CE 63

Sarik woke up in his bed, his head throbbing. Standing about his bed were Stella, Grey, Alex, and Sarah. His friends looked to be worried, but Sarah instead appeared to be sad.

Sarik tried to speak, but all that left his mouth was incoherent gibberish. He knew what he wanted to say, but for some reason, his body was unable to produce the sounds properly.

"Don't speak," Sarah told him. "You need to get your rest."

Sarik tried to argue the point, but all that he managed to get out was an incoherent grunt.

"How could they do this to you?" Sarah thought aloud, planting the palm of her right hand on her forehead.

Sarik, rather trying to speak this time, simply gave her a puzzled look.

"Don't you remember?" Sarah asked, catching on quickly.

Sarik tried to remember what had happened recently, but all that he could recall were flashes and fragments. When he tried to concentrate harder, the throbbing in his head increased in intensity. Sarik's focus broke as he grabbed his head, trying to keep himself from yelling in pain. He managed to reduce his expression to a low growling noise.

"Can you eat?" Sarah inquired after he calmed.

He hadn't put too much thought into food since he woke up, but now that Sarah brought it up, Sarik realized that he felt like he hadn't eaten in days. He nodded his head eagerly.

Sarah carried a tray of food over to Sarik's bed from a small table located near the entrance to the quarters. On it was some cold beef, a mixture of vegetables, a roll, and a small cup of fruit, a meal relatively nice when compared to the facility's norm. Sarik threw aside any and all manners as he consumed it, taking his final bite two minutes later.

"Are you alright?" Sarah questioned, concerned about the boy's ferocity.

Sarik shook his head no.

"Does it still hurt?" his mentor inquired.

Sarik nodded his head once.

"Would you like something to help with it?" Sarah questioned in a considerate tone.

Sarik nodded his head once more.

"Lay back," Sarah ordered him.

Sarik did as he was told while Sarah produced an autodermical from her pocket and pressed it to Sarik's arm, injecting the heavy anesthetics into his system. Sarik was sound asleep in seconds.

* * *

"Would someone mind watching him while the rest of us go to eat?" Sarah asked the children as she recapped the syringe.

"I will," Stella answered quietly.

Sarah glanced at the young girl with a concerned expression, but decided to not argue with the child. She would have preferred one of the boys to stay, but Stella had volunteered without hesitation, so she wouldn't step on her toes about it. This time.

"All right," Sarah agreed. "Everyone else, come with me."

* * *

Sarah walked silently down the hallway, Grey and Alex not far behind.

She had true concerns about what was going to happen. The woman had recently been informed, officially, that she would be sent out on leave pending reassignment to another area of the organization. Everything was happening just as Edmund had told her.

Sarah was not happy about this, to put it lightly. The Director's intentions for these children were obviously bad enough that he felt the instructors would get in the way. She was unwilling to allow anything to happen to the children, especially if Sarik was the example of what was to come.

However, Sarah allowed all thoughts to leave her mind as she entered the cafeteria. It was useless to brood on things that were unchangeable at the present time.

* * *

Sarik woke up, sweat rolling of his body. He felt as if he had been sleeping for days, the entire experience the most painful in his life.

Adrenaline was pumping into his system in inhuman amounts. As a result, he had a hard time interpreting what his senses were telling him. Every movement, every sound, ever smell was amplified ten times.

Sarik perceived a groan-like noise and instinctively leaped out of his bed, surveying his surroundings for any threats. He turned as he heard a loud sound from above. Something had jumped out of the top bunk. Sarik braced himself for any sort of impact and prepared his counter-attack.

The creature hit the floor gracefully, then moved slowly towards Sarik. It mumbled something, then walked closer. Threateningly.

Sarik lashed out in fear, trying to remove the threat. The creature put up appendages of some sort to block his attack, but he quickly overpowered it. The creature let out an agonizing scream as Sarik forced his way past its defenses and brought a blow down onto its head.

The creature began to whimper as it stumbled back towards the wall. Sarik continued to advance on it, throwing out powerful blows that it futilely blocked. Once it had its back to the wall, the creature slid down and tried to cover what of its body that it could with its arms. Sarik continued to pound on the creature, even when it started sobbing.

But something clicked in Sarik's mind. This crying was familiar. He had heard it before. Sarik suddenly realized the huge mistake he had just made.

His body began to calm, and his vision returned to normal as he snapped out of his frenzy. This wasn't some dangerous creature. It was Stella, curled up on the floor, trying to defend herself by protecting her head with her arms, which were now covered in large, purple bruises. She was crying like Sarik had heard only once before.

Sarik tried to approach her, but as he did, Stella balled up tighter, preparing for the next wave of his attacks.

"Stella..." he started, but found himself unable to finish.

Sarik felt tears fall down his face and realized he was crying, too. He moved to a corner in the opposite end of the room and held nothing back as he cried; angry, sad, and afraid.

* * *

Sarah ran back to the room as fast as she could, her charges not far behind. A security guard had informed her that he had heard yelling and screaming from Blue Team's room, but hadn't bothered investigating personally.

How typical, Sarah thought. Half the people around here are morons.

Sarah soon arrived at the room and walked into a mess. At opposing ends of the room, Sarik and Stella were both on the floor, crying like children half their age.

"What did you do to her?!" Sarah yelled at Sarik after seeing what he had done to Stella.

Sarah ran over to Stella, who balled up as she moved closer. Her nose and mouth were bleeding, her arms and face were covered in bruises, and many more injuries were probably hidden underneath her clothes.

"What did you do to her?!!" Sarah yelled as she turned to Sarik, louder this time.

"I-I-I'm s-sorry," Sarik stuttered in his sobs.

"Sorry?!" Sarah yelled angrily. "Sorry won't change anything! Now what the hell happened?!"

Sarik simply continued to cry.

Out of frustration and anger, Sarah backhanded him across the face. However, she quickly realized her mistake she made when his expression changed from sorrow to rage. Sarik uncurled and launched himself straight at her, bringing an arm up underneath her chin. Sarah was knocked down with the force of someone several years his senior.

Sarik leaped after Sarah, his intentions clear. He was going to finish her. He landed and brought his foot up to stomp down on her head. But as he brought his right leg up to its peak, she swept out her arm, knocking Sarik off of his feet. Before he could do more harm, Sarah kicked him in the head, dazing him, then forced him into a submission hold.

Before Sarah had come to this facility, she had received training on how to control violent convicts. She never thought she would have to use it at all after she arrived. She was now thankful for it as Sarik continued to struggle, his strength growing with his rage. He writhed and squirmed in Sarah's grip, almost forcing her to release him on a few occasions. But she held fast.

Nearly ten minutes later, Sarik calmed down and collapsed in unconscious in Sarah's arms.

* * *

"So what is your personal opinion on the enhancements?" William asked Sarah.

"I think they're dangerous," she replied calmly.

"That was the intent," William told her.

"Blue One attacked one of his friends," Sarah told him. "He never wouldn't have so much as touch a single hair on that girl's head before you 'modified' him. It seems when he's scared or enraged, he's unable to tell friend from foe. He simply fights."

"That can be dealt with," William informed her. "But I want to know of his power. What was it like?"

"When he was fighting, his strength was that of someone several years his senior," Sarah responded. "The doctor said that he even managed to bruise my jaw bone during our brief encounter. And his reflexes were amazing, even when compared to a Coordinator's."

"Do you think he could take on a Coordinator of the same age?" William inquired curiously.

"I have never seen a Coordinator in combat, but I would bet my money on Blue One in a heartbeat," Sarah answered.

"Interesting," William remarked quietly. "Thank you for your time, instructor. Your evaluation may very well affect things to come."

Not if I can help it, Sarah mentally remarked.

* * *

Sarik lay on the bed, restrained by straps around his arms, legs, and head. He was unable to move any part of his body, thus he was unable observe what was going on in the room around him.

After a short period of boredom, Sarik heard someone walk in and felt his straps being unbuckled. After he was unhindered, he sat up and examined the person who released him. It was an old lady. So old, in fact, she could easily be his grandmother.

"Hello, Sarik," she greeted.

Sarik stared at her and remained silent.

"Now come on, we can't have you acting like that," she remarked.

Sarik remained silent for a few more seconds, then gained the bravery to speak.

"Who are you?" he questioned.

"I am Doctor Magner," she told Sarik.

"What are you doing here?" the young boy asked her.

"Why, letting you out, of course," Magner informed him. "But before you can leave, I need to ask you some questions. Is that all right?"

"All right," Sarik agreed, seing no alternative.

* * *

Sarah stalked silently down the hallways, dressed completely in black. It was nearly one o'clock in the morning, so no one was around to get in her way. Most of the lights were out, giving her freedom to move almost anywhere without detection.

Sarah was tired of being manipulated and lied to, just to be thrown out like some piece of trash. She was going to get her proof, then she was going to destroy this facility and anyone stupid enough to get in her way.

She was nearly at her destination, with only a single camera as an obstacle. Sarah sprinted past it, trying to leave as little time as possible to be spotted by the operator. Once she was safely by, Sarah stalked up to a door and quietly opened it. The facility was top of the line, which meant the doors were oiled down to the point of absolute silence. She slowly cracked the portal ajar, silently slipped in, and closed it softly behind her. Inside was a single man and a bank of monitors. He was apparently neglecting his duties, as the main monitor was set to a local news station.

Sarah slowly walked up behind the man, then grabbed his head and smashed it into the desk in front of him. She could hear a definite cracking noise as his skull made contact with the hard material. The decurity guard didn't struggle, so she assumed he was out cold.

After ensuring her gloves, mask, and clothing were on tight, as to prevent any genetic material from falling off into the room, Sarah strolled up to the main surveillance computer and inserted a small device into the data port. In seconds, she had all of the video material from the past six months at her disposal. Using the security station's computer, Sarah sifted through every bit that she knew to contain Sarik, including the escape attempt. She then went through the recordings from this evening and wrote over any trace of herself with blank pictures, then set the cameras to cycle through the same empty images for the next twenty minutes.

Sarah made sure everything was returned to its original position, then silently evacuated the camera room. She yanked her mask and gloves off, letting out a sigh of relief.

She almost had a heart attack a minute later when some one called her name from down the hall. It was the instructor of Red Team, who were doing exceptionally well in their training.

Neither of them were supposed to be out here at this time, and she couldn't risk a witnesses for any reason. Sarah slowly pulled a knife from it's place on her belt, then held it behind her back.

"What are you doing out here at a time like this?" the instructor asked her.

"I could ask the same about you," Sarah replied.

"Well, to be honest I couldn't sleep," he responded. "Figured I could get to know the facility better."

"Pretty much the same thing with me," Sarah said, thinking that she might actually get away with this.

"Why are you dressed in black?" the fellow instructor asked her.

Sarah gave him a mischievous stare.

"I figure it's easier to not get caught dressed like this," she replied.

"I see," the man said as he turned. "Farewell."

Sarah had almost convinced herself that she had talked her way out of the dicey situation when the man began running when he was a few meters away, towards the security station.

Sarah sprinted after him, knife poised to strike. The man had made the mistake of stopping in order to open the door to the surveillance room. His last mistake.

Sarah leaped at the man and stabbed the knife directly into his spine, while at the same time forcing her gloves and mask onto the wound, in order to prevent the blood spatter from making a mess. After shoving the weapon a little deeper into his neck and twisting, she quickly slid it out and checked the surrounding area. From what she could tell, there was nothing to indicate what had just happened.

Suddenly, Sarah began to actually realize what she had done, and began panicing. Somehow, she had to dispose of this body without leaving any evidence.

Not to mention it was the first time that Sarah had ever taken a life, a rarity among Blue Cosmos members. She didn't understand how she could have done such a thing on a mere whim. It truly scared her. But she had more important matters to deal with at the moment.

The incinerator is on the other side of the facility, she thought wearily.

As she prepared to move the body, Sarah only hoped that things would work out in a way that she could get this information to the Ostheims. Even if, ultimately, the cost was her life.

* * *

"Well, Sarik, I think you're good to go," commented Doctor Magner. "Is there anything else we need to go over?"

"I don't think so," Sarik replied honestly.

"Then I'll have someone escort you to the infirmary," the Doctor said. "I think there's someone who wants to see you."

"Who?" Sarik asked.

"Why, Stella, of course," the woman informed.

"I don't think..." Sarik started.

"Nonsense," Magner interrupted. "I explained the situation to her before I came to get you, and she seemed to be very understanding. She's more worried than anything."

This caused Sarik to feel warm inside. He had hurt her so badly, a friend, and she still liked him. He hadn't expected her to forgive him so easily.

* * *

"So, we were successful?" William asked.

"Completely," Magner replied. "What Sarik described was without a doubt a Fugue State."

"But you said he managed to calm himself with sheer willpower before he killed the girl," William said. "Doesn't this mean his conditioning is incomplete?"

"No form of suggestion or drugs can create perfect programming, not artificially," informed Magner. "And he has no previous record of mental instability. Without something already existing to manipulate, it's a pain to implement programming of any sort."

"What of the other children in his group?" William asked.

"I can tell you two off the top of my head," Magner responded.

"Including his little girl friend," William said.

"You've done your homework Director," Magner remarked in an insulting tone. "For once."

William simply let out a "hmph", then walked to the door.

"I thank you for the time, Doctor," William courtesied. "You have authorization to use the entirety of Blue Team for your experiments. After testing them on Blue One, of course. And if you could make his conditioning a bit more...solid, it would help us proceed all the more easily."

"Of course, Director, and thank you," Magner also courtesied before leaving.

After holding the door for Doctor Magner, William returned to his desk and sat down in his over-sized leather chair. As he leaned back in it, he started laughing for no apparent reason.

It was all worth it, he thought in his frenzied state.