TIO

CHAPTER : 2

Daniel took a deep steadying breath as stared at the sun set framed by the sand dunes from up at the terrace. The World War that had always seemed to be on the brink, had finally broken free from the forces that kept it contained.

The battle did not happen between different continents or counties. It was fought in between the people. In their minds. In their hearts. They had hoped for a better tomorrow. But everyone has a different opinion of tomorrow...

He shuddered and covered his face properly with the brown cloth which had slid over to his neck. He wasn't going to think about all those vividly gruesome images that visited him frequently in his nightmares. He sighed as he stared up at the sun.

Now even the sun seemed to hate him as it showered its UV radiations while the idiots who started the war are sitting behind tinted glasses as they patiently watched the drama unfold before them.

Three years! And everything has changed since that day.

He still couldn't wind his mind around the fact that it has been three years since NSI happened, and his mind went back to that day...

"Line up for checking!" a soldier growled, "Move on! Move in a line!"

There was a soldier at the end of every line jabbing the sensor into their arms, testing if they were worthy of being trusted. My heart was beating wildly but

"Hey, hands off me!" he heard Ariadne say, facing forward completely ignoring the soldier as he showed her forward.

"Oh! She's feisty!" he laughed, "You know that I can report Mr. Wright and he would throw you to the dogs, right?"

Ariadne turned to face him, and he was glad he hadn't seen her molten grey depths then because the soldier visibly flinched at her glare. If he thought that threats would shut her up, he had a lot to learn about Ariadne Rosa.

As he slowly moved up the line, his palms started sweating. He was nervous. But he had no reason to be. He knew himself, right?

Right?

He looked around at others. Most of them were panicking, but nobody would talk to another. Nobody trusted anybody, because as Mr. Wright put it, anybody could be a Deviant. His Mom, Dad and even his brother could be one.

"Next!" the soldier called out and Ariadne walked behind the screen, where she would be 'tested'.

They would get an imprint on their wrist later to classify them. Pure or impure. Good or Evil. They would be marked forever, not because of their character or status, but their DNA.

He remembered Janson's words.

"It's not how you feel,

But the way you were born,

That determine who you're loyal to,

Only a few can live,

And the others will die,

So you need to choose whether to,

Stay loyal and lie,

Or to betray them and speak the truth,

Help the world,

Or save your friends,

Survive alone,

Or Die together,

It is after all, a no-win situation..."

And finally Daniel's name was called. The guy testing him was wearing a paper robe which was a sickly hospital green. He decided to call him 'Green Robe'. He strapped him to a chair and Daniel wondered if anyone had tried to escape before. He stuck the needed in his arm. Daniel's limbs seemed numb as the as the numbers on the digital screen started increasing.