Enhancement

- - 36 - -

The doctor doesn't waste any time, and he disappears out the door as quickly as he appeared. I blink at the blur he leaves in his wake. What just happened?

And why am I here? What's going on? My brain refuses to let my questions go unanswered. It takes me an additional second to realize the doctor makes my skin crawl.

"Look at you!" a voice yells from the doorway, rushing over to me. Peyton's glowing face flashes in front of me before she gives me a tight hug. She loosens her grip and sits up on the edge of my bed, "You feel okay?"

"What? Uh, yeah," I say, slightly startled, "But can you explain why--"

"I wish I could," Peyton says. "Tanner will tell you though. I don't know why he won't let me..." She spins around, facing Tanner as he walks into the room.

I shake Peyton's shoulder, sitting up against the pillows behind me, "Where's Stephen?"

"He's in the other room. He's doing good, too," she says. I shift my covers away and swing my legs over the side of the bed. I stand.

"Hey, hey, hey, where are you going?"

"To see Stephen."

"Peyton," Tanner interrupts, "You better not be--"

"I'm not, I'm not," Peyton says, "I was just asking Holland if she was in any pain."

"Which I'm not," I cover for her. I'm not even sure what I'm covering up let alone why, but I can't just leave her hanging. She's Peyton.

"Then please sit back down," Peyton says to me. "Just let us talk first, and you can see Stephen afterwards."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," I say, rising from the bed, "I had some sort of medical thing done, and I'm okay. Now let me go see him." I step towards the door.

"Holland--"

"All I need is a minute," I say. "I'll be quick. I promise."

"Holland, no," a lower voice says.

I turn towards Tanner as he gives me a serious look. "Just forget about Stephen for a moment, okay?" he begins. "Stephen's not important right now; you are."

I raise my eyebrows at him. "Did you just--"

"I did," Tanner says, "And here's the real truth, okay?"

"I'm listening," I say, edging towards the door.

He sighs, "After your video ceremony, you were taken in for an operation."

"And?" I say impatiently.

"Well, the first half of procedure located the Enhancement Project technology in your body. Then the second half implanted a few tracking devices into your skin."

"Huh?" I freeze. "You mean there's trackers in me? Why didn't anyone ask for my permission before the operation began?"

"Holland, I know. That's why we did it so abruptly. But this is for the best, seriously. Our underground mission will be successful because of the trackers. It's all a part of the plan."

"Plan? What plan?"

"Our ultimate strike-back plan. The government's Screeners knew you went missing in Grand Rapids. They were searching for you, so we told them Pod 14 found you, took you in, and erased your memories of the revolt. We're planning to send you back to society and track your locations."

"W-What? Wait, wait, hold on," I say, stomach sinking dreadfully. "So I have trackers in my skin, and now the Screeners are taking me back? How are the Screeners even relevant?"

"The Screeners are always relevant," Tanner says. His voice softens. "You know our goal here is to take over the country, right?"

"Yeah, Liad said that much."

"But we need more information to do so," Tanner says, "So you and Stephen, with your tracking devices, are going to be placed back into the Enhancement Project. And you're going to locate Pod 4."

A sense of numbing déjà vu floods over my body. "You. Want. What?"

Peyton hugs me from behind, and I barely even flinch. "You'll be fine," Peyton says, resting her chin on my shoulder, "We'll track your location at every moment wherever you are."

"But you don't understand. I c-can't go back," I beg. "Please. This is the Enhancement Project. We won't make it out alive."

My mind flashes back to my jail cell with Stephen. I recall the wide looks of the other prisoners in our lineups, especially the prisoners who were relieved to remain within the Project. Were they right all along? Was it less dangerous to stay within the Project this whole time than to see the real world to re-enter the Project anyway?

"It's not going to work," I say, locking eyes with Tanner like it's my lifeline. "T-They'll suspect it's a trap. They'll know what's going on, and they'll kill us. We'll be reduced to nothing. You don't understand."

My eyes begin to water, clouding my vision, "We won't be in charge of our own movements. We'll be tested with injections, pills, and torture methods. It won't help any rebellion at all."

Tanner reassures me. "The second you reach the Enhancement Project, we'll be alerted to rescue you. That's the plan: find the location and then seize it. We'll cut off Pod 14 and the Enhancement Project's Pod 4 from the rest of the world, and they'll both become rebel bases."

I swallow, fighting back more tears, "Yeah, but I can't guarantee that'll happen. It's too risky."

Peyton's arms tighten around me, "There's no reward without a little risk. We can do it, Hannah."

I laugh a disgusting, snot-filled laugh, "I can't guarantee that, Paige."

"But we have four hours until you leave," Tanner says. "We can make the best of them."

He shoos Peyton away from me and gives me a proper hug. My cheek rests against his shoulder, and I somehow know I can trust him.

Once Tanner releases me, he says, "You have to act like none of this happened. The last thing you remember is your SkyTrain derailment," before hugging me again.

"You're going to help so many people, Holland," Peyton adds.

I nod in response, the pressure already causing me to freeze up. I can't afford to have doubt or fear. I could kill everyone in Pod 14 in the blink of an eye. Obviously I don't want to go back, but like everything, I have no choice. I just do what I'm told and try not to die in the process.

I can't mess up. At all.

"We have four hours to prepare." Tanner says. "Are you in?"

Nicolette, the friend I had forgotten about for so long, flashes sporadically past my eyes. She can't be forgotten, thrown away like she never existed. Or my mom, killed with a bag over her head. So many people died because of me, and I can't back away from an opportunity for revenge and renewal. For them and for me.

I reply with a curt nod, regaining the anger I'd lost in fear. I'm tired of being afraid and powerless. Someone should pay for the suffering subjects endure. I only have a few more people I love left to lose anyway, and one of them is coming with me.

"Yes," I say, "I'm in."

-- -- -- -- --

get ready to fight, rebels. this is going to be epic.

so next school year, i'm thinking about joining the track and field team. thoughts? but i'm definitely playing volleyball, so yay!

i also released the whole truth with the help of tanner and peyton, the two least voted-for people from the last question! stephen will be returning to the scene soon, but first:

Pick a person: Olivette, Commander Liad, Commander Delphin.

Pick a tech gadget: cameras, holographs, or trackers.