Chapter Twenty

It wasn’t the first time I felt so hopeless nor the first time I felt so separated from Jessica. Back at the invasion of the village, I had to face what seemed to be certain death.

The blaring sirens were making such an unbearable noise, tearing my eardrums apart, accelerating my heartbeat and blood flow, and I knew I would have to explain the deaths of the few soldiers and officers and this “accidental” rock slide. The Higher Official — not an officer but a Higher Official — walked in front, and Skye followed directly behind, her face devoid of emotions, her eyes of just empty blankness.

“AN128, please come to the medical room with me,” said the Higher Official. I’m a bit surprised by the use of “please”. Since when did they understand manners? Also why medical room? I was expecting interrogation room or torture room or prison or something like that, something that would relate to beating the answer or seeking the truth out of your head.

Sitting at the desk of the medical room was another Higher Official, a higher one, as seen from the badge, and with the same mechanical actions and monotone voice he ordered me to follow him. Skye followed me but the first Higher Official extended his hand and blocked her way. Not high enough access level perhaps? So it was only me and the higher badge official alone, maybe I could stand a chance? But why. I came here in the first place to let them sustain their trust on me, to show them my loyalty wasn’t superficial as it actually was. Also there used to be rumors in the base about how the Higher Officials have supernatural powers like telekinesis, though I knew that it was all technology behind it.

We walked into a big room with an ample amount of space. At the corner there was a bed and a huge set of machinery beside it, made of arrays and arrays of interconnected tubes, flashing screens, and buttons and knobs of all colors. A medic dressed in all white walked over and handed another medic an object. It looked like a giant rifle and a chainsaw combined, with many holes for connections to the tubes. The medic connected the giant syringe or whatever it was to the machine and ordered me to sit on the bed.

“Mind explaining what it was?” I asked.

“Shut up, just…” the medic was in the middle of the sentence and got cut off by the official.

“You deserve to know why we are doing this. You are suspected to be involved in a series of treasonous activities.”

“What? I don’t know what you are talking about?” My hand was about to rub the back of my neck but I consciously stopped it off.

“Interesting, AN128, do you know which division I came from?”

I scanned up and down his body. Oh no. I was desperately hoping that I was wrong. His piercing eyes that penetrated my own, his analytic and focused ears, his confident posture as he stood there facing me, I should have known it sooner — there was no way I could outsmart him — he came from the Polygraphic Division, the division with the most brilliant analysts and the smartest thinkers. Divisions like this made them more and more powerful and less and less mechanical. They could do a lot more than just purely fighting and killing.

“The Polygraphic Division?” I wanted to strengthen my voice but I couldn’t. He knew anyway that I was lying.

No response.

“Why did they send you? I’m just a soldier, no more than a sergeant, why would they send an official of your level on someone like me?”

He sneered for a second, “AN128, in case you don’t know it yourself, you are one of our top priorities to solve. You have an incredible potential, but you are going in the wrong direction. And this set of machines will help you adjust your direction and reroute your mind into the correct destination.”

“And how are you going to do that?”

“AN128, have you every being hypnotized before?”

“No. Why?”

“You will feel it soon.”

The official then left and shut the door behind him, leaving me with the medics.

“No! What are you going to do to me! What are you going to make me do after I got hypnotized!”

The medic took out a syringe and injected some sedatives into my veins, calming me down. Well only the physical part of me. My inner subconscious still sensed the immense danger ahead, but the outer shell of me felt so tired and powerless.

Then the medic took out a small vial of purple liquid.

“What… is this?” I asked with the last bits of remaining strength.

“Highly concentrated neurological medicine. All you need to know is that this is a drug that will make you follow orders.”