The Mars Experience

Chapter 20: Athena's POV

My heart seems to want to come out of my mouth and my entire body trembles. If they killed us right now, no one would ever be able to find out. Why did I let Donna come with me? With a flick, the lights thud and hum, turning on section by section. The place is a warehouse. "Welcome," an automated voice says. The walls are all made of steel, bolted down with multiple Self Drilling SMS. The televisions blink on, and one of the broadcasts on display is my living room. Donna clutches my arm. "Are you okay?" her face reads. Neither of us would dare utter a word.I can't reply, so I shake my head. Not necessarily in a way confirming or denying, just moving on to another topic. I ask her with the same expression, and she just shrugs her shoulders. That's about what I'm feeling too. "Gentlemen," someone says. His voice is definitely one of a male's, and it's crisp and clear. "I am happy to announce Mackentire passed the test!"While he is enthusiastic, and the other scientists seem to be happy, they applaud unenthusiastically. "I could tell you about the experiment, but why not show you instead?" He walks over to the computer, typing in a long password, then clicking a few buttons. The screens all combine to stream one giant video. "Here, we can see Mackentire's progress," he flips between two pictures, one of a muscular man, and another of a thin and sickly one. "He metabolized at dangerous rates, thus completing the initial part of the process." Again, the unenthusiastic applause. "Now, if you'll see this clip, you'll notice how his body reacts to air in a regular human atmosphere. For comparison, next to him is our very own Blythe." They turn to face the man shown in the video, clapping once more. "So, what are the checkups for today, sir?" At first, I thought Mackentire was an adult. But he just sounds like a teenager. "Just seeing how you'll react to an input environment," Blythe smiles. Cruel. The room shown in the screens is gray and heavily soundproofed, with mirrors next to Blythe. Mackentire seems to choke, even though there was nothing to choke on. He drops to the ground, gasping and pleading for air. He, shakily, grabs on to Blythe's jacket, who can kick Mackentire off with nearly no effort. Blythe connects a heart rate monitor to him.He continues to cough, rolling around the floor in despair, only in his underwear and a surgical dress. Horrible way to go out. They watch until he is passed out, then for another two minutes, until it is shown that he flatlines. They clap monotonously once more. I look over to Donna, who has her hand over her mouth. She looks squeamish, and shakes her head "no". I move to readjust my position, and my shoe makes a terribly loud squeaking sound on the floor. They turn their heads almost simultaneously, synchronized in nearly robotic perfection. Their gaze sears deep into me. I grab at Donna's arm to tell her to stay down, before coming out with my hands up. "Athena Wright," the man with the clear voice says. "Your mother has been looking all over for you, until just about a few days ago." He won't speak about my mom like that. I charge at him, only to get kicked and knocked down by two of his henchmen. "Now, I'm sorry," he cocks a gun and extends his arm to my forehead. "But you understand. We can't let anyone with such sensitive information leave." "Athena!" Donna yells from behind me. She uses the taser we got from the cop in the alley and strikes him on the neck. While he convulses, I'm able to take the gun from his hand. His expression changes from smug to the one of someone seeking revenge. All of the men in white coats charge forward, but tightening my hand on the gun makes them retreat. They're unarmed. I move back to the orange beaker, the one closest to the stairwell, and Donna seems to know what to do. She kicks it from behind with surprising ease. The liquid oozes everywhere as we make a run for the staircase and shut the door behind us. The men try to stop it from getting to their equipment, yelling curse words. We walk the few yards that brings us back to the cement pathway and are greeted by warm welcomes and cheering. "What took you so long?" Hugo asks. "We found out their plan," Donna answers.