The Unlocked (Charlie Hartley Series Book 1) (6 page)

Charlie understood Amanda but also realized if she declined
the offer, she would lose the only link to Jeanne. She cleared her throat and
asked, “How much time do I have to make a decision?”

Amanda was thoughtful. “Hmmm, the incoming batch already
commenced CEP. Just submit your latest annual physical exam. I’ll need a
certificate from your doctor, then you can join us in September.”

Charlie had enough time to discuss the pros and cons with
her parents. “I’ll let you know by mid-August at the latest. Thank you for the
special offer and for coming all the way to Milford. Meeting my parents and me
personally did create a stronger impact on us.”

Amanda and Charlie shook hands and returned to the car. They
drove through Clatter Valley and Harrybrook Park before heading home. Amanda
complimented Milford for the pretty and peaceful trails for people to run,
walk, hike, and bike on.

Back at the Hartley home, Carl and Sarah listened intently
to Charlie’s appraisal of Amanda. They all agreed to give themselves time to
mull over the offer. Charlie had never been fond of the idea that another
person would do tests on her in regards to her power, but it felt like a chance
she may never have again. To meet Jeanne, who was more than likely her lost
twin sister, tempted her into taking her chances with ANDREI and postponing the
first step of her dream career.
Family is more important than some career,
right?
Charlie thought, but she didn't want to make the decision in haste.
She would wait until the given deadline, and allow herself time to consider her
options.

Somewhere in her heart, however, she felt that it was fate
that beckoned her to find Jeanne, instead.
It may not be entirely a
coincidence that I met Hilary after the game.
Charlie thought of the girl
who introduced her to the new possibilities that had opened up for her. She
wondered how Hilary was doing and wanted to ask further about ANDREI. Charlie
propped up her laptop and decided to check for Hilary’s email address in her
inbox, hoping to catch up with her.

The following morning, Charlie began her email exchange with
Hilary. Hilary quickly replied. In the span of time they’d corresponded,
Charlie had picked up details about student life at ANDREI as well as
background stories of Jeanne and Hilary growing up at the orphanage. She
learned that Jeanne was found by emergency responders on a grassy slope several
feet away from the car wreckage.  Apparently the door on her side had
flung open, and by some stroke of fate, she was hurled out of the car, which
explained the empty second car seat Carl saw.

The family pool and darts tournament continued as the bottle
jars filled up with tokens. Carl and Sarah were pleased that Charlie was more
open to displaying her powers while aiming her cue ball at its targets and her
darts at the bull’s eye. She even went so far as forecasting which pocket a
ball would end up in and where a dart would land. By the end of two weeks,
Charlie summoned her telekinetic powers in pool and darts with more confidence
and displayed better results.

On the second Sunday of August, the family sat to assess
Charlie’s position.  Charlie had received an email from Amanda reminding
her to inform ANDREI of her decision within the week.

Sarah spoke for herself and for Carl. “Princess, it can be
tough being at the crossroads. We want you to know that whatever your decision
is, we support it a thousand percent. Keep in mind your happiness and
fulfillment are ours, too.”

Charlie reached out for Carl and Sarah’s hands as they sat
around the kitchen table. “I must say, the gods looked down on me favorably
that fateful day along Pilgrim’s Highway. If it weren’t for you two driving on
the same road at the same time of the accident, I would have roasted to death.”
Sarah cringed at her daughter’s words but said nothing. “There is much more to
learn about my biological family, but for now, it is enough I know I have a
sister I will soon be reunited with, hopefully. So, Dad and Mom, I am making
this decision now, to forego Harvard and join ANDREI. In doing so, I will learn
to use my powers well and apply them for noble purposes. More importantly, I
will find Jeanne and bring her home to you. I have no doubt you will love her
as much as you do me.”

Carl said, “Princess, in bringing home Jeanne, my last thorn
of guilt will be plucked out. Your mom and I will be delighted to receive all
the double joy and double trouble our twins will give us.”

“Oh, Dad!” Charlie burst out laughing. “I was teary eyed and
feeling so emotional until you killed the drama queen in me!” She excused
herself to email Amanda and Hilary, letting them know about her decision.
Charlie felt a tinge of guilt over leaving her family, but Carl and Sarah made
sure that they would spend as much time together as possible until the day when
Charlie packs up for Kit Carson arrived.

Over the next few days, Carl, Sarah, and Charlie bonded over
their nightly pool and dart tournament. They savored the fun and laughter
during the competition, mindful that Charlie’s stay with them was getting
shorter each day.

On the last Saturday of August, Sarah prepared an extra
special send-off dinner for Charlie, who was all set to leave the following
week. Carl surprised his family with trophies and medals for the awarding
ceremonies.

Being a small family did not deter them from the
entertainment and amusement that comes more easily for bigger families. 
They took turns taking digital shots in various poses and managed a few family
snapshots. Charlie promised to collate all the pictures in a book to be
privately published. Online desktop publishing had given way to the traditional
family album, which pleased Sarah, who created a family corner in Carl’s study
where Charlie’s Hartley Family book series took center stage.

On the eve of her departure, Charlie stayed up late
painstakingly double checking her suitcase and the personal mementos she wanted
to take. The frame bearing Hilary and Jeanne’s photo was carefully wrapped
between her bath and hand towels. She set the locket on her dresser alongside
the pearl earrings her parents gave her for her fifteenth birthday, intending
to wear them during the trip.

That night, she dreamt of being in the sanitized white room
again. In the dream, Charlie got out of bed in her white pajamas to get the
door. She opened it to find her look-alike smiling at her.  This dream
ended like a mystery film’s denouement. Charlie opened the door wide to let her
guest in and said, “Come in, Jeanne.” She extended her hand to Jeanne, as if
welcoming her to their home.

Charlie woke up with an enlightened feeling upon the
certainty that she had been seeing her twin in her dreams all along. At five
thirty in the morning, she was already out of bed and packing with her parents’
assistance. After a hearty breakfast, mother and daughter got in the car while
Carl loaded Charlie’s stuff in the trunk. At a half past six, they were on
their way to the Amtrak Station in New Haven to catch Charlie’s seven thirty
seven train to Washington, D.C.

“No goodbyes, Mom and Dad,” Charlie said as she hugged both
for the last nth time.

“See you soon, Princess,” Carl forced himself to speak as
Sarah sniffled in between smiles.

Amanda rang Sarah not long after she and Carl got home after
dropping Charlie at the train station. “Hi Sarah, Amanda here.”

“Pleased to hear from you, Amanda. Charlie should arrive
there early tomorrow evening, your time.”

“Hilary and I are looking forward to her arrival. We already
have her dormitory room ready. She will be sharing it with one newcomer.”
Amanda went on to say, “The reason why I am calling is to remind you and Carl
that given the unique situation with Charlie, I am extending a privilege to her
so she can receive regular voice messages from you. I’ll leave you a number you
can call to leave your messages, and I will make sure they are delivered to
her. Of course, you can always email her too.”

Sarah expressed appreciation of the accommodation and put
Amanda on hold while she retrieved a pen and paper to jot down the number. She
felt relieved that they would be given a chance for constant communication with
their daughter, given how Sarah was already worried about sending Charlie to
another state all on her own.
I wonder how Charlie is doing on her way
there.

The trip to Kit Carson, Colorado, was going to be a long
one. Five hours to DC with a three hour wait before enduring the eighteen hour
journey to Chicago seemed like forever to the young woman who was making her
first long trip alone.

Reviewing her ticket, she told herself, “I still have a five
hour wait in Chicago before the eighteen hour train ride to Denver. From there,
I have eight hours to kill before the scheduled two and a half hour bus ride to
Kit Carson. Do I even want to count the total number of hours I will be on the
road?”

Charlie liked the amenities on the train. Viewliner trains
featured wide comfortable seats with fold down trays. She purchased a Passenger
Comfort Kit that included an inflatable pillow, earplugs, blanket, and eye
shade and settled comfortably. Well-appointed restrooms were at the lower
level, but she didn’t mind trading that for the upper level’s panoramic view of
the passing scenery.

By the time Charlie reached Denver, she was exhausted from
the long trip and welcomed the eight hour wait before boarding the three
o’clock bus to Kit Carson. She had been confined in the train for far too long;
it didn’t matter that the bus ride was only a two and a half hour ride. The
text messages she sent to Sarah during the trip to let them know how she was
doing yielded encouraging replies that she enjoyed rereading. After freshening
up and changing clothes, she walked around and stretched her legs. She then
picked up a tourist brochure to see what she could in the eight hour window she
had.

She took the thirty minute bus ride to Boulder and checked
out a very nice town with shopping, restaurants, and mountain parks for hiking.
Tagging along with some tourists, she boarded the Light Rail to the last stop,
Mineral, and checked out the Platte River Trail for the beautiful views of the
mountains and the wetlands.  Her next stop was Littleton Downtown, where
she toured the small historical area.

Declining an invite by a young man she met on the train to
take a bus to Golden and experience the "old west" historical area of
town, she decided to hang around lower downtown Denver and stroll and browse
the quaint shops and dine in the hip part of town.

After lunch, she wandered into a shopping mall where a huge
fountain featured dancing water, entertaining children and adults alike. She
marveled at the synchronized music and the water movement and found herself
humming the upbeat tune.

While seated among the built-in benches around the fountain,
a couple of young boys dressed like cowboys sandwiched her. Immediately she
noticed they were identical twins, about six or seven years old. They seemed
forlorn.

“What’s with the pout and frown, guys?” Charlie looked from
left to right, amused at the thought that she and Jeanne could have been like
them had fate not separated them.

“Mom says James and I can’t have guns in our holsters,”
complained the one on her right.

“Justin is right,” James added. “If it’s against the law to
have toy guns, why can cops carry the real thing?”

Charlie forced herself to keep her composure and take the
grievances of the two boys seriously. “If you can’t have your toy guns, take
out your cowboy kerchiefs and let’s see what we can do with them.”

The twins’ attention quickly diverted to Charlie. She took
their kerchiefs and taught them how to fold each one and turn it into a soft,
gun-shaped object. It made the boys laugh and taunt her saying her guns would
never fire. Charlie challenged them, “I bet you haven’t seen kerchief guns fire
pennies and dimes.” That made all the difference for James and Justin.

It was Charlie’s opportunity to use her powers to amaze
them, so pledging them to secrecy, she said, “Make sure the bad guys don’t
notice us, okay? James, be the look out while Justin watches what our special
gun can do. Then you switch roles.”

Her simple stunt worked and the boys were captivated. She
left a bunch of coins for them to practice on; a bit sorry they would never
learn how to pull a neat trick like that.

The ride to Kit Carson was extremely quiet. The bus wasn’t
even half full and most of the passengers were asleep. As the afternoon wore
on, Charlie’s thoughts lingered on ANDREI. She pictured herself competing with
students who all had various superhuman powers and wondered if her
above-average intelligence had any bearing on a gift not many receive. She
looked forward to meeting Hilary again, but what loomed larger than anything in
her mind was the prospect of meeting her twin sister. Her left hand
unconsciously stroked the three-inch long new scar on her right arm as her
right hand automatically rubbed her chin in her nervous way.

Charlie finally fell asleep and was grudgingly awakened by a
crying infant passenger.  Pleasure surged through her as the bus slowed
and passed a huge colorful sign on the roadside that read “Welcome to Kit
Carson, Colorado.”

As if on cue, Charlie's phone rang. Sara’s voice calmed her
nerves. "Hi, Princess! How are you?"

“Hi, Mom. I’m fine. The bus just entered Kit Carson,"
Charlie said softly. There was a short pause on the other end before Sarah
finally spoke.

“I bet the school looks like a castle. Just like Hogwarts.”
Sarah knew how much her daughter adored the Harry Potter novels.

"I hope so, Mom. I hope so." Charlie absorbed the
scenery as they chatted. There was vast emptiness as far as her eyes could see:
large patches of land with nothing but grass and only a handful of houses
sparsely scattered.

Home was what Charlie was going to call this place for the
next couple of years. She was far from the city she grew up in, and far from
the parents who had adopted and raised her as their own. Charlie felt like a
fish out of water, about to embark on a journey of uncertainty. She felt her
usual optimism waning, nervousness taking its place.

Charlie glanced from side to side, flinching at every bump
in the road. Her nerves betrayed her. “It’s going to be okay,” Charlie
convinced herself.

They passed by a grocery store, a gas station, and a post
office, all large and decent but with an abandoned appearance. Aside from the
bus engine, the entire town seemed to be at a standstill. The only evidence of
life were the cars parked outside the establishments, and even those weren’t
conclusive.

The bus cruised along a familiar forested road with side
paths that looked a bit menacing but calming, too. For some reason, Charlie had
a distinct, almost nostalgic feeling she had been there before.

"Princess?" Charlie had completely forgotten that
her parents were on the phone.

"Sorry, Mom. I zoned out for a bit." Curious
whether her instincts were correct, she asked, “Mom, did we ever visit here
when I was a kid?”

“No, sweetie. Your father and I went to the Kit Carson Peak
once, but you weren’t around then.”

Something about that road made her uneasy. She scanned her
brain for similar places she had visited but came up with nothing.

“I think I'm here, Mom.  Love you," Charlie said, tracing
her fingers along the lines on the map. This was her bus stop. She produced a
piece of paper where the address was written down. “38 Avalon Street, Kit
Carson, Colorado.” Charlie approached the driver to ask the direction of her
destination.

"It's a ten-minute walk south," he said. Pulling
her suitcase behind her, she started in the direction he gave. Soon she stood
in front of an imposing black gate that towered over her. The number 38 on the
brick panels that secured it in place matched the address.

For a moment, she didn't move a muscle. Charlie catalyzed
mobility when she pressed the button and a mechanical-sounding voice answered.
“State your identification and purpose.”

Wow, this school is even more uptight than Mom
,
Charlie thought to herself. She spoke out loud: “Charlene Hartley, incoming
freshman student at the American National Development, Research and Education
Institute.”

Without another word, the gates opened slowly and Charlie
made her way inside. This place had no resemblance to Hogwarts. It was drab and
geometrically precise as far as Charlie could tell. Geometry wasn’t her best
subject, but she understood calculated measurements and architecture when she
saw them. For a fleeting moment she hoped she was at the wrong place because she
knew she could never enjoy studying in a glass enclosure. But as she moved
closer to her destination, it all made sense to Charlie.

“This is not a normal school and these are not normal
students,” Charlie reminded herself. Whatever conventional ideas Charlie had,
she must leave them behind. She had made a choice and would stand by it.

Heaving a deep sigh, she stared at the tall, white building
in front of her. At the top were the letters “GEN.” Amanda emerged from inside
the building with Hilary trailing behind her, a big grin on her face.

“Welcome to Genetic Engineering and Neuroscience
Laboratories,” Amanda greeted quietly.

Charlie looked at her in confusion as someone in a white
uniform gathered her suitcase.

“Don’t worry, I’ll explain everything. Please follow me,”
Amanda ushered them in. When the automatic glass door parted, a gush of
conditioned air met Charlie. They walked through the halls and she saw a lot of
people garbed in white lab coats. The place was bustling with activity; no one
paid them any attention. They climbed two flights of stairs and headed for a
walkway with windows overlooking the field. Upon reaching the other end, a
white door scanned Amanda’s ID and eyes before it opened. They passed through a
couple of doors and stopped at one with a sign that said ‘Headmaster’s Office.’

“Come in, Charlie, make yourself comfortable,” Amanda
ushered.

Charlie’s first observation was that Amanda’s office was
spacious and lacked any person touches like photographs or a coffee mug.
Charlie remembered Principle Bowman’s office: full of framed photographs of his
children. Amanda’s office was devoid of any personal mementos save for the
framed diplomas and a passage painted in black on the wall. It read:

The A.N.D.R.E.I.
Manifesto:

We know of no tragedies
because we survive.

We know of no
boundaries because we overcome.

We know of no limits
because we outlast.

We vow to develop and
hone our gifts.

Above all, we vow to
use our abilities for the benefit of mankind.

Amanda was all business.

“As you may already know, ANDREI’s goal is simple: improve
your talents in the hopes of making you especially functional members of
society,” Amanda explained. “Make the most out of the time you spend here at
ANDREI so when it’s time to release you back into the world, you’ll be ready to
face all adversities that come your way. It’s now half-hour before the next
class. That’s about the time to get you oriented about the school. We should
get moving.”

Charlie nodded in reply and all three of them started out
the door.

“Hi,” Hilary smiled warmly, speaking for the first time.
Charlie only managed to smile back. Reaching her destination hadn’t sunk in
yet, and she was glad Hilary was sensitive enough to provide her with a wide
berth. They made their way down, and Hilary and Amanda opened the twin doors.
Charlie couldn’t believe what she the sight before her eyes: inside were
students, about her age, displaying various acts unfathomable to nature. A
blonde muscular boy lifted a twelve-seat table on two fingers. A girl with long
brunette hair fiddled with a stalk that grew upon her command. Another muscular
boy with Russian features hung in the air, a few feet below the ceiling, while
reading his book. A heavy-set black girl sang in a high pitched voice, causing
the entire wall to vibrate.

With mouth agape, Charlie was startled when Amanda and
Hilary said in unison: “Welcome to ANDREI.”

The students went about their business until Amanda
commanded their attention. She didn’t even have to raise her voice.

“Students, you have a new schoolmate,” Amanda announced and
motioned Charlie to move a step forward. “Please introduce yourself.”

She did as she was told. “Hi, I’m Charlie. Charlie Hartley.”
Silence pervaded the room. Not a single one acknowledged her.

Some scowls turned into smirks, some breathed sighs of
relief. Charlie was rattled with the mixed body language displayed, but she
went along, smiling and looking eager. She squeezed her right thumb with her
left hand, trying to calm herself down.

They’re just like me
, Charlie chanted in her head.
What
could possibly go wrong?
Sadly, there were some things Charlie had never
learned, like taunting fate and being too optimistic. Almost always positive,
she couldn’t help herself in negative situations. But tonight, it was as if the
universe heard her question and replied when everything took a turn for the
worse.

“Ms. Pitt, when can I see my---” Charlie couldn’t bring
herself to say it. Instead she coughed out the word in a staccato manner, as if
choking on the word. “S-sister?”

Amanda whipped back and studied Charlie closely. “Jeanne is
not available."

“Will she be available tomorrow?” Charlie asked, anxiety and
excitement bubbling inside her.

“I’m afraid not, Charlie. The only way for you to have
access to the facility is when you become qualified for the program that Jeanne
is currently in.”

Charlie’s heart sank. “What? I thought you had connections,”
she whispered.

“Do not worry, if you’re anything like your sister, ANDREI
will be a breeze for you. You’ll be with Jeanne in no time,” Amanda said.

Charlie thought she was teasing, but she took it as
motivation to achieve whatever her twin achieved. If it meant seeing Jeanne,
she was willing to do everything.

Except ANDREI wasn’t a normal school, and Charlie was about
to find out exactly what that meant.

Proceeding to the next attraction, Charlie felt like she was
in a museum, except that its statues were humans moving and performing ‘magic
tricks’ on the spot. The glass windows provided an unobstructed outdoor view,
although there was nothing much to see except a green field and a thick forest
in the distance.

Charlie and Hilary followed Amanda to an adjoining building
on the west side of the school. They walked through a garden that led to the
three-story dormitory. The student lounge on the ground floor was empty. They
proceeded to the second floor where Charlie walked through a hallway with white
doors that reminded her of the laboratory. This time, however, on each door,
hung a dry erase board laminate bearing names, some badly scribbled, some
meticulously lettered.

The two students followed Amanda, who unlocked the door to
the room at the end of the hall. Charlie peered inside and was awed. Like the
rest of the building, floor-to-ceiling glass panels lined the wall and the view
was magnificent. Charlie thought this was the perfect place to watch the
sunset, her favorite part of the day. The room was modestly furnished. There
were two wooden study desks at the side, two plain white beds and two tall
closets. Another door on the left Charlie assumed led to the bathroom. She
turned to Amanda, who informed her, “This is going to be your room.”

“I remember you mentioning something about a roommate,”
Charlie said and looked around the room again.

“Yes, the Unlocked share bedrooms."

“’Unlocked’?" Charlie asked.

Before she could answer, Amanda’s mobile phone beeped. She
glanced at the screen for a second and quickly poised herself to leave the
room. Before doing so, she said, “I’m sure Hilary will be more than happy to
answer your queries. She will also continue touring you around the campus. Be
sure to attend your first class, Charlie. We do not tolerate tardiness or
absences, even if it’s just your first day. And by the way, your Skills
Assessment Test is scheduled five days from now. Check your schedule. Do not
forget,” Amanda smiled a little but the seriousness in her tone sent the right
message to Charlie.
No taking classes for granted here
, Charlie thought.

Amanda nodded to Charlie and Hilary and briskly walked away.

Plopping on her bed, Charlie motioned Hilary to join her.

“I still have to show you the library, cafeteria, and
training rooms,” Hilary protested.

“A few minutes of downtime won’t hurt. I need to catch my
breath,” Charlie said.

“Oh, alright,” Hilary said with a smile, taking a seat on
Charlie’s soft mattress. “By the way, you’re rooming with Brianna. I don’t know
who she is because I’m not that close to the kids. Just a word of warning
though, things can get… rough in shared bedrooms.”

“What do you mean, rough?” Charlie inquired skeptically. “I
don’t mind sharing a room.”

“Let’s just say things can get messy when you’re still
trying to figure your powers out,” Hilary answered. “Part of the training
program at ANDREI is finding out exactly what you can do. Since it doesn’t come
as easily and quickly as one would hope, it takes a week before some students
manifest their powers. In that period, they’re given assignments to aid them.”

“Please elaborate.”

“Did you see the girl holding a plant in the lobby? Her
name’s Freja. She took the longest and messiest road towards discovery. It
included mud splotches on the wall and poop-colored water flooding the floor.”

Charlie envisioned it in her head and cringed. “I hope
Brianna is done with that phase.”

“Let’s both hope so,” Hilary said, standing and pulling up
Charlie. “Come on, we need to go. You don’t want to be late for class, do you?”

“Wait, wait. You haven’t told me about the word you used
earlier --- Unlocked?” Charlie asked, refusing to rise.

“Oh, that. I’ll explain while we’re walking.” Hilary led
Charlie downstairs and remained true to her word in telling all. “The Awakened
are technically those who are at the final stage of power development. It’s all
blurry, really. They don’t tell us the criteria, but it’s apparent how they
pick the students who are promoted to Awakened status. They’re usually the best
students in a class or the ones who have shown relatively great progress in
honing their abilities.”

“And the Unlocked?” Charlie asked.

“They’re the newbies. Like you,” Hilary smiled.

“Oh, so I’m an Unlocked. And you are an Awakened, I assume,”
Charlie smiled.

“I’m not saying that I’m any good, I just happen to be a
fast learner. It’s what all the other Awakened say,” Hilary said, a little
beaten down.

“I’m sure you deserve to be where you are, Hilary,” Charlie
reassured her friend. Their eyes met and at that moment they knew: it was the
beginning of a friendship they both needed.