What was Rachel angry at in the tunnel entrance?
Who were they looking for when they found me?
Why were we heading into the city when we were so close to escaping?
It. Was. A. Trap.
Every fibre of my being screamed against what was taking place. The plan was to escape Zyphia, not to reach further into its grasp. My heart hammered in my chest and I felt like a heart attack was long overdue.
But it got worse. I couldn't expect death if I were caught. The sweet relinquish of life was not a gift that the Higher Authority would give. The government had policies, a system of re-education, they prided themselves on being the best. But those who were submitted for re-education were never found. It was like they didn't exist.
"Can you at least put me down now?" I asked Alex.
He glanced at Rachel for confirmation and then set me down on the dirty, damp floor. At this point, we were so far into the tunnels that it would probably be more dangerous for me to try and escape. I was just better off sticking with these strangers. After all, they hadn't killed me yet and perhaps death wouldn't be the worst thing anyway. I still couldn't believe how lucky I was with the VISORS but it only introduced a whole host of new unanswerable questions.
Suddenly, we stopped. Rachel held up her hand so that we remained stationary as she crept forward into the darkness. I heard a few soft raps on what sounded like a shallow, wooden door and realised that we had to be at the end of the tunnel. Three more raps came in reply and the door creaked open, allowing blinding beams of light to flood the tunnel's exit.
Instinctively, I clapped my hands over my eyes so that they could adjust but that only made me feel more vulnerable. Something was definitely not right. Cautiously, I inched my fingers away from my face and I absorbed my surroundings. It transpired that we were in a basement but it was nothing like I had ever seen at the facility.
The walls were painted bright colours and windows allowed more light in at the top of the room. In the centre, was a large table filled with maps and markers which obviously represented key features of the supposedly greatest city on Terra : Zyphia. I had never before recognised how vast the city was compared to my tiny, irrelevant life beforehand. My nervousness ebbed away and it was replaced with hope. Whatever, this place was, I knew my future rested here... and I embraced the change and every possibility.
"Ouch!"
Instantly, my hands were painfully pinned behind my back and secured with string rope. A filthy gag was forced inside my mouth and someone started dragging me away.
How could I be so stupid?
Obviously, there was no future for me here. They had got me. My worst fears were confirmed. I had walked right into their trap.
"Calm down, it's only protocol," Rachel insisted.
My eyes pleaded and begged for freedom but all my efforts were futile. I saw Alex watching me as I was dragged into a side room and back into darkness...
It hurt, a lot. Agonising impulses of pure pain shot up my leg as I was forced to be dragged. The awful pressure my captor was exerting on me meant that my ankles would be snapped instantaneously if I even tried to walk, let alone run.
Whoever these people were, they were sure as hell experienced.
The rapid slapping of feet on concrete reassured me that we hadn't re-entered the tunnels; it appeared that we were still in the compound but I had lost all sense of direction. The darkness deprived me of my sight and I couldn't feel anything but pain and I wanted so badly to pass out but everyone seemed intent on making the process the worst it could possibly be.
An eternity later and we had arrived at our destination, a single cell with a rusty metal cage enveloping the cramped space. A crude bucket lurked in the corner but I refused to sink to that level. In the facility at least, we had toilets. Most days we weren't treated like animals and it was most certainly better than this.
"What is this facility you keep referring too?"
I blushed, realising I had spoke my thoughts out loud.
Whoever had dragged me had already retreated back into the darkness after throwing me, rather viciously, into the cell. Yet Rachel remained, leaning against the fragile bars.
I hesitated.
The Carers at the facility had never emphasised anything more critical than the secrecy of the facility.
"I'm not supposed to talk about it."
"Well, what if it just about convinced me to save your life?" She pressed.
With a growing disdain for her now, my answer was curt.
"Anything would be better than this," I retorted.
"If that's how you feel." She seemed genuinely upset though at my answer. Before she seemed more uplifted, perhaps even hopeful? "Although that is no way to talk to your only allies..."
And with that Rachel turned on her heel and headed for the darkness too.
I hated myself for giving in but I had to know.
"Wait."
A few seconds later, she emerged again. Obviously, she was waiting for my curiosity to get the better of me.
"What do you mean 'allies'?"
"We have a common enemy."
"That's rather cryptic."
"They are watching us."
I paused, not really sure on how to respond to that.
Would we ever be safe?
If they were watching us here, a place I never even knew existed, then what else had they seen?
The Higher Authority were 100% not to be messed with.
Rachel had gone again and I was left alone with my thoughts for a while. There were no windows in my cell and I even had to consider using the bucket. It seemed that or the floor.
I walked over to the corner and kind of squatted down, preparing myself for the most humiliating moment of my life yet. I had been exposed to much worse but what was about to occur really bothered me for some reason. Despite being dragged and carried for the majority of my encounters with these new people, I was starting to feel human again.
"You city people really are disgusting at times."
Whipping round, I saw the same figure that had dragged me to my cell initially. His demeanour was angry and judgemental so I said nothing, merely waited. He grew more disturbed at the futility of his provocation and I still waited. It was not just the Higher Authority who could be a$$holes, clearly.
Still, I was soon free from the cell and most importantly the bucket but I had no idea what was next.
"You're presence has been requested," he muttered gruffly.
Silence had worked best for me so far with this guy so I said nothing, although with copious amounts of self-restraint. Gratefully, I acknowledged the lack of hand tying / dragging this time and was glad to stretch my legs again. Back at the facility.... no, you know what? Never mind. This was a new chapter in my life and if I wanted to fight against the 'common enemy', I couldn't be weak or damaged like they intended me to be. As of now, I declared myself a new person.
Gradually, the corridors grew lighter again and I could feel my sanity returning. We walked on in silence but it didn't bother me in the slightest. I relished the peace and quiet.
Eventually, the style of the compound got more modern and, well, styled too. Doors were made of polished oak and carpeted runners decorated the bright corridors. It was less a prison and more like a home. I so desperately wanted to be able to get used to it. I wanted to wake up each day to a place I loved and friends I could trust. Even for just a little sliver of life, I wanted to be happy (or the closest I could get anyway).
Right at the other end of the compound, corridors began to turn into dead ends and we finally stopped at the grandest door we had seen yet. My imagination ran wild at the possibilities behind it: the future leader of our planet? The secret resistance created from the very beginning? Rachel? I knew it was foolish to want the latter to be true but I couldn't help myself.
"Go on then," he prompted, "but don't even try to escape as I will be here the whole time."
Chastising myself still, I open the huge door and walked in.