She walked down the long corridor surrounded by heavily armed men. She was trying to keep her heart rate even and her breathing steady. As uneasy as she felt, she needed to be calm and reserved. These men had captured and detained countless of her kind. She had to be calculated and patient.
The corridor ended abruptly at a solid metal door. The hair on her neck stood up and her body became covered in goosebumps. She sensed the pulse of electricity around the doorframe.
"Your hand please." The biggest of the guards instructed her.
She offered her hand willingly, hoping in the back of her mind that the device she had constructed worked. She held her hand over the scanner, allowing the machine to copy the intricate lines of her hand. The ID pad pricked the end of her index finger spilling a drop of blood onto it. She held her breath as it buzzed, searching through databases and analyzing her blood. The small bracelet she wore clung to the edge of the scanner, her device. A small flicker of red light flashed before it turned solid green.
The heavy metal door clicked open exposing aisles with bars extending down multiple hallways. The feeling of unease rolled over her again. This was an underground prison. She knew that mutants were being held captive but she didn't know the extent of it. Barking and whistles came from several cells as they walked further into the prison. A man covered in scales jumped at the bars attempting to touch her but only leapt back howling in pain as the bars electrocuted him.
"Just ignore them, they don't get to see females very often." A booming voice echoed down the hall.
Her eyes focused on the towering dark haired man in front of her.
"What am I doing here? I thought I was applying for a job teaching children?" She looked at him square in the eyes.
"Yes, you are correct miss Rasputin. These are my best sellers. Fighters. Plus they do a hell of a job intimidating clientele. The children are back here." He gestured to a door behind him.
He entered a code on a keypad causing the doors to slide open revealing cages filled with children. She exhaled loudly as the vastness unfolded before her eyes. Some looked as young as 5 years old, their faces stained with tears.
"Now don't let them fool you miss Rasputin, they are not innocent little creatures. They are just smaller versions of what you see out there." He hooked his thumb back toward the 'fighters'.
"What exactly am I teaching them?" She looked back to the dark haired hulk.
"Some of them can't speak or write. You'll teach them different languages, manners, how to follow instructions. I want you to evaluate their intelligence and give me reports on what you think they would be best suited for."
"Best suited for?"
"Yes, we sort them into categories."
"Which are?" She was becoming impatient with him.
"Fighters: not very intelligent, anger issues, temper, violent, you get the point. Companion: intelligent, well spoken, quiet, timid, easy to manipulate.
General Labour: strong, dumb, timid, easy to control.
Servant: mild intelligence, subservient, wants to please. We have a few more categories but those are the basic ones."
"I'm not sure I'm qualified to do this..."
"You wouldn't be here if I didn't think you were qualified miss Rasputin."
"So you have clientele that want mutants as slaves?" She had to swallow the disgust that was building in her throat.
"Ones that are willing to pay well." The dark haired hulk grinned devilishly.
"So what is my salary?" She needed to change the topic.
"Ah yes, well if you prove successful you'll be set for life. House, car, anything your heart desires I'll take care of." He softened his voice on his last sentence, his eyes appreciating the low cut blouse she had chosen to wear.
"When do I start?" She tried to keep her tone even.
"Today." He smiled sweetly at her, clearly pleased with her cooperation.
"I'll need supplies and backgrounds on each child. Their age, education level etc."
"As I stated earlier, anything you need. Timothy! Make a list of the things Miss Rasputin needs and see to it that it's ordered right away." Her employer commanded a grey skinned man with long white hair that hid his eyes.
"Y-yes sir." Timothy answered in a shaky voice.
"I'll leave you to it miss Rasputin." Her employer left but not before eying her round behind and shapely legs that were encased in a tight black pencil skirt.
"What do you need first miss Rasputin?"
"Call me Katya. And well I guess I'll need something to record their names and ages on..."
"I have an iPad here for you. You can access their personal files from it and make notes. Under the folders section you'll find the requirements for each category and the desirable traits..." Timothy scrolled through the iPad.
"Timothy?"
"Y-yes Miss Rasputin?"
"Katya, please."
"I'm so sorry miss... Katya."
"No need to be sorry Timothy. Just calling me by my last name is so formal and well... I'd rather you be my friend." She smiled as warmly as she could at him.
"I'm categorized as a servant, not a friend..."
She sighed and took Timothy's hand. "I don't need a servant Timothy, I need a friend and I'd like you to be it."
"I can't but I can find one for you."
"No, just show me around please. Where am I teaching the children?"
She had given up on trying to have the friend conversation with him and just wanted to continue her investigation of the prison