Chapter 24

GMN-5 entered the common room from Doc's office. She had healed nicely although her broken bones made it longer but she was finally whole. Her internal organs had healed properly thanks to GMN 3 and 1 even though 1 was the one who put her in that condition in the first place. She had been publicly humiliated and worse still the truth had been out. She was more responsible for the death of 8 than 1 was. Too bad remorse wasn't in her dictionary. This wasn't over, it had just began and Doc had given her a way in, although she was going to have to feign repentance and any other thing that would make them lay off her case for a while, at least till her comeback.

"You're here" GMN-6 said as she walked in with 3. GMN-5 nodded

"How are you feeling? " GMN-7 asked

"Much better. All healed up in fact " GMN-5 replied

"Saw you coming out of Doc's office, is everything OK? " GMN-6 asked

"Yeah, she wanted to know how I was doing" GMN-5 said. It wasn't necessarily a lie, she just omitted some things.

"You wasted an awfully long time in there. Are you sure that was all? " GMN-3 asked

"Yeah, she just did some vital checks and that was all" GMN-5 replied

Now that was a lie, that wasn't all Doc had called her for. Doc had recruited her as an ally against GMN-1. She was to spy on GMN-1 and report any slip.

In Doc's words

"GMN-1 has been going out of hand recently as you may have noticed. The attacks, the excessive reading and stuffs like that. I need you to keep an eye on her, she may be malfunctioning and that is not good for the rest of the team. If she slips up, you may all die but if you be my eyes and ears and she slips up then her position may be available for you. I am working for your freedom and you are way superior, all of you and humans don't know that and those that know refuse to accept it. So what do we do? We make them accept or we eliminate them. It would be unfair if anyone would jeopardize our mission. Watch them and report back to me... "

And that was exactly she was going to do.

When she gave her reply GMN-3 just nodded and walked past her. GMN-5 turned to face all of them fully.

"I guess I owe everyone an apology especially GMN-1 and 8..."GMN-5 began and GMN- 6 exploded

"You guess!!!? You know the only thing preventing me from punching you right in the face is that GMN-1 served you right... "GMN-6 shouted

"Leave me out of this" GMN-1 said from her usual position on the sofa with another book.

"Don't even let me get started on you! Were you planning on killing her back then!? You knew that she killed 8 and what? You kept it all to yourself!? "GMN-6 said really working up some rage. She had kept it all bottled in but not anymore.

"Just calm down, nobody needs to get hurt again" GMN-3 said walking towards her

"Don't you come close to me, Mr. Doc will have an analysis report. You know we are still waiting for that report. I'm sick of you all and your stupid attitudes! " she said her eyes flashing.

She looked around the room and noticed everyone was looking at her. She spread her hands

"What? You thought I wasn't going to call you all out? I put up with all of you the same way you put up with me but some things are just too much"GMN-6 said and turned to go

"6 wait, I'm sorry" GMN-5 said

"For what exactly? You have a long list of transgressions, which are you sorry for? " GMN-6 asked. When 5 did not reply GMN-6 stormed out muttering to herself. GMN-3 followed her.

That went well. GMN-5 thought. She watched as the rest of the GMNs stood up and left leaving only her in the common room.

GMN-3 was finally able to calm GMN-6 down but she demanded she be told everything she didn't already know and that was a lot. Between him and 4, they came up with a means to communicate without talking.

GMN-1 was training all day. Nobody knew why. It was as if she was trying to surpass her current state. Truth was she had a lot on her mind and she needed to be actively occupied. She was counting the days till Doc called for another analysis. She was beginning to distrust Deccan and Doc more and more but she didn't have anything except a hunch and a human's memories that somehow ended up in her head. She had interrogated GMN-3 but he was unwilling to talk. She had a feeling that something more was going on here and she couldn't exactly say what.

"Hey" she heard behind her. She knew that GMN-6 was behind her but she didn't stop neither did she turn. She had to come up with a strategy till she figured out what was going on.

"I'm sorry for turning on you" GMN-6 said

"Apology accepted " GMN-1 said still doing what she was doing. GMN-6 noticed that her full attention wasn't in the room, neither was it on her so she left.

"How did it go? "GMN-3 asked her.

"I don't know. It's like she has a lot on her mind. She seemed so preoccupied. "GMN-6 replied

"I've noticed too" GMN-3 replied looking at 4 who gave a 'don't ask me gesture'. Before she used to think that GMN 1 and 4 were a team, now it was GMN 4 and 3. She didn't know if GMN-1 had dropped out of the team but she knew she was presently recruited.

They were still whispering around the training area when the door opened and closed. They looked at the door and saw no one but they heard something. The thing walked towards them and GMN-6 attacked. It was like the thing was dodging and didn't want to fight back. It made to evade GMN-6 but GMN-3 made to grab it. He grasped thing air, it dodged. He striked. There was an intruder in the facility. GMN-4 stood with his back to the wall, watching them with his ankle crossed. The other two kept fighting whatever it was but it seemed whatever it was wasn't fighting back but merely evading. Then GMN-3 almost landed a strike and the thing hit him with a force that sent him staggering back then pushed GMN-6 forcefully towards him, intending to use her to knock him down. This was followed by...

"What the hell is wrong with you two? Why are you attacking me? " GMN-1 said with slightly contained fury.

She had exited the training area and had walked towards them on her way to her room when they started attacking her. At first, she thought it was a joke or they were just testing her but it had gotten serious.

"GMN-1?" GMN-6 said disbelieving

"You've got to be kidding me" GMN-3 muttered as if this situation was ridiculous. He turned to look at GMN-4. No wonder he had settled in like he was watching a show.

"So? " GMN-1 asked waiting for them to tell her the reason they were attacking her.

"Where are you? "GMN-6 asked. GMN-1 wondered, why the stupid question?

"How is this possible? " GMN-3 wondered. GMN-1 was not understanding any of them. She needed someone to explain in plain English but it seemed they weren't willing. She made to cross them but they stood still, directly in her path. They moved their hands around as if they were trying to find something. She stepped back.

"You are invisible" GMN-4 said uncoiling his legs.

"Obviously, since they keep blocking my path" GMN-1 replied sarcastically

"I mean literally " GMN-4 replied. GMN-1 was about to tell him that he wasn't serious when she looked at his face. He was completely serious.

No way!

She didn't try dumb things like playing pranks on them, she just walked right past them pushing them aside in the process.

"Where is she going? " GMN-6 asked

"Probably to her room" GMN-4 said removing something from the security camera directly behind him as the others followed her.

In her room, GMN-1 picked up fresh clothes and went into her bathroom. She didn't have a full length mirror but from the one she had, she wasn't able to see her reflection.

"Okay? " GMN-1 said in uncertainty

"You're okay in there? "GMN-3 asked looking around her room. He wanted to remain outside and wait but GMN-6 pushed him and 4 inside.

"Not seeing my reflection is an everyday occurrence, so yeah piece of cake. I'm ecstatic. " GMN-1 mocked no one in particular.

"You want me to come in? "GMN-6 asked

"Nope, I'll be fine" GMN-1 said ignoring her lack of reflection and taking a shower.

Few minutes later she emerged fully dressed. When she entered they all looked at her, following her every movement.

"I take it am back" GMN-1 said

"You had a cold shower?" GMN-3 asked more like stated. He recalled the incident in the operating room.

"Can you do that willing? "GMN-6 asked curiously.

What was wrong with them? She just discovered she unconsciously turned invisible and they are asking her questions. soon it would turn into a human police investigation. She rubbed her forehead.

"Calm down both of you" GMN-4 said.

"You knew she was there? You knew she was the one? "GMN-3 asked

GMN-4 looked at him like he just stated the obvious.

"How? " GMN-6 asked

"Does it matter, I just did " GMN-4 replied. They all raised an eyebrow even GMN-1. She let it go. She already had a lot on her mind, her nightmares and now this? What she really wanted to do was to sleep, a long dreamless sleep but that was impossible. She would even be happy to have dreams as long as she was not more concerned about not getting stuck. She ran her hands through her hair as GMN-4 paraded around her room like he was looking for something. GMN-3 gave her a 'calm down' gesture as she looked at him. She didn't care. She wanted them out of her room so she could take advantage of her exhaustion and see how many minutes of uninterrupted sleep she could have.

GMN-1 pulled her hand from her hair. She was about to put it down when she noticed something. Her hand was a different colour. The same colour with her hair. She raised her hand and observed it. It gradually change back to its original colour. They all starred at her. Luckily for her she had always avoided areas with security cameras and men were they much. Doc was going to explode if she ever saw this. She sat down on her bed with her hands clutching the bed clothes, thinking. Her nightmares had given Doc a reason to schedule an appointment, this was going to make that appointment happen sooner. She was begin to see some of the girl's memories more clearly than before although a good part was still blurry, it was as if she was trying to tell her something but most times she was too scared to pay attention. She had read of humans entering a comatose state and with what she had, she had come close. She wasn't trying that again. She was afraid of seeing each memory to the end.

Her hands were taking on the floral pattern of the bed. She followed their gaze to her hand. Uh! Why won't this just stop!? It did. Her skin colour stopped changing but didn't change back either.

"This reminds me of something I read about chameleons" GMN-6 said

"Yes they have a mechanism that allows them change their colour"GMN-3 contributed

GMN-1 ignored them and made herself comfortable on the bed drawing up the covers. There was only one camera out of the three in her room that could get her bed comfortably and GMN-4 had already adjusted it.

"Do tell me your conclusions when I wake up and don't let me go too far" GMN-1 said

They left her to sleep but continued in a low voice.

"She becomes invisible" GMN-4 stated

"It could be an illusion or may be not. You see a chameleon can change its colour to suit that of its environment or whatever background. It could be right there when it appears there's nothing there"GMN-6 said

"So you're saying she is reflecting her background? " GMN-4 asked

"Not quite. We'll only know via tests which right now she is adverse to"GMN-6 replied

"Hey! We've been looking all over for you guys" GMN-7 said by the door

"Is she okay? " GMN-9 asked inclining his head towards GMN-1.

They nodded.

"So what are you doing? " GMN-7 asked

Truthfully he didn't really care. He hated any squad in which he wasn't the king. He was here because 5 had asked him to find out what they were doing. He was here to spy on them and had called 9 to tag along as his camouflage.

They had a plan. Burst GMN-1, subdue the rest and it would be their time to shine. They had to take things step by step and the first step was to keep an eye on them.

"Playing cards" GMN-3 said producing a deck of cards.

"So let's play together" GMN-7 said

"As long as you don't disturb her" GMN-4 said

"I'll rather play video games. Check you guys later" GMN-9 said abandoning 7.

At least he had served his purpose. GMN-7 thought. They were making sure GMN-1 got some sleep. He was about to make sure she didn't get any. Of course he'll make it look like he didn't actually intended to. He smiled to himself.

"Have you tried flying with multiple fracture? " GMN-4 asked 7 in a dangerously contemplating voice, walking over to GMN-1 and putting something in her ears to prevent excessive noise. She opened her eyes then closed them back.

GMN-7 looked around and saw the hostility in their eyes. He backed away. They obviously knew something that he didn't think they knew. Protecting GMN-1.

"I had no intention of disturbing her" GMN-7 said walking out. He was outnumbered and in terms of strength only GMN-3 could do to him what GMN-1 did to 5. He wasn't stupid. As he turned he caught GMN-4 increasing the temperature of the room. Something flashed in his head. The day GMN-1 was not feeling fine, he had seen her materialize from thin area. Her visage had been flickering until they increased the temperature. What if it hadn't stopped? Doc needed to know.