Chocolate By D.I. Jolly (Part 3 of 3)
Genevieve’s body pulsed once and her eyes narrowed with realisation and she looked at Dr Roberts.
“I told you.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small chocolate bar.
“Here, the sugar will help steady your nerves.”
She took it and stared at it for a moment as if she was seeing it for the first time. Colour seemed brighter, she could already smell the sweetness through the wrapper. She looked back up and around, taking the room in through her new heightened senses until her vision rested again on Dr Roberts and with a quick flick, threw the chocolate bar back at him and jumped to her feet.
“How fucking dare you! How dare you decide this for me, inject me with an untested formula! After all the years we’ve known each other, with all your new intellect and talk of superior understanding you decide to inject me with this rather than speak to me about it.”
“Infect?”
“Yes, you’ve infected me. Changed me forever, I will always be different to the people around me I will never be able to connect to normal people anymore after this.”
“But that’s just it, we can do this to everyone, we can bring everyone up to our level.”
“No we won’t, I won’t, and you won’t.”
“You cannot stop me.”
“Yes, I can, and I will.”
Dr Roberts face stiffened with frustration.
“But why?”
“Because to be different is to be human. You are not a God, even if you feel like one. It isn’t our job to make decisions for people. You speak of utopia, but do you really think bringing everyone up to this level is going to make people happy? Do you think it will create peace? People, the masses, don’t want to be in control of their lives. That’s why they’ve invented Gods, and why millions can be convinced to do meaningless jobs. Some people sure, but most will not want this, and it’s not up to you to do it to them. You won’t create a utopia you’ll create a world of Gods and Monsters.”
“You’re wrong!”
His words came out in a low growl, and they squared off against each other.
“You’re a scientist, look at the evidence. In the test group of two on the same formula we have not come to a conscience but a conflict. And I know we’re both smart enough to know that on a larger scale you’ll have the same results.”
“So we tweak the formula and introduce it to the population slowly over a period of years and it’ll eradicate that problem.”
“I will not let you do this.”
“Why don’t you understand what I’m trying to do here!”
He roared, fury washing over him in waves.
“I’m doing this for you, I’ve saving you from yourself!”
“What?”
“When you left yesterday I looked through your e-mails I’ve seen the conversations you’ve been having with John in accounting. The mistake you’re making again, the same man different faces, every, single, time!”
A flash of clarity come over Genevieve in the form of a cold shiver.
“You did this, because you’re in love with me?”
“Don’t pretend you didn’t know that. I’ve done everything to show you how I feel and you’ve ignored me every step along the way.”
In a moment she ran over all their time together in the years they’d known each other.
“You’re 25 years older than me, and you’ve spent the last five years acting like a child. You’re still acting like a child. This changes nothing.”
A moment passed as they stared at each other and a triumphant smile spread across Genevieve’s face.
“Why are you smiling?”
“Because you still haven’t noticed that while you were confession your teenage affection I pressed the panic button to call security.”
A flash of panic hit him and without pausing for an instant he burst into a sprint, moving faster than she’d ever seen anyone move. He aimed himself at a window and was gone in seconds. Genevieve let out a long breath in relief and smiled as the security guards burst into the lab. Months went by with no sign of Dr Roberts. In that time Genevieve’s mental faculties only increased, the small amount of excess weight melted off and was replaced with lean muscle. The laboratory was concerned about the disappearance of their lead scientist, but Genevieve was easily able to explain away his breakdown and take over his job and make fast improvements. Although she found it very easy to fake fitting in, and seem normal, she felt totally alien around people. She socialised to keep up appearances and even joined a gym as an explanation for her physical change, and always greeted the security guard at the door with a smile, aware that he always watched her walk away. A year and one day after the incident a small colourful package sat waiting for her when she arrived at work. Written on the side were the words.
“Europe’s best-selling chocolate, now available worldwide.”
She stared at it curiously then turned to the security guard who smiled.
“They got dropped off late last night. Some promotion to build brand awareness, they’re being dropped off as a free sample box to every office building in the area. I’ve had three already, they’re amazing.”
Her eyes narrowed for a second but then she smiled and picked one out of the box.
“I look forward to giving it a try.”