-(Destiny)-
Project Xavier, undisclosed location Year 457 of the Alliance Calendar, Friday the 6th January 3141 of the Human Federation Calendar
“Destiny wake up.” A familiar hushed voice murmured in my ear.
I woke up drowsily and suddenly with a start opening my eyes wide and sat in my bed. The synthetic linen of the sheets covering my body irritated my skin. I turned my head to look around my room, four white walls, a nightstand, and a closet were all my possessions in this world. It was dark, and I could barely see in the dim lights. My bedroom’s lighting was never off.
“Unca’ is that ye?” I said still fighting sleep.
“It’s me, sweetheart.” Uncle Magnus appeared from the shadows as if he was a ghost.
Surprised, I jumped up a bit. Embarrassed, I then glared at him; I didn’t feel him being amused as is normal for him. I did feel that he was really serious right now.
Uncle Magnus was an attractive man, he was tall of about 180 cm and fit, he has blue eyes and blond hair and a face showing is Scottish flair that reflected how someone shouldn’t anger him. He was a charismatic and passionate man, his predominant characteristic was his charm that I have been able to see work on the older females personnel.
I didn’t move, it wasn’t like uncle Magnus to be like this; he must have felt my apprehension because he approached me and put his hands on my shoulders and looked at me with worry.
“They want to turn you into something that doesn’t sit well with me, Destiny. I won’t let it happen, quick let’s go!” He finally spoke.
Taking advantage of him touching me, I focused my mind into circumventing his mental shield. Urgency and the desperation bled from him, but two brands of thought of swayed my decision of following him; “I want to protect her”, “We must leave that damned place.”
“Ok, I trust ye unca’ ye never steered me wrong.”
Hurrying, I got up from the bed and went to my closet and put on my boots. I was wearing an issued white pajama from this research facility, it is a naturally woven one that was kind of too tight on me. Not one of those fancily made by a fabricator. It’s like the people handling the money here were penny pinchers, it didn’t matter anymore. When I was done uncle Magnus caught me by the left arm and put some sort of wristwatch on it.
“Take this and put it on your wrist. It’s a computer and a communicator, I stole it. Don’t lose it, everything of note about project Xavier is on this.”
The watch straps were smooth and white, the screen of the watch was rectangular and projected a blue hologram showing the time and date of the day, the battery level.
“What do ye mean, unca’ what is inside?” I asked him.
Normally I was refused even the most basic information and was restricted from accessing any computer terminal or machine. Him giving me this was weird, but I didn’t worry about it because this is something that he gave me. Uncle Magnus is the scientist charged to keep me healthy and cooperative. He is a father to me and a friend.
The only friend I have.
“Everything about you and this place, now come on sweetheart we must go.” He took my hand and dragged me toward the door.
The ‘swoosh’ of the automatic door made me look around for signs of people looking for us, because yeah we are escaping. Isn’t that what prey does when they want to escape a predator or jailer? The curfew was enforced, but as I was with one of the scientists the alert didn’t sound. We ended up in the corridor leading to the housing unit for the subjects of the Xavier project; besides me, there were two other subjects that the project take care of, a Pyrokinetic and a Teleporter. Both guys and we were encouraged into not being friendly with each other. We passed by the doors of their bedrooms, I hoped the Director wouldn’t punish them because of my escape.
There were three levels to the underground facility; The housing floor that is the last floor where the test subjects were, the labs and test rooms were on the second floor, and finally to go above ground the general floor where security and other personnel are living and work. I never went beyond the laboratory and the test rooms. We didn’t run but walked slowly and stealthily out of the main corridor to take the main turbo-elevator that we entered promptly. I was worried, uncle Magnus looked like a cool cookie exteriorly but inside he was wracked by anguish and fear. Not for himself but for me.
The elevator signaled us that we arrived at the second floor and the door opened. There was an unfolded wheelchair waiting before us near one of the potted plants against the wall facing the elevator.
I obeyed, went to the chair and sat in it in a hurry. My uncle went behind me and began to wheel the chair slowly. The entire process of being wheeled and looking sedated was nerve-wracking, uncle Magnus kept updating me on the place we passed; the laboratory where they often stuck us into health tank, the fire and kinetic room and my special hell on earth the interrogation room. There were psychic dampeners in either of them if we tried to take advantage of our powers to try to escape or to put us into our ‘place’ as the director like to call it.
Uncle Magnus fiddled with the keypad of the door, with ‘ding’ of acknowledgment the door swooshed open; the light inside lit on and my uncle ushered us into the closet. I say Closet but it was a big room with industrial floor scrubbers installed on their recharging pedestals and gun grey lockers on the walls.
“Huh? Ah, yes yes, sweetheart. Sorry, I was really focused on getting us out of the cells.” He bends down to hug me on the chair and kissed my forehead.
The cells, that what he called the test subjects housing units. I blushed a bit and reciprocated the hug; I like hugs.
“So what are we going ta’ do unca’? We got so far already.”
“That, my sweet is the easiest part!” Uncle went in one of the lockers, opened it and took out some clothes and gear in a box made of transparent grey plastic.
He gave me the box and opened it while it was in my arms. There was a pistol in a holster belt, a belt with an ‘x’ belt buckle, boots and a helmet and a black security uniform that those despicable super soldiers wore. I sneered while looking at the outfit. Those barbarous swines had always persecuted me and my fellow test subjects, there was nothing ‘super’ about them unless you took into account their evil antics.
“I know you don’t like them, sweetie; but we need them to get you out of there,” Uncle said.
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He was trying to reassure me, I wasn’t about to jeopardize his kindness and his life because of my hatred. I wanted to go out, to see the world! But now, I realized that you should be able to make some sacrifices to get what you want. My shoulders sagged, I looked back at uncle Magnus and nodded to him.
“Good girl.” He said while patting my head.
I relished in the physical contact by closing my eyes and relaxing my body. Uncle is doing his best to get us out of this heinous place. It's too bad that we cannot take the other two with us, but sometimes you must think of yourself before having a savior complex. Saviors end up dead because their actions change things; something I have learned in my short life is that human abhors changes. But changes are inevitable.
Uncle Magnus turned himself away in another direction while I was putting on the security uniform. A really tight black combat jumpsuit with an inbuilt bra for support.
*Ah, that’s unca’ Magnus for ye, he always pay attention ta’ details like that.”
After five minutes, I was done. The boots where comfy, but the belt was kind of constricting. My heavy boobs were at ease in that outfit, no wonder those fiends at security think they are better than us; they live in luxury compared to us subjects. I sneered at the thought, one day I will get back at those people who took us from our families and treated us like animals. Looking at the weapon on my belt, I remembered one of the instances I used my telepathy for harm. The bright fiery and lithe form of a young redheaded girl came into my mind. The scene of when that super soldier stopped me to stop them from beating to death my friend Isabelle assailed me. It almost made me cry again.
*Iza, Ô Iza why did ye leave me in this place? Why didn’t ye take me with ye?*
She was gone now when her pyrokinetic powers consumed her; I took the knowledge of how to use a gun or how to fight at close quarters from the super soldier that restrained me then killed him with his own weapon. It had been a harrowing experience; seeing my best friend die without me being able to do anything and then I remember doing something to that super soldier with my arm, take his pistol from his belt and pulled the trigger. The sound of the weapon sounded in my mind just like it did that day and the gurgles of the man whose heart I pierced with a bullet. I remember feeling happy about it and trying to go save Iza but was stopped when the psionic inhibitor in the test room was triggered and all those super soldiers entered the room and caught me and systematically began to beat me up.
My hand clenched on the pistol grip. I felt a hand on my right shoulder; I then looked at uncle Magnus who had a benevolent expression on his face.
“Destiny, don’t worry what you have on the wristwatch will give you peace of mind, and revenge.” The sweet voice of uncle Magnus kicked me out of my stormy thoughts.
He has always known me better than myself and helped me to sort out my feelings. Yes, uncle Magnus is a psychologist with a bit of psionics specialty toward telepathy. That’s why he was assigned to me. Just by looking at my expressions or body language he is able to guess what’s happening in my head. At first, I suspected that he was a telepath himself, but he isn’t.
“Are you ready?” He asked me with his serious tone that means ‘we are going to do dangerous things.’
“Lock and loaded, Unca’!” I said enthusiastically.
I put on the black security helmet that hid my identity. Pawing at my weapon and deploying my telepathic sense; I only felt uncle with me in that part of the floor. I had a two hundred meters range for my telepathy, it helped detect minds efficiently; Unless they got psionic inhibitors though...
“Let’s roll out.” Uncle Magnus smiled and turned toward the exit.
We went out of the janitor closet and closed the door, I focused on scouting with my mind. There were some scientists in the lab room number one and one security super soldier, it was a relaxed night today. Great. I walked at the side of uncle Magnus looking as if I belonged, I tried to emulate how those super soldier people moved; with purpose and ready for a fight at any time. We arrived at the next bank of turbo elevators and entered one and uncle Magnus put his hands on the scanner on the keypad on the wall. The doors of the cage closed.
“Surface of the compound please.”
Yes, Doctor Buchanan.
The AI of the elevator leading to the surface was more sophisticated, and the security measures were more stringent it seems. I stuck close to my uncle and he did the same.
Looking at him, I saw that uncle Magnus who has always been my rock was scared. I was scared too, but I didn’t want us to die there. I shall protect him with all my might; yes I intended to kill again, it’s inevitable.
He looked at me fondly, then resolve steeled his gaze.
I heard a loud boom and felt tremors even in the cage of the turbo elevator; a loud alarm screamed shrilly, it made me jump. Uncle Magnus made a dashing smile and took a pistol out of his lab coat and unlocked the safety. I choose to do the same and took my pistol and took off the safety, checked if there was a preloaded bullet in the firing chamber. The stolen skills of that super soldier were nifty, but I still need training in it to develop muscle memory and to develop proficiency in targeting. Explosion wracked the complex and made it tremble, our elevator stopped and when the door of the cage opened we were faced with a hellish rain of beam lasers. Lasers that hit the buildings and turning them into cheese riddled with holes. The light was striking those super soldiers that tried to shoot at the craft which fired at them and their body simply disappeared, turned into dust. Disintegrated.
“Unca’ won’t those kill us if they hit us?!” I shouted in worry.
“They won’t, sweetie! Let’s Go!” Uncle said with certainty.
Uncle Magnus caught my arm and dragged me from the frying pan into the fire, we ran, avoiding the craters and debris left by the destroyed landscape. I felt people watching us with my telepathic sense, super soldiers noticed us. It made me fire at them with my pistol, they took cover but I killed one with a lucky shot. Uncle got another while we ran toward the portal of the complex. Super soldiers tried to stop us but either got disintegrated by the laser rain or got shot by us and the more fortunate one took hid in the building and used the furniture and decor has a cover.
*Die, die you apes!* I killed two more of them.
“We are almost there!” Uncle shouted happily.
We could smell a whiff of freedom, it scented of ionized air and burning wood. A humongous ship came into view a ramp at the tail of it opened. Someone was there and signaling us to move faster toward them! We sprinted, I was lighter and faster than uncle Magnus and I went past him and arrived at the mouth of the ramp and turned toward uncle to make him know I arrived at the goal. But what I saw horrified me. He clutched at his chest, red blood bloomed on his jumpsuit and white lab coat.
“UNCA’!!!” I ran toward him desperately and caught him when he was about to fall.
I felt super soldiers run toward us and I shot at them with my pistol when they were about to appear. They fell one by one until my weapon went empty.
“Run…” I heard uncle Magnus say. He coughed blood and could barely breathe. Tears fell from my eyes, I couldn’t lose him too! Never!
Someone from the ship came toward us and took uncle in his arm and went toward the ramp of the ship. I felt more super soldier coming, I threw the useless gun and fired psionics bolt with all the rage and wrath I could muster and hearing them scream or fall like a sack of potatoes felt euphoric and sad.
“Die, die!!” I screamed while sobbing.
I felt the same person from the ship to get me and I followed him while firing force bolts at those villains. I couldn’t see if that person was a male or female but they were strong as they took me in a fireman carry pose. Not resisting I let this person save me, I didn’t want to die but I also wanted to avenge uncle Magnus. Scratch that, he would have wanted me to flee. I threw more psionic force bolts at the onrushing super soldiers but we entered the ship and the ramp closed. The person who saved me put me on the ground.
“Please save Unca’ Magnus!” I pleaded.
The person wore a dark green spacesuit with a helmet that hid his or her face. Then something that shocked me to my core and broke my heart at the same time happened. I felt Unca’s mind fading. I saw him on the ground with a pack and some gelatinous substance on his naked torso. I went to him and kneeled on his prom form.
I felt his misery and self-loathing permeate his mind. He was chastising himself for disappointing me and leaving me alone.
I looked at him and felt peace emanate from him, but there was restlessness behind it. Even in this state, he was still worried about me. As soon as I conveyed this thought to him, his spirit faded completely. I lost my sense of time when it happened, I cried for so long when he died that I didn’t register when the ship left the planet and wasn’t lucid enough when the person piloting the ship went to show me that the complex turned to slag when the fusion core powering the outpost where I lived most of my life.