Chapter 20 -- Somewhere a Geneticist Is Crying

Onward and upward!

Eden's having what she thinks is a World-Band fantasy of running through a grassy field, but upon awakening it turns out it was a dream.  Apparently in this society dreams are written off as "mental distortions" and were eliminated with the aid of oxy.  Check off another cliche on the Dystopian Fiction checklist...

Oh, and Bramford was in the dream too, it turns out.

Why, Bramford is chasing me.  I laugh as he tumbles with me onto the grass.  We roll like playful kittens.  He's smiling at me, really smiling.  I'm so happy, I feel light as a feather. -- p. 138

And yet just last night/chapter she was hating his guts and considering him a monster.  This love-hate whiplash is driving me nuts.  I've never understood why this sort of Belligerent Sexual Tension is supposed to be considered romantic and sweet, or at least BST that's cranked up to this degree.  It comes across less as romantic tension and more as "our protagonist has multiple personalities," at least to me.

Pretty much this guy only less entertaining

Someone opens the door to the hut she's locked in -- Lorenzo.  Eden expects him to freak out at her pale skin like the girls did, but he just smiles.  She also happens to notice this guy's naked except for "a thin rope around his groin."  Because of COURSE Native Americans eschew modern clothing.  I did a (slightly disturbing) Google Search and found that yes, the Huaorani men did pretty much just wear a string around their hips traditionally, but most of them wear modern clothing now.  But then, Foyt seems intent on falling back on stereotypes and making every race look inferior to whites.

Eden dredges up enough rudimentary Spanish to ask about her father.  Lorenzo says he's okay and gives her a bowl of chicha, which she sips and then spits out.  We also get a remark that her dress is torn and practically falling off -- maybe you should have changed into the clothes Daisy gave you instead of fussing about the Life-Band?

Lorenzo leads Eden across the compound, "taking care to skirt the sunlit center."  If the sun really is so dangerous, why aren't all these people dead yet?  Or all the foliage gone by this point?  And why wouldn't these people at least, y'know, build a canopy or something?  I'm starting to think the Heat was some kind of government conspiracy to drive everyone underground...

There's another naked boy in a vegetable garden nearby (Primus, Eden, what is it with your obsession with naked children?  I'm starting to worry...) and Eden looks at all the vegetables and thinks... she wants her meal pills back.  Seriously, girl?  You might be more used to the pills from your previous life (though I still maintain she should be dead of scurvy by now, since there wasn't a multivitamin among the protein, fat, and carbohydrate pills she was given), but a little gratitude wouldn't kill you, right?

Eden smiles at the boy and his mother, but they just stare, and Eden assumes it's because of Rebecca, whoever she is.  It could just be that you're a stranger and they don't know you yet, girl...

There's a clearing nearby full of bird-of-paradise plants (that are described as looking like "haughty women," though they look more like those crested cranes to me), and in that clearing is a wooden building with solar panels on the roof.  Inside is a makeshift laboratory where her father's working with old-fashioned computers and microscopes.  At least Eden's father seems grateful for the equipment and setting, though Eden can't help but whine at what a step down it is for him.

Bramford -- or as Eden is STILL thinking of him, "the beast" -- is in the lab too, talking to her father.

A slight twitch of his head told her he had registered her presence.  But her jailer ignored her.  Probably too ashamed to face her.  -- p. 141

Did it ever occur to you that you're NOT the center of the universe, Eden?  That maybe Bramford thinks whatever your father is working on is a little more important than your precious feelings?  Seriously, girl, get over yourself...

Eden's father's wearing an herbal poultice on his leg to draw out "toxins" (I think you meant infection, Foyt), but he looks feeble.  And of course Eden doesn't seem to care, just upset that Bramford's not going to apologize for locking her up.

"Didn't you know?  Either our host thinks I can escape this hellhole or he's a sadistic beast."

Braford jerked around, trapping her in the crosshairs of his gaze.  "I'e seen what you're capable of, Eden.  Just don't forget, I'm watching you.  Do you understand?"

"I understand that your power has driven you berserk." -- p. 142

Eden, this is NOT berserk.  I think you would know when a jaguar-man went berserk.  This is Bramford taking precautions to make sure you don't go running back to the Combs or the Uni-Gov or whoever's in charge to turn Bramford in and save your own hide.  You've already tried to deliberately get him killed, tried to run away, conspired to turn his own employees against him... in other words, given him absolutely no reason to trust you.  He'd be stupid NOT to lock you up at this point.

He growled menacingly.  His eyes blazed with hot light.  A secret smile tugged at Eden.  She might be powerless, but she sure could get under his skin.  She strolled past him, inches away, and flicked her hair against his chest.

Go ahead, do something.

Instead, his anger softened to a frustrated moan.  Her heart skipped a beat and she wobbled onto a stool.  So much for mind over body. -- p. 142

I don't think winning a staredown with Bramford counts as mind over body, girl... and dangit, I wanted to see Bramford bite her face off.

Eden's father won't look at her, and she assumes he's embarrassed by her white skin.  I think he's more embarrassed by how you're treating his boss, girl... 

Bramford's apparently asking Eden's father if he can reverse the process that turned him into a jaguar furry.  GENETICS.  DO NOT.  WORK THAT WAY.  YOU CANNOT JUST FART WITH SOMEONE'S DNA AND TURN THEM FROM HUMAN TO FURRY AND BACK AGAIN.  DO YOUR BLASTED RESEARCH GIRL.

Eden apparently wishes her father will say no, because... jaguar!Bramford is sexier?  I dunno, nothing Eden wants makes sense anymore...

Apparently trying to reverse the procedure has a possibility of killing Bramford.  And of course, Bramford's not too happy about this, which is perfectly understandable.  He only volunteered to be the test subject when the original ones went missing, and got a lot more than he bargained for.  I honestly feel bad for the guy -- he was trying to help a scientist save humanity and became an outcast for it.  And got saddled with Eden in the process.  

We get a pointless interlude with some toucans peering in through the door (do we get the Latin name for these critters?  Does an Ursus arctos poop in the woods?), then Bramford asks if they can accelerate the transformation process instead of reversing it.  Um... I thought you guys were done changing him.  I wasn't aware this was a gradual process.  Foyt, are you just making this crap up as you go along?

According to Dr. Newman, speeding up the changes could cost Bramford his human ability to think and reason.  That's a sucky choice -- risk death or risk getting completely turned into an animal.  Foyt seems to be trying really hard to get us to not like Bramford, but he's coming across as Unintentionally Sympathetic despite her best efforts.

Eden's father shows them an image on a computer that shows Bramford's final transformation, which is pretty much just a jaguar with human eyes.  The toucans freak out, because naturally they're afraid of "their most dangerous enemy."  I'm pretty sure no bird is going to wig out at an image of a jaguar on a tiny computer screen, but what do I know?

Dr. Newman says all they need to complete the transformation is more cells from the donor species -- jaguar, anaconda, and eagle.  I notice none of the traits from the other creatures have shown up in Bramford.  Maybe Foyt doesn't think anacondas and eagles are sexy enough...

Bramford says he'll get what they need, and Eden protests.  Then we get more "romance."  And I'm subjecting y'all to it because I'm cruel like that.

Speechless, she watched Bramford glide up to her.  Lovely, golden light fell on his muscled chest.  Like a sleight of hand, the arrogant man she detested disappeared, leaving behind his primal self.  Here was the one who had saved her from drowning.  His touch thrilled her.  His confidence inspired her.

He looked deep into her eyes.  In that instant, Eden felt truly seen.  The sultry sound of his breathing washed over her.  Her chest grew soft and velvety.  She felt herself sinking into the green, fathomless pools of his eyes. -- p. 145

Ewwwwwwwwwwww...

Eden says that getting her father proper medical care should be top priority and accuses Bramford of not caring.  He tells her that it must be nice to look at life so simply, and tells the doctor to start preparations to accelerate the process.  The doctor warns him that once the changes pass critical mass, they'll be permanent, Bramford says it doesn't matter, Eden whines, and then end chapter.

I'm still not getting how turning humans into panthers is supposed to save humanity.  If anything, you're just rendering humankind extinct and replacing them with more panthers... and I'm sorry, but jaguars are NOT magically immune to extreme heat, and Foyt has NO idea how genetics are supposed to work, and why doesn't TV Tropes have a "Somewhere a Geneticist Is Crying" trope?

Also no mention of who Rebecca is... if this ends up not coming up again this book I'm going to hurl it at the wall.  Again.