The Alien Agenda (#Wattys2018)

[Chapter 44: Threshold]

3 months 14 days 6 hours 54 minutes 12 seconds

"The force and pressure that will be inflicted on you, will be tremendous. After all, you are going to destroy the AHM333 bond which is connected to every human being on Earth. Therefore, to ensure that you do not get severely damaged before the task is done, we have to increase your threshold...Subject 5 are you listening?" Dr. V-Ron said snapping me back to reality.

I straightened up and nodded hastily, which was a lie, I was not listening. My mind constantly wandered back to the vision I glimpsed yesterday. I wanted to know what it meant really badly.

The feelings that were running through General A-Roz were devastating. And I could tell Dr. V-Ron was not feeling any different.

Throughout the night, I was thinking of possibilities. The aliens must have been attacking them. Attacking one of their strongholds.

I caught a glimpse of a dark future, that we were so desperately trying to change. The explosions haunted me. There were immensely powerful.

The aliens were immensely powerful.

And I was supposed to defeat them?

A jolt of electricity shocked me at the small of my back. I jerked upward and turned to the source. Dr. V-Ron was holding a thin device, which I bet emitted the electricity.

"Ow, what was that for?" I exclaimed, rubbing my back.

"You spaced out again," he said in monotone.

I reminded myself to pay attention whenever around the doctor. I did not want to know what else he had in store for me.

We stepped into a compact room with highly enforced padding. The size of the room was only about an arm span. At the centre was a strange looking machine. There were two long metal structures that were attached to the ground. They looked like boots. Attached to the walls were another two protruding cylindrical metal structures. A metal helmet attached to a long pole, was hovering over the structures.

Looking at the bigger picture, it sort of looked like a human, with hands, legs and- oh...

"I have to get in right?" I asked.

Dr. V-Ron nodded. I let out a weary sigh, and put both my legs into the metal boots. Next I placed my hands into the cylindrical structures. Dr. V-Ron adjusted the position of the cylinders, so that they would fit my arms perfectly. He lowered the helmet onto my head, with a remote control, and strapped it on. Finally, two semi circle rings came together from either side of the walls, forming a hoop around my waist.

"Okay, seriously. What are we doing?" I asked.

"You would have understood, if you were paying attention," he said walking out of the room. I rolled my eyes.

Moments later, the lights went out. I heard a faint buzzing sound. The sound grew louder and louder as time passed. I felt the tips of my fingers and toes spark with current.

Then two second later, I was getting electrocuted.

Seriously, what is with these guys and electrocuting people.

Strangely, it did not hurt as much as I thought it would. The current surged through me, but instead of feeling like my insides were on fire. I felt as if I was getting slammed by a wave of water. Heavy, but not as painful.

The current continued to surge through my veins, but then an additional force began pushing me down.

I felt as if I was choking on cotton. A force that felt thick and heavy was pressing on me. It was somehow, forcing downwards at the same time pushing outwards from inside my body.

The force and current continued, increasing steadily. I felt both crushed and pulled apart at the same. My breathing came out in short gasps. The pain was slowly increasing, to the point my new and improved strength began to wither.

My body began heating up, I began tugging my hands from the cylinder trying to escape the pain. But my hands were locked in.

The situation was all too similar. My body thrashing uncontrollably, unable to see, unable to escape. Finally, a scream erupted from within me.

That was the final straw.

The forces were reduced and finally gone. The lights came back on. I fell forward. If it were not for the waist band and arm locks, I would have planted my face on the hard floor. For a few long moments, everything was just still. My heavy breathing the only thing breaking the silence.

My mind was struggling to stay conscious, but I was tired of passing out. Instead I just hung there, limp and in daze.
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Dr. V-Ron analysed the numbers on the screen. He glanced at another screen that was displaying Subject 5 in the room. She was hanging limp from the clamps, already at her limit.

Of course, her threshold had increased dramatically after the jump start. However, it was still insufficient. This would only be one fourth of what she would confront.

He analysed the meters once again. Mental calculations running in his head. Quicker than a second, the probability was clear.

She would not be able to withstand the force. They expected too much. Too much from an adolescent. All they could do was hope-

He shook the thought from his head.

Hoping would be meaningless. The numbers never lie.

Dr. V-Ron tapped on the communicator on his wrist, and signalled the nurses that were waiting outside, to bring Subject 5 to the infirmary. He shut the systems down, and left the room.

He headed for General A-Roz's office, ready to inform his latest finding. To inform the bad news.

Subject 5 would not survive the deactivation of AHM333.