I woke up to someone yelling.
So, I did fall asleep… after realizing I was kidnapped, huh?
"I told you to only capture homeless hostages. So why is he here?" a woman's voice rang out sharply from outside the white room. Her tone dripped with authority and irritation. There was a moment of silence she was clearly expecting an answer.
A male voice responded, hesitant, almost nervous. "We thought he was one of them, Doctor. Him being there was unplanned. I hope this doesn't put a halt to your research."
"I'll forgive you this time," she said coldly, "because it seems like poor James doesn't have any living relatives. His mother and father both died on his tenth birthday, and every other relative dropped dead one by one after that. The only person he found solace in his girlfriend, or should I say ex-girlfriend, Alice Watson has already moved on to someone else."
She knew I was awake. She wanted to hurt me.
That last sentence hit like a bullet. The pain from yesterday came surging back, crashing into me like a wave. Thinking about Alice was bad enough, but digging up the memories of my parents' death tore open wounds I had buried deep inside. I never understood how they died or why and as the last living Clinton, my death would mark the end of our bloodline. Maybe that's part of why I never went through with suicide. Deep down, I feared the same thing that took them would eventually come for me too.
"He should be regaining consciousness by now. I'd like to begin with him first."
I didn't have to wait long.
About two minutes later, a man in a lab coat entered the room, pushing a hospital bed. A key card hung around his neck I took note of that. He wore a mask and casual clothes under the coat. Behind him followed another man, towering and grim, holding a gun.
"Don't fucking move an inch or you'll be dead before you know it. Got that, lab rat?" the man with the gun growled, leveling the weapon at my chest. I nodded slowly, calculating every motion. The lab coat guy acted like the threat didn't exist. Calm. Mechanical.
He injected me with something, and within seconds, my eyelids grew heavy. Darkness swallowed me again.
......
I woke up with a splitting migraine.
"The smudges found in the cave had to be neutralized with a lot of animal genes," a voice said.
"The DNA extracted came from two unknown creatures," another replied. "The scans suggest something from the dinosaur era, but what baffles me is how fresh the samples were. That cave was sealed for millions of years no sign of prior breach."
"I don't understand why the boss wants us to merge them with that DNA."
"He probably thinks it'll make people stronger. More powerful. More… beastial."
"We've experimented on 200 people and not a single success," someone else added.
"With a 0.01% success rate, what did you expect?" another voice snapped.
"This batch the ones we captured last night will be our final run. If it doesn't work, the boss plans to refine the process. Make it easier… less painful."
"I think he's awake now. Let's get started," said a voice too eager. "I love seeing them go through the pain."
I opened my eyes slowly at that last line. I was strapped tightly to the bed so tight I couldn't move an inch. My eyes locked onto them with a fierce glare. I refused to say a word. I hated how casually they talked about torturing people, like it was lunchtime banter.
"Looks like we got a feisty one," one of them said, and the room chuckled.
They hooked me up to machines monitors, cables, needles. I didn't understand half of what they were doing, but it felt like prep work. And then… they brought it out.
The serum.
It shimmered faintly in the vial, a mix of red and gold, pulsing like a heartbeat. Just looking at it sent chills down my spine. Something deep in me screamed not to let it in.
The needle pierced my skin.
Pain exploded through my body like lightning.
My head felt like it was being crushed, my spine lit on fire, twisting, breaking, rebuilding. Blood streamed from my eyes and nose. I screamed loud and raw as bones snapped and realigned. My insides felt like they were being restructured by a mad architect.
"Crack! Crack!" The sounds echoed through the room.
"He's another failure," someone muttered.
Rage swelled in my chest at those words.
"I don't get what the boss wants," another voice said. "This should've been a breakthrough. We're creating the next evolution powerful, beastial soldiers. An army..."
I blacked out.
........
When I woke up, I was back in the white room. I didn't know how long I had been unconscious minutes, hours, a whole day?
But something was different.
My senses were sharper. I could smell the metal in the air, and it was overwhelming. I could hear voices guards talking on the other side of the wall.
I felt strong. Faster. I didn't just think it I knew it.
And most of all, something inside me was stirring. Something that wanted out. Something... not human.