Paragon

Chapter 4:

I awoke on one of the plastic beds in the test subject dorm. I sat up, feeling dizzy and a bit sick. It felt strange to find the large room all but empty. Only Mahlika, Weska, and Nikara remained.

When I stirred they stopped talking and regarded me warily, almost mistrustfully.

"They did it to you too, didn't they?" Nikara asked.

I nodded.

"Why didn't you warn us?"

"I didn't know."

"Liar." Weska said.

I was suddenly angry. "You knew that we were test subjects. What did you expect them to do to us? And what was I supposed to do? How was I supposed to warn you about this?"

None of them responded.

"Delta told us not to leave the room." Mahlika said finally. "There's a guard at the end of the hall with orders to shoot us if we try anything."

"We need to get out there." Nikara said.

"Why?" I asked.

"I, for one, want some answers. What is Paragon? What did they do to us?"

"More importantly," Weska said. "What are they planning to do with us?"

"They'll shoot us." Mahlika protested.

"That's not a problem." I said.

"Are you immune to bullets now or something?" Weska asked.

"No, but I can dodge them."

I moved across the room to join them, causing them to flinch away.

"Whoa." Nikara said. "You just sort of...blurred."

"Super speed." I said. "I can get past the guard. What then?"

"We need to get into the data room. But we're going to need Delta's key card."

"I can get that too."

"He'll never give that to you." Weska said.

I smiled. "Who said anything about giving? I'm going to take it."

I went over to the door, dizziness momentarily forgotten.

"Katana," Mahlika said. "What if you get caught?"

"I won't." I said.

I swung the door open and stepped into the hall, closing it quietly behind me. Before the guard could even look up I was already past him. I stopped just around the corner, trying to silence my labored breathing. Every twenty feet seemed like a mile when I was moving that fast.

I walked to Delta's room at a normal pace. When I reached it the door was open slightly. I slipped inside. Delta was asleep at his desk, slumped over a drawing of what appeared to be our Paragon claws. His keycard was clipped to the front of his labcoat.

I snatched it up and he stirred slightly. I backed away and raced out the door, stopping on the other side. He didn't sit up and I hurried away. I stopped at the end of our hall, remembering the guard.

"Hey!" I called.

The guard turned and I ducked behind the wall.

"Who's there?" He asked.

I didn't respond and he started towards me. As he stepped out I ran past him, the force of the air moving against me nearly knocking him down. I stopped around the next corner, waiting until he recovered before running the other way.