The chamber stretched into the distance. It was filled with large, clear capsules laid down side-by-side next to each other. A dim glow lit the entire scene as the machines hummed gently on standby, ready to be called to full activity when the right command was entered.
The doors slid open with a pneumatic hiss, allowing a single man to enter. He was perhaps in his 70s and balding. Despite this, he moved quickly, his limbs filled with energy and his eyes filled with manic purpose. He opened a console on the wall and allowed the system to verify his identity. The dim glow began to grow brighter and brighter until each corner of the chamber was visible from the man's position. He turned and gestured at the entrance.
Two rows of white-coat-clad men and women began to enter. They escorted a series of wheeled beds upon which a number of small children appeared to be asleep. Upon entering the chamber, each scientist took one of the beds and wheeled it over to a capsule. They attempted to wake the children, shaking them carelessly. The children began to stir and two of the scientists, grimacing impatiently, reached into their coats to grab hold of a small device. They held it to the children's skin and administered a shock, quickly bringing them to full wakefulness.
Meanwhile, the man walked to a set of stairs positioned at the far end of the chamber. He climbed them, opened a door, and entered a smaller room lined with computers. The walls were made of glass, allowing him to look down into the chamber, a view he exploited immediately.
The man's name was Kihara Gensei. He had disappeared from public scrutiny months ago in favor pursuing his interests in the dark side of Academy City. His position and intelligence made him a powerful piece in the constant schemes of the Board of Directors, a piece that the Board could not afford to lose, and thus, secretly funded to ensure his loyalty.
He watched as his scientists loaded the children into the capsules, waiting until the capsules were sealed before pressing a button on the console. A brief burst of feedback erupted as the speakers in the facility came on. Slowly, measuring his words, he began to speak.
"Regardless of the outcome, this experiment has been completed successfully. The Board has already placed a gag order on all information concerning that is gathered today. It will only be accessible to the Board and any scientists on this project. Our only goal is to capture data."
The scientists nodded in understanding. A few looked at the children in the capsules, deaf to what had just been said in their soundproof capsules, before looking up at Kihara's figure once more. His hands were moving quickly over the keyboard, activating the programs that would begin the experiment.
The machines' hum grew to be louder and louder and the children closed their eyes anxiously, save one. She looked expressionlessly at the machinery above her, accepting the bubble of fear and nervousness that rapidly expanded within her as a mosquito needle dipped towards her forehead.
A harsh noise sounded from one of the machines and the scientist quickly turned his attention to it. A drop of sweat grew on her forehead as she made adjustments. As she typed, the noise continued to sound before finally coming to a stop when she entered a last command.
There were no more interruptions. The machines continued to hum as the children sank back into unconsciousness. Kihara continued to watch, waiting for reaction to make itself seen.
A loud thump sounded against one of the capsules. A child had flung her hand out, punching the glass. Another thump sounded. A Klaxon-like sound began, growing louder and louder until the thumps against the glass could not be heard. The scientist grew pale and feverishly looked over the readout from the machine. His head snapped up. "Kihara-sensei!" The other capsules began to sound alarms as well as the children thrashed about inside their glass prisons, eyebrows creased and mouths open in silent screams that none of the scientists could hear.
Kihara glanced at the console, calmly looking over the data. He pressed the intercom button once again. "Do not interfere."
The scientists looked strained. One of them spoke. "But…" One of his fellows clamped a hand over his mouth and hissed into his ear. The man trembled, pushed the other scientist away and slowly closed his mouth. He turned back to the capsule.
The light from the capsules flickered off, one by one and the glass cages opened once the children's' thrashing had stopped. Kihara took a phone from his pocket and dialed a number, speaking only for a few seconds before hanging up. He opened the door and walked back down the stairs before shouting, "Clean-up will be here in a few minutes. Let's go."
The scientists silently followed Kihara out. As the last scientist left, a man clad in a white, airtight suit walked in, followed by two of his fellows. They moved slowly down the rows of capsules, picking up each body and placing it inside a container to be disposed of.
The sixth body they reached began to move when they touched it. One of the men jumped and all three of them backed away before forming a huddle and discussing what to do in quick, hushed voices.
The girl in the capsule opened her eyes and looked around, grimacing at the pain. She touched her head and hissed in pain as the wound flared up. She looked at the red skin of her hand and stood up from the capsule. She looked at the white-clad men and narrowed her eyes in hatred. She reached out to the roof.
The three men had decided. This was a failed experiment, with all subjects determined to be dead. They would carry out their duties as such. As one, they turned back to the body, ready to reach out and place it with the rest of the corpses.
A sick squelching sound rang out. One body fell to the ground, its head landing several feet behind it. A torso hit the ground, followed by a lower body. And finally, four separate thumps sounded as first one arm then another fell to the ground, followed by yet another head, and finally, the rest of the body.
The anger in the girl's eyes faded back into apathy. She clutched an invisible object in both hands and hugged it to her body before finally staggering outside.