Chapter 23

Emmy couldn't recall how she'd gotten to Dr. Dollard's office, but she knew it was an honor to be invited here. Her gaze drifted from the doctor, who sat across the sleek chrome and black glass desk, to shelves of weighty scientific tomes and twisted, abstract artwork. The walls were adorned with framed holographic images of renowned scientists, each one meticulously lit, giving the office an eerie sense of perfection.

An odd haze clouded her thoughts, skewing her perceptions as if she teetered on the edge of a dream. She shifted in her seat, telling herself the unease slithering through her veins was most likely just nervous excitement over being accepted back into the project.

Dr. Dollard tapped her fingers on the desk's shiny surface, demanding Emmy's attention once more. "You helped build the foundation of our project with your groundbreaking research on emotional transformation, Dr. Voss. Your ability to understand the mind and guide your patients is outstanding. But after your sudden departure, we need to be certain you're ready to come back. Do you understand?"

Oh, yes. My job.Emmy clasped her hands in her lap to control their trembling. No, not just a job—my life's work. "Of course, Dr. Dollard. Thank you for offering me a chance to continue with the project."

"Good." Dollard's perfectly sculpted eyebrows furrowed. "Begin by telling me how you and your friend discovered the location of this base."

The urge to divulge everything about the rebel plan was nearly overwhelming. Yet a tiny voice inside her was screaming to resist. "We…" She gulped, her mind in turmoil. I mustn't talk about the rebels. And yet, the desire to divulge every scrap of truth to Dr. Dollard was nearly overwhelming.

She settled on a half-truth that lay somewhere in between. "Dr. Dafari sent us to sabotage the project."

"Dafari?" The doctor sneered. "That pathetic excuse for a scientist is behind this?"

Emmy nodded. "He's jealous and angry that he was removed from the project."

Dollard swiped a finger across her desktop and brought up a glowing interface. "I should've guessed he'd cause trouble after my team took over. I suppose I'll have to see that he's retired more permanently."

Alarm rocketed through Emmy's veins. She despised her ex, but he had helped her in the end. He didn't deserve to die. "You don't need to bother. Once the project relocates, he won't be able to find it again."

Turning a shrewd eye back to Emmy, Dollard clucked her tongue. "Don't be na?ve, Dr. Voss. The rebels have spies everywhere, even within Syndicorp itself. Surely you know that denaidan you were with is a member of the rebellion?"

Emmy's pulse quickened as the sudden memory of Chigs's face filled her mind. My mate. How had she forgotten? He'd been sent to prison. She had to convince Dollard to free him. "Are you sure?"

"He's denaidan—they're all rebels." Dollard tilted her head as if trying to read Emmy's thoughts. "Ah, I see. You've fallen prey to their twisted ideals. Another victim of the baseless propaganda devised by those too narrow-minded to appreciate the gravity of our purpose. I thought you were more intelligent than that, Dr. Voss."

The weight of the fog covering Emmy's mind increased, and she hugged her arms across her chest uncertainly. Propaganda? She recalled how she'd been recruited to the rebellion through a RealTime News feed. How she'd felt a vehement desire to join the cause. Was Chigs the noble warrior she imagined him to be? Or were the rebels actually causing more harm than good?

"Why don't you be a smart girl now?" Dr. Dollard continued. "Tell me everything you know about these rebels. Perhaps we can work towards a peaceful resolution that benefits everyone."

The request seemed benign, but paranoia crept up Emmy's spine. Memories of the anger in her friends' voices when they spoke of Syndicorp's atrocities buzzed like an invisible energy shield cloaking her will. Do not trust this woman. Yet Emmy felt compelled to say something. "They wanted to rescue the females from the lab."

Dollard sighed. "A perfect example of their misguided purpose. As you saw earlier, the test subjects don't need or want to be saved."

A sense of disorientation washed over Emmy. The denaidan women had refused assistance. She and Chigs had been so sure of their mission, so convinced that they were fighting for the greater good. But now, faced with this unsettling truth, she couldn't help but question everything. "Why don't they want to be free?"

Satisfaction danced in Dollard's eyes. "Did you ever consider that these females might be seeking a better future of their own? They joined the project because they were eager for the chance to transcend their previous limitations."

Emmy's thoughts sharpened as she recalled the prisoners she'd worked with in the early phases of the project. They'd joined the project hoping for an easier sentence. Little had they suspected their futures would be bleak, no matter what they chose. "Were the women actually willing?" Emmy asked, a hint of steel in her voice. "Or coerced?"

Dollard scowled. "The denaidan females were under no duress when they signed their contracts, Dr. Voss. They left their planet willingly."

"Before or after Syndicorp poisoned their world?"

"Before, of course. Syndicorp regrets the unfortunate incident that led to the denaidan people's relocation." Dollard rose and moved around the desk to stand next to Emmy's chair, placing a hand on her shoulder. The weight on Emmy's mind constricted like a vise. "We are not the villains in this narrative. These females were at the mercy of their own physiology long before Syndicorp ever set foot on the planet. We offered them a chance at advancement, a purpose beyond their wildest dreams."

A knot formed in Emmy's stomach as she absorbed Dollard's words. As empaths, the denaidan females had been trapped on their planet, unable to endure the unfiltered emotions of other species. It made sense that some of them may have sought the adventure and escape Syndicorp promised. Perhaps Syndicorp really had been trying to help.

"I... I don't know what to think," Emmy admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. Her thoughts felt as if they were submerged in icy water. No matter how desperately she kicked for the surface, an invisible current pulled her deeper.

"Like you, they want to contribute to the greater good. Your continued work on the project will help make life for these women better than they ever imagined." The pressure of Dollard's hand on her shoulder increased, giving Emmy something to focus on.

She had no reason not to trust Dollard. The doctor was a genius in her field. Emmy's path was directly before her. She just had to submit. Turning to face the doctor's expectant gaze, Emmy couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and excitement at the prospect of pleasing her. "I'll make you proud, Dr. Dollard."