Aberrant (21 page)

I looked back at the door as other recruits came into the
cafeteria, noting they had nothing to eat, either.

Hazel grumbled as she grabbed a glass of water. "Is
this all we get? I'm hungry." She plopped down at the long table, crossing
her arms on the table before she leaned forward to rest her forehead against
them, eyes closed. Her short, honey-brown hair fell over her face as she
pretended to go back to sleep. "I woke up for this," she mumbled into
the table.

Why hadn’t they provided any food for the recruits? We'd
nearly starved to death on our journey here. I didn’t plan on standing by while
they denied us food. I dropped my voice so only Joshua could hear me. "Tonight,
by nightfall," my eyes darted around being careful the other recruits
weren't paying attention to us, "If they haven't fed us, you and I will
leave."

Joshua nodded once. "Agreed. We've been down this road
once before," he reminded me. "At least on our own, we can
fish."

"And gather berries," I tried to be optimistic. I
didn't want to remember what had happened by the stream. In all the days we'd
been in the Gravelands, we'd only encountered one outlaw. Maybe we'd be okay – we'd
be together. Though, we didn't have matches or even a vehicle, we'd find a way
to survive. I just hoped it wouldn't come down to that. "I suppose it's
going to be another long day," I mused, nudging him beside me.

Joshua smiled at me. "Yes, it probably will be." He
laughed, subtly checking out the other recruits.

"I'm still curious what the Chancellor was doing out
last night." I couldn't fathom who he would have allowed in and out of town.

"Couldn't say." He shook his head. "No sense
in really thinking about it.  It's not like we can ask him." It was a
valid point. Asking would be admitting that we snuck out. Neither of us knew
the consequences for our actions. I certainly didn't want to find out.

I paused as I heard the Chancellor's voice interrupt us as
he made an announcement over the intercom. "In twenty minutes, all
recruits will meet at the front entrance." Neither of us ever knew what
was going on.

"Are we taking any bets?" I joked. Every day here
was a mystery.

Elsa sat down across from me. She shook her head in dismay. "If
they plan on starving us, I won't be up for much of a fight."

I glanced from Elsa to Joshua, thinking it over. "Maybe
it's a training tactic?" I suggested. "If we were captured by the
enemy and they withheld food, how would we react?"

Jaxon climbed into the seat beside Elsa. "There'd be a
riot," he noted. "They can't expect us to train on an empty stomach,"
he replied, turning to Margo. "Any idea why there's no food this morning?"

Margo raised an eyebrow. "Why are you looking at me? I
didn't eat it all." She rolled her eyes, sitting across from Jaxon. "Maybe
the cook got fired?" Margo commented. "One meal won't kill us." She
seemed annoyed by it, but not concerned.

I nodded in agreement. "Margo's right. As long as they
feed us later today, it's probably not a concern." I didn't want to worry
about something that may not be trivial.

Jaxon remarked, "And what happens if they only bring
enough food for half of the recruits?" He gave me a serious look.

I hadn't considered it. A test to see who could withstand
nourishment the longest or who could win the prize of food if there wasn't
enough for all the recruits. Either option seemed unpleasant. I doubted they'd
be that cruel, but after the way Haven had treated me, it was any wonder what
some men were capable of.

Joshua and I stood beside one another as other recruits
began lining up by the front entrance. "Any idea where we're going?" Jaxon
asked us both. I shook my head no, glancing around not seeing our instructor,
Maya. Did she have the day off? Were we done with our archery lessons for good?

Before Joshua had time to speak, Chancellor Collins opened
the grand double doors and counted us to make sure everyone was present. "Good,
glad you're here." He clapped his hands together excitedly. "The real
fun is about to begin. All of you are going to ride with me to the science
center."

No one objected. A few others in the back behind us were
mumbling something, obviously curious and confused. I couldn't hear much but a
few words of, "We're not kids" and "Are they really going to
show us a museum as a training exercise?" I ignored them, pressing forward
as I climbed into the van that awaited us. The walk wouldn't have been that far,
and I wondered why they didn't trust us to be on our feet. No one questioned
the Chancellor, and I wasn't about to cause trouble. I'd done enough of that in
bringing us here.

Once the last of the kids had packed into the van, the
Chancellor got behind the wheel. He glanced at us in the rearview mirror as he
drove along the dirt road toward the town and through a few streets, stopping outside
the same building Joshua and I had seen him sneaking into the previous night.
He parked the car, but didn't let anyone out yet. "Now, I know the next
part of training will be frightening for some of you. I can personally assure
you it is completely safe. By participating we can see your true
potential." He let the words hang in the air before he stood, opening the
doors and gesturing for everyone to follow him.

Already I hated him. He struck me as cold, a man without a
heart. His words frightened me, though I did little to let it show. Reluctantly,
I followed the recruits, joining them as they poured out of the van and inside
the four story building.

Immediately upon stepping inside, my stomach somersaulted. It
smelled of antiseptic. The walls were pale gray, and as I walked further in, I
shivered from the cool temperature. The group walked up the stairs, and I tried
to stay in the back with Joshua, but felt Jaxon and Margo blocking me from
turning around or even slowing down. Where else would I go? Everyone filtered
out onto the second floor. Another long, white sterile hallway with multiple
closed doors aligned the stretch of the building. The smell was repugnant.

Chancellor Collins spoke up, "As much as it would
please me to give you the choice of what you're about to embark, the choice was
made when you agreed to the tests and in coming here. Again, I assure you,
there is nothing to worry about. The procedure is completely harmless."

Something about his tone and his voice made me think
otherwise. I reached for Joshua's hand, giving it a tight squeeze. I felt as
though now was the time to run, to escape, to try and find a new home. The same
fleeting look of fear crossed Joshua's face as it did my own. He agreed.

We barely had time to react as Chancellor Collins stepped
over and between Joshua and me, our hands breaking apart. "Jacqueline, I’ve
been told you've made the most progress. You'll be going first today."

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. I had no
choice if I wanted to live. I wouldn't be a test subject. I broke free from the
Chancellor's grasp. "Run!" I screamed at Joshua as I tore past the Chancellor
for the end of the hallway.

"Jacqueline!" I heard Collins smug voice and the
exit door opened with two armed guards pointing guns at me.

"No!" I shouted stepping backward, eyes wide as I
glanced around and tried to see the best place to run. There weren't enough
exits. I dashed through the crowd of recruits, pushing Cate out of the way as I
ran for the stairs. I didn't make it. I felt strong arms pushing me down onto
the ground, restraining me as a needle pierced the skin of my neck. "No!"
I screamed. "You can't do this to me!" I tried to shout again but no
sound came out. Everything blurred as I tried to focus and find Joshua. My eyes
were heavy, my body grew limp as they carried me into the stark white room.

The woman watched me suspiciously as she helped them place
me on the cold metal table. "Don't try and fight it," she breathed,
as my vision grew black. My eyes shut, there was no fighting whatever they had
planned for me.

CHAPTER 20

My eyes felt incredibly heavy. Slowly I opened them, realizing
I was no longer on the table but in a cold metal chair. My feet were elevated
and my head rested back as I stared up at the ceiling. I shifted and focused,
taking in the room, wondering if I was alone and could escape.

"Relax." The woman I'd briefly seen before I had
blacked out was in the room with me. "The Mindonsiphan worked, but it will
take some time to adjust to the new drug in your system and the changes in
brain chemistry. Right now you need to relax."

I didn't want to relax and found it difficult to sit still. As
I shifted in the chair to get up, the room began to spin and I cupped my head
in my hands, feeling an awful pounding.

Her hand found my shoulder and helped me sit back, with my
legs propped up in the chair. "You need to relax," she insisted. "You'll
be brought to your dormitory soon enough. Right now you're in recovery." She
reached for a plastic cup of water holding it up for me. "Try and drink a
sip," she suggested, seeing my grave expression.

I wanted to refuse, to throw the water down on the ground, but
my lips were parched. Willingly I took a sip as she helped bring the cup to my
lips. "That's good," she told me, making sure I didn't get up from
the chair. There was no way I could get up. My stomach was queasy and my body
felt heavy as lead. "There's a boy who keeps asking about you," she smiled
at me knowingly. "Are you two more than friends?"

"He's okay?" I was silently grateful he hadn't
left, and at the same time disappointed he'd endured the same torture I had
been through. What had they done to us?

"There’s nothing wrong with a little crush." She
laughed.

She had no idea what went through my mind. I opened my
mouth, though still dry, I tried to speak, "What did you do to me?"

"Nothing that you weren't already capable of, just perhaps
unaware of," she mused, a growing smile on her face. "Consider it a
gift." She didn't further elaborate. "You are one of the lucky ones,
Jacqueline. If the world knew what talents you possessed they'd be begging to
be just like you." She had no idea who I really was, but her words still
sent a chill down my spine.

"So I've been told." I didn't feel lucky, just
tired from the sedative. "Can you please tell me what you did to me?"
I hated begging, but worse I didn't like being kept in the dark. I didn't feel
different though slightly dizzy, but I couldn't be certain it wasn't from the
sedative and not the procedure.

The woman smiled. "If I did that then you would have an
advantage over the other recruits." She offered me more water. This time I
had the strength to hold it myself without making a mess. "Good." She
watched as I relaxed into the chair. "Soon the Chancellor will come for
each of you, drive you back to the dorms and have one of the nurses watch over
you until morning, just to make sure there are no ill-effects from the
Mindonsiphan."

Before I had time to ask, Sydney knocked on the door and
helped me slowly down the stairs and to the van. I recognized her from the
first night in town. She had tended to Joshua's injured foot. I wanted to ask
her why they were doing this to us, but the words never reached my lips. I was
exhausted by the time I sat down. No wonder they insisted on driving us.

I sat in the van with the air conditioning on, waiting as
Sydney brought out each recruit, one by one. It took a while, but by the time
Joshua joined me last, I could already tell the feeling was beginning to wear
off and I felt slightly better.

"Hey." He took my hand, sitting beside me. Immediately,
I wrapped an arm around his shoulders, seeing a fleeting look of fear in his
eyes.

"I'm right here," I assured him, knowing that if I
had gone in first, I was probably the most alert as it was wearing off. "You
doing okay?" I asked, sitting up against him.

"Been better." His voice was soft, quiet in my
ear. I stared at him, not caring if the Chancellor drove us and watched our
interaction. It was no secret the way I felt about him. Sydney sat in the front
row. I suspected she would be the one to watch over us today. There would be no
sneaking out tonight.

Already I wondered how much time had passed. Glancing at the
sun, I estimated it was late afternoon and we'd missed much of the day. The
ride was short and bumpy. I hadn't noticed it before but after having some strange
procedure and sedation, every jolt felt a hundred times more intense. I was
glad they hadn't fed us breakfast.

Sydney helped me from the van, giving me a polite smile. I
wondered if she liked seeing me so helpless. It was the first time I'd seen a
smile on her face when she looked at me. It made my stomach queasy. I swayed on
my feet as she held an arm around me, escorting me to my bed. One by one, she
escorted all the recruits back to the dormitory.

Lying on the mattress, staring up at the bunk above me, I
wondered how Joshua was doing. Sydney brought him in and helped him up into bed,
but he hadn't said much. I knew I didn’t feel great and by the look on his
face, I hoped he wouldn't get sick.

Reaching out to touch the bottom of the mattress, though I
knew he couldn't feel me, I wanted to be close to him.
I'm so sorry, Joshua.
We should have tried to leave last night.

I felt a few stray tears on my cheeks and though the room
was incredibly quiet, Joshua spoke out, "Quiet, Jacqueline." He
emphasized my name, coughing, trying to pretend nothing was going on.

I sniffled, wondering what he was talking about. I hadn't
said anything aloud. I shut my eyes, willing myself to fall asleep. I was
tired, exhausted and over-thinking things. I was sure of it.

CHAPTER 21

Unlike the previous morning, no one had taken care to wake
any of the recruits. Perhaps after the procedure they thought it best to let us
rest and recover from the entire ordeal. I still wondered what they'd done to
us. I didn't feel any different.