The Program [COMPLETED]

Chapter Twenty-One

"Aiden, I am convinced that you are a half-man, half-spider creature."

Aiden looked down at Virgil, who was staring up at him in awe as Aiden hung from the ceiling of the training centre from his fingertips. He'd been the first of his friends to volunteer to try out the new equipment they'd be using for the laboratory raid, and the first thing they'd be utilizing was the Program's gravity defying "spider gear". They allowed the wearer to scale vertical heights with ease, in addition to providing excellent adhesion to various surfaces. The gear was composed of two web-like gloves and matching foot pads. Aiden seemed to be adapting to the tech with ease, and was proving his point by dangling from his fingers at the roof of the training centre. Virgil had dared him to climb all the way to the top and hang there, and Aiden was no stranger to accepting Virgil's wild challenges.

"Okay, okay, you've proved your point. Get down from there, man, you're freaking me out!" Virgil hollered up at him. Zariah approached them from below, folding her arms across her chest and observing Aiden with fascinated eyes.

"You're getting too comfortable with those for your own good," Zariah remarked. Aiden dropped down from the ceiling and onto the rafters stretching across the roof of the training centre.

"I dunno. It's kind of fun being up here," he grinned. "How does it even work?"

"Dry adhesion," Zariah assessed. "The gear contains nano-fibers that use electromagnetic attraction, which you to cling to the wall. It's strong stuff."

"Huh," Aiden marveled.

"How aren't you the Program's Chief Science Official by now?" Virgil gawked. "Honestly, Zariah, you have enough brains to outwit half the country if you wanted to. My response would have just been 'oh, I dunno; it's sticky,'"

"Either of you want to give it a shot?" Aiden peered at them from the rafters, tilting his head.

"Sure," Zariah nodded. "I'll give it a try."

Aiden made his way down from the rafters easily. He found the walls to be strangely maneuverable within the training centre, though he didn't know why. He jumped off of the wall after he was only two or three feet from the bottom.

"Welcome back to Earth," Virgil said once Aiden had joined them. "You know, where normal people are, where Creatan is, where physics apply..."

"Thanks, brother," Aiden laughed, handing Zariah the gloves and foot pads. She thanked him before putting them on in a swift gesture. Aiden looked around the training centre. It was virtually empty, with the exception of a few other soldiers training around them. For the most part, though, it was just Aiden and his friends. Jayda was in the far corner of the building, where the night vision obstacle course was. Theo and Rania were busy sparring as they usually did on a nearby mat. Aiden made a mental note to study the functions of the explosives they'd be using during the raid, as well as to try out the guns, grenades and night vision goggles when he had the chance. He figured it was better safe than sorry, and he hadn't fired a gun in a while. He knew Virgil would be more than elated to join him. He was the most trigger-happy person that Aiden had ever met. If you were shooting at something, Virgil was probably there.

Aiden watched as Zariah scaled the length of the training centre expertly. She matched Aiden for speed and skill, making it look like more of an art form than a physically exhausting task. Zariah was definitely stronger than she appeared at first glance.

"Am I seriously the only person here who doesn't typically enjoy the idea of being suspended several feet in the air?" Virgil muttered.

"What? Are you afraid of heights?" Aiden jabbed him.