As the sounds in her right ear began to sync with the ones from her left, she recognized the buzzing to be sounds of chatter.
Her body still hurt but she could move. She popped her head above the grass to glimpse the gang of trained MS offs standing on the other side of the fence while making a bunch of noise.
There were some with their backs turned to her, while some-
"There she is!" yelled one of the guards straining his eyes to see beyond the grass.
Tess ducked the fastest she could and her heart dropped to her stomach. She couldn't believe it—she had made it to the other side of the fence all on her own. She grinned despite the pain throbbing mostly at the side of her face.
The look on those tools' faces! Ha ha! They would have to wait for the static to die completely from the fence. With her heart pounding in her chest, Tess crawled through the grass like a hunted animal. The sound of the large gate opening made her celebration fade away, replaced by a new sense of urgency. She had to get away from there as quickly as possible.
As she moved, the pain that had been radiating all over her body began to numb, replaced by a cooling sensation. It was almost as if the forces of the future were pushing her forward, urging her to keep moving. Perhaps the extra coffee she had that morning was finally paying off. She couldn't say the same for the dean, though.
Finally reaching the end of the grass, Tess stepped out onto the road. As she straightened her back and stood upright, a sharp pain zipped up her spine, making her feel like an old woman. But she pushed through the pain, forcing herself to start running—well, limping, really. It wasn't much of a run at all, but at least she was moving away from the danger behind her.
Tess's heart raced as she sprinted towards the main road, desperate to escape the gang of guards. She spotted a jet taxi approaching and ran directly in front of it, the driver narrowly avoiding hitting her. The driver stared her down from behind the windshield with hard fiery eyes as she made her way to the side door.
Tess tugged at the door handle, her panic rising as it refused to budge. "Open the damn door! I'm in an emergency."
Just then other vehicles behind began to honk their horns while some drivers pulled down their windows to yell nasty words at them. If she wasn't in a hurry she would make those yellers crawl under their beds in shame with meaner words.
Tess dug into her pocket and flung all the money she had at the driver through the front window. The driver's eyes widened as the bills landed on the seat beside him, enough to cover her fare three times over. With a satisfied grin, the driver finally opened the door and Tess flung herself inside, slamming the door shut behind her.
"To the clinic, and drive like your wife is about to give labor," she ordered, her voice trembling with urgency.
"I don't have a wife," the driver replied in a casual tone after seeing her messy white hair through the rearview mirror.
The driver eyed her warily, taking in her disheveled appearance and wild white hair. "I don't have a wife," he replied coolly, but his eyes flickered to the cash beside him before he hit the gas pedal with a sudden jolt, causing Tess to lurch back into the seat. As the taxi careened down the road, Tess closed her eyes and braced herself for the worst.
As they drove by places, Petra was the only thing on her mind. The dean had told her the clinic was under lockdown. The clinic was where Petra worked and it was attached to the living complex where they lived.
Tess's mind raced with thoughts of Petra, the brilliant woman who worked at the clinic where they lived. It was inconceivable that someone as smart as her could have been found out, which could only mean one thing: a Sybervirian attack.
She shuddered at the thought of a Syb-victim, mutated into a mindless monster, rampaging through the complex, devouring anyone it came across. But Petra's metal lab door could withstand a young or old Sybervirian. As her mind kept going back to the look the dean gave her, she knew something was off.
That was not the look you give someone after a common Sybervirian attack, especially not at a heavily guarded place like her clinic. Her gut churned with a sickening feeling that something terrible had happened.
The weight of her worry settled under her eyes, threatening to spill over into tears as she passed the park. In her mind, she saw herself in a swing with Petra pushing her from behind, a distant memory from a time when Petra's job hadn't yet consumed all her time.
When the car finally came to a stop, Tess wasted no time in darting out and hiding behind one of the many parked vehicles surrounding the complex and her home. Her heart began to race after seeing the crowd. She felt like a wanted criminal peeking behind the vehicle.
Above the many heads, the top of the building was caved in like a crushed can. It was as if a large cargo jet had malfunctioned during flight and crashed down onto it. But there was no sight of whatever it was that caused it.
The thick fence that once surrounded their house was also missing, adding to the eerie scene. Her other eye finally opened and she ignored the pain. She was in disbelief and she moved closer blinking nonstop hoping to see something else.
Amidst the confusion, Tess noticed the Priman Sentry soldiers in their white armored suits scanning the vicinity. But what caught her attention were the Mid-Sentry officials. Her upper left lip twitched with disgust.
There were lots of MS offs and not the Academy-designated ones either. They were real District MS offs, some with more badges than she could make out. They stood with their imposing presence, adorned with multiple badges and long metal swords on their backs.
Her scrambled mind began to make out words from the crowd as she forced herself to go closer.
"Was this a Sybervirian attack?" someone asked. "Why are Priman Soldiers here? Don't they only show up for serious stuff?"
Another person replied in an intentionally whiny tone. "Surprised they came down from their flying HQ in the sky. The world is ending today."
There were also talks about a giant canine Sybervirian on the loose. She knew it was some sick joke created by the MS officials there themselves. Those tools couldn't make their presence useful.
Everyone knew the Sybervirus only affects humans. Tess began to wonder why those MS offs created such an unbelievable story when several MS offs gave her a back glance. Tess had a feeling they were wondering about the white blur moving too close in the background of their eyes.
She froze and moved one hand raising one hand to block the sun from her eyes as though deep in thought. With them hidden she opened them wide like before to use her ability.
Using her ability, her field of vision moved away from her so she could see jagged pieces of concrete and twisted metal jutted out at odd angles. She couldn't fathom how a single Sybervirian could have caused so much destruction. The clinic was not close to any sewer holes so it couldn't have been from several that crawled out desperate for meat.
Suddenly, Tess' attention was drawn to the ground, where she noticed a set of footprints that were shockingly large and misshapen. Her heart raced as she realized that this was no Sybervirian attack.
And then she saw it: a hand protruding from under a black sheet, being lifted into an ambulance. Tess recognized the white patch on the skin and knew instantly that it was Petra's hand. Her mind reeled in disbelief, and she struggled to process the fact that her only family was gone.
No. It must be a mistake. That wasn't her! She ripped open her eyes and tears streamed down her face. Determined to get a closer look, Tess pushed her way through the crowd, ignoring the sounds around her until they faded to nothing.
She ducked under the yellow tape and raced towards the ambulance. Suddenly something strapped around her legs and before she knew it she fell onto the ground. Tears streamed down her face. Desperate to reach Petra, Tess crawled towards the ambulance, but was stopped by a pair of thick boots belonging to an MS official.
The man stared down at her in confusion as she cried out in anguish, "Please, I need to see her." But her plea fell on deaf ears, and before she knew it, she was writhing on the ground, wracked with pain as the official electrocuted her with a taser.