Chameleon 5

As Chris smiled happily to himself, John guided him back along to the office. " I hope you don't mind Chris, but before you get too settled we need to do some paperwork first." Amy stood back from the table behind a chair as they entered. " All ready " she said, and Chris walked round to join her. " Don't sit down just yet, we need a swab first " " DNA test, purely routine but necessary ", she had clear plastic gloves on and was holding a long test tube. " From the inside of your cheek, open wide " of course, just like on Trisha Chris thought as Amy efficiently wiped a large cotton bud inside his mouth and popped it back into the tube. While Amy wrote on the tube label John gave instructions. " Have a seat Chris" " this is a simple psychometric test, purely voluntary, but will help us get to know you further, you don't mind ? " Chris shook his head, John was looking across at Amy who was shaking the tube. She stared into it for a second then returned his look and nodded curtly. " Ok, simple multiple choice, there are a lot of questions but do not think too much, just the first thing that comes into you head. There are no right or wrong answers " " Oh, and there is no time limit. Ready ? " Born ready, Chris loved this type of test. He began.
Do you consider yourself a happy person ? You find a wallet containing five hundred pounds, what do you do with it ? You are asked to give a speech to your whole school, how do you feel ? Chris ticked the answers one by one, quickly, efficiently he was totally absorbed. Your best friend lets you down badly, do you forgive them ? John and Amelia had long since wandered off. You are walking in the desert, you see a turtle on its back, struggling, what do you do ? Chris snorted, yeah right, I may be a replicant. Your brother commits murder and asks for your help, do you ? In what circumstances is animal experimentation acceptable ? You discover the last few pages in a library book are missing, how do you feel ? Do you agree with genetic engineering ? Do you enjoy poetry ? If you could choose the colour of your babies eyes, would you ? Finally the last tick on the last question went in. Chris sat back feeling more than satisfied. An hour and a half had gone by, the evening sun was now shining through the window throwing his shadow onto the far wall where the strange pictures hung. He gazed quietly at them, and as he did so, like Russian dolls, his silhouette enveloped one of the strange cauliflower shapes exactly. Chris's heart stopped. Not cauliflowers, no . . . brains. Slices of human brain. A chill enveloped him as his very being tried to leave him, running. Amy popped her head round the door " All finished ? " Chris came to with a start and looked at her wide eyed. " Hungry . . " she began then stopped, and looked back to where his eyes had been. " Oh, the pictures, creepy aren't they " laughing, she continued " John inherited them from our old professor. I keep telling him to take them down but he won't be persuaded." "Anyway you must be hungry, come on, dinners ready "
They ate in the kitchen sitting at the table. Spaghetti with some sort of cream sauce,bread, and salad. And there was wine as well, he never got to drink at home. These were his real parents, he was convinced now. Real parents would treat you like this, like an adult. The evening wore on, Chris sat quietly listening to John and Amy chatting about their day, watching them, contented. Eventually the wine and the day's excitement took their toll and, as his eyes began to droop he said goodnight and headed to bed. As he walked along the hallway past the office his eyes were drawn in. The pictures were still there, glittering in the reflected orange glow of the street lights.

A shiver passed through him.