Transform Me (A "Shatter Me" Trilogy Fanfiction)

FORTY: LAB RAT

40: Lab Rat

The noise of beeping machines is the first thing I notice when I start to regain consciousness. My body feels heavy, like something is pressing it down, and I feel unexplainably weak. I try to open my eyes, but it takes a lot more effort than I thought. Finally, my eyelids quiver open, and all I see for one panic-stricken moment is nothing but white.

I'm inside a large, white room and I'm all alone save for a dozen or so machines surrounding me. There are one-way mirrors on each side of the wall, so all I see from my end are mirrors reflecting me and everything inside the room. I know that people are observing me from outside the room.

I wonder how long I've been unconscious.

I attempt to move my limbs in an effort to stand, but I can barely even wiggle my toes and fingers. My body feels like it's paralyzed. What have they done to me?

My mind feels like it's in a fog as I try to recall how I got myself into this situation, and I vaguely recall being caught by the Supreme Commander. After that, the rest of my memories come back to me in a flashflood.

No. I was caught by two Supreme Commanders: General Watanabe and Devin.

Jun, Juliette, Kim, and all the others in Teams A and B have been caught.

I agreed to being tested for Project Metamorphosis in exchange for my friends' freedom.

My temples throb with the onslaught of information and my heartbeat accelerates. Where's Warner? Where are the others? Have they been released, as promised? I need to get out of here. I need to...

The door creaks open and Devin steps in. She's wearing a lab gown over her Reestablishment military suit. It's strange seeing her like this. Everything seems surreal.

"Good morning, Hiro." She greets with that amiable smile I've now come to distrust.

It's hard to believe that Devin betrayed us. Some small part of me still wants to believe this is all just an act; that Devin's actually good.

She sighs as she takes a seat next to my bed. "I am good, Hiro. The Reestablishment is good, and it's here to help the world be a better place. I want so badly for you to see it that way."

"Where are...my f-friends?" My voice sounds languid and inaudible.

"They're under the Reestablishment's care at the moment."

Anger spikes within me. "Y-you...promised...to free them."

"Aye, and I intend to." She pauses. "After they're tested."

What?

"Like you, they've agreed to help The Reestablishment's cause."

No, no, no. What is going on? Wasn't my sacrifice bargained for their release? If they're still being held captive by the enemy, then all I'm doing would be for naught. This was just Devin's ploy all along. She wanted more test subjects, so she used us as threats against each other. I never believed she would stoop this low.

"The Reestablishment isn't your enemy, Hiro." Devin rises. "Someday, you'll realize this. Now I want you to get more rest. We'll start the tests on you at noon."

I don't know how much time I have till noon, which means I don't have much chance for an escape.

"I already told you not to bother with thinking of ways to escape. I'll know." And with that, Devin shuts the door and leaves me all alone.

What have I done?

* * *

It's been approximately forty-eight hours since the Reestablishment began testing on me. For the first part, I was told to transform into the first person I'd ever changed into, and my heart ached when I realized I'd have to change into Farhan. After that, I was made to run as fast as I could for as long as I could on some kind of treadmill with multiple wires connected to different parts of my body. My legs burned and all the muscles in my body felt taut with exhaustion.