THE MONTAUK PROJECT

A passenger train cut along hillside pastures, its weathered body gleaming faintly in the late afternoon sun. Inside one of the carriages, a uniformed guard walked unhurriedly down the aisle, stopping to check the tickets of the passengers. When the guard reached an empty seat near the end of the carriage, he paused briefly, glancing down at it before continuing on. 

A faint shimmer of light broke the illusion and Kali appeared in the once-empty seat. She let out a quiet breath and relaxed. Turning to the window, there was a blur of houses from a small town, but Kali didn't notice. Her thoughts were far away, tangled in memories and unanswered questions. 

Hours passed until the train finally began to slow and screeched to a halt, signalling its arrival at Penn Station. Kali pulled up the hood of her jacket, and joined the throng of passengers. 

The station was enormous, its ceilings arched high overhead. Announcements, hurried footsteps, and indistinct conversations, filled the air as people shuffled in every direction. Kali avoided the gaze of some police officers, as she weaved between travelers. 

No one seemed to notice her on the train, but she did not want to take any chances in a crowd. Once she reached a quieter corner of the station, she slipped a folded piece of paper from her pocket and stared at the photograph of her father with another man. 

They stood in front of a brick building, the caption below reading Doctor Simon Prescott and Doctor Vikram Prasad outside Saint Stephen's Public Hospital, New York.

It was the closest lead she had that might provide answers to her past. Scanning the station, her eyes landed on an information booth surrounded by maps and brochures. 

The clerk behind the counter, a middle-aged woman with kind eyes, looked up as Kali approached and slid the photocopy across the counter. "I… I need to get here," she said.

The woman studied the photo for a moment before nodding. She reached beneath the counter, pulling out a folded map and began marking a route with a pen.

***

The city was alive in the restless hum of night. Streetlights cast pools of pale amber across the sidewalks, shimmering faintly on rain-slicked streets. Above, the dark sky was cloaked in clouds, muffling the faint starlight. 

Kali moved cautiously through the labyrinth of towering buildings. She glanced frequently at the crumpled map in her hand, but the city's ever-changing rhythm made it difficult to focus.

People hurried past her in groups or alone, their voices a chaotic blend of laughter, arguments, and conversations. She paused beneath a flickering street lamp, glancing around to make sure she hadn't lost her way.

But finally, she saw it: rising from the darkness like a monolith. The sign above the brick entrance, illuminated by a fluorescent light—Saint Stephen's Public Hospital.

Memories of the lab flooded back, but she shook her head, trying to push them away as she ascended the steps.

The hospital lobby was almost painfully lit, the lights above casting a harsh glare on the polished tile floor. A wheelchair rolled past her, pushed by a nurse who was chatting softly with the patient seated in it. Every doctor's white coat, every patient's hospital gown, sent shivers through her. 

The edges of her vision blurred and she shut her eyes tightly, trying to block it all out. Then the lights seemed to pulse faintly, their buzzing growing louder in her mind.

"Miss? Are you all right?"

The voice startled her, snapping her back to attention. Blinking rapidly, she turned toward the reception desk, where a nurse was watching her with concern.

"Are you all right?" the nurse repeated gently.

Kali swallowed hard, forcing herself to nod. "I… I'm looking for my father. He's supposed to see Doctor Prescott."

The nurse gave her a small, reassuring smile, "I'll just check his schedule. What's your father's name?"

Thinking quickly, Kali blurted out, "Ray Carroll." 

The nurse looked down at a clipboard and Kali focused, reaching out with her gift and altering the nurse's vision.

A few tense seconds later, the nurse pointed toward a corridor. "He's in Room 315. The elevators are down there."

"Thank you," Kali murmured, trying to mask her relief. 

When the elevator doors opened onto the third floor, Kali stepped out into a quieter hallway and glanced down, wondering if this was a good idea. 

She wasn't sure how she would confront Dr. Prescott or how he might react. All she knew was that he had been a friend of her father, but his connection to Brenner troubled her. 

Brenner had been cruel beyond measure, and Kali couldn't shake the thought that Prescott might be the same or worse, still working with him.

After a few minutes, a door suddenly opened and Dr. Prescott stepped out. He was short and slightly stooped, with brown hair combed neatly back and thick glasses. He carried a clipboard and was walking briskly in the opposite direction.

Kali followed at a careful distance, realizing she needed to get him alone. As she passed a row of doors, she quickly peeked inside and found an empty patient room. Meanwhile, Prescott was still within sight, nearing the end of the hallway.

Kali took a deep breath, then projected into Prescott's mind. The hospital intercom buzzed to life, and a calm voice announced: "Dr. Prescott, please report to Room 309."

Prescott paused mid-step, glancing up at the nearest speaker. Without hesitation, he turned around and began walking toward the room. Kali slipped inside quickly, and crouched behind a tall shelf. 

Moments later, the door creaked open and Prescott walked inside. "Hello?" he called out, confused.

Kali stepped out, standing between Prescott and the door. Her sudden appearance startled him, and before he could speak, she reached into his mind, projecting an illusion of the pen in his coat pocket floating into the air. 

It hovered threateningly in front of his right eye, the sharp point gleaming faintly in the dim light. His eyes widened with terror and he dropped the clipboard that clattered on the floor.

"What... What is this? What's happening?" he stammered.

Kali's gaze didn't waver. "Do you know who I am?"

Prescott blinked, confused. "I—I don't—"

The pen drifted closer to his eye, and he recoiled instinctively, raising his hands in defense.

"Think carefully," Kali said sharply. 

Prescott's breathing quickened as he studied her face and then he gasped with recognition. "Kali?" he whispered.

Kali didn't react immediately, keeping the pen poised in the air. "And you know what I can do. So don't try anything."

Prescott nodded slowly. He didn't dare move, his eyes still fixed on the pen. With a small flick of her fingers, Kali made the pen appear to float back into his coat pocket. 

Prescott exhaled shakily, "How did you find me?"

Kali reached into her jacket and pulled out the folded photocopies of newspaper articles. Without a word, she handed them to Prescott. He sat down heavily in a nearby chair, his face pale as he looked over the images.

Kali crossed her arms, "I came looking for answers. I need to know if my father was a part of this."

Prescott glanced up at her, his expression a mixture of guilt and unease. "Your father wasn't involved in the testing. His role was strictly administrative. He was tasked with approving the participants for the study, but he didn't know the full scope of what was happening. He never met Doctor Brenner, let alone knew about his involvement."

Kali's eyes narrowed. "What about my mother?"

Prescott hesitated again, but he could see Kali's persistence. "Your mother volunteered," he said quietly. "She believed it was a study on fertility treatments. She was already married to your father and pregnant with you, but she wanted to improve the prospect of childbirth for those that couldn't conceive. She wanted to do something good."

"But it was a lie," Kali said bitterly.

Prescott nodded grimly. "Yes. The study had nothing to do with fertility. The participants were given a transfusion of blood from a test subject known only as 001 and subjected to experiments to activate psychic abilities in their children."

Kali's stomach churned. "But why? What was it all for?"

Prescott sighed, rubbing his forehead as if trying to summon the courage to continue. "Doctor Brenner believed that 001's DNA contained latent psychic abilities other than telekinesis and what were yielded with the previous test subjects. So he sought my expertise to unlock something he believed was hidden in the DNA, something that could breach the limits of space and time itself."

"And?" Kali pressed. "Did it work?"

Prescott shook his head. "No. It was deemed a failure. The hope was that these transfusions would result in new abilities in the children, but none—including you—showed any signs. At least, not at the time. The project was shut down, and Brenner moved on to other experiments."

Kali understood now. The reason she was different from the other children at the lab—it wasn't because she was special. It was just another one of their experiments. But it didn't matter. She wouldn't let them know they had succeeded. 

Prescott shifted uncomfortably in his seat, "After your parents returned to England, I didn't hear from them until seven years later. Your father called me out of the blue, asking about the study. He wanted to know if anything had been given to your mother during her pregnancy that might have caused any side effects."

"Why?" Kali asked, growing anxious.

Prescott answered, uneasy. "He said strange things kept happening when you were upset. Lights would flicker, the radio and television would act up. He thought it happened far too often to be a coincidence. He was worried."

"And you told Brenner!" Kali burst out.

"No! I didn't!" Prescott exclaimed, his voice tinged with regret. "I tried to dissuade your father. I told him it was just in his mind and from the stress of raising a child. But Brenner must have tapped my phone and heard it all."

Kali didn't need him to finish the thought. "You didn't stop him," she said coldly. "You let it happen."

Prescott looked down in shame, "I'm sorry. I didn't have the power to stop him. No one did."

Kali squared her shoulders, "I was afraid of him too, but I'm not anymore. And if I can prove what he's done, he won't be able to use or hurt anyone ever again."

Prescott seemed doubtful, but Kali stepped closer, her voice firm. "If you were really my father's friend, if you truly cared, then you'd help me. Not just for them, but for the other children still trapped by him."

Prescott sighed, conflicted, as he gave a reluctant nod. "All right. I'll help you. But I can't promise it'll be enough. The intake forms for the study are stored here. It's a start, but the real evidence—the records of the experiments—that's at the army base in Montauk. I'd need clearance to access those."

Kali's expression hardened, hoping it would be convincing. "If you're lying, you'll regret it. I have more power than you've seen."

Prescott swallowed, nervously. "Understood," he said quickly, motioning for her to follow. 

As they walked down the hallway, Kali noticed Prescott's hands twitching nervously and she wondered if it was because he was having second thoughts or because he was afraid of her? 

Having lived in fear for so long, it made her uneasy to use it against someone else. But she needed Prescott to take her seriously and so she hoped it would be worth it in the end.

She also wanted to trust him—needed to, if they were going to find the truth—but a voice in the back of her mind reminded her that she couldn't let her guard down. Not yet.

Prescott led her to another floor, where they finally arrived at a room lined with metal cabinets. He opened one, but Kali couldn't see inside as he searched through it. 

It was taking some time, so she turned to inspect another cabinet behind her. Though to her surprise, cold air poured out, revealing it was in fact a refrigerator stacked with vials of liquid. 

Something was definitely wrong here.

Kali sharply turned around just as Prescott moved toward her, his hand gripping a syringe. 

But before she could grab a hold of his arms, he plunged the needle into her neck.Sharp pain flared in her throat. 

"What are you doing?" she managed to gasp, her voice slurring.

"I'm sorry," Prescott murmured. "I had no choice."

Kali's vision blurred as her legs suddenly gave out. She crumpled to the floor, staring up at Prescott's pale, stricken face before darkness finally took her.

***

Kali's senses returned slowly, as she blinked against a harsh light overhead. Her vision cleared just enough to see that she was in a control room. Security monitors lined one wall, their screens flickering with grainy black-and-white footage of hallways, empty rooms and some forested grounds. 

A soldier stood beside her, his rigid posture tense with unease. "She's waking up," he said, towards a dark corner. 

Dr. Prescott approached from the shadows and shone a penlight in Kali's eyes, tilting her head to examine her pupils.

"She's not fully responsive," he said, sounding clinical and impersonal now. "If needed, we can sedate her again."

Kali tried to fight against her restraints, but her muscles refused to respond, leaving her trapped in the cold metal chair.

The soldier cast a wary glance at her. "Why not put her under again now, rather than risk it?"

Prescott straightened, tucking the penlight into his coat pocket. "Because Brenner wants her awake when he arrives." 

The mention of Brenner made Kali want to shout, but even her voice was locked away. 

Prescott hesitated for a moment and then leaned in close to Kali, lowering his voice to a whisper so only she could hear. 

"What I told you about your father—it was all true. He never knew about what we did here. He was a good man, Kali, a dear friend to me."

His voice faltered slightly, "But when he called me about his concerns… I had no choice. If I hadn't told them, I would've been risking my family and my life."

Kali just stared back at him, her fury and desperation burning away any ounce of sympathy or understanding. Prescott stepped back, his face pale but resolute.

Then suddenly the hum of static crackled through a speaker mounted on the wall, "Come in Camp Hero. This is Indigo One, requesting clearance to land. Over."

The soldier replied on the radio microphone. "You are cleared to land, Indigo One. Over and out." He then unstrapped Kali and lifted her effortlessly into his arms. 

Prescott followed closely behind as they exited the control room, stepping into the cold night. 

The grounds stretched wide under bright floodlights, illuminating the pathways and patches of grass. Like the building they emerged from, there were other boxlike buildings made of weathered stone, each topped with large satellite dishes pointed skyward. Beyond them, thick trees and barbed wire fences loomed, sealing the area off in all directions.

A sudden gust of wind whipped over them from above, followed by the deep thrum of rotor blades. The soldier paused as a helicopter descended, its powerful spotlight sweeping over the grounds. Other soldiers emerged from the shadows to form a perimeter as the helicopter touched down. 

Everything seemed to slow down as Kali watched, but this time it was real. Brenner strode out and looked directly at her with an unnerving smile.

The soldier carrying Kali lowered her gently to the ground as Brenner approached and crouched before her, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

"I'm so happy to see you." he said. "You've been through so much, but it's over now. You're safe. We can go home."

Kali trembled, though not from fear, but from the rage building inside her. She refused to give in to the lies. 

Brenners words scraped against the raw wound of memories: the warmth of her real home, the sound of her mother's voice, and then the day it was all torn away.

Every betrayal, every escape, every moment of hopelessness rushed back to her. Nowhere had ever been safe, not truly. And it was all because of him.

But they had underestimated her. Her pain had always been her strength, and in that moment, she felt it surge through her. The faint hum of her gift stirred within her, awakening.

Brenner reached out again, but Kali arms jerked free of their sluggishness, and with a cry of defiance, she pulled away from him. Her focus sharpened and her breath steadied as she reached into the minds around her.

Blinding, strobing light exploded from every direction. The floodlights around the grounds flared impossibly bright, forcing everyone to shield their eyes. 

Shouts of confusion and alarm rang out as Kali pushed herself to her knees, her limbs shaky but gaining strength. She crawled away from Brenner, while maintaining the illusion. 

Forcing herself to walk she staggered along a wide dirt path and reached a tall gate, but it was locked with a thick chain. She needed to think of another way out. 

Stepping aside, she retreated into the shadows of the nearby brush and let the illusion fade, plunging the area back into its natural dim glow. The shouts and confusion began to subside as the soldiers spread out and searched. 

But Kali was not concerned, she wanted them to find her. Moments later, a soldier broke away from the group, moving cautiously in her direction with his flashlight.

Kali stretched her hand subtly toward him, focusing her energy. Suddenly, an illusion of herself appeared on the other side of the gate, running frantically down the road beyond.

"There she is!" the soldier shouted. 

Kali watched as other soldiers rushed to the gate. Once they unlocked it, several trucks sped off in the direction they thought Kali had run. Meanwhile the real Kali waited until all was quiet, before stepping out and through the open gate.

The road stretched before her, dark and empty, bordered by dense forest on either side. Kali strayed along the edge of the road, walking quickly but cautiously. But she didn't get far, when a deep, resonant thrum filled the air. 

Looking up, the helicopter streaked across the trees and the beam of its spotlight instantly locked onto her. She tried to summon another illusion, but she was feeling drained and the light made it all the more difficult to compose herself.

The sound of truck engines grew louder behind her and she desperately veered off the road, plunging into the forest. 

The trees offered some cover, but the helicopter's spotlight still followed her, weaving between the branches as she struggled to run. Her legs burned, her breath came in ragged gasps, but she forced herself not to give up.

The forest thinned, and suddenly, she found herself at the edge of a cliff. The rocky precipice dropped sharply to the sea below, waves crashing against the jagged rocks. The salty air whipped against her face as the roar of the sea filled her ears. 

She glanced down, the dizzying height making her stomach lurch. The thought crossed her mind—What if I jumped?

Behind her, the flashlights of the approaching soldiers cut through the darkness, while above she heard the helicopter circling. Kali closed her eyes and took a deep breath, realizing there was only one thing left to do.

The crunch of footsteps grew louder, and when she turned, Brenner emerged from the trees. The helicopter's spotlight cast a long shadow behind him, as the soldiers flanked in with their rifles aimed at the ready.

"You made this far more difficult than it needed to be." Brenner said calmly, "But I'm not angry. I'm proud of you." 

He took a step closer, while the soldiers maintained their positions. "You've shown me just how powerful you truly are. You're special, Eight." He extended a hand toward her. "Come with me. Together, we can accomplish incredible things."

Kali's eyes burned with defiance as she met his gaze. "You're lying. You always lie." 

She took a step back, her heels teetering on the edge. "My name isn't Eight. It's Kali Prasad. And I will never go back."

Before Brenner could stop her, Kali stepped off the edge of the cliff, plunging into the rushing sea below.

"No!" Brenner shouted, his composure breaking for the first time as he rushed forward.

The helicopter descended, its spotlight sweeping across the water in search of Kali, while Brenner remained frozen, staring into the void where she had vanished.

And yet, standing just a few feet away from him, Kali was there, hidden by an illusion she'd planted in all of their minds. The image of her falling had been flawless—so convincing that even Brenner had believed it.

She held her breath, watching as Brenner turned back toward the forest, his face twisted with frustration. The soldiers followed his lead as the helicopter dropped even lower, its spotlight narrowing the search.

As the last soldier disappeared into the trees and the sound of the helicopter grew distant, Kali felt that it was finally over. Brenner would not find her, but he would stop looking.

Eight was dead.

***

SEPTEMBER 6, 1978

PORTLAND, MAINE

The wooden archway of the Oaks Amusement Park entrance loomed over the departing crowd, their laughter and chatter mingling with the creak of the old structure in the cool night. Inside the park, in a small food hut near the carrousel, a teenage employee scraped leftover fries into the trash.

Then from the back of the kitchen, a sudden clatter echoed forth, and the teenager immediately stopped.

"Hello?" they called, glancing toward the stockroom.

When no reply came, the teen cautiously stepped closer. The stockroom shelves appeared undisturbed, and after a quick scan, the teen shrugged and proceeded to lock up.

Shortly after they exited, a black boot stepped out from the shadows of the kitchen, revealing the hidden figure to be none other than Kali. Her hair was now medium length and she was draped in a long dark trench coat. 

Knowing her way around, she took out a box of fries from inside her coat and placed it on the counter, along with a burger bun and condiments, and then proceeded to assemble a sandwich by piling fries between the bread and drizzling ketchup, mustard, and relish over the top.

Satisfied with her work, she placed it in the box of remaining fries, and poured a large cup of coke from the soda fountain. Then using the spare key from behind the counter, she strolled out of the hut with a slight skip in her step. 

The park was a ghost of its daytime self, and under the glow of the moon it almost seemed like it was frozen in time. Kali wandered over to the carousel and sat on the platform. 

As she took a bite of her makeshift sandwich, her thoughts turned to the coming weeks. The holiday season was drawing to a close, and soon, Oaks Amusement Park would shut down for the year. She wasn't sure she was ready to move on just yet, though she knew it was inevitable. Nowhere was worth settling in for too long—not for someone like her.

She had learned to leave before anyone noticed things were going missing. So far, she'd avoided being caught, and there'd been no run-ins with police in the past year. Still, the thought of starting over again weighed on her.

Finishing her food and drink, she walked over to a trash can to discard the litter, and heard some strange commotion coming from the park's entrance. Stealthily, she moved towards it, weaving between shadows until she had a clear view. 

Two police officers were outside the gated entrance, their flashlights shining through it. For a tense moment, Kali thought they were there for her, but then she spotted the real target. 

Crouched behind a photo booth just inside the park, it would have been easy enough to jump the gate, and there was nothing stopping the officers from doing the same if they wanted to, as they appeared to be considering it. 

Kali knew that she could leave now, slip away unnoticed, and let them find who they were after, but as she glanced at the photo booth she hesitated. 

She couldn't make out their face, but she could feel their fear. Whoever they were, they had a reason for running. Maybe it wasn't so different from her own.

Taking a breath, Kali focused on the officers. She closed her eyes briefly, reaching into their minds with her gift, weaving an illusion that unfolded before them.

A park employee appeared from the shadows, walking toward the gate with a casual stride, as the officers turned their attention to them. "Hey, did you see a girl come in here?" one of them asked, shining a flashlight past the gate.

The park employee shook their head, "But I did see someone run past here a few minutes ago," they said, gesturing vaguely toward the road beyond. 

The officers exchanged a glance and then turned away, their flashlights sweeping the road as they headed in the direction the illusion had indicated.

Kali waited until their voices faded before stepping out of the shadows. As she approached the photo booth, the dim light revealed more details of the girl: her messy, short braids and the threadbare clothes that hung loose on her thin frame. She couldn't have been older than fourteen.

The girl stiffened when she saw Kali coming, her body ready to flee. Kali stopped a few steps away, raising her hands slowly to show she meant no harm. 

"It's okay. They're gone now." she said quiet, but confident.

The girl's gaze darted around, as though expecting the officers to reappear any second. 

Kali saw herself in that fear—saw the same desperation, the same instinct to run and keep running. She wasn't afraid of the girl, though. She could see what others might dismiss. She was just like her. Lost. Alone. In need of someone to stand by her.

Kali extended her hand and the girl hesitated, her wide eyes flicking between Kali's face and her outstretched hand. 

For a moment, the only sound was the faint hum of the night and then, slowly, the girl reached out and took it.