Annihilation: A YA dystopian adventure (The Mind Breaker Series Book 3)

by Marina Epley

  “I owe my life to you,” she states solemnly. “I’d be long dead by now, if you hadn’t saved me five years ago. Remember that night I first came to your place?”

  I nod. It’s something I’ll never forget.

  “That was my time,” Kitty continues sadly. “I was supposed to die that night. I was very sick and had nobody to help me. And I didn’t trust you back then. I spent hours sitting behind dumpsters, deciding whether I should go to your place. It was cold and raining. And I suddenly realized that I wouldn’t survive till morning, should I choose to remain outside. I remember staggering toward your apartment building, thinking that I wouldn’t make it. I did fall a couple of times, but managed to get back to my feet.”

  She pauses, letting out a quiet sob.

  “You saved me,” Kitty says. “And then you took care of me. You became my only friend and family. I still remember your reading books to me and helping me with homework. I remember when you taught me to swim and later took me to a meadow, just because I wanted to pick wild flowers. And whenever I got ill, you spent hours by my bedside, telling me stories or bringing water and medicine.” She becomes silent for a few moments, looking away. “So how can it be any different, Rex? How can I not feel protective toward you? Aside from you, I have nothing good in my life. You’re all I have!”

  She suddenly begins crying. She throws her arms around my neck and presses her lips against mine, wincing in pain.

  “Don’t hurt yourself,” I say, gently pushing her away.

  “I don’t care,” she sobs. “I love you so much.”

  “Well, I have some stitches too, Kitty,” I say, stroking her hair. “Just go to sleep. It’s been a long day.”

  “Tell me a story,” she demands.

  “I’m really tired, Kitty.”

  “Please.”

  I sigh, giving in.

  “All right, listen,” I say. “Once upon a time there was a girl with red hair and sharp teeth. She once went into some dark woods and ran into bad guys. And she killed them all. The end.”

  “That’s too short!” Kitty exclaims, laughing. “You forgot the dinosaurs. What was T. Rex doing while she was killing those bad guys?”

  “He was busy taking a beating in the basement,” I answer. “Go to sleep now.”

  Kitty yawns and finally closes her eyes, drifting off quickly. I remain awake for a few more minutes, thinking over her words. I don’t know whether I should take it too seriously. Her thinking that she owes her life to me could become a big problem. With a false belief like that she might do something even more outrageous. She could decide to sacrifice herself for me, if need be.

  I suddenly think about Lena and Jimmy. I remember Chelsey and the unknown recruit who sacrificed his life for me during my escape from the Death Camp.

  I feel an unsettling premonition that something bad may now happen to Kitty. I’m afraid that we won’t both make it to see the end of this war.

  ***

  A few days later, Kitty and I arrive at the hospital for our first injections. Chase, Marcus and Dave tag along to assist.

  Smiling, Holtzmann informs us that there’s no need to worry about anything. The intensive-care unit is prepared for any emergencies, and the best medics around are on standby to take care of us, should anything go wrong.

  All this preparation is making me nervous. I look over at two recliners with matching IV stands and plastic bags filled with a whitish liquid.

  “Looks like milk,” Kitty comments. “That’s what we can call it.”

  “What kind of drug is it?” I ask. “How exactly does it affect the brain?”

  “The substance significantly intensifies activity within certain sections of the brain,” Holtzmann answers, “thereby temporarily expanding the potential of the mind.”

  “Wait a minute, professor,” I say. “Don’t tell me that we were risking our lives for a bag of LSD.”

  Holtzmann frowns and begins a long tiring lecture, explaining that this drug has little in common with LSD. He even makes sure to write out the chemical formulas, but I can’t comprehend half of what he says.

  “Considering the aforementioned ingredients utilized in synthetizing the substance, you may have already realized the inherent risks you’ll be taking during this experiment,” Holtzmann says. I nod stupidly. “Fortunately, both the positive and negative effects will only be temporary. During injection, you may experience a few unpleasant sensations such as weakness, pain, seizures or restlessness. It will take a few hours for the drug to begin to induce an alteration of your brain. In approximately 12 hours the effects will peak, hopefully enabling you to practice telekinesis. In the case you receive no additional injections, the effects should desist within two or three hours. That’s why we’ll need to perform multiple injections, allowing the drug time to safely accumulate in your body.”

  “What other kinds of side effects are possible?” I ask.

  Holtzmann explains that the range of afflictions is wide and unpredictable, as nobody before has ever received such a high dosage. He expects Kitty and I to experience nausea, weight and hair loss, weakness, anxiety and likely even some moderate level of depression. The drug also decreases the immune system which subsequently leads to higher risks for infection. And it may cause blood thinning, which can result in nose and gum bleeding along with bruising all over your body.

  After the professor finishes speaking, the room becomes deathly quiet for a while.

  “So you’ve never conducted this type of experiment before, have you?” I ask.

  “Not to this degree no, the other subjects were receiving lower dosages,” Holtzmann admits.

  “Why do both of us have to go through this?” I wonder, still not fully understanding his concept of using two telepaths.

  “The drug will also increase telepathic sensitivity,” he says, “letting both subjects connect with one another’s minds and act as one, especially when using telekinesis. It will also permit me to use only half of the needed dosage, thereby lowering the health risk for each of you.”

  I nod again, still having incomplete understanding. All this science is too complex for me.

  After Kitty and I verify our agreement to be his subjects, Holtzmann requests Chase and Marcus to strap us into the recliners. Kitty willingly lets the officers restrain her. I suffer flashbacks from Dr. Carrel’s lab, where I was strapped to the chair and approached by a lunatic with a drill in his hand.

  “I don’t need to be strapped down,” I begin protesting. I don’t feel safe when my hands aren’t free.

  Holtzmann and I spend a good ten minutes arguing before I finally allow Chase to strap me down. Holtzmann inserts a needle into my vein. I nervously watch as the white concoction flows through a long plastic tube into my body. It reminds me of the supposed lethal injection I once had to go through.

  Ten minutes later I understand the necessity for the straps. Sharp pain pierces through my muscles, and I suffer a seizure. The last thing I see is Kitty foaming at the mouth in her chair, before I wake on a medical gurney. A doctor injects something else into my arm, asking how I feel.

  “I’ve been through worse,” I mutter, sitting up. “Where’s Kitty?”

  “I’m here,” she answers weakly, lying flat on another gurney. Her face is sickly pale.

  Holtzmann arrives, apologizing for the complications during the injection and promising to decrease the dosage of the drug. After numerous head scans and blood tests, he finally lets us return to headquarters.

  The next morning, I awaken to an intense headache. I’m dizzy and nauseated. I realize these are the first side effects of the drug.

  “I feel like I’m about to throw up,” Kitty whimpers. “And my head hurts terribly. I don’t usually suffer any headaches.”

  We somehow pull ourselves together, heading toward the hospital for another injection. It goes much smoother than the first time. Holtzmann uses muscle relaxant in combination with an anesthetic, to prevent us from having more seizure
s. We don’t experience the pain this time around, remaining awake. Chase and Marcus stand aside, watching us with sympathetic expressions.

  “I think you’re heroes,” Dave says.

  During the next several days Kitty and I receive daily injections, doing head scans and blood tests afterwards. We haven’t suffered any severe side effects yet, outside of frequent headaches, nausea and some postinjection weakness. Holtzmann perceives that to be a positive sign.

  One morning he invites us to his lab inside Elimination headquarters. It’s time for the first experiment. He places monitors on our heads, directing us to sit at the table. We follow his request as the professor places matches, a pen and a thin book in front of us. He explains that while Kitty and I are breakers of almost the same strength, she is able to use her abilities much better at the moment. He claims that I’m still blocking myself, refusing to fully accept being a breaker. That’s why Holtzmann believes Kitty will develop an ability for telekinesis quicker. But I’ll still have to help, combining my effort with hers.

  Jessie, Marcus and Dave arrive to witness the experiment. My jaw drops upon seeing them. They all wear helmets, safety glasses and bulletproof vests, along with metallic shields. Holtzmann also places a helmet on his head, backing off into the furthest corner.

  “Are you sure Kitty and I shouldn’t wear protective gear as well?” I ask.

  “You have nothing to worry about,” the professor assures us. “It’s a mere precaution. Telekinesis shouldn’t hurt the subjects.”

  “How can you be so sure?” I blurt out. “You haven’t conducted this type experiment before.”

  After a few agonizing minutes of arguing, Holtzmann allows us to wear vests and safety glasses. He refuses to give us the helmets because they may interfere with his monitors.

  “What do we do?” Kitty asks impatiently.

  “Try to move an object on the table, using telekinesis,” Holtzmann instructs.

  “How exactly are we supposed to do that?” I wonder.

  “It should come natural to both of you,” he answers. “Just believe in your abilities.”

  “Thanks for nothing, professor,” I groan. What else can we expect from this guy?

  During the next hour Kitty and I obsessively stare at the objects, willing them to move. We wave our hands above them, but it doesn’t help. No matter what we try, we can’t move the darn objects a single inch.

  “It’s not working,” I finally say, giving up.

  “Then try harder,” Holtzmann suggests, watching the data from his laptop.

  “I was trying as hard as I could,” I protest, watching Kitty making funny faces in futile attempt to move a match.

  “It’s all your fault, Rex,” the professor states matter-of-factly. “You don’t believe in your abilities, thereby subsequently blocking Kitty. You should connect with her mind and work together as one.”

  “Don’t blame me for your experiment not going the way it should,” I answer, becoming angry.

  “Holtzmann is right,” Kitty says. “You never believe in us.”

  “Where did that come from?” I ask, raising my voice.

  “You know it’s true!” Kitty blurts out. “You always try to hold me back!”

  Word by word, we end up having an ugly argument. As Kitty and I shout at each other, Holtzmann continues peering into his laptop. He now has a curious expression on his face.

  “You’re talking nonsense, Kitty!” I shout.

  “I’m sick and tired of your excuses!” she yells back furiously.

  “That’s excellent!” Holtzmann suddenly exclaims, still watching the monitor, a wide grin spread across his face.

  A moment later the entire room explodes.

  Chapter 19

  Every window in the room implodes, raining down shards of glass. The table and chairs simultaneously rise upward into the air, lifted by some unseen force. Jessie, Marcus and Dave are thrown against the wall, their shields torn from their hands, the metal bent as if made of paper. Holtzmann is slammed to the floor as his laptop flies across the room.

  Kitty and I drop down low at the beginning of the chaos. Kitty cries out, covering her head. I realize we have to get away from here. I scramble to my feet, grab her arm and pull her toward the exit. As we run along the corridor, all the doors to the offices fling open. Lamp bulbs explode above our heads.

  “What’s happening?!” Kitty yells.

  “A scientific breakthrough!” Holtzmann exclaims, running behind us.

  One of the doors ahead suddenly comes unhinged and flies toward us, missing by only a couple of feet. I tackle Kitty to the floor, covering her from shards of airborne glass and splintered wood.

  “Please calm down,” I whisper, realizing that we’re the cause of all this commotion.

  Kitty finally manages to gain control of herself. The explosions cease and everything becomes quiet. A few startled Elimination guards emerge, shining flashlights into the now dark corridor.

  “What the hell was that?” one of them asks.

  “Telekinesis!” Holtzmann exclaims joyfully.

  Kitty and I are still laid out across the floor, too shocked to move. My ears are ringing. I’m surprised we’re still alive.

  “Damn you, Holtzmann!” I say. “You said it wouldn’t be dangerous.”

  “You haven’t been injured, have you?” he asks. His question sounds more like a statement. “Telekinesis doesn’t affect the subjects. You two managed to create a protective field around yourselves.”

  I have no idea what he’s talking about.

  Jessie and Marcus approach, cussing loudly. Dave silently follows them, wearing a dazed expression.

  “So Rex and I will have to argue every time we need to use telekinesis?” Kitty asks, puzzled.

  “It’d have to be a last option as using spontaneous emotions to initiate the telekinesis lends to uncontrollable outcomes,” the professor explains. “You must learn to consciously manipulate the telekinesis.”

  “Will everything now start exploding every time Kitty and I argue?” I ask.

  “Possibly, but not necessarily,” Holtzmann answers. “Although you should learn how to better control your emotions in any case.”

  He orders Kitty and I return to the hospital for head scans. As we walk toward the prison exit, Marcus clears his throat and says uncomfortably, “Rex, Kitty… Well, you be careful, all right? Don’t do anything else too exciting during the night.”

  Kitty blushes, turning away.

  “Just shut up,” I say.

  “I’m not joking,” Marcus answers defensively. “I’m worried about everybody’s safety. I don’t want you two to blow up our entire headquarters.”

  “He actually has a point,” Jessie admits.

  “Not likely,” Holtzmann says. “Telekinesis is more of a defense mechanism. It’s best triggered by a survival instinct such as in a case of imminent danger. As we have witnessed today, fear and anger can also possibly trigger this ability.”

  “Good to know, but how can we use telekinesis in a time of need without killing the wrong people?” I ask, changing the subject. “How do we control it once it starts?”

  Holtzmann assures us that the ability will come naturally over time. Kitty and I just have to telepathically synchronize our effort and get accustomed to the effects. I sigh, thinking that time is one thing we don’t really have much of.

  The next three weeks Kitty and I perform multiple telepathic exercises under the wary supervision of the professor. Our goal is to be able to maintain a solid connection, to act together as one, while practicing telekinesis. Holtzmann places us in separate rooms and requests I visualize in my mind what photographs he shows to Kitty.

  “I can’t see anything,” I report. “I don’t have any connection at the moment.”

  “Rex! As I’ve already explained, it’s impossible to turn a telepathic connection on and off,” Holtzmann protests. “You have a strong connection with Kitty, permanently sending and receiving inf
ormation.”

  “Why isn’t it working then?” I ask.

  “You still don’t fully believe in your telepathic ability, thus preventing yourself from having visions,” he states matter-of-factly.

  I realize that Holtzmann may actually be right. Being inside somebody’s head isn’t something I exactly wish for. I know most non-breakers often perceive telepathy as something romantic or otherwise desirable, like reading each other’s thoughts. But in reality, there’s nothing enjoyable or pleasant in having telepathic visions. It simply messes with your head, making you feel dizzy and disoriented. You may even forget yourself for a few moments and not remember where or who you are. On top of everything else, telepathic ability usually increases when the subject you’re connected to is frightened or in pain. And being a connected telepath, you suffer through the same range of sensations. So it’s just not something I’d like to fully experience again.

  Unfortunately, Kitty and I don’t have much of a choice.

  We spend hours in Holtzmann’s lab every day, practicing our telepathy. I sit alone in a dark room, trying to visualize what Kitty is doing at that exact moment. I wear a headset, so that Holtzmann and Kitty can communicate with me.

  “Beta! Beta! Do you copy?” Kitty asks in an official tone of voice. “What am I doing now?”

  “Standing by the window?” I guess.

  “Not even close!” Kitty exclaims. “I’m eating at the table. Now tell me what I’m eating.”

  “A sandwich?” I offer.

  “I’m eating a tomato!” she blurts out. “What sandwich are you talking about?”

  I sigh. I just can’t see anything today.

  “Let’s try again with a more intense stimulation,” Holtzmann informs me. “Get ready and focus.”

  “All right,” I mutter, closing my eyes again. I suddenly remember Dr. Carrel directing the officers to burn Lena’s hand, while testing my abilities. It takes a few moments to shake the disturbing thought.

  I continue concentrating, focusing on Kitty’s image. Suddenly, something begins to burn my mouth and throat. My eyes begin tearing. I gasp, feeling like I’ve just swallowed something extremely hot.