Retrograde

Chapter 1 • Remember

• Chapter One •
Remember

For the few minutes that it took for Professor Barnett to show his students a clip on genetic engineering, he had been staring at his driver's license as he leaned against the podium on the dais in front. He repeated information in his head. Cael Barnett. Date of birth, November 5, 2323. Sex, Male. Eyes, blue. Hair, brown.

Remember. Remember.

"He's doing it again," a brunette whisper-yelled a few steps away from him. After her friend tried and failed to persuade her to not interrupt him, the brunette cleared her throat. "Um, Professor Barnett? You all there?"

Barnett straightened his tie, which needed none of the fuss, and cleared his throat. "Yes, I'm here. And now..." He touched a button on the podium's desktop, causing the projector screen to steadily roll up without so much as one whirring sound. The desktop was an advanced control panel, buttons glowing with a cyber blue. He closed the window tab of the clip he had shown before pulling up the file for the students' exam. "...that you all have seen a preview of our next studies, as always, we'll knock out your exam so that we can move on to the next section."

"Damn, I thought he forgot about this shit," a man grumbled from behind the brunette. "Should've let him stay lost in whatever he's always looking at."

"It's not my fault you didn't study," she retorted.

"Ms. Davies. Mr. Garver, please with the banter for today. We need to get through this. Because, no...I did not forget about this shit. It would be in your best interest to remember that." Davies smirked at Garver, earning her two flipped birds. Barnett forwarded the test to their desktops, the test login window popping up for the thirty-three students. "The access code is biogen8." Barnett looked at his wrist watch, waiting for the clock to strike 5 o'clock in the afternoon, on the dot. "And you may start...now."

The air grew still and the small auditorium was hushed. It stayed like that for the next one and a half hours. By the time the last person finished their test - Garver - Barnett was packed and ready to go. The tests would automatically send to his class database, to be graded.

"Go easy on me, Barnett, I had a long weekend," Garver nonchalantly requested as the two of them head out of the auditorium.

"You will get whatever grade you've earned. You've disrupted my class with rudeness for the last time, Garver."

"My bad, my bad, Professor B. It's all love." Barnett looks at him, amused.

"What part about calling my test shit is all love?"

"Your tests are hard as hell, man. It's just the truth. Oh, and since we're talking, I wanted to ask you about the extra credit. Can we do the research on any topic?"

"It has to be based on biology. Genetics. What did you have in mind?"

"I wanted to talk about the shift from being the United States to being the United Commonwealth. They say the presidency failed because of those...freaky ass creatures that were coming from their dimension into ours."

They made it outside, walking on the path toward the main courtyard. "You've been doing your homework. Tell you what - those freaky ass creatures, as far as we know, have been exterminated. But if you can find research on some of them that can tell us about their biology, I will allow it. Run it by me though - I don't want links to Wikipedia."

"Cool. I got you, Professor B." Garver made a casual salute before leaving Barnett's side. Barnett's shoulders visibly relaxed and he blew out a breath. He adjusted the strap of his messenger bag and continued walking until he was at the parking garage.

Barnett used his car keys to locate his car and promptly went over to it. After opening the door, he slipped in.

"Don't turn around and don't look in the rear view. Look down," an aggressive, feminine voice spoke from behind him. There was a click! sound that rung in his ears. Barnett jumped with a yelp, and he hit the top of his head on the roof of the car. The keys fell from his hands and in between his legs as grabbed his head.

"I--I have money in my wallet. I'll give it to you, I swear."

"I don't want your money. I want to know if you remember."

Remember? Barnett furrowed his brows, confused...but the word hit too close to home. He attempted to look up, forgetting his orders, but he was quickly reminded with the press of something cool on the back of his head through the rectangular opening in his headrest.

"Do not look up." Barnett held up his hands.

"Remember? Remember what? Who are you?" His voice was insistent, almost desperate. He wanted answers more than he cared to admit.

"Don't worry about who I am. Worry about who you are."

"What are you talking about!? My name is Cael Barnett. I'm a professor at this university. Nothing more." He was frustrated, wanting badly to either get a look of this person or open his door to roll out of the car. But that click! It had kept him still enough.

"Then why do you sound unsure?" the woman asked in a taunting manner.

"Did you break into my fucking car just to tell me that I don't know myself?" he snapped defensively. The woman laughed, and it was airy.

"No..." Cael heard shuffling and then felt a slight pressure on his shoulder. "Take it."

When Cael reached over his shoulder to take it, he saw that it was a flash drive with a small card attached to the key ring. It had a word on one side. "Sabin?"

"You'll see." Cael felt the absence of the gun's cool barrel as she pulled it away. "I'm going to get out of the car now. Do not move until I am gone." Cael nodded and remained immobile. She shuffled and opened the door before slowly sliding out. Before closing the back seat door, she peeked in to say, "Oh, by the way...watch your girlfriend."

The door slammed shut, and for the second time today, Cael visibly relaxed.