Abroela

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He gives me a smug smile, "Did the fact that I had mine removed give it away?" "No," I remarks," it was this." I gesture to the clasp. He is stalling, taking his time walking over, ""Move faster," I pout. He moves faster, taking the device from me and undoing the clasp. "Now what?" He hooks it over the thickest part of the band, a small ding fills the room and the band falls to the floor. I bend down and pick it up, examining the symbol more closely. I yank away the part that had caused me pain for so many years and smash it with my foot then put the symbol in my pocket. "Now what did you want to ask me?"

"We have been needing a weapon to help free the other Abroelas." Neal says, without emotion. "You-You want my help in freeing Abroelas?" He gives me a nod, followed by a glare to the other members in the room, who follow his lead and give me subsequent nods. Hesitantly I agree, "Alright." Admittedly it wasn't a full-flagged agreements, more of a reluctant acceptance. "What do you need of me?" Neal gives me a quick. insincere smile and leads me down the hallway and into a small three-person wire elevator. A series of dimly lit buttons were in the right corner of the room, Neal presses the B button and the elevator drops into the floor.

The doors open into a small laboratory with chemical containers and other various scientific and medical equipment. "This must be intriguing to you," Neal comments, laughing. I look back to his smirking face. "What?" I ask, resuming my goggling at the equipment, my face obscured by my back so I am safe from his judgmental eyes. He scoffs behind me. I ignore it and continue examining the equipment before I ask him "So if I am supposed to build a weapon , why am I in a lab?" I barely complete the sentence before I establish the reason. "We need a bio-weapon." The sentence sounds detached, almost cold. "Can you make a bio-weapon that only Abroelas are immune to?' he continues. "Are you, are they?" I stammer. "No, no, but we do need some sort of antidote for the 'non-targets'" He responds, his tone upbeat and filled with optimism. "Well," I begin, "And if you need motive," He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the smashed part of my bracelet, "Just remember about how much pain it caused them to shock you, and how often did they do it without thought or regret?" he asks, setting the smashed piece on the table beside me.

"Okay," I say cracking my knuckles and rolling my shoulders, "Let's get started."

Neal leaves with a certain triumph, I am unaware of the reason though, because he has had no form of triumph. He almost sashays to the elevator, waiting there until the elevator rattles down to the floor. He enters the elevator,and his feet are the last thing I see disappear into the next floor.

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What is the one thing different about Abroelas? I brainstorm, thinking aloud, projecting my thoughts around the room. The thoughts that race through my mind are purely emotional and intellectual, not physical. I am murmuring to myself when Will walks in asking about process. "What the word?" He says using 21st century slang. I shake my head at him, giving him a disapproving glare. "None." I state, "Physically, there are no distinct physiological differences between humans and Abroelas." "Well," Will whispers, walking closer to me, with over exaggerated steps, hips swaying in a very feminine style, "There is the blood." "Blood?" I ask questioningly. "Abroela blood has these special proteins that react with chemicals in certain ways." He leaves the question open and he leaves in the same feminine fashion that he entered in. "What?" I whisper, when I know he is out of earshot.

Blood. The difference between us is not our blood but our aging process. I nearly scream it, and I also get a strong urge to hug Will for pointing it out to me, although I wonder if he knew the extent of what he had stated.

I take one of the needles from the far corner drawing out blood until the needle is full, then take another two and head upstairs. There are only three buttons, which makes navigating the new technology easier, I press 1 the elevator rattles to life, moving upwards at a slow speed. I enter the assemblage causing heads to swivel in my direction. "So soon?" Neal asks. "Sadly no," I state, "the reason I am here is, not completion unfortunately, " the thought aimed at Will, but came out in conversation." James, Neal , I need your blood." I say, gaining me three sideways glaces and a rejection on the offer. "What? No!" James exclaims, and Neal just says nothing just shakes his head heartily. "What, why not? I need it for the weapon you requested." I almost pout, pointing at Neal. "Do you really need it?" He inquires solemnly. "Yes, James' too." James begins to protest, but Neal stops him. "Fine," he resigns, holding out his arm and kicking James in the ankle until he follows his lead and sticks his arm out too. "Thank you," I say jabbing the needle in his arm like the doctors used to do to me, roughly and without thought for my pain, this was unintentional, as it was the only way I had ever seen people draw blood, so to me it was the only way. James cringes, his face contorted with pain, I draw it quickly because his face is turning red, and I am afraid to laugh while drawing blood,the doctors were always to serious, and clinical. and to me that was the correct way, Next I do Will, his face the same, twisted with pain. When I finish I get two pissed boys caressing there arms and scowling at me, "Was that really necessary? James squeals, his voice a half octave higher. Will nods his head in agreement, "Yes I needed your blood" I tell him, turning on my heel and headding back to the elevator.

The last thing I see is there shoes.