"I see you're awake." - The woman says, looking at me with a cautious smile. – "Don´t worry, you're safe here. My name is Olivia and I'll be your instructor. Do you know where we are?"
She's waiting for any sort of response. However, my mind is elsewhere, trying to analyze the situation and find sense, without succeeding. I decide not to give in and talk to her just yet. This is because I sense a cordial tone in her voice that is forced, meaning she doesn't speak in this manner normally. Therefore, she is inviting me to quit being so alert. I won't trust anyone, especially without answers first. My anxious thoughts are interrupted once again by her sweet, fake voice.
"I'll take that as a no. Well, we are in Atlas, an organization that focuses on rehabilitation and preparation for people with diverse potential and aptitudes of combat, intelligence, or other abilities. Our main objective is to enhance those capacities in order to create the best version of each individual, who is recruited or, as in your case, rescued." – She recites, sounding almost robotic, it's obvious it isn't the first time she has to give this intro talk. That unexpressive tone makes it seem like this is a mundane chore for her. It's the clock-out time of her shift.
My senses are working at full speed, trying to compute every detail of this new environment. I try to make sense of them but I'm lacking important context, I need information. As I watch her body language, which seems relaxed but still authoritative, I realize I must at least say something so I can get some sort of implicit clue of what this place really is, of who she really is. Even though I still don´t fully trust her, she could have hurt me by now, taking advantage of my weak state, but she hasn't, so I talk.
"Are-are they going to interrogate me?"
Words come out in a slight stutter, mixed with a hoarsely deep voice, deeper than usual. However, my tone is steady. Her eyes suddenly light up at the sound of it, probably feeling glad I finally decided to speak.
"I wouldn't say interrogate, but Victor will come to ask you some questions about how you got here. Nevertheless, if you feel uncomfortable and weak, it can wait until you're ready. Now you should rest, take those pills, and drink some water, it'll make your headache go away and quench your thirst. You were extremely dehydrated when you arrived."
Even though I had no way of figuring out if those were painkillers, sedatives, or poison, I obey and drink up the whole glass with the pills. It feels relieving to finally clear my dry throat after so long, which made me wonder exactly how long I had been without water or food.
"How long have I been here?"
"Since last night, in other words, between ten and twelve hours. I must say I'm extremely impressed with how fast you've recovered, considering your appalling state yesterday. When we found you and took you in, Victor insisted on meeting you as soon as possible…"
She is staring at the glass in my hand as she stops mid-sentence. I know that hollow look, I can see the confusion in her eyes. Victor must be a person of importance here, and it seems weird to her that he's so interested in me. I can already guess why, and that makes me feel jittery. I control my inner panic and look at her expectantly before asking:
"Who is Victor?"- I query hesitantly. She looks at me with an even more perplexing face than before.
"Victor Atlas, he's the head of Atlas, a truly remarkable man. Not to mention his incredible success here and all over the world. He has trained great people… Have you never heard of him?"
"No…"- It's all that can come out of my mouth. I'm shocked myself for not knowing who this man is.
. . .
Silence reigned in the space, Olivia was staring out the window. From my bed, I can't see anything outside which could have given me some sort of hint about the location of this building. This room appeared to be on a pretty high floor since the only visible detail was a clear blue sky, which was as useful as my frail limbs, working as dead weight on top of the rigid mattress. I was beginning to fall asleep and even though I was trying really hard to fight it, it was winning the battle by a landslide.
Throughout our whole conversation, I tried to avert my gaze so Olivia wouldn't look directly into my eyes. I wasn't sure if she knew or if she had even realized. The only thought that gave me relief was to think the people in this place weren't aware of who I was or of the place I came from and had now escaped. This last realization makes me unconsciously catch my breath.
I did it. I got out.
This affirmation would allow me to start fresh, without having to face any more problems, any more hardship.
. . .
Footsteps, distant but approaching closer and closer. I feel comforted to discover my senses are starting to work normally again. Intrigue and anticipation make sleep fade, and nervousness and expectation replace it soon after. A few moments later, the door opens, revealing two men, entering very hurriedly.
One of them, the shortest, seemed very troubled, with a tense expression on his face, decorated with deep black eyes behind thick glasses. A receding hairline of chestnut mane with a few gray locks gave away his approximate age. The other one was very tall, gigantic compared to his partner. He had dirty blonde hair accompanied by a tan and sharp face, and bright green eyes with dilated pupils, due to emotion I suppose. Both were about the same age, however, the latter looked much more well-preserved.
"I repeat sir, it's still too early to see her. You should leave her more time to rest because- "- The man with glasses babbled, he stopped dead in his tracks with an even more tense face, his look was filled with shock and panic. Nevertheless, the other man, also paralyzed, had an expression that showed pure wonder and fascination.
"It's great to finally meet you, Bianca."- He said, as his green orbs plunged directly into mine.