Our Future : Altered

Chapter 1

I flinched as the straps tightened around my already raw wrists.

"Stay still," Doc seethed, moving to adjust the straps around my ankles. "The restraints are just a precaution. Y'know... in case I fuck up the procedure."

A boy who sat perched on the top of a file cabinet snickered and tugged at his tangled grey hair. "There's a good chance you could, Doc."

Doc waved a hand dismissively at him and smiled down at me, and I noticed how her lipstick was smudged in the corner of her full, curved lips. "Don't worry, precious. I've done this a thousand times and nobody has ever gotten hurt."

"Badly," the boy interjected.

Doc whirled around furiously and grabbed the boy by the ear, yanking him off the cabinet. He slithered to her desk and took a seat there instead. Almost mockingly, he kicked his feet up and began to shuffle through the papers on her desk.

I watched as Doc stood back to the boy, and it was almost as if she had eyes on the back of her head. Her upper lip began to twitch, and she began to ball her hands into fists. Doc turned to the boy and kneeled to be on his level. With a small smile, she caressed his cheek, her eyes never leaving his.

The boy's grey eyes flared and he pulled away from her, growling almost ferociously.

"Noah, dear..." Doc gripped his chin, forcing him closer. "What did I say about playing in Mommy's things?"

"Don't fucking do it."

"That's right! Don't fucking do it."

The boy muttered an apology before rushing out of the room, his eyes downcast. Now alone, Doc straightened her permanently unkempt lab coat before turning back to me.

"What I'm going to do is put you inside of a short simulation in which you will have to use your Alteration to-" she groaned and plopped down on a rolling chair at her desk, cackling to herself. "I'm sorry, the speech I have to do is just so ridiculous."

"That's alright," I said quietly. "I know the drill."

"Perfect! Thank you for understanding," Doc grinned wickedly and turned to the glass wall on her right. The wall immediately light up and scanned her face before producing my vitals, Alteration, and DNA code. She searched through my file, sneering or laughing depending on what marks I received on my exams. It took all in me to keep still.

"You're a singer, huh?" Doc asked while swiping through my files.

"It's my Alteration--"

"I could change that for ya," she whipped around to face me, her black eyes sparkling with mischief, and tucked a lock of my hair behind my ear.

"It's, um, it's alright. I've been training for this Alteration my whole life, so I... I'll stick with it," I stuttered, trying to force a smile through my nerves.

"Oh, yes. Right," Doc giggled and backed away from me. "Sometimes I forget myself..."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and a petite girl carrying a tray of vials and bottles marched inside. She set the tray by the examination chair that I was strapped to, and when she saw me, jumped.

"You didn't tell me you had someone in here, Doc." She fussed, gaining her composure.

"You didn't tell me I had to tell you," Doc jeered, tugging on one of her golden locks.

The girl blushed as red as the splash of blood on Doc's lab coat before bringing her attention back to me.

"Hi! I'm Royal, and I'm new around here. I'm one of the Clinicians, and I will be assisting with your simulation today."