The Pulse Series (Book 1): Pulse (31 page)

I frowned at him. "Rehabilitated?"

He nodded. "You do not need to worry. We will help you see the right of our ways. It is an experimental procedure, but I believe since our last attempt we have ironed out the kinks. You may well be our first successful attempt."

"First?"

The doctor shrugged. "The others were… less successful. The device has been reconfigured now though, so there shouldn't be any more… issues like that."

Every time he answered one of my questions I found myself with more. "What device?"

"All in due time, dear."

I shuddered. I wanted to scream, but I couldn't find the energy. I felt tired. After everything that had happened today, and with coming off zero sleep the night before, I was exhausted. I felt my eyes droop.

The doctor sighed. "With you in this state we will need to wait until tomorrow. I will arrange for you to be transferred to a bed for the night."

He left the room, and in short order I fell asleep in the chair.

THIRTY-NINE

I woke with a start when I was lifted, still handcuffed, and placed onto a bed. When my restraints were clamped to the bedpost, and the man left the room, I told myself was going to try to see if I could find a weakness in the structure. I fought against my body's need for sleep and blinked myself awake. It took a few minutes, but I was successful in keeping myself from falling back to sleep.

The room was dark, but a blinking red light in the corner gave me enough light to be able to make out the bed I was lying on. It was a hospital type bed with a solid steel frame. I looked toward the large mirror, but I had no way of being sure if there was anyone watching me. I had to try anyway.

When I tried to sit up I felt a pressure on my chest. A twist of my head revealed they had strapped me to the bed by my chest and knees. I sighed in frustration. There was only one thing I could try.

I started rolling left and right. Little by little I was picking up momentum and the bed was starting to shake. The strap on my knees slipped and, with a twist of my legs, I managed to get them free. I swung my legs hard to the side to try to tip the bed, but it just rolled a few inched on it wheels. I groaned.

Trying another approach, and tucked my feet under myself as high up as I could and pushed hard against the chest strap. It hurt as it cut into my collarbone, but I grit my teeth and redoubled my efforts. After a couple of minutes I heard the sound of metal twist. I grinned and put in one final burst of effort. The strap popped and I was able to sit myself up on the bed.

My wrists were still tied to the bed, but now that I had maneuverability it was much less trouble. The only problem with this part is that it was going to be loud.

I threw myself off the bed, wincing as the metal cut into my wrists, and planted my feet into the ground. I tipped the bed over and it hit the ground with a loud crash. Wasting no time I wedged my foot up against the join of the bar holding my right hand and pushed as hard as I could. The bones in my arm protested as the pressure grew, and just when I thought I was going beyond breaking point the metal frame popped out of its joint. With my one arm now free it took me only seconds a break the other side of the bed.

I pushed the handcuffs up my arms an inch and rubbed the areas where they had dug into my skin. I winced in pain and my hands came away sticky with blood. I let the metal dangle from my arms and made my way toward the doorway. I was sure there was no way they would leave this open, and I would have to make more noise breaking the mirror and hoping there was another way out. To my surprise, the door handle turned and the door swung open with no obstruction.

The light from outside made me squint. I was about to slip out of the room when I went back to the bed to pick up one of the broken metal poles to use as a weapon. I slipped out of the room and made my way into the room of rooms. I swung my eyes skyward to look at the walkways, but there was no-one I could see from my position on the ground. I pressed myself to the wall and slid along, taking care to make my footsteps make as little sound as possible.

I made it passed three rooms without encountering anyone when I heard someone moan. I flattened myself against the wall and waited, but no other sounds followed. I considered walking in the opposite direction and getting out while I had the chance, but I would never be able to forgive myself if that was someone in pain and I didn't try to help them. I sighed and made my way toward the source of the noise.

When I peered around the next corner I could see one of the doors to the buildings standing open. I circled around the surrounding buildings, but there was no-one in sight, so I approached the open door and crept up to the door frame. One look inside and I felt my world start to spin.

In side was a room much like the one I had just left, but there was a girl lying on the bed. She was handcuffed just like I had been, and was lying fast asleep. None of that mattered though. What mattered is who it was.

Sarah.

I forgot everything about stealth and run forward into the room and looked down at my friend. I had expected a bullet hole. Her face was whole. I felt tears spring to my eyes and I threw myself down onto her, wrapping her in a hug. She groaned and opened her eyes.

"Alex?"

I started crying in earnest then. I lay my hand on her chest while body body was shaking with the sobs I was trying to get under control.

"What's going on?"

Once I got myself under control I pulled back from her and looked down at her. "I thought you were dead."

Sarah frowned. "I—I don't remember what happened. I take it we didn't get away?"

I sighed and pulled the straps off her body. "No, we were caught," I said, helping her get up into a sitting position. "We need to get out of here."

Using the metal bar I was holding I broke her bed too. Once she was free she grabbed another pole and the two of us made our way out into the building. We made it halfway to the stairs leading up to the walkway when a lone soldier wearing a balaclava stepped out from behind one of the rooms with his gun raised. I saw him at the last second and by then it was too late.

He pulled the trigger. I watched as the bullet tore through the air and into Sarah's chest. I screamed as blood sprayed from my friends chest and she fell to the ground. I fell the the ground beside her and held her head up off the ground. I pressed my hand into the hole in her chest, but the thick blood kept pouring out and over my hands. Sarah looked up at me, fear in her eyes, and opened her mouth to speak. She never got the words out. Her body went limp in my arms, and her eyes glazed over.

I screamed. I had lost her again. I was shaking and running my hands through her hair. This wasn't fair. Not again. This wasn't fair. No.

A sound behind me caused me to turn. The soldier was standing behind me with his weapon trained on my head. "Hands up."

My vision went red. I reached inside myself and pressed down on my pulse hard. Time slowed and I picked up the metal pole I had dropped. I brought it around in an arc as hard as I could and slammed it into the mans face. I was halfway through bringing it back for another swing when time sped up again. The mans face crumpled and he flew through the air, slamming into the brick building behind him and crumpling to the floor.

I didn't let up.

I jumped forward and brought the bar down on his head again. And again. And again. By the time I was done I couldn't lift my arms any more. My rage cleared and I looked down at the bloody mess that I had created. I felt revulsion at myself. I fell to my knees and started crying again.

When I opened my eyes I found myself sitting in a chair. Tears streamed down my face, and I blinked them clear to work out where I was. I looked up into the eyes of Doctor Vorboyov who was looking down at me with a smile. There were electrodes attached to my head. I tried to reach up to pull them off, but my arms were handcuffed to the chair.

"W—What's going on?"

Doctor Vorboyov smiled. "Your first rehabilitation lesson is now complete."

FORTY

I lay on the bed I had been assigned. At least I think it was the bed I was assigned. I wasn't sure any more. I wasn't even sure whether I was asleep or awake. It was hard to tell these days. My nightmares and my reality all blended into one. There was no reprieve.

I had spent an eternity being with my friends as they died. I had died myself on many occasions. Somehow I came back. I always came back.

Why wouldn't they just let me die?

I shivered as I opened my eyes and looked at the wall. What would my next nightmare be? Each time it was different, but they all ended the same way. I couldn't even remember how this all started, but I knew it involved death. Everything was about death.

I heard a noise behind me.

I sat up to see Sarah standing in the doorway.

"Alex, come on. We have to go!"

She was whispering. She sounded so earnest. I turned away from her and closed my eyes.

"Alex what the hell is wrong with you? We need to get out of here!"

I shut my eyes tighter and put my pillow over my head.

"What is your problem? We're going to be killed if you stay here! Don't you care?"

I had stopped caring a long time ago.

***

I opened my eyes and found myself lying in the same room I had always been in. I turned to look back and the door was open. I looked down at my arms and there were no handcuffs. I sighed and pushed myself up, rubbing my eyes to clear the sleep from them. After a yawn I hopped down off the bed.

The gown I was wearing reached the floor, which made me smile. When I twisted back and forth it looked like water on the ground. I giggled. I looked up and took a few steps toward the door and looked around. There was no-one there.

I stepped out into the open. The air felt cold on my face, but the big gown kept the rest of me warm. I hugged myself and stood barefoot on the concrete for a few minutes.

I heard the sound of approaching footsteps and waited. Someone would come. They always came. I wondered who it would be this time?

Bradley rounded the corner and stopped dead when he saw me. His mouth fell open and he stared. After a few seconds he blinked. "A-Alex. What are you… What have they done to you?"

I smiled at him. He was being silly. I was fine. I walked over to him and put my hand on his face. Only then did I notice the scratches all over the back of my hand. I lifted my hand up in front of my face and turned it. The whole thing was covered in scratches. I lifted my other hand. It was the same. I poked one of the scratches. It stung. I giggled.

Bradley grabbed my wrists. "Alex, are you okay?"

I tilted my head to the side and smiled at him. Why wouldn't I be okay? There was nothing that could hurt me here. It was all lies. Lies and tricks. I'd stopped believing in them long ago.

I let my hands drop and they slipped out of Bradley's grip. He didn't move, the look of shock still across his face. I giggled. They really got the details right. He looked so sad.

I sighed and smiled at him. "Silly boy."

I turned and began walking back to my room. I trusted everything there. Nothing ever came into my room. It was a safe place. As I got to the door I turned back to look at Bradley. He really was quite dashing, but you couldn't see that now. He had fallen to his knees with his head between his legs and he was crying. He shouldn't do that. It wasn't attractive.

I frowned at the ugly Bradley and turned back to my bed. I climbed up into the sheets and closed my eyes, trying to shut out the sound of his whimpering. It would stop soon enough. A minute later it did.

I heard some more footsteps come into my room behind me. I frowned. They weren't meant to come into my room. It wasn't allowed. I kept my eyes closed and listened to them anyway. They wouldn't hurt me. This was my safe place.

"What do you think?" said the accented voice.

"I'm wary." This voice was deeper. "We've been at this stage before."

"I am well aware, but it is different this time. She is fully submissive. We can mould her."

"You've had her for six months, Bogdon. I'd been considering pulling the plug on this whole thing the past week and chalking it up as another failure. Why has it taken so long?"

"She has a… stronger will than the others, sir. I rather think that makes her a more promising subject. Her mind is less likely to break."

"I'll hold judgment until I see it."

"I understand."

"What about the markings on her? I thought this was nonviolent."

The man with the accented voice coughed. "Yes, well, we didn't do that to her. She did that to herself. With her fingernails."

"That's new." The deep voice didn't sound pleased.

"You must remember, sir, that this isn't an exact science. It will be different for every case. I am sure the next phase will clear her of that particular proclivity."

"Why haven't you healed her?"

"We give her a round of medicine every morning. Any more would be detrimental to the process."

There was a pause in their speech. I considered rolling over to look at them, but I just wanted them to go away. I was tired and they wouldn't let me sleep. I was always tired. I don't remember sleeping though. Did I ever sleep? People needed sleep to live. I think.

The deep voice spoke, reminding me that I wasn't alone in my room. "Okay. Begin phase two. Don't break this one."

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."

The sound of the door closing as they left filled my chest with relief. They were gone. At last I could sleep.

I closed my eyes.

***

The flashing machine was still lighting up the wall in front of me. I would have turned away from it if I was able to move my head. I didn't like that wall. It made me feel funny. There were pictures on it. Pictures of things I didn't like. I would have closed my eyes if I could.

My head felt wet.

Someone I couldn't see brought a towel around into my vision and wiped at the sides of my head and ears. The towel came away red. I smiled at that. I liked red. It was pretty. The hands came back and dropped more water into my eyes. That used to sting, but now I looked forward to those seconds when the water was in my eyes. For a moment afterward I could tune out the bad wall.