The boy's face paled as William inched towards him, serum in hand. His hair was slicked back, face shaved clean. A bleached shirt clung to his torso. For a moment, William saw someone else in that boy, unruly eyebrows, cracked lips, ravaged hair and bloodshot eyes. Soon enough, the person vanished and the trembling boy faced him again.
His eyes, although not bloodshot, were feral on the verge of sanity. Newly polished shoes scraped against the linoleum floor.
Dozens of judging eyes peered at him from above. He checked the instructions on his Tabloid again. Candidate 7: Insert with vitalism serum. One deviation from this order and his position would be terminated. Permanently.
The boy's pleading gaze met William's again. This time there was no doubt. He stepped forward and inserted the serum.
The boy twitched restlessly, gasping and spasming. Then he froze, back arched, mouth agape. There was a painful crack before he finally collapsed, chest rising and falling in shallow hiccups. Thunderous applause echoed from the balcony.
When his eyes snapped open, they were shattered glass.
Treat them kindly. Be tolerant, and let them know who's in charge. William plastered a smile, straightening his blazer. He noted the slight clenching of the boy's jaw, the knitted eyebrows, the narrowed eyes. He dismissed the behaviour. Nothing the Republic couldn't fix in a few weeks time.
"Welcome, Caelan." He smiled.
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The Revolution: Still Alive?
The Revolution has been abolished over a decade ago, its leaders yet to be captured. Historians are speculating whether Revolutionaries are secretly gathering in unorthodox locations, plotting for the Republic's demise. Below are some evidence-
"William, I am incredibly sorry for the delay." Teresa blurted, rushing in and slapping the crumpled papers onto William's desk. "Our team likes to keep things old-fashioned, and sketching on paper can be a real pain sometimes. Anyways, here are the blueprints you requested."
Even though Teresa's team was slower than the others, she had an eye for meticulous detail. This was particularly useful for the current project, where everything was so new and foreign that all the planning had to be done scrupulously.
"It's alright. Go take a break with your co-workers. You will receive further instructions from me in a few days." His hands ran along the pencil grains. There were actual indents, lines scrubbed down to colourless scars. Compared to the other teams' works, which were digital, this one felt real.
Teresa wrung her hands and shifted her feet. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Go ahead," he nodded. Teresa's eyes flicked towards his Tabloid and back to him.
"What is the aim of this project?"
This project is highly confidential. Lara's voice echoed in his mind.
William forced the corners of his mouth to pull up. "Something new and revolutionary." Revolutionary. That word left an ironic tang in his mouth.
Teresa's mouth twisted down and muttered words William didn't think he wanted to hear. Finally, she composed herself, hands clasped and head bowed.
"You may leave." Was it not obvious that her presence was unwanted? Teresa, for all her meticulous details, could be quite dense sometimes.
As the clacking sound distanced, William found himself scrolling through his Tabloid again.
YOU ARE READING
C0NV3RG3 (Sequel to M3RG3)
ActionLyla doesn't remember anything. All she knows is that the Republic took her under their wing after the Merging Process. Now, she is training to become the greatest Republican there is. However, the voices in her head don't seem to die down as time p...
