Unlike Winston’s desk, he has a sterile folding table set up between us. Plastic chairs are placed on each side. On top of the table, I see a weird-looking machine. It has wires and paper, a moving part and something like an oxygen monitor… holy shit. It looks like a lie detector test.
If that doesn’t freak me out enough, the large black collar he pulls out of his pocket does. It reminds me of the collar I bought for the orange cat that I tried to tame in the before times, only without a jingling bell.
Oh, and the fact that it’shuman-sized.
Once I’m seated, the Doctor zips over to me. I’m still marveling over his speed—especially since lurkers go half as fast as humans—when he quickly puts the collar on me. It’s not tight enough that I can’t breathe, but it’s definitely not loose enough for me to breathe easily. As I gape at him, he hooks me up to the possible lie detector thing.
“What…” I tug at it, panic rising. “What’s this?”
He doesn’t answer me. Instead, he takes out a small silver button that looks like it could be a car starter, then places it on the table. He flicks another button on the side of the contraption, then stares at me.
He reminds me of the younglings in a weird way. When he stares at me, I freeze.
“What is your name?” he asks.
Stupid question. He has that print-out in front of him, plus the note from the technician. He knows who I am.
Maybe this is one of those initial questions that help tell a polygraph proctor when the person attached to it is lying.
“Xandra— what the fuck!”
I was zapped. A low grade pulse around my neck, coming from the collar he put on me. I told him my name, he pressed the button on the table, and hezappedme.
He ignores my outburst.
“Your full name?”
“Alexandra Holden—Jesus fucking Christ! Stop that!”
It was even worse that time. Another shock that made my throat constrict, trying to get away from the pain.
He looks down his nose at me. “You will be shocked every time you tell a lie. You don’t want to feel pain? Tell me who you are.”
“I did!”
He presses the button.
I scream.
The Doctor waits until I’ve stopped screaming and I’m only panting in the aftershocks of another jolt.
And then?—
“Who is the most important person in your life?”
“My twin.”
After glancing at the polygraph, he doesn’t press the button. Looks like I finally got one right.
“What is her name?”
“Hallie—God fucking damn it!”
Stars exploded behind my eyes. I taste blood in my mouth.
He really upped the voltage on that one.
His expression is a flat mask, though I see disdain in his eyes as he says, “You know why you’re getting shocked, don’t you, Hallie?”