Triple Point

Chapter 82: Catastrophe

Camilla

Camilla wasn't sure when she had passed out, but when she awoke next, she found herself lying on her front, her head centered on a cushion with a hole in the middle for her face. Her view was filled with clean, white tiles, along with a pair of black combat boots standing in front of her.

"Subject three-four-two-zero has regained consciousness," a voice said. "We are ready to begin the procedure."

"Good," a crisp, chipper voice replied. "Two-five-four-three: restrain the subject, but leave her conscious and feeling."

"Yes, Doctor Hester," a woman replied, and Camilla recognized her voice as the one that had spoken to her inside her mind.

A second later, Camilla felt the hands on her head again, and her body went rigid. She could still feel the hands on her head and the cold metal table against her skin, but when she tried to move or speak, nothing happened. All she had control over was her breathing and blinking.

"Subject is restrained," the woman reported back.

"We'll see about that," the doctor snapped. "After all, you couldn't even wipe what was left of her. Honestly, I did the hard part—all you had to do was as easy as nudging a baby down a flight of stairs."

Camilla heard the light clattering of metal, and the next moment, she felt a blinding pain erupting from the base of her skull. Immediately, she wanted to scream and thrash around, to fight off whoever was hurting her. But she couldn't do any of that. The only thing that happened was that her breath caught in her throat, and tears began leaking from her eyes, dripping to the tiles below.

"I guess you are still useful," the doctor commented. "Alright, let's begin."

What followed was a blur that engulfed Camilla in a tidal wave of searing pain and warm blood. She didn't know what the doctor was doing, and the woman in her head refused to tell her, but Camilla could feel absolutely everything. She could feel a blade slicing her skin at the bottom of her head, and the reverberations of a drill chipping away at her skull. She wanted to pass out, but she couldn't; every time she felt her mind slipping away, the woman in her head would simply bring her back without an explanation. She couldn't escape.

After what felt like hours, the doctor finally sighed with relief.

"The Seed has been planted," the doctor said. "Powering on now."

Suddenly, Camilla felt her body go rigid again, but it felt different than before. It felt stronger, cold, and merciless.

"Report on the signal," the doctor ordered.

"Signal's strong," another voice said. "Ready to commence preliminary testing."

"Hold her steady," the doctor replied. "Two-five-four-three, release the subject and remain on standby."

"Yes, Doctor Hester," the woman replied, and her hands left Camilla's head immediately.

The doctor's clicking heels echoed throughout the room, and she didn't speak again until the sound stopped.

"Subject three-four-two-zero," the doctor began. "Open your hands."

Before Camilla could stubbornly clench her hands into fists, they opened automatically.

The doctor's heels clicked again, and when they stopped, the silence was taken over by the light clattering of metal. After a few seconds, Camilla felt a cold, thin, metal rod against the palm of her left hand.

"Subject three-four-two-zero, close your left hand."

Camilla's hand closed around the metal rod in her hand, completely against her will.