Chapter Two
Isprint through the trees, my heart pounding in my chest.
I can’t afford to slow down now, not when there’s so much at stake. The woods thin out, and as I round a tree, I suddenly see the other survivors that were rescued. They’re gathered in front of a small building, just visible from the shadows of the trees where I stand, hidden among the foliage.
There’s a large orange transport waiting on the road, and one by one, they’re climbing the tall steps to get inside. As I watch them, my thoughts drift back to my brief interaction with the woman, Summer. There’s something about her that’s different. Something that stirs up emotions I’ve never felt before.
When I spoke with her earlier, I couldn’t shake the strange tension between us. It was electric, charged, like the power that courses through my veins when I use my abilities. And it left me feeling both confused and curious.
“Ray, focus,” I mutter under my breath, trying to shake myself out of this trance. “What is going on?”
In the brief moments we spoke, Summer managed to burrow her way into my mind. Her fiery red hair and kindness are hard to forget, but it’s her vulnerability that really gets to me. Like me, she’s been through so much, yet she still fights to protect others and maintain control.
In many ways, she reminds me of myself.
“Is this what it feels like to connect with someone?” I wonder as I continue to observe their rescue from my hiding spot. “To care for someone beyond yourself?”
I’ve spent so long focusing on my own survival and fighting against the alien doctors that I’ve never had the chance to experience something like this. Summer makes me want to believe that there’s more to life than pain and fear.
But right now, I need to concentrate on the task at hand. I have enemies to expose. As I watch the survivors board the transport that will take them away from this nightmare, I make a silent vow.
“I’m not running, Tyler. I will get everyone out,” I promise myself, thinking back to the younger man who died in my group. His body couldn’t handle the ingredients the doctors pumped into our system. They were yelling something about anaphylactic shock as he convulsed and took his last breath. “And then I’ll rain justice down on our cages, burning everything into unrecognizable rubble.”
With that thought echoing in my mind, I continue to watch from the shadows of the trees, ready to follow the transport’s path. Not to stay close to Summer, though. She”s intriguing but technically, not my problem. She”s been saved. But there are so many others not as fortunate.
I must force myself to keep moving.
I fight the pain and exhaustion coursing through my body from the intense training exercise that landed me in the holding cell I was pulled from. My muscles scream in protest with every step I take, but I feel better than I expected.
I”m determined to stay close the transport and uncover an access back underground. I”ll make it my life goal to expose the alien doctors’ experiments and that thought fuels me onward.
Perhaps I’m mistaken. Maybe the holding cells aren’t directly underground like I suspect, but the familiar hum of electricity courses through the soles of my feet, exactly the same way it did when I was caged. It feels the same, so I don’t think it can be far.
This idea surprised Summer.
Could all the people here be unaware of the labyrinth of confinement and torture so close by?
I grit my teeth as another wave of pain washes over me, but I refuse to let it slow me down. My instincts tell me that staying near Summer is crucial to not only protecting her but also finding the answers I seek about my existence. Like... why me?
And why can’t I remember anything about my life before coming here?
I can read… but I can’t remember who taught me. It’s the same with many things, but I’ve never been able to remember back to anything before the doctors.
As I watch Summer and the other rescued survivors traveling on the bus, I can’t help but feel a sense of mystery and intrigue. Where are they taking them? And more importantly, what role do the alien doctors play in all of this?
Why them? How are they like me? Why were they chosen?
I struggle to keep my emotions in check, torn between panic and the need to find answers about who I am and what I’ve become. It’s a delicate balance, one that threatens to consume me if I don’t tread lightly.
As the bus carrying the survivors leaves the area, I follow it from a distance, using the dense trees for cover. The sound of leaves crunching beneath my feet is both comforting and unnerving. It means I’m free, but they’ll be looking for me. A constant reminder of the tension that hangs in the air.
With each passing moment, a sense of urgency and anticipation builds within me. I know I must act quickly to stay close to these survivors. But at the same time, I must remain hidden and avoid detection. It’s a dangerous game, but one I’m willing to play.
My determination and resolve narrow my vision as I continue to track the bus. There’s no other choice. I must expose the truth and free everyone from the clutches of the alien doctors.
As the vehicle disappears from sight around a bend, I pick up my pace, feeling both excitement and dread for what lies ahead.
Revenge.
They deserve it, and my thoughts drift back to Tyler, the shy, soft-spoken boy from my memories. He gave me my name, Ray, after I successfully channeled my first current into a narrow, focused beam.
“Damn those fucking aliens,” I mutter under my breath, feeling a surge of anger and frustration. They’ve taken so much from me and the others, subjecting us to experiments that have left us forever changed. The memories of pain and helplessness are still fresh in my mind, fueling my determination to bring them to justice and free everyone from their twisted grasp.
As I follow the bus from a safe distance, I wonder about Summer. There’s something about her that’s captivated me since we first met. Her fiery red hair and fierce spirit make her stand out among the other survivors, but it’s more than that. She’s been through similar horrors, and yet she remains strong and unbroken.
It’s both inspiring and humbling.
As I continue to navigate through the trees, I realize that my decision to follow Summer is a pivotal moment in my life. I no longer have to sit idly by while we all suffer. I must take action, uncover the truth, and expose the alien doctors for the monsters they truly are.
“Keep going,” I urge myself, pushing through the physical pain and exhaustion that threatens to bring me to my knees. “You can do this.”
The bus slows, finally coming to a stop when it pulls up to a large, ominous building. I press my body back against an enormous tree, watching as the other rescued disembark, their expressions a mix of relief and curiosity.
I spot Summer stepping off the bus, and I feel a strange sense of protectiveness well up inside me. It’s unfamiliar, but it only fuels my resolve.
The buzz of electrical energy pulses through the air in a familiar pattern. Following the current draws me toward the back of the building, where a door is propped open by a rock.
“Stay calm. Stay focused,” I repeat in my head, trying to mute the raging emotions constantly battering me. A part of me want to burn the entire place to the ground. It”d be so easy.
I know that I’m walking a fine line between revenge and finding the answers I seek, but I refuse to let fear or doubt hold me back. As I take a deep breath and steel myself for what’s to come, I can’t help but feel a sense of hope and determination.
I may not know what the future holds, but one thing is certain. I won’t rest until I’ve exposed the alien doctors and freed everyone from their clutches.
Or died trying.
“It”s time,” I whisper, stepping out of the shadows and sprinting across the soft, short grass to the door.
I’m silent and careful, and it feels like second nature. Years of confinement have honed my senses, and given me an edge that I intend to use against my captors.
“Here goes everything,” I murmur, slipping into the building through the door, determined to uncover the secrets hidden within its walls and expose the alien doctors once and for all.
Pausing just inside the entrance, I realize I’m in a stairwell and directly ahead the staircase goes up on my left. But I want to go down. No stairs are heading that way, despite the clear throbbing in the soles of my feet. How do they—
Next to the staircase is a metal door with a small window crisscrossed with metal wires. Just across the hall outside the door is an elevator. Perfect.
Creeping forward, I remind myself to take it slow, shaking off the weariness that threatens to overtake me. The pain and exhaustion from the intense training exercise earlier still linger, gnawing at my muscles and bones, but I refuse to let it slow me down.
Pulling the metal door open, I hover in the doorway, watching as the elevator doors slide open and two human men in white lab coats step out, turning to the right. They”re staring down at devices in their hands and didn’t give me a second glance.
I shoot across the hall, frantically pressing the elevator buttons as a voice calls, “Hey! You there.”
The doors start to close as footsteps pound down the hall toward me. “Wait! Stop him!”
I press my back against the mirrored surface of the elevator car, glancing down to look for a service door on the floor. Nothing.
But the door closes in time, and the box shifts around me, rising. Suddenly, an alarm blares, its shrill sound echoing throughout the building.
Slamming my hand on the stop button, I check the ceiling, spotting a small door. Reaching up, I fight with the release, knowing I only have moments before they’ll override the controls. The flimsy hatch slams against the elevator roof, and I jump through the tiny space, flinging myself onto the roof of the elevator as I glance around the shaft.
Large humming cables line the side and right next to them are rungs of a ladder inset into a small space that runs next to the car. The cool metal feels nice as I slowly lower myself down next to the elevator just in time for it to take off, shooting into the shaft above me.
Glancing down, I can’t see the bottom, but I keep moving, following the cables down into the dark. The building is vast and labyrinthine, but I trust my instincts to guide me.