It's the year 2038 and a deadly virus has consumed the world for more than 14 years.
In Denmark, an unknown politician took it upon himself to create a safe space from the infected. As long as you abide by the 8 Obligations, you are allowed to live...
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2039 Jace
"what did you do to me?!" I scream as I writhe my body in pain. It feels like my blood is boiling lava rushing through my veins while my skin is melting of my bones. A constant ringing in my head gives me irresistible urges to slam my skull against something. Just to make it stop. I scream again and again, but not even my own screams can drown out the constant ringing. My head fells like it's on the verge of exploding and sweat is dripping form my skin.
"What needed to be done." He responds while keeping a safe distance to me. "Valentine Morgenstern will regret the day he killed my daughter! Mark my words!"
I don't know what he means by that. I don't get how torturing me, will get him the revenge he so eagerly seeks.
I struggle in the chain once more, when every single cell in my body feels like it is on fire. As I writhe in pain, the chair falls to the ground and my body slams down on the hard concrete floor, but I don't even notice the pain from the impact. All I feel is the cooling sensation the concrete has on my burning skin. Unfortunately, it isn't long before the hard surface starts to feel as if thousands of needles is being pushed into my flesh.
I scream and squirm, and this time I get free form my restraints. At the corner of my eye, I see him retreating from the room, closing the door to keep me locked up inside, but I don't have the strength to worry about that right now. Not as long as I'm trapped in this infernal within.
With a lot of effort, I manage to turn myself around. I get up on my hands and knees, so the least amount of my burning skin is touching the surface, but it is nearly impossible to stay in this position. I squeeze my eyes shut, and clench my jaw, as I try to swallow down the pain with my forehead pressed against the floor.
I scream through gritted teeth as a silent prayer echo in my mind.
Please let me die... just let me die... I can't stay in this hell anymore! Dear God, show mercy and let me die!
Every muscle in my body starts to spasm continuously, draining me of all my strength. I collapse onto the floor, and I can no longer keep back the tears of pain. Desperately, I try to hold myself as I surrender to the inferno of pain and tears.
***
"... is alive..."
I moan as I wake up to the sound of a voice speaking low. My entire body aches, and an intense nausea hits me. I try to open my eyes, but I don't even have the strength to do that. My stomach starts cramping up and I can feel the vomit pushing its way up through my throat. I gag and gasp for air as it gets stuck in my throat, cutting off my breathing ability.
A couple of strong hands suddenly grabs me and turns me to my side.
"Come on... get it out..." the voice mumbles as the hands starts to pad me on the back. I cough a few times, and some of the vomit hits the ground. I try to take in a deep breath of air, but immediately get choked by the remaining puke that is stuck in my throat.
"Damn it..." he utters as I suddenly feel his long fingers digging into my mouth, scooping out the vomit. I gag and cough out the rest of the vomit, and finally I can breathe.
The stench of it all causes me to throw up once more. I can feel the mass slowly running down my chin, but I haven't got the strength to do anything about it.
At this point, I almost wish to choke on my own vomit, but as I try to turn onto my back, I am forced back on my side.
"Just get it all out," says the voice to me while the hands hold me in place. "Your body is strained to its limit right now, but you just have to get you stomach emptied out, then you will be able to rest. And trust me, you need the rest."
Once more, my stomach contracts and sends another cascade of puke onto to the floor. The hands that were restraining me a few seconds ago, now wipes the vomit carefully off my face. Then they move me away from the disgusting, foul-smelling pool. Before I know it, I'm blacking out once more.
***
"Can you tell me your name?" the voice asks. I groan and clutch my head. I've got a splitting headache and every single muscle in my body is sore.
"What...?" I moan low.
"Good." A bright flash of light shoots in my right eye while a strong hand holds my head in place. The beam of light shifts to my left eye and I fight the urge to close them as I realize he is checking my pupil response. "You are responding. Now, tell me your name. Do you remember it?"
"Jace..." I say as my eyes tries to focus again as the light is removed.
"This is amazing." He mutters. "You almost seem unaffected by the virus."
"wha-" my voice breaks and I swallow my spit a few times before I try again. "What are you talking about?" Fear begins to settle in. He can't be talking about the virus. Can he?
He ignores my question and just continues to talk to himself.
"The subject shows no sign of degenerating. He is conscious and aside from a slight confusion, his mentality seems to be unaffected."
I realize that he isn't talking to himself. He is recording his notes. His notes on his recent medical trial. And I'm his subject. Just like that, everything comes back to me. The isolation cell when I arrived at The City. Seeing Angel again.
Angel...
I swallow thickly as I remember her death. I know she wasn't the same as the girl I once knew and loved, but I didn't want her to die.
The image of her father jamming the syringe into my vein and dozing me with what I can only expect to be the virus suddenly flashes before my eyes.
Fuck... I'm turning into an Anthroe.
"Hypotheses: The Virus will take over the subject's mind and body, when being exposed to human blood. Now I will conduct the first experiment to test the hypotheses."
I feel an urge to run away, but at the same time, I need to know if I am danger. If I really am infected, I can't run out amongst humans. I have no other choice than to let him try out his experiment.
The doctor, who I now remember vividly, moves closer to me with a small vile with a dark red substance inside. I can only assume that it is human blood.
Instantly I feel my mouth watering. I want it. No, I need it!
I growl and throw myself towards the doctor to get my hands on the blood. He smashes the glass on the floor, and I drop to my knees to lick it up. I can't resist it.
"PERFECT!" his voice echoes throughout the room as I continue to lick the substance of the floor.
