Tremble

Chapter 17: Secrecy

"Again, you have to go out, again!" I wined as Margret and Mark prepared to leave on an expedition for food.

I didn't like being cooped up, at first it was fine, but now this old drab place was getting to me.

"You now the rules, Kart will go to far limits to ensure those rules aren't violated." Margret assured me.

I sulked off to the library where I planned to spend much of my day, I was constantly on the lookout for an opportunity to help around the base, but no one needed anything. The air has become more musty, more stuffy and the walls seemed more weak and deteriorated. I was sick of this place, it no longer felt secured, it was fragile and was edging collapse. Every sound startled me and day by day I felt more trapped more hunted. I was trapped under hundreds feet of solid rock and dirt in a cage made of barn wood. Being hunted by a super secret organization stronger than the government is a rather unsettling feeling.

Kart assured me constantly that Carbon 14 was incredibly secure, but it was simply just a hole in the ground. I tapped my side as I examined the massive shelves, searching for a book that specifies on DNA sequences. I restrained from returning to the lab late at night, abiding by the threat I had been given. I had no intentions on having a shattered relationship with a powered person in a structure full of powered people. So far in my search for answers my efforts has proved futile, nothing could explain such an anomaly of science, of biology. It made no sense, at least my powers could be kinda explained, but what that machine showed as a DNA sequence made no sense. I want to believe that the machine was simply faulty, but yet it still irked me. I have yet to tell anyone of that night, I wished to abide by that threatening note's wishes.

I gave up looking and plopped myself in the red oak rocking chair in the corner. I was starting to get agitated from being cooped up in here, this dingy old shack underground. Deciding to go pillage the kitchen I found my around the base. The blue light shone again in the lab I chose to ignore it and continued on. But my curiosity begged me to go look, pushed me back closer and closer to the door, I peered inside. John stood pushing buttons on the side of the mega fridge , he was muttering quietly to himself. I tiptoed in, edging myself against the wall of barometers.

Why do we even have those?

He still hasn't noticed me. More backing into the corner, I cut my breaths short, raspy, soft, just what I need. John started to move back and I ducked behind the crate in the corner. I peered above and watched him mess with something in the machine, I felt this wasn't authorized. I was right.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE, I GAVE YOU A SPECIFIC JOB, ONE JOB!" Kart came storming in on the verge of murderous intentions.

"Why is it always me with the job, why does Squirt get to sit on his lazy behind all day!" John grumbled back.

I noticed he began to move things into a bag. Fast. He was hiding something.

"You know full well I keep Squirt just as busy as you, at least he focuses on task from time to time!" Kart said behind closed teeth.

I shifted back some more, affirming the secrecy of my hiding place. I didn't want an angry Kart against me.

"Oh come on! That's just a lie you tell yourself, you don't see us as equals, just admit it!"

John was bitter and short while his mother was a full on rage monster. She was fuming, I didn't see why she should, on his side John seemed calm and collected. I heard hurried footsteps, more grumbling, and the slamming of a door, I peaked out from the side. The room was empty. Speedy, I ran over to the machine its display was blank.

Darn it!

I continued to mess with machine until I was at a dead end, John must have switched it off and cleared it when Kart came in. I began to wonder why Kart was so irritated with her son. I decided to stay out of their business, but it was hard being caged in here I had little entertainment. The base had a strict no conventional electronics policy, and the library wasn't exactly full of much fiction. Kart believed technology couldn't coincide with security, and she's not wrong.

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Margret and Mark came back that evening and I told them about both incidents in the lab, they sat transfixed and kinda shocked.

"Kart wouldn't want to run tests that late at night and normally many of us are notified if there is a new trial being run in any of the labs." Mark stated.

"I agree, Kart is on top of anything and everything going on at the base, the fact that this is going on is worrying, and the fact that you got a threatening note is even more worrying!" Margret exclaimed.

"Shhhhhhhh!" Me and Mark said simultaneously.

We were currently in the main area of the base, a bustling center full of chairs and conversation. People gather in groups around tattered old wooden tables, sitting on rickety old seats. This is hardly motel quality.

Our conversation died down and we glanced around. John and Squirt Sat with some other teenage friends, I cared little for their antics. They were loud and obnoxious kind of teens, but I was curious if they had heard us.

"Naw, I don't think Kart does this on purpose she's probably just bitter." One of the boys said.

"Maybe, but I can't do this without her watching mine and Squirt's every move." Johnathon stated sounding more civil than he ever has.

John leaned forward arms crossed on the table. From then on I was unable to catch the conversation. They were planning something.

I wished to here more until a sound shattered through the air above. We all collectible glanced up as the sound of gun shots ripped through the air.