Center for Technological Development. It was he who had revolutionized life within the Organization's territories... the city factories? That was him. Hologram communication? Him. The human-to-food conversion plants? Him. There was a famous legend within the scientific minded... that Dr. Goodman solved global warming and overpopulation on the same day, and that was why every town in the Organization had a zoo but no homeless people.
28
29So obviously... he'd listen to her plan.
30
31She had first thought up of it the night after Geor-- the lackey, Dr. Kisselloff's lackey, died. She had begun a relationship with him purely out of a professional need. Yes, she wanted to get ahead, and George... and the lackey, he gave her access. They exchanged a few kisses, a few promises, a few bodily fluids, but that was all because of the potential held within him. He'd whisper her name to the right people, get her a project of her own. That was what he told her on the countless nights she spent in his bed.
32
33Tracy had run through all of the events of her relationship over and over. Where did the experiment go so wrong? Then, it dawned on her. She remembered all the times the trainers would mistreat the test subjects, following some ancient belief that this was the only way to create true, loyal soldiers. They would isolate the children, torture them, sometimes even go as far as permanently injure them just to see what it would do to the others. Tracy remembered that, and all the times she and George promised to treat their kid differently.
34
35"Ms. Havilland?" Dr. Goodman muttered, and Tracy perked up. She was already standing in his office, the yellow folder on his desk, and the Organization representative, General Baxter, sitting just to the side of Goodman, all regal and commanding in his military uniform. "You have a proposal to us?"
36
37"Y-yes." Tracy breathed out, choosing to focus on Goodman's nose. "For the Human Weapon Experiment. I have an alternative."
38
39"We're already moving forward with a modified version of Kisselloff's plans." General Baxter interjected, and Dr. Goodman raised his hand.
40
41"We haven't begun developing the test subjects yet. Doesn't hurt to listen." He muttered kindly, nodding at Tracy.
42
43"Right. Yes. I know that." Tracy nodded to Baxter, placing her hands behind her back and focusing again on Goodman's nose. "But I feel as if we haven't dealt with the true issue behind Kisselloff's plans. You see, he believed that the right way to train the test subjects was by appropriating techniques from our military sectors."
44
45"You got a problem with them?" Baxter grunted, leaning to the side just so.
46
47"No, no. Clearly, they are working. But I fear Kisselloff forgot about the context of our military... you see, our soldiers, they're men and women of age, who have been chosen by the aptitude test to serve on a specific part of the military. They know where they're going, they know what they're getting into, and they know the rewards at the end of the tunnel. Even those who are drafted out of debt have knowledge of what their situation is and how they can get out of it. But our test subjects, they didn't know that. What was their life like? Entire days spent inside an isolated complex, never being shown the world outside. Suffering, after suffering, after suffering. And what for? To serve an Organization they didn't know, an Organization that had beaten them, tortured them, sometimes in front of their friends. Yes, they were ruthless soldiers... but they weren't on our side."
48
49She stopped, and her eyes briefly traveled to Baxter, who was listening intently (but still had a look of 'I ain't having any of your bullshit' in his face). Going back to Goodman's nose, she continued. "I believe that we can not only increase production of test subjects, but also increase their efficiency, their loyalty, their strength, all through one simple method... we lie. We fabricate a world just for them. A city in the United States of America, circa 2018. And that's not all. Instead of separating them, we'll keep them with their parents. We'll create a whole new world where we control every aspect of their lives, carefully guiding them towards an endgame where they'll naturally choose to serve us and protect the Organization."
50
51There was a brief silence in the room before General Baxter burst out laughing. "You're kidding me! You gotta be kidding me. You wanna make up a city? You want to assign good men, good agents, to little stupid roles so they can lie to test subjects all the day? Do you realize the resources we'll require to do that?"
52
53"Yes." Dr. Goodman said before Tracy could speak up, analyzing the documents within the yellow folder. "You've made all the calculations."
54
55"Thirty six test subjects. Sixty eight parental agents, give or take- for the sake of our mission, most of them will be single kids. These parental agents will be assigned to each other, and will procreate following our specific conditions in order to create test subjects with specific powers. Then, for our city, I'll need ten thousand agents--" Tracy held back the urge to scoff as Baxter laughed. "--they'll be soldiers, laborers, the people who spend their lives working in the mines and the factories. We'll give them lodging, food, a decent life. And eventually, they'll have kids of their own, who'll compliment our illusion."
56
57"That's a liability right there!" Baxter pointed at Tracy. "You telling me you want soldiers to go around fuckin' each other?"
58
59"You don't--" Tracy focused on Goodman's nose. "--General Baxter, we'll plan the whole thing out. Before a single green light is given, you'll have an extensive timeline of events. You'll know everything that happens in a year, five years, a decade, two decades, three decades...."
60
61"Three decades-- oh, fuck off, lady!"
62
63"General Baxter, none of our Human Weapon Experiments have ever worked!" Tracy barked, finally looking him in the eye. "We've lost more men than these test subjects have ever saved! My proposal... yes, it takes time, effort, resources, but my test subjects, they'll be the most powerful soldiers the Organization has ever seen. If you accept them... t-the War... it'll be over within a year. These kids, they... they won't just kill for you. They'll put themselves on the line for you. They'll l-love you."
64
65Baxter looked back at Tracy, his smirk disappearing. "You're insane. I have half a mind to fire you right now-" He nodded at the pistol in his belt. "-one way trip to the factories."
66
67"I think we should let her develop this plan, Baxter." Goodman said, closing the folder and ignoring the General's stammering. "No, listen to me. She has a point. Maybe this time Kisselloff's plan will work. Maybe this time the kids will be good soldiers. Or maybe not. Maybe they'll kill another three thousand of my men. I want to give Ms. Havilland a team to develop this plan, because since I'll have a bullet in my head if either plan fails... I'd rather go with the fun one."
68
69-----------------------------------
70
71"I got lunch."
72
73Mr. Gardner walked into the room with two heavy plastic bags, dropping them onto the clear glass table with a thud. The other four occupants of the room- Ms. Brayne, Mr. Landon, Mr. Barclay and Ms. Havilland- barely looked up from their own personal tablets. Mr. Gardner wasn't surprised... ever since he had been enlisted onto the Center's Oldport Planning Team, he had gotten used to his teammates ignoring lunch for the sake of figuring out another hole in their plans. And so, he reached onto one of the bags, pulled out a pastrami sandwich, and looked at the walls of the room.
74
75Each wall was covered tip to toe in data- pictures, notes, scribbles- all of them dedicated to one aspect of the Oldport project. One of the walls was 'location', with most space dedicated to the latest architectural designs from Mr. Barclay. Two walls were dedicated to a timeline, which had been worked out all the way to 2030, with a big circle around "WAR BEGINS". That was their deadline... it used to be 2050, but after Goodman officially killed the re-do of the Kisselloff plan, the Oldport team had gotten a lot of money and a lot of attention from General Baxter. After many heated debates between Baxter and Havilland, they had settled on a final date: by the time their test subjects were 30, they had to be ready to fight for the Organization.
76
77The test subjects... the final and largest wall was dedicated to them. Thirty seven boxes with several bits of information within them. Mr. Gardner opened up the folder for his test subject- 6891- and scanned the latest changes to his storyline. 6891 was to be the parental figure of the group, due to their defensive abilities. As such, Mr. Gardner would play the role of a single parent, and their family would always be dealing with some form of money trouble. Last week, during a brainstorming session, Mr. Barclay had thrown around the idea of giving 6891 siblings, and Mr. Gardner had written it down with yellow marker (his own personal way of marking ideas as 'to be considered'). He wanted to think before making such a big change to 6891's storyline... after all, they were his first test subject, and they were going to literally be their test subject.
78
79At first, Ms. Havilland thought it wasn't a good idea to assign parental roles to members of the Planning Team. But soon enough, each of them found themselves growing closer to their first test subjects. Ms. Brayne was the one who set things off, when she claimed she'd be 6053's mother. Before long, Mr. Landon had claimed 4485 as his, Mr. Barclay had taken 0126 and he had taken 6891. They hadn't settled on a name yet, especially because they didn't know what the test subject's ethnicity would be- a partner had to be found for that, and they were nowhere near that part of the project.
80
81Still, Mr. Gardner was somewhat... excited at the idea.
82
83"Okay. Okay. We need to fix this." Ms. Havilland said, looking up from her tablet as the others did the same. "Barclay, put up Baxter's message on the main wall." The thin man did as so, and a message appeared over the thirty seven boxes, talking about how the Organization wanted one of the test subjects to be a sleeper agent capable of wreaking havoc and performing desk duty without the two sides interacting with each other.
84
85"I thought we had decided on that." Mr. Gardner raised an eyebrow, munching on his sandwich. "Aren't we going to give our sleeper agent a second personality?... wait, did we drop that? I liked that. I even wanted to give him plasma bolts or something."
86
87"Oh my god, stop trying to give everyone plasma bolts." Ms. Brayne groaned, rolling her eyes in a knowing and friendly kind of way.
88
89"Someone's gotta have plasma bolts." 
90
91"No, no-" Ms. Havilland said, raising a finger. "-to the first question, I'm putting a pin on the plasma bolts- no, we're not changing the powerset, we just haven't figured out who to give it to. All test subjects have powersets and storylines, perfectly tuned to compliment each other. We can't just throw it in and ruin it all."
92
93"So... someone's losing their powerset?" Mr. Gardner frowned.
94
95Silence. "That's at least six months of work going to the garbage. Someone's gonna have to do overtime to fix this." Mr. Landon groaned, reaching into one of the bags and pulling out a bowl of pasta. "Someone's gonna have to throw away their baby, basically."
96
97"I'll do it." Mr. Barclay said, taking a deep breath and pulling up the info box on his test subject onto the screen. "I'll do it."
98
99"You don't have to do it to your test subject." Ms. Havilland said, reaching over and placing her hand on top of his. "We can do it to one of the others- 5598 already has the creepy bakery thing going for them, we could easily--"
100
101"I want to do it, okay?" Mr. Barclay said, shooing her hand away and erasing the information from his test subject's info box. "I want to do it. It's going to be hard, it's going to be annoying, but I feel like... I feel like I'm giving my test subject a chance to really shine out there in the field. That's what we want for all of them, right? To perform excellently, to kill as many of our enemies as possible, to earn long and happy lives after this is over."
102
103Ms. Havilland watched as the others nodded, and Mr. Gardner could see that look on his face- the look of an idea coming to fruition. He had seen it many times before... the brain storm about 4776's condition. The genius solution to 0079's lack of offensive capabilities (turns out there was a lot to be gained from animal control). The fantastic interpersonal relationships she had planned out for some of them (material someone could take a bite out of, that's how meaty it was).
104
105"Can we pull up 1806?" Ms. Havilland muttered, looking down at her tablet.
106
107"Thought we already finished 1806." Mr. Gardner said.
108
109She smiled. "I want them. For me."
110
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112
113Tracy couldn't look at anything else but Robert, his body warming her up, fighting against the cold of the floor they were making out on.
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115"6891." She whispered to him, their legs intertwined. "Let's do it. Together."
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117Robert's lips stopped just inches away from hers. "Y-you're serious?"
118
119"Yes. Goddamnit, Gardner, yes." She grabbed his naked shoulders, bringing him closer. "Do you want it?"
120
121"More than anything in the world."
122
123-----------------------------------
124
125The yellow folder had grown, but that was to be expected. That was two years of work that Dr. Goodman and General Baxter were holding on their hands. Tracy chose not to sit down as they scanned the packet for the last time, looking around at all the boards filled with info that she had spread around the room for the final meeting. And right besides her was a map of Oldport, expertly drawn by Mr. Landon. It didn't exist yet, but she could practically see herself walking down its streets.
126
127"Well, shit." General Baxter threw his yellow packet on the table and stood up. "Girl, I don't like admitting I'm wrong. So I'm not. I'm going to instead say my bullheadedness actually helped this project of yours." He walked over to Tracy and shook her hand, looking her right in the eyes. "Congratulations."
128
129"Yes, Ms. Havilland, we're all impressed." Dr. Goodman smiled, as Baxter started poring over the map. "Truth is, your project's been approved for a while. It's not up to us, y'see... the higher ups at the Organization liked it and want to see it made."
130
131Tracy felt her breathing stop. "It's... approved?"
132
133"We've actually got the land all worked out too." Goodman continued. "You should tell Mr. Landon he'll get to build his neighboring towns... we've had a surplus of agents interested in the project, and it'll help us cover more ground and expand the illusion of Oldport... yes, Tracy, this does mean your budget's been doubled."
134
135"Holy shit!" Tracy blurted out, prompting Baxter to scoff and Goodman to snicker. "S-sorry, Dr. Goodman."
136
137"No worries. No worries." Goodman looked at his watch and closed his yellow folder. "By the way, you have until six o' clock tonight to move out of your office and hand all project material to me."
138
139Tracy's smile went out. "What?" She muttered, feeling her focus wane.
140
141Goodman just raised an eyebrow and kept on smiling. "Ms. Havilland, you're not project leader. I am. It's my name on the door, remember? Now, once you transfer all project material to me, we'll reassign you to a new project... we're looking into outer space exploration and, honestly, your gumption might just be the thing that project needs."
142
143"... what?" Tracy repeated, shellshocked. "I thought... no, no, wait. I'm the project leader. I made Oldport."
144
145"Girl, come on- don't embarrass yourself." Baxter grunted, trying to grab Tracy by the arm, but she quickly shoved him away.
146
147"Back the fuck off!" She snarled, clenching her fists. "You can't do this, Goodman."
148
149Goodman looked around and raised another eyebrow. "Says who?" Tracy was about to open her mouth, but he raised a finger to silence her. "Listen. No one's saying you did some bad work. In fact, your work will probably go down in Organization history. We might win a couple of wars because of you. But you don't have the balls for the job, Havilland. You're soft. You're weak. You claimed a test subject for yourself. What kind of project leader behavior is that? Y'see... I just can't have someone like you around, crying crocodile tears for your babies, or fucking one of your underlings-"
150
151"You know?!"
152
153"OF COURSE I KNOW!" Goodman slammed his hand on the table, standing up. "Of course I fucking know! You think I would let you do just whatever you wanted on an important project like this?... listen, Havilland, I'm giving you a chance to walk away with a golden parachute. Go build a rocket, go build a spaceship, I don't give a crap. Just take it and get out of my life."
154
155"C'mon." Baxter gripped Tracy by the arm again, and the next five seconds went by in a flash. Before anyone could say anything, Tracy spun to the side, grabbing the pistol in Baxter's belt and pulling it out. Her trembling hand gave her less than two seconds to aim, but that she did, focusing on nothing else but his nose. The last two seconds, the last two measly seconds, were spent squeezing the trigger, hoping to god that there was another bullet inside just in case. Her body was sent stumbling back with such force she didn't see what happened right after.
156
157But then she opened her eyes, and she saw her reflection on the glass case that was behind Goodman. The good doctor lay on the desk, a hole in his head.
158
159Tracy breathed in once, twice, then spun around, ready to point a gun at Baxter. "Alright, lock." The general grunted, waving a finger, and Tracy felt the gun jam under her finger. She pulled, pulled, pulled on the trigger, but it remained completely still. "It's a personal weapon, girl. Responds to my fingerprints. Can you give it back?"
160
161Her hands still shaking, Tracy glanced at the body on the desk. "But it... i-i-i-it wasn't... l-l-lo--"
162
163"Cut it with the stammering, will ya?" Baxter grumbled, effortlessly grabbing the gun from Tracy's hand. "Yeah, it wasn't locked. You're an egghead, right? You can figure it out." Tracy's entire body began to quake and shiver as Baxter started speaking into his wrist. "Cleanup crew, get ready."
164
165"Y-y-y-you wanted me... t-to shoot--"
166
167"Girl, if you don't stop stammering, I'm gonna shoot you and find me another project leader."
168
169Baxter's nose came into view. Tracy focused. "Project leader?"
170
171"Yeah." Baxter tapped a pen against Goodman's head. "God, I hated this bastard. Hated him so much. I wasn't alone." He threw his pistol back into his holster. "So I gave him some info. Fattened up his ego. Turns out he had been coasting in his fame for... ten, fifteen years now? Needed a good plan. All I gave him was the little push. And this?" He tapped the pistol in his belt with the pen. "This was your final test."
172
173Tracy could feel her breathing coming back into control. "To see if I could be project leader."
174
175Baxter raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "To see if you could kill a man in cold blood to service your own needs, but... yeah. Pretty apt description of what you're going to do." He smirked and tugged on his cap. "Welcome to the job, Dr. Havilland."
176
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178
179"C'mon, Tracy. Wake up."
180
181Robert shook Tracy's shoulders, not daring to pull up the sheets she was holding onto for her life, a frown on her face. "Fine. I guess you can do those kinds of things when you're the boss, hm?" He joked, planting a kiss on her cheek.
182
183Scratching his chest, Robert yawned as he walked into the living room. It wasn't his house, but damn, Robert could get used to that wondrous view through the glass walls... shining green hills, and in the distance, Oldport, halfway through construction. They were less than ten months away from the first day of the project, and people were already moving in. Robert liked getting his car to drive him down to the neighboring towns, just to watch people move in... their happy smiles, their tears of joy, considering some of them had never even seen grass their entire lives.
184
185"Coffee." He mumbled to the house's artificial helper, a round white bot in the shape of an egg that rolled around the floor. It shook a little before a tray slid out of its chest, containing a white mug filled to the brim with hot coffee. "Thanks." Padding over to the table, he ran his fingers over the embedded tablets, eyes scanning over the news of the day. But something else soon caught his eye... a file that had been left open the previous night.
186
187'Oldport Project - Parental Agent List'
188
189He gripped his mug of coffee, biting his lower lip as he considered the idea. All of the parental agents were scheduled to meet a couple of days from now (Robert was looking forward to a chance of meeting his old planning pals)... so maybe getting a sneak peek wouldn't hurt so much? He waved his finger and the list opened before him. A smirk quickly swept over his face as he saw Mr. Landon's face alongside a beautiful woman. "Lucky guy." He muttered against his coffee.
190
191There were a few other recognizable faces in there. Some were agents from the Organization's Infiltration Unit, old roommates of Robert from his days as an assassin (one of whom Robert remembered having a very awkward crush over). There were a few agents from the Center... some newcomers, hired from outside of the Organization after an extensive nation-wide search... and, of course, agents from the Organization's Enforcement Unit-- Robert's second gig, torturing folks who stepped off the line. It was a good thing he had decided to read the list... if only because it reminded him of how boring those other jobs had been, and how thankful he was of his brief stint as a Biology assistant at the Center, his way into the Planning team.
192
193Ah, there he was. Test subject 6891. Robert Gardner and--
194
195That wasn't Tracy.
196
197"I was hoping you'd read it." Tracy mumbled, dressed in her robes, snapping her fingers for the robot to serve her. "I was going to give them to you last night, but you were way too drunk to read them." She muttered, her face stuck in that same frown. 
198
199"I thought we were doing 6891." Robert said, turning around. "You and me."
200
201"We were." Tracy grabbed her own black mug of coffee and sipped it. "The plan's changed."
202
203"Why?"
204
205Tracy looked at Robert's nose and frowned- a genuine frown. "I'm project leader. You're the head enforcer. We can't bring our baggage onto the project, it could jeopardize the entire situation." The fake frown returned. "I spoke to General Baxter and he agrees with me. You don't have to worry, though, I've assigned you as a single parental unit, which means we can always meet up outside of-"
206
207"You talked to Baxter before you talked to me?" Robert asked, narrowing his eyes.
208
209A sip. "Yes. He's the money guy. I need his approval. Remember?" Tracy shrugged again. "Robert, the only difference is that we're not staying together once the project starts. And let me remind you that this is a good thing? Or did you really think we'd keep having fun whilst pretending to be husband and wife in front of the test subjects."
210
211"... I don't know."
212
213"Good. I've analyzed all of the pairings and ours was the most dangerous. So now you're one of the single parents, and I get a partner for the Center who'll handle all the busy work whilst I oversee the project from inside."
214
215Robert didn't reply. His eyes were fixated on the image of Tracy- an emotionless Tracy- right besides some guy named Larry. He could feel her arms draping around him as she put the coffee on a nearby table, using her hands to massage his chest.
216
217"We're still having sex, remember? The best part stays." Tracy whispered, kissing Robert's neck. "The best part stays."
218
219-----------------------------------
220
221A smattering of applause filled the observation gallery as the doctors inside the delivery room gave them the thumbs up. It was an odd congregation of styles and kinds of people: some tacky, some rich, some improvising, some overdoing it, but all of them in character. The parental agents continued to applaud until the doctors gave them a sign and closed the window, just as the baby came into view- much to the chagrin of the Bogdans.
222
223"I wanted to see him!" Sabine said, crossing her arms. "Ugh, why did we have to pick one of the younger kids?"
224
225"Relax." Tom chuckled, caressing his wife's shoulder. "We'll get there."
226
227General Baxter walked past all the talking parents, past all the soldiers, towards the only figure staring at the window. "And so the great work begins."
228
229"Hm?" Tracy hummed without looking back.
230
231"It's from a play. An old play." Baxter held his hands behind his back. "I've been catching up on their pop culture... for the project's sake."
232
233"Of course." Tracy snarked, though there was no snark to her tone or face. "Of course, General."
234
235"Is everything in place?"
236
237She turned around, revealing her own pregnant frame. "General Baxter, we've been planning this for years. Of course everything's working out." Tracy pointed at the other parents. "Robert's next. Then me. By the time I'm allowed to leave the hospital, we should have moved all of our agents into Oldport. The city will be fully operational and secluded from the world. All sections are operating wonderfully: utilities, security, enforcement, surveillance, censorship, media, storyline cohesion, improvisation, cleanup. Nothing is out of place."
238
239"Dr. Havilland," Baxter held out his hand. "You make the Center proud. Heck, you make the whole Organization proud!"
240
241Tracy nodded at his hand, placing her arms behind her back. "Mhm." She looked over at the parents. "I'd like to make a speech." The chatter died down, their eyes stuck to their leader. "Today is the beginning of a new era." She said, her eyes effortlessly floating from person to person. "Thirty years from now, when our test subjects are cleansing the battlefield of our enemies, when the Organization is all, they will look back at us and ignore us. Chances are we will live happy and fulfilling lives with none of the recognition we deserve... but damn it all. Because our test subjects will adore us. They will die for us. And that is the greatest gift we could ever get. Our weapons will change the world... and they will love us above all."
242
243-----------------------------------
244
245Shaky handheld camera footage. Letterboxed. Early 2000's.
246
247A little girl walks into frame, covered in a Naruto blanket.
248
249"I'm gonna get that blankie!" A woman's voice yells from off frame. The girl runs away, laughing, and the camera gives chase.
250
251The little girl runs circles around a man sleeping in a lawnchair. "Don't wake daddy! Don't wake daddy!"
252
253She does. To his credit, he improvises. Throws his arms up and starts imitating a giant. The little girl is ecstatic. 
254
255The camera gives chase. The father eventually gives up. They run past pictures of a family. Run into the little girl's room.
256
257A hand shoots out from underneath the camera. It falls from the other hand, lands on it side, capturing the moment Tracy wraps her arms around young Ivy. She blows kisses into her cheeks as she laughs at the top of her lungs. 
258
259Ivy wraps herself around her blankie and under her mother's grasp. Tracy smiles.
260
261-----------------------------------
262
263"I need your help."
264
265Tracy looked over at Tina Black from the other side of the kitchen table, effortlessly placing another orange half into the juicer. "Sure, Tina, what is it?"
266
267Tina nods back and closes the door to the kitchen, silencing the noise of Luna and Ivy loudly playing on the latter's Switch. "PA trouble."
268
269Tracy's expression disappears. "Not in character." She mutters, turning on the food grinder inside the sink.
270
271"They're not paying attention."
272
273"NOT--" Tracy takes a deep breath. "-not in character, Tina."
274
275"Look, this is not big enough for the meetings." Tina leans in closer, sighing. "Luna wants to go on a trip again. She's been having fond memories of the time she 'went to Paris'." She says, adding in air quotes.
276
277"You did go to Paris, though." Tracy responds, and Tina just buries her face in her hands. "You want to use air quotes, use them right. Yes, it was a recreation of Paris, but it was using objects from actual Paris that the Organization no longer needed. So you did go to Paris."
278
279"Is the recreation still up?"
280
281Tracy shakes her head and turns on the food processor as well. "Organization deemed the paintings too useless. Burned the whole thing down." She shrugs, wiping some sweat off her brow. "They told me it was quite a show. People liked it."
282
283"Fuck." Tina clenches her fist, gritting her teeth. "She wants Paris."
284
285"Tell her Paris is expensive." Tracy turns off the food processor. "Take her to Utah. Monument Valley. Organization will work it out."
286
287"Thanks, Tracy-" Before Tina could finish her response, Tracy drove a knife inbetween her fingers, somehow piercing the granite top of the table. She leaned in, rage seeping through her eyes as three words escaped her throat in a vicious growl.
288
289"Never. In. Character."
290
291-----------------------------------
292
293Tracy's eyes focus on a random dark blotch on the ceiling, even as Robert's writhing body comes in and out of frame, forcing her own body to move along with his. 
294
295They're both naked on the floor of his apartment. She's focused on the blotch.
296
297He kisses her cheek and she ignores him. He continues moving. The blotch remains there. 
298
299It isn't long before he finishes. Tracy suddenly remembers what she's doing and "finishes" too.
300
301-----------------------------------
302
303"Right, here's the schedule for next week." Caleb Rynquill, head of storyline cohesion, swiped his fingers over the main screen. A detailed time table of the next seven days appeared. "We've got the whole scenario for Simon's first kill prepared. We're going to dose his food over the week, make sure that he only attacks on Friday- that way they have the whole weekend to deal with the effects, form their bonds, whatever. Now, we've made some changes according to your personal updates." He swiped his fingers over the timetable, zooming in, as the entire meeting room watched intently.
304
305"Tuesday, we should try and have Ciro and Benedict get their first kiss. We're also moving for a first kiss between Miri and Simon, if we're lucky, because that'll give her reason to develop more motherly feelings, according to her development guidelines. We want Ivy to fail the test on Wednesday, so she'll go to Luna, who's just about to discover how to turn completely into lightning. Once she does, we'll trap her inside the electrical system, and Ivy will ask for Amy's help-- that's our way of including Ivy into Finn's storyline."
306
307"He needs someone to crush on, or at least feel attracted to." Finn's mom growled against her cup of coffee. "The damn computer isn't enough."
308
309"Right, Martins." Caleb snapped his fingers. "Any update?"
310
311"I think our daughter is about to come out to us." Alex Martin replied, leaning back on his chair.
312
313"If she's gay, we proceed with the 42A storyline." Tracy replied, scanning her own tablet for info. "If she's bi, it's 42B. The relationships department has been working overtime to get this ready for you two. We need Lenore to feel comfortable with more people and further develop her teleportation. Don't mess it up."
314
315"Aye aye, cap--" Alex began to salute, but Tracy's glare cut him off. "Yes, ma'am."
316
317"Right, if that's all, Caleb," Tracy put down her tablet and looked around the room. "I've heard Nadia and Jake have a personal request?"
318
319Nadia grunted as she got up her chair. "We've been losing interest in each other... in bed, that is." Her 'partner' nodded, crossing his arms. "Used to be pretty easy. We pretend to hate each other, but we also get to have some fun when Nadine isn't looking. Now we're just bored. So we'd like to request new partners." 
320
321"At least for a while." Jake added.
322
323With a sigh, Tracy tapped her pen against the table. "Right, who finds Nadia and Jake attractive?..." Seven hands went up. "And has an open relationship clause with their partner?" Five hands went down, and Sabine slapped Tom in the shoulder. "Right. Nadia, you go with Noe. Jake, you go with Sophie."
324
325"If I may, ma'am-" Caleb got up again. "We could use this... Jessica has been isolated too much. Having her mother meet someone else might be just the thing she needs to get involved again."
326
327"Then work on it." Tracy tapped her pen against the table one last time. "Right. Meeting's over. Have a nice week everyone." As the others got up, she grabbed her cup of coffee and phone, glancing around. "Don't forget to burn your schedules and deep clean your files every night. Remember, loose lips sink ships." She sipped her coffee. "And none of you want another Brayne situation, do you?"
328
329There was a collective shudder across the room as Tracy collected her belongings and left through the back door. "You think she's capable of smiling?" Jake joked under his breath to Robert, grabbing his coat.
330
331Robert, instead, just shrugged. "I don't know." He ran a hand through his hair. "And I don't care."
332
333---------------------------------------------------
334
335Tracy sat in her car, alone.
336
337Her phone was the only light in the entire street. A message from Ivy: "cleaned up the dishes... see u l8r..." followed by a picture of  a pristine clean sink.
338
339Tracy's fingers swept through the keyboard. 'I love you.' Delete. 'I love you honey'. Delete. 'I love you so much.' Delete.
340
341'That's my girl.' Send. She locked the phone screen, plunging herself back into the dark.
342
343And in the dark, Tracy cried.