Amidst Our Broken World

Chapter 7 (Part 2) - Obedience

"Wh-what?" I stuttered, completely unexpected of the sudden turn of events. How could he ask me to do that?

"You heard me. 800 volts. Turn the switch, Y/N." He gave me an irreproachable look. As if there was nothing wrong with what he was telling me to do.

"No!" I couldn't control the volume of my voice. What I intended to be simple refusal nearly came out as a scream. The shout echoed in the small room. All of the suppressed emotions surged to me at once. I began to gasp for breath as I became overwhelm with shock, disbelief, fear, stress, and outrage, but all the while, I glared at the evil man resentfully.

Despite my sudden outburst, he maintained a calm demeanor. "Do as I say. You are now an official orderly, and you will carry out your given orders."

I fumed at his attempt to manipulate me in broad daylight. "Never," I spat at him, "I am not going to be a part of your Milgram experiment, nor will I ever endorse your torment of children and animals. I will never share whatever twisted, patriotic vision you're trying to achieve through your immoral deeds."

He paused. "Even if it means you'll be killed?"

"Yes," I answered without skipping a beat.

Brenner shook his head in disappointment. 

It was at that moment when Peter grabbed my hand, and every bit of skin he'd touched was set alight as he entwined his fingers with mine and turned the dial on the remote.

I watched in horror as the girl on the other side of the glass twitched violently, her mouth opening soundlessly and her face became disfigured with suffering. 

Not bothering to ask for permission, I switched the dial back to neutral as fast as I could, causing Four to collapse back onto her chair.

I turned to see Brenner staring at Peter in utter disbelief at what he had just done. Peter himself looked equally astonished.

After a moment of staring had elapsed, the silence was finally broken. "Clean up the Practice Room," Brenner's empty voice ordered as he opened the door to the other side. I watched him carry the unconscious Six out of the room.

I couldn't stop a whimper from escaping my throat. Tears clouded my vision as I struggled to breathe in-between sobs. Whining softly, I sank to my knees and put my head in my hands. If I hadn't subconsciously remembered Peter was next to me, I would have curled up into a fetal position because that would've been the only way for me not to shut down entirely.

I gave myself five minutes to listen to the cluttering of Peter putting away the collar and remote, arranging the EEG machine, and fixing up anything else that had been upheaved in the room. 

Sniffling, I stood up and picked up the cage where the poor cat was still lying senselessly in one corner against the metal bars. 

Peter was just readying the cart to be pushed out of the room when I asked him, "Why don't they fight back? With their mind powers, I mean. Like there's bound to be at least one person who's strong enough to, right?"

Keeping his eyes on the cord he was wrapping around the machine, he answered, "There is."

I looked at him exasperatedly. "Who? And why aren't they doing anything to get out of here? To help everyone else?"

"Because they are being inhibited."

Confused by the nuance in his statement, I asked him what he meant, but he gave no answer.

Despite his evasion of my question, I continued to contemplate the idea of someone who could get us out of here. Suppose someone was potentially powerful enough to utilize their abilities to escape but can't at the moment. And assuming it isn't due to attachment issues like Stockholm Syndrome. Wouldn't it be beneficial for everyone if the subjects helped one another?

As we made our way down the hallways to the Supply Room and the Sample Room, I brought it up again. "Even if the person is being 'inhibited' as you said, isn't there a way they can make the others stronger as well? Like I don't know, teach them or something?"

Peter stopped. "'Teach' them?"

"Yeah." I postulated, "I'm not sure how it works, but there has to be some sort of socializing time for the subjects, so that they can somehow come in contact and help each other expand their powers."

He seemed to think about it for a moment, then he hummed and parted ways with me towards the Supply Room.

~ 

That night, the majority of my mind was occupied by replayings of Four's electrocution. The only thing that kept those replayings temporarily at bay were whatever memories I could conjure up of Peter today. From his sweet warm scent in the elevator, to the fire that singed every nerve in the hand he'd touched. The thought of his long slender fingers curling around my own, pressing against the untouched soft skin in-between each finger sent my heart into a frenzy. But truth be told, I'd rather be in shambles thinking about this guy who, for some reason, made me feel so ecstatic, than be stuck looping over the memory of me torturing an innocent girl.