Eve

Test Scenes 

Eve is actually the product of a dream I had. I’ve since embellished the idea and brought her into my universe, The Cooperative Continuum. Here are a couple of quick test scenes I wrote to flesh out her character and see her potential.

Eve Climbing Tree

“Eve! Get down from there. You’re almost twenty!”

“What does age have to do with it?” Eve looked down at the figure far below as she caused the tree-top to sway back and forth. “Come on up!”

Anna sighed. “At my age?”

Eve stopped swaying and frowned. “You’re not gray yet.”

“Kids climb, Eve. You’re not a kid anymore.”

“Why do kids climb, and I cannot?” Eve pouted, obstinate. She started swaying the tree-top again.

“Because you have duties. Your tests…”

“Already completed them.” Eve grinned.

“Even the physical?”

“Yes, Anna. Even the physical. You know, because I can climb trees and you cannot?” Eve smirked. “I think you can, but you’re too adult to.”

“Please. And…stop that. You’re scaring me.” Anna winced as Eve bent the topmost branch almost to breaking, hanging from it as she swung her legs around the trunk.

“Ah. So that’s it. You don’t want your treasure to break.”

“I don’t want you to get…” Anna started, then flinched when Eve let go of the branch, then grabbed another and several others as she just barely avoided falling outright. She landed lightly on the ground in front of Anna and brushed her hands off.

“What? I got down.” Eve looked at Anna innocently.

Anna looked up at the tree, then back at Eve. “You could have injured yourself.”

Eve laughed. “You’re too afraid. You could do that.” She glanced up at the tree, longing to be back in it. “I’m only happy up there.”

“Rubbish. You’re happy enough down here with us and you know it.” Anna hooked Eve’s arm and brushed bark out of her fur.

“With the fur!” Eve wiggled.

“Hold still. You’re lucky that sap comes right off your fur.” Anna held her arm tightly.

Eve the Lab Rat

“Well, you have an immune system that would put an alligator’s to shame. I mean, it is unbelievable…” Scott started.

“Is that all I am to you?” Eve stood up from the table angrily. “Just some stupid experiment?”

“Eve, you’re so much more than that.” Colleen grabbed her hand and tried to get her to sit down.

“What we have learned from you has saved thousands of lives already, Eve. That’s your legacy,” Scott said.

“Legacy? Everyone I love is dead! They came and slaughtered everyone!” Eve yelled, yanking her hand away from Colleen. “And for what? Because I’m some sort of freak?”

“No. No! Do not blame yourself. No one knew.”

“Someone knew. I thought they hid me away for my condition. Because I was deformed.” Eve picked at the fur on her arm. “This…fur and eyes and teeth, like I’m some sort of animal!” She glared at Colleen. “But I don’t have a condition, do I?” She leaned towards Colleen. “You cannot lie to me.”

Colleen shook her head.

“So, I have an immune system like an alligator, and you want it.” Eve crossed her arms. “That’s all I am to you. A… lizard.”

“You are so much more to us,” Colleen said.

“If the tables were turned, reversed. If I were with those other guys, would you send an army in to kill them? To get me? Like they did?”

“We’re just scientists, Eve. You have to believe that.”

“Tell that to my mother.” Eve glowered, looking at the two of them.

“You don’t have…”

“The alien! My real mother!” Eve held her hands out.

Colleen gaped.

Eve wiped her eyes and waved her hands furiously. “Yeah. Anna told me that, too. Before she bled to death!” She took in a shuddering breath as she closed her eyes. “You have her hidden away somewhere, my real mother. Like another lab animal.”

Stunned silence was all she got in response.

“How long were you people going to keep that from me?” Eve sat back down, exhausted from the emotions. “That I have a mother somewhere?”

“Sweetheart, we don’t know where she is. And we… she’s not your mother. The closest she would be is a tissue donor.”

“What do you think a mother starts off as?” Eve snarked, crossing her arms. She wiped her eyes again and rubbed her nose, shaking her head. “Just a few days ago, I was arguing with Anna about climbing trees. She hated it when I climbed. But life was good. Now…she’s dead. Why?” She looked at Colleen as she sobbed, images of the assault flooding her memories. “Why?”

Colleen wrapped her arms around Eve as she cried and hummed a lullaby until Eve calmed down. Eve shifted a little. “I remember that.”

“Remember what?”

“That song.” Eve shrugged as she wiped her nose.

Colleen shook her head as she sat back to look at Eve. “The only other time I sang that was…” She stopped, her eyes wide.

Eve looked at Colleen’s hands that still grasped hers. “You were my surrogate, weren’t you? I can… sort of… sense it.”

Colleen just gaped. Eve nodded at the silent confirmation. “Yeah.”

“How did you, how do you…?”

“The song. I remembered it. And you do too.” Eve shrugged. “You used to sing to me when you were pregnant.”​