Chapter One
Beep Beep Beep Beep! My eyes shot open and I sat up straight in bed automatically. It was more of an instinctual reaction than anything, I still felt half asleep. Tuesday. June. 6 am. Call coming in from the main floor. The automated voice rang out loud through my small room. "Accept." I sighed. I rubbed the sleepiness out of my eyes and looked towards the small screen located on the wall across from my bed. "Wake up. Get yourself clean and presentable now. I have sent an outfit to your room. You have one hour before the Chancellor will be here." A gangly dark haired man in a white doctor's coat ordered to me. His skin was almost as pale as his jacket. He had stared coldly at me waiting for my reply. "Yes superior." I yawned and threw back my blankets. "Also Miss Danielle please make sure Mr. Thomas is ready. This is not a morning for lateness or fooling around." I heard the click of the screen shutting off. I groaned now realizing the real reason for my personalized wakeup call today. No one had extra time to spend on Thomas this morning so I got to be the one to deal with him. My bare feet reached the chilled metal flooring as I got up to stretch. I looked around my assigned room before beginning to make my bed. It was a cozy enough room for me. Simple and modern with a single bed and small desk with a high tech computer. I also had my own closet and bathroom connected to my room. Everything was white a smooth chrome finish to it. I always thought it made the room seem smaller and colder. But things were not warm here at WICKED. Yes I work at WICKED, at the top secret billion dollar facility, hand chosen by the previous Chancellor along with Thomas and Teresa. Thomas, Teresa and I grew up together. They told us we were special, but I was still different than Teresa and Thomas. We received different training growing up, although Thomas more than willing to share with me the survival skills they learned that day with me later at dinner. I was always stuck behind a desk doing paperwork, dreaming of joining them. They actually were involved in the creation of the trials, I just was there to observe. Thomas and Teresa were the closest things I had to friends and family here. You were not supposed to become attached in this kind of work, especially since I knew what Thomas and Teresa would eventually have to do and the chances of their survival is barely higher than any of the other subjects sent in.
Today was a big day for WICKED. The Chancellor was coming to asses our progress in the trials. She also was going to set the day for the beginning of the end of the maze trial. My stomach turned at the thought. I would be losing Thomas and Teresa soon, most likely a few months. I would be left here watching them go through the trials, taking notes on every little detail for my reports. Watching them suffer and struggle in the Maze. That was my job, character profiling and assessing the welfare of the participants. I help my Superior decide which Subjects would the best candidate to continue on through the trials. It was truly an easy job at first, just watching the Group A, writing a daily report on all of the subjects and then turning it in at the end of the day. However as the trial went on and the variables got harsher and more violent I began to worry more and more about the boys. Some of them were so young. Younger than me, I think….
But I can't remember. That was just part of my job. They wiped my memory early to help get rid of and previous attachments that could interfere with my job. I'm not supposed to have feelings or be biased. I still remember some things like why we're going through the trials, the sun flares horrific effects and the flare that was still killing so many people. They left memories of things "That will keep me motivated and on track with my job" or whatever. If only they knew the internal battle I had with myself every day.
I started to get sick of WICKED's trials early and watching these poor boys trying to survive day after day. I hadn't told anyone this yet. I'm afraid someone may squeal on me. They would probably kill me if they found out I disagreed with the trials. I wanted to tell Thomas the truth about my feelings and ideas, he and I were closer than Teresa and I. I wanted to help Group A. I started small hoping no one would really notice. I began to write my reports more positively than they should have been, just in hopes that it may give some of the boys a better chance of surviving longer. So far it was working and no one had acknowledged a difference. I truly wanted to warn the boys of what was going on and what WICKED had planned, although they usually kept me in the dark about their future variables and kill patterns. I thought about having Thomas sneak a note in for me but I knew that would only put Thomas in more danger with the other boys and with WICKED.
I crossed the room to my closet and pushed the green metal button on the key pad next to the door frame. The door whirled open and revealed my outfit for the day. Usually, I just wore plain black pants with a crisp white top, nothing special. Thomas and Teresa always got to dress more relaxed than me, making me some-what jealous. Today my Superior chose to put me in a modern black dress. He clearly is trying to impress the Chancellor. My mouth dropped at its simple beauty as I stepped forward to touch the dress. It was tightly cut, dark soft material that was very stretchy. There was a triangle cut out along my left collar bone reaching to the top of my chest, staying modest with little cleavage being shown. There also was a small front slit that showed my leg higher than I was used to wearing. I could not grasp a memory of ever wearing a dress, little long something as beautiful as this. There was also a crisp white blazer jacket and pair of black heels to go along with it. I was actually excited to wear this outfit. I was so used to dressing basic and boring, this outfit was a little edgier and fun. Fun was not often found here at WICKED. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face as I walked into my attached bathroom to get ready for the day.
I decided to braid my hair back into a sophisticated bun to go with my dress. It fit me perfectly and showed off all of my curves. It actually made me feel feminine and pretty, something my usually work outfits did not do. I smiled at myself in the mirror before leaving my bathroom and bedroom to go get Thomas. Thomas's room was just down the hall from mine, and I was met by Teresa pounding on his door looking extremely flustered.
"Tom if you don't open this door I swear to you I will get Dani!" She threatened knocking repeatedly with her fists. I walked towards her making Teresa look up at me. "Oh my Dani…. Wow. That dress is amazing! And your shoes! I thought you were someone employee was coming to get me in trouble." She shook her head still staring at me in awe. She looked down at her own black pants and plain shirt and frowned. "I feel so under dressed!"
"Thanks and your fine! I mean they pick our outfits for us right?" I said smoothing the dress over with my hands. I pointed to the door, and raised my eyebrow. "No movement or noise I'm guessing?" Teresa smiled slyly and shook her head. I sighed and rapped on the door with my knuckles twice.
"Tommy dear, you have three seconds till I open the door for you. You will not like it if I have to go in there and get you, trust me." I said in a sing song voice. I moved towards the key pad next to his door frame. "One." Teresa smirked and leaned on the other side of the door. "Two." I shook my head not hearing noise from his room. "Three!" I yelled and began to punch in his passcode to his room, but the door whirled open instead. Thomas stood there, looking only half awake with awful bed head. "I'm ready, I'm ready!" he groaned shielding his eyes from the bright lights in the hallways.
"Awe look at Big Ol Tommy! Got ready all on his own this morning!" I cooed at him laughing. He wore similar black pants to Teresa and a plain black t shirt.
"Well isn't someone fancy today." He smirked looking at me. "Trying to get a promotion huh?" he joked and elbowed my side. I opened my mouth to say a snappy comeback when a group of scientist rounded the corner. Teresa, Thomas and I all stopped talking and smiling before moving to the side for them. I stared at the ground as they went by. As they rounded the next corner I looked back up and Thomas and Teresa and shared a big sigh with them. Who knows what kind of punishment we could have gotten if they would have seen us kidding around and having fun.
"Alright." I sighed again, "Let's go to work." I gave them a small smile before heading to the main floor with them.
****Chancellor pov
"Good morning Miss Paige." A squeaky little man whom I had honestly forgotten the name of chimed at me as I walked through the door to the advising room. I nodded and headed to the front of the table and taking a seat. The man stood awkwardly opposite of me. I looked up at him expectantly. "I hope you traveled well and had-"the man began to continue on but stopped when I held up my hand.
"Business first." I cleared my throat. "How are Subject A1 and Subject A2?"
"Coming along perfectly. Staying on track as expected, telepathy still is strong. They are close. I would say that it is almost time." The man ranted quickly rubbing his hands together. I nodded listening intently.
"And you believe Group A is ready?" I raised my eyebrow at him.
"More or less, yes." He nodded quickly in return and smiled.
"Good Group B was completely ready almost a week ago." I stated plainly and stood up moving towards the one way window. I could see the man's face drop quickly out of the corner of my eye. I smirked and looked out across the busy room. Scientist bustled all about running papers, examining video footage. The room was full of activity. It was easy to spot the girl. She sat still in the corner at her own desk tapping her pencil on her lips. She was staring down at one notebook. She was dressed well. Her white blazer helped her blend on the floor full of scientists but she was in a pretty black dress which made her stand out more. Her dark hair was beginning to fall slightly out of her bun framing her face. She did grow up to be a pretty little thing. She suddenly looked up and glanced around the room to see if anyone had noticed her before she reached up and double tapped on her screen. The once blank glass panel filled with different images of Group A's subjects as well as a live feed from the glade. I nodded again truly satisfied with this observation. "Subject A0 seems to be taking just as we originally planned." I turned back to the man.
"Oh yes mam! She really is, about a month or so ago she began to fill out false paperwork about the boys. Suggesting keeping them longer, that they would make good candidates, that the boys would adjust if we would give them more time and such. She is quite free willed and has a caring almost motherly instinct." The man moved around the table to stand beside me. I looked back towards the girl, watching her rotate between videos.
"You know I dropped Group B's Subject 0, sooner than I would have wished but he was not showing good signs from the beginning. I was saddened to drop the 0 program completely, who knows what kind of great information we could have gotten out of it." I watched the girl as she furiously began to write in her notebook. "I only kept her alive as a favor, I was told she has become quite close to A1 and A2. I could not take a chance emotionally compromising either of them." I looked back at the thin man.
"Yes she has. Subject A2 seems quite taken with her at times, but I feel if we continue with the suggested program we will find success in A1 and A2."Thin man bobs his head side to side as he talks. I look back at the girl one last time. She was swiping between video feed of two subjects running the maze and two more standing in the glade talking. She seemed to sigh heavily, and put her chin in one of her hands as she viewed the boys.
"Okay. It is time." I say and turn towards the door.
"Time mam?" the thin man turned to me quickly.
"Time for the beginning of the end. Send Subject A2 in… I want you to tell Subject A0 first though. Now if you will, I wish to see her reaction. That will cue us in as to which track to take next." I say as I walk towards the exit. The doors whoosh open as I approach them, almost drowning out the man behind me.
"Yes, Chancellor, right away Chancellor!"