Unforeseen¹

Chapter 9-Research

March 23rd, 2013

"Again, JYD2641," Doctor Terries, from the intercom, commanded.

Jayden, ignoring the growing throb in the front of her head, pulled up her hands and created a flickering, feeble, green, force-field-like luminescence around her hands. Her teeth gritted as she tried to make it grow so the light would completely envelop her, but the harder she pushed, the more exhaustion crippled her. It wasn't long before her headache flared, causing her shields to gutter until they were extinguished completely.

Beside her, Theo stumbled as he failed to carry out his orders to transform into his largest form. Its shape would form, the pointy ends of his tusks started to poke out, blue fur sprouted in patches, and piercing claws scraped against the tiled floor. There was a glimpse of a long striped tail as he reached Jayden's chest, but as quickly as it appeared, it shrivelled up, and he was left gasping as a tiny dragon.

Their joint suffering mingled, and its weight was heavy. It was a miracle that both of them were still on their feet. Terries didn't see it that way.

"Disappointing. How can someone with such gifts fail to such extent? Perhaps I'm being too kind on you." The doctor mused. "Again, JYD2641, and this time, if you or your Conjuncta fail to improve, you'll be subjected to the box."

Her breath hitched at the threat. She swallowed and focused with everything she had until her hands felt nothing but pins and needles. The shield sparked and took over her fingers, crawling upward. She was tired, so tired, but knew Doctor Terries would not accept such an excuse. As the gleam reached her elbows, the headache she was trying to ignore lashed out. The power slipped through her fingers. Failure. Again. Always.

It was the same story with Theo.

She flinched as a sigh crackled through the intercom. "I'm very disappointed in you, JYD2641."

She fell to her knees. The door opened, with four men in protective gear. One had the collar in his hands, two had shock sticks, and the other was empty-handed, obviously there to grab her if she wanted to be difficult.

Which she always was when it came to the box. The two men with shock sticks stalked close, and she jumped back, avoiding one jolt, but doing so led her right into another. She yelped, dropping with a spasm. Limp on the floor after the electricity ran its course, it was easy to put her in the collar.

Without access to her powers, she was useless, so they plucked her from the floor, along with Theo, and dragged them out. They carried her to the lowest floor and into a frigid room with dim lights. In the middle was a pair of metal boxes sitting side by side. They were built only large enough to fit their prisoners. Each box had a padlocked door with a small hatch so the captors could observe. When closed, the box would be in complete darkness, completely separated from everything. Including each other.

She was thrown fluidly into her prison, forced onto her hands and knees, and chained at her hands, ankles, and collar onto the metal hoops in the floor. She grimaced as a foul-tasting gag was shoved into her mouth. When the guards deemed her secure, they backed away, and booted feet entered her vision.

"JYD2641, when will you end this nugatory resistance? The pain of your time here is on you. We could be spending it more efficiently, perhaps a reward with extra reading time. Ponder that."

Without another word, he spun on his heel and turned off the lights on his way out. Everything went dark. She whimpered. The worst thing was not the chains or the cold, but that neither she nor Theo could see, hear or touch each other. They needed each other's company. It was instinctive, and without it, it was akin to hell. As an added torture, Terries would never say how long the punishment would last.