X-periment 5

The Meeting

     I wake up with a jolt. My sheets cling to my legs and the hairs on the back of my head stand. Again the same dream. A young baby girl being taken out of the arms of her mother and into those of shadowy figures. I feel like I should know who she is, but I’ve long since given up.  I look around the darkened room. The single candle slightly illuminated my surroundings and I was able to see a figure sleeping across the room. My roommate, Celina was sound asleep. Clearly she hasn’t been having any nightmares. 

   I launched myself off my single bed and stealthily reached the handle of the metal door of our room. I was still panting and slightly dizzy. Thinking back to my plan, in which I had devised in my head, over the past three days, I wondered if it had made me sound insane. Maybe I was, but here in the Institute, insanity is only defined as treason. It’s an unspoken rule but even though I feel less assured of myself, I still wanted to go ahead with my plan. I thrust the door open with a jerk, and pass the red beam that sensors body heat. I peered out into the hallway. White walls and tiled flooring were what I had been accustomed to. This place was home, the Institute.  As I stepped out, a Sentry turned the corner and I swore under my breath.

   He wore a standard grey uniform and the normal helmet covering, with a MK 16 in hand, not that I was intimidated. I mean, I was born here in order be deadlier and more cunning then all of them combined. Despite this, they were the ones who could call the shots around here at the Institute, unless Dr. X said otherwise. 

“Why are you up past curfew?” He demanded in a voice that made me shift uncomfortably. Time to put my plan in motion.

“I was wondering if, uh, I could see Dr. X-“ I started.

“No.” 

“But you see, it’s very important I do.” I smiled almost-angelically. Never had I felt so low but I needed to see Dr. X.

   “Why so.” He shot back, and then I saw it. For that moment his guard was down and it was exactly what I’d been hoping for. A “macho” Sentry would never be intimidated by us. I swiftly kicked his knee, to the ground and hit his throat with the side of my hand. So much for the innocent approach. Before I could do anything further, he grabbed his Mk 16, pointed it directly at my chest and pulled the safety off. Instead of shooting me though, like any self-absorbed Sentry would’ve done, he turned his helmet on still trying to catch his breath, simply said Code DS, curfew breaker and assault on a Sentry. 

Seconds passed and soon 3 other Sentries turned the corner. All wearing their neatly pressed uniforms and looking down at me as they approached the Sentry I had attacked. 

“Take…that thing…to…Dr. X” he spat out. Maybe I had in fact hit him harder than intended but this was exactly what I needed to happen, so I just smiled.

“Affirmative S45. Now let’s go Experiment 5.” One of the Sentries said as he grabbed my arm and shoved me forward. Another followed him with his gun positioned at me and we walked and turned corners for what had seemed like hours. However, all that walking had made me notice two things:

     1) I hated being called an Experiment.

     2) There were no windows.

   I realized my hatred of being called an Experiment because it made me face reality. I’ve been here at the Institute for my entire 16 years of life, and still no respect had been gained. Not even being the top of my trainee-squad had gotten me anything. The Sentry Allegiance was a higher power than us trainees here at the Institute, and that was the way it has and will be.  Then again, this place I called home did not fit the stereotypical 2109 Academy. No windows and no way out until graduation, which we will finally earn the honor of being a lone agent or any other job Dr. X had planned out for us. OH how I was counting down the days to be a lone agent and take out all those who have infected our society with their beliefs. Masking their true intentions with ideas of World Peace, an idea our ancestors’ thought would become a reality. Yes, after coming recently close to World War 4 and even throughout the Great Global Warming during the 3rd world war of 2047 and still people hope for world peace. We here at the Institute are taught the true reality of the situation. World Peace simply cannot be possible. As long as we humans are a dominant species on Earth, our greed cannot easily be ignored or contained. That was one lesson that came through easily the first time I heard it in our lectures. I think that’s mainly was Dr. X tolerates me, despite my tendencies to attack Sentries in order to have our little chats.