Chapter 22
Ryker
I watched as Amy was lowered into the tank, took a deep breath of fluid, and fell immediately into a trance. I had stood next to her and watched two other people go into that tank and never leave again. I felt the shock and disbelief when seeing their grisly deaths, but somehow the diminutive woman had mustered the courage to put us all to shame.
Through the maelstrom of emotions, two rang out louder than the rest: pride and envy…
It didn’t take long for her Vren to find her, and with a look of sorrow and resignation, Amy took in the creature. After quickly dispatching it and finishing the task, Amy stilled for just a moment before everything changed. Her entire body stiffened, her eyes widened, and then she threw back her head, attempting to let out what I can only assume would have been a savage roar. Her skin did not make the steady transition to red like the others; it was almost instantaneous. One second it was a sun-kissed olive color, then she appeared to have the same complexion as Ruby standing next to me.
She doubled over, then snapped her head to glare out of the tank in our direction with an accusing look in her eyes that felt directed at Ruby. In response, Ruby raised her hand above her head and held it there. One of the arms that had taken Jeremiah out of the tank and removed the head of the woman activated and folded back onto itself, revealing a 10-inch blade. The arm positioned itself directly over Amy’s thrashing form, then stopped, awaiting a command from Ruby to end her suffering.
I turned to Ruby and shouted, “RUBY! Stop! What are you doing?!? Put that thing away; she is going to make it!”
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Ruby gave me an unwavering look before saying, “Ryker, I promised her I would not let her suffer. I gave her my word, and you humans have a saying that has stuck with me since my creation: 'My word is my bond.' It has become part of who and what I am, and I will not break that bond. If she shows even one sign of rejection, I will fulfill my promise.”
I wanted to protest, but the determination in her eyes stayed my tongue. I didn’t have to like their arrangement, but I would honor it. I gave Ruby a reluctant nod and turned back to Amy in the tank.
Amy kept fighting with all she had—clawing at her face, pulling against her bonds, and her skin… it was blood red now, and the liquid around her appeared to be bubbling. No, not bubbling… boiling… then I saw her eyes and froze. They had changed; they were orange, and in the murky depths of the tank, a glow could be seen pouring out of them.
With one last silent scream, she stopped thrashing, smiled, then went limp. The arm above the tank immediately sheathed the blade, and with the aid of the other arm, carefully pulled Amy out the second her suit released from the floor.
After the robotic arms deposited her onto the ground next to where Jeremiah rested, I rushed to her side and was momentarily left speechless. Amy’s skin color didn’t revert back to its normal shade like Jeremiah's. She was blood red from head to toe. Her nails had turned pitch-black, grew a full inch longer, and narrowed to an intimidating point. The changes were jarring, but I felt more relief than shock. I was just glad she survived.
As I took in all of Amy’s changes, Ruby made herself known by clapping her hands and plopping down next to me. She let out a long exaggerated sigh and said, “Geez, that was close. I thought she was going to explode for sure. Who would have thought Amy would pull off an evolution during her awakening… do you know how rare that is? In every 100-year cycle, only a dozen or so evolve before they make it to the second floor, but during their awakening… sheesh… there have been only 2 out of the millions of other humans I have processed so far. She is rare, precious, and will be incredibly powerful.”