Jeff awoke the next morning with a ravenous hunger. He found his way to the break room and dove into the stale doughnuts with reckless abandon, half through his fourth one he began to slow his pace.
"I drove half through the night, I pulled all the strings, and I removed all the stops to present this beautiful injunction to you! You have received the injunction. That boy is not your concern right now, nor is he the concern of CPS, nor the Witness Protection Program. If he declines my offer or doesn't accept it by noon he is your concern again, but not right now. He and I have much to discuss and he's got big decisions to make, so I don't care if he is sleeping, he will need time to wake up, want time to consider this, and time is slipping away! Your stalling is hurting him. Now please Officer Davidson, go get him for his sake if not for the sake of my sanity."
Jeff had half a doughnut pressed to his lips but had stopped eating as he listened to the woman chew out the cop. He knew they were talking about him so he threw out the other half of the stale pastry and called to the officer as he was walking past the room he was in.
"Oh hey kid, I'm glad you're up, I have someone who has come a long way to see you, and their paperwork is in order so I technically have to introduce you." the officer looked at Jeff closely and smiled, "You might want to wipe your face off with a napkin first though."
Jeff followed the officer to a room labeled Mike Davidson, apparently the cop's but behind the desk was a petite middle aged African American woman who looked quite comfortable (possibly even pleased) invading the officer's space. "Alright Jeff, this is Ms. Clarissa Watkins, she had something to discuss with you."
"Thank you so much officer, that will be all I need for now, please shut the door on the way out." She said with a smile.
"Uhh, no, you can use the interrogation room." The officer replied curtly.
"As I'm discussing classified information, you can understand that doing so in a room built for eavesdropping wouldn't go over well with my superiors, right? You can put that together can't you? So during my debriefing I can either say Officer Mike Davidson so kindly accommodated all our department's needs or that he undermined the security of our nation. Which will it be Officer Mike?" she asked sweetly, grabbing her things prepared to move and ready to destroy his career.
Officer Davidson breathed heavily for a good three seconds and exited politely saying, "I hope you have a good and quick meeting." as he shut the door.
"Well, forgive be for not easing you into this but I have much to discuss with you. As he said, my name is Clarissa Watkins and I'm from a government agency called DARPA. My agency specializes in advanced research. We have been looking for someone who is unlucky enough to find themselves in a position like yours, to present an offer to make their life a bit better than its headed to be. First, I know you spoke to counselors yesterday, so I want to make sure you understand that your chances of seeing your sister in the next 10 years is pretty slim after the next week or so, right."
"Yeah, they did point..." Jeff started
"Good, Am I correct in assuming that if given a way to continue living with your sister you would be interested? Especially if you didn't have to sacrifice your chance for a good job, ensured you a college education and the ability to support yourself and her easily?"
"Buh... yes?" Jeff said taken aback.
"Alright, before I continue I need you to sign this NDA which just means you won't tell anyone about any part of this conversation."
Jeff had an itch in the back of his head like he should know where this is going but he couldn't place it. After signing the papers Ms. Watkins continued. "We have a program in the final stages of coming online and need more test subjects. That would be you. We would do a small test, make sure it works, and if it does, move forward with the full procedure, take some readings, then give you and your sister a new identity and send you both on your way with an excellent job, spending money, a vehicle, and 6 month's rent to boot. If you agree, this is what you will sign."
Jeff looked over the contract and it said just that... 'test procedure', 'full procedure' "But what is..." Jeff began.
"Oh, that's classified... But... Since you promised not to tell anyone..." she tapped the signed NDA. "We found out how to give people knowledge. Lots of it. Lifetimes of it. You want to be smart? Well qualified for a great job? We can do that for you. Don't ask me how. I don't understand it and the questions will just waste our time. It also comes with changing your habits. I know the two work hand in hand somehow. A college education for brushing your teeth every day or something like that. Doesn't that sound good?"
Jeff was nodding, that was a trade off he could make.
"Oh shoot." Clarissa pouted. "Nobody's going to hire a 16 year old as a top level anything... you'd still have to start by pushing carts or flipping burgers. And that would be fine if it was just you trying to get by but I'm sure you've heard, children are expensive..." She let out a long sad sigh and slumped her shoulders.
Jeff stared confused, this was a really weird conversation.
"Well actually." she said as though she just found a solution. "We do have a way of getting you through this whole puberty thing and even further, say far enough to pass for Kayla's young dad? Old enough that its reasonable to assume you have a decent amount of experience but not so old that you could be her grandpa?"
That's when it clicked, Jeff realized this was the Chronivac's doing. Wait, did he cause his parents to become criminals? Did he cause his house to get burned down? He almost died in the process!
"You look like you've seen a ghost boy, you okay?" Clarissa Watkins asked.
Jeff's heart was racing at the realization. "I...and if... hypothetically... I... I... were" *gulp* "I were to say that I wasn't completely interested... Hyp... hypothetically?"
Jeff's mind kept going back to a warning. Something about not working against the setup you made, things can get worse as the program forces your hand more strongly.
Ms. Watkins eyed Jeff very closely for several long minutes, "If you are saying that you have reservations, that would be understandable... but I would remind you that we found you because your options are already very limited, and our option is very nice in comparison to those you have left..." She shifted her posture leaning in and lowered her voice. "If you are asking if I can play hard ball, I am prepared to do so. However, I can assure you that you would not like to play hard ball with me... Hypothetically."
Jeff's mind was racing. 'I need to get to my computer! Its a melted pile of goo and char. I'm Trapped! I can't stop this, and I won't be able to undo it! Trapped! I ruined my family. I don't have any options left.' A numbness washed over Jeff, he was no longer angry at his parents, nor life for dealing him a shitty hand, he had nobody to blame but himself.
"Some people." Ms. Watkins chided watching Jeff's expressions change. "You offer them a better life than they had going for them and they act like you kicked their puppy! I've seen your grades Jeff, you ain't never been no Einstein or sports prodigy! This will put you way ahead of anything you could have done yourself, even if nothing happened to your house or parents."
Jeff wanted to ask more questions but realized it didn't matter, none of it did. If he said no, the police station would come under attack and he'd find himself with Ms. Watkins again... or something just as crazy... but in fighting, to ensure he re-cross paths with Ms. Watkins, he might lose Kayla. "I need to talk with my sister. Do you have an NDA for her?"
(A note for the curious: Ms. Watkins already has all the paperwork to take Kayla into her custody, if Jeff refuses the offer she would threaten to take Kayla from him. Kayla would leave with Ms. Watkins, be given the same offer and be told about Jeff's refusal to take action to make their lives better together. Kayla would resent him.)
"Not until after you sign and she needs to see the details. Bring her in here for the discussion, I'd like to meet her in case your explanation needs a positive spin." she replied coolly.
Jeff went and got his sister who was just beginning to wake up, "Come with me, there is something really important that you need to be a part of." at those words, she was immediately alert, more than any day she needed to catch the bus at least.
"Kayla, this is Ms. Watkins, Ms. Watkins this is my sister Kayla." Jeff began immediately. "Ms. Watkins has a way that will guarantee we can stay together. There are two catches that you will need to be able to agree to for this to work though."
"First, I would become your parent. I'd get a job that can support us and your well being will be my responsibility. I'll get training on a ton of things that will teach me how to do the job, maintain the house, cook, finish high school, and even college. You will need to listen to me. Would you be okay with that?"
"That sounds wonderful! We'd have the place to ourselves? No new parents or siblings?" Kayla said excitedly. "I'm fine with it so long as you promise not to be a jerk..."
"I'm never a jerk! You're always the one breaking into my... I promise..." Jeff said rolling his eyes with a heavy sigh and saw Ms. Watkins holding back a smile. "Second, you are aware our identities will change, in order to get this job I'll need to pass for an adult, Ms. Watkins assures me they can help me be convincing, but your job will be to refer to me as Uncle or maybe even Dad, I know it would be weird but can you do that?"
"Dad." Ms. Watkins chimed in. "Uncle raises too many questions and people will question your parenting decisions to no end... 'Are her parents okay with you letting her...' whatever. You will be dad, you will be daughter."
"Okay then, I'll be dad, are you okay with that?" Jeff felt weird about this himself but protecting Kayla was his only priority for the time being.
"There's no way you can pass as my dad or anyone else's!" Kayla said dismissively.
"Regardless of whether or not YOU think its possible for me to be convincing, do you agree? Are you willing to do it?" Jeff said with a little irritation.
"I guess." Kayla said eyeing Jeff and having trouble imagining him being able to fool anyone about his age.