California's Daily News
Sunday September 23, 2084
An Exclusive Interview with Jenna Fox, the girl who survived the accident.
R: How did it feel the first couple days, after you woke up from the coma?
J: I don’t really remember the first day, but my parents told me I cried, on waking. The first few days were difficult. My mind and body had thrashed out of control. My father kept telling me that I had improved. I only remember that, one day I could walk and another day I couldn't. But my dad kept telling me "time heals".
R: Did you like having the video tapes to help you remember your old memories?
J: The videotapes did bring back some memories. My father was right when he said that time heals. From these videos I learned a lot about my life before the coma. These videos unraveled some secrets, and answered my questions.
R: What did you think Mr. Bender was like when you first met him?
J: Well, my mother called him curious, odd, and strange. When I first saw him his personality was just like mother described. Whenever I talked to him I could see how honest and trustworthy he was; I found this very curious. Then I learned a lot about him and he was very interesting, I used to go to his house all the time. Mr. Bender was a very nice man.
R: How did you feel when you found out you were made out of Biogel?
J: I was mad, I felt like I was an illegal monster. I had so many questions about myself. My environment at that time felt like hell. I wondered if I had lungs or is this just a remembered action. I wanted to escape but I couldn't I was trapped by something. I didn't understand my black void, and I shuddered and repulsed at everything.
R: When you found out you had a shelf life what did you do?
J: When I first found out I had a shelf life I began laughing. My parents told me that it wasn't unusual, I started getting mad. I kept yelling at them and exclaimed that it's unusual for a living thing to have a shelf life. I couldn't believe this, my arms flew above my head, and I started to mimic claries nervous gestures. I felt like a freak.
R: How did you feel when you found out you were programmed?
J: The first things that came out of my mouth was “How dare you!” "How dare you play with my brain!” These words had sent a shockwave through the room. No one spoke at all. I kept screaming at my parents. I wondered if I was doing this of my own free will but I was not sure, but I was so mad that I was being controlled! My parents had even uploaded the tenth to twelfth grade curriculum. None of my memories were really mine they were just uploaded.
R: Do you think your parents did the right thing by saving you?
J: At first I was really mad at them, they tried explaining to me that I was losing fluid, my body was being overtaken by infections, and how I was on the verge of dying. My parents told me that they made the decision of saving me in a closet. According to my parents, any parent would save their child just like they did. I was confused, frustrated, and mad. Now I am happy that my parents saved me.
R: How did the accident happen?
My mom and dad were away for the night; Kara, Locke, and I wanted to go to this stupid party we were not invited to, and no one there knew us. None of us had a car so we took my parents car. I gave Kara the keys and we drove to the party. Crashing the party was very fun for about 5 minutes. Then for some reason I believe a fight broke out. We were very scared so we ran, I gave the keys to Kara and we left. Kara quickly sped out of there, the whole time Kara had her foot on the accelerator and no one noticed, not even her. When the curve came up Kara tried to stop the car but she braked too late. The car spun, and there were those last minute shouts of my friends. We all went flying out of the car, glass shattered everywhere. I never saw Kara and Locke again.
R: How did the first day of school go for you?
J: The first day of school was very interesting. When I saw the school it looked small, and run-down. This made me think who would go to a school like this. A woman named Mitch was the facilitator, she was the one to take me to my classroom and show me my teacher Dr.Rae. When I entered the classroom I recognized Ethan, he didn't smile but his eyes were on me. I also met a girl named Allys and this weird kid named Dane. There was also a kid named Gabriel; I clearly remember that he said "Welcome to freaks unlimited." That day I found out that all the kids in this school had something that affected their life. We were all freaks.
R: How did you feel about having backups for Kara, Locke, and you?
J: I felt like we were trapped in a whole different environment. It was like a nightmare. My insides had tightened up, and I was breathless. At that time I didn't know if I should have laughed or cried. Kara and Locke now lived in a dark world. I heard their voices almost every night telling me to help them, set them free. Then Lily and I made a plan to get rid of the backups. I started screaming for help, my parents ran up to my room. I slip out, Lily locks the door. I wanted to free Kara and Locke so much that I took the backups and threw it into the creek to set them free. I was very pleased with my decision.
R: Why didn't Allys come to school? Did her parents do anything to help her?
J: Allys got really sick; her body basically started attacking itself, her liver started shutting down and, so did her lungs, heart, and kidneys. Pretty much all her organs were in some stage of failure. One day Allys’s parents came over to our house. They said that Allys was dying and that they needed help (they knew I was made out of Biogel). My mother and father took them into a room and they talked. Allys was saved and she now lives with me.
R: Were you sad when Ethan died? Do you wish you could have saved him?
J: I was devastated, but I had my daughter. I spent a good 70 yrs with him. My daughter Kayla has his coloring, wit, love of literature, and sometimes his temper. When we were young we spent a lot of time together, every time I saw him I could see the kindness and truthfulness in his eyes. I really wish he could have lived longer, but I still have Kayla and Allys to support me.
R: Are you mad at your father for being wrong about living for 200 years? J: Even though my father was wrong, I’m not bitter. I have learned that faith and science are the two sides of the same coin. It is separated by an expanse so small, but wide enough that one side can’t see the other. They don’t even know they are connected.