Of

Heaven and Hell

Φωτιά

By: Chris Sims

 ~Contents~
~*~
Prelude
Nightmare
4
On the Run
7
Nightmare Continued
11
Part 1: Resistance
Day 63
14
First Contact
24
Day 68: The Resistance
38
Hell
Part 2: Aftermath
Freedom
One Year Later
Part 3: Darkness

2
Prelude

3
 Nightmare
Rain drops exploded as they fell onto the cobblestone
that made up the town square, the sound of it colliding with the makeshift roofs of
the towns few houses could be heard off in the distance. The air was filled with the
sound of angry yells; the voices cutting through the rain with a sharp tone. The
voices were only drowned out by the clash of thunder as lightning streaked across
the sky. In the square, a large group of people had amassed. They had surrounded
a large stone platform near the top of the square which served as a stage for
traveling bards and the occasional actors’ guild. The square is always bustling with
activity and filled with cheerful music — but not tonight.

4
 On the stage, stood a man motionless; restrained only by the chains
bounding his feet together and the chains wrapped around his spread arms, digging
into his already scarred flesh. He stood with an uncanny stillness, his body covered
in deep scratches and gashes. He was shirtless, leaving the crowd to see his marks
of shame. His once fancy cloth pants now were in shambles. The man’s long, black,
shoulder length hair was drenched, partially covering his face. His face was wrought
with pain and anger. His narrowed eyes burned a fiery red. He stood bound in front
of all the people he’d once considered friends. He recognized faces of the people
he’d once cared about, his brother, his wife, and even his best friend —now his
mortal enemies. He stood fearless, despite the fate that was rapidly approaching
him. His heart beat slowly, his breathing calm. A few moments passed, and the
crowd began to grow restless, shouting obscenities at the bound man. They wanted
retribution, they wanted blood — and that was exactly what they were going to get.

A short yet muscular man climbed onto stage; cheers breaking out across the
crowd at the sight of him. He turned to face the crowd, revealing his small and
somewhat contorted face. “Now, now; my good people,” his voice was loud and
raspy as he attempted to make himself heard over the crowd. “Vengeance is
coming, but you must be patient. Tonight, we send off one of the devil’s minions,
but not without pain!” The crowd cheered at the slightest mention of harm. “Soon
our prisoner will be executed, one more demon eradicated off the face of our land;
vanquished in the name of God!” Once again, cheers broke out.

“Kill him, kill him!” the people chanted, throwing their fists up into the air.
“Back to the hell from wince you came!” The chants grew louder and louder as the
people grew more and more tiresome of waiting.

The man in chains stood now with his eyes shut. He remained motionless;
deep in thought. They wanted pain; they wanted to see him beg for mercy.
“Demon,” he thought to himself. “Demon. If only they knew…”

Another man climbed onto the stage. The crowd broke out in cheers once
again, as though they were witnessing the return of a hero. This man was much
taller than the first and more muscular as well. He wore a black outfit, with a black
veil over his face. In his large, seasoned hands, he held a leather whip. Their
punisher had arrived.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it is time to bid farewell to this abomination to our

faith. Tonight, we spit in the face of the devil. We cleanse this world of the evil
tainting it. Look now at how his eyes glow with the very essence of the devil
himself! May God smite him with his might!” A large flash of light appeared as the
lightning danced across the star-lit sky, the thunder echoed on for miles, and all had
gone quiet, as though God himself had answered. The crowd now repeatedly thrust

5
their fists upward into the air. “Many times before we have rid of the devil’s men.
Witches and heretics alike, but for the first time, we execute a demon. The purest
form of evil apart from Satan himself!” A grim smile broke out across the man’s
face. The crowd was ready. Now was the time to spill his blood. “Without further
ado, let the retribution begin!”

The man in black dropped the end of the leather whip. He stood before the
bound man, brandishing the whip before him as though he were a man showing off
his greatest accomplishment to his mortal enemy. “Any last words monster?” he
asked gruffly. The man closed his eyes, the red glow disappearing behind his
eyelids. “Fine then. You won’t stay quiet for long. Let’s see you keep your
composure after being beaten. You’ll be begging me for mercy.”

The man in chains opened his eyes, glaring at the man in black; His face
drawn into a sinister, mocking smile. His lips parted to let loose a bone-chilling
laugh. The eyes of the torturer narrowed. He gathered the spit in his mouth and
spat it out, landing on his prisoner’s face. His laughter stopped, his grin turned into
a scowl. “You’ll pay for that you filthy maggot.” His voice was filled with hatred,
muffled behind clenched teeth.

“Oh really, we’ll see about that demon,” he said spitefully. His patience with
his prisoner was gone. He stepped behind him, and lashed the whip onto the
concrete of the stage. It struck with a loud snap, resembling that of the thunder
overhead. He stood back, taking careful aim of the man in front of him. He pulled
the length of the whip through his hands, the wet leather sliding across his skin.
With a simple flick of the wrist, the whip lashed out once again, but this time
striking the flesh of the man’s lower back.

The prisoner’s eyes were jolted open by the sting of the whip on his back, His
eyes were now bright red, burning with hatred. His teeth were clenched, repressing
his urge to scream out against the agony.

The lashings continued, jeering more and more cheers from the crowd. The
man’s back was crimson with blood. Though he was strong, he could not keep his
posture for long. His screams cut through the air as easily as the lightening in the
sky; but this was only the beginning. — The execution was still to come. His captor
still stood well and alive; “—but not for long,” he thought to himself. Another lash
stuck his back, as he let out a final blood curdling scream. Suddenly, his whole
world faded to black. He was helpless; his pride taken from him. For this, there
would be hell to pay.

6
 On the Run
The world flew past him at lightning speed. He
tightened his grip on the reins, feeling the pressure of the impending doom to
come. His mind focused on the rhythm of the clomp of the hooves against the
heavy ground, paying no attention to the chaos ensuing around him. He hoped only
that people were agile enough to sidestep his steed. If not, well, one life is a small
cost to pay for the lives of thousands.
He tugged the reins the left, his horse veering off the main path and onto a
side street. Hopefully there would be less people there. It was early morning, and
the shops were not yet open for business, so with any luck it should be deserted. To
his surprise, he was mistaken. At the end of the path, about 40 yards ahead stood
four heavily armored guards wielding halberds, each pointing towards him. The man
pulled back on the reins, slowing the horse to a slow trot. One of the guards stepped
forward, and immediately, the man recognized that his pauldrons were painted
white, the sign of a general. Perhaps he would pose a problem. More of a minor
inconvenience than anything to the man.
“Halt!” yelled the man with a strong sense of authority. He stood strong, and
was not going to be easy to persuade to move.
The man pulled the reins back once again, brining the horse to stop one foot
in front of the general. He let out a sigh, and slipped off the horse, stroking its mane
and patting its back. “What can I do for you gentlemen on this fine morning?” He
looked innocently, as innocently as he could, at the general, who had back peddled
to where his men were. “This shouldn’t take long,” he thought to himself.

7
 “Where do you get off gallivanting around my city like some kind of hooligan?
I ought to put you in shambles and throw away the key.” The general stepped
forward, as to be face to face with his next victim.
“I am but a simple merchant who is running late. My employer will be very…
dissatisfied if I am not promptly on time.” It was a hollow lie, but the general didn’t
seem to keen on anything other than arresting him.
“Really, so tell me, what exactly do you sell? Judging by the look of your…
cargo, I would say that you either sell air or stupidity. Maybe both. Now I ask you
again maggot, what do you think yourself to be doing?” His weathered face
narrowed into a scowl.
“Since you insist on troubling me, I have come with every intension of killing
you where you stand, now please, if you will, step aside.”
Drawing his sword with an amused look on his face, the general responded,
“One lone man thinks he can take on five trained guards at once. How adorable.
Were you born stupid or something? I said, move along! Or better yet, you’re under
arrest. Men, apprehend him.”
Instantly, the man noticed that the guards hesitated in following their
general’s orders. Common sense tells you than when one man challenges five
without even the slightest hesitation, that he is either bluffing, or he is about to
slaughter everyone. As the man always said, “the brain is the mightiest of
weapons.” Knowing that he was about to be attacked, he planned out his course of
action. The general had a clear gap in his armor exposing his neck. One stab and he
was finished. Two of the guards held their halberds nervously, just one unexpected
blow and they would drop their blades. One guard wasn’t wearing a helm at all. One
simple hilt bash to the head, and he would be taken care of. The last guard stood
his ground strong. He would obviously pose a threat. The man had no doubt that he
would have to fight him normally.
Without warning, the general charged the man, who side stepping at the last
moment, easily dodged the attack and kicked the man in the small of his back
without even looking. He went tumbling into the steps of a clothing shop. The other
guards charged next, and the man drew forth a falchion from the hidden sleeve on
his back. He stood motionless, letting the men come to them. “Precision is deadlier
than force,” he told himself, recalling his plans. The first man rushed, thrusting his
halberd forward. The man sidestepped the blow, grabbed the shaft of the weapon,
and pulled it forward, pulling the man forward and onto his chest on the hard
ground. Wielding the halberd, he swung at the next guards legs, easily knocking
him off balance. Then, the helmless guard rushed him. He took a slash at the man,
the head of the halberd catching the back of his wrist. A jolt of pain surged up to his
brain, and without a second thought, rushed the man bringing the hilt of his falchion
down on the guard’s head. The guard fell to the ground with a loud clank, as the
plate armor collided with the cobblestone street. The second nervous guard struck,

8
but the man parried the blow with his falchion, and wrapped his blade around the
guard’s side of the halberd and forced it downwards towards his arms. Then,
unexpectedly, the guard forced the halberd forward, striking the man in the temple,
knocking him down. The guard raised the halberd above his head, preparing to
slash downward. This revealed a gap in his armor between his plate body and his
greaves, and with lightning reflexes, the man thrust his blade into the gap, feeling
no resistance as the blade slid quickly into his stomach muscles.
The guard dropped his halberd, clanking to the street merely an inch away
from the man’s head. He quickly sprung to his feet, grasping the halberd as he rose.
Once he was on his feet, he took a step back and swung the blunt part of the
halberd’s blade at the man’s head. Stricken with surprise and fear of his wound, the
guard noticed all too late. The halberd collided against the side of the guard’s
helmet with enough force to render the guard unconscious and send the helmet
flying off his head. The other guard finally rose to his feet, took aim with his
halberd, but quickly dropped it and took off for the end of the alleyway. While
watching the guard run, he quickly noticed that the general was nowhere in sight.
The man shrugged his shoulders and resheathed his falchion and knelt down
beside each of the guards checking their conditions. Two were unconscious as
expected, while the last was dead. He hadn’t expected the man to bleed out so
quickly. He removed the man’s helmet and closed the man’s eyes. While kneeling,
he pressed his hands together and began saying a prayer.
Suddenly, an arrow whizzed by the man’s head, startling him. He rose to his
feet and looked behind him and saw that the general had went for reinforcements.
He now stood with what he could see looked to be around thirty more guards. This
time, some were armed with bows. That would be trouble.
“Rest in peace friend,” the man said kneeling down and placing the helm
onto the guard’s head. In one fluid motion, he rose to his feet and quickly mounted
his horse. He grasped the reins and leaned forward, making himself a smaller
target, and not a second too soon. Arrows began flying past him as his steed shot
forward. With fifteen seconds, he rounded the corner and found himself back in the
middle of a busy street. He surveyed the path, looking for guards. The way looked
clear, and the road was too packed with people to travel by horseback. He spotted
an alleyway a little further down the road and decided that he would leave his friend
there to rest. He rode the horse to the place, hopped down and secured it to a hook
attached to the outside of some place of business.
“I’ll be back Ignis. Keep safe my friend.” He patted the horse once more. Ignis
let out whimper, not wanting this master to go. “Now, now dear friend, I shall be
fine. I have come to do a task and I am more than prepared for it. I swear to you, I
shall return shortly. Then we shall leave this place and take a retreat to somewhere
nice. You will have all the carrots you can eat.” The horse lifted its head and
neighed in excitement. “Though, watch the carrots or you may put on too much

9
weight and I’ll have to retire you.” If horses can glare, it did so at the man. “Only
joking pal, now if you will excuse me, I have a life to save,” and just like that he
disappeared off into the crowd.
He quickly found that making his way through the crowd was much more
difficult than expected. People were headed in every direction. The road was
packed as the citizens of the town rushed off to get ready for the day.
Shoving people as he went, he made his way to a narrow alleyway between a
tailoring shop and a barber shop. He continued down the alleyway, hoping to find
some faster route to the church. He hadn’t much time left if he had any hope of
saving the man’s life.
At the end of the alleyway, he found that another alley lay perpendicular to
the existing alleyway, leading between the shops. Looking ahead, the path was
clear, apart from random crates and other junk left behind by either shopkeepers or
the homeless. He took off quickly, his stride eventually breaking out into a sprint. It
was a good distance, and the man was already tired from his journey. He stopped
briefly to catch his breath and was startled when he spotted a puddle on the ground
that had formed where some stones had sunken into the earth. Kneeling down, he
took a handful of water and washed his face with it, checking his reflection in it to
see the results. That is when he noticed it. For an instant, it seemed as though the
man had no eyes, and that they were replaced with fiery orbs. He quickly rubbed his
eyes, and the fire was gone.
“Good lord, I must be going bloody insane,” the man thought to himself,
rising to his feet. He set off again, the image of his almost demonic eyes burned
into his brain. As he ran, his vision began to blur, but he felt strangely invigorated.
He also noticed that he was abnormally hot. It seemed as though he suddenly
became drenched in sweat. He wasn’t sure if it was the heat getting to him, but he
could’ve swore that he had sped up a good amount. What the hell is happening to
me?
At last, he emerged from the alleyway, the courtyard in front of the church
was just across the road. The man knelt against a wall and took another chance to
catch his breath. He was so close, yet he’d never felt so far away. His newfound
strength was now all but gone. He rose once more to his feet and broke out into a
sprint across the road, sending town-goer’s to the ground. The came to a stop at
the entrance of the courtyard. Once again, he felt invigorated, and his vision began
to blur. This time, he’d felt hotter than the last. He took off into a powerful sprint,
shoving passerby’s out of the way as he went. I’m almost there. Hold on dear
friend.
He collapsed beneath the arch that stood above the entrance of the church.
Typically, he would stop to view the engravings on the building as he had done so
many times before, but this time was different. Without a second though, he pushed
open the large maple double doors, revealing the church and its contents before

10
him. Standing at the altar stood the elderly man who he had rushed to save. He had
a horror-stricken look on his face.
“There is someone here who will attempt to take your life. Please, you must
go now before it is too late.” His voice echoed through the old church, causing the
people to cringe; all but one. Without warning, the man broke out into a sprint once
again, rushing towards the man at the altar. At the same time, he saw the man who
had appeared unaffected rise to his feet and stare directly at him. That’s him. He
was halfway to the altar when the assassin rushed forward, towards the elderly
man. I’ll never make it in time.
The man collapsed to his knees, all his strength was gone. His vision was all
but shot, he could barely make out the outline of the assassin standing straight
ahead, withdrawing a hidden dagger, and rushing to stab the man at the altar.
I’m too late. I can’t save him. Tears filled the man’s eyes, knowing that he
was powerless to stop the assassin. The man then recognized the face of the
assassin, he was his father’s best friend, also the duke of the town.
“FATHER!” screamed out the man in horror, watching the assassin plunge his
dagger deep into his father’s heart. He saw the light in his eyes go out, and watched
as his limp body fell to the ground with a deafening thud. The man’s hand shot out
in front of himself in horror.
He wasn’t sure how it happened, or what exactly happened, but for that one
moment, his body felt numb; ice cold. His field of vision faded, and he blacked out.
The last thing he remembered hearing was his father’s best friend screaming in
unbearable pain, along with the scent of what could only be described as burning
flesh.

11
 Nightmare Cont.
The prisoner’s eyes were jolted open by the sting of the whip on his back.
His eyes were now bright red, burning with hatred. His teeth were clenched,
repressing his urge to scream out against the agony.
The lashings continued, jeering more and more cheers from the crowd. The
man’s back was crimson with blood. Though he was strong, he could not keep his
posture for long. His screams cut through the air as easily as the lightening in the
sky; but this was only the beginning. — The execution was still to come. His captor
still stood well and alive; “—but not for long,” he thought to himself. Another lash
stuck his back, as he let out a final blood curdling scream. Suddenly, his whole
world faded to black. He was helpless; his pride taken from him. For this, there
would be hell to pay.
As he blacked out, his mind wondered back through the events of the past
week. His father’s death, his attack on his father’s best friend, more so the sight of
his charred body, his arrest, his trial, for burning a man alive using the power of the
devil, and now to his execution. The man wasn’t a killer. He knew that in his heart
that he was meant to be a hero, but something about the death of his father’s best
friend seemed to be accurate. Somehow, he knew that it was in fact he who had
burnt the man alive. Although he wasn’t sure how; his mind venturing back to the
memory of seeing his flaming eyes in the alleyway mere minutes before his father’s
death.
Demon. Maybe they were right. I killed that man, but of all the people for the
devil to possess… Where did I go wrong? I tried to save him, I tried my hardest. I
failed; watched him slaughtered by a man he once trusted with his life. Killed by his
own people, murdered by his own friends. The whole town stood behind it. A heretic

12
they called him, his punishment: death. An innocent man killed out of fear. It
doesn’t matter now. Today is the day that I shall die, whether it be at their hands or
my own, I am not ready to lay down my life yet. If today is truly my last day and hell
is my destination, then I shall make a sacrifice to my future master. They want to
see me burn, and so they shall.
His vision slowly returned, and the burning of the open wounds on his back
were gone. Once again he felt numb.
“Our friend has returned to us,” the short man was standing in the same
place that he stood before. “Now tell me, how does it feel to betray everyone you
once loved? Was it worth standing up for you father? Was he too an agent of the
devil?”
“My father was a good man. It is you who are working for the devil.” The
man’s face twisted once more with anger. “You call me a demon, but it is you who
struck down an innocent man. Killed him out of your own fear of change.” The
man’s gaze shifted out to the crowd that stood before him. He began to address
them. “I stand before you, you were all once my friends. Many of you I knew
personally. I see my own family has gathered before me. I loved you all once. Now,
it is you who have condemned me to this. For those of you who do not know me, my
name is Auron DeCesar. It wasn’t long ago that I owned my own pub in the trade
district. I spent my life’s saving to start it, but look where it got me. I was bored with
the simple life, I felt as though there was something… more to who I was. I wanted
to be a hero, to help people. And well, I became just that. Now you are on the verge
of taking my life, the life of a hero.”
The crowd erupted into an uproar shouting numerous obscenities at Auron.
He clinched his fists and gritted his teeth. This was the time. “So, you wish for me to
die, then so be it. I shall die before your very eyes and so shall you all.” Suddenly,
the crowed quieted and the only sound that could be heard was the rain pounding
down on the town.
The man closed his eyes, clinching his fists tighter than ever. He focused on
his anger, on seeing his people betray him, on seeing his father’s death. He felt his
mind become hazy and he became numb once more. He focused all his rage into
the idea of killing himself and everyone there. His eyes shot open as he let loose a
blood-curdling scream. His vision was blurry, and he wasn’t sure if what he saw was
real, but he hoped that it was. His arms had suddenly become engulfed in flames.
It’s working.
He pushed harder, and soon his whole body was aflame. Then, he made one
final push and before his eyes, and before the crowd, the fire expanded. The crowd
watched in horror as Auron exploded like a fiery bomb. The people began screaming
and took off running for dear life. Little did they know that it would do them no
good.

13
 The aftermath of the scene would haunt all who saw it for the rest of their
lives. Everything in sight had been burnt to the ground. The town square was filled
with charred skeletons. On the platform laid Auron. His body looked scorned by
smoke, but there was no sign of burns.
Betrayed by everyone he loved, he lashed out once more, killing himself and
all those he once considered friends. In one day, a great hero turned into vengeful
demon, an angel fallen from grace.

Part 1

Resistance

14
 Day 63
The voice over the intercom chimed in the
same as it did every day. “Subject 17, we are awaiting your next log
as well as the results of your UAIT. The UAIT has been preloaded to your console
and is awaiting upload. Please complete the UAIT and submit it for research
purposes.”
“Ugh… Forgot about the damned UAIT,” complained Ethan. He pulled himself
out of bed and rubbed his eyes with his palms. Yet another boring day in the life of
a slave. He made his way over to the mirror which hung above the sink. He instantly
thought of the dream he’d just had. Or was it even a dream? It was much too vivid
to be a normal dream. There was so much detail, it was almost like it was real.
He had been held at this place for what seemed like months. His outside life
had all but disappeared into his mind. His friends, his family, it all seemed like
nothing more than a fantasy at this point. The closest thing he had to a friend now
was the damned intercom next to the door. It was the first thing he heard every
morning. He’d grown to hate it within the first week of being there. He made a
promise to the evil little device that if he ever got out of there, he’d come back and
get revenge on it. Of course, this worried him. It wasn’t normal to feel resentment
towards a piece of metal. He felt as though he were slowly losing his mind.

After brushing his teeth, he sat down at the computer which, much to his
displeasure, sat two feet away from the toilet. His room consisted of a single room.
Its contents were entirely white, and there we no windows. The only outlet to the

15
outside world was a heavy steel door, and even it lacked any form of window. It was
more along the lines of solitary confinement rather than living quarters.
The computer whirred to life as Ethan groaned, dreading the task ahead. The
UAIT was required of him weekly as a way to track his progress, or lack of progress.
The UAIT consisted of 10 questions, each of them asking if his life had been any
different than normal. Always, he answered them exactly the same. There were
three different forms of the test and he pondered which one he would be graced
with this time.
After complaining to himself about how slow the console was, he proceeded
to log in and was immediately greeted by the UAIT. He scanned the test briefly. “Ah,
so I get test B today huh? Haven’t had that one in a while.” He clicked the BEGIN
button on the test and read the first question.

1. Have the test subject experienced any abnormal changes to the senses? No.
2. Have you felt recently empowered physically in the past week? No.
3. Have you had any strange dreams or nightmares? Yes. “Wow, that’s a first.”

Instantly, the computer popped up a window informing him that he would need
to meet with his advisor after his duties were finished. He promptly closed the
window and continued on with his test.

4. Have you felt sick and or depressed over the past week? Yes. “This place blows.”
5. Have you felt increased brain activity in the past week? No. “Less actually…”
6. Have there been any changes in your sleeping pattern? No.
7. Have you had any recent change in appetite? No.
8. Have there been any unexplainable and or odd occurrences? No.
9. Have you answered the above questions with full honesty? Yes.
10. What do you wish to have for dinner? Options: Soup. Steak. ERROR:
NOT VALID. Soup chosen by default.
“Well, it was worth a try I guess,” Said Ethan sinking down into the computer
chair. He clicked the submit button and the UAIT disappeared just as fast as it
came. He then double-clicked on the icon for his log. The file opened and the
following sprang to life on his screen. He was required by his superiors to log his
day to day life, even if it never changed.

Hyperion Industries Test Subject Log

Test Subject: 17
Day: 63
Day 63, has it really been that long? Ethan clicked in the entry field and wrote a
log of his actions of the day before. It was nothing more than usual, wake up, write
log, physical, conference, dinner, free time, and then bed. He set off into the log,

16
hopping to finish it as fast as possible. As much as he hated writing them, he
couldn’t help but feel sorry for the scientist who had to read each of the logs and
study them. It couldn’t be pleasant to read the same thing day in and day out.
He finished typing the last line and clicked the SUBMIT button. A conformation
message appeared and he let out a sigh of relief. “Thank god that’s over.”
“Subject 17, I have received this week’s UAIT and your log for the day. Due to
your response on the UAIT, you have been scheduled to meet with your advisor:
Isaac Marlin during your free period today. Failure to comply will result in
termination.”
“Oh wonderful. It’s okay, I didn’t want my free period anyway,” he said
sarcastically. “Damned commie bastards,” he mumbled to himself making his way
over to the bed. He glanced at the led screen above his bed, looking to see how
long he had.
Next: Physical. Time until: 15 minutes.
“He laid back in bed, hoping to get a little more sleep before setting off into the
rest of the daily routine.”

“Hello again subject 17. It is time for your physical. Your door will be
unlocked and you shall be escorted to the medical room at once. Please leave all
personal belongings behind. Thank you.”
Ethan opened his eyes, though he hadn’t gotten to sleep. He sat up on the
bed, waiting for the click that spelt out his temporary freedom from his cell. The
physical never took long. They took his blood pressure, drew blood, listened to his
heart, and whatever else they could think of. Ethan was dumbfounded by the
frequency of the tests, he couldn’t fathom why they would need to test him so
much. It felt almost as though they were looking for something. Of course, most
scientists are.
He heard the loud click followed by the sound of the tumblers unlocking the
door. He watched sleepy-eyed from the bed as the door slowly opened and an
armed guard walked into the doorway, weapon drawn.
“You know the procedure,” the guard spat at Ethan.
“Yeah, yeah, I’ve been here long enough. Walk directly ahead, arms out to
the side, no sudden movements,” mocked Ethan.
“Don’t be smart with me kid, or my finger may just slip,” threatened the
guard.
“Really?” he said half-seriously. “Trust me, you’d rather be dead than stuck in
this hellhole any day.”
“If you don’t get your ass moving, I’ll assure you that things can get worse.
Much worse.” Ethan knew that the guard was most likely bluffing, but it wasn’t a
chance worth taking.

17
 “Alright, let’s go get this damned thing over with,” he said rising from the
bed. He made his way out the door, the guard keeping him in his sights the entire
time. It was a relief to see the outside of his prison. Granted, it wasn’t pretty either,
but at least it offered more color than his room.

His room was at the end of a hallway filled with other rooms like his, each
numbered in order. His was 17. It started at 1 and ended at 34. The walls were
beige and the corridor was brightly lit. There was an eerie silence about the place.
They were the only people in sight. Each door was identical, the only difference was
the number painted on them in black.
Ethan made his way down the hall, keeping sure to hold his arms out straight
from the sides. “God, I must look like an idiot,” he thought to himself as he reached
the end of the corridor. He stopped in place, waiting for the guard to give him the
order to go left.
“Alright kid, go left,” said the guard in an annoyed tone. Ethan rounded the
corner and found himself in another identical hallway. At the end of it, he took a
right, which led to the lab area of the facility. Past the lab facility laid the medical
station.
“Hello Subject 17,” greeted the doctor. “I am Doctor Blane, and I will be
evaluating you today.” The doctor seemed unusually cheery for someone who
worked in such a drab place. What the hell is up with this guy?
“Alright,” he glanced at a clipboard he produced from one of the drawers
along the wall, “Ethan Harold Albright. Seventeen years old, blood type O positive,
no allergies, no health problems, and no prior symptoms.”
“No prior symptoms?” he asked himself. They had to be looking for
something, but what? “That’s me,” he spoke up, hoping to speed the doctor up. His
cheeriness was already getting on Ethan’s nerves.
“Alright then Ethan, shall we get started? I assume you know the routine.”
Before Ethan could answer, the doctor produced a stethoscope from one of the
many drawers. It was going to be a long day.
***
The physical flew by, and Ethan was now laying half-asleep in his bed. About
an hour had passed, and there was a 30 minute wait before he would get his dinner.
His mind began to wonder as he thought back to what the doctor had said: no prior
symptoms. What hell are they looking for? A disease? A mental disorder? A third
arm? The questions alluded to some sort of health problem. But something about
the situation did not sit well with him.
Though he didn’t sleep long before the intercom chimed in, he had another
dream. Though, this time, it was nothing more than just reliving a conference he’d
had with his advisor about a week sooner. It was very uneventful, other than the
fact that he was introduced to Leslie, a strikingly beautiful 20 year old blonde

18
bombshell. He was abnormally attracted to her, but he wasn’t sure if it was because
she really was that attractive, or that he hadn’t seen any other female for 56
straight days. Either way, he was sure that he wanted her. There was something
different about her. She didn’t dress in the typical scientist smock like the rest, she
wore the typical educated-college-girl apparel. She also spoke to him as a person
rather than a test subject. Though, he hadn’t a clue as to why he’d been arranged
to meet her. Granted, he was thrilled for actual company, it seemed utterly
pointless. Then again, so did everything else his captors did.
Pushing the memory behind him, he rose from bed once more and stretched.
As usual, he was excited for dinner to come, because his free time came afterwards.
This time however, it was for a different reason. Now he was looking forward to the
meeting with his advisor. Hopefully, something would make sense to all the
madness.
His door clicked once more, and swung open. The same arrogant guard from
before entered the room slowly, holding a plate with a bowl of soup on it that he
had taken off of his cart. As much as he hated the guard, he couldn’t help but
chuckle at the idea of the guard being his lunch lady, picturing him as such, hair net
and all.
“Dinner time,” he grunted as he sat the bowl down on the stand next to him.
He stood for a second and stared at Ethan in dead silence, before turning and
leaving his room, the door sealing behind him.
He wasted no time in downing the soup, if you’d call it that. It tasted almost
unbearably bitter, and seemed devoid of any pleasant flavor. It looked more like
colored water than soup. It wouldn’t surprise him if it’d been sitting out for a week.
Either way, he was finished and it was time for the meeting. He walked over to the
intercom next to the door and pressed down the red button and spoke to whoever
was on the receiving end. “This is Subject 17, and I have finished my dinner.” He
released the button and waited for a response.
“Very well Subject 17. Please leave your bowl on the stand and it will be
collected shortly. In the meantime, I see that you are registered for a meeting with
your advisor. An armed guard will arrive shortly to escort you to the confrontation
room.” He walked away from the intercom and sat back down on the bed.
Confrontation room. He didn’t like the sound of that. He suddenly felt a tinge of
regret for answering yes on that particular question on the UAIT.
Soon enough, a new guard arrived at his room. His nerves were shot, and for
the first time in a good while, he was scared. He’d wanted answers, but now he was
afraid of what he would learn. Hands trembling, he left his room with the guard. The
guard led him down many different hallways, and eventually Ethan lost all sense of
direction. Finally, they’d reached a wall that had only a very heavy steel door. He
typed in a pass code on the keypad (which Ethan memorized) and the door swung
open. Ethan was struck with awe upon seeing the actual door. It was solid steel, and

19
at least 2 foot thick, with a series of very complex locks. His fear had all but turned
into panic. He stepped into the room, heart in his mouth.
The room was innocent enough, but it scared him deeply as to the length that
they were trying to keep people out, or in. He was greeted by his advisor Isaac.
Isaac looked innocent enough, a humble balding man that couldn’t have been a day
over 35. Ethan made sure to keep his guard up, not knowing what was going to
happen. He sat down in the chair across the table from Isaac.
“Good evening, Ethan,” Isaac greeted him, extending his hand out in good
gesture.
Ethan took his hand and shook it, “Evening sir,” replied Ethan nervously.
“Now, now Ethan, you have no need to be nervous. I only wish to talk.” He
seemed sincere, but Ethan couldn’t be entirely sure. “So, why don’t you tell me
about the dream you had recently?” he asked curiously.
Ethan sat off explaining the dream in the vivid detail that he remembered it.
Isaac stared at him with a sense of wonder upon explain how the man had turned
himself into a human-fire bomb. Though it wasn’t what he preferred, he felt much
better having gotten that off his chest.
“Most intriguing. Strange things, dreams. Some people would even venture to
say that dreams are much more than a simple form of entertainment while you
sleep.” He rose from his chair and began walking back and forth in front of the
table, continuing with his lecture. “Some would even go as far as to think that they
are visions of the future. Personally, I think that the idea is preposterous. However, I
think there is a certain…” he stopped to look for the word, “truth to them. After all,
dreams are very vivid thoughts erected by the mind void of all emotion. Who is to
say that dreams are nothing more than our minds thinking on their own? Dreams
may be the most honest thoughts that shall ever cross a person’s mind. Perhaps
they do indeed contain some sliver of truth.” Isaac put his hands on the table across
from Ethan and leaned forward. “Dreams aside, I wanted to speak of your
progress.”
“My… uh… progress, Sir?” stuttered Ethan. His mind was still wrapped up in
the dream lecture, and he slowly though that Isaac was insane.
“Why of course. Even if you don’t realize it, you have made tremendous
progress here my son. In light of this, I am going to permit you to visit the common
room during your free period.”
“There’s a common room?” asked Ethan.
“Indeed. All of our more advanced subjects are permitted to spend their free
periods there. I think you will find it to be much preferred than sitting in your room
all day. Take this,” Isaac produced a small keycard from his lab coat and handed it
to Ethan. “That is what you will use to enter the common room.”
“Where is it exactly?” Ethan asked.

20
 “Room 10. Just insert the card in the slot beside the door. The door should
unlock. Be warned, you will be searched by guards, so don’t try anything.”
“Thank you sir.”
“You’re very welcome. However, before you go, there is one thing I may ask
of you.”
Ethan swallowed hard, “What do you want?” he asked nervously.
“Don’t be worried, I just wish for you to speak to my friend Leslie once more. I
think having another conversation with her shall help your progress.”
Ethan’s heart all but jumped out of his chest. “Certainly,” he responded,
eager to see the young woman once more. “May I ask you something Sir?”
“Ask away Ethan.”
“About Leslie. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy talking to her… but what is the
point of it? She’s just another one of you, what’s the difference between talking with
you, and talking with her?”
“Ah Ethan, you are mistaken. Leslie is not one of us, as you put it. Leslie is a
good friend of mine who just likes to cheer people up. I think that you will realize
one day that the two of you have much in common.”
Ethan stared at Isaac blankly. “Uh, sure.” It didn’t make any sense to him. For
a bunch of people who seemed to put an emphasis on misery, providing Leslie
seemed too odd to be normal. There had to be more to it. He knew that questioning
Isaac further would only arouse suspicion, and that it wouldn’t do any further good.
Besides, he shivered at the thought of how they could make his life worse than it
already was. Either way, he couldn’t for the life of him find anything that he would
have in common with a college girl. “So, can I meet with her now,” he asked
eagerly, putting his thoughts behind him.
“Why yes,” he said, clapping his hands together. “Feel free to take as long as
you want. You are free to continue your free time once you finish up here. Now take
good care of yourself, son,” said Isaac before walking out of the room.

Ethan sat in his chair, fidgeting with anything he could find. He stared across
the table at the metal door. It was apparent that he was nervous, but he wasn’t sure
if it was because he was seeing Leslie, or because of everything that was now
racing through his mind. Interacting with the people that were holding him prisoner
didn’t exactly put him at ease. Without warning, the door across from him swung
open and he saw the 5 ft tall blonde walk inside the room. Her hair was down past
her shoulders, and came to rest on top of her chest. He couldn’t help but smile upon
seeing her. Her eyes had an amazing blue shimmer to them; it felt wrong that
something that beautiful was in such a horrible place. Once more, she looked
radiant. She was dressed in a simple blouse and jeans, but she could’ve been an
angel as far as Ethan was concerned.

21
 “Hi Ethan,” she said in her usual cheery tone. She walked around the table
and put her arms around him and hugged him tightly. “How’ve you been?” she
asked, letting go, much to Ethan’s dismay.
“I um… good I guess.” There were butterflies in his stomach, and his brain
was on the verge of a meltdown.
“That’s nice to hear.” She said, sitting down on the edge of the table. A
troubled look came across her innocent face and asked, “Is there something
bothering you dear?”
Something in her crystal blue eyes made Ethan trust her, even though he
wasn’t sure it was a good idea. “Actually, yeah. I had this dream…” he continued to
explain his dream to her in the same detail that he’d told Isaac. She stared at him,
interested, the entire time.
“That’s crazy,” she said in amazement, her eyes widening.
“Yeah, and that’s not all of it. This place is hell. I know that they’re looking for
something. I know that I am some sort of test subject for some freakish experiment.
I just don’t know what.”
The troubled look came across Leslie’s face once more. “Look, I’m sure
you’re just over thinking things.”
“I’m not going crazy!” he said grabbing her arm.
She looked at him, shocked. Her mouth hung open for a moment, as if she
were trying to form words, but none would come.
“So, tell me a little about yourself,” she finally asked, catching Ethan off
guard.
“I um... well... what do you want to know?” he asked, becoming suddenly self
conscious.
“Well, let’s start simple. Where are you from?”
“Oh, Millersville, Maryland. It’s about an hour away from Baltimore. It’s an
okay place, but the city life is slowing finding its way into the neighborhoods.” His
mind wondered back to the happier times when he would walk home from school
every day, enjoying the quiet neighborhoods.
“Trust me, I know how that can feel. I grew up in Brooklyn. Though, my
parents got divorced when I was 15, and we moved to Rhode Island. I lived there
until I started…” she hesitated, “working here.” A sad look crossed her face.
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” he said, feeling a tinge of compassion.
“Thanks, it’s okay though. I’ve come to terms with it.”
“Oh. I just know what it’s like to lose a family member,” he said, feeling
suddenly upset as he relived memories that haunted him daily..
“What do you mean?” Leslie asked, touching his hand.
“My mom died about a year after I was born. My dad was in the army. He was
killed 3 years ago. I lived with my uncle after that. He just thinks that I am away for

22
the summer visiting a friend.” Ethan let out a sigh. “If only he knew what the hell
was happening to me.”
“Oh my god, you’ve had it a lot rougher than I have,” she said, hugging him
tightly. “I couldn’t imagine what it was like going through that.”
“It… it wasn’t fun. But, life goes on. I still had all my friends. Granted, they’re
probably all very confused as to where the hell I am. I made promises with them to
hang out over the summer. What about you? Joe is probably worried sick about me.
Though, he’s too wrapped up in Courtney to probably care. Anyway, what about
you? What are your friends like?”
“Oh…” she said, taken off guard by his question, “I don’t really have many
friends.”
“Isaac said that you were his friend.”
“Yeah, I’d use the term ‘friend’ loosely with him.”
“Oh,” he responded, knowing what she meant. Or at least, he thought he did.
“Well, you’ve at least got to have a best friend. Tell me about her. Or him.”
She stared blankly at the wall across from her for a moment before she
spoke. “Her name was Erica. I haven’t spoken to her in years though.”
“Oh, what happened?” Eric could hear the regret in her voice.
“We… didn’t see eye to eye for a while. We just kinda drifted apart. Finally,
she ended up here. I haven’t seen or spoken to her sense.”
“Damn, that sucks,” he said, looking into her eyes. He wanted to ask what
she meant by that, be he was afraid that he already knew.
A faint smile started to cross her face, but quickly disappeared. “Yeah it
does.” She looked at Ethan, and noticed that he was looking at her strangely. “Oh,
I’m sorry, it’s just that you remind me of my dad.” It’s been so long since I’ve seen
him.”
Wonderful. Here I am trying to be nice to her, and she tells me I remind her
of her dad. Yeah, I’m never getting anywhere. Wait, don’t girls like guys who remind
them of their father’s?
“Did you have any hobbies,” Leslie asked, interrupting Ethan’s thoughts.
“Oh. I uh, I was in a band for a while. Drummer. It didn’t work out though. I’m
also fairly skilled with Photoshop, if I do say so myself.”
Leslie smiled playfully. “Yeah, there aren’t many things I’m good at. Well,
there’s art, but that’s really nerdy.”
Chuckling, he said, “Hey, I think that’s cool. I’ve never met an artist before.”
“Whoa, I wouldn’t go that far,” she said, blushing. “I’m pretty good at
drawing and painting, but I’m nothing special.”
“Don’t be kidding, Leslie. I’m sure your work is great. I’d love to see some of
it sometime. You know, if I ever get out of here.”
“I’d like that.” She smiled, with a cheerful tone in her voice.
“So… about your dad. You said it’s been a while since you last saw him.”

23
 “He kicked me out when I was 17. The next thing I knew, Isaac brought me
here. I’ve been here ever sense.
“Oh. What’d he kick you out for? You seem like a really nice person.” Despite
his doubts, he wasn’t going to give up on this one. She was far too attractive for him
to just let go of.
“He thought that I was going to waste my life by doing art. He thought it was
foolish and naive. He always told me that I would never get anywhere with it.” She
closed her eyes and exhaled, Ethan got the sense that she didn’t want to continue.
“Maybe he was right.”
“Don’t think like that Leslie. Some people just don’t appreciate fine art.” Then
again, neither did he. He never saw a point in staring at a painting.
A hint of a smile appeared on her face as she opened her eyes. “Yeah, you’re
right. Maybe I will prove him wrong one day.” She stared off ahead of her, as if she
were watching something Ethan could not see. “One day, I will change the world. I
don’t know how, and it may sound silly, but I just know it’s true.”
Ethan doubted her words, but the way she said them almost had him
convinced. “It doesn’t sound that silly. It’s nice to have dreams.”
“What about yours,” she asked, pulling herself out of her daydream.
“Mine? Well, for starters, I am going to smash that damned intercom into a
thousand tiny pieces,” he said, laughing. He caught a glimpse of her trying to
suppress her laugh, and he had a feeling that it was the first time she’d laughed in a
very long time. “Honestly, I just want to be famous. I don’t really care what it’s for. I
just want people to know who I am. You’re not the only one who’s felt like they were
different. Like they were destined for something more.” He wasn’t lying. He’d
always felt that there was much more to him that he would ever understand. He
was destined for greatness, even if he couldn’t explain it.
“Maybe you’ll be a hero. You know, like Auron from your dream.”
“Yeah. Or maybe a villain. Villains get to have all the fun.”
“Maybe so, but good always prevails.”
“That’s just because they haven’t taken on me yet,” he said full of himself.
Leslie forced a smile and went back to staring at the wall.

A silence fell across the room. Ethan couldn’t think of anything more to say,
not without embarrassing himself. Leslie kicked her feet together, which were
hanging freely from the table. She seemed content with being around him. He
already knew that he had a crush on her. Though, he doubted that it would ever
amount to anything more than what it already did. He wasn’t about to give up
though. She would be his, he was sure of it. After all, he had all the time in the
world.
Finally, “I think it’s time for me to go,” she said whilst slipping down off the
table.

24
 “Oh. Okay then.” He was sad that he had to watch her go. He was more upset
that he wouldn’t have another chance to woo her for god only knows how long.
Talking to her had been the most fun he’d had for as long as he’d been there. As
much as he loved talking to the intercom, she made much better company. “Before
you go, I wanted to ask you something.”
“Sure, what is it?” she asked, turning towards him.
He hesitated at first, then asked, “Isaac said that you weren’t one of them.
What exactly do you do here?”
“Oh. I am just kind of a source of company for people being held here. I don’t
really have any other duties. I just like being able to help people.”
“So, you must know what is going on here. Please tell me, what are these
people looking for?”
The happiness seemed to drain out of her upon hearing his question, and her
shoulders tensed. “I… I’m sorry. I can’t. I wish I could, but I can’t.” He sensed that
there was some outside force that was fighting against him. They must have told
her not to talk. I swear, if I ever get out of this hellhole, I am going to kill every last
one of them.
“Please,” he said desperately. He grabbed her arms tightly, hoping to compel
her to answer him.
The gesture didn’t work, and she quickly pulled away from him with a
frightened look on her face. “I’ve got to go.”
“Leslie, I’m sorry. I just… please, don’t go. I need someone to talk to. I need
someone who understands, maybe even help,” he pleaded, looking into her eyes.
Though she looked afraid, he saw some sort of compassion in her eyes. She
looked as though she was on the verge of tears. Something told him that she knew
what he was talking about but could do nothing to help him. Or rather, show it.
“Ethan,” she said approaching him slowly, “if you have any more crazy dreams, put
in a request to see me. They should let us meet again. Just don’t make a habit of it.”
She looked at Ethan intently, almost like she was trying to convey a hidden
message to him. She stared at him until he finally nodded, thinking he knew what
she meant.
“Thanks Leslie,” he said hugging her again. “I think I understand,” he
whispered into her ear. God her body is amazing. She pulled away and gave him a
smile.
“Good. Take good care of yourself Ethan,” she said, tears welling up in her
eyes. “We will speak again soon I hope. I can’t wait to learn more about you.”
“Yeah, me too. Thanks again. I’ll miss you Leslie.”
She smiled at him once more. “I’ll miss you too,” she said with a tear running
down her cheek. Something told him that she meant it more than he could
understand. She waved and made her way towards the door. Once she reached it,
she turned to face him, smiled, and turned back towards the door. It opened, and

25
she walked through. As she did so, he saw her raise her arm and wipe a tear out of
her eye.

Ethan let out a depressing sigh as the door closed and sealed behind her. His
eyes were watery with tears upon saying goodbye to her. Something about her
touched his heart. He almost felt bad for trying so hard to get her to fall for him.

The room had suddenly become less peaceful, and he was once again
reminded of where he was. He heard the door behind him unlock, and instantly
knew that the guard was waiting for him. He sat back down in the wooden chair and
shut his eyes, and tried to understand what’d just happened.

He thought of the way Leslie acted when he asked about what she did at the
organization. The way that she hesitated about answering everything. The most
troubling thing was the way she’d looked at him before she left. What had she been
trying to tell him? What was it that she knew, that he didn’t? Was she really one of
them?

Then, out of nowhere, it dawned on him. “I think that you will realize one day
that the two of you have much in common.” He’d suddenly realized that Isaac was
right, only it wasn’t what he’d meant by it. He did have something in common with
Leslie: They had both been prisoners to the same organization.

26
 First Contact
Ethan didn’t bother to check out the common
room after speaking with Leslie. His mind was racing around the idea that Leslie
had once been in his shoes. She knew what was happening, and she was going to
help him. He spent the remainder of the day, (or was it even daylight? He’d never
once seen a clock since he’d been there) wondering what she’d been trying to tell
him. There was more to it than just to inform him that she was once a prisoner
there, he just wasn’t sure what it was. It was the last thought that crossed his mind
before drifting off to sleep.

The next morning, he awoke with a new idea swirling around his head. If she
truly could help, him, then maybe he could talk to some of the other people in the
common room, maybe tell them what he knew. Maybe they knew more than he did.
Maybe something would finally start making sense to him. Maybe they could all
work together and escape the vile place. After all, surely everyone else had to have
noticed something fishy going on. Although, part of him was afraid of the other
types of people he might find who have been going through the same hell as he.
Were they all his age? Would there be something wrong with him? Would he meet
people that had long since gone insane since being kept here? As much as he hated
to admit it to himself, he was scared.
He set out and finished his chores in record time. He made sure to leave no
hint as to what he spoke of with Leslie the day before. All he needed was his

27
overlords becoming suspicious of him. Once he completed his log entry, the
intercom chimed in, much to his displeasure, as it did every day.
“Subject 17, your log has been completed and received. Due to your good
behavior, you are being allowed to skip your physical. It will only be required of you
on the day that you must complete the UAIT. Thank you for your cooperation during
your stay.”
“Stay? Yeah, like I have a damn choice,” he spat at the intercom. It would be
a happy day when he would never have to hear the dreaded thing again. He sat
around the room trying to find something to do to occupy himself. That was the
worst part. There was only so much you could do before you went insane. He went
through his usual routine of looking back at his life and all the things that he’d done.
He knew that he wasn’t the nicest of kids, but he wasn’t much different from the
rest. It wasn’t uncommon for him and his friends to be out and about in the town
causing a ruckus. Although he’d always taken advantage of him, he missed his
uncle.
Ethan wasn’t always a trouble maker. Early in his youth, Ethan had been the
perfect child. He was smart, obedient, and nothing like he currently was.
Somewhere at the beginning of his teenage years, something changed. From
everything from underage drinking to vandalism and theft, he’d done it all. Luckily
for him, he’d never been caught. Though, his uncle knew well of what he was doing.
His uncle had ran his own successful flower shop and was rarely able to keep an eye
on his nephew. At the beginning of being stuck where he was, he considered that
maybe that was a very hard way of locking him up. Part of him wanted to change,
but deep down he knew that he was going to stay just the same.

Finally, his daydreams drifted back to Leslie. Had she been telling him the
truth? It sure as hell seemed like it, but he also knew not to doubt his superiors. Part
of him couldn’t shake the feeling that they were up to it. Either way, the look in her
teary eyes that day tugged on his heart in a way that he hadn’t felt for a long time.
He would trust her, his heart had already decided for him.
He spent the next half an hour taking a shower and shaving. He combed his
hair for the first time in what seemed like weeks, and picked out the nicest jumpsuit
he had. After all, he didn’t want to make a bad impression on the other “visitors.”
The last thing he did was make sure the keycard was secure in his pocket.
After getting ready, he pressed the button on the intercom and made his
request. “This is Subject 17, and I would like to request my free time now. I wish to
go to the common room.” He released the red button, and waited for the dreaded
voice to respond to him.
“Your request has been received,” there was a pause; “Your request has
been approved. Please stand by momentarily as the corridor is sealed and your
door is opened. Please have a nice day.”

28
 He heard the usual grinding noise, and the door swung open, and much to his
delight, for the first time, there was no guard waiting on him. He stepped outside his
room, his door shutting behind him and locking. He made his way left down towards
the entrance of the corridor, looking for Cell 10.
15, 14…11. Ah, 10. He walked up to the plain door and instantly saw the slot
for the keycard. He slid it out of his pocket and slid it into the quarter-sized hole. It
went mostly in, leaving only a little protruding from the slot. After a second, a green
light lit above the slot, and the door unlocked. Upon entering, he found himself in a
completely white room, not much larger than his own. There was a door on each
wall. By the one on the opposite side, he saw his favorite metal friend.
“Please remain where you are for debriefing. The guards will be along shortly
to search you before you are permitted to enter the common room. Please
remember that there is a live video feed of the room at all times. Obey all standard
safety regulations, and you should have nothing to worry about. Please have a
pleasant time.”
As soon as the intercom silenced, the doors to his flanks swung open and two
guards walked in from each side. “Put you hands in the air and state your name,”
one of the guards commanded him.
He raised his arms above his head and answered, “I am Etha… I mean,
Subject 17.” As he did so, two guards approached him and began patting him down.
After they completed their search, they backed off and made their way back
through the doors, leaving only one behind.
“Well Subject 17, you’re clean. You’re free to go in once the door unlocks. Try
not to cause any trouble.” He disappeared into the door that he came through. The
door across from him clicked, and swung open. He hesitated, then crossed the
threshold into the common room.

The common room was nearly five times larger than his cell, and was filled
with various bits of entertainment. In the middle of the room was a pool table,
occupied by three older men who looked to be in their thirties. Off in the corner,
there was a television surrounded by three couches. The couches were filled in with
people of varying ages, looking from about 12 to 40. In the other corner sat a
treadmill and a bench-press, neither of which were currently occupied. Along the
walls were numerous televisions equipped with various gaming systems, all of
which were occupied. In the corner to his right sat a couch next to a large
bookshelf. To his left sat a two couches opposite of each other with a end table in
the center. There was a guy who looked about 19 lounging on the couch with his
feet propped up. Upon looking at him, he nodded his head as a greeting, a motion
that Ethan in turn, returned.

29
 As he looked around amazed at seeing other people, a voice came from his
right. “So, I take it that this is your first time here?” Ethan was startled and turned
and saw that the guy to his left was who spoke to him.
“Yeah. It’s amazing. So much better than that damned cell,” he responded.
“You can say that again. Hey, why don’t you come over and have a seat,” he
asked, motioning for Ethan to join him.
Ethan took him up on the offer and flopped down on the couch across from
him. The guy across from him leaned forward and extended his hand out to Ethan.
“By the way, I’m Darrell.”
“Ethan,” he responded, shaking his new friend’s hand.
“Nice to meet ya Ethan.”
“Same to you.”
“So Ethan, how long have you been trapped here?”
“This is uhh, day 64 for me.”
“Well hell, you’re still a noob around here. See that guy over there,” he said
pointing at a bushy headed guy who looked to be in his early twenties.
“Yeah.”
“Well, that’s Glitch. At least, that’s what we call him. No one has a clue what
his name really is. He has been here for over 600 days.”
Ethan’s eyes widened in amazement. “Jesus, I’d go freaking mad.”
“You’d think he would too. Not old Glitch though, he’s a strange one. I’ve
never seen anyone so smart when it comes to technology. From T.V.s to military
surveillance, the guy knows it all. There’s nothing the dude can’t fix.”
“That’s kinda awesome,” said Ethan, feeling like he owed some type of
respect to the guy.
“Oh yeah, don’t worry about the cameras. They don’t record audio. Least
that’s what Glitch says,” he said nodding towards one of the many cameras in the
room. “So, if you have any questions, feel free to ask away.”
“Alright, what exactly are we being held here for?”
“If you haven’t caught on, they’re looking for something. Maybe they think
we’re aliens. Glitch reckons that we are some type of freakish genetic experiment.
Personally, I like the bit about the aliens. Makes things much more interesting to
daydream about that way.”
Ethan couldn’t help but think that Darrell was a bit strange. “So, this is
probably odd to ask, but have you had any crazy dreams?”
“Yeah, everyone has. I think it has something to do with the soup,” he said
only half jokingly.
“Glad to hear I’m not the only one,” he said, feeling a wave of relief come
over him. Maybe he wasn’t going crazy after all.
“Let me guess, they sent you to see Miss Leslie.”
“Yeah, they did.”

30
 “Quite a little number she is. She’s got a nice ass on her. Damn shame she’s
one of them.”
“One of them?” Had Leslie lied to him?
“Well yeah, what’d you think? They just introduce this smoking babe to you
and expect you to just chill out and trust her?” He shook his head in disgrace. “It’s
exactly what they want you to do. That’s how they weed out the people that are
plotting against them.”
“Wait, people have tried to escape?”
“Hell if I know. All I can tell ya is that there are some people who’ve just
randomly disappeared. Some of them were good friends of mine. Bastards either
got loose, or they’re six feet under.” His eyes narrowed as he looked at Ethan. “I’m
telling you dude, she’s bad news. You’d be wise to stay away from her. Don’t let
those boobs of hers get inside your head.”
Little late for that. He could understand Darrell’s concern, but he couldn’t see
Leslie do such a thing. There is no way someone like her would be working both
sides. It angered him to even consider it. One thing was for sure, if he’d wanted to
help mount a resistance, he’d have to leave her name out of it.
Darrell let out a powerful yawn. “Well man, I think I’ma call it a night. I’m
tired as hell. Nice to meet ya though Ethan,” he said pulling himself to his feet.
“Yeah, nice to meet you too.”
“So what, you wait till I walk my ass over here to leave?” Ethan’s head turned
to the side and saw that Glitch had approached unnoticed.
“Oh, sup Glitch? I’d stay and chat, but my ass is gonna hit the sack. Oh yeah,
this here is Ethan. He’s new around these parts. Try to talk some sense over the
boy. He’s in Leslieland.” Darrell shook his head and walked off.
“Nice to meet ya Ethan. Name’s Glitch, which I’m sure you’ve caught onto
already.”
“Yeah, Darrell told me about you. Nice to meet you.”
“Hey, don’t let Dumbass Darrell get to you. Guy’s more paranoid than I am.”
“Do you think he’s right about Leslie?”
“Hell no he ain’t,” he said with a taint of annoyance in his voice. “Trust me, I
know Leslie better than most. I can tell ya right now that you can trust her more
than Darrell any day.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” he said, feeling relieved.
“You know what, I like you kid. I don’t usually do this, but I have a present for
you. It’s a chip. It’s pretty simple to use. Just slide it into the little slot on the bottom
of your terminal. Just make sure you hide the fact that you’re doing it. They have
cameras everywhere.”
“How would you know?” he asked curiously.

31
 “Let’s just say that I know my way around computers. I’ve hacked into
everything other than their main system. Knowing my luck, if I did, the bastards
would find out, and everything would go to hell.”
Ethan couldn’t help but be impressed. “Wow, so what the hell is the chip for
anyway?” he asked.
“Shortly put, it serves as a sort of IM for prisoners. It’ll let you see who all is
online and let you talk to them via your terminal. Granted, the Man doesn’t know
about it.”
“Awesome. I could see where this could come in handy.”
“Yeah, and it’s secure as can be too. There’s no worries of the Man getting
into our conversations. So, if there’s anything sensitive that you need to talk about,
do it over that.”
“I see,” said Ethan nodding his head in understanding. “So, you know what
they’re keeping us here for?” His question was more of a statement than a
question.
“I know some. What I do know is that they are looking for something in our
genes.”
“They’re geneticists?”
“It seems that way.” A trouble look crossed his face. “If only we knew what
the hell they were looking for.”
“Any ideas?” he asked. Something about his composure told him that Glitch
wasn’t being fully honest. The one thing he was sure of was that he didn’t want to
get on Glitch’s bad side.
“Oh, I’ve got tons. None that make sense though,” he answered, shaking his
head. “One thing I can tell you, stay away from the soup.”
Ethan laughed at his suggestion. He caught a glimpse of the stern look on
Glitch’s face and knew that he wasn’t joking. “Really? What’s up with the soup?”
“Ever notice how tired you feel all the time?”
“Well, yeah. I just figured it as normal though.”
“Of course you would. There’s no clocks in the damn place for that exact
reason. They’re drugging us. The damn soup is laced with sedative.”
Ethan couldn’t say he was surprised by this. He became worried about what
other things his captors may be doing to them. “I’ll keep that in mind.” He let out a
deep yawn.
“Like I said, stay away from the soup.”
“But there’s nothing else to eat,” argued Ethan.
“Oh, you must still be on the lower levels. You see, after awhile, you get the
right to choose your food. I’d just have a talk with your supervisor to see if you can
get that privilege too.”
“Yeah, I’ll do that.” A world without soup was one that he was he was
certainly looking forward to.

32
 “Alright then Ethan, I’ve probably aroused enough suspicion by staying away
this long. I need to get back to my cell before they start worrying.”
“Alright, thanks for the advice.”
“Yeah, no problem. Just watch yourself.” Glitch rose from the couch and
made his way towards the door.
“It was nice to meet ya,” Ethan yelled after him. Even if he heard him, he
didn’t respond. Ethan yawned again, suddenly realizing that he was much more
tired than he was when he first made his way to the common room. The jitteriness
he had when he showed up was now replaced with drowsiness. It had been quite an
eventful day. He liked both Glitch and Darrell, although he was concerned by how
much Glitch seemed to know about the people who were holding him. On the other
hand, he didn’t like the way that Darrell seemed to think Leslie was working against
them. He didn’t know which one to trust, but when it came to getting out of his
prison, he would definitely need Glitch.
After playing a game or two of pool with a few of the older people occupying
the common room, Ethan made his way back to his cell. As the door locked behind
him, it almost felt like the last few hours, if it was even that long, was nothing but a
dream. He rubbed his eyes and took off his pants and shirt to get ready for bed. He
walked over to the sink and brushed his teeth. Halfway through, he remembered
the chip that Glitch had given him. He walked over and found it in his pocket where
he’d left it. He finished brushing his teeth and sat down at his terminal. He leaned
forward and found a slot on the machine. This must be where the chip goes. He
gently slid the chip into the slot. Instantly, the terminal whirred back to life. Instead
of receiving the typical “You have completed your tasks today, please power down
your terminal,” message that he usually got, a window popped up showing him a
list of numbers starting from one and going all the way to 200. Out of them, he
noticed that only a select few of them were lit up. He looked on the list and clicked
on 17, his number. That was when he noticed that it was grayed out. Suddenly,
another smaller window appeared on the terminal. The only thing that the window
contained was the number 56. Suddenly, a line of text appeared.
56: Yo Ethan, you there? It’s Darrell.
Reluctantly, he responded.
17: Yeah, I’m here, what’s up?
56: Not much. So, how you diggin Glitchs system? Pretty nice huh?
17: Yeah. Wait, so you’re Subject 56?
56: The one and only baby!
He was shocked by what this meant. He never imagined that such a large
number of people were being held.
17: So, they’re keeping 200 people here?
56: Yeah, Glitch says that they aren’t all occupied though.
56: It’s usually people who’ve disappeared.

33
 17: So, you guys really have no idea what happens to people when they
disappear?
56: Not a clue man. If Glitch knows, he ain’t talkin.
17: Darrell, we need to get out of here.
17: I want to try and escape, and I’ll need help.
56: For real?
17: What, you don’t want out of here?
56: Nah man, I do. Its just… damn. You know what, I’m in. I’m sure Glitch will
be in as well.
17: You know of any others?
56: Yeah, I know this guy named Wade. He’s as loud as they come.
17: Loud? How will that help? I think I see where “Dumbass Darrell” comes
from now…”
56: Oh yeah, you don’t know. Never mind then. Just trust me with this one. I’ll
rally everyone I can get. I’ll let you know if I make any progress.
17: Thanks. I’m off to bed. I’ll talk to you later.
56: Later man.

Ethan closed the window and shut down the terminal. He let out a sigh of
relief. Maybe his idea would work. Maybe he’d finally get out of the damned place.
He made his way over to his bed and collapsed into it. It wasn’t long before his
ideas of what to do after he gathered a resistance faded away as he fell asleep.
***
“Could you take any damned longer? How fucking long does it take to change
clothes? If you keep it up I might just have to make you change out here in front of
me.
“Yeah, you’d like that wouldn’t you pervert?” Leslie mumbled under her
breath as she pulled the pants of her jumpsuit up. Why they allowed her to dress
normally when interacting with other prisoners and then forced her back into the
ugly jumpsuit was beyond her. Before opening the stall door, she eased her
breathing and tried to regain her calm. She opened the door and saw Isaac standing
there tapping his foot impatiently.
“About damn time,” he mumbled to himself.
“Alright, let’s go. Just throw me back in that damned cell.”
Isaac grabbed her forcefully by the arm and began pulling her behind him.
Her calm evaporated as fast as it came. She jerked her arm backwards as hard as
she could, freeing herself from his grasp. A split second later, Isaac turned on his
heels and raised his arm across his chest and backhanded her. Her vision blacked
out and her legs crumpled under her. She hadn’t had enough time to brace herself
for the attack. The welt on her face was stinging, but it was tolerable. Her fists were

34
clamped together tightly. She knew that within ten seconds she could drop him
dead to the floor, but she knew that there would be hell to pay.
“Don’t you ever pull away from me again you stupid bitch!” he spat at her.
He grabbed her by the throat and pulled her to her feet. Leslie closed her eyes and
tried with all her might to keep from killing him. “I don’t care if you do have powers,
if you ever do that again, I’ll kill you.” She felt herself slowly suffocating from his
grasp on her neck. Finally, he released his grasp and she let herself fall to her
knees.
She watched as Isaac walked to the door to the bathroom and exited the
room. As she heard it lock behind him, she made her way to the door and pressed
her ear against it. On the other side of it, Isaac was speaking with the guard
standing by outside.
“Don’t bother being gentile with her. Go ahead and teach the whore a lesson.
Just make sure not to hurt her too much. It’s time she’s taught that she shouldn’t
talk back.”
“Gotcha boss.”
“And remember Harvey, you didn’t see anything.”
Leslie’s insides tightened, and for the first time in years, she was scared. She
quickly put her fear to rest and began looking for a plan. She knew she could defend
herself, but what good would it do? They’d just kill her anyway. Finally, the door
unlocked and she quickly scrambled into the corner. The guard walked in, gun
drawn. He pointed it at her. “Come over here,” he commanded her. She did as he
ordered. Her mind sped through ideas, looking for some possible way out of it, but
she could find none. “Get on your knees,” he ordered while using his free hand to
undo his belt.
Knowing she didn’t have time to plan anything, she’d just have to go by
instinct. In one fluid motion, she threw herself forward between the guard’s legs,
flipped over onto her back and kicked his legs out from under him. Completely
taken off guard, the man fell helplessly to the ground, his gun ricocheted off the
floor and away from where he was laying and landed in the corner, about 2 foot
from where he was. Now wasting any time, Leslie pulled herself to her feet and
dashed to the corner for the gun. As she knelt down to grab it, she was struck with a
hard blow to the small of her back, the impact shoving her into the wall. She turned
herself around to see the guard, now bent down picking up the gun. Without
warning, she kicked upward as hard as she could, striking the guard square in the
forehead. Yelling in pain, he rose and stumbled backwards. Taking the opportunity,
she kicked him once more between the legs, causing him to topple over onto his
side in pain. She knelt down and took the gun at last. By then, the guard had risen
once again and rushed her. Leslie easily sidestepped the large guard, causing him
to crash into the wall behind her. Leslie spun around and pistol-whipped him in the
temple, dropping him to the ground, unconscious.

35
 “So much for a plan,” she said, sitting the gun on the sink to her left. Now
what the hell do I do? I am so screwed. She checked her appearance in the mirror.
Her lip was busted, and her nose was bleeding. She also had a large scratch above
her left eye. There was no hiding the fact that she was in a fight. Well, not much
else I can do. Might as well head by to my room. She quickly searched the guard
and found his keypass. She gathered her clothes and left the bathroom, but not
before giving her victim a few more swift kicks between the legs. See if he ever
tries to rape someone again. Should’ve just shot him in the fucking head. She was
making her way down the hallway back towards her room. No, I couldn’t do that.
I’m a lot of things, but I’m not a murderer. I won’t succumb to their level, I’m better
than that. Her door closed behind her, and she quickly unzipped the front of her
jumpsuit and slipped out of it. She took her clothes that she’d worn earlier, and
quickly changed into them, discarding the jumpsuit into the trashcan in the corner.
She then took the keypass and hid it up inside her terminal, in case they came
looking for it, and she knew they would.
She collapsed into her bed, feeling exhausted both physically and mentally.
She wondered what would happen to her now. Surely, Isaac wouldn’t take what she
did lightly. I didn’t have a choice. No matter how much she told herself, she couldn’t
make herself believe it. There was always another way, she’d always had a plan.
Always. They won’t kill me. They need me too much. It was true. They did need her.
Without her, their operations would be slowed significantly. Granted, she didn’t
know exactly what the organization was up to, but she knew she had to been of
great importance. She had much more freedom than the rest of the people being
kept there. Obviously to persuade her to help them more.
Suddenly, she remembered what Glitch had last told her. She drug herself
out of the bed and sat down at her console. She quickly booted it up and accessed
Glitch’s program. She scanned the list until she found Glitch’s number. She opened
up her window and began typing to him.
89: I may or may have not almost killed a guard earlier.
01: You have a way with people Les.
89: That’s what they keep me around for.
89: He tried to assault me. I had to defend myself. He’s laying unconscious on the floor
of the ladies bathroom.
01: Dammit Les, I told you to steer clear of trouble. Does Isaac know yet?
89: He hasn’t come for me, so I’d assume not.
01: Yeah, okay, I really can’t think of any way to get you out of this one.
89: I didn’t figure you would.
89: They wouldn’t get a rid of me would they?
01: You know they wouldn’t. They need you.
89: What exactly are they up to?

36
 89: What haven’t you been telling me?
01: They’re collecting people who they deem “dangerous.”
89: What for?
01: There are some things even I don’t know.
01: Now, if I could get into their main system. Or rather, if I had the courage to…
89:What do you think they’re up to?
01: Honestly, I haven’t a clue. However, I can tell you that there’s been an increased
amount of chatter about your boy Ethan.
89: First off, he’s not “my boy,” and second, what exactly have they been talking about?
01: Nothing in detail. It’s obvious that they are planning on using him for whatever their
plans are. Did you get anything out of him?
89: Not really. I think he’s becoming a bit obsessed over me though. He just sat there and
ogled me the whole time I met with him.
01: Well, you are quite the looker :) Anyway, have you got the chance to poke around in
his head yet?
89: No, I haven’t had a chance to sleep yet.
01: Records show that he is in his room atm. Probably asleep as well. I’d do your best to
get to sleep before he wakes up if you wish to accomplish anything.
89: Okay, I’ll try.
01: Sleep well Les.
89: Thanks. Good night.
01: Morning actually. It’s currently 9:32 AM.
89: …Good night Glitch.
01: Night Les.

She crawled back into bed and quickly fell asleep, despite all the things
running through her mind. She focused her last few thoughts on Ethan as she fell
asleep, and it wasn’t long until their dreams became one.
The dream was simple enough, Ethan was standing in line at a random movie
theater. She was standing in the crowd outside. Her dream self focused on what she
was wanting to attempt, as her vision began go twist until the whole place became
deserted, all with the exception of she and ethan.
“Leslie!” he shouted, rushing out the door to greet her.
“Dammit,” she muttered under her breath before trying to bring the people
back into his dream. Within a few seconds, Leslie was once again lost in the crowd.
Ethan quickly gave up looking for her, when a random guy ran up to him.
“Yo dude, what was that babe you were chatting up?”
“Names Leslie. Hot isn’t she? I’ve been working on getting in her pants. No
damned luck though.”

37
 “Tough luck dude. Anyway, did you hear about those people that can do
weird shit?”
“Yeah. Bunch of freaks if you ask me. The way I see it, they all deserve to be
killed.”
“Maybe dude, but remember, your ass is one of them. You don’t have much
room to talk.”
“I’m not a monster like them though.”

Suddenly, Leslie noticed three men dressed in lab coats appeared. Once
again, the crowd disappeared, and only the three men, she, and Ethan were left.
She stepped out in plain view of the men. She threw walked over to a rusty minivan,
and hoisted it far above her head.
“She’s one of them! Get her!” one of the men yelled, rushing at her.
“Ethan! Help me!” she yelled. Ethan stood in place with a startled look on his
face. Now was the moment of truth. One of the three men pulled out a gun and took
aim at her. “ETHAN!” she tried once more. Her focus was on the man with the gun,
but she saw Ethan quickly turn and walk away. The gun fired, and pain shot through
her chest.
Leslie nearly jumped out of bed, startled awake by her dream. She buried her
face in her hands, rubbed her eyes. “I knew he couldn’t be trusted.” Not like we
have a choice though. She fell backwards into her bed again and snuggled up with
her blanket, focusing on getting back to sleep. It wasn’t easy, just realizing that her
plan may not go as planned, but eventually, she fell asleep. This time, her dreams
were her own.
***
“They shot her,” Ethan said, panting. He’d jolted upright from a deep sleep
just a few seconds before. “They… killed her.” Relax dude, you’re going crazy. It
was just a dream. Was it though? He felt as though it was real. He felt the fear as he
watched the three men attack Leslie. It felt as though the gunshot was still ringing
in his ears. He shook his head, hoping to shake away the nightmare he’d had.
Worse than the gunshot was what he had done. He didn’t even mean to do it. He
couldn’t. It happened the same was as it did with Auron. He simply focused and shot
flames out of his hands, burning the men alive. It felt so real to him at the time.
Even now, he felt as though his hands were unnaturally warm. He closed his eyes,
and attempted to focus the same way he did in his dream. He saw the fire shooting
out of his hands in his mind, but little happened. After many minutes of trying. He
gave one final push, squeezing his eyes shut, he felt himself become numb, and
suddenly, smelt smoke. His eyes shot open and realized that his blanket was
smoldering. He quickly threw it on the floor and stamped it out. He then collapsed
onto the bed, his eyes wide with fear. This time, it wasn’t a dream.

38
 He spent the rest of the morning trying to recreate what he’d done, but had a
very small rate of success. He managed to heat things up and even shoot flames a
short distance out of his hands, but it was far from the flamethrowing he’d seen in
his dreams. That morning, he made sure to leave what’d happened out of his log.
All he needed was for them to find what they were looking for in him. No matter
how much he told himself that it was real, he didn’t register in his brain.

A good distance away, Leslie had woken up. She was sitting upright in bed,
with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She climbed out of bed and took a
shower. By the time she’d finished getting dressed for the day, there was a knock at
her door, and it opened without warning.. On the other side stood Isaac with an
annoyed look on his face.
“Was that really necessary?” he asked, welcoming himself into her room.
“That’s what you get for telling him to do it. And here I thought we were
friends.”
“Don’t worry, you’ve served your purpose. If you were right, then Ethan is
just what we need. Finally, something worth recreating. I’m sick of having to wade
through subpar people such as yourself.”
“How can you just see people as experiments?” she retorted at him.
“Simple. I get paid to rid the world of freaks like you, and in the process, I
make tons of cash.”
“You’re no different than a murderer.”
“Wrong. I am a scientist. Now, if we weren’t doing well with containing your
kind, then the government would step in. And you know how that’d go. Would you
prefer to be hunted like the animals you are?”
Anger flushed her face. “How dare you call us animals. We are no different
that you. Sure, our genes are different, but we’re still human. You’ll pay for this.”
“Yes, and I suppose that you are going to destroy every section of this
operation as well?”
“There’s more?” she asked, half surprised.
“But of course my dear girl. There are thousands more. You will never stop
us.”
“What are you planning on doing?”
“Ah, wouldn’t you like to know. Do you really want to know?”
“Yes, tell me dammit!”
“Very well. We expect Ethan to manifest in less than a week. At the end of
this week, you shall be informed of everything. And then you shall be executed.”

Isaac shrugged his shoulders and exited back through the door, which sealed
behind him. “Great, whatever Glitch has planned better happen fast.” She sat down
at her terminal and quickly informed Glitch of the situation.

39
 01: Good then. I’ll have you know that the golden boy has already
manifested. Granted he can only shoot flames about a foot, but he’s ready.
I’d say three days. Any later than that and we may have some unseen
difficulty.
89: What’s the plan exactly?
01: Simple enough. I shall remain in my room, while Ethan will be chilling in
the lounge. From here, I will tap into the camera systems and put them on a
loop. Then, I’ll inform Ethan via the common room terminal, to make his
move. He will then move from the common room to cell 04, right across from
me. Next, I’ll hack the main system. Once they come for me, Ethan will fry
the guards, and I’ll release all the doors. Then, we meet up at the medical
bay, and we prepare to fight our way out.
89: Sounds fun.
01: I’ll need to meet you in person to give you a copy of the map. I’m heading
to meet up with Ethan in the common room now. Also, you’ll be proud that
Darrell has manifested as well. Now if you’ll excuse me, I must get going.
89: Okay, later Glitch.
01: Bye Les.

She made her way over to the bed and began running all the possible
scenarios through her head. There would be no place to make mistakes. Not that
she would make one. Plans were Leslie’s specialty. Hopefully nothing unexpected
popped up. This was their one and only chance to escape. Also, it was a chance to
see her sister for the first time in years.
***
Ethan spun around while sitting on the couch in the common room. He felt a
strong hand grip his shoulder and turned to see Glitch standing behind him.
“Hello, Ethan,” he greeted him, extending his hand.
“Hey Glitch, what’s up?” he asked, shaking it.
“Details man. We make our move three days from now.”
“That’s not long. What details are you talking about exactly?”
“First off, do you think you’ll be better with your power by then? You’re going
to be one of our main sources of offense, and we need you to be on the top of your
game.”
“Yeah, I should be fine,” he answered, still feeling slightly unsure about
himself.
“Okay, good. You already know the first part of your plan. I need you to do
something else for me.” A serious look crossed his face. “There’s a cell, cell 101 to
be exact, that isn’t on the main power grid. Meaning, I can’t open it myself. There is
someone inside who needs to be rescued. You will have to melt your way through

40
the door to get her out. Though, you’ll have to do it fast, before the guards catch on
.”
Wow. “Who exactly is inside that is so important?”
“Her name is Spencer. Spencer McConnel.”
Spencer McConnel? Doesn’t sound familiar to me. In fact, he’d never heard
the name before. “Am I supposed to recognize the name?” he asked, feeling unsure
of himself again.
“Maybe, maybe not. She is Leslie’s little sister.”
Leslie’s sister? Leslie failed to mention anything about having a sister to him
when they last talked. “She has a sister?” he asked himself out loud.
“Not a surprise that she didn’t mention her. Spencer ran away from home
when she was only 12, against Leslie’s wishes.”
“Did they not go after her?”
“Yeah, they did. They never found her though. It wasn’t long after she’d
contacted Leslie that this organization found her. She’s been locked up here ever
since.”
“Why’d she run away in the first place?”
Glitch closed his eyes, almost like he was bracing himself for something. “She
found out what their father was up to.”
“And that was?” Ethan asked.
“That he was involved with this organization. In fact, he was originally one of
the three founders. His wife also had powers. At first, he was freaked out when she
manifested. So, out of fear, he shot and killed her.”
Ethan couldn’t believe his ears. “And Leslie…” he said, his voice trailing off.
“And Leslie, didn’t believe it. She just thought Spencer was imagining things.”
“But Leslie said that her dad is dead. How does that work.”
“When Spencer was captured, she walked right into this very facility.”
“Why the hell would she do that?”
“To kill her father, and she did. She also took out one whole wing of this
place. They never bothered replacing it. After that, they captured her, and she’s
been on lockdown ever since.”
“Leslie never learned the truth,” he stated to himself.
“Nope. Nor has she ever forgiven herself for letting Spencer go. This is her
one chance to make things right.”
“I’ll break her out. I promise.”
“Good, do it before you make it to my room. Send her ahead to the medical
bay and tell her to meet with Darrell. The two of them are going to be taking the
armory from there. Also, tell her that once all this is over, she needs to travel to
Fishkill, New York, and meet up with Haylee Wyatt and Nevaeh Sanders. They will
be needing help.”

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 What! How the hell are two people supposed to take the armory?! He opened
his mouth to ask, but was quickly interrupted.
“Trust me, they’ll have no problems.”
“So, what happens after we all make it to the medical bay?”
“Spencer and Darrell should be waiting for us with enough weapons and body
armor for all of us to use. Then, we simply fight our way out of this damned place
using the rear entrance. Once we get out, we split off into groups and make a run
for civilization. Your group will be composed of Leslie, Spencer, Darrell and Tom
Richards. He’s a friend of Darrell’s.”
“What about you? What are you going to be doing the whole time?”
“Getting to the heart of this operation. I know what I’m doing, trust me. I
need to find out the ware bouts of the other two founders of the operation are.”
“What all do you know about them?”
“There were three, Gerard McConnel, Nolan, and Matt Larson.”
“I’ve pinpointed Nolan, but I have no idea where Larson is. In fact, I don’t
think Nolan may cause much of a problem. Apparently, we aren’t the only ones who
are fighting back. There’s a girl named Nevaeh Sanders, who is apparently making
life hell for him right now. Anyway, I’ll be in contact with your group once everything
is all done and finished.”
“I’ll trust you on this. I’ll be ready and awaiting orders.”
“Good, now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be showing myself back to my cell. I still
have plenty of people to inform about the plan. Good luck Ethan. I hope everything
goes as planned.”
“You too Glitch.”
And with that, Glitch rose from the couch and passed through the door to the
common room. Three days to prepare, and if all went well, he would be a free man
again. It was finally time to fight back.

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 Day 68: The Resistance
Leslie was ready. The past few days had flown by, and now it was
the eve of the resistance. She’d been informed that Ethan was powerful enough to
do the job. However, it was also a bad sign. Knowing that Ethan would betray them,
she couldn’t help but feel a small bit sad. She’d hoped her assessment had been
wrong, but she’d seen in his dreams every night the things that he would go on to
do. The destruction of entire cities, the deaths of thousands of people, all at his
hands. But it didn’t matter. She had her plan, and tonight, she was going to stick to
it as much as she possibly could.

Darrell leaned forward and pressed his hand against the door of his cell and
let it fill him with strength. He felt his skin harden and grow cold, just like the metal
under his palm. He shot a glance into the mirror and saw a silver skinned version of
himself staring back. Tonight is the night. Ethan… no, I can’t think like that. I won’t
let Glitch down. I’m the only one who can do this. He sat down on his bed, and
stared at the door in front of him. Tonight he was focused and ready to take on the
world.

Ethan glanced around the common room nervously. He saw the other people
in the room sitting either by themselves, or off whispering in small groups. There
was so much tension in the room that you could cut it with a knife. He accessed
many different programs on the terminal at which he sat, but he paid little attention
to them. He was nervously awaiting the message from Glitch that gave him a green

43
light. He’d made sure to stay away from the soup for the last few days, using the
extra hours of being awake to practice his flame throwing abilities. He could now
stand on one side of his cell and shoot flames clear to the other side. He just hoped
that it would be enough.
His mind ventured off to Leslie. Over the last few days, he’d talked
extensively with her, and much to his surprise, he’d developed honest feelings for
her. No longer did he simply want to hook up with her, he actually wanted to be
with her. He prayed that he would be able to save both her and her sister before
things went south. He was also concerned about Glitch’s well being. Before, he
couldn’t care less what happened to them all, but they had become family to him in
just a few days time. He made a promise to himself, and secretly to them, that once
he got out, he would use his new found gift to help people. His reign of terror would
finally be over, and he would be the nice kid he once was.

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