Chapter 28

Pov Calla

I wake up, hanging from the ceiling. My mind feels groggy as I try to assess the situation. I’m in a room, three by three meters of size surrounded by concrete walls. The only light source is a lamp above the steel door that’s facing me. I’m in the middle of the room, with shackles on my wrists. They are connected to the ceiling with a chain.

I’m not suspended in midair, but the chain is too short for me to even get on my knees. I’m wearing just my undergarments which I was wearing before. They consist of a sports bra and small shorts. The thing that ‘shutdown’ earlier still hasn’t returned. I don’t know what it is or was, but I suspect it has something to do with my upbringing.

I don’t know exactly what it did for me either, as it feels like I’m still the same. My senses are still superb and as I’m concentrating on my body and my senses, I notice that there is gas inside this room also. Not as much as there was in the library.

That is probably the reason my body feels tired and weak. All my weight is on the chain, and the shackles have already caused my skin to tear and bleed on my wrists.

I have to escape so I try standing up, but I can’t muster any strength.

The steel door opens up and a man in a white coat comes in with strides.

“Good morning my beautiful little plaything. We have a busy stay ahead of us so let’s not tally” He says to me with a smile and a kind voice, if only a little too enthusiastic.

I just glare at him, not saying anything.

“Well, anyways. I’m doctor White. The new White after you killed my predecessor. I thank you for that by the way. Now, let me explain why I’m going to do the things I’m going to do to you. My predecessor used to be the head of this project before and he followed to different paths to perfection. First one was the chemical gene modification done before birth. It was done to all subjects 1 through 9.”

That fucker really likes to hear himself talk… Stupid fucking villains, always explaining their plans when they could just execute their plans. At least it is information that I’m interested in.

“The second method was nanotechnology!” He proudly exclaims while spreading his hands for theatrical effect.

I continue to glare at him. It takes all my strength just to keep my head up. It must be the gas. The doctor is wearing a gas mask which covers his mouth and nose.

“But sadly, he didn’t succeed in the efforts of using the nanotechnology efficiently. The Seven series were the first try at it. When you were three, the nanomachines were injected into your brainstem and blood flow. The machinery in the blood flow worked as expected, and gave you faster healing process and purged your body of toxins and other harmful substances. The ones in your brain, however, didn’t activate…” He gives me a sad look as he finishes the sentence and continues.

“They seemed to be not working at all and only laying there in your brain. When we tried forcefully activate them in your brother, he died. Quite violently, I might add.”

Nanomachines… So the pulse at the library was an electromagnetic pulse and disabled the nanomachines in my body that were counteracting the gas… That explains a lot.

“And since creating even one subject is costly and you had the chemical enhancements already in place, we didn’t want to kill you. We discovered the reason the experiment failed was that the machinery we installed in you was simply too powerful, and would fry the brain when activated. With that in mind, we created the eight series. They worked as intended but because we had to make the nanomachines not as efficient as planned, they were a failure at the end because the benefits the nanotech gave them was so minuscule.”

If a simple EMP is enough to deactivate the nanotech, it’s a stupid idea anyway in my opinion.

“I can see what you are thinking.” He gives me another fanatical smile. I’m really starting to want to kill that guy…

“The EMP only deactivates them for a few minutes. The gas we are using here is different, specially designed for you.”

“HAHAha… I can see the growing hate in your eyes. Now, the Nine series was completely chemical as the previous White gave up on nanotech, but that doesn’t really matter, seeing how you destroyed the Nine series.”

“Get.. to the… fucking point” I manage to say. White talks like he thinks himself a fucking god. I will get out of these chains one way or another and find a way to kill him.

“Okay then. The nanotech in your head will destroy parts of your brain if activated forcefully. But there is one other way to activate it. The nanotech is mainly focused on your central nervous system. And that is precisely the spot that got fried in your brother’s brain. So instead of directly stimulating your brain, we will stimulate your nervous system. And with enough signals flying around that pretty little noggin of yours, they are bound to interact with the nanotech, hopefully bringing it online.”

Fucking shit. He want’s to torture me…

“By your expression, you figured out my plans.” He says with a twisted smile. “And if that works we’ll kill you because of your disloyalty and use the data for the Ten series. HAhAHAHA.. A weapon shouldn’t think or dream. And that was your mistake.

They were the fucking ones who cast me aside in the first place, but I have no strength to retort.

The door opens again and another man walks in. He is wearing a gas mask also and pushing a cart with him, filled with instruments I have seen before a long time ago. In my pain resistance training.

…

Now left alone with the man I dubbed as ‘Zombie’ after White left the room, I bite my teeth together as another jolt of electricity runs through me.

Why Zombie? Because he’s a dead man walking.

“NNHng” Once again stabs into my skin with the two blades that are hooked into a battery.

I won’t give him the satisfaction of hearing me scream. I have to remember my training. The training I hoped to leave forgotten.

“argnnhnh!”

Retreat to your past, to your memories, and bide your time… A chance will come.

3rd Pov

Under the full moon, the waves of the dark seas rise to the height of two meters. A cold wind blows against a black military grade zodiac boat that glides through the waves. After every passing wave, the salty water splashes on the face of the driver.

A girl, barely 14 of age with blonde hair wearing a black tactical uniform is the one steering the small vessel. The motor doesn’t let much noise, as it is built with stealth in mind so the prevalent noise is that of the waves.

The black ocean scenery illuminated by moonlight could almost be peaceful, but that isn’t what the girl thinks. Her thoughts are only in her mission. The girl, known as Seven, has been given mission parameters as follows; Terminate the target Radek Reinhard. A Polish/German arms dealer that has made a name for himself by providing arms to anyone who can pay.

She stares into the darkness through night vision goggles she is wearing. Her destination is the yacht that she can see on the horizon thanks to the multiple lights that decorate it.

She glances at her weaponry. There is a silenced automatic rifle that is accurate to 300 meters laying on the boat, and she has a silenced pistol on her thigh along with a combat knife strapped to her lower back.

She knows she can’t use them. They are only a precaution. She has to make the hit so that it is deniable. She was told that it can’t look like a plain assassination.

Because the target has been on a boat that has been moving she doesn’t have any existing recon information. She’ll have to improvise.

The small zodiac boat closes in on the big white yacht unnoticed in the darkness of the night. Seven turns the engine off when there are only ten or so meters left. She lets the boat glide closer and prepares a rope. She hooks the rope on the railing of the yacht and attaches the other end to her own boat.

Silently climbing she peeks from under the railing and catches a glimpse of the lower deck. The lights are on and she can hear music but doesn’t see anyone. She doesn’t climb up but waits until she hears someone. It’s coming from the opposite side of the boat so she climbs back down and circles the boat, only using oars to move as silently as possible.

She again hooks the rope, but more carefully this time, and climbs up.

Now she can see her mark. The man ‘Reinhard’ was standing on the deck, holding a wine glass and humming to the tune of the music. Seven observed for some time, counting few servant people that were on board. They brought her target more wine at some point and hasn’t been seen since.

The girl nods to herself and climbs down to her boat. She grabs an air tank from her bag and attaches it to her belt. Its size is small, about the size of a water bottle but she doesn’t need much. She didn’t have a concrete plan when she came, but she is prepared for multiple scenarios.

She takes the small regulator mouthpiece and attaches the tubes to the air tank. Climbing up, she disconnects the rope from the railing and ties it to her belt. Now she and her boat are connected with the rope.

*tap*

The man, Reinhard, who was enjoying his favorite music after a successful deal hears something. He turns to look towards the sea but doesn’t see anything. Slightly drunk, he marvels the beauty of the full moon and its reflection from the sea.

*tap*

Again he hears something. He looks towards the railing and scratches his head. Was it the music, he wonders. Looking around he doesn’t see anyone else but himself, but he was sure he heard it. He walks towards the railing, thinking it could be some loose part or a buoy.

He bends over the railing, searching for the light of a buoy. Before he can react, Seven lassoed a rope around his neck and using the railing she pushes herself off the railing, pulling him with her.

They fall into the water, the splash quickly drowns to the sound of the waves and music. After under the surface, Seven restrains the man the best she can. She doesn’t want to choke him with the rope because she wants it to be drowning.

The larger man struggles but Seven is strong for her size. She also pulls on the rope she tied to her belt so that her boat would be above them so even when the man manages to pop his head on the surface, he couldn’t get air.

His fight slowly starts to quiet down understandably. He was taken in by surprise and given no chance to draw breath in when falling. In his drunken panic, he breathes in the water and loses consciousness.

Seven still stays under for a full minute after the man stopped struggling. She has air left for over twenty minutes in her tank so it’s no problem to stay in just in case. She takes her rope off of him and checks that it didn’t leave marks on his neck.

After a minute she rises to the surface and looks at the yacht that has already traveled closer to a hundred meters from their position. She leaves the body, face down, to the sea as she climbs to her boat and starts the engine.

She gives a final look at the body that will likely never be found again before speeding away to the direction she came from.

Pov Calla

My ribs are about to shatter as the zombie punches me.

“Don’t daydream now. This is the best part.” The sleazy man gives me a disgusting smile while saying that.

I had a flashback of one of my missions. Though, it was like I was watching someone else than me.

“Let’s see if you scream now… hehehe, ya know, some studies say that scream actually helps with the pain…” He continues but I pay no attention.

I have been here over a day but under two. Hours ago I could feel how the nanotech inside me came back alive. I realize that it always has been there, but only now do I actually feel it because I was made aware of it. I can feel the ones in my bloodstream alleviate the pain in some places while in other they make it worst. That must mean they are repairing my body.

I can also feel the nanotech in my brain coming back. That too I had never noticed until I lost it. It isn’t much of a difference, but I’m so used to it that I’d rather have it. It makes calculating things a little quicker and planning things a little easier. But White said they aren’t working properly, so I wonder what they are supposed to do.

“It’s great that the nanotech started working. Don’t have to worry about killing you so much anymore. hehehe”

I watch the zombie with droopy eyes as he handles a syringe filled with liquid.

“This little thing was created by the C.I.A.. They believed at the time that chemical torture was the best way. It’ll hurt like a bitch, and last longer cause those little droids in your bloodstream doesn’t see it as a threat. hehehe”

Fuck. I have just to hold on. A chance will come if I wait.

He pushes the syringe into my skin. I have no strength to resist him at all. I feel as the liquid enters my bloodstream.

I grit my teeth and try to think anything else but the pain.

It feels like someone injected me with burning gasoline. The pain spreads from my shoulder towards my torso.

Before long it reaches to my head and my mind goes blank from the pain.

Pov Calla

I enter the target structure. It’s only a few weeks after I did the job on the yacht but now I have a new mission.

To terminate the target ‘John’. They didn’t tell me much about him, but enough. His location is a remote building near Cairo, and well-guarded. But it’s a hotel so access isn’t that hard. I’m dressed in a burka, with a scarf that hides my hair, neck, and ears.

I enter the hotel like I belong there, and the guards wave a detector around me.

“Where is your family?” One of the guards asks.

I pretend to not understand and answer something in Farsi and point towards the elevators. They give up and nods at me. I leave and head to the elevators. I select the fourth floor and wait in the elevator. The ding indicates my arrival and I step out.

This mission is simple. They said that this John isn’t expecting to be targeted and is traveling alone. I walk by the doors, without looking at them. I know my target is at the northeast corner.

Arriving at his door I knock thrice.

“Yes?” A kind looking older man answers the door.

“Can I use your phone? I don’t remember our room number…” I say, trying to sound meek. My trainers and handlers haven’t taught me much how to interact with others, but I do know ways to get through a door with talking when the other one isn't on guard.

He gives me a smile and opens the door all the way “Certainly”. I try to smile in reply but it doesn't feel natural as I step in. I walk into the room and turn towards him as he is closing the door.

“Do you want to call you paren..!” I don’t let him finish. As he turned to me, I stabbed a pencil to his throat, aiming at the carotid artery.

I pull the pencil out with a violent movement and the wound expands. He tries to get to the hallway while pressing the wound with his other hand but I stop him and pull him into the room. He falls to the floor and tries to crawl to the phone but it is already too late.

He has lost too much blood and he slumps down on his belly, the light leaving his eyes.

I check the mirror on the wall and see that I’m covered in blood.

No worries though. I take off the burka and scarf, revealing college pants and a sweater. I use the bathroom sink to wash my face from the blood and head out. I leave the hotel unobstructed as the guards don’t check those who are leaving.

My extract location is ten kilometers to the south, and I have forty-five minutes to get there so I better start running or else my trainer puts me through pain resistance training again.

Hrrr, I shudder at the thought.

Pov Calla

As I return to reality from my memories the effects of the drug are starting to disappear. I’m alone in the room, still hanging from the ceiling. The floor under me is covered with my blood but I am not in danger of blood loss just yet. Zombie has been careful about where to make a cut.

Something is different though.

Something in me.

Did those fuckers succeed in their experiment? If so, they have no longer use for me. They’ll just kill and dissect me.

But it’s a change in my situation and therefore, something that could be exploited. I concentrate my senses inwards and I can feel the nanotech in my body more accurately. It’s like I could influence them with my mind. But I know that this experiment was to stimulate the tech in my head, not in my body so why the change feels like it’s from my body.

While thinking that the zombie steps in.

“Good, you are awake. Time to test have we succeeded. I’ll get the doctor.” He says and turns around.

Though the situation is urgent, something else than the zombie claims my focus. When he opened the door briefly, I sensed so much. So much more than now. They were signals and fields of some kind. I almost could see them. They were in the air and some of them connected to the pocket of the zombie.

And that’s when I realize. Or at least start to realize. They were probably low and high wave transmissions, radio waves or Wi-Fi signals.

The change did happen in my brain. I can now perceive frequencies that I couldn’t before.

But why the absence of signals in my room? There is only one explanation that is logical if I'm right. White knew to expect this and built a Faraday cage into the walls of this room. That would stop any signal from getting inside.

That would also mean that this is what the nanotech was intended to do if he knew to prepare for it.

The door opens again, and the signals come back. But I have a more urgent worry now so I don’t have the time to think about what I could do.

White has a device on his hand and I can sense that it emits some kind of field to its immediate surrounding.

“Let’s see if they are starting to work.” He says as he brings the thing closer to my head. I sense as the field it emits starts to bend slightly when nearing me. I focus all my attention on the tech in my head and concentrate on ‘being quiet’ so to speak.

It works, but the field is still getting interference. I change my approach and try to think as little as I can. Emptying my head of thoughts.

White takes the machine away and reads the numbers on its screen.

“Weird…” He mumbles “Perhaps it’s starting to work… A little more” and takes his leave followed by the zombie.

I think I just barely managed to fool him. Now that the door is closed again, I have nothing much to do so I concentrate on the tech in my body.

I can see signals, and even the nanotech in me sends some, though very minuscule. But since they are inside my body, they are easy to sense.

As I’m exploring the tech, I realize it is almost like there is a computer in my head. Or more accurately, my head got turned into a computer.

After a while of trying and many tingly sensations later I managed to do what I hoped for. I got the tech in my body to react towards the gas that keeps my muscles unresponsive. I feel my body’s control returning quickly, but I still haven’t got a way out.

And I’m still hurt after all the torture. The nanotech can repair me fine, but if there is nothing to use for repairs, in my case, food, they can’t do much.

Thinking through my options I realize that I know instinctively about the tech inside me, now that it has been properly activated. I can feel all the possibilities how it can be used now.

What a fearsome weapon they built.

And gave to me… Idiots.