Enhancement

- [ 5 ] -

I'm in a Sky-Train!

It feels like the world forgot this isn't possible. There's no way I'm here. I must have fainted or worse-- someone shot me. Either way, I lose my balance and grab the nearest seat for support. What is going on?

There's no doubt I'm standing in the middle of an empty Sky-Train, and it feels 100 percent real. Even the faint smell of synthetic leather is exactly the same as it always is. I spin slowly on my heel and scan the long cab. The walls, seats, windows, air quality. The way I'm blinking and breathing are all like normal.

And that's the confusing part.

Buzzing questions hound my mind, yet I let them roar in my ears. I can't believe this. I. Can't. Believe. This.

A sharp pulse stabs my neck, and the Sky-Train glitches out. Parts of the scene warp or flash white as I back away from the areas. Soon my feet are standing on slices of white, empty air. My mind descends into panic, forgetting to release shouts from my mouth.

My body shifts between sitting in that Enhancement Project armchair and standing in the Sky-Train. I move my hands freely yet feel rough scratches of stiff belts. The laws of nature somehow disappear, and I feel my chest close up in response. It's the worst sensation imaginable, much worse than simple, earthly pain.

"Ouch," I growl as another pulse kicks the back of my neck. The pulse lasts for a few seconds, and I remember to shut my eyes. Then I wait a couple seconds before opening them again.

"--get all that? Every last detail?" the feminine voice says. My blood curdles weakly at the tone she's using. I curse myself for being so fearful of everything. I've had enough emotional overload in the last hour to never want to feel anything ever again.

"Yes, ma'am," the hazmat says.

I flicker my eyes with a dozen blinks. Lolling my head against the chair, I focus on avoiding the urge to throw up.

The hazmats and the lady banter back and forth about data, numbers, and whole bunch of other crap I don't care about. Just let me go home, hug my parents and brother, and sleep away this nightmare-dream for the rest of eternity.

I stare at the wall, then feel myself shoved out of my chair onto the floor. I didn't even notice someone release my cuffs and belts. I let myself hit the floor.

"That's enough from you, Three,"

"W-Wait," I blubber sleepily. I turn my chin up from my position on the floor to address the Project people. "Don't you need me to tell you what happened?"

She clicks her tongue once in thought. "We have ample data. You can save the deal for another day."

I'm wide awake now, the details of Chase flooding my mind. The Sky-Train blocked him from my mind, but he's crystal clear now.

They killed him.

Murder.

Cold.

Frozen.

Murder.

"No!" I bellow at them. Red-clothed arms drag me across the squeaky white floors, pulling the lady and her minions out of view. "No!"

My shirt slides up, causing my bare skin to skid on the floor. I kick and fight the Screeners, but it's nothing. I'm not staying here. I can't. I can't. I can't.

The scent of metal floods my nose. Right in my gaze is Chase. A pool of blood stains the floor, his fun-loving face. My eyes sting, and I scream again. Chase pulls farther and father away from me as I'm dragged into the icy depths of the white hallways.

I can't do this anymore. I don't know how I find myself doing it, but I muster all my muscle strength and yank myself free of the Screeners.  I wrestle to my feet, get pulled down again, but fight my way out again. The familiar scene of abuse-by-Screener won't overpower me this time.

I run fast. My bare heels pound against the floor as boots storms after me, hollering. Something click behind me, and I know it's those damned guns. I duck and zigzag to avoid the impeding bullets. I know they're coming. Give it three or four seconds, and I will explode.

The blast never comes. I begin to spot a dead end in the hall, and a Screener barrels into me from the back. I slam to the floor and writhe in bruising pain beneath the person's weight. I panic. I can't breathe under the pressure on my back.

"Nice try, idiot," the Screener says into my ear. I want to crack his head open with a whip of my elbow, but I'm pinned down. I snarl at them instead.

The Screeners lift me up to my feet. "It's a shame you don't understand what you're screwing up. The entire country will prosper from these Tasks once they're refined."

I give them both the craziest, most sadistic look I can summon. "D-Do you really think I believe that?"

-- -- -- -- --

familiar scene was the choice that won. let's see what will happen next:

Question: Choose an option: fast forward to a new cellmate, to a secondary experiment, or to a Holland reference.