Journey to a Better End (An Add x Ara Story)

Chapter 32

It seems that things are about to get slightly disturbing...
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        Time was something Add had long since lost track of. He didn't know what time of day it was nor did he know how many days it had been. All he knew was that he was in pain and he wanted to escape. He was still stuck to the experimentation table and his wrists were bleeding from his countless tries at freeing himself. Apple had been forced to treat his wrist wounds saying that she couldn't have him dying before the experimentation was over.

        Add longed for the light of the sun or even Ara's touch or voice. He longed for freedom and the pride that he'd temporarily lost because of the things they'd done to him. "Add, are you awake?" he heard Dynamo ask. He had begun to hate the little nasod servant. "I know you aren't asleep. Open your eyes for a bit," Dynamo said but Add igored him. It was something he was becoming great at doing. Add felt himself being zapped with electrical voltage but at this point, it didn't even hurt him and only stinged a bit. Despite that, he still winced and slowly opened his eyes to see Dynamo floating above him, looking down at him in that same condescending way.

        "The injection portion of your treatment has been concluded as a failure. Apple was unable to recreate the liquid catalyst needed for you to become the weapon your father wanted to make you into. However, this does not mean that your experimentation has been completed. You will be tested on your mind processes and problem solving ability today. That is all," Dynamo said before leaving. It's not like Add was really listening anyway.

         He was searching his mind for more of the tunes that his mother used to hum when he was a child as they sat in various meadows. He missed her as well and fervently wished that he could return to her whether she would care to see him or not. The tune that he now had going through his head only increased that desire but it did keep him calm. He suddenly wanted to go to sleep but he wouldn't dare make such a mistake. Whenever he fell asleep, Apple made sure to do some sort of test on him which he hated. This kept him sleep deprived and always on edge.

        Several times, his nasod weapons had been brought into the room to see how he made them work but he refused to comply. Even now, he could feel them nearby and knew that they were constantly powered on. They were directly connected to him so it wouldn't be a surprise to Add to find out that Apple studied them to see how they reacted to Add's pain or other emotions and thoughts. The door to the room opened but Add didn't care to see who it was that had entered.

       A pleasant scent found its way to him and he immediately recognized this scent to be food. He didn't dare react though no matter how much he wanted to. He was usually force fed and he hated that as well. The door reopened and closed, leaving Add in the room alone with the taunting smell of food nearby. He was thoroughly shocked when the metal bands retraining him suddenly snapped open. For a moment, he was confused and his mind didn't complety register that he was technically sort of freed.

        Slowly, Add sat up, wincing a bit at his bleeding wrists as he did so. He was able to look around the room from a different perspective for the first time and it was then that he saw the food and nasod parts sitting there waiting for him on a nearby counter but he was skeptical about it and suspicious. What would they do to him if he moved any further? Why were they setting him free of the experimentation table? Were they trying to poison him with the food and watch his reaction? Why were there nasod parts on the table?

        "I'm not surprised that you haven't moved any more than that. You're overly cautious you know. All I want you to do today is create a functioning nasod structure using those parts over there. You have been provided with the basic human necessities so that you can keep working until you finish. If I see you slacking off too much, I won't hesitate to fill this room with a sleeping gas and strap you back to that table. I'm sure you don't want that so I suggest you go ahead and get started or at least eat something. Humans tend not to like cold food. Plus it's something you're familiar with. We were able to recreate it with the help of Dynamo's limited memories. I believe he said it was kimchi and green tea although I don't know what that is. Good luck," Apple's voice said from the speaker system in the room.