Vitality [Teaser]

Chapter 1: The Interrogation

 An older teenage boy walked just a few feet in front of a male and female guard. They had guns strapped to their hips and wore defensive armor. They were ready to put down anyone who would interfere with their mission. As for the teenager, he wore the typical Proditor uniform; a black jumpsuit with a diagonal stripe of purple. His wrists were latched together with an electromagnetic handcuff. He continued to open and close his right hand as he was led down a dirt path road.

Many people who wore identical clothing to the adolescent boy stared at him as he walked passed them. Some decided to throw rocks and mounds of dust at him. The boy only kept his head low as he knew the guards will do nothing to stop them.

Just up the road was an enormous dome-shaped building. It was large enough to fit at least a thousand people, but in this case, it was only meant to hold one. The man opened the gate for the other guard and stayed behind as the woman continued to push the teenager towards the building.

Eventually, they stopped at a large metallic door. The woman pressed a red button on the side, and a small needle appeared just below it. She pressed her thumb against the needle until the button turned green. The large door then slowly opened as she removed the handcuffs from off his wrists.

The boy lifted his head and gazed at her for a moment and squinted his eyes. She plainly pointed inside and stared back at him. He slowly drifted his head back down and wandered towards the white light down the hallway.

He finally entered a room where it was pitch black but the center. He stepped inside and sat down on the only chair that was there. He was just about to speak until suddenly the only light in the room shut off. A helmet was then placed on his scalp. He shut his eyes and shifted his head, but no matter how much he squirmed he couldn't get it off. He then realized that his arms and legs were latched to the chair. He opened his eyes and looked down at his arms.

However, all he saw was a vast blue ocean in front of him. He felt the waves crash into the shore as a mist gently floated onto his face. He then took in the salty smell of the ocean through his nostrils. He knew it wasn't real, but he couldn't help but stare. Then just to the right of him, he heard a gun being cocked.

He quickly turned his head to the noise, but only found a sharp pain in his left eye. He was paralyzed as the thin needle entered his eye causing him to lose vision. He yelled in excruciating pain as he felt the thick gel-like liquid flow inside his eye. The needle then retracted as the helmet was suddenly lifted off of his head. His head hung low, and his eyes remain shut as tears slid down his left cheek. He then slowly opened his eyes, but all he could see was a blinding white light through his right eye and absolute darkness through his left.

"We have placed a brainwave reader through your eye. It is now connected to your Central Nervous System. We will ask you a series of questions and expect you to answer honestly. We will know when you are lying, and you will be severely punished when you do lie. Do you understand?" The female voice said.

The boy remained silent.

"What is your name?" She asked.

"Nikos..." He muttered.

"Your full name."

"Nikolas Clover."

"You do know where you are correct?" She asked.

"I'm in Salento, Colombia... Sector 8."

"Good, now why are you in Sector 8, Nikolas?"

"Because Mr. Moore sent me here..." He reluctantly said.

"And why would he do that? You do well in his class, don't you?" She said with a bit of anger behind her voice.

"I do, and that's why I don't know why he sent me here," Nikos said.