Once We Were Human (The Commander Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

women’s college somewhere, a dowdy academic spinster.  My time in college had shown me one thing, though: I was one of those people who found changing light bulbs a challenge.  My family had taken care of me and I never had to learn much about the work-a-day world of houses, cars and gardens.  Bill’s presence reminded me that I needed someone to care for me, at least for the physical things of life. 
    Mom and Dad approved of Bill, a pleasant surprise, as they had frowned at both my siblings’ choices.  He sold them on his dreams as well.  A June bride, I had a house of my own by the end of summer, thanks to the vacuum cleaners Bill sold on his summer vacation.
    The next decade flew by fast.  Two miscarriages, then Sarah.  I learned to cook and keep house, although it became clear after awhile that I needed a maid for certain things.  I put work into cooking, though, becoming an excellent cook.  After college Bill started up a dry cleaning chain and later took it national.  We were never rich but we were never poor, either.  I expected to be rich by the time I had grandchildren.  We entertained constantly and my cooking expertise was an essential ingredient to the sales made during our parties.
    One of the last things I remembered about my former life was my daughter Sarah’s big birthday party as she turned twelve.  She spent the first part of the summer helping me with the Jefferson City Library Volunteers and had won them over with her warm smile.  Mom came up from Pilot Grove and she entertained the birthday party with her rich accent and elegant southern charm, telling stories about her childhood as well as stories about her fabled sister Bea, now a fine upstanding and refined Dallas lady.
    If my memory wasn’t playing tricks on me, Sarah had been twelve, Billy was ten, and little Jeffrey was seven.  I was Vice-President of the Jefferson City PTA, Chairwoman of the Jefferson City Library Volunteers, and Secretary of the Jefferson City Junior League.  Hundreds of people knew me by name.  I had dozens of friends.  Jane, the second wife of our district’s City Councilman, was one of my closest friends.  I was popular, a social success, a good woman.
    Never, in my wildest dreams, did I ever imagine I would find myself a Transform .
     
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    Breakfast finally came at seven-fifteen in the morning, after I spent a very hungry night pestering the nurses for extra food they couldn’t legally give me.  Standard Transform rations were larger than I expected; the breakfast included a large stack of pancakes, four rashers of bacon, a large mug of orange juice, and toast.  I finished the meal hungry.  I still wore the shackles, and as much of the meal ended up on the floor as in me.
    “Good appetizer,” I said to the nurse.  “I’m ready for the main course now.”
    The nurse frowned and shook her head.  She didn’t appreciate my humor.  “I can’t give you anything more.  I shouldn’t have given you anything last night.  Dr. Peterson left specific orders.  Anything, absolutely anything out of the ordinary, has to be approved by him first.  He’ll be coming in this morning, and you can talk to him then.  You aren’t going to starve to death in a day.”
    “I’m starving to death right now,” I said, half in jest, still very hungry.  The nurse ignored me.
     
    I checked the clock every five minutes as I waited.  At nine-oh-five, I heard footsteps in the hall and several low male voices.  I sat up straight as Dr. Peterson stuck his head in my room.  He nodded at me and stepped in.  Three men followed him, and a woman. 
    “Good morning, Carol,” Dr. Peterson said.  “I have some people who would like to talk to you.  This is Dr. Henry Zielinski, one of the nation’s top researchers in the field of major transformations, and this is Special Agent Bates of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”
    I nodded to them, though the presence of an FBI agent sent shivers up my