Saving the World - Awakening

Schizophrenic Scientist

"Anything you hear in this room cannot be spoken to with anyone.  Ever." B began.

B closed and locked the door, keeping him, Eliot, Samantha and a stranger in a lab coat in the room.  The table they were sitting around was round, and there were several empty spaces.  Either not everyone showed up to the meeting or there really was only four people involved in this scheme.

The scientist was writing something on a piece of paper, almost ripping it she was writing so vigorously.  Her hair was in a mess, knotted and greasy from lack of care.  She looked up at Eliot and he was taken aback, intimidated by her eyes.  Her eyes couldn't focus; it looked like her brain was permanently separated, condemning her to a two-track mind for the rest of her life.  He didn't know if that really was the case, but she still reminded Eliot of some of the drug addicts he had met on the streets.  The scientist looked down and continued her vigorous work, leaving Eliot with a feeling that this meeting would be even weirder than he had thought it would be initially.

Eliot turned his attention back to B, ready for some answers.  B walked over to the table, ignoring the scientist, and directed his own attention to Samantha and Eliot.

Eliot looked over at Samantha, who seemed to be on the edge of her seat, greatly anticipating this meeting.  Eliot couldn't understand how she could follow B blindly for so long, and just let him not tell her what was happening.  Regardless, he wanted to know and that's all he cared about then.

Eliot spoke up, " Why am I here in this phony psycho asylum?"

B only smiled at Eliot's obvious insult.  Eliot had every right to be insulted, so he couldn't be angry at him for voicing his feelings.  Meanwhile, Samantha was on the edge of her seat, anticipating the moment eagerly.  She had been waiting months to find out what she was doing there, and it seemed like now would be the time.  Eliot could understand that, but still he had decided to be blunt with it.

"A few years ago I enlisted the help of Dr. Nicos.  She will surveying you, studying you in any ways that she sees fit." B explained, motioning to the shaking scientist. "Nothing invasive, of course."

Eliot nodded his head.  It all added up, they were science experiments.  Really, it wasn't all that unexpected.  After all, he had been injected with an unknown chemical after bathing in strange water, basically resurrecting him from near-death.  The special treatment was just because he was an experiment.

Samantha, on the other hand, was not pleased at all.

"NO, I will not let you treat me like some kind of lab rat! That is not what I have followed you for two months for!  That is not what I have endured twelve years of living hell for!" She shouted at the top of her lungs, startling Dr. Nicos and causing her to drop her pencil.

B quickly put his hands up, holding back the torrent of exclamations and curses from Samantha.

"That is not why you're here." he said evenly, "I recruited you to do great things.  You are here to be trained and to become someone that no one in the world can be."

Samantha scoffed. "What, 'Myself?'"

"No," B replied, "you are going to be better than you."

Samantha opened her mouth to retort, but could think of nothing to say.  She closed her mouth and sat down in frustration.  Eliot saw that she was getting some real information out of B, and decided to press further.

"How are we supposed to be better than ourselves?" Eliot prodded.

B paused before responding. "You are going to become agents for my organization."

Eliot raised his eyebrows.  This was getting interesting, even though he didn't want to be a do-gooder. Still, it beat abusive mother and drunken father any day.

Samantha stood up angrily and held out her hand for Eliot.  "We're leaving.  Now.  This meeting is done."

Eliot looked at Samantha, as if to say "We are very much not done" but Samantha seemed intent on leaving.  She also looked to have a plan, so he decided to take her hand and follow her lead.

He instantly regretted taking her hand.  He was launched into a fiery inferno, burning cold with emotion.  It was a place full of paradox, with everything and still nothing.  Nothing that his mind could comprehend.  He managed to break away enough to follow Samantha through the door, and watched as B relaxed, looking relieved that they had left, and Dr. Nicos scrabbling on the ground trying to find her fallen pencil.  The door closed behind them, and Samantha let go of his hand.

Eliot collapsed to the ground, gasping for air as he regained his mind.

"What happened?!  What did you do to me?" he asked, clearly distressed from the experience.

Samantha looked at her hands in wonder. "I didn't know I could do that..."

She looked up and realized that they were in the middle of the hallway, and were drawing attention from people down the hall.  She quickly motioned for Eliot to follow her and then dashed away, leaving Eliot to straggle behind.

After running through the uniform hallways, they reached Samantha's room.  Samantha stepped forward and put her thumb down on the handle.  After a few seconds, the door lock clicked open and Samantha pushed the door open.  Her room was a jungle, literally.  There were vines growing on the ceilings and the walls.  Cages wrapped with vines hung from the ceiling, containing exotic birds.  A wild-looking cat stalked around the room, and Samantha's bed was covered with a leopard skin.

All around there were weapons fastened to the wall, and there were bins full of various jungle accommodations.  Her bed had a canopy over it made of ferns.  Overall, the room was dimly lit, making it feel like a real jungle.

Samantha jumped on her bed and motioned for him to join her.

"What's happening?" Eliot asked skeptically.

Samantha rolled her eyes at him and extended her hand again. "We're going to find out why we're really here."