The Monster Within

Institutionalized- A term used for people who grow so accustomed to a routine or lifestyle that it becomes difficult to deviate from. Cody was institutionalized. Prison customs, jargon, culture—it had been engraved in him at an early age and refined throughout the years.

Becoming comfortable in inhumane conditions was the first step to institutionalization while incarcerated. Finding ways to communicate with people who didn’t want to talk, only to pass the time, could become a means of manipulation. That was how Cody managed to escape his cell—another prison trick.

Anything hard could be sharpened, and even bodily or hygienic components could be used to concoct poisonous liquids, harmful powders, or combustibles. That was how he quickly dealt with witnesses who might jeopardize his escape.

A few sayings guided Cody’s mindset:

• A man who has nothing has nothing to lose.

• A man who lives among monsters for too long may lose his humanity over time.

Combine these, and you get an inmate who will never be getting out—and that is a dangerous combination, especially if he is intelligent.

It wasn’t the desperation to live that drove Cody forward. He’d given up on that twenty years ago, perhaps longer; he couldn’t even remember when that day truly came. He had prayed nightly for God to kill him in his sleep before he woke, and he begged for death every waking moment.

It was living for someone else that kept him moving forward—someone from long ago.

Cody sprinted down the halls, his newly acquired scientist’s disguise hiding his true intentions. The real scientist’s body had been disposed of in a trash chute—though it wouldn’t have fit without some “disassembly” first.

The results were always the same:

• Identify the target and walk casually past to avoid attention.

• If attention was drawn, eliminate the threat to avoid unfavorable conditions.

• If the worst happened, kill indiscriminately to prevent anyone from locking on to his location.

When the alarm blared through the halls, a woman’s calming voice declared the urgent news of a captive’s escape. Cody knew he was running out of time.

He arrived at his destination: a hangar filled with a dozen M.U.s, six facing the other six. In the driver’s seat of one, a slender figure was absorbed in a manga. The pilot didn’t notice Cody’s arrival, likely assuming he wasn’t a threat and taking the chance to finish their last few pages.

Cody noted the manga. It was a rom-com—one he didn’t think would be released for several more months. People closer to Japan always get the good stuff first, he thought bitterly.

Cody did what he had to do to survive. His humanity would return after he escaped—or so he hoped.

He muttered a silent prayer for forgiveness before acting. Grabbing the pilot by the neck in a firm arm lock, he lifted them off the truck. It was only as they begged and struggled did Cody note it was a woman. 

But this did not stop Cody.

After securing the M.U. and loading his belongings, Cody left the hangar. The truck looked like a toy in the machine’s massive clutches. As he glanced back at the bunker, he shivered, unsure whether it was from guilt or relief.

His mind drifted to Ariana. She’d be agonized if she failed to rescue him. Then there was Tod, Heather, and all those who gave their lives trying to save him—the twins, especially. Ariana, Tod, Heather—all their sacrifices would be for nothing.

Taking a deep breath, Cody focused on the M.U.’s unfamiliar controls. The layout was nearly identical to American M.U.s, but the labels were in Latin, and the switches were rearranged.

“Voice activate,” Cody commanded. “Show me the location panel.”

To his relief, a screen lit up, displaying the information he needed.