Chapter 2

Jason Parkes

"Subject number 38; Jason Parkes, tested for his reaction to the... Formula."

I heard the words but I didn't really understand them. The word "Formula" ran through my head as I regained consciousness. I didn't dare open my eyes, or move any part of my body. I was lay down on my right side, and by the sound of the voice I was in a room of my own being looked in on from outside the room.

"Mr. Parkes." The same voice again, a man's voice, how does he know I'm awake? I lay as still as I could, trying to keep even my breathing the same, but I couldn't help breathing faster and faster, my heart beat getting louder. I heard a sigh, then footsteps getting ever so closer. A door opened, then closed with a bang, must be one huge door.

"Mr. Parkes!" The voice sounded impatient now, so I opened my eyes, bright light everywhere, blinding me. I moved my head away from the lights and shaded my eyes with my left hand. Looking around I saw him, that man, with the same wicked smile on his lips.

"Hello Mr. Parkes, awake now are we?" he asked in a very childish tone.

"Where the hell am I?"

"Oh, about that, you'll soon find out Mr. Parkes." He said, laughing gently, "If you'd like to follow me?"

I just lay there, refusing to move, why did he call me "Mr. Parkes"? Why not Jason like he did before, or was he not the same man? Getting more and more frustrated with me he grabbed me and pulled me up, dragging me along with him, the lights once again blinding me. He opened the door and threw me through it and laughed as I fell to the floor. He knelt down and spoke to me in that childish voice.

"Come on now Jason, don't you want to find out where you are? Hmm?"

I scowled at him and got back up, following him through the... facility, or whatever the hell it was. He looked back often to make sure I was following him, but I wasn't planning on trying to escape. A couple of minutes of walking through cold metal corridors, we reached a room. As I walked in all I could see was test tubes and computers lined up on walls and stood in the middle of the room. It was a huge room, and looking up to the ceiling it was tall too.

"Amazing isn't it." He looked straight at me, smiling. I realised I had stopped and was staring at the room; I had never seen anything quite like it. I nodded in agreement. Looking back at him I saw he was wearing a white coat, red tie and black trousers with the same polished shoes. It was the same guy. Was he a doctor? I walked over to him as he moved to the nearest computer and tapped away at the keyboard. "Sit." He said, nodding his head and pointing at the chair next to the computer, pulling himself one up. "So Jason," he said, he seemed a lot calmer and not so formal now, why the change? "What do you remember about yesterday?" He turned to face me, crossing his legs and placing his hands on his lap.

I shook my head, "Not a lot."

"Hmm, try and think Jason." Looking back at his computer he started tapping away yet again.

I tried to think but nothing came to mind apart from sitting in my car and seeing him. I explained this to him, as he nodded, agreeing with me? Sympathising? I didn't know what to think of his actions, he was such a strange man. "Why the change in your attitude?" I asked him.

"I don't know what you mean."

"Mr. Parkes? And now Jason? You're a lot less formal since being in here." I looked around again, trying not to get too distracted.

He smiled again, did he do it to cover up his real reactions or did he not know how to react so smiling seemed the most "normal" thing to do. "There are a lot of security camera's around in this building, but there are none in here. I have to act more professional and... harsh, when I'm being filmed. That's how the company want the treatment to be, but I prefer it this way, you get further with the test subjects." He seemed to have opened up a little bit, so all that back there was a cover up? His bosses must be pretty harsh, and I thought my boss was bad!

Wait, did he just say "Test subjects?" I almost shouted out. Standing up I shouted at him, "Tell me what the hell is going on here, NOW!"

"Please calm down Jason, you're in no danger at all." He said, slowly standing and pushing his arms out.

"Calm down? What are you testing me for?" I backed away from him as he got slowly closer. I was in no mood to be calmed down by a stranger who was testing me for god knows what.

"Jason, please." He begged me to sit back down and let him explain, but I hesitated, not sure what to do. Sighing, I realised that anger wasn't going to get me anywhere so I moved back to the computer but pulled my chair further away.

"Go on then Dr. Doom, explain to me exactly what all this is about." My words had a bitter edge which he could clearly taste, so he didn't waste any time in informing me in on everything.