Kinetics

by Andrew Peed

  They were extremely bland but I didn’t feel hungry after I ate them.

  ~//~

  “Stand up and face away from the door. Place your hands on the back of your head.” A man’s voice issued from the speaker in the wall.

  I sat still on the bench contemplating if submission was a healthier option at this point. The message was repeated with a harsher tone.

  I stood and did as the voice ordered.

  The wall beside the door hissed loudly, and the gears creaked loudly as it moved into the wall. I could feel the floor shake as the massive door moved.

  The man grabbed my hands, wrapped a zip tie around my wrists, and pulled it tight. He pushed me out of the room with a great deal of force. “This way.” He barked.

  “Where are you taking me?” I knew that each and every word was a waste of time and energy.

  “Dr. Cid wants to make you show.” Someone said behind me. It didn’t sound like the guard. I turned to look, and try to see who had spoken, but the guard forced my head forward.

  A skinny man wearing a black silk shirt and pressed pants came out of nowhere and walked right beside me.

  “He can’t see me or hear me.” The skinny man smiled.

  “Wha…” I started, but he shook his head.

  “You don’t want them digging around in your head.”

  I nodded.

  “Don’t worry about who I am, just listen.”

  Nod.

  “This oaf is going to take you into a room and lock a door behind you. There is a device built into the ceiling called a Kinetic brain wave inducer. I don’t know how it works, but it’s painful. On top of that, the walls and the floor of the room are electrified. They will be using this combination to force you to show.

  My advice to you is to react as quickly as possible but hold back your power. This will end the procedure and label you as low tiered.”

  We arrived at the door. The guard slid a keycard into the lock and waited for a click. He opened the door and pushed me into the room. There was no light at all in the room. He cut the zip ties and pulled the door shut.

  I was plunged into almost complete darkness.

  The skinny man was in the room with me but he began to fade.

  “What are you?” I hissed under my breath.

  “Remember!” he said as he completely disappeared.

  I paced around the room. I knew that I had lost my mind, or this was some way that it was trying to cope with what was happening. The only thing that poked holes in that theory was that most people, who are crazy, think that they are sane.

  “New cell, huh?” I yelled at the walls.

  All of the lights in the room ignited at once scorching my retinas. The walls were lined with bay windows that housed several people varying from scientists to businessmen.

  Dr. Cid sat at the center.

  “Here we have Subject 297. I am her mentor. This product has great potential. Once behavior modification is complete she could fetch a premium.” He kept his eyes locked on one particular man desperately searching for approval.

  “I’m not a damn product!”

  “And on that note, let us begin.”

  Above my head a disk like device began to glow blue. Pulsating hums filled the room as the back of my brain began to burn with a searing pain.

  My mind began to race with what I should do. I was torn between two strangers or delusions, one begged me to lose control, and the other advised me to contain myself.

  I fell to my knees and yelled, trying to tear at the back of my skull. It felt as if a knife had slid into my brain just between my eyes.

  Two meters on the walls began to fill with red light. Once full, my entire body locked up every muscle contracting at once as an electric pulse ripped through me.

  “What do you want me to do? I’ll do anything, just make it stop!” I screamed at the top of my lungs, as more and more electricity blasted through my flesh.

  I closed my eyes and rested my head on the ground unable to hold it up any longer.

  All of the noise was gone.

  I was sure that I was dead.

  I opened my eyes to blinding white sunlight. The ground below me was sand. I was kneeling in a desert. I slowly and painfully pushed myself up onto my feet.

  When my eyes adjusted, someone stood at the edge of my vision just far enough away to be a blurry figure.

  I took a few steps toward the figure, but it just moved away, each movement matching mine. I began to run at the figure, and the figure began to run.

  Heat seared all around me. My skin felt like it was melting away.

  Suddenly the figure stopped running and turned towards me. I stopped in my tracks and just watched; waiting to see what was going to happen. As it came closer I could see her long, flowing red hair, the wind blowing it around like flames flowing from the back of her head.

  She came closer; but still she remained blurred.

  She slowed and walked to within inches of where I stood. As if someone had flipped a switch, she became crystal clear.

  It was me.

  I was standing inches from my own face and I was on fire. My head and my hands burned with yellow/orange flames. I looked down at my own hands and they too were on fire.

  I freaked out and started trying to pat out the fire on my legs.

  I opened my eyes once again when I realized that the fire didn’t hurt. I was back in the room. My hands were still ablaze and I panicked once again.

  I screamed, but realized that it was like putting my hands into warm water. I walked over to the window and placed my hand on the window that Dr. Cid sat behind.

  “Is this what you want?” I yelled as the glass began to melt. I didn’t let my emotions take over like the girl had asked me to. I was afraid of what was going to happen.

  Before I could do anymore damage, fire extinguishers put out my flames. I began to feel sleepy. I fell against the wall and slid down to the floor blacking out.

  ~//~

  When I woke I slammed my head into the bench and sighed loudly. I was getting fed up with the constant black outs. I had more questions and fewer answers. My head was buzzing like never before.

  Rachel was sitting on the floor beside the bed. She looked disappointed, “You didn’t let your emotions take over.”

  “To be honest I don’t know what I should do. Someone else told me to hold back.”

  “I told her to hold back.” The skinny man was leaning against the door.

  “Why did you tell her to hold back?” Rachel stood got into his face.

  “Because, if she had lost control on her first time it could have killed her.” He leaned to look at me over Rachel’s shoulder, “I’m Zach by the way.”

  “But Zach, she has so much power! I don’t think that this is her first time.”

  “Does anyone feel that I should be clued in on what is going on?” I sat up on the bench.

  “The world as you know it… it’s a front.” Zach sat down next to me.

  “What do you mean a front?”

  There was a noise just outside of the door.

  “Got to go.” They both vanished into thin air.

  The food door slid open and the normal was placed on the shelf. I reached up, took the water, and chugged every last drop.

  I laid back down and closed my eyes.

  ~//~

  I didn’t see Rachel or Zach again before a guard returned to take me away. He took me to the same room and practically shoved me onto my face into the testing room.

  Dr. Cid was there again and they hadn’t fixed my hand print that I had melted into the glass.

  “And today we have 297, this is the second time you have seen her. She is tier two. We might be able to sell her as foot soldier.” He took a deep breath. “Frankly I am baffled as to why you would want to see her use her abilities again.”

  “Enough Doctor Cid; begin the procedure.” One of the onlookers said very calmly.

  “Yes, sir.”

&nb
sp; Everything happened as it had before. It took a while longer for the pain to reach the same height as it had the first time.

  When I opened my eyes I was back in the desert. The light was still searing, but the heat didn’t bother me. The reflection of me was much closer this time. I had a distinct feeling of creepiness as I looked at myself.

  She reached out for me. She was quickly being consumed by flame.

  I reached out my hands, but there was a resistance like opposing magnets pushing against me. I thought about what Rachel had said about everything being better for everyone if I let my emotions take over.

  I let the hatred for the pain flow into my veins.

  The resistance disappeared and I fell forward into the reflection of myself. We became one and the flames spread across my body. The flames changed from dark orange, yellow, to bright blue, then to white.

  I closed my eyes.

  I was completely engulfed in white flames. I felt nothing but a warm rushing sensation over my skin.

  I ran, yelling towards the window in front of me. Dr. Cid was my target, and he jumped as the white flames blasted through the glass. The floor disintegrated beneath me as I rose into the air letting the flames pour from my body.

  The ceiling dissolved as I flew higher and then I was outside in the night breathing the fresh air that I hadn’t in so long. I watched as the fire, which almost looked like magma, flowed from my skin like water from a fresh spring. I was completely helpless to slow the movement nor could I stop the destruction that my flames were causing.

  I screamed in anger as the flames blasted into a pillar above me as high as I could see.

  The flames vanished and I fell to the ground like a stone. My body crumpled in a heap in the dirt below.

  As the world went dark around me, I felt something warm wrap around my body as my mind began to go blank.

  “You did well.” I heard as the darkness took over.

  Chapter 6: Powers

  The truck seat was very comfortable compared to the benches in the cells. I didn't open my eyes because my head was killing me. Searing pain burned between my eyes. The sun in front of the truck was shining through my eye lids forcing me to turn over in the seat. I decided that it was time to face the music.

  I opened my eyes.

  Ronnie was driving the truck and I was in the passenger seat. Sandy and Kenny where sitting in the seats just behind us; a wave of relief flooded over me to see that they were relatively unharmed. Behind them sat Rachel and two children who were unknown to me.

  "Where are we?" My voice was scratchy and my throat was dry. I suddenly became aware that I was wearing only a lab coat and a blanket.

  "We haven't stopped to check yet, but according to the signs we are heading north. I saw a sign thanking us for leaving Las Vegas and to come back soon." Ronnie stole a glance but quickly returned his eyes to the road.

  "So what is the plan?" my skin stuck to the seat with the heat from the sun.

  "Well now that you are awake, I think we will stop at the next gas station and fuel up. Oh, and try and get you some clothes." He smiled.

  I was willing to bet he was as happy as a pig in slop that moment.

  "So are you a real person, or are you just following me in my head?" I looked at Rachel in the mirror.

  "I am a real person. I promise." She leaned forward to speak.

  "How did you know that was going to happen?" I turned around to look at her.

  "I didn't know that was exactly what would happen. But I could see in your mind. I could see the power building inside. More power than I have ever felt before." She smiled.

  "You could see into my mind?" I said sarcastically.

  "Ah, yeah it's one of my abilities." she said, "We all have them now."

  I looked to Ronnie and he nodded. He turned the blinker on to exit the highway. The travel center that we pulled into was bustling with traffic, it seemed like the only place for miles to stop and get fuel, among other things.

  "We'll talk about all of this later." He pulled into a line for a gas pump.

  "How do you expect to pay for all of this?" I double checked that I was covered as he pulled up to an available pump.

  "I took the wallets from the guys that we borrowed the truck from. Between them, we got eight hundred bucks cash and a few credit cards." Kenny’s voice rang from the back seat. I was happy to hear his voice again.

  Everyone but me filed out of the truck pretending we were one big happy family on vacation. I rolled down the window and stuck my head out. Ronnie stood next to the pump sliding one of the credit cards from the stack into the card reader.

  "Don't forget my clothes." The fresh air felt freeing on my face; the truck was kind of stuffy.

  "Rachel and Sandy are on it." He flipped up the lever on the pump. The gas started to flow and the smell started to waft to the front of the truck. I sat back and rolled up my window. I reached over and turned on the radio, the silence was like a knife cutting into my head.

  I surfed a few stations before I came to one claiming to be Las Vegas News XM. I turned it up and listened to the reporter, "The explosion that rocked Las Vegas last night went unexplained for almost fifteen hours as Aurora Corporation representatives declined interviews. Many people witnessed the enormous pillar of flame that blasted into the sky. We spoke to a paramedic who was reluctant to comment, but came forward in the end. He reported that there were four deaths and over a hundred injuries reported on site, however, Aurora refused paramedic assistance stating that it was in each employee's contract to receive any, and all medical care from Aurora medical personnel." She stopped for a breath.

  "I am here now with Aurora Representative Rebecca Scott. Mrs. Scott, is Aurora ready to explain what happened here last night?" The reporter waited.

  "Well at approximately fifteen after two in the morning, an experimental reactor, that has been contracted by the Nevada government to subsidize The Hoover Dam in power generation, went critical because of a minor malfunction in a piece of hardware created outside of the Aurora corporation. We have already assessed the issued, and the company that built the component has been dealt with and an alternative has been located and repair of the reactor will begin within two days." The representative explained. It sounded like she was reading from a script.

  "Are there any fears of radiation or any type of health concerns from the explosion?" the reporter asked.

  "Fortunately the reactor that we are constructing is completely environmentally friendly and there is zero risk to anyone who lives near the reactor. As a matter of fact, a majority of the onsite workers that were not critically injured in the explosion have opted to return to work immediately."

  Someone knocked on my window, and when I turned to look, Rachel stood outside of my door holding up a shopping bag. I opened the door and made sure the lab coat was covering my body.

  "There wasn't a lot to choose from." Rachel held the bag open.

  "I don't care, I just need some clothes." I snatched the bag. We walked over to the bathrooms that were on the outside of the building. Rachel and Sandy tried their best to block me from the view of onlookers, but I still got dirty looks from all directions. I had a flash of frustration wondering why people couldn't mind their own business. I opened the door and held my nose walking into the small bathroom, and locked the door behind me.

  I opened the bag and took out the pants and underwear. The pants were blue jeans, but they were men's and at least three sizes too large. They did, however, have the foresight to get me a belt. I had to pull it all the way to the last notch folding the waist of the pants as I went.

  The shirt was obnoxiously red and on the front in gold glittery lettering it read, Hope you enjoyed the Slots! It fit better than the pants. I thanked God that there was a hoodie at the bottom of the bag that I could wear over the ugly shirt. I put it on and shoved the lab coat into the bag.

  I stopped before I left the bathroom; the mirror had rust cracks all around the edges and was
missing a corner. I washed my face and took a look at myself in the mirror. My eyes had changed color. Before all of this they where a dark green but now they were so blue that they were almost glowing. My hair was longer and had changed color to a darker maroon.

  I opened the door stopping in front of Rachel and opening the hoodie, "What the hell were you thinking?"

  "Only ladies shirt in the whole place." she shrugged.

  "I'm sorry Grace." Sandy stood behind me. I turned around and wrapped my arms around her in a hug. I squeezed as hard as I could.

  "It's good to see that you are ok." I let go of her.

  We all walked back to the truck where everyone had already loaded up and were ready to hit the road. I hopped back into the passenger seat and put on my seat belt.

  Ronnie joined the line of vehicles leaving the truck stop. He then pulled back onto the highway making sure to go the opposite way we had come.

  "So did you find out where we are?" I adjusted the sun visor.

  "We are an eight hour drive from home." He looked over at me while we were stopped at a traffic light.

  "Let's do it." I nodded.

  "Alright." He merged into the lane that would take us home.

  "I don't think that this is a good idea." Rachel chimed from the back seat.

  "I'm sure that it is a horrible idea, but I would like to see what is left of the orphanage and there are a few people in the town besides the woman who took care of us that we could contact." I looked back over the seat again.

  "So what is your story Rachel?" Kenny turned to look at her as well. Sandy followed suit.

  "Well it is similar to yours; this is Mike and Mary by the way." She said pointing to the two others in the back seat. They looked like they were a few years younger than the rest of us.

  "Thank you for freeing us." Mike said, "My sister hasn't spoken since they gave her, her abilities."

  "We were all at a hospital in the intensive care unit, and then we awoke in the Aurora facility." Rachel tried to recall her abduction.