Project Powers

Chapter Eight

Everything hurt. A throbbing, searing pain that clung to me tightly. I was unable to escape, I was trapped by the blinding pain.

"Jace!" A vice drifted into my subconsciousness and I pulled myself to awake, blinking in a bright light. "Wake up Jace!"

Everything slowly came into focus. I was on a cot again, but I wasn't alone. A couple other cots were lined up next to mine, along with teens laying on them. Sam stood next to me, a look of concern on her face.

"Dammit!" I yelled, jolting everyone as I sat up, wincing. "This is all my fault!"

Sam shook her head, "Jace, don't blame yourself..."

"Why?! I'm the one who ran away from home! I'm the one who brought my little sister into this mess!! The one who lead you all into trouble!" I cried, my voice breaking. "I'm just a big mess up okay?"

Silence fell over the room, Sam leaned forward and hugged me. I was shocked as I accepted the embrace, hugging her as I gulped down my tears.

"I'm so scared..." I whispered into her shoulder.

"It's okay Jace. We'll get through this." She mumbled back. The other teens came forward, hugging us too. It was a huge group hug. I felt all the warmth around me, the soft breathing. I could feel their fear, but nothing mattered. I suddenly felt a special bond to everyone around me, the bond that we were survivors in this hellhole. We're bonded by the fact that we're victims and we're still alive.

Slowly we broke apart, some wiping their wet eyes, others openly crying into their hands. We're just a bunch of kids caught in this messed up world.

Sam laughed as she wiped at her eyes, "God I'm such a baby."

I grinned, "No your not. Your showing emotion. It's normal."

I had to admit, my heart felt warmer, as if a bit more of love had been poured into it. I gave a shaky breath as I looked around. There was about thirty of us in all, thirty cots all lined in rows in a large room. Nothing else but speakers and a door.

"Where's Chip?" I asked Sam, laying back on the cot.

"No clue." Sam said softly. "I just saw you running and decided to join you."

"Welcome to the Lab." The speakers sputtered alive. "This facility was designed to scientifically to experiment on human beings without restrictions by law. Everything that goes on here is so private that everyone who quits their job is executed."

I blinked, so basically we're in some messed up Area 51?

"You are the Subjects and more important then you think." The speakers said. "We have injected you with a serum called Zalder, designed for years by scientists down here. You are all lucky enough to partake in this important experiment. We like to call it Project Powers, giving humans abilities greater then normal. Some fatalities have occurred and we are currently working on that. We realize that all of you have disrupted the way things work here. Your all a danger to society. Half of you will be killed and he other half will be mind wiped."

Sam grabbed my hand, her eyes full of fear as we listened quietly.

"You are society's new age of humans. Be proud." The speakers crackled off and everyone began panicking.

"They're going to kill half of us!" Sam cried, her eyes filling with tears.

"Stay strong." I said, my voice breaking as I thought of Avery.

The other kids sat on their cots, some crying their eyes out, others staring off into space. Horror was scrawled all over their faces. We're going to die. At least half of us. The their half are going to be mind wiped. Whatever that means.