Catformers: A Story Of Change

The Restart

When he awoke, he felt searing pain enter his body. After that, he realized that he could hear when the sound of his claws scratching something hard filled his ears. His sense of smell came next, chemicals and body perfume entering his sensitive nose. The taste of bile was in his mouth and he choked as he struggled. He weighed against something that was holding him, and it sounded like distant voices were screaming. His muzzle opened to yowl, scream for help, but no sound came. His little heart began to beat even faster; why couldn't he himself make any noise?! Silent screams continued to flow through him, each more desperate than the last.

Finally, his sight came to him. His big blue eyes opened wide, terrified and shaking, as he looked up to try and see what he felt was strangling him. He grit his fangs when he saw several white coat humans holding him down, a few more behind the others holding empty syringes. He opened his mouth again to scream, but again there was no sound. Another human approached him with a syringe, injecting it into him. Fire shot through his body once more, and he thrashed almost twice as hard. However, as he clawed and bit and writhed under the giant hands and sweaty fingers, he began to lose his strength. Panting, his body began to slow down, his tongue lolling out of his mouth as his eyes closed halfway. The humans seemed satisfied with this, letting him go and stepping back. The kitten had no energy left and remained on his back, watching them carefully. One of them picked him up again and turned him on his belly.

"Very good, little kitten," one of them said.

I can understand them? He thought.

Then he slowly realized that he knew more than a normal kitten. Knowledge was constantly running through his head, making it hurt. His basic instincts were there, but there was more. He didn't understand, but at the same time, he didn't, which made him even more confused. He looked at the human with wide, sad optics, terrified and alone.

"It seems you understand us," one said with a smile, writing something down.

The kitten could only nod, still afraid.

A few of them frowned and raised their eyebrows. "Can you speak?" someone asked slowly.

His gaze hardened and he growled, but again no sound came out. His ears flattened against his head and he bared his fangs at them. They glared at him while another jotted something down.

"Subject 127 is unable to speak," one said lowly, clearly frustrated.

I can't make any noise at all!! his head screamed. He wanted to jump and slash at them, but he was too terrified and tired to do so.

One of them studied him closely, frowning deeper. "It seems he is unable to make any kind of sound."

The one writing grumbled to himself and wrote something again.

The biggest one, probably their leader, turned to the others. "Log it. Subject 127 is a success, only with minor setbacks."

"Better than some previous subjects," somebody muttered.

"Place him with subject Group 4," the leader said.

One of the white coats nodded, setting down something in her hand and walking over to him. The little cat hissed, ears flat and back arched. The woman hesitated before picking him up gently and holding him to her chest. He wanted to scratch and bite her, but his ears picked up the sound of her heartbeat and he found himself calming. It sounded like his mother's, but bigger and steadier.

My mother. Who is she?

He tried to remember, closing his eyes to help him concentrate, but all the images that came to his mind were fuzzy. In fact, he couldn't remember much before this at all. It was like he had been created here, but he knew he had had a life before. He sighed soundlessly and lay limp in the white coat's arms.