CAMP

Now my hat might be a little tinfoil, but are they watching us even in the bathroom? I looked around trying to spot a camera: I live in a world of surveillance, a fallout of world war Three.

After the USA split in two during the second civil war__ Columbia and the G.U.S__ and the distrust that followed in north America and even the world. Civilians are now monitored more than ever in history. I was used to it but that doesn't mean my skin didn't crawl and my palm grew sweaty in my balled fist.

I took a deep breath. Calm down Sam, nothing you can do about it. Good. Okay, first thing first....

I turned to the bin__ beside the stall's door__ then back at the door. [Camp instructions] was written above the set of words on the digital screen door. I frowned then sighed in resignation; they'd beating the fight out of me.

I took off my shoes leaving them on the ground before removing the leather suit I was wearing, leaving me in only bra and panties. Balling the suit I tossed it into the bin before unhooking my bra; I hesitated here before dropping it into the bin too. The panties went last.

I stood naked, covering my breast and private part with each hand for a moment before letting go. Fuck me if they have cameras but I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing me squirm!

I tried to enter the stall again, but it still wouldn't budge much to my frustration. I scowled then picked the shoes, tossed them into the bin to join the rest, and slammed the bin shut. This time the door opened easily and I stepped into the stall.

It has everything; A shower space, a sink, and a toilet seat at the far side. It was all spotlessly clean too. But there was no change of cloths. I returned outside.

At my peripheral vision Sid was 'disrobing'. I threw the bin open; Lo and behold, the leather suit, my shoes and underwear had all vanished and was now replaced with white folded cloths, equally white leather boots atop, and a towel underneath the heap.

Taking everything in stride__ I was not gonna gawk at every little thing__ I picked the bundle and walked back into the stall, shutting the door behind me. Leaning back against the door I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. When is this gonna end?

I moved to the mirror at the sink first. What stared back at me was a skinny homeless girl; with all the black dirt covering my skin and the sheer disaster that is my tangled hair, testifying. I'd seen those homeless people, loitering around the city bridges, eyes blank and devoid of all hope. My eyes were sunken and red and unfocused like theirs. All the result of only five days in that forest.

I sighed again, clenching my fist, then gritted my teeth and went about my business. First I used the toilet, then kept the bundle of cloths away from the shower area; transferring it from the sink to the the toilet seat's lid__ before I started the shower__ to prevent it from getting wet.

Warm water cascaded down my head, running down my body, taking the grit and dirt with it. I closed my eyes as I washed up, idly recalling a different time, a different shower, a different place; a place called home. A bestial part of me was screaming at me to not take things easy, to make haste and be done with this so I am better prepared for anything that might come my way.

I shut down that voice. [I reckon there's a time to fight and struggle, and there's a time a girl just wants a 'normal' bath.]

After I was done, I dried up with the towel then went about getting dressed. Slacks and a sweater. I found a pair of panties in the pile but no bra, which was amusing I thought idly as I put them on. It was a comfy wear; the boots even stopped just above my ankles and the sweaters had pockets at the sides just the way I like em.

This time when I checked the mirror I saw a pretty girl dressed in white staring back at me. I combed my hair with one of the brushes on the sink then held it in a ponytail with a ribbon I found there.

Outside, Sid was dressed exactly like me, even the details of her hair held in a ponytail. We moved on.

A man and a woman in white robes were waiting for us in the 'sleeping quarters' when we returned. The hundreds of beds lined in rows in the chamber and the gloomy light in the ceiling gave me a terrifying feeling of desolation, lost, and being completely out of my depth.

The man was big, tanned, middle aged. He was sporting short brown hair and a fierce scar below his left eye, his robes couldn't hide his strong build. The woman, in her mid or late twenties, was dark skinned and skinny as a reed. But her short purple hair gave her a severe look. They had set a table where the woman sat and the man stood guard behind her.

A strange contraption was on the table; a big black box the size of a suitcase with cables and buttons studded on it. The woman smiled as she caught me studying it. "Hello there, I am Kechi, and this is my partner Paul," she motioned at the man with long black nails. Me and Sid just stared at her dumbly. She kept smiling. "Samantha and Sidney Ravens I believe. Firstly, welcome to Camp. I know the past few days has not been easy for you two but just bare for a little more, we'll get you all settled in before long."

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Please take a seat first," she motioned to the two chairs at our side of the table. I hesitated for only a moment then obeyed. Sid didn't make a move till I gave her a curious look; she shrugged then sat beside me. "As I said, I am Kechi. But I am assuming you were actually asking what I do? I am a Surgeon, 'we' both are." She motioned at Paul with her head. "You see, the All Power takes a toll on the body, class induced mutations and allergies are common, so we Surgeons are always needed here in Camp. But that's not why we are here today."

"Why are you here?"

"To get you settled in," she smiled lifting her hand. A silver stud sat in the middle of her wrist just like Pancil's. "We want to give you a Transmitter,"

"A transmitter?" Sid asked.

"Yes, a transmitter. It is crucial to life here in Camp. It stores points, can be used for transactions, links two status together.... Yada yada yada... in short, it has many practical uses you'll find to be quite useful."

"And if we don't want this?" I questioned carefully.

"We leave," she shrugged. "But I'll not advice that. It's either the human Surgeons or the Automatons. And trust me, you'd find us more preferable, we don't use force after all,"

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"Just coercion apparently," I snorted. Sid kicked me on the leg but I'd already said it.

Kechi smiled, but it was a dangerous smile this time. "Not coercion Samantha, advice. You seem to think we are the enemy, do you want us to leave?"

I was tempted to say yes. "No," Sid said quickly. I turned to see her pleading with me with her eyes.

"I wasn't talking to you," The woman chided softly. She stared at me. "Do you want us to leave?"

I pursed my lips. "No,"

"Then beg for it,"

"What?"

"Beg me to pierce your wrist and fix the metal into it."

"Fuck you," I said.

"Thought so," She rose to her feet. "Paul grab the box, we are done here." The big man hesitated for only a moment before obeying.

I blinked. "Wait!" I called in panic. The woman turned and lifted an eyebrow impatiently so I quickly added. "Sid did nothing, you should only punish me."

Kechi muled over it for a moment then nodded. "Sure, makes sense." She waved Paul aside then sat back and faced Sid. "Give me your hand,"

The surgeoness held Sid's hand gently and studied the girl. "Ever had a piercing before?"

"Twice," Sid said. "When I was a child I had my ears pierced and later when I decided to pierce my nose."

"Good, but those are a little different from what I am about to do." Kechi opened the kit__ sample bag__ that was sitting beside her and picked out a ball of cotton wool and a glass vial. Spirit by the smell that stung my nose when she opened it. She dabbed the cotton wool with the liquid then cleaned up Sid's wrist. Next she took out a bolt gun looking thing and pressed it to the middle of Sid's wrist. "Now take a deep breath,"

Sid took a deep breath exhaling loudly. The black woman pressed the trigger eliciting a yelp from the blond girl. The woman looked at me. "You might want to hold her,"

I was confused for only a moment then Sid started trashing and screaming. She fell off the chair completely overturning it, and I quickly sprang up in horror__ to check on her. "What did you do to her!?" I snarled.

The woman answered indifferently. "The device is bounding with her nervous system, thus the cause of the pain. She'll be alright in a brief."

True to her words Sid settled down after sometime, though she kept panting heavily on the ground, her body soaked with sweat. Kechi retrieved a hand -held -scanner like device from somewhere and pointed it at Sid. There was a slight hum as the black box on the table came to life, releasing a white glow like a hologram projector. It streamed the light upwards where it gathered to form a status screen above us.

[Name: Sidney Ravens]

[Serial number: 477453]

[Level: 1. 0% progress]

[Class: Assassin grade B]

[Skills: Shadowalking (legendary) lv2]

[Stats (baseline): Strength 7, Speed 7, Stamina 8; Mp 8\8, HP 9\10; intelligence 7]

[Universe Rules: All Power]

[Destiny: Second Voice]

[Party: Unnamed]

It took me a moment to realize it wasn't actually my status screen being broadcasted up there, because of the sheer similarities it has to mine besides the slight deviations. Her [Shadowalking] is legendary and level 2 too, while as mine is weak and only level 1. But just as she said she has only one skill while as I have two. But that's not important. What's important is what the transmitter does. I looked at Sid's wrist and was terrified; so this small stud could give them access to so much.

"Interesting," Kechi said. "I haven't seen a powerful stat as this from a beginner in a while. I mean, I expected something good seeing their ranks but this?" She looked up at Paul. "Paul is there anyone of the freshmen with something this good, or better?"

"This good? Two of them I reckon," he said. His voice was low and gruff. "Better? No,"

"Then it's our luck it seems. Where do you think our standing will be once we submit this?"

"Not sure. But in the upper echelons no doubt,"

Kechi smiled in delight. "Right, then let's be on our way."

In that little time that it took the woman to get off her seat so many thoughts raced through my mind, calculations on how to use the information they just leaked to my advantage. Bottom line is, they gain something by piercing a powerful person, that's all I needed to know. I understood this is my only chance if I want to avoid the much dreaded alternative to this. The Automatons.

"Mine is better," I blurted.

"What?" Kechi said reflexly.

I rose to my feet and said louder with all the confidence I could muster, "My stats or whatever is better than hers. Far better."

She scoffed. "It can't be far better,"

"It's," I said in challenge. "It's fucking damn better," I offered my wrist. Trembling. "You can find out!"

The black woman paused holding my eyes. "If you are lying to me..."

"I am not,"

"You'll regret it,"

"Sure,"

We stared into each other's eyes for a moment. "Very well then." She finally said. "Have a seat,"

I sighed in relief, a great burden taking off my shoulder. The woman looked amused. "You were nervous?" She asked. I nodded. "You didn't look it,"

I watched in a daze as she wiped my wrist clean and pressed the stud gun to it. "Take a deep breath," I nodded, but before I could follow her instruction, I hissed as the stud punctured my skin. Blood oozed out under the shinny stud. The place stung as a burning pain traveled through my hand spreading around my body with terrifying speed. A hot magma traveled up my arm to my spinal cord. I screamed.

My whole being was a world of pain.

When I came to, I was lying on the ground. I sat up groggily, so spent I felt like just lying back and dying. Kechi smirked down at me from the table. "You weren't lying girl, this is quite the stat. What do you think Paul?"

"Impressive. Stats of the decade I reckon, or a good contender at least,"

"Well isn't that sweet? Too bad it's wasted on one so reckless and foolish, she wouldn't last a week,"

I struggled up and trudged back to my seat___ after picking it from the ground. On the chair next to me Sid gave me a weak smile. "They wouldn't let me check up on you," she said.

I just nodded then turned to my wrist. A silver stud sat in the middle of it, with crusted blood around it. "Now what?" I said sullenly feeling very depressed.

"Now you settle in. Eat, rest, party, read the rules of Camp, do whatever you want; you have seven days of free time. Use it well," surgeon Kechi said. I wasn't looking at her but was sure she was smiling.

"Where do we eat?" Sid asked.

"The cafeteria. I could show you there,"

"Great, thanks, I am kind off hungry to be honest."

"That's to be expected after all you have been through," The surgeons gathered their stuffs. The woman carried the sample bag.... and the man hefted the box under his arm.

After passing three hallways the Kechi motioned at a door. "Here we are," she said. "You should check out the library after you eat if you are really serious on surviving."

"Sure, thanks," Sid said. We watched the two disappear up the hallway in the river of people then Sid gave me a tired look.

"What?" I asked, a little put off.

"Nothing," she sighed then walked into the door.

"Not nothing," I said following. "Come on, spit it out,"

"Nah, you are not worth it,"

"What? Fuck you!"

The cafeteria was huge with what could only be hundreds of people. Most wore slacks and sweaters that looked like ours but these were in gray. A long counter was at the sides where people got orders. We walked to the counter at a spot without any line for some reason, more to ask questions than anything.

The woman behind the counter was an overweight dark haired woman in blue apron. "Say why is this line empty?" I asked as I sidled to the counter.

"Its freshmen line," The woman winked. "And you are all green as freshmen if I ever seen one,"

"How does this work?" I asked curiously.

"Just give me your stud wrist," seeing our hesitation, she laughed. "It's not gonna hurt babies, just a scan to confirm what I already know," she rolled her eyes.

After she scanned our wrists she nodded. "You are in the right place. You see that table over there?" She pointed where a few people sat at the far side of the hall. "Free food, just for freshmen; there's enough feast to go around there but if there's anything you want to order just come right here."

"Thanks ma'am," I said. Sid gave me a weird look as we went towards the table. "What?" I snapped. "I was being nice,"

She lifted her hands in surrender.

We navigated the packed hall___ past people in scrubs or in modern or medieval cloths___ to the table the woman pointed.

Five people were already sitting around the wide table that could seat twenty. I recognized all but one; the guy with face full of beard. There was Chloe and Dragon of course, but shockingly also Willow and Owen.

My friends from home.

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