Log 6: Square One

Saturn squirmed, trying to break free, but the woman's grip tightened. She kneeled down and looked Saturn in the eyes.

"I am sorry for my sternness, but please, tell me your name,” the woman spoke softly.

Seeing that escape was not to be, she fell still. "Please—please save Kairo..." Saturn begged through a slowing flow of tears. "I'll—I'll tell you everything... just please—save him."

The woman's eyes softened, she pulled Saturn into a caring embrace. "Dear child, what hell have you witnessed?"

The embrace reminded Saturn of Mama. It was so very calming. Saturn's vision became blurred, starry. Before she knew what was happening, she fainted.

It was hours before Saturn returned to consciousness. She shot up and looked around. She was sitting on a sofa in a large living room. The aroma of roast meat surrounded her. It smelled good, but where was she? She slid off the sofa, beginning a search for her tablet. It wasn't under the couch, nor was it by the lamp.

Looking for the source of the smell, Saturn came to a small kitchen. The woman was cooking.

"Are you hungry?" she asked, glancing down at Saturn.

"Mm-hmm," Saturn nervously answered.

"Food'll be ready in ten minutes," the woman said. "Wait in the living room. We'll discuss things over supper."

Saturn nodded, quickly returning to the sofa. Shortly after, the front door slid open, a male caucasian half-elf with azure hair entered. From sclera to pupil, his left eye was a uniform blueish-white.

"Glad your awake," he said, sitting down next to her. "When my sis told me what happened, I got pretty worried."

"Why?" Saturn asked. "We don't know each other."

"If an adult doesn't worry when a child faints, then they aren't a good adult."

"Very true," the woman said, carrying a platter of dishes into the living room.

She set the tray on a coffee table before pulling it over to the couch. She placed a bowl of soup in front of each of her guests.

"Let's get introductions out of the way before eating," the woman said, clapping her hands together. "I'm Idree, sister to the man sitting next to you."

"And I'm Andree," her brother spoke next.

"My name is Saturn."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Saturn." Idree formally greeted.

During the meal, Saturn thought back to what happened before she awoke. Was Kairo safe?

"Can you save Kairo?" Saturn asked.

Idree set her food aside. "I think so. But we'll need a little more information first."

"I'll tell you anything, just, please, promise you’ll save him. He freed me..." Tears swelling, her voice cracked. "I want... I need to thank him..."

Idree placed her bowl on the table and looked Saturn in the eyes and said, in a soft voice, "Tell us everything you can. Once we understand the situation we'll be able to help."

Wiping away the tears, Saturn slowly began to speak, "I... I was being kept under the city... but Kairo saved me... but... but... then..." Saturn's voice cracked. "The scary people found me... I had to run… Kairo protected me…”

"No need to strain yourself," Andree said, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Take as much time as you need."

"Mm-hmm..." Saturn murmured.

Standing up, Idree grabbed her smartphone, reassuring Saturn before stepping outside. "I know someone who can help, I'll be right back."

***

Outside, Idree slid on an earpiece, waiting for the call to be picked up. She leaned against the banister, listening to the pigeons coo and watching the bushes rustle in the wind. Since the girl had been underground, she was probably chipped. Even more likely was her being a subject of some corporate experiment. If information of something like that got out, whichever company was funding the study would be stained for eternity. People don't tend to forgive atrocities.

"Hello, this is the Alexandria household," a man on the line said. "I am James Cornwell, Head of Lady Alexandria's Personal Calls and Business Affairs. Please state your reason for calling at such an outrageous hour."

"My name is Idree Alexandria. I have something urgent to discuss with my mother, preferably on a private channel."

Mr. Cornwell sighed. "Your mother retired quite a few hours ago. However, if it is so urgent, we can switch to a private channel and you can discuss it with me. After all, I have acted as Lady Alexandria's face and voice on many occasions, so it shouldn't be an issue. Correct?"

"That would be fine, thank you." Idree gritted her teeth.

"Well, then, please stay on the call until the transfer has been completed."

A piece of soft piano played. It was bothersome that she couldn't speak with her mother directly. Then again, that may have been for the best. Idree's mother was not always the most cordial after dark. The music came to an abrupt conclusion.

"We are secure," Mr. Cornwell asserted. "Please begin."

"I, through unusual circumstances, have become the temporary caretaker of a lost child who goes by the name of Saturn. Prior to meeting her, she was under the supervision of a man known to her as Kairo. From what she has explained, this man freed her from a facility that sits somewhere beneath Chicago." Idree paused to collect her thoughts. "The people who were conducting the experiments discovered her location and came to take her back. Kairo gave her time to flee. I believe the reason they were able to find her is because she is chipped."

"And you wish for immediate surgical extraction?" Mr. Cornwell presumed.

"Precisely."

The call fell silent for several minutes. Eventually, however, Cornwell spoke, "Considering the information, I agree with you. Therefore, I have sent a driver to bring you and the girl to Dr. Glass's clinic. This operation will be kept off the books."

"Thank you, Mr. Cornwell," Idree said. "Oh, one last thing."

"Does it relate to the girl?"

"She wants Kairo located and saved. Can you look into that?"

"No," Cornwell answered. "I may have already overstepped my authority, but if this experiment is being conducted by those in the upper class, it could threaten your mother's status to delve too deep."

"But she is a child," Idree pleaded.

"I am sorry, but that does not matter. I have helped you as much as I can. End of story. Goodnight."

The call ended.

Idree clenched her phone and stomped the ground with gritted teeth. It was beyond irritating what aristocrats were willing to do just to save face. Though, what Mr. Cornwell had done could easily go quite far.

Idree went back inside and explained the situation to the others. Afterward, she brought the bowls back to the kitchen and cleaned until the car arrived.

***

A phone vibrated, slowly sliding toward the edge of a table. Before it could fall, a woman in a white lab coat answered it.

"What happened this time? Did she break her toe?" the woman asked in a droning tone.

Ignoring the question, the man spoke, "Ms. Glass, are you at your clinic?"

The chief physician sighed. "I am."

"You'll have a patient soon, a young girl named Saturn. All expenses will be paid in advance. This procedure is to be kept off book. Understood?"

Ms. Glass rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll play your game. But, James, I'll need the full briefing first."

"It is highly likely that she's been chipped. What we want is that you identify the tracker and surgically remove it."

"Sure, I'll do it."

"Thank you kindly. Goodnight."

The call ended.

Ms. Glass left her phone on the table and began setting up the operating tools. From the x-ray scanner, to the surgical bed. She wandered from place to place, cleaning, organizing, typing notes, and so on. After setting up, she asked her night assistant to inform her when anyone arrived.

Halfway through arranging some papers, her assistant knocked on her office door.

"Yes?" she said.

"Three people are in the waiting room, Dr. Glass. They asked to speak with you directly."

Of the trio, Ms. Glass recognized two. Idree and Andree Alexandria.

"You were a lot shorter last we spoke, though I doubt you remember the visit," she said, shaking Idree's hand. "I'm Doctor Brady Glass."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Glass," Idree replied. "Has Mr. Cornwell explained the situation?"

"Don't be so formal, call me Brady. And yes, he did. Is that girl my patient?"

The girl slipped behind Idree.

"Yes. Her name is—"

"Saturn," Brady interrupted. "James already told me. I can start immediately."

"Thank you so much," Idree said.

Ms. Glass bent down and held out her hand. "I'm not going to bite. Don't worry."

Andree patted Saturn on the back. "Everything's going to be fine."

"Okay..." she murmured.

Saturn took Brady's hand and walked to the operating room. Dr. Glass waved her assistant over. The two women helped Saturn get comfortable, assuring her that the operation would only take a moment, with Brady adding that it would help Saturn's situation greatly. Ms. Glass was able to administer the anesthesia and propofol with little push back.

"Sonia, if either of us mention this surgery to anyone other than Idree or Andree, I suspect that we will have the entirety of the Alexandria family task force on us," Brady warned, once Saturn was asleep.

"Why didn't you mention this earlier?" her assistant asked calmly.

"I forgot."

"Sure you did." Sonia rolled her eyes.

The two carefully placed a cloth, commonly used in small x-ray operations, over the girl before scanning her wrists and neck. Indeed, there was a small, but highly sophisticated, tracking device in the girl's neck. It would be an easy procedure if done right, but neither of the surgeons could make a single mistake. Trackers of this quality were often difficult to extract safely.

"We'll have to be extremely careful," Dr. Glass said.

"Of course, ma'am."

A small incision in the neck, a slow insertion of electricity-proof gel that molded around the tracker, and finally, the extraction. While Brady placed the tracker on the operation table, her assistance stitched the cut.

"Sonia, please stay here and tell me when the girl awakens," Ms. Glass requested. "I have some questions for the twins."

"Yes, ma'am."

Dr. Glass took a seat across from the brother and sister.

"Is she okay?" Idree asked.

"Of course. I don't botch my work."

Idree clutched her chest and let out a deep breath. "Thank goodness."

Andree leaned forward. "Do you know of a man named Kairo?"

Brady waved her finger. "Tch, tch! My questions first. Do you have any idea what you've gotten yourselves into?"

"No," Idree said. "But that doesn't matter."

"Actually, it does. You may have found your way into a full blown conspiracy. That tracker was pretty high-tech. We used idrophin during extraction, just in case."

The siblings gave her a look that clearly said they didn't know what she meant, but they were too proud to admit it.

"It's a gel that is used by surgeons and electricians alike. It guards anything it's coated in against electricity. It isn’t talked about very often, though.”

"Fascinating," Andree said sarcastically. "Now that we've answered your question, can you answer ours?"

Brady cocked her head to the side and thought. Kairo? The name sounded familiar... where had she heard it before. Ah, that's right.

"One of my regulars has mentioned a man named Kairo. She seems fond of him, even though they haven't talked too much."

"Can we get this regular’s name?" Andree requested.

"Is this Kairo person Saturn's guardian?" Brady asked in reply.

"From what we know, yes," Idree answered.

Brady stood and began walking to her office, waving for the twins to follow her. "I've had to visit her apartment before for checkups, so I know her current address. I have it on some papers in my office. I can pass the info onto you."

Idree hurried up next to her. "Thank you again, Ms. Glass."

"Anytime, and call me Brady."

"Of course, sorry."

"No need to apologize," Dr. Glass said as her office door slid open.

Brady sifted through her files, eventually finding the item she was looking for. She handed it, along with a sticky-note and a pen, to Idree.

"Copy the address. She came in yesterday, so I recommend you visit tomorrow morning. The name she gives me is Index Yamaguchi.”