Refresh

The trip to the new facility is taken via helicopter. If that doesn’t hint at its remoteness, the duration we’re in the air certainly does. I’m blindfolded with a heavy-duty cloth and have a personal guard watching me to ensure I don’t try to take a peek.

Although I can’t see much, save for down the side of my nose, I do sense a change in altitude. My body silently alerts me that oxygen levels are lowering as if to confirm this suspicion. We’re heading into the mountains then. I shouldn’t be surprised.

I had previously been imagining an underground bunker in the middle of the desert, but the mountains can be just as deserted. I can only wonder which mountain range we’re heading to, seeing as I’m not even sure where the last facility was located.

Once we land, my blindfold is still not taken off. When the door opens, there’s a burst of refreshingly-cold air which flows through the cabin almost instantaneously. I’m led by the arm out of the helicopter and through what must be snow. It dampens my pant legs and bites at the exposed skin of my ankles. I should have worn longer socks today.

A sensor beeps as someone’s ID card is swiped against it. I have my own ID card, but it has limited access to the areas of the building I’m allowed in. That being said, it doesn’t control doors leading outside.

It’s obvious once I’m inside, as it’s about fifty degrees (Fahrenheit) warmer. I shrug off my escort and yank the cloth from my eyes. He glares at me as if I’d just stolen his cookie, to which I give him a condescending smile. “Where’s my office?”

As I’m led down hallways of varying lengths, I immediately get the sense that this facility is far larger than any I’ve ever been at before. It quite literally feels cut into the mountain, all the walls and floors gorilla-concrete and reminding me of octopus arms cutting through the kilometers of stone.

A group of cy’s are up one of the hallways, and they’re all being led in a single-file line coming from the opposite direction. Two security guards take up the front and rear of their line, with a roving guard walking alongside them, his baton held at length and practically jumping with electricity. I give a terse nod to the guards, if only to appear diplomatic.

I couldn’t have exactly gotten this far by sneering at all my coworkers. They need to think I’m on their side.

By now I’m used to getting dirty looks from the other cyborgs. They all think I’m a traitor, which is fair enough. What I don’t expect, however, is how dejected they all appear. As if there truly is no hope. I suppose that’s to be expected when you’re in the highest-security complex, but still. Their dead eyes as they meet my gaze send dread down into my stomach.

Even their hair is shorn, causing their dark circles to stand out more starkly. Instead of the usual blue jumpsuits, these are red. I’m assuming it makes it easier to see them in the snow, were one to escape.

Someone in particular catches my eye and I stare at them longer than the others. A green-type with dark, arching eyebrows. She doesn’t meet my stare and continues trudging on. I wonder if I saw correctly, or if I’m already seeing ghosts.

There are tales of cy’s going insane from seeing specters in this facility. I’d thought it a ghost story, but now I’m not so sure.

“This is your office,” my escort says with a sneer. I roll my eyes. Of course I got the gentleman to guide me today. “Miss Freeman will be in here shortly to speak with you.”

I’d been admiring how much larger this office is than my last one, but pivot and say, “She’s here?”

He looks at me as if I’m a particularly slow student. “Yes. This is where she usually is.”

I frown after his retreating figure, even when the door slides shut between us and I can no longer see his thinning hair and frisbee of an ass. Two insults I’d throw at him were I a few years younger.

I hadn’t expected to meet with her so soon. How was I supposed to know this was her main office when it’s kept such a large secret? I’d assumed she’d be holed up in one of her corporate buildings for most of her time, but I guess this makes sense. She’s the hands-on kind of business owner.

While I wait nervously, I distract myself by looking around my new office. This one also has a wall of video cameras, except this wall is about twice the size as the last one. The cameras are also in better shape and have the ability to zoom in without ruining the picture quality.

Just from looking at the cameras I can get a good sense of the facility’s layout. The long octopus arms spread far and wide with countless rooms filling in between. There’s room for about two-hundred cy’s in this complex, but from what I guesstimate there’s only about a hundred filling in those rooms.

I glare at the control panel and hesitate for a moment before popping the cap off one of the outlets. I disentangle the cord inside and string it out until it can reach my neck. Feeling around at the nape of my neck, I brush my fingertips against the practically-nonexistent seam and slide it open. I plug myself in.

Accessing Security System

Serial Number Found

Hello, Jazmine Evers, AKA Pyro

What name would you like to go by?

I clear my throat. “Pyro, please.” Hearing my given name will never not cause my throat to constrict.

Very well. Pyro it is.

What would you like to do first?

The system recommends a complete download

of the floorplan as well as test subject identities

and other basic info.

Thoughts?

“Yes. Download it all.”

Computing. Please allow a moment

to load.

Loading successful. Would you like to

download ‘it all’ right now? There may be

some discomfort, due to the large scale of

Information and the fact that you are a

INDIGO-GT HYBRID.

Thoughts?

“Just do it,” I say. I’ve done this for all the facilities I’ve been at before. Whatever information this computer will give me, I’ll take. Anything is beneficial. From having the floorplan to knowing which air ducts are due for routine replacement. I want to know it all.

Very well. Please brace yourself.

This might sting.