Disclaimer: I don't own anything
Within These Walls
Chapter 5
Who am I?
Now that's a pretty scary thought considering I've spent so long desperately trying to hold on to what I still know and remember. Now I know I shouldn't reminisce on the past when my life so revolved around the here-and-now, but it isn't easy to abandon what was taken from you. Forgetting isn't easy, but trying to remembering is so much worse; especially when you don't feel at home in your own mind anymore.
How did I end up here again? Huh, I guess it's just another thing I can't remember. Write that one down on the ever growing list. It's suffocating here and dark and empty, why can't I feel anything? Sometimes ghosts of sensations wrack my body leaving my nerves fried or snapshots of images will fleet across my conscious so out of reach. None of this feels right. I shouldn't be trapped here like some animal, but I am aren't I? Now that brings me back to the ever present question:
Who am I?
Because I'm sure as hell not Rex anymore…
In the Petting Zoo all was still except for the occasional stir or slight movement from hiding EVOs. Maybe all wasn't still because a rustle of leaves suddenly broke the almost oppressive silence. Out of a group of bushes a large bipedal EVO lurched forward on short stubby legs. Its massive neck supported a small head and large antlers that resembled tree roots snaking and twisting around each other with the occasional jagged point sticking from the mass. The EVOs hollow green eyes searched for danger while tattered ears swiveled much like a cats. It could almost be compared to a deer, and that's what it might have been at one point until the nanites twisted its body. It mannerism sure resembled a deer by its timid actions as it searched for predator in the underbrush. When finding none its large head bent to nibble on the surrounding plant life, but perhaps it was not as aware of its surrounding as it should. For in the shadows of leaves and trees shocking blue eyes stared out at it.
The large creature prowled forward while orange metal plated lips pulled back into a snarl to reveal glowing blue teeth adorned with circuit like patterns. On its hunches it stalked forward keeping a bead on the oblivious EVO. The deer EVO was no the wiser to the approaching threat until it made a crucial mistake.
CRACK!
It had done the cliché mistake of stepping on a dried twig making as sound comparable to a gunshot in the absolute silence. With air of surprise gone the beast launched at deer like EVO, teeth bared but it would to go down without a fight. It brought up its horns and caught the beast in its antlers before sending it into the glass walls. Cracks formed in the glass but the fighting creatures paid no mind. The wolf EVO charged forward once more with the intent to kill.
Six's POV
Now despite much misconception I liked my line of work. I might not love it, but I sure didn't hate it. And even if I did hate it, it wasn't like I had many other career choices considering I'm a trained mercenary and arguably the sixth most dangerous man on Earth. I could never imagine myself working in some tiny cubicle like many of the middle class population, I just couldn't do it. I would no sooner try one of Bobo's famous Monkey Blitz; a drink which he claimed could make you not remember the next three hours of your life.
Now besides the obvious danger, my job can be quite demanding considering I have to fight things that would make the average man scream like a little girl on a day-to-day basis, get thrown around quite a bit by said creatures, and deal with my ever disobedient charge. So you can see that dealing with this everyday can wear any man down with or without years of grueling training.
So I had just finished my nightly rituals, which included sharpening my katanas and more combat training. After I had finished that, I usually went to bed at the reasonable time of 2a.m, so you can see that it is perfectly acceptable for me to be irritated when someone interrupts my required two hours of sleep.
I had just started to doze when my communicator buzzed to life before a static warped voice could be heard on the other end.
"Six here," I said curtly trying not to snap
"Situation in observation center. An unidentified EVO has attacked and terminated another specimen. Security footage reveals that the unidentified EVO is threat level 3, take extreme caution," The voice responded from the other end. I was already dressed, equipped and out the door by the time he had finished his briefing, but I froze at the information that an EVO that dangerous was able to get past security only tripping it in the petting zoo.
"How was it able to get past the perimeter?" I asked eyebrows furrowing. Something was off, but then again it wouldn't be the first time the security left something to be desired. They couldn't even stop a boy and his monkey from routinely escaping.
"No security footage reveals any forced entry," I sighed pinching the bridge of my nose. Of course they didn't know how the EVO got inside Providence
"Location…" I stated as my dress shoes clicked through the halls
"Southeast corner of observation center," and that was it before the connection cut off. I switched the frequency to contact Rex.
"Rex. Situation in Petting Zoo," But all I received was static on the other end, "Rex, come in," still nothing, "Rex!" I said annoyed that I would once again have to track him down.
"Holiday where's Rex?" I said patching through to the doctor.
"I don't know. I was just about to contact you about that," her voice came from the other end.
"He's not with you?" I asked recalling having left the unconscious teen in the doctor's care. In his condition he's liable to further injury himself and shouldn't be walking or most likely running around with the chatty monkey.
"No, I went to check on him and he was gone. I contacted Noah and he hasn't seen him since yesterday; neither has Bobo," she replied once more uncertainty coloring her tone.
"I'll find him," I said continuing my trek to the Petting Zoo assuming Rex had just escaped again or was sleeping somewhere.
"Six that's not all…." She said emotion filling her voice. I was about to say something before she continued, "His bio-reading chart seems to have malfunctioned or short circuited after that nothing. From what I can tell, there was a massive spike in active nanites before the computer could no longer handle the data. You don't think he…." She asked fearfully and an image of the giant behemoth that was Rex before I found him surfaced to my mind. It would make sense. His sudden mental distress and strange behavior could have caused the nanites to become active.
"I'm going to find him Holiday," I said sternly quickening my pace towards the Petting Zoo but one thought still lingered in my mind:
What if Rex did finally change into a full EVO?
Thank you!