by Alan Bard
Soon after, the convertiplane took off, and I was slammed into my seat. When this thing was built, comfort was clearly not a priority; no one seemed to care about the test subjects. Or what should we be called? Prisoners? Lab rats?
Two soldiers with loaded carbines remained in the cargo hold; Zara and the pilots were in the cockpit. I was willing to bet that their butts didn’t hurt like mine.
Eli looked at me, “How did you end up here? You said that you were supposed to get forty years. You don’t look like a tough guy. Are you some kind of maniac?” He smacked my shoulder playfully. “Tell us what you did. Stabbed someone? Double murder? Robbery? School shooting?”
He seemed curious, but I felt that he was hiding his fear under all of those questions.
We’ve scared the big guy, grinned a voice from the darkness.
“Murder,” I answered. “But I don’t want to talk about it right now. How did you end up here?”
That’s right. Let him think that we’re a dangerous criminal, not a sucker who’s doing someone else’s time.
“I’m a boxer; I used to, uh, help people. Let’s say that someone owes someone I know money and that they won’t pay. I help them pay it back. I had to fight with all sorts of freaks. This one time, these morons came at me with a knife and a gun. I knocked the gun away, but the second punk stuck a knife in me. Look!” He lifted up his orange t-shirt and proudly showed us a pink scar on his abdomen. “Ha, he was surprised that I didn’t give a shit about the knife. I just got angrier. I smashed his head and hit his friend in the face and... Well, they both died. Unfortunately, I didn’t catch the third one.”
“Assholes,” I said, trying to sound sympathetic. “You had to pay for their stupidity.”
“Yeah, dude, you know what I’m talking about. Imagine, they attacked a girl and took away her money. I couldn’t just stand and watch, ya know?”
A simpleton with principles, huh?
Either that or he’s a really good actor. My money’s on the latter.
“How much did they give you?”
“Ha, it could’ve been much worse.”
After a while, white clouds covered the sky. We became silent, and Eli and I stared out of the tiny windows. Rio was sitting still, shaking with fear, without taking his finger out of his mouth. Lost in thoughts, he kept absentmindedly biting his nails.
Below us were tiny houses, fields, and roads. Beyond them stretched the vast blue ocean. We dived in and out of the clouds, the sunlight blinding us. I suddenly became aware of how vast the world was. Unfortunately, this world was no longer ours...
I tried to keep my mind occupied. Whenever I got distracted, Archie’s face and his empty, inhuman eyes came back to haunt me. Recalling his twisted smile, I suddenly realized what the look he had given my mother meant. He was going to kill her! He wanted to do to her what he had done to the Crowley family!
My heart skipped a beat and I broke out in cold sweat. I suddenly found it difficult to breathe.
You’re dumb as a post. Waiting for the court’s decision is no excuse, said a cold voice.
Archie will kill her as soon as they release him! We must stop him!
All right, we’ll kill him to save her, to get revenge, and because such a creature shouldn’t be left alive.
Am I ready to kill him? I listened to my feelings. I think I am.
Thoughts of Big Head, Meg, and Shorty weighed heavily on my chest. They were gone—my second family was gone.
Don’t waste time being sorry, said a cold voice.
I knew that it was right; there was no point in blaming myself. I tried to be tough, but their faces were fresh in my mind. It was like they were standing in front of me.
I swallowed, staring straight ahead. Farewell, my friends! I’ll miss you.
Rio sighed and waved his hand, snapping me out of my reverie and making me turn my head back to the window. The clouds were glowing pink, as if a giant searchlight was shining down on them. We came upon an air pocket or something and the aircraft shook. The three of us cried out in surprise and froze—the cloud flared even brighter. Pink light spilled over the hull like liquid fire. The convertiplane looked like it was wrapped in a shimmering film. We seemed to be standing still. A moment later, it jerked sharply and the strange glow was gone.
“What was that?” Rio exclaimed. “Where are you taking us?!”
The soldiers continued to sit motionless, ignoring us.
The clouds ended, and a large island appeared below us. Mountains loomed over the green coast with gray-blue hills behind it. In the center were a fog-covered crater and ruins. Closer to us, on the ridge, towered a strange looking building. It was still far away and nearly invisible, but as we were approaching, we could make out a gray roof dotted with turrets. The place reminded me of the Coliseum.
The convertiplane touched down on the landing pad, and Zara came out of the cockpit. She was wearing camouflage pants and a khaki jacket, and her hair was again tied in a bun.
“We’re at the University now,” she said to us. “Keep in mind that escaping is impossible; The Island has long been in the possession of the military.”
The cell door slid open. The soldiers straightened and aimed at us but Zara raised her hand.
“I know it won’t be easy, but I’d like you to trust me. From now on, you won’t be handcuffed. However, if you do something stupid, we’ll put them back on.”
“What the hell was that?” Eli asked. “That pink thing? Scared the shit out of me.”
Zara shrugged.
“No idea. Probably lightning. Do you have any other questions?”
Rio jumped up from his seat and said quickly, “Can you explain, please, why I’m stuck with these guys? They’re criminals. It’s scary to have them around.”
Eli clenched his fists and turned to face him.
“Hey, Bruce Lee, why so rude?”
“You’ll have to learn to cooperate with different people. Some will have to learn how to use their words, and some how to use their fists. The sooner you understand this and find allies, the better you’ll cope with the test.”
Rio was the first to exit the hold; he approached Zara as if seeking her protection and froze, biting his nail.
“Tell us more about what they’ll do with us!”
“By means of electromagnetic neurotransmission, a neural network will be installed in your brain.”
“Is it like installing software?” he asked.
“Yeah, something like that,” she answered in a dry voice. “It was designed a few years ago by a Nobel laureate in neurobiology, Peter Krylov. You have nothing to fear, the first tests were successful. Imagine how afraid those people were.”
“So this is completely safe?” Eli asked skeptically. “You’re saying that we’ll have a blast being here?”
“The risk is minimal and the discomfort won’t last long. A couple of hours, maybe days. There are usually no complications. Nick, Eli, are you two going to keep standing there? Don’t you want to breathe in the fresh air?”
We exchanged glances, and I got up and headed for the exit. I still expected the soldiers to either handcuff me or point their guns at me, but they remained motionless. Zara turned around to leave, as if to suggest that she trusted us. Rio ran ahead of her, clearly in a hurry to get away from Eli and me.
“What’ll happen to us when we get this... this thing stuffed into our brains?” Eli asked.
We got off the landing platform and away from the roof and its dark-gray walls. In some places, the masonry was quite strange: stones were made to fit into each other like pieces of a puzzle. It seemed like the military had turned the ancient ruins into their base. The sharp wind was howling, carrying with it the smell of sea and flowers. I looked up at the clouds creeping across the sky.
No handcuffs or bars in sight! It was worth signing up for the experiment just for this moment.
And for the chance to face Archie again, a malicious voice said. I couldn’t see its owner, but I
knew that they were grinning.
The building was rather high and well-guarded, but it was not clear whom the soldiers were afraid of—there was no one here but them and their test subjects. I wondered if they were just being paranoid.
A door opened in front of Zara and we found ourselves in a long, well-lit hallway. Following the shape of the building, it spiraled downward into a seemingly endless abyss. We passed through a dozen doors and came to what looked like a dead end, but was actually a secret passage. Zara and Rio crossed the threshold first, and gestured to Eli and me to follow.
Having glanced at us for one last time, Zara turned around and walked out of the room without saying a word. We were left us in the care of a young lab assistant, who seated us behind computers. We were asked to do all sorts of tests. Rio was done in a flash, while Eli was swearing and typing slowly.
“Rio, do you have any idea what this is all about?” I asked.
He gave me a shrug and a faint, strange smile.
“I’ve encountered some of these tests before. They’re trying to determine our personalities, stress resistance, accentuation, communication skills, intelligence, and so on.”
“What...?”
“Smart-asses,” whispered Eli.
“Simply put, they want to examine us before the experiment, to see how the neural network will affect us and whether we’ll change under its influence or remain ourselves.”
“You’re a nerd, man,” Eli said. “Hey, are you hungry?”
The assistant gave us another test and said apologetically, “This is the last one. But you can’t eat just yet. It’s better to install the neural network on an empty stomach.”
“This sucks,” Eli said in a low voice. “How come?”
“You may get sick.”
“I hope we don’t crap our pants.”
“That’s unlikely to happen. Now, please... Just one more test.”
When we had finished, the assistant led us down a narrow hallway. Identical doors were irritating, and so was the desolation. I was wondering why this place was so empty.
That’s strange. Is that strange? It’s not good, that’s for damn sure...
Video cameras are everywhere. They’re watching us right now! a voice said.
After a couple of minutes of walking, we reached the elevator, went up to the top floor, and found ourselves in a brightly lit lobby.
“I’ll show you the room. You guys rest while we get ready,” the assistant said. “Zara said that you can have a milkshake. We’ll start the installation in an hour.”
Eli was the first to enter the room and almost ran into a guy who was on the floor on all fours and looking quite lost. He was about our age; brown hair disheveled and face pale, he looked like he had just had a bad trip. A long-haired girl was leaning against a wall and anxiously tapping the floor with her foot.
They look alike... Brother and sister?
“Who’s that?” Eli asked.
“Jelena and Bojan.” The assistant walked over to Bojan and helped him sit up. “I told you not to get up until the dizziness passed.”
“I have some shit popping in front of my eyes,” Bojan mumbled in a strong accent and slapped his forehead.
“Don’t worry, that’s normal, it should pass soon. Jelena, how are you doing?”
“I feel sick, too,” she answered with the same accent. “I also have words popping up before my eyes. Words! But when I try to read them, they disappear.”
She was staring straight ahead, her mouth open and brows furrowed, as if she were seeing something we couldn’t.
“Hey!” Rio leaned his back against the wall, casting a frightened glance around the room. “Will the same thing happen to us?”
Eli swallowed hard. His eyes were also darting all over the room, as though looking for some shred of hope or comfort.
The assistant took Bojan and Jelena by their hands and led them out of the room. We heard him whispering something before returning.
He shrugged and continued, “Didn’t you read about the possible side effects when you signed the contract? These things pass in three to five hours. These two from Serbia had it installed recently; they’ll soon return to normal.”
We went into a small room with three beds and nothing else. I took the one to the right of the entrance, and Rio took the one to the left. Eli, on the other hand, was arguing with the assistant. The vein on his head was pulsating so hard that I was getting worried that it might pop.
“I’m not going anywhere until I make sure that those two will be okay!”
“Are you saying that you’re breaking the contract? All right, I’ll call security, and you’ll be sent back to jail.” His tone implied that he wasn’t joking.
Eli tensed up as if he was about to slap him. Having calmed down, he frowned and mumbled, “Fine.”
He flopped down on the bed, which squeaked under his weight. I understood him perfectly; I wasn’t looking forward to crawling about on all fours and babbling about words popping up in front of my eyes, but I had to be patient.
Zara came in, gave us a perfunctory smile, and handed out bottles without labels.
“I know you’re hungry. But you may be sick later, so you can’t eat too much.”
Eli stared at his bottle as if it contained poison. As no one dared to try it, Zara took the bottle from me, took a sip, and returned it.
“Seriously, you need to learn to trust me a little.”
The milkshake had the taste and consistency of slightly sweetened milk, and I drank it quickly. In the meantime, Zara began a lecture about the neural network, listing the side effects and trying to calm us down.
“Every fifth procedure is painless. And once we’re done, you’ll be able to do things you’ve only ever dreamed about.”
“Why don’t you install it in your head if it’s so cool?”
“The neural network isn’t compatible with fully developed brains. The best results were observed in young people up to twenty-five years of age. The older a person is, the harder it is to adapt.”
“Why not experiment on children, then?” Rio asked with interest.
“They haven’t developed their personalities yet. Believe me, we want the best for you. Your victories are our victories.”
Her voice was almost encouraging; her confidence passed on to us, lifting our spirits. Or was there something in the milkshake? Whatever the case, it was too late to turn back now. All we could do was accept the inevitable.
“Who wants to go first?” Zara asked and suddenly winked at me.
The expression looked so unnatural on her usually emotionless face; I felt like a robot had winked at me.
As if I was hypnotized, I followed her into a room filled with various switches, keyboards, and monitors. Two people with headphones were sitting at a table in front of a huge screen. Zara walked over to a capsule and slapped its shiny surface.
“Get inside.”
I looked at the device that resembled a rounded coffin, and felt my confidence drain away. The gurney in the corner of the room didn’t help at all.
“Do I have to take off my clothes?” I asked, trying to grin.
“No, just remove any metal objects you might have: chains, rings, bracelets...”
Zara pressed a button, and the capsule opened, revealing a bed-like seat.
I lay down on it and stared at the lid as it closed. In the reflection of the metal surface, I saw a boy stare back at me in horror. The darkness hummed, as if the air was being electrified. I clenched my teeth, fighting the urge to jump up and run.
The capsule suddenly lit up with a kaleidoscope of colors, making my head spin. I wanted to close my eyes, but couldn’t. A funnel appeared in front of me, sucking me in. I could no longer feel my body, only my consciousness and darkness. The colors broke up into numbers; flowing in a meaningless stream, they passed through me. It looked strange, but I didn’t feel anything.
An image emerged from the void: a silhouette of a man. In his head bu
rned a golden orb—a core from which thin ribbons of fire flowed downward, tracing the neck, chest, arms, stomach, and legs. The orb flickered, sending ripples of golden-red light through the ribbons. At the same time, the words Proxy Core and Body Contour appeared and disappeared above and below the silhouette.
“What’s that?!” I croaked. Or at least I thought that I did.
My head and body burned as if they were melting from the inside.
The silhouette faded. Numbers and colors filled me, and I felt like I was going to burst into a thousand pieces.
I wonder if this is how it’s meant to be. What will happen to us?
We’ll go back and get our revenge on Archie! said a harsh voice, returning my confidence back to me.
Words flashed in front of my eyes.
Combat Skills
Common Skills...
...installation at the Initiation Rite...
Rare Skills...
...installation at the Rite of Passage...
...requires triggers to activate...
Unique Skills...
...created by the unit...
...recorded by the system...
Legendary... Grand... Titanic... Absolute...
Special Combinations: Combos... Styles... Techniques...
All this was replaced by a bright title.
General Combat Skills (Canon, Level 1)
Below it, images appeared in brief flashes as if someone was quickly flipping through the pages of a notebook.
Each image had an inscription and a figure of a man in unusual Oriental clothing demonstrating the skills.
Direct Punch...
Two-fisted Punch...
Punch Hammer...
Punch with the Edge of the Palm...
Direct Kick...
Heel Kick...
Knee Hit...
Undercut...
Push...
Each image made my body twitch in pain and my muscles contract. My lungs were burning and it felt as if my head was about to explode from the pressure.
The pain was so strong that I was beginning to pass out.
What the hell is going on? I thought before everything went black.
Chapter 6
ADAPTATION
I opened my eyes and shut them almost immediately as a bright light spilled down on me. I squinted, trying to get used to the brightness, but couldn’t make out anything—the world around me was all blurry. It took some time, but I eventually managed. There were five lights above me. Or three. Or just one that was going around in circles like a mad fly. The buzzing made me nauseous.
