Chereads / Eden: Transcendence / Chapter 4 - Chapter 1-4

Chapter 4 - Chapter 1-4

There were five of them left when the last visit came. Vitals were checked, notes were taken, and then came the armored ones. They marched in, ten of them, outfitted in slick white armor and helmets. Their helmets were smooth faced, a single horizontal slit acting as a visor, with a long tapered end protruding from the back of the head. Their armor consisted of a series of plates that shifted silently as they moved. At their sides were black batons and slung across their backs was some sort of white rifle. In the lead was a strange man who wore black clothes that looked nothing like the others; made up of tactical leathers rather than the strange white plates. His left arm and eye were solid silver and his long grey hair was pulled back into a single braid that trailed down his back, hanging near his waist. His face was hard and stern, his skin scarred and his mouth a set line. His right eye was pale blue and it's cold gaze passed over the subjects, sending shivers down their spines. The man held an aura of intimidation, it was commanding and fierce. Then the now familiar white figures came forth, each flanked by two of the armored ones, and they set to typing something on the control panels of each of the survivor's capsules. The liquid began to drain away and the subjects panicked. Next would come the gas and then they would be gone, all of them gone. One of the subjects, DOMINION Subject: 82, punched his fist through the glass in an attempt to escape his fate. One of the armored one's stepped forth, seizing his arm and twisting it. Subject: 82 yanked his arm back, pulling the armored one bodily into the glass. Subject: 82 then put another fist through the glass shattering the capsule and spilling what was left of the yellow liquid all over the armored one who now slipped and slid in it, unable to find his feet. The silver armed man rolled his eyes at his subordinate and stepped forward to meet the wild 82. Subject: 82, standing for the first time, was unsteady and swung wildly at the man who caught the clumsy attack with ease, his silver arm intercepting the blow. 82 realized his mistake too late as the man's other arm shot forward, seizing 82's throat and lifting him into the air. He then slammed the subject into the ground, forcing all of the air from his lungs. As Subject: 82 lay there, dazed and winded, the man descended upon him. His silver arm rose and fell, crashing into 82's face with a sickening crunch. It rose and fell twice more, and 82 did not move, his face caked in blood, his teeth scattered across the floor and his nose twisted at an unnatural angle. The armored one who had been covered in the yellow liquid rose unsteadily to his feet, wiping off what he could. He and the other armored ones then moved forward to attend to 82, retrieving batons from their belts they rolled him onto his chest and put bindings on his wrists. The small metal mechanism hissed and whirred for a moment before settling in with a sharp *click*. The pair hefted 82 up and began to drag him from the room, his head lolling as they did. None of the other subjects dared resist after seeing the display; their fear for the man in black had grown and his cold, emotionless eyes pierced into their souls. The remaining subjects were then lowered from their suspension and as the glass slid upwards, releasing them, the armored ones quickly swooped in with their batons and their restraints. The subjects put up no fuss, not wanting to meet the same fate as Subject: 82, and were led from the room under the watchful eye of the silver armed man.

The light was blinding at first, but as their eyes adjusted they found themselves in the midst of a long white hallway. White clad figures roamed the hall, scurrying this way and that. The subjects were marched down the long passage, taking an endless series of turns before coming to a room labeled "HOUSING QUARTERS". The door opened with a mechanical hiss and the subjects were thrust inside. The room was large, 20ft by 20ft, and the walls were lined with cots on which clothes were laid. The clothes bore labels, "DOMINION Subject: 28", "DOMINION Subject: 36", "DOMINION Subject: 78", "DOMINION Subject: 82" and "DOMINION Subject: 99". The clothes were plain, grey T-shirts bearing their names in bold, black lettering. The pants matched the shirts, hanging down to their ankles. A singular armored one entered the room with them.

"Put on the clothes marked with your label. The cot they are on will serve as your own. Await further instruction." His voice was gruff and muffled behind his helm.

Subject: 78 opened and closed her mouth several times as if to ask a question, but decided against it. The subjects clothed quickly, the soft grey fabric felt rough against their tender skin. Subject: 82 was laid out on his cot, he had not yet awakened and they clothed him as best they could.

As the subjects waited, they did not speak. Words did not yet come readily to them, while they could understand language to speak was not yet natural. Instead, they studied one another, this being the first time they had seen each other clearly. Subject: 82 was tall and lanky compared to the others, his hair a fiery shade of orange. Subject: 99 was the spitting image of 29 before his death, save for his eyes as they were a very light grey, almost white. 78 was the only girl, what the distinction truly was, the others did not quite know but they were sure of the difference. She had long brown hair and bright green eyes, her face was freckled like 82's but not quite so prominently. 36 was a small boy, his skin was quite a bit darker than the others', more brown in tone. His hair had grown out with a frizz and he was small and thin in stature. 28 himself had shaggy black hair and deep brown eyes. They sat awkwardly as the silence stretched out. As Subject: 28 observed the others he caught 78's eye and they shared a smile, the first in a long time. All of them were apprehensive, scared even. None of them knew what would come next, but for 28 that was just fine. He was free of the wretched wires and glass that had been all he had known and he was curious as to what was to come next.