April 2014

  Aymee Ortiz is waiting in the lobby of the perfume factory. She’s reading a nonfiction book on her tablet when the worker on the desk calls for her.

  “Ms. Ortiz, welcome! What do you think of the premises?” Edward Hall greets her with a handshake.

  “Lovely.” Aymee fakes a smile.

  “You see, Aymee, can I call you Aymee?”

  Aymee nods.

  “You see, for the work that we do here to well… work, there’s a need for trust. I’ve had my fair share of problems in the past. People who were against our objectives. I need to trust that everyone sees it as clearly as I do. Your parents asked me to have you here, and I can sense that you are a sensible and smart young woman. What are you? 30?”

  “22… actually, almost 23, sir.”

  “I sense you understand how important this all is. Aymee, you have the most important job out of all the other 20-year-old kids that we are hiring. You will be my ears during the meetings. Read the minds across the room and report to me if I can trust the others. You’ll be disguised as an advisor. Here are the several areas. Marketing might suit you. Jessica Miller is a perfectly capable…”

  Aymee stops listening to him and focuses on the files instead. Every department. Their heads. She notices that Marianne Olsen has a PhD in Cell and Molecur Biology, that the department will have other two mental controllers and several graduate students with a biology and chemical background.

  “This one.” She points to Marianne’s photo.

  “This?” Why? Oh, what the hell. Let it be.

  Aymee nods.

  “I’ll let Dr. Olsen know. Thank you.” Edward smiles and walks Aymee out of the door.

  When Aymee leaves the room, she crosses paths with Marianne Olsen. Aymee smiles, and the woman smiles widely back.

  “Morning.” She says while waving at Aymee.

  Aymee looks away and continues walking. Marianne gets in Edward’s office.

  “Marianne, we are hiring advisors-”

  “Advisors?”

  “Yes, I told you already for our meetings. Now that we are growing, we need to think bigger. An advisor will facilitate our work. We're expanding staff in every department. Here’s a list I compiled for you to choose from.”

  “Mental controllers?” Marianne notices.

  “They are handy with the specimens. For when you test them. You’ll see. Don’t worry.” Edward smiles at her. “They are forbidden to read our minds.”

  “Of course.” Marianne fakes a smile. She points at three curricu out of seven.

  “Great choices.” Edward smiles. “You’re good to go. Please ask Saif to come here.”

  “When can I choose my advisor?”

  “That position is already taken.”

  “Sorry?”

  “Aymee Ortiz will be your advisor.”

  Marianne raises her eyebrow, “who?”

  “Ortiz Hotels? She’s their only daughter. They own a lot of real estate here. We need more funding.”

  “I thought the Parkers were enough.”

  “The more the merrier. They wanted her daughter to have a relevant position here in exchange. She won’t be a nuisance, Marianne. Just let the girl wander around and feel useful. She’s probably not that bright, but hey, at least she’s wealthy and a mental controller, too.”

  Three weeks ter, Marianne meets her team for the first time, the two mental controllers, the three analysts she approved and Aymee Ortiz.

  Marianne keeps her distance from Aymee, never looking the girl in the eyes and barely speaking to her. She’d hand her administrative work for her to do and keep the girl as away from her as possible.

  One month ter, they are having a meeting. Everyone sits at a round table but Aymee. Who is by herself on a corner. Typing. Marianne asks a question. No one answers. Aymee says something. It’s the correct answer.

  I bet she has a PhD student sending her messages. How else would she know this? One of the analysts thinks and Aymee heard it.

  She focuses around the table, avoiding the mental controllers. I knew she was reading Dr. Olsen’s mind! I should report her! Another analyst fakes a smile when Aymee looks at her.

  This idiot deviant is acting like she knows what she’s talking about. Another analyst thought.

  She senses a pain in her head. She blocks their attempts to read her and remains serene.

  “Aymee…” Marianne turns around to face the girl. “Your work here is to take notes. You don’t speak. Especially if you don’t have anything useful to say. Which is a given when it comes to you,” Marianne says in a monotone voice.

  Across the table, everyone cracks a smile. Not even pretending not to ugh at her. Aymee avoids looking at Marianne.

  “Was the answer-” Aymee starts.

  “You don’t speak.” Marianne turns back to the table. “Meeting adjourned. Get back to work.”

  Everyone leaves the room but Aymee. Who stays silently in her pce.

  It’s te in the evening. Aymee is reading a text on the ptop in her office. Marianne opens the door without knocking first.

  “You delivered the notes from today hours ago. What are you doing here?” What has Edward asked you to do?

  Aymee doesn’t answer and continues to read. Marianne goes nearer her and sees her screen. She pushes Aymee’s chair away and reads the content.

  “That’s an interesting paper,” Marianne ughs. “why are you reading it? You won’t understand it. It’s far too complex for you.” Marianne faces her and Aymee remains silent.

  Aymee gets up, grabs her backpack, and heads to the door.

  “Aymee!” Marianne shouts.

  Aymee turns around, “yes, Dr. Olsen?”

  “Why are you acting like you know anything about biology?” Marianne ughs.

  “This is unnecessary, Dr. Olsen. If you don’t want me to contribute to the work, I respect that. It’s your decision and you are the head of the department. But you don’t have to humiliate me.” Aymee faces her.

  “Me, humiliate you? You are perfectly capable of doing that yourself. Answering today at the meeting, pretending that you know what you are talking about. When I know that you read my mind, to have the answer. It’s ridiculous.”

  “I know what you are doing.” Aymee scoffs. “Have been doing. Since I got here.”

  “Which is?” Marianne smiles and focuses on the girl’s eyes.

  “You can’t fire me. You are mistreating me, so I resign.”

  “You aren’t reading my mind, after all. Don’t be ridiculous.”

  “Don’t be a coward-”

  “What did you just say?” Marianne fakes a smile. “Unbelievable.”

  “Want me to repeat it? If you want me gone. Go ahead. Talk to Hall.” Aymee ughs. “I thought so, too.” Her tone is serious now. “Have a lovely evening. See you tomorrow, Dr. Olsen.” Aymee winks at Marianne before closing the door behind her.

  ***

  Two days ter, Marianne has the interviews with the PhD candidates for her program starting in the next school year.

  “Next up, it’s Alba Rosa Vasquez Torres. She majored in both Human Evolutionary Biology and Molecur and Cellur Biology from Harvard and has a master’s in Genetics from Stanford.” Her colleague says.

  “Is she actually coming? When I saw her application, I thought she wouldn’t show up for the interview!” A colleague adds.

  “I’ve read some of her papers. She’s… impressive.” Marianne smiles.

  “I spoke to her one year ago. She was heading to Eurasia and pnned to do her PhD on MIT.” Another colleague adds.

  “Lucky for us, she seems eager to be here. Is there even a need for an interview?” The first colleague answers.

  Another colleague asks for Alba Torres to come in. A young woman in her twenties, with long, blonde hair, a fringe, gsses that shy away her green eyes, comes in. Marianne is focused on her notes. When she raises her head and properly notices the woman, her resembnce to Aymee Ortiz is striking.

  “Welcome, Ms. Torres.” One colleague says.

  Marianne snaps out of it and the interview proceeds. Every time she looks at the girl, she confirms it even more that it’s her advisor there. By the end of the interview, Alba Torres removes her gsses, and that’s the final confirmation. She greets everyone on the way out and when the others aren’t looking, winks at Marianne.

  Marianne heads to the factory by the end of the workday. Her analysts are discussing their work while Aymee Ortiz, short, brown hair, no gsses, Aymee Ortiz, is taking notes. Still using the same clothes as before.

  “Aymee, my office, now.” Marianne says in a neutral tone.

  Aymee follows her. She closes the door behind her and faces her.

  “You are such a piece of work…” Marianne shakes her head. “Made a fool out of me!” Marianne tries not to raise her voice.

  “No, Dr. Olsen, you made a fool out of yourself.” Aymee smiles.

  “What did you just say?” Marianne ughs.

  “Want me to repeat it? I have been trying to speak to you for weeks. You haven’t given me the time of day. A few days ago, I got so desperate that I spoke in front of everyone else, only for you to humiliate me. And ter that day-”

  “The paper.”

  “My paper!” Aymee’s tone sharpens, but her voice doesn’t raise. “Which you said that it’d be… what was it?” Aymee scratches her head. “Oh, I remember! ‘Too complex’ for me to understand it. I tried to talk to you, Dr. Olsen. While I am sorry that you had to find out this way, I have given you plenty of opportunities not to.”

  “Deviants can’t study. Let alone have double degrees and master’s and apply to PhDs!”

  “Is there a question somewhere?” Aymee rolls her eyes.

  “You are a deviant-”

  “I’m a billionaire.” Aymee’s tone is serene. “Rules apply differently to us.”

  “Or don’t apply at all.”

  “Or that.” Aymee takes a few steps toward the door.

  “Why aren’t you in MIT?” Marianne crosses her arms.

  Aymee turns around. She closes her eyes momentarily. Marianne realizes she hit a soft spot.

  “Look, Dr. Olsen.” Aymee avoids looking at her. “This is your department. If you don’t want me to do anything other than take notes, it’s fine. The university… I’m sure you could have me out of the program as well. I won’t die if I don’t study.” Her voice almost cracks. She pauses. “I won’t die if I just take notes here. I’ll respect your decisions.” Aymee turns around and starts to leave.

  “Did Edward Hall choose this department for you?”

  “His suggestion was marketing. I chose it because of you. I wanted to work for you.”

  This girl knows how to py everyone around her. Not me. Marianne watches her leave.

  During the next days, Aymee doesn’t speak and only takes notes. She hands in her notes to Marianne without saying a word. Marianne goes to get a coffee and hears the other analysts mocking Aymee.

  She goes nearer to them, puts the cup, pushes the button. Slowly, the coffee pours.

  “All that money and she’s so stupid!” They keep ughing.

  “Just be more understanding. What can you expect from a deviant, really? They are just allowed in schools now! I’m surprised the girl knows how to write. Probably the tablet is doing it for her.”

  ***

  One month ter, one by one, the analysts and mental controllers leave the floor. All the lights are off except in Aymee’s office. Marianne heads there and knocks on the door.

  “You made a typo on the notes, Aymee.” Marianne goes nearer and shows her, “this is not what Mackenzie said. She misinterpreted the paper. You corrected her stance when you typed. You have to type the notes exactly as it’s being said. It’s important for me.”

  “Yes, Dr. Olsen. I’ll type it again.” Aymee grabs the paper without looking at Marianne.

  “No need. It’s te already. Just do better next time.” Marianne looks away. Have I misread the situation? Was I too paranoid? “Aymee?” Marianne softens her tone.

  “Yes, Dr. Olsen?” Aymee faces her now.

  “Congratutions are in order.” Marianne smiles. “Aren’t you going out to celebrate?”

  “No.” Aymee keeps typing.

  “Is… it nice? To pretend not to be a deviant? To be human?”

  Aymee smiles, “yes.”

  “Where you already Alba growing up? That’s how you learned to read?”

  “No. I was born here, but I am Mexican too. My parents sent me there. I was raised by my grandparents so I could study. The fake Alba thing is my doing. I wanted to study here.”

  Aymee closes the ptop and puts it in her bag. She walks past Marianne and heads to the door.

  “Aymee?”

  “Yes, Dr. Olsen?”

  “Do you think you’ll have time tomorrow to review with me some work? I could use another opinion.”

  “Yes.” Aymee smiles and leaves.