I awoke feeling the cool moistness of the air covering my face, I quickly brought myself under the heated blanket. I thought I told them to increase the temperature in my room, what ever at least my skin isn’t cracking like it was in the winter.

I turned myself over to my side, and peaked out feeling the cold air rush in, as I quickly looked out at the thermometer that was mounted to the wall across the room. Fifty… fifty two, I then dropped the blankets over myself once more, and remained there until I heard the hum of the florescent lights.

I lifted up the covers again, seeing the light fixture slowly begin to heat up putting it in stark contrast with the room around it. I wrapped the blanket around me, as I sat up hoping off the bunk onto the cold floor below, immediately putting on my shoes after ward.

I then quickly brushed my teeth, and sat on the empty bottom bunk, waiting for those fucking caretakers to come and do roll-call.

I let my eyes, wander looking at all the different colors being mixed togather due to the heat and cold colliding with each other, this world invisable to my other eye, just as the world of light is invisable to the latter.

My eyes then eventually found there way outside of the cell, me and Yeloun locking eyes with each other, as he held onto a cookbook. Stews for the cheap and broke, bet that's going to be good, I swear he can make anything taste good. I then brought my eyes back up to him, he smiled and waved, and I looked away.

Why can’t you just stay away from me, for fucks sake. I rested my head against the support of the bunk and stared at the wall. Whats so difficult in understanding that you brain damaged fuck.

I then sneakly brought my eyes back outside, looking at him for a second, seeing that sad face he’s worn many times before whenever I do something like this. I’m s-sorry it just has to be this way, for myself, for everyone.

I then heard the boots of the caretakers as they approached, memories of running, of blood, of pain, flooded into my mind and those same feelings of anger and confusion followed. The footsteps then ceased, and the doors open, and I got up leaving the blanket on the bed, and continuing out into the cold hallway, standing with the others.

They walked by, checking us over, and padding us down while another group went into our rooms and did a light search this continued until they reached the end of the hall and gave the thumbs up to the section head.

“Alright everyone, head down to the cafe.” Everyone then quickly did as the sector head said, forming into one big giant mass that behave like water forming to the shape of it’s container, and once we reached the two tiny doors everyone began pushing and shoving all just for a chance to get too Yeloun’s cooking first.

I don’t bother, as much as I like his stuff, I’m content on getting what ever is left its just easier… And better for some people.

I walked through with my tray getting what ever was left. “You need to fight for you food X-1, your not going to be doing good in training if your just eating that.” I ignored him and continued to my usual table, a table that laid in the far end of the room deep in a corner. I sat down and began eating the random assortment of food I gathered, looking up, as I took my first bite seeing Yelouns carrying an extra tray of food over to my table.

I quickly looked back down and continued eating. He sat down next to me replacing my tray with the one he gathered. “I made sure to save out some for you.” He said. I didn’t hesitate, immediately diving into the tray he gave me.

My eyes then went to him for a second a smile on his face. I immediately looked away again, moving my body so that it was also facing away. I heard him sigh. “X-1, can we please talk about him.” I remained silent, and after a few seconds of silence he placed his hand on my shoulder. “Listen I know his death has weighed heavy on you, and I don’t think anyone expected you to be yourself after that, but please we both know what your doing isn’t good for you.” I then got up, and found another empty table.

I just need to watch from a distance and everything will be alright. I quickly finished my tray, the bell ringing just as I did, I then quickly got up and headed down to class. I heard we where doing an operation today,hopefully its a simple one so I don’t get berated as much for not working with the team. I sighed. It’s just all I see in those particle images is those caretakers, and I-I have to kill them.

YELOUN

I watched as he walk out of the cafeteria. I’ve been watching him do this for years, I wonder if I’ll eventually give up, ha, probably never. I looked down at my tray, remebering how shy he was when he approached us, how Kalionse that caretaker, I mean guard, ugh, it’s so hard to separate the two, guess that's what years of propaganda does to yeah.

Nonetheless, he’s changed for the worse, it’s not like he hates everyone just… It almost seems like he doesn't want to get close to anything, hard to blame him really.

I then felt a swift breeze press against me, and I turned to see Cauldron taking a seat beside me. “Think you’ll get it baked in time.” I looked at him. “It’s a complicated process and I don’t want to cause more stress then I’m already causing.” “We have to be ready.” “I know, but I’m not doing this for you.” He nodded. “I know, I got the impression when I told you to throw in some of my stuff.” He then exhaled, waiting a few minutes before eventually leaving.

I understand Cauldrons plight but X-1 needs time I know I’ve been doing this for years and it might not be working, but barging in through the front door is going to do more harm then good, even if it’s for a good reason.

X-1

I entered the class, walking past the two caretakers standing by the door, the instructor standing behind a lectern, I quickly found a seat and a few more people poured in. “Alright I think thats everyone.” The instructor then turned on a projector, a 3D render of the entire city being displayed.

“So todays operation is going to be a search and destroy, find two radio towers, and simply decommission them at your digression, this exercise is suppose to measure your ability to coordinate, organize, and cooperate.” The instructor then looked at me specifically. “force strangth is unknown, force capabilities is unknown, location of targets is unkown, and there will be no support, just your eyes, and ears.” Everyone nodded. “Alright get down to the loading dock.”

We quickly all got up out of our seats, the caretakers escorting us to the loading docks, where we all poured into a cargo container it’s seats bolted down to the floor, everyone buckling in the minute they found there seat, and once the last person sat down, the doors closed, and the truck started the a slight jolt sending us to the back a little as it began to move forward.

After what felt like two hours, the truck stopped and the door opened and we poured out onto another loading dock entering the hallways and walking through the hallways of another facility, and after a few minutes of walking we soon found ourselfs inside one of it’s many prep rooms.

Gear was stuffed inside lockers with everyone's numbers written on a whiteboard attached to each one, I watched as the group quickly ran over and began suiting up. I then looked to my left, and saw three staff members preforming diagnostics on a suicide-suit, at least, at least thats what the caretakers call them. I quickly walked over, and stepped into the exosuit, securing myself with the latches. “Alright, you know the drill.” I moved my arms, and then my legs in as many degrees of motion I could, walking around and jumping a little once I had done so. “Alright good, stand still.” He then sent a signal to the gear the jet engines, revving up a little pushing me forward just a bit. “Alright, everything looks good, hows the A.G.S.” A staff member gave him a thunbs up, and then tossed me the helmet in which I promptly put it on, sliding it into the connectors that stuck out on the back pressing the two buttons on the front of the neck seal to activate the sealing mechanism, my ears getting patted down, and forced back as it sealed.

I walked up to the door leaning against it’s frame, watching as the rest put piece after piece of gear. I’m kinda thankful that I don’t have to luge all that shit around.

The remaining few then gave the staff the thumbs up, and the staff radioed to the WGM, telling them that we where ready. The door behind me opening a few minutes later golf carts with caretakers in the drivers seats lying in wait past the door frame.

I continued out, quickly finding a seat, as everyone followed shortly after, O-12 finding a seat next to me, he sorta stared, but eventually looked forward. “Do you mind me asking, why is it your the one always doing shit.” I remained silent. “it’s not that I’m upset it’s just usally everyone in the good fills a certain role and help each other out you know.” It’s because it’s better for everyone. I continued my silence. “Guess the mystery continues”.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

We then arrived at the drop off point everyone dismounting in the blink of the eye, as the particle display, that was embedded into the highest tower began running it’s tests, running it’s little projectors on the roof of rail lines above us, and after a few minutes it stopped.

GOLUNDA (Project Director)

“Are they all set.” “Yep there waiting on use.” I stepped up to the microphone, and pressed down on the button. “Good mourning, I assume you have all been briefed on the training exercise.” I watched the team below from a monitor, all of them execpt for X-1 giving a thumbs up.

I sighed, no matter what I do I can’t snap him out of it, and I’m starting to get afraid he’s not caring about people anymore. I gave the thumbs up to one of the staff, and he initiated the countdown. I brought my attention back to the monitor, and watched as X-1 separated himself from the group picking his own lane of engagement.

And I’ve tried every therapist it feels like, not a single one can get him to open his mouth, the horn then sounded off and I watched, as the group separated into two, using the buildings to both conceal themselves, and move through the streets, also sending out small groups of scouts out ahead, X-1 was also being careful, using his Extra-Mobility suit to silently purposle himself over the rooftops, scanning the environment for both hostiles, and the equipment.

But out of all this he has proven himself, and his particular genetic makeup, to be efficient at espionage, and deep infiltration missions where being independent is a necessity, a star candidate of the project, and I defiantly plan to train him more in that regard, but everyone knows out there you at least need a battle buddy to back you up.

Hopefully he’ll mix well with the candidate I have lined up, and a psychic half-Glenchinite combo is as powerful as I think it is, and hopefully it brings X-1 back around too.

I watched as he desended upon the first radio mast, immediately cutting into the guards around it, damageing the equipment, and then leaving before they could react. The heats going to be on him now, but I wonder what would happen if it was the other way around… It would answer my question does he care?

“Fredula, override the AI’s priority, marker have it increase patrols around his teams postion.” “You sure, because the status que is usually to attempt to make these simulations as accurate as possbile.” “Indeed, but I do belive it’s time we bend the laws of reality in favor of trying to understand our partiparts when everything goes wrong.” “Aye, Aye sir.” I then watched as he accessed the AI’s console, and punched in the command to reassiqen it’s priority's the particle projecters silently readjusting themselves for the new parameters, as the AI shuffled units around with the new found data. Please go help them, it’s bad enough I carry this guilt.

X-1

I came barreling around a corner, a boogie right on my 6, I hit the wall the metal from the exo-suit scrapping against the brick sideing. I boosted off the guidance system kicking in, helping me go over the roof, my air brakes kicking in as I came over the other side, I then crashed into another wall, and duge my foot in chips of material flying off as I slowed down, I then boosted forward heading into an alleyway, and boosting up seeing the caretaker look alike reaching the wall I had just hit.

I brought up the arm which had a gun attached to it, lining up the red dot onto the caretakers particles and pressed down on the trigger, the sub machine gun firing off, and soon after the particles deseminated into the air. I boosted again, and returned to my original path, looking for where that other radio mast was, to continue my rampage.

The roads soon became hallways, my gear disappearing and my body going into a sprint, as caretakers chased me down attempting to subdue me. “X-1, X-1! For fucks sake, where getting hammered down here.” “He’s not gonna do anything for fucks sake he’s too fucking full of himself.” “then what do you want me to do eat shit.” “Shoot fucking back.” I immediately turned on my air brakes, and turned around boosting to the side of a building, and using thats to do another boost over the roofs towards the direction of the gunfire.

Sounds like they got spotted, but I usually make myself a bigger threat so the AI usually targets me, WGM probably fucked with it. I soon came upon the street where the heaviest of fighting was taking place, my group out holding inside two separate apartment complexes, as they tired desperately to move, and setup defensive positions without getting shot. I came down from above, intercepting and enemy squad, as they where attempted to cross the street. I pulled out my sword, and hit the ground staying low, and spinning keeping the blades handle close to my chest and the blade outwards, crashing into the squad. There bodys disintegrating. I then boosted forward, and landed belly first onto the sidewalk that laid behind the enemy's line. I slide across, opening fire on those that found themselves in my crosshairs, and once I started losing velocity. I jumped up, and boosted into an alley, and quickly circled around the area of combat, seeing that they where being encircled. I then noticed a relatively lightly defended section towards the back. “Squad leads theirs a lightly defended patch bearing west at 265 degrees.” “Copy, we’ll focus our push there.” There going to need cover. I immediately circled back around to where the enemy focus where focusing there efforts, and set my eyes on of the buildings they held, I reduced my speed as I came near, and flew through a window into a body of a Caretaker, his body disintegrating, I slammed my side against the wall the spring plate on my should absorbing most of the impact, as I was brought to a stop. I then hastily continued out of the room, and continued down the hallway cleaning rooms left and right of hostile. I then turned towards the stairwell, and saw a garnade get tossed up it. I pulled my own and threw it down, bakcing into a room, and exiting through a window that was behind me, I then repostioned myself so that I was at an angle to the wall, and boosted into it, scrapping aganst the side, seeing another group attempting to conduct another crossing. I quickly aimed my sub-machine gun at them and fired, seeing a few disappear into dust. “X-1 we broke through where pulling away.” “Keep going and find the radio transmitter, I’ll make sure to give these Caretakers a living nightmare.” “Caretakers?” I sighed. “You know what I mean.” I boosted to where the group pushed through, seeing another boogie heading in there direction, I quickly gave chase a loud crack echoing through the air, as I flew into him, sending my blade plunding into his chest, and the world disappeared once again as that memory of twisting that shiv deeping into that guards neck filled my vision and mind, the shiv breaking, and I ran away feeling the statifaction of watching him choke, and wheeze on the ground.

A FEW HOURS LATER

GOLUNDA (Project Director)

I replayed the recorded comm. “Caretakers.” That explains a lot why he fights so viciously, compared to the others. I sighed. Those guards created a monster, and just when I thought that was that, at least he cares for his pears. “What do you think we should do.” I asked the therapist. He shrugged. “It seems he uses the combat sims as some sort of relese to constantly relive the moment when his friend died… No he was more of a parental figure.” “So are you recommending I change the look of the combatants.” “You can if you want, but I can garentte you that it’s not going to do anything, you see his problem lies in the mind, it probably doesn't matter what you do, you could make them look like unicorns and he’d still see the same thing, because for whatever reason he still thinks about that moment, weather it be some type of psychopathic tendency he developed some type of absolvement or he dwells on what he could’ve done differently, it could also be a mix of varying amounts of the three for all we know.” I sighed. Why do I even pay him. “Best thing we can do is prepare for the worst, keep an extra eye on him, while I see if I can some how chip away at the titanium wall he’s put up around himself, just to let you know I do not think I’ll be able to break through.” Yeah, it’s because he’s honest. I looked at my head of security. “What do you think.” He thought for a moment. “He’s indeed rather dangerous, and thats saying something considering the rest, I agree we must ensure he doesn't take his desires out on us.” “Just make sure too not make it obvious we don’t want to provoke him.” He nodded. “Good, then we have an agreement, and I need to get ready to talk to him.” The psychiatrist said getting up, and then leaving out my office doors. “So do you mind telling me his story.” My head of security inquired. “Why do you ask you have the report.” “But you where there and watched it unfold.” I nodded. “Yes partly.” He stared at me. “He had a Caretaker that helped him a lot, it’s the only one that I’d call a caretaker really, lets just say he got into fight with some of his co-workers, had something to do with the kids it was you know during the strait of Shunika incident.” He nodded. “Any ways the guy hit his head pretty good, died, happened right in front of the kid… They tried hiding the body in the trash and pretty much every guard kept there mouth shut including my previous head, and by the time I found out what happened X-1 had already killed three guards, scratched, injured, and beaten, everyone that went after him, went on for about a day, until he finally collapsed.” I looked at my head of security. “Any questions.” He shook his head. “I was thinking about asking how the opening came to be, but now it’s obvious.” I chuckled and nodded, and then got up. I’ll prepare a special squad for him, and reguritate what we have discussed to them.” I nodded, and he left. I know I shouldn’t feel guilty it wasn’t my fault I vetted these people they seemed good, and well adjusted and disciplined, but no mans perfect, besides these children are orphans I wanted to design this place to at least give them purpose, something to look forward to, whilst still maintaining the projects secrecy. I looked at the date on my computer. I have a meeting with the council tomorrow, hopefully they’ll find what I bring forward to them appealing, so that maybe I have a chance at seeing there faces again.

ELIZABETH (J-36)

I know that bastard saw me. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye, and then back down at my food. Just when I get the keycard out of everyones noses, someones comes around the corner and sees me. I exhaled. Now another party is going to get involved, thankfully I was able to sneakly move it into the fuckers cell but the longer that keycard is missing the more chance I give the guards to notice that hey, where the hells this thing. And then I lose my chance, a chance to get out instead of being used as some ginni pig, just to be tested on and seen weather, your a good candidate for whatever project there cooking up. I then saw as the person who saw me got up walking over to my table. Where all just pawns to each other really constantly trying to seize the upper hand. He then sat next to me. “I believe you have something, I’m intrested in.” “h-huh what are you talking about.” I put on a insecure face, and he narrowed his eyes. “I belive we can both benefit.” Yeah, sounds like a good way to get fucked. “Um I-I’m sorry, I really don’t know what your talking about.” He shook his head, and exhaled getting up and leaving. That won’t be the last of him that is a garente, and hey at least I know he’s more interested in the key card then getting the guards on my ass, gives me a little extra whiggle room with how I approch this mess. The bell then rang, and everyone poured out of the cafeteria as we all headed back to our cells, the door shutting behind me as I walked in. I immedittly collapsed onto the bed staring up at the one above me, repeating the memories of the people who come in here everyday, how they pull into the parking lot how the birds chirp, how the sun warms them, stuff they don’t notice, but I do. I wonder how long I’m going to be stuck in here probably an entirety at this rate. I felt a morbid sense of hopelessness come over me. I’ll figure out something one day, who knows this whole thing might just be a little road bump in the grand scheme of things. I then heard my door open “J-36.” I got up seeing two guards standing at the door, as another two came in and started collecting my stuff. “Follow us.” I got up, and the two directed me down the hall. Or maybe I’ll be a bottom feeder my entire life constantly struggling to make it by always under the whim of my betters, of the people with the better postions in the coversation. We then turned down a hallway X block, I thought they where going to bring me in for questioning. They stopped at the first cell, and opened the door directing me in. The two other guards then arrived, and placed my stuff on the ground as well, as an extra bookshelf for myself. I blinked with a blank stare, as the guards closed the door. “Your new ID is X-2, make sure to remember that.” They then walked away. Seems I’ve been transferred.

I looked over at the bunk, seeing someone at the top, he rolled over, our eyes meeting. I waved innocently. “H-hi.” I said adding a little more weakness to my voice then I’d like too. He rolled back over. “Don’t touch the thermostat.” He said.