The Children of Misery all sat at the table. Most of what Hayten was saying was relatively uninteresting. Noah wasn't listening anyway. They weren't really going to have a choice in the matter anyway so why not just get on with it? He'd already lost everything, he wasn't interested in worrying about the future. The past was all that mattered. He still wasn't sure how to confront his past.
Regardless of any of that though, he still wanted to do the tests. He was genuinely interested in what they would entail. Fortunately, he didn't value his own life, so whatever repercussions they brought about wouldn't really affect him. He had no family to worry about and anyone else had something to do with the war. So what if he had to hurt people.
That's what it all came down to. Why? For Noah, there was one obvious reason. The war. The only reasonable explanation was that Geoclyl planned on using them as soldiers in the war. Almost every side had been attempting such things. For years the Canadiens had been threatening to unleash a super soldier unit, but their threats were just that. Their tests had come up inconclusive one hundred percent of the time. The Borussians had been more discreet about their tests and had yielded some results, but the subjects had died due to the strain. Nobody had completely given up, and Noah suspected that nobody ever would. To create a super soldier meant that world domination was within reach. Power was all anyone searched for. Though even that had become a weak excuse for the war. Noah didn't think anyone really remembered why they were fighting, or what they were fighting for. Almighty knew that he didn't.
"Noah!" Hayten pounded his fist on the table to get his attention.
Noah looked at him slowly, not feeling any particular inclination to show the man the fear or respect he most likely desired. "Yes?"
"I hope, for your sake, that you're paying attention." He spoke slowly. He was a well articulated man.
Noah didn't respond. He didn't really care to. What was he supposed to say?
Hayten seemed to get annoyed. "You'd do well to respond to me boy. I don't deal well with arrogance."
"Noted." Noah said. One word answers were Noah's solution to dealing with pretty much anybody he didn't like. They sounded smooth, they were just barely polite enough and they still seemed disinterested.
Hayten obviously didn't appreciate the lack of an answer that he gave, but the man didn't pester any farther for now. "You all should be paying attention. There will be nothing better than finishing the tests and just..." he sighed. "Well, I can only imagine. But you six, including Brad, will live it. By the way. Brad will be with us soon. Most likely tomorrow. He has been a complete success so far, no problems. We hadn't anticipated any significant issues, and with the results we've been receiving, we're sure there will be nothing to worry about as we proceed." He was smiling. It was kind of funny. This guy seemed to actually believe the cause; Some empty platitude about becoming perfect. A thought struck him. Does Hayten actually think that this is about helping us? Did Geoclyl brainwash him so that he would be more convincing?
It would be a smart move. After all, that's how cults could form, or Nazis could rise. Who would reject reason and morals if their leader was a bad actor? Most people could see right through an act, and if they were suspicious, they could see an act where there may not be one.
Noah decided that he was now interested, even if only to investigate Hayten's mannerisms.
"You guys will be incredible! We aren't just striving for a super soldier. No! We are aiming for a perfect soldier! And I promise that we will hit our mark." His grin was stupidly wide now. Hayten was most definitely brainwashed. Noah would've bet his mothers best dresses on it. He felt a spike of guilt at gambling his dead mother's clothing, but it went away quickly.
"So... we start tomorrow?" Brianna asked, breaking into Noah's distracting and darkening thoughts. He had to wonder how much he had missed. They were talking about when we're going to start?
"Indeed we do, small one. The first stage of the tests," He hesitated, seeming to attempt a dramatic pause. "Will finally begin. Just you wait children, there will be nothing after this, nothing except for perfection."
Noah wanted to roll his eyes, but refrained from doing so. Maybe they would be perfect, who was Noah to say what the standard for perfect was? Heck! In today's world, you could be a murderer and still be high society.
He stopped to think about that. No, he thought to himself. High society usually had the most grime under their belt, even in the best of societies.
With that pleasant thought, Noah followed Hayten and the others out and eventually found himself back in his room. He wondered why they were always in their rooms. Since he didn't have any real ideas as to why that could be, he decided to sleep. He knew only the worst of things would meet him there, but if they were to start tomorrow, he wanted to be ready.
He drifted off, dreading the memories that awaited him. It was an odd thing to voluntarily give oneself over to that which he most hated. He decided not to give that much more thought either as he continued to drift.
Finally he slept, and everything he feared greeted him with open arms. He hated being alive.
