In the government facility buried deep in the Virginia woods, four people sat at a conference table, all facing a large LED display mounted on the wall.
"Have you found her?" a jowly general asked from the screen.
"No, sir," Rob Kitchen responded. "She vanished like a wisp of smoke."
General Howard Lattimer scowled. "How did this happen? Your facility is one of the most secure in the world."
"Sir, we've talked to every guard and to a one, they swear they saw nothing. Lie detector tests show they're telling the truth, yet our systems show they opened security gates."
"And the explanation?" General Lattimer demanded.
For the first time Phillip Bell spoke up. "General, we don't know how it happened, only that Opticon One was responsible."
"How?" the general growled.
Phillip moved uncomfortably in his chair. "We think she must have developed some power we hadn't foreseen."
"Like what?"
Phillip shrugged. "Mind control?" he suggested, somewhat embarrassed. As a scientist, mind control was too sci-fi for his rational mind to accept.
A moment of uncomfortable silence ensued. Finally, the general asked, "What about the other three? Have they demonstrated any similar skills?"
"No, sir. As far as we can tell, they're unchanged."
"Did they all receive the same treatments as Opticon One?"
"Yes, sir. All four have been treated identically. That's why we're so surprised. We don't know why One reacted differently. Our scientists are poring over all the data and tests to identify any differences, but as you know, the other three are perfect clones right down to their DNA."
General Lattimer rubbed his broad jaw. "Okay. Here's what we're going to do. You keep digging for what happened to Opticon One. I'm recalling the military. We'll tell the media it was an exercise. We can't risk information about the girl leaking, so you're on lockdown until further notice. In the meantime, I'll have someone find her and if he can't bring her back, deal with her."
Rob Kitchen asked, "If the military couldn't find her, how can one person?"
"Mr. Kitchen, the man I have in mind is very good. He'll find her. Trust me. Okay, this conference is over. Contact me when you have any answers or if you see a change in the other three."
The screen went black. For the first time, Kelly Denton spoke. "What did he mean, deal with her?"
Rob sighed. "He means kill her."
"No!" Kelly exclaimed. "You can't let him! She's just a girl for God sake!"
Phillip wiped his face, looking exhausted. "She's not just a girl by a long shot, Kelly."
Theo opened his front door and ushered the girl in. His small apartment above the hardware store wasn't much; a living room/kitchen combo, a bedroom, and a bathroom. The furniture matched his income - sparse and unattractive.
The girl walked in slowly, her head turning, taking everything in.
"You can sit anywhere," Theo said. "Are you cold?"
"No."
He reached out and touched her arm. It was icy. "You're dirty and freezing cold. Go take a shower and warm up."
He steered her to the small bathroom by her elbow. "There's a towel, soap, and shampoo. Are you hungry?"
She nodded. "Yes."
"I'll make something. You shower."
Closing the door, Theo absentmindedly searched for food. A package of Mac & Cheese would have to do. He grabbed a bottle of beer and sipped it before starting.
Who was she? She was just about the strangest girl he'd ever met. And what was it with those flashes in her eyes? Was it mind control? And what sort of name was One? Was it a name?
The shower ran in the background. Theo turned the television on to see if an amber alert had been issued. The last thing he wanted was to be charged with kidnapping a child!
Nothing. Not one mention of a missing person. There was a special report of military maneuvers that had disrupted traffic for a while. That was what they'd run into - the road block. But, why was the military looking for her? Maybe it was a coincidence.
He noticed the silence. No shower running. Where was she? Moving to the bathroom door, he knocked. "Are you all right in there?"
"I don't have clothes."
Well, shit! He didn't have any for her!
In the bedroom, he pulled out a big T-shirt and sweater. Back at the bathroom door, he opened it slightly and offered the clothes through the gap. She took them with a polite, "Thank you."
He was stirring the Mac & Cheese when she emerged. She looked lost in the large sweater. The T-shirt fell to the top of her knees. Her damp hair fell straight and long to her behind.
Theo watched her as she wandered around, taking everything in. She showed no expression, just huge green eyes observing. Grabbing spoons and forks, he placed them on the tiny two-person dining table.
"Sit. I've made food," he said, reaching for a couple of mismatched chipped plates.
The girl sat. She looked at the cutlery, then carefully arranged the fork and spoon, aligning them with space between for a plate.
Theo poured a glass of milk for her and set it down on the table along with his half-finished beer. She adjusted the glass while he poured Mac & Cheese onto the plates. Carrying them, he sat at the table, placing the plates down.
"It's all I have. I hope you like Mac & Cheese."
The girl's eyes looked at him, then down at the plate. She picked up the fork and took a small bite, chewing slowly, head tilted as if judging the taste. Satisfied, she took another small bite.
Theo shoved a spoonful into his mouth, chewed, swallowed, and asked, "What's your real name?"
"One."
"One isn't a name. It's a number. I'm talking about Julie, or Sandra, or Mary; a real name."
Taking another small bite, the girl studied Theo with her astonishing gem-like green eyes. She chewed slowly, swallowed, and said, "My name is One."
Frustrated, Theo asked, "Where do you live?"
"In a room." She ate slowly, carefully chewing each mouthful, setting her fork down between bites.
"Let's try another approach," Theo said. "Do you have parents? A family?"
She paused, thought about it, then said, "No."
"How about friends. Do you have a friend?"
"Two, Three, and Four."
"Which?" Theo asked. "Two, three or four friends?"
"Three."
Theo had the impression he wasn't getting anywhere. It was as if they were talking about two different things. Nothing made sense. Giving it some thought, he changed direction.
"What's that lavender light that flashes in your eyes?" he asked.
"What light?"
"The one in your eyes!" he said, his frustration intensifying.
"I don't see a light."
"So what did you do to the soldier and policeman?"
"I asked the soldier to not see me and told the policeman I was okay and not to worry."
"You didn't say a word!" Theo exclaimed.
The girl tilted her head, studying him. "You don't hear me. Why?"
Theo shook his head. Must be too tired. "Would you like more dinner?"
"No, thank you."
"Okay. It's very late. You can sleep on the couch. Tomorrow, we can try to figure this out."
After clearing the small table, he found a pillow and blanket for the girl, settled her, and went to bed. Sleep eluded him. Who was this strange girl? What was he supposed to do with her?