Beyond the Horizon

47. Deception

Lab Coat checked up on Shion a few times since the experiment. He buzzed with excitement as he droned on from beyond the glass wall about Shion's test results. Shion tried to focus on the words spilling out of his lips—just in case they carried something useful he could utilize to aid in his eventual escape from the cell—but Lab Coat's voice drifted in one ear and out the other. Shion gave up trying to decipher his scientific jargon and instead nodded and mumbled where appropriate.

          "...an interesting change in gray matter that could be the answer to how your telekinesis works. I would like to get an MRI and have you practice throwing several different sized objects against the wall just to—" Lab Coat paused. "You're not listening."

          Shion jolted back to reality. His legs dangled over the edge of his cot; he'd been kicking them back and forth. He thought about lying, but realized there was no point. "I'm sorry," he said.

          "Ah, no matter. It was nothing terribly important at this time." Lab Coat reached into the pocket of his crisp white coat and pulled out a beaten red pad of paper with a black pen hooked to the spirals. He pulled the pen out and scribbled a few notes on the pad. "Your focus seems a bit...scattered since our previous experiment. How has your sleep schedule been?"

          "Fine," Shion replied. Single-word responses were safest. Lab Coat had no use for flowery words or drawn-out explanations, and the less Shion could give him, the better. For both of them.

          "Your appetite?"

          "It's fine, too."

          "Mm, I see. And your bowel movements?"

          Shion closed his eyes in disgust and huffed. He didn't enjoy Lab Coat's probing questions—he'd been dealing with too many of them for the past few days—and he especially didn't like having to talk about private bodily functions with his companions sitting within earshot.

          "Fine, too," Shion said through his teeth, hoping Lab Coat wouldn't ask any further questions about the matter.

          Lab Coat scratched down a few notes. He murmured to himself, far too soft for Shion to hear. His lips moved too quickly to discern any notable words, but Shion suspected it was nothing of use. He sat on his cot and resumed kicking his legs back and forth, looking up at the ceiling while he waited for Lab Coat to finish up so he could get some privacy.

          After the experiment, Lab Coat had taken extensive notes about the physical changes in Shion's appearance. He'd photographed the entire length of his markings for "posterity," pulled a few strands of Shion's white hair to study under a microscope, and he'd taken a few skin samples from the raised red scar wrapping its way around Shion's body. He'd taken the sample from Shion's forearm; it still itched, the bandage Rikiga had slapped over it and the salve to soothe the sore flesh stinging.

          It was a continuous struggle to keep from flinging Lab Coat into the nearest wall. Rikiga injected Shion with tranquilizers to transport him into the examination room, but Shion could still feel the cling of his telekinesis buzzing in the back of his brain. Rikiga had kept his word, despite the obvious fear he had about the success of Shion's escape plan, and in return, Shion had bided his time to seek out the perfect opportunity.

          "Fascinating," Lab Coat said with reverence. He flipped through the pad of paper, reviewing his notes from his previous sessions with Shion. "Now, if we could only discover how gray matter reacts with a stronger serum...." A sickening gleam flashed through his pale eyes. Shion swallowed the lump in his throat. "Ah, but it still needs a bit of tweaking. Although your assistance has been integral to the success of this project."