The Countdown (A Project 863-Inspired Story!)

Day 7/10

"And damaged some research! I don't see how you can possibly think of that stuff right now!!"

I sighed. It was going to be a long night.

"Moving on, do you have a way for us to get there?" I asked Osamu, trying to simmer down the irritation I was feeling.

He nodded, also irritated, and led me over to a car. It was difficult to see what kind of car in the dark, but it reminded me of a Jeep or an SUV. He took some keys out of his pocket and opened the door. I got in on the passenger side.

He turned the key and the car instantly revved up. It must be used fairly often. I thought to myself as he pulled out of the parking lot and drove down the road.

We road in silence for a while, until finally he spoke up. "How bad is it?" he asked me.

"How bad is what? Your driving? Quite decent, actually!"

"No, the new serum."

Oh. "It's painful," I began. "I'm sure you know that though, because you've also been injected." We pulled onto a highway. "But it's scary. Every passing moment feels like a year gone by. I'm always changing my mind and my method. One moment I'm bored and the next I'm interested. And my muscles are sore as if I've been using every single one. And the weirdest part is that I haven't."

I tried to think of the best way to explain it. "I feel sick, like I'm slowly catching a cold and I'm going to find myself trying to get better soon enough. I really just can't put my finger on it. It's like my body's perfectly healthy, but I know it's not, and my mental health is depreciating rapidly. I was practically going mad in that room before you-- injected me."

"How did you get in there?" He asked me.

"Deborah shoved me in there." I said. He sucked in his breath and looked over at me. I couldn't place what emotion was showing behind his eyes. "What?" I asked.

"I think she wanted me to inject you." he said.

I shook my head. "She told me she didn't! She said she wanted you to-"

He cut me off. "You underestimate her. She's manipulative in a trillion more ways that you know."

"But she was bitter about it." I reasoned.

"Like I said, who, she's a manipulator. She's got more up her sleeve than you think."

"You say Hoo as if you're saying 'who'. I'm Rena Hoo, H-O-O."

"Okay, Rena." he said. I rolled my eyes. I liked being called Hoo more than Rena.

A dark blue Subaru Forester pulled up beside us on the driver's side. I casually glanced over at the driver. I blinked. He was staring directly at me and waving his hand in a not-quite-hello manner. He was waving us down.

"Osamu," I said. No response. "Osamu." I said again, more forcedly.

"Oh, right. Yeah?" He glanced over at me.

"That man." I said. "He's waving us down. In the subaru."

Osamu turned to look, but pressed on the gas instead of slowing down. "Hey!" I said as the car lurched forwards. "What are you doing?"

He looked so concentrated. "Getting us away from him."

"And who is 'him'?"

"I don't know. But we're on the run, and I'm not going to be stopped." he said determinedly.

I sighed exasperated. There was no use arguing with him. "You're so stubborn." I told him.

The blue subaru caught up with us and kept the pace. "It's my stubbornness that's going to keep us alive!" he said as he pushed harder on the gas pedal.