Chapter Text
It was not a normal day.
The birds weren't singing.
We all woke up today and were rounded up in the main auditorium of the facility.
No breakfast and no explanation for why or how long we’ll be there for.
There has been a rumour saying that they- no we have been compromised.
Someone infiltrating the institute and possibly posing as a staff member, they may reveal our location to those who’d use us for experimentation. Much worse than what we already receive.
More needles, more electroshocks, more mystery pills, and autopsies.
Some of us did try to run, but all were brought back and make into examples. All was futile. Learn helplessness from the start.
We’ve been told to be on high alert, report anyone suspicious or out of place, basically anyone we didn’t recognise.
This would be a challenge, as there’s more guards than usual, a lot more, humour-sly so.
That does mean we’ll need to behave, no sneaking off, no notes to be passed, less free roaming that what we already had.
I don’t mind much.
The best way I’ve survived so long is by not standing out, being in favour of both my siblings and the… teachers has been difficult.
Pass a note here and there, call someone out for misbehaving, give the signal when someone is turned away, snitch on a bunk mate.
Feeling very out of place in this environment. Only escape is the “classes” and rare outside time once it’s warm enough.
But I only gave my best, occasionally improving over time and occasionally fail on purpose, I’ve seen what they do to those who always succeed. They never come back the same.
But I’m uncertain if my constant neutrality is making me more obvious to the headmaster, but I’ll keep trying to blend in, for that’s all I can do.
We weren’t given breakfast in the end, a tactic they used to keep the weak and less patient ones in check. Those starving will try to steal from the dry store, which will now have extra guards, get caught and sent off for more mystery pills testing till they can no longer function.
This has happened time and time again, the newer ones don’t really get it, but they’ll learn quickly enough, all of us do.
But I need to stop thinking, I’ll be fine, I’ve stashed away some bread in my room. I still haven’t had a new bunk mate assigned to me, so I won’t have to worry about anything being stolen or moved.
Most of the day ended up uneventful, but there’s been more kids called apron than ever.
The teachers have come to call it a “Fitness Test”, to take the finest of the batch and do obstacles courses till they dropped. Usually from pulled muscles or broken bones. The Test has been a recent addition, keeps the next set of siblings “healthier” they say.
I turn a corner to get to my room for rest time, we get only 15 minutes after each class and only a 30 minute lunch, which barely gets us through the rest of the day.
After this I have shooting. The only class I have to worry about, they occasionally use live targets. When they first started to use them no one was the wiser what we’d be shooting at. Surely it wouldn't be our own, is what everyone thought. The only thing giving them away were dog tags, those on cleaning duty got sick to the point of calling in sick to the nurses. On the dog tags we have out number, date of “birth” and our specialty. That’s all they say. I’ve kept up my neutrality and failures to the point of only getting “Speciality: Sniper.". There where those who had multiple Specialities. They were treated harsher, with more procedures to boot. But there's only 6 of them left, still kicking around some how. I could have been one of them, but that would meant the end of who I am now.
Finally reaching my bedroom I notice the door being cracked open, then gently close.
Someone is in my room.
And that someone could be one of two people.
A kid hiding from the guards for stealing. Or the intruder.
I should report it. I really, really should.
But something tells me not to, and that same something has led me to “occasionally” fail some classes, to stay nothing special to those in charge of us.
Knocking on the door, I enter it after a minute, slowly I open the door, and once I softly close it I just get to my desk, directly across the room, in front of a window.
Each room having 2 beds, 2 small storage units for uniforms and shoes, and only 1 desk. The last bunk mate broke it when trying to escape for the window.
I know there’s someone with in the room, I just want them to leave and not get into trouble for not reporting anything.
There’s a shuffling behind me, I get a diary from the drawer, they give these to every “student” as a monitoring tool to see what everyone has learnt for the week. I only write what happens once the class is over, keeps it all fresh in my mind.
The shuffling gets closer.
But there’s also footsteps of boots down the hall.
“ I recommend you hide under the bed. The headmaster is on his way.” I say.
The shuffling stops, but the not the foot steps.
Then there’s a creek of the bed, much more than if a child was to use it- oh. Oh I’m fucked. If it’s really the intruder and I’m having a room inspection-
There’s a knock at my door.
I stand up and face the door.
“Please, come in.”
The door opens but it’s not the headmaster as I thought it to be. It’s the head of faculty, the one in charge of who goes where, what we learn, what tests we do. He’s old, very old. Always mumbling in a nasally tone of how “he helped this program succeed, he’ll be recognised as someone beginning a new age.” No one really knew what he was on about, but everyone is too afraid to ask.
The head of faculty was always surrounded by his little army of bodyguards. They stay just behind the door, only one comes inside with him. All of them, intimidating with their gas masks and heavy duty armour. Always hated them, unmoving walls of psychotic rage and pain, I pity their existence, even if they were once in my position.
“Good morning 24. You’ve been selected for a demonstration, shooting as you may understand. Be at the range instead of the lesson. Only Live targets. Do not be late.”
“Yes sir, of course sir. I will be there sir.”
As I speak the Head of Faculty turns and walks out of my room. The door is gently closed after his personal guard leaves behind him, eyeing my soul like a starved dog.
There’s a stillness in the room. I don’t move, nor does the stranger under the bed. Whoever they are, is lucky this wasn’t an inspection, we both would have been killed otherwise.
“I have a favour to ask.” I start, there’s no answer from the intruder.” I may not be in a position to ask, but you seem like you’re going to be stuck here without a little gold nugget of information.”
Like I said. I’m not in a position to ask favours, but I need to try, before more of the kids die. It's inevitable, but I can try to minimise the damage.
“Their operate in the basement. They clone us, you may have noticed. Some have tried to run, and got publicly hung for it. I have to kill those around me, I’ve done it for a long time, I had to. I’ll likely die today. Be it by your hands, my own, or the disgusting man that calls himself the head of faculty. I just ask you to burn it all. Starting from the basement, the labs, the incubation rooms and this whole fucking place to the ground... Just make sure you have an escape route ready, this place is old. The fire will spread quickly.” as I continue more venom comes out, I don't care if the room is bugged.
I look at the bed, I take my diary from the desk and leave it on top of the blanket, right in the middle.
“I hope to never see you. But if I do…”
I couldn’t think of a viable threat, nothing came to mind, I doubt I’d be able to actually do anything to someone who got into a place like this all on their own.
“… I don’t know what I’ll do, I’ll come up with something… I have to go now. The basement is on the right, then two doors from here. Right next to a boiler room... There's a map in the book."
With that I make my way out of the room, there’s only one way today will end. It’s going to be my death, death of many of those I call siblings, and the death of the monsters in the basement. If the intruder doesn’t burn this place for me, I’ll do it myself if I had to.
But being lost in my thoughts has made me realise a little too late that I'm already by the range, with everything arranged, I just need to take my place, and show everyone how be unfeeling, fast and efficient. That’s all it is. The targets will be covered. So there'll be no hesitation. I just need to empty my mind.
The gun is ready and loaded for me. I still check the bullet chamber. 6 bullets in the chamber, then more on the side table.
Even when I already know the end, didn't make the journey any easier to get here. I move the gun from one hand to the other, they're always heavy no matter how often I train.
Checking if the gun was compromised, has made me realise that there isn't many people left at the auditorium of the range. So there'll more targets than I'm ready for... I take a deep breath in.
I hear the first bell to get ready. So the butt of the gun is at my shoulder.
The a horn goes off.
There are 4 ki- targets, running out, scattered in their formation, but that won't really help them, maybe for an extra few seconds.
Once I aimed for one, a shot goes off. Then the next, then one after that. The last ones aren't always lucky, as they get to experience the most fear and get the painful shots from being so far away, but I still try to get their heads. They're on the ground once I'm done.
The bell goes off, I reload. The feeling of quilt begins to form. Starting at my feet as the muscle tightens.
The horn again.
6 this time.
10 total, I press on.
The more I shoot, the less pain they'll have to go through later. Takeing head shots to make it quick and painless.
One. Bang.
Two. Bang.
Three.
Some of them stop to look back or around, only to find those around them dead.
Four. Bang.
Five. Bang.
Six.
The bell was interrupted. This time an explosion.
I assumed all at the auditorium have turned around to look. But I ready the next set of bullets loaded.
No one could hear the horn. The fire alarms going off too loudly to notice.
The next 6 run out. That's 16 total. Actually less than expected.
5 shots got fired. I haven't changed my footing yet. My legs groaning in aches and the guilt is now in the pit of my stomach.
The bell doesn't ring.
I turn sharply, using the tension in my legs to turn quickly through the pain.
The aim is the Head of Faculty.
His guards are distracted. His back is turned.
I shoot.
He falls.
I reload, discard 5 bullets. 6 new bullets take place. 8 guards charge at me.
I grab an extra mag. It'll make a looser grip but will be useful later.
I hear the running of heavy foot steps.
Aim.
One in the far back. Bang.
Two in a line. Bang.
One on my right. Bang.
Two on my left. Line them up quickly. Bang.
One in front of me. Shove the gun into it's chest. Bang.
One immediately after, close enough to grab me- Bang.
With that I was finished. Reload.
Grab the next mag.
My body moves on it's own. Just making my way over to the burning building.
Maybe.... Someone made it? Or two? I did let one get away...
There's no guarantee...
No way to find them. I hear heavy breathing. Looking around there's no one.
It's my own breathing. Heavy, catching on itself, uneven.
What if....there is no one out there... We haven't been shown what to do outside of here.
I'm in front of the cursed place. My body now too heavy to support itself and the gun, so dropping on my knees I ignore the pain, the guilt has spread further, like I'm a host to sickening disease. For there's nothing left here.
It'll all be ashes soon. Nothing I could do now, not with the fire being so far out.i hope the intruder got out at least.
They deserve better than to die here like-
A diary is waved in front of me. Is that my.... Diary?
I take it from the intruder.
"Didn't I say we should never meet?"
"...you did. And what shall you do?" A deep voice almost reverberates in my head, so the intruder is a man. Older, wiser maybe? But certainly more experienced.
"Nothing. There's nothing to fight for. Nowhere for me to go." I admit, because it's true.
My place of birth is burning in front of me, there's nowhere to physically go to. All those I considered my siblings are either dead, dieing or rotting on the ground.
"... Stand up, you'll come with me then."
I finally look up at the intruder.
His eyes bright, almost white blues. Icy and focused on my own ones. Almost with the guards- but... Not starved to rip something to shreds, more.... Feeling? Calm, collected.
Certainly old, not like the head of faculty, much younger than that. But older than the teachers we had, in a black suit too, maybe he has an important position? The Head master had many suits...
Problem is the intruder's intentions...
"Why? We've only just met."
"So? You have nowhere to go, I have a place where you can stay."
The intruder starts walking away, slowly, like his offer still stands.
I take a final look at the hellscape we're leaving behind, there's no screams, the fire roaring for me to join in, to end it all.
There's nowhere to go, death may not worst outcome, the crippling loneliness would be if I stay here, I might as well follow him.
Slowly I get up. The gun still in hand.
There's a bit of a distance between us, but we reached a car that's parked between a bunch of bushes and trees.
He looks at me as he opens the passenger door. I hesitate before taking a step closer.
"The gun will raise suspicions, I'll put it in the trunk."
I nod, and give him my last piece of home I have. As much as I've wanted to get out of that place, it's all I've ever known. Only those adequately broken and taught where taken outside of the boarders. They were called back just for today. I hope they can rest now.
Once inside the car, everything looks unfamiliar. We were taught about cars and such, but this.... Looked new? Different from what I remember from classes.
"Put the seat belt on, then we'll be on our way."
Right... Something about safety, to keep people from flying out in a crash and all that.
I look around a little, finding one close to my shoulder I pull on the sturdy fabric and click it into place.
My uniform is dirty but at least I won't get chastised for it anymore. I should ask when I'll be able to clean myself up, I have a feeling I'll be stuck with this man for a long while.
"What's your name?" He asks.
"24. I'm the first of the 4th generation. At least that's what the head of faculty called me."
There's no point in lying, and he's taking me in (probably), the least I can do is answer some questions.
"Alright. Hello 24. I'm 47. You'll be staying with me till we can get you somewhere more permanent. You understand?"
47... I look up at him, I've heard of him, actually. The head of faculty always mentioned "the perfect specimen". Like it was something holy, something inevitable.
"Yes sir, of course sir, I understand sir."
'I guess it's the begining of something new. Maybe something familiar.'
I think as I look outside at the passing trees, finally seeing new ones after so many years.
It's not a normal day after all.