Okay, I'm going to try to reguarly update this but as I'm working on two stories at once there are no guarantees. As always, reviews are appreciated and are returned. Thank you all for your support.

Ruby

A normal government is something I have never known. Then again, America’s government is still recovering from the attack in 2007. It’s been thirty-seven years and America is finally starting to stabilize. Once a superpower, America has just come out of third world country status. But who am I to question the normality of everything when I am not even close to being normal?

Normal people are born, not created. I was created by a bunch of scientists in their genetic lab from the best DNA money could buy. After my birth in 2027 I was raised in a genetic research facility in New Jersey. All of the kids at this facility are being trained to work for the government. The Stillwell Genetic Research Institute trades kids for government money and recognition. Currently it is one of two facilities that works with the government. The other one is out in California.

I don’t like what the government is doing though. They want everyone to follow their laws and if they don’t then the people will die for disobedience. It sometimes seems like they are taking away the people’s power and turning America into a dictatorship instead of a democracy. I especially don’t like that Mr. Stillwell is helping the government out. If I had any say in the matter, Stillwell would be just like GENEALT, against the government. I don’t belong at the Institute and I know that. My ideals are different and I refuse to change my mind on where I stand. The only options I have are to either stay here and suffer under the government’s rule or to escape and make my way to GENEALT in Connecticut.

I go to sleep early and wake up around one in the morning. Reaching under my bed, I grab my bag. I have to get out of here now. The Institute has only three guards working late at night. I guess they would never think that someone would want to leave here. By the time they notice that I’m gone, I’ll be far away. I walk out of the room I share with the other two girls the Institute created. With any luck I will never see any of them again. I look down the hallway and seeing no one, I run to the end of the hall. I continue this process of looking and running until I reach the door to outside. Then I open it and run outside. Thankfully the rain has stopped. I look around and see no guards in the front so I take off for the gate. It is unlocked so I let myself out. Without turning back, I run by the stream and head towards the road. Naturally no one is driving at this time of night so I start jogging down the road. About ten minutes later it starts raining again. I love April showers; they can be so relaxing, but this rain is starting to feel more like a storm. As the wind picks up I reach into my bag and pull out a hair tie. I pull my waist length black hair up into a ponytail to get it out of my face.

After jogging in the rain for what seems like an eternity, I look at my watch. It is now three in the morning and I must have covered around twenty miles. There has got to be someone who is going to work in New York. I need to get a ride before the Institute realizes that I’m gone. If I don’t get a ride soon, they could catch up with me. I’m a fast runner thanks to all of the gene alterations but I can’t do super-speed like Anna can.

Finally, around four thirty I hear a car coming down the road. I jump onto the middle of the road as the car comes closer. The driver hits the brakes but she is going too fast and if she hits them any harder she’ll hydroplane. Right before she hits me I jump onto the hood of her car. When the car finally stops, I jump off. The door opens and the woman gets out. “Oh my God! Are you alright?” she asks.

“I’m fine.” She must think that she hit me. If she had it wouldn’t have bothered me any. Somehow the scientists arranged my genes so I heal so rapidly that I don’t even bleed. But I don’t think she needs to know that.

“Are you sure? I’m really sorry. It’s early and I haven’t had my coffee yet. I should have been paying attention to the road. Is there anything I can do to help you?”

“Actually, if you could give me a ride, I would appreciate it.”

“Sure, where do you need to go?”

“Well, I’m trying to get to Connecticut but wherever you’re going is fine. I can hitch-hike the rest of the way,” I answer.

“I work at an office in downtown New York from seven to four thirty. If you wanted to stick around New York for a day, I could take you to Connecticut this evening. I’d like to make up for hitting you.”

“But you didn’t…” I hesitate, almost ready to tell her that she didn’t hit me but I reconsider. “Well if you’re sure that it’s not too much of a problem.”

“It’s no problem at all. Come on, we had best be going or I’ll be late for work,” she says. “I’m Doris by the way.” We get in the car and start down the road. Doris starts singing along with the radio and when she talks to me she is smiling. How can someone be so perky and cheerful when the government is so strict and without feelings?

When we pull into a parking lot in New York, Doris gives me a few dollars and tells me to meet her back at the car by 4:45 so she can take me to Connecticut. Then she looks at her watch. “Oh, it’s only 6:30. I can take a few minutes to talk to you. So, why do you want to go to Connecticut? The good jobs are all in the big cities.”

“I’m actually going to a place called GENEALT.”

She gasps. “Now why would a nice girl like you want to go to a place like that? Don’t you know that they mess around with people’s genes without the government’s permission? They have some nerve disobeying the government like that.”

“Actually, I’m going there on government business,” I lie. Well, that could be true if I were still with the Institute. “The government has been trying for years to turn them to our side. I’m just going to give them another offer in the hopes that they will accept it.”

“Then why isn’t the government providing transportation for you?”

“Don’t you think they have more important things to do than to worry about one genetic facility? Right now the top priority is to rebuild the economy.”

“I just thought that they wanted the GENEALT Facility to help with the rebuilding of America.”

“They do but right now they are still continuing with the rebuilding without GENEALT. Doris, you should probably get into work. I wouldn’t want you to be late because we’re discussing the government.”

She looks at her watch. “Oh, you’re right. I’ll meet you here at 4:45. I’m glad to be able to help out the government in any way I can.”

“Well, we appreciate it.” She turns and walks away. Now I just have to make sure that no one from Stillwell sees me here in New York. With any luck in another day, I’ll be helping to take down the government.