Chapter 86 To Give Her a Choice
Flora
The news showed Emma being taken into protective custody with FBI agents everywhere.
My phone rang and it was Walsh.
"Emma's safe," Walsh said. "And she gave us everything. Names, locations, bank accounts. Genesis Corp is finished."
"What happens to Emma now?" I asked.
"That's up to her," Walsh said. "But I think she'd like to come home."
Three days later Emma returned to us at Haven or what was left of it. We'd started rebuilding slowly with help from donations after our story went public.
"You're really letting me stay?" Emma asked.
"You're family," I said. "This is your home."
Emma smiled, the first real smile I'd seen from her.
"What about the other five children?" Emma asked.
"They have choices now," I said. "Some want to stay here and others want to live outside. Both are okay."
That night Rafael and I stood looking at the construction.
"We did it," I said. "We actually won."
"For now," Rafael said.
"Always the pessimist," I said.
"Always the realist," Rafael corrected.
I laughed and kissed him. "Thank you for everything."
"Thank you," Rafael said. "For being brave enough to lead."
Six months later Haven was rebuilt, better than before and stronger and more secure. But more importantly it was open and visible with no more hiding. The world knew about us now and mostly they accepted us. There were protests with people calling us abominations but there were more people supporting us and saying we deserved the same rights as anyone else.
"How does it feel?" Rafael asked. "To be the face of enhanced humans?"
"Terrifying," I admitted. "But also right. This is what Elena wanted, for us to be seen and accepted."
"Elena would be proud," Rafael said.
I thought about Elena and everything she'd done.
"I think she would," I agreed.
Emma ran past us chasing another child and laughing. She'd changed so much in six months, becoming more childlike and less weapon.
"She's happy," Rafael observed.
"She deserves to be," I said.
Sophie visited that afternoon. She was thirteen now and growing up fast.
"How's school?" I asked.
"Good," Sophie said. "Some kids are weird about the enhanced thing but most are cool."
"That's good," I said.
"I've been thinking," Sophie said. "About coming to live here at Haven full time."
"Really?" I asked.
"Yeah," Sophie said. "My foster parents are great but they're not like me. I want to be somewhere I fit in. Is that okay?"
"More than okay," I said. "Haven is always open to you."
Sophie hugged me. "Thank you for showing us we don't have to hide."
That night we held a community meeting with all residents gathered.
"I have an announcement," I said. "We've been approached by organizations wanting to hire enhanced humans and work with us."
"Is that safe?" Lily asked.
"Safer than hiding," I said. "And it's a chance to show the world who we are."
"I vote yes," Emma said. "We should be part of the world, not separate from it."
Others agreed and one by one hands raised.
"Then it's decided," I said. "Haven becomes a bridge between enhanced humans and everyone else."
Over the next months we started programs including educational exchanges and job training. Some enhanced humans chose to leave Haven and build lives outside while others chose to stay. Both choices were respected.
One day my phone rang with an unknown number.
"Hello?"
"Flora," a familiar voice said. "It's Dr. Webb."
"Dr. Webb," I said surprised. "Where are you?"
"Safe," Webb said. "Thanks to you. Genesis Corp is gone and I'm finally free."
"That's good," I said.
"I have something for you," Webb said. "Information about Project Genesis and the very first enhanced human ever created."
"Subject L-001?" I asked. "That was Elena."
"No," Webb said. "L-001 was someone else who came before Elena and is still alive."
My heart stopped. "Who?"
"Come to Boston and I'll tell you everything."
He hung up.
I told Rafael everything.
"It's probably a trap," Rafael said.
"Probably," I agreed. "But what if there's someone out there who needs our help?"
"Then we go together," Rafael said.
We flew to Boston the next day. Dr. Webb answered the door looking tired but alive.
"Thank you for coming," he said.
Inside was an elderly woman who looked familiar.
"Meet Dr. Sarah Chen," Webb said.
I gasped. "Chen? As in James Chen's mother?"
"James and Victoria Chen's mother," Sarah confirmed. "And the original creator of Project Genesis."
"But Margaret Chen was their mother," I said.
"Margaret was their adoptive mother," Sarah said. "I gave them up because I knew my work would destroy them and I was right."
She stood slowly and walked toward me.
"I created the first enhanced human forty years ago," Sarah said. "A test subject. She was perfect but I was scared so I gave her away to a family who would love her."
"Who?" I asked.
"Her name was Eva Morelli."
The room spun. "Eva was enhanced?"
"The very first," Sarah confirmed. "Before Project Genesis had a name. I created her and then gave her away and I've regretted it every day since."
"But Eva died," Rafael said.
"I know," Sarah said. "And it's my fault because I started all of this."
I sat down processing everything. "Eva was enhanced and didn't even know?"
"I designed her that way," Sarah said. "No obvious abilities. Just stronger and smarter but subtle enough to pass as normal."
"Why are you telling me this?" I asked.
"Because you deserve the truth," Sarah said. "And because I have something for you."
She handed me a small box containing a photograph of young Eva smiling.
"That's the only photo I have," Sarah said. "So you know where it all started."
I stared at Eva's face, my genetic template.
"Thank you," I whispered.
"There's one more thing," Sarah said. "Before Eva died she was pregnant very early and most people didn't know."
My breath caught. "Pregnant?"
"The fetus didn't survive," Sarah said. "But I kept the genetic material preserved just in case."
"In case of what?" Rafael asked.
"In case someone wanted to bring Eva back," Sarah said.
She handed me another small container. "This is Eva's embryo preserved for twenty-eight years. If you want I can help you bring her into the world."
I stared at the container holding Eva's child and Rafael's child.
"I don't know," I said honestly. "This is too much."
"Take it and think about it," Sarah said. "Let me know when you're ready."
We left Boston that evening with the container safely packed.
On the plane Rafael held my hand. "What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking about choices," I said. "About how Eva never had a choice. She was created and used without her consent."
"And?" Rafael asked.
"And I want to give her child a choice," I said. "I want to bring her into the world and raise her and let her decide who she wants to be."
"So we're having a baby?" Rafael asked.
"We're giving Eva's baby a chance," I corrected. "If that's okay with you."
Rafael smiled. "More than okay.”