The People with Useless Power

Chapter Twenty-two

"She read it slowly, every word shocking her."

"Who's this 'Emma'?" the president snapped.

"Where's my family?" Emily snapped back. Silver bit his lip and looked down. "What?" 

"They're dead," he shrugged. "Now, who's Emma?"

She stared at him. "No, they're not," Emily said with a roll of her eyes.

"Yes, they-" he stared at her as she twirled her hand, bringing up her statistics. "Emily," Silver hissed, a warning tone lacing his words.

"Chance of dead family: 100%."

She lowered it to 0% with a smirk, glaring daggers into the president's grey eyes. "They're not dead," Emily mumbled, satisfaction and adrenaline taking over her mind. The world was getting blurry; the last thing she saw was President Silver's beam and his cold words:

"Simulation complete."

...

Emily fought the urge to keep sleeping and rubbed her eyes weakly, squinting them as the white room blinded her.

She stretched, tears welling up in her eyes as they adjusted. Emily looked around at the mysterious room, her neck aching.

"Lavender?" she called out, purple spots still blinding her.

There was no response.

Emily stood up slowly, finally getting to see that the room's walls were cream and grey in parts where it was torn and metal was exposed. The floor was cold tile, like the tile in her school. She walked over to the lone desk in the middle of the room after seeing that the room lacked doors and windows, and picked up the yellowing envelope resting on it.

Tearing it open, Emily pulled out the note inside of it. She knew immediately that she wasn't supposed to be reading it. There was a flag at the top, in the right corner- it their world flag, decorated with different shades of black and white.

She read it slowly, every word shocking her.

"Experimentalists,

    We were shocked and saddened to have to inform you of the recent genetic mutation in civilians. No matter when the parents decide to unwrap their powers, the children are not getting them. They are becoming Human.

    We've taken these Humans into shelters like the Useless, but with our main building transferred to Rebel use, and the popularity of Human cases only increasing, there is not much we can do. The camps are getting overfilled.

   However, we present a solution. President Silver has wrongfully sorted about twenty Underdeveloped powers into the Useless power camps, and most are very Strong powers. These gifts can be harvested, tested, and pushed to the limit to save us from the Humans.

We truly hope we don't have to take any further actions to ensure the safety of our citizens after we leave them in your hands."

The name was smudged out. Emily's hands were shaking as she dropped the letter and plunged her fingernails into her scalp.

Humans? Weren't they Humans? Tested? What? Was everything fake? Was this a test?

She looked around. No exits. Maybe she had to exit. Maybe that was the test. Emily twirled her hand and brought up her statistics.

"Door Opacity: 0%."

Relief flooded her as she inched it up and a door appeared slowly. Emily slowly and cautiously made her way to it and placed a hand on the round handle, feeling the cool metal on her palm. She looked around before pushing the door open and walking into the hallway it led to.