Single-Blind - Newt (TMR)

Chapter 31 - Fiona 2.0

Subject 10A

"Can you tell me what you remember?"

I shuttered, searching my mind for anything at all. When words didn't come out of my mouth I almost feared I couldn't speak either. A bright white light lit my face, creating an odd shadow on the grey-haired man in front of me. "Nothing. Why can't I remember anything? Who are you? Where are we? What's my name?"

I gained my bearings, feeling the metal chair beneath me and the handcuffs that locked me to it. He must have noticed my gaze because he stood up from his chair, walking around the table to unlock me.

"My name is Janson. You are safe here. This is the World Catastrophe Killzone Department. You see, you have a reputation with advanced intelligence, something that is valued greatly here. Now we won't force you but we would like you to join our team to help analyze data towards the creation of a cure.

"What cure?" I spit out the first question of millions that came to my mind.

"The deadly flare virus." He announced, opening his folder to show me pictures of rotten brains and microscopic infections."It started attacking the brain and destroying people from the inside out. We have been running experiments in hopes of understanding the qualities in those immune."

"What kind of experiments?"

"The large scale kind." He answered with pride. "This very research is the difference between life and death of this generation."

"But none of that explains why my memory is gone." I grew defensive. Suddenly feeling incredibly uncomfortable.

He chuckled, like he had been almost expecting the fierceness but into my voice. "There was an error in one of the experiments, you got caught in the crossfire. This was the best course of action to take preventive measures." He explained. "Come on, let me show you around."

He offered me a hand up, I stared at it for a second, analyzing him and his posture. His smile didn't flatten and his body was patient. Unmoving until I took his hand. He stepped behind me, putting his hand on my shoulder and opening a coded door.

It opened straight into a busy laboratory. I saw everything that seemed professional. It was clean and orderly. With no less than twenty computers in the central room. My mouth dropped as I ran my hand across an electrophoresis chamber. Somehow knowing exactly how to use it. I looked at a clear whiteboard. It was filled with a dozen equations. Looked at the blue markings, my brain running through the problem.

"They need to use standard deviation, not direct percentages," I said, taking a dry erase marker to draw the model that would have worked better. That's why the equation seems off.

I turned around to look at Janson, his silence worried me that I had messed with something I wasn't supposed to. I put the marker down as he called a scientist over, their eyes narrowing at me and then the board. He whispered something to Janson, making him smile again. "Excellent, thank you. Young lady."

"Come along now, I have one last thing to show you." He led me to another room which turned into a hallway. I stood on one side of a glass, looking upon a crowded room with at least fifty teenagers spread out over six tables.

"What is this?"

"These kids are what is left of your generation. Many families have been ripped apart due to the flare virus. Their parents abandoned them or passed. The work you could do could prevent more orphaned kids in the future."

I skeptically looked at the teenagers again, more in-depth this time. They looked tired and bruised even under their smiles from the conversation. Janson opened the door to the room, allowing sounds from inside to flood out. When she shut it again, the hall went quiet again. I watched Janson closely, he held a slip with his name written on it and he seemed to be calling each one out. Every new teenager that stood up, a grand excitement came to their face. Janson was there hoping for a better life. One of the girls noticed me behind the glass and mouthed the words 'thank you'. I smiled back, wondering if she already thought I was part of this WCKD program that was helping all of them find a home. Either way, I smiled back, happy that she believed I was helping her.

Janson came back, bringing the kids with him. He walked right over to me, "Well?"

"I- I don't-"

A loud thudding notice caught my attention instantly, making me jump. A brown-haired boy was on the other side, smacking the glass and pointing at me. I tilted my head in confusion, frightened of whatever would make him act this way. He screamed and yelled, looking at both Janson and I.

He was pulled back from the glass and I noticed a blonde-haired boy, his eyes were kind but his structure was hard. "We can't take everyone. Only a few at a time. It's hard for those who get left behind."

I caught the gaze of the blonde again, who looked at me in a way I couldn't explain. My heart filled with an overwhelming want to help them. To help all of them. "I'll join you. I don't want anyone to be hurt like that again. I'm sure I can be of great help if you'll still have me."

Janson grinned, putting his hand on my shoulder and shaking me with glee. "Splendid. Such a strong girl. You'll work perfectly here."