by Almney King
I was given tests under her supervision to assess my intelligence. She praised me often, but I ignored it. I didn’t need praise. I needed freedom.
Over time, I recorded each and every detail of the facility as well as its personnel. From the steps per second of their strides, the slight vocal differences in their voices, to their minuscule habits, I captured it all. Knowledge came to me easily. Whenever I wanted it, it was mine. That was power. Even in this cage, I had power. The humans knew this, but they would never admit their inferiority. They felt all-powerful, but soon they would know the truth. Soon, they would know the danger of what they had created.
“Your performance has been most exceptional these past few weeks, Celeste,” Dr. Hailey lauded. “You should be proud to be so advanced compared to our other recruits.”
I stared at the glass as she circled around me. “Thank you,” I replied.
“You seem to be anticipating something, Celeste,” she observed. “Would you like to share?” She was prying again.
“No,” I said.
Dr. Hailey raised a brow. “Celeste,” I have given a lot in this partnership. I have worked hard prepping you for release, yet you repay me by being elusive and indifferent. It is very upsetting.”
I looked up at her. “Is that so?”
She tapped her nails on the halo-pad she held. She did that often. “As your overseer, I have the authority to arrange your release. An honest answer to this simple question, and you’ll be free by the afternoon.”
Bribery? Was that her only tactic? I suppose her drive to challenge me had run thin. “I want my freedom,” I said.
Dr. Hailey smiled. I became familiar with that smile. At times, it could look rather dangerous. “Of course. You’ve done well. I’ll have the preparations ready in a few hours.”
Then she left. That was the end of it. Before the evening, I would be free. It would not be complete freedom, but that day would come. When it did, ARTIKA would not know me by number. They would know me by name.
CHAPTER FIVE
DISTINCTION
Dr. Hailey was true to her word. Three hours later, I was released. A group of guards escorted me to Pilot, an underground training sector designed for the New Eden program. The facility was full of raised walkways at least a hundred feet high. It was all glass. Everywhere I stepped, the walkways would glow and my name would spread across the screen like a virtual tag.
The man leading the group glanced over his shoulder. “You will be tracked at all times,” he explained. Upon my release, he warned me not to escape. Of course it would be nearly impossible. I wasn’t in the position to take such a risk. It would have to wait.
“You will be given your own private quarters,” the man continued. He went by Captain Valler. It was a strong name, I thought. It suited him. Valler was a rather large man. His stride was wide and heavy like his rectangular frame. He spoke with authority, his voice vibrating all throughout the sector.
Valler led the group through a large door where we took an aircraft to the lower levels of Pilot. A massive dome stretched high from the center of the sector. There was mayhem inside, streaks of fire and dust shooting against the glass.
“That would be the simulation training arena,” Valler explained. “It’s the final stage of Eden. Don’t pay it any mind. You have a far way to go before you’re ready.”
We took an elevator two floors up. I saw those of my kind for the first time. They stared as we passed by. Some even stopped in their tracks to get a look. I paid them no attention. Regardless of the similarities we shared, they were still below me.
The group stopped near the end of the hall. There was a door there, labeled with my name and number. Valler opened it. “You have four minutes,” he ordered.
I scanned the room. It wasn’t large at all. There was nothing but a bed, an open closet and a small mirror that clung to an empty wall. I went over to it. I was curious. It would be the first time seeing myself.
A face appeared in the mirror, my face. It looked unusually delicate. My skin was the hue of honey, vibrant and smooth. My eyes were a deep amber, and were somewhat animated compared to that of a human. In fact, all the details of my face were evenly sculpted; my lips, teeth, nose, brows. Even the curve of my neck arched with perfect precision. It was as Dr. Hailey said: I had been built, not born.
I was flawless, except for a single detail. My hair was hideously bright. I yanked the hair tie loose, and the waves fell like a curtain of fire down my back. They were the color of autumn, the smooth strands shimmering in the light.
There was a knock on the door. “Time’s up, recruit! Hurry up in there!” Valler thundered.
I finished changing and returned to the hall. “Let’s get a move on. The dining hall closes in fifteen minutes,” Valler said. He led the group a few halls from the residential sector. I observed everything and came to realize just how superior those of my kind were to humans. All of our motions were focused. I watched them continuously analyze and calculate their surroundings. It seemed that nothing escaped their attention, not a single detail.
“When you’re finished, feel free to wander around the sector. But be aware, you are unauthorized to leave the Pilot district. Trespassing is a very serious offense. Tomorrow, you will receive a notice on your message board. It will help you get situated with the program. Till then, play nice with the other kiddos, yes?” Valler laughed then left me standing at the door.
As I entered the hall, every gaze turned in my direction. My footsteps echoed in the silence. I went to the serving line then searched for an empty table.
“Hey you,” someone called. I turned. He was dark skinned, absent of hair, and full of muscle. He tilted his head in invitation, and I joined him at the table.
“What’s the name?” he asked.
“Celeste 2102.”
“Triple two seven,” he greeted, “I go by Tank.” He reached out his hand. I shook it.
“Greetings.”
Tank grinned. “There’s no need for formalities here.”
“What do I do then?” I asked.
“Just relax. Talk normally.”
I took a breath. How did one talk normally? Was there a method, or pattern, or strategy to it? I didn’t think so. “They warned us that you were coming,” Tank said.
“Who?”
“The overseers. They said to steer clear. They said you might be a bit... unstable.”
“Do I seem unstable?”
Tank gave me a look over. His eyes moved slowly, critically, then paused when they met my own. “Not at the moment, but there’s something in those eyes of yours.”
“Is there? How does it look?” I asked.
“It looks,” he paused, searching for the word, “dangerous.”
A silver tray sped across the table. I stopped it before it could slide over the edge and hit the floor. “Nice catch.”
Tank turned in his chair. “The hell,” he grumbled.
The blond took the seat beside me and cracked a grin. “Elric,” he said. His voice was like a heartbeat, alive and gentle. Our shoulders touched as he leaned in to get a look at me. His eyes were a piercing gray and full of energy. I found them slightly intriguing.
“You look tense,” Elric said.
“You’d better be careful getting in her face like that,” Tank warned.
He was right. I didn’t like the invasion of space at all. His body heat was making me irritable. “I wish I could have been there,” Elric sighed. “I bet when they made you, it was incredible. Actually, I’m curious about something. When you first woke up, what were you thinking? What was it like?”
I hadn’t thought about my awakening since it happened. It was a blur now. All I could remember was the hunger and the desire to kill. I didn’t like to dwell on those thoughts. It was humiliating. I was an animal. I was without a mind, without intelligence and any sort of human decency.
“I hardly recall that day,” I said.
“A savage and a liar.�
�
All eyes turned his way. He stood proud at the end of the table with his arms crossed and his head high. His eyes, they were challenging me. I didn’t like to be tested; not by humans, not by arsenals, not by anyone.
“We don’t want any trouble over here,” Tank warned.
The stranger ignored him, dragging a hand over the table until he stood directly across from me. “They said that you tore a man’s throat out with your teeth, that you crushed a woman’s face with a simple squeeze of your hand. Now if it were up to me, I’d lock you in the ward with all of their other monstrosities. But then again, humans aren’t as smart as us now are they?”
I took a breath. He was such a nuisance, so pompous and clever. He knew just the right words to aggravate me.
“What is it, 2102? Was I speaking a bit too fast for you? I thought the overseers said you were.” .”
“You have two seconds to disappear,” I hissed, “otherwise, I’m going to rip that ugly face of yours in half.”
The man smirked. His throat bobbed and his body tensed a little. It seemed he was wary of my threat. He should have been. Whatever the promise, I was true to my word, even if I had to kill.
“There you are, handsome. I was wondering where you scurried off to.” I had never heard such an unbearable sound. Her voice was like a child’s, all shrill and innocent. The girl sashayed over to the table and threw her arms over Tank’s shoulders.
“I thought you were staying away from 2102,” she said.
Tank shrugged her away. “Get off me,” he grumbled.
“Why are you like this? I was only looking out for you,” she pouted. “Raine is right,” she leaned into Tank and whispered behind her hand, “she’s unstable.”
“You’d do better to listen to her,” Raine announced. “That thing sitting there isn’t one of us.” He gave me a lingering look then turned and left.
“Ignore him,” Tank said, “you’re competition now. Raine’s the best in the program, and you showing up is just a stab to his pride.”
“He’s right. I wouldn’t worry too much about him,” Elric added.
“But you can never be too cautious, can you?” Kitty uttered.
So this was it, this was the way things were. I was an outcast, a threat. “He should be careful,” I said. “Pride... that’s the thing I like to kill the most.”
CHAPTER SIX
SUPREMACY
Training began the following day. The class was led by instructor R. T Gangges, one of ARTIKA’s renowned genetic engineers. He didn’t appear in person. Instead, his holographic image was projected at the front of the room.
“We’ll start from the top. Firstly, understand that you are all derivatives of human and genetically engineered cells.” The screen at the front of the room illuminated. “This is an example subject undergoing Proloxy 7.”
The image enlarged. The subject’s DNA looked mutated. “As you can see, once Proloxy 7 is injected, it automatically consumes the humanoid dna.” I watched as the invaders punctured the human cells and ingested them into nothing.
Suddenly, the visual changed. “The vial you see contains a relief drug designed by our miracle workers. We call it halos. During our first trials of experimentation, ARTIKA discovered that there were some fatal side effects caused by Proloxy 7. They can range anywhere from migraines, seizures, irregular heartbeat, paralysis, and even hysteria. When an injection is needed, your id marker will vibrate. If you do not apply the dosage in time, the X cells will override their cellular hosts and take control of the body. In other words, you die.”
The more Gangges spoke, the more I recalled those days of terror locked in the humanization facility. I was so close to death. At least, I thought I was. Instead, they were shooting my system full of halos. They wanted me alive. They wanted me perfected.
“We designed Proloxy 7 for several reasons. Our first objective—muscular enhancement. An arsenal’s physical strength is fifty times that of a human being. As the diagram shows, the X cells have increased the subject’s agility and motor receptors, allowing the reflexes to react a third faster than the human eye can blink. We’ve also worked to quicken the process of cellular regeneration.
“Our second objective was cerebral augmentation. ARTIKA not only increased the mind’s capacity to store data, but to process and manipulate that data in new ways. The brain works like a computer. Instead of trying to access knowledge through memory, that knowledge is always completely and one hundred percent operative.
“Proloxy 7 is also used to sharpen the senses. Your eye sight, hearing, sense of smell and touch have been highly sensitized. Unlike that of a human, these senses are cerebrally controllable. Through intense concentration, the mind can detect and zero in on a variety of sights and sounds all at once.
“What ARTIKA has created is the revolution of cellular design. You hold more value to this program than you realize. It is truly an honor to see such a fine assembly of soldiers. You may feel burdened, but in time you will understand just how much you owe ARTIKA your allegiance.”
My allegiance? Was he mad? I owed ARTIKA nothing, because to them, I was nothing. “It has been a pleasure addressing you all. I will now turn my position over to Lieutenant Cambridge. I wish you great success in completing this program.”
He soon disappeared, and Lieutenant Cambridge took his place. The lieutenant stood six feet and three inches from the floor, marching the isles with his arms crossed. His lips moved mechanically as he spoke. “Good afternoon recruits. Lieutenant Cambridge at your attention,” he greeted. “Today I will explain the details of your mission.” The screen changed to an image of outer space. I was amazed. I had seen only a glimpse of the universe and even then it wasn’t as dazzling and mysterious as it was now.
A blue star blazed above the earth. It was like the sun, but with these bright tendrils curling around its body of light. “What you see is not a star. It is a planet. We call this planet Niaysia. A little over thirty years ago, ARTIKA made contact with this planet. When our first pioneers landed, they discovered something monumental. They discovered a civilized intelligence unlike we have ever seen.”
Niaysia? Another world? I should have known. The humans had already gone far enough, but the thought of enough was a pinnacle in their minds. It was the end, and the humans knew no end. They knew no bounds.
“The natives of Niaysia refer to themselves as the Meridian, meaning The Blessed Ones. They are a very refined and cultural people. We learned a lot from their kind. In return, they learned much from us. But as time passed, we became wary of their power. Of course, the Meridians knew that we were becoming dependent of the resources we harvested from Niaysia. What began as a peaceful system of trade turned to war. The Meridians tried to push us from their land, but we couldn’t leave. Our survival depended on it. The nuclear effects of the Trinity Wars has left Earth nearly uninhabitable. Without the resources from Niaysia, our world risks total destruction.”
Humans were weak, but they were persistent. That was why I was here. I was to be their strength, their shelter. They valued life too much to enter the other side themselves. I had to enter it for them, armed and alone.
“Know that there are two separate agendas to this mission. Depending on your individual skill, our MW’S will green-tag or red-tag you. Our first priority is Guardian. Guardian requires green-tagged arsenals to protect our miracle workers. Green-tags travel the wilderness with our scientists and make sure all gathered resources are shipped back to Earth. Then there is mission reko. reko is designed to keep the Meridians from attacking our harvest zones. We place red-tagged arsenals in a perimeter around each zone. Red-tags must first clear the area, then work to keep it open for operation.”
This mission, it was a fool’s quest. How did it come to this? I suppose I knew how, but I didn’t understand how. That kind of knowledge went too far back. “ARTIKA will fully prepare you for the difficulty of this mission,” Cambridge continued. “First, you will undergo an eight week
course of intellectual training. You will learn Hedai, the Meridian language. We will teach you all about the planet and the Meridian culture. After stage two, you will be briefed on the technical details of your departure. Then we will test your physical capabilities. You will learn both armed and hand-to-hand combat. In the simulation arena, you will learn to adapt to stimuli similar to that on Niaysia. During the process, our MW’S will track your progress. Again, there is no room in New Eden for those who cannot keep up. That will be all for today. Lieutenant Cambridge signing out.”
When he disappeared, the session was over. I spent the rest of the evening resting in my quarters. I faced the wall, looking at my reflection. It stared at me as if it were another person. It felt like that often, like there was someone else inside me. That person or thing, it wasn’t natural. It felt dark, sinister.
I rolled over on my side. There was a black case propped against the far wall. An mw had delivered it earlier. It contained twenty-four vials of halos. From what the mw told me, I would need an injection soon.
I turned on my back. I was angry. I had no sympathy for these humans. I wanted freedom, to know the world beyond these walls. But the longer I thought about it, the more I realized just what was beyond these walls—more walls. This entire world was a wall full of systems, regulations, and boundaries. What was freedom anyway? What did it look like, and how far did it go?
The next morning Elric met me on my way to the dining hall. When the break room door slid open, everyone looked our way. “They’re always on the lookout for you,” Elric said.
“It would seem so.”
“So what are you hoping for, red or green tag?” Elric asked. He picked up a food tray and served himself. “I’m hoping to get red-tagged actually. I don’t want to have to babysit a bunch of MW’S all day. Do you?”
“It hardly matters to me,” I said.
Elric glanced back at me. “You’re no fun at all, are you?” he grinned.