After we get to the airport General Wilkes is standing by the door waiting for us. Ashton and I both salute him, seeing we are technically on duty. "At ease." He says walking to us. "Y'all don't have to do that here."
"No disrespect, General, but why are you here?" Ashton asks him shifting his bag slightly on his shoulder.
"You two, accompanied by your's truly," He said pointing to himself, "will be riding in the private jet." He says looking at our shocked expressions continuing he adds, "you both scored the highest on our tests, you need to know what you are getting into." He says walking around towards the back of the airport expecting us to follow.
"Uhm, sir?" I say watching him walk away in confusion.
"This way to the plane, this can not wait." He says not even turning around.
Ashton looks at me and grabs my hand. "Might as well." He says dragging me as we make our way to the General.
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Once we were all on the small private plane, I started looking around. There were four seats in total, two on the back wall and two in front of them, so whoever was sitting in them was facing the other two people. Ashton offers me the seat by the window, because he knows I like the view and he took the one near the aisle.
General Wilkes takes the seat in front of me, breathing out heavy he nods toward the cabin, "We can go Jon." He said and the plane whirled to life as the co-pilot shut the door. "Okay, I'm not sure quite how to start this." He says rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"Just start wherever." I say looking out of the window.
"Do you remember when you," he says looking at Ashton, "said that it would be beneficial if we could come up with a sort of vaccine that would make soldiers stronger and have better strategic ideas?"
"Yes sir." Ashton says with confusion and curiosity in his eyes.
"Well, they did." He said looking to me.
"It's impossible to do that." I say looking at him as Ashton leans forward.
"They made the vaccine that changes the motor vertex to make them stronger." He said looking at me.
"What about the pain?" Ashton asked him.
"They changed the Limbic System, so they would have no response to pain, have any emotion or get hungry." He explains looking at his hands.
"Sir?" Ashton asks confused beyond all doubt.
"Motor vortex controls muscle movement and the Limbic system is what controls emotion, pain, all of that." I say absently wanting him to continue.
"Oh. Sorry continue." Ashton says grabbing my hand.
"Well, the scientists needed to test it, so we gathered volunteers." Once he says that my very vivid imagination began to work and peace a picture together.
*Flashback*
"Test subject 103 is ready for testing." The scientist says to no one in particular.
"I thought we agreed you would call me test subject Franks." The younger man said. "Rodgers and Flagg said the others call them by their last name." He said from the stool he was sitting on.
Seth Franks was eighteen years old and had just joined the military. One day when they were just out of training for the day their superiors had asked him and two of his bunk mates if they wanted to help. The other two had agreed straight away, Seth Franks was skeptical at first, but once the promise of money was mentioned, he had not disagreed.