Humanity: Project X - 160

Chapter 1

She began to run, running from something. She wasn't sure what it was, or even what it wanted—all she knew was that it was associated with her fear. Whatever was chasing her, it was most likely not friendly, and not willing to be her ally.

She was in a green meadow, everything happening in slow motion. The flowers, blowing in the breeze, the birds chirping their song... many other things that she could not name. She stopped running, turning around to face whatever it was that was chasing her. She was going to stay here, it was just so peaceful, so nice, so comforting...

She awoke to the feeling of peace, relaxation, and relief. Something she hadn't felt for a very long time. Or... had she not felt like that for a while? She wasn't really sure... all she remembered was... well, she didn't remember much. Everything was like a vague dream that you have when you first wake up. She wasn't even sure of her name, which was in a way, a little weird.

Sudden fear struck her hard, and she attempted to jump up, only to find that she was now in a box that could barely fit her body. This resulted in her head hitting the top, making a small lump form. The box was almost like metal; the only difference was the scent. It didn't smell as strange, although it still gave off an odious odor.

As she banged her arms around the containment to catch someone's attention, she felt the box fall forward. She hissed as she bumped around the box, and tears began to stream down her face like a river of water. And there, there was an opening. She quickly climbed out, glad to see the light once more, allowing it to shower its rays all over herself. She sighed with relief.

"Hello there," a thick, fancy accent said, interrupting her reunion with light.

"Who are you?" she suddenly asked, frantic with fear as she stumbled back. Then she noticed: she could speak. She never really remembered speaking. The words felt new to her tongue.

Only now did she notice what she was wearing: A dark gray shirt, along with some leggings and black leather boots.

"Yes, speaking feels good, doesn't it?" he said, taking a step closer to her.

She took in her surroundings. An almost empty room, she was in. With only a chair and a desk, as well as a huge shelf with different boxes the same size as hers. Could those be other living beings?

"Yes, they are," the man stated in front of her.

His handsome and clear face, as well as suit, felt almost ethereal; it was unlikely that he was from her planet, or at least she thought so. But why would he exist, then? Aliens were not real. Were they?

"How come you know what I was thinking?" she asked, shocked that he answered her question without her allowing the words to exit her mouth.

The man laughed at her, as if she were a small child still learning to walk.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk—so many questions. Disappointing, if you question me. A curious one, yes?" he asked her.

She was confused by the manner in which he spoke, as if she were some sort of failed experiment. She was not sure, she couldn't place it. Raising her hands in protest, she seemed to notice for the first time a marking that was written on her wrist. It read: X - 160.

"Your name," he said, explaining to her.

X - 160.

What kind of a name was that?

"Do you have a name?" she asked him.

"Yes, yes I do," he said, taking seat at the desk chair.

"What is it?"

"I have not come to state my name, only to state your mission. Or at least give you the beginning, and you will discover the rest on your own."

She was even more confused. Her mission? She had just woken up from whatever trance they had put her in. Now they wanted her to fulfill something for them?

As she got up from her position, her cramped body protested on her using her legs. She could barely stumble a few steps before she almost fell forward. If it weren't for the desk, she would have fallen hard, maybe gained nothing more than a concussion.

"Your file," he said, putting a thin folder on the desk, and then motioned for her to pick it up.

She scanned it, reading:

Name: X - 160

Age: 22

Height: 5'9

Hair color: Dark brown

Eye color: Blue - green

Role: Determined

She didn't read the rest, because the "role" part got her confused.

"What does this mean?" she asked him, pointing to the word "determined."

"We know what you will be," he said.

"Yes, but what do you mean by 'determined?'" she asked him.

"Listen," he said, as if he were explaining the most important detail that she would ever know in her whole entire life. "Your life has been determined. We know what will happen to you."

X - 160 felt herself scrunch her nose in disgust. Who did they think they were, deciding what would happen to her? She was her own person—she should decide for herself. It wasn't fair, what they wanted to do; maybe if she could just convince them of this, they wouldn't make her do whatever it was they wanted her to do.

"You can go back into your room," he said, dismissing her as he raised his hands as if shooing a dog away.

She looked at him for an explanation, and so he motioned for her to go out the door. Since he did not offer any further details, she assumed she would be able to figure it out once she got out.

And so when she opened the door, she found two pairs of armored men. They nodded to her in a greeting, and then guided her through the halls.

She hated this.

Absolutely hated it.

No freedom. No voice. Nothing. It was as if she... was nothing more than a hamster that was being played around with a child, or maybe even a puppet. Her life had no meaning to anyone. She bet that if she used one of the guard's guns to shoot herself, they wouldn't even care.

Once she got into the room, she felt overwhelmed. It was much more than her older room, which was a box. More than just an empty one like the one with the man. As she entered, the guards shut the door hard and loudly, making her jump.

After looking around for a while, she jumped onto the fluffy bed. It was so comfortable, so nice and soft, she felt like sleeping right then and there. But she knew better than to do that. And so she began to explore the room, finding that it was full of so many things, anything she desired. After grabbing an apple and chewing on it to decrease her hunger, she jumped back onto the bed and relaxed for a moment.

Everything might've been worth it, everything felt so nice and comforting. The only thing was that she still wanted company, another human being. Maybe even a creature. Anything.

It was only then, that she found the words written on the ceiling. All if it was in red, and it was dripping as if it had been recently painted on there.

If you want out, want a normal life, all of them have to be dead.