The Dozen Seventeen

Chapter I

Akio pov:

Feeling a slight rattle, I tried to get up from my bed but, I was stuck. Panicking, I found I couldn't open my eyes either. Hearing a voice, I stopped trying to move.

"I can't believe they're still alive! I mean it's been how long?" 

Another voice answered the first one. 

"It's been over one hundred years since then."

One hundred years since what? Another rattle was brought to my senses. This time I could feel the jolt that caused the rattle. Slowly I could feel that I was moving. Not wanting anyone to know that I was awake, I kept very still. I felt myself round a corner and stop. The first voice spoke again.

"Dr. Thatcher, here are the boys. We found pulses on all of them and they all seem to be in good health."

"Thank you, Brett. You may leave after all of them are in the room."

This voice was female, the others had been male. A few seconds passed and I heard a door shut. There was a slight whistling sound as it thudded shut quietly, puzzling me. A warm hand lifted my arm and I inwardly panicked. A whisper reached my ears.

"Amazing. No sign of malnutrition or dehydration. No bruising or discoloration on the skin. Just how did these boys do this?"

Rightly confused, I wanted to sit up and ask her what was going on but, my paralysis kept me from doing so. My arm was lowered back down to the bed I was on and I heard the woman, Dr. Thatcher, walk away. She moved eleven more times in the room, spending several minutes in one position. After about a half an hour, she left the room, shutting the lights off. I don't know how I knew that but, I could feel it.

A couple of hours passed and I slowly got back the feeling in my body. Impatient, I rushed my eyes open and sat up. Gasping at the feeling of being able to move, I quickly ran my hands over myself. Not feeling any injuries, I sighed in relief. Even though it was dark in the room, I could see just as well if the lights were on. Slowly stretching the muscles in my legs, I waited for the feeling to come back. The feeling came back faster than before and I quickly swung my legs off the bed.

Hopping off the bed, I made my way towards the rest of my squad members. Shaking the one closest to me, I found my voice. It sounded crackly and not like me at all. I cleared my throat quickly and spoke quietly to the boy in front of me.

"Hey, Jace! Get up quickly! We have to escape!"

There was no response. Not even a twitch of a finger or flutter of eyes. Panicking, I ran to the next boy. All attempts ended in failure.

Panting, I clenched my teeth together and pulled my hair as I slide to the floor. I wanted to scream but, I knew that wouldn't be smart. Collecting myself, I slowly stood from the floor. Walking over to the door, I noticed my reflection on the door.

Still my rugged sculptured face, that my squad said would get all the ladies. Too bad I was never noticed by them. To them I was invisible. My hair had grown to the point where it flowed down my back and passed my butt. The dark red color had always amazed me because I was the only person that I knew that had red hair like this.

Shaking my head, I focused on the door instead. Touching it slightly, it hissed and slid open, surprising me.

Poking my head outside the room, I looked down the hallway each way. After I made sure no one was coming, I slipped out the door and it closed with a whistle like earlier behind me. Clutching the tight clothing on my body, I tried to make myself stop shaking. Hearing a quiet humming noise, I used it to distract me. The humming sounded like an engine. A huge one.

Looking ahead of me on the wall, a sign said Medical Headquarters 2 miles and pointed to the right. The sign underneath it said Main Township 4 miles and pointed to the left. My eyes bugged out. Four miles!? How absurd! Why make everything so far apart? Shrugging, I decided I didn't want to go to headquarters and turned left to go toward the Main Township.

Looking down, I noticed two indentations in the floor. Following them, I found they went on down the hallway. One was closer to the right side, while the other was closer to the left. Not knowing what they were for I shrugged them off and began walking the four miles to the township.

After I knew I walked at least two miles, I stopped to rest for a bit. Suddenly, there was a beep and them a voice coming from nowhere.

"All windows will now be opened."

At that, the walls beside me were instantly gone. Gasping, I could hardly hold myself from fainting in unbelief.