The Regeneration Project

~15~

Risa—

I won't scream. I want to, but I refuse to. My will is stronger than my fleshly instincts. I want to kick out, I don't . I want to rip at the clothes of the people around me, but I restrain myself. I lay here, strapped down, and let them jab me with needles. What the contents of them is, I don't know. How many people are hovering around me like vultures circling around wounded prey awaiting death, I don't know that either. I don't open my eyes to look. I wont give them the liberty of seeing the fear in my eyes. The pain is a searing heat. and when I don't think I can stay still a second longer, it stops. The padded feet shuffle away and out of the door. I can tell someone remains because I hear them breathing. It is probably the man I saw over Aspen right before he killed him. I want to look into the eyes of my downfall, so I crack them and am surprised when I see a woman.  Tall and thin, her blonde hair pulled neatly back into a bun. She wears a long white lab coat over formal dress pants and a nice shirt. On her badge I see the name, "Cathryn S. Safford" followed by the title, "Head of Operations and SST."

"Hello." she says with a grin plastered on her face.

"What do you want?" I spit back.

"Well, I know who you are so let me skip right to myself. You may call me Cathryn. Or I suppose Miss Cathryn if that suits your fancy."

"How about Satan's spawn?" I ask. I am too sarcastic for my own good. That is how I always got in trouble as a child.

"I see that you don't like me, but that too will be resolved." she says unaffected by my jabs. Too bad.

"What do you want?" I repeat.

"I want you. I want you to cooperate. I want you to not be rude to those in authority over you. And most importantly, I want you to respect me, and the people who can end your life at the flick of a wrist."

"That's not happening. Go ahead and kill me you vile, selfish, unbearable swine. I want to die. Go ahead and kill me."

"I see you have a broad vocabulary. I wouldn't test me if I were you. There are worse things than death."

"You already killed my only reason for living."

"A necessary precaution. One person is easier to control than one. You showed more potential, you will be used for my bidding."

"I will never do whatever it is you want."

"You will. Because if you don't, I will take away what you really want."

"And what would that be?"

"Aspen."

I stared in shock as she continued to stare at me completely composed. 

"Is he still alive?" I shout at her

"For now, yes. But that can change if you don't cooperate. He is in stasis at the moment. With a push of a button I can cut the oxygen supply and he will no longer be hanging onto life."

"Okay." I say defeated, "What do you want me to do?"

She smiled and produced a tablet that had been behind her back and handed it to me. I look, and my world again crashes down around me.