"We're almost there, I promise you," Doctor Owens assured me as I rested my head against the car window irritably, my duffle bag crammed between the two of us in the backseat of the tanned Ford Escort. The two men in the front of the vehicle hadn't said a word the entire drive, staring out the front window with stoic faces. "I know it's not the most scenic drive, but you won't have to deal with drives this long once we have you settled."
"Was the blindfolding until the past three hours completely necessary?" I groaned, staring out into the abyss of dirt and bushes that resembled more of a bundle of sticks. I was losing sense of time; the trip had been done continuously with occasional stops at gas stations to get food and use the bathroom. "I'll figure out what state we're in eventually."
"It's Nevada," Owens answered simply, and I looked over at the older man with a glare. "My wife and I have a residence over in Ruth that you'll stay at on the nights you aren't at the lab. You'll find it to be very peaceful. The blindfolding was an order from a higher-up, so I apologize. There's been a lot of compromising lately to get this ready for you."
"I thought you were the higher-up," I said suspiciously. Owens's eyes widened for a brief moment before he stared forward again, keeping quiet rather than addressing his slip-up. "You are the one in charge, correct?"
"We're arriving, Doctor," the driver finally spoke up, and I narrowed my eyes in confusion as I looked out the front of the car. The vehicle slowly came to a stop in front of a concrete structure, and I could make out the steel door being covered by it. That was all that laid in front of us, not even a building. "We'll bring your belongings in, Miss Hopper."
I sat still in the car as Owens opened the side door and exited, motioning for me to do the same. The Nevada air was much warmer than Indiana's, and I couldn't help but squint as the wind blew dirt into my eyes. Only the man in the passenger seat followed us with my bags in his hands; the driver reversed before spinning the car around and driving back the way we came. The action made me stop for a few seconds, my heart racing as we were left abandoned.
The sound of the door's keypad beeping brought me back to my senses, turning around to face it once more. Owens had positioned himself so that I couldn't see him entering the code, waiting a moment after a successful chime before pulling the door open. Hidden behind it was a gritty staircase, a massive enclosed vent to the left before going down further into the darkness.
"Now, Rachel, this entire operation relies on your ability to open yourself up to us," Owens began as he followed down the path, me closely behind. The door gave a loud clang as the man shut it behind us, plunging the descending hallway into almost pure darkness until we reached a chain gate with a wall light behind it. "We have a full team prepared to assist you in any way throughout this journey, but trust goes both ways as I'm well aware."
"Clearly," I muttered sarcastically as I watched the gate lift, the three of us stepping inside what was an elevator. Owens didn't acknowledge my comment, pulling the thin grated doors to close us in before the elevator began to move downward.
"You see, there are holes in the history of the Hawkins Laboratory, and many of them surround you. We know that your mother joined the program and was pregnant with your sister. We know that you would come with her until she sent you away, and we know that you didn't start exhibiting your powers until after you reunited with Eleven."
"So what don't you know, Doctor?" I interrupted, earning a look of surprise from Owens. "I'm not normally this blunt, but I'm tired. I left my friends and family behind and I really want to take a shower."
"You'll get your fair share of water, Hopper," the man beside us spoke up, and my head jerked in his direction as the elevator came to a halt.
"What do you mean by that?"
"We have a deprivation tank similar to the one that existed at the old lab," Owens explained, gesturing for me to step out and into what looked like a bunker. I was quick to notice the guards standing on every other corner, their hands resting on their belts as they nodded their heads respectfully in our direction. "Your memories play a large factor into our understanding of your gifts, more in your case. The brain is a powerful machine, but sometimes it needs the right push to remember."
"You built this place just to deal with me?" I asked him, looking at the yellowed metal walls and pipes flowing throughout the halls. The doctor gave a shrug, taking his own glance at the bunker's surroundings.
"Built? No. More like a makeover," he answered, grinning for a second before looking over at me. "The government would store ICBMs in places just like these- that means an intercontinental ballistic missile." I froze in place with wide eyes, holding a hand up defensively. The surrounding guards all moved their hands to where their weapons were stowed.
"There's a missile in here?"
"Hey! We're all good!" Owens ordered the guards sharply, but only a few of them relaxed. The man sighed before pushing my hand down, putting the rest of them at ease. "There hasn't been a missile in here for years, but I would be careful doing... that. My fault; I should've started off with that statement."
The doctor began to walk again, and I followed behind him at a slower pace. "Like I was saying, we held bombs in here. The place needed some fine tuning, but it can hold something much more powerful now." He left the statement open ended as we exited one of the tunnels into a more yellow-lit room, a few scientists standing behind tables. "Afternoon, Tracy."
"Afternoon, Doc..." one of the female scientists began to say, but her voice trailed off when her gaze landed on me. The other scientists looked up from their work in my direction, freezing in place as if I was one of the greatest things they'd ever seen.
"The attention will die down in a few days," Owens chuckled to me as we continued walking, and I tried not to squirm under their watch. "Not all of our scientists worked at the Hawkins establishment, but they know all about your sister. You're the new discovery, Rachel. Only the best of the best can be down here."
I took a final glance at the scientists as we left the room into another tunnel, the blue lights much more soothing to my eyes. "There's a lot more of you than I expected," I said softly, and the man hummed in agreement.
"What we're doing down here is worth more than what's left in the old lab." A soldier saluted to us before pulling the vault door in front of us open, revealing a circular room with a cylindrical machine taking the center. Several scientists were hurrying around it, plugging wires and tubes into its sides. "This is Nina. You're going to get to know her really well over these next few months."
I stepped further into the room, taking in my surroundings carefully. There was a catwalk to my left with scientists already watching my every move, a makeshift staircase connecting it to the grated floor. There were several catwalks in fact, the ceiling much higher than I had previously thought it to be. The vault groaned as the soldier outside began to close the door, causing me to spin on my feet warily. An amused chuckle came from above me at my action, and I quickly looked up as I tried to find the source.
"You've grown since I last saw you, Rachel Hopper." My blood ran cold at the sound of a familiar voice, my heart racing as the speaker's shoes echoed against the grate floors. "I wasn't sure if you were Lynn, but the moment I met you, it was so easy to see the resemblance to your mother." My hands were shaking as I stumbled back into Owens, who seemed almost annoyed at the other man revealing himself.
"What trick are you playing?" I questioned the doctor. I had to get out. The room was starting to shake, and I could feel blood beginning to drip from my nose. "He's supposed to be dead! She told me he died that night!" Everything was clicking into place now: why I needed to come instead of my sister, the secrecy of it all, how I was cut off from the rest of the world for everything to occur. "You lied?"
"I didn't lie- put them down!" Owens barked at the soldiers, and I looked over my shoulder to see the guns pointed in my direction. "You can't shoot her! I said stand down! Rachel, you have to calm down."
"I don't understand how I'm supposed to be calm right now!" I shrieked. I began to lift my hand, but I was tackled to the ground before I could concentrate my powers. The room stopped shaking as my head hit the ground painfully, a soldier dropping his weapon to hold it in place while the one who tackled me kept the rest of my body pinned to the floor. "Get off of me! Get off!" There was a hiss as the man who caused my panic approached me, a white tranquilizing gun held in his hand as the needle prepared itself for injection. "No... no! Stop! Stop, please! Please!"
"I truly am sorry for this." My eyes widened as I felt the sharp prick in my neck, my body quickly growing heavy. I fought to keep my eyes open as Doctor Brenner crouched down to meet my eye level, a large scar taking up the left side of his face. "I know Eleven's past with me isn't in the most positive light, but I'm sure that soon we'll be able to work as allies."
My body gave a shudder as I struggled to stay conscious, fearful tears coming to my eyes as he cradled my head with his hands. "Fuck you," I hissed at the doctor, but he wasn't phased.
"We'll get to work after you wake."