"Sir, are we sure we want to do this?" Scott asked, looking at the General in his rear-view mirror. "She doesn't know, nobody else knows, so why risk it?"
General Briggs, was in the rear of the car, reading a report. His thin wire framed glasses were balanced on the end of his nose. Briggs raised his head and looked up at the mirror and their eyes met.
"Of course, it's a risk. There are too many factors at play not to be a risk. But we can't afford to have them living there any longer. The situation is already sensitive. I've just finished reading the report on last night's raid at the pharmaceutical plant. Four guards killed, over fifty percent of the stock was taken and the damage caused to the plant is going to put it out of action for at least three weeks. This was not an isolated incident. The Flawed are becoming restless, something or someone is stirring them up. I want them out of there and under our direct influence as soon as possible."
"What if they don't want her? What if she doesn't want to come back?" Scott pressed.
"Everybody has a price, Scott. It is our job to work out what that price is and if we can't then we shall resort to more unsavoury means. How much further?" Briggs asked, looking at his watch.
"Less than a mile, sir."
Moments later, Scott pulled the car up outside the tall ornate wrought iron gates of a house in the leafy-green suburb of Charm. The house was a modern combination of glass walls, steel girders and stripped wood cladding. The sunlight bounced of its shiny surfaces causing Scott to squint. Raising his hand up to shield his eyes, he scanned the immediate area. Five similar properties occupied this quiet cul-de-sac. Each property had a perfectly manicured lawn and overly designed flower borders. There was no natural planting here, every plant had been bred, selected and planted to satisfy a master plan. He chuckled to himself thinking about how much fun he could have with a random pack of seeds thrown carelessly about.
Pulling forward, so that his car was in front of the gates, his window moved down and he reached over and pressed the green talk button on the Intercom.
"Yes?" came an abrupt male voice.
"General Briggs to see Mr and Mrs Page."
The gates slowly opened inward and Scott drove up the long driveway. The imposing house looked more impressive the closer they got to it, as did the two identical black coupes parked out front. Scott pulled up behind the cars in front of a large wooden door. Having spent the last few weeks following the girl and dissecting her godforsaken drab existence, the contrast here alarmed him. He leaned over and picked up a file from the passenger seat. The information they were about to reveal was going to turn these people's lives upside down. Exiting the car, he moved around to the other side and opened the door for Briggs. Briggs stepped out gracefully and looked the house up and down, with a sneer.
Scott rapped twice on the heavy brass door knocker. Moments later, the door opened.
"General Briggs, what an honour it is to have you visit our humble home."
Scott recognised Page immediately- John Page, 42, Senior Analyst at LogiKon. Birth father to Miss Hannah Green.
"Hello, Mr Page," Briggs replied and offered his hand. This this is my colleague Mr Scott". Page looked down at Briggs hand and after a slight hesitation, shook it. He ignored Scott entirely.
"I must say I was more than a little worried about your call yesterday. We have never had somebody of your position in our home before. Please come this way, my wife is waiting for us in the kitchen," Page spoke, nervously.
Dressed in smart navy suit trouser with a pale blue shirt and a light pink tie, he had only been back home from work for twenty or so Scott's team informed them as they pulled up to the house.
Following Page, they walked through the cool, tiled lobby and passed a large black and white photo printed on canvas hung on the wall. Scott stopped and studied the image. It was a professional studio picture, showing a happy, smiling young couple holding an infant wrapped in a small white crochet jacket. Page turned and noticed Scott's interest in the photo.
"That was our first family portrait with our son Edward. He turns 18 in four weeks".
Scott already knew that, but nodded politely and continued to follow them down a corridor which led to the large granite-topped kitchen.
"Diana, this is General Briggs, and Mr Scott!" Page said, looking uncomfortably at his wife.
"Good afternoon Mrs Page, thank you for agreeing to meet with me today."
Diana Page was sat at the large glass topped table. Scott watched Briggs walk towards her. She rose from her position, shook his hand and waited for him to take a seat before retaking hers. Scott had seen many pictures of Diana Page, but none did her enough justice. She was an exceptionally attractive woman and looked closer to 30 than her real age of 41. Her glossy brown hair had been styled in a French pleat which emphasised her long slender neck. The brown jersey wrap-around dress she wore, clung lightly to her body showing off a toned figure. While finding her attractive, Scott was aware of the efforts Mrs Page had recently made to maintain her youthful appearance. Like many woman, Diana's age, surgery became a vital tool in maintaining one's SPR. Her recently implanted and lifted breasts looked a little too perky but overall quite natural, whilst the recent liposuction had successfully maintained her flat stomach.
"Would you like some tea or coffee General Briggs, Mr Scott?" she asked.
"No, thank you, Mrs Page."
"Please call me, Diana."
Scott moved over to the table and took a seat. Diana and John sat to the right of him, Briggs to his left. From his seat he had a view directly out of the doors and onto a terraced area with large pool.
"I have to say, sir, I am a little nervous about your being here today," Diana addressed Briggs. "We've never had a member of the Council visit us before. It is a great honour, but a bit of a surprise is probably the best way to describe it. Have we done anything wrong?" she enquired, reluctantly.
"No, Mrs Page... Diana. You have nothing to worry about," Briggs said, smiling. Scott was always amazed at how civil he could with the public when most of the time at work he was like a vicious Rottweiler.
"Yesterday on the phone, you told my husband the reason you needed to see us was something to do with our son, Edward. I know I am biased and all, but Edward is one of the sweetest, smartest young men around. He is honest and has never been in any kind of trouble. So what is the problem exactly?" Diana asked her voice tense and worried. Her husband stroked the back of her hand.
"I'm sorry, Mrs Page, your husband misinterpreted what I said to him on the phone. Yes, I did mention that my visit had something to do with your child, but I did not mean your son, Edward." Inwardly, Scott smiled to himself. Briggs had deliberately set out to mislead John Page so that he would get to see their immediate reactions to the news right in front of him.
"Sorry, we only have one child. You must be mistaken," John replied in a steely tone, casting a quick nervous glance at Diana. It was virtually imperceptible, but Scott saw it.
"No Diana, I am referring to the baby girl you gave birth to nearly eighteen years ago." Briggs' tone was business-like.
Diana gasped and looked straight to John.
"I'm sorry General Briggs, you clearly know more about us than I am comfortable with and I can see that my wife is becoming distressed. What is it you want from us?"
"Please Mrs Page, I do not want to cause you any upset, but a matter has come to our attention relating to your first born child." General Briggs was normally one to shoot from the hip. No doubt he had rehearsed in his mind many times what he was going to say to this couple, but Scott could see that he was finding it far less comfortable than he would have liked. Come on Briggs, time to get straight to the point, he thought.
"Mr and Mrs Page. Nearly eighteen years ago you gave birth to a baby girl. You were informed by the consultant at the time that the child had an SPR score of 72. Am if right so far?" Briggs questioned.
Diana had gone very pale. She nodded at Briggs and he continued.
"I'm afraid to say that the consultant made a mistake. Having recently reviewed her birth data it appears that your daughter was higher than a 72".
"Higher!" Diana shrieked, "how much higher?"
"It appears that your daughter had an SPR score of 100."
Scott jumped at the sudden outburst of manic laughter coming from Mr Page, who had for the last few minutes remained silent.
"You're kidding right? This is some test or some stupid joke, isn't it?
"No, Mr Page, I'm afraid to say that this is neither a joke or a test. Your daughter scored 100. She is the only recorded 100 that we have ever known." Briggs looked over at Scott and grimaced. No, this wasn't going anything like how he had planned. What on earth did Briggs expect, Scott wondered, this was quite the bomb shell to drop.
"So let me get this straight. Our beautiful little baby girl, who we had waited so long to have was not actually Flawed? At all!" Diana's voice was shrill and her eyes shone fiercely. She reminded Scott of a Lioness about to attack a gazelle in order to feed her cubs. "But, why would... who would do... how is that possible?"
"What I am about to tell you is classified information and I want to make very clear to you that if you repeat any of what I am about to tell you, then it won't be very regarded very positively at your next SPR review. Do I make myself clear?" The Rottweiler had entered the room.
Gripping onto each other, Diana and John Page sat in silence but nodded their understanding.
"Mr Eastman, the consultant who demoted your daughter was recently found dead in his office by his secretary. He had killed himself. Lying on the desk in front of him was a suicide note. In this note Eastman described the actions he had taken nearly 18 years ago involving deliberately scoring some children with a lower score. Your daughter was one of them."
"But why would he do that... to us?" John asked anxiously.
"We believe that Mr Eastman was paid to do it. We don't know who by, but we are working on it. His suicide note offered no apology but a brief description of what he had done, and the names and dates of twenty children. The local police force referred the case to myself, we investigated and hence our meeting with you today."
John and Diana looked at Briggs as if he were a madman. The limited information he had just told them had just had blown their world apart.
"Where is my daughter now?"
"You daughter is called Hannah. She was adopted by a Flawed couple the day after she was born. Please take this file. In it you will find all of the information you need and a selection of pictures of her."
"So, you're telling me my daughter is one-hundred percent perfect and yet she has lived as a Flawed for the last 18 years?"
"Yes, Diana that's exactly what I am saying."
Diana's mouth opened and closed like a fish. She was speechless and disbelieving.
"So, what happens now?"
"Within the next week we will approach Hannah, discuss the situation with her and at the most appropriate time, we will promote her to one-hundred and bring her to move in with you."
Diana put her head in her hands and began to cry. "How do we begin to tell Edward about this," she sobbed.
According to the family's file, the Page couple adopted Edward straight after losing their daughter. Unable to have further children due to a post-birth infection that required a hysterectomy, the couple lavished their attention of the boy. The boy was a low-flier in school and not particularly liked by his peers or the teaching staff at his school.
"What makes you think Hannah will want to come to us? Page asked. "After all, we did give her up!"
"Mr and Mrs Page we will be speaking to Hannah shortly and I cannot see why she would want to remain there considering the life she could have here. I am sure of a positive ending for all parties. We will of course be offering you something in the way of financial compensation for this grievous mistake, but we must insist on your complete confidentiality and support in this matter. Now if you'll excuse us, I must return promptly to the office. Here is Mr Scott's business card. He will be managing the process from now on. Please feel free to contact him anytime. Don't forget to read the file I have left you on Hannah."
Briggs stood up, offered his sincerest apologies again for the situation and left the house quickly with Scott in tow leaving Diana and John in a confused, broken mess.
"He's right, sir," Scott said, as he drove the car away from the house. "What if she doesn't want to leave her family and friends to come and live here, with them?"
"We won't give her the choice."