Twelve

I gulped a large taking of breath, like I'd never breathed before, my eyes automatically opening wide because of the shock of suddenly being able to take in air. I was panting, like I was submerged in the water for a very long time and it was only this time that I resurfaced for a breather. It took minutes for me to be aware of the unfamiliar surrounding that I was in, oh yeah, and I was on my back, sprawled on something cold. The ceiling—if it was a ceiling—was white, too white, and too pristine as all the walls of this place. There were no lights but it was bright as day. I sat up and immediately, the previous happenings came rushing like a tidal wave. I was shot. I was shot to death. I was shot to death..? Am I in heaven then? Another of those surreal dreams? And that wasn't even the worse—what was worse than being shot dead?—my family and friends disappeared before me. I was alone. I looked down on my body and felt for any holes but there were none. It seemed that you get a change of clothing when you go to heaven, a pair of super white long-sleeve shirt and a pajama of the same color. And then sudden sadness came crashing down on me. Tears flowed down my eyes and it felt like my heart was going to explode. Or was this a heart attack? 'Dad, mom, Leib," I heard myself whisper still in that velvety voice. I hadn't even notice myself crumpling back on the ground, sobbing. Where are they? I stopped myself from thinking of something bad coming their way. 'Thirty-five, get up. I know you're awake." Came a voice and it was oddly familiar. 'Little,T." The man from the dreams and from the hospital. 'You couldn't get through that test, huh?" His voice was closer. 'Just like every other time." It was a wonder that I wasn't scared shitless and having a break down in his presence. 'This is just a dream, I will wake up soon." I whispered more to myself. 'I see, they cleaned you again." There was a rustle and something heavy dropping on the ground. What did he mean by ‘being cleaned'? This was only a dream anyway, Leib will be in my room in the morning to wake me up. So, I got up from my fetal position of self-pity and faced him. As usual, he was in a white lab coat, black pants, and white shirt like any other of my dreams. His face though wasn't covered by a mask this time. 'Hello, I am Doctor Veron." He even did a waved with his hand a little. He was...old, like he could be in his fifties, he got no white hair though. The laugh lines close to his mouth indicated that he smiled a lot along with the crinkles near the outer corner of his eyes. He looks almost friendly but the cruelty they have done to me showed otherwise. 'What memory did they conditioned you this time?" Huh? 'You might not believe me, like any other times, but I am your friend here." Huh? I feel like the more he talked, the more confused I get. 'You kidnapped me and did things." I felt for the anger and disgust but there was none. I almost felt like I never felt an ounce of hate for this person before. He smiled, 'Ah, I get it." He looked up as if understanding dawned on him. 'They made me the villain this time, huh. About time they did, I'm tired of being just the trusty janitor you talk to your problems at school, or one of the parents of your classmates." This Doctor Veron reached for the clipboard that he might've sat beside him. He flipped through its pages uninterested. 'And like the other times we met like this," He plucked something from his board and put it in the pocket of his lab coat. 'I'm getting old for this though, hah, who am I kidding? I'm old, old." He chuckled at his own humor. He got up—what a tall person he was—and messed with his wrist watch, I didn't realize that there was a glass barrier between us all through the conversation until it lifted up. He took a step towards me and I took a step back. 'Don't come any closer," I warned. The doctor just chuckled and didn't listen to my warning. 'I can burn you," 'Oh, I bet you can." There was no mockery in his voice, just the plain agreement. 'I don't die easily," Now I was just grasping straws...and I was backed against the wall. 'Yes, we've established that a lot of times now, Thirty-five." He took out the thing that he stored in the pocket of his lab gown, it was a small syringe with something in it. 'Now, if you could just stay still and let me do a quick scalp jab." This is the crucial part, but why am I not waking up. I should be bolting like a spring by now. I didn't talk, and I closed my eyes and waited for the torture to come. But, I felt my fingers heat and got hotter by the second. 'They blocked that part of your brain that makes memories—clipped it—and then programmed you a new one by electrocuting you in the head and inserting a modified brain fluid in your spine." I heard a plastic hit the floor. Wake up, wake up. Wakeup, wakeup, wakeup. Wake up! 'With that done, they created a false reality to observe you and see if your conditioning will break. And indeed it did, every time you took that particular test." Any second now, I will wake up on my bed. In our house. And it will be just a normal day. 'Stay still for me," He whispered and I jumped at how close he was to me. I pinched my eyes tighter. Oh gosh, why am I not waking up? Don't tell me I will finish dreaming this entire scenario. The jab I felt on my left temple had me opening my eyes and moving my head away but it was hindered by the doctor's arm. Turned out he had me in a head-hug position. 'If you don't want the blood vessel popping in your head, don't move." It may seem indecent, but I pushed my palms on his chest and saw with my wide eyes as they began to faintly glow red and burn his clothes. 'Oookay, that's a new one." He remarked not appearing in any pain at all. 'The other times before this, you just head-butted me, but news flash T, I don't easily die either so that makes the two of us." Now, I was full-blown panicking, my heart thundered in my chest as realization came, but surprisingly, I still didn't feel any fear for the doctor jabbing god-knows-what in my head. 'This isn't a dream, is it?" I finally asked. There was a slight throb in my head but it was manageable. 'Your dreams are long over, Thirty-five, this is the hard reality." Woah, this dizzy spell made my vision looked like a warp zone was forming. The former straight lines of things became squiggly and wonky, and everything was fricking moving in an unnatural direction it was making me lightheaded. 'What did you give me?" Was I even talking properly, was I even standing straight? 'It might take a few seconds, but I gave you your true memory." His voice was far away and then near my ears seconds later. 'Please don't faint this time, I don't want to get caught again, T." Yeah, I heard but I didn't get any of what he said because his voice was like in a megaphone being put close in my ears and then far away the next. I thought I said something but even I didn't understand what my mouth let out. Was I sliding up, or down? And as if this super dizziness wasn't enough, images and voices started showing in my mind and they were appearing very fast that I had no time to even process what I was seeing or hearing for that matter. 'Any time now, T." Ah, fuck, I'm gonna barf. And I did let my gut-juices out and it felt goddamn nasty. 'Thirty-five, I think I heard an alarm go off." Elliot? What? Who's Elliot? That goddamn Elliot Veron, the stupid A.I. who fell in love with a human. Doctor Veron? Doctor? My voice laughed. He's more like a teacher because he's a fucking know-it-all. The fucker. That was when I caught myself...talking to myself. What's this? Is this a dissociative disorder, schizophrenia, ghost? When I opened my eyes, I got a view of Elliot's scruffy face peering down at me. Wait, I call him Elliot now? 'I told you so many times to shave that fucking beard of yours." I did? He breathed a heavy sigh, 'Thank goodness you're up, we gotta roll, and hopefully we can do it this time." He supported me as I pathetically try to lift myself up to a stand. 'You remember?" I frowned at him. 'Remember what? All I know is that I, apparently swear now." So, I really do know this guy—it's just a feeling though, but the undeniable familiarity was there. 'If Leib was here he probably would've slapped my mouth," I stopped, the longing feeling I felt earlier was gone and it felt like I was just talking about someone I barely knew, there wasn't even a dash of attachment left. I tried to recall what my family looked like but all I could remember were snippets of their features, like eye colors, hair length and styles, smiles, but I couldn't picture them as a whole. It was like they were fading from my memory. 'Who is Leib?" He asked and then nonchalantly shrugged when I didn't answer. 'That's a good sign." What? 'Can you walk, like straight, without tripping?" I tested my limbs and did little jumps. Vision was fine and I ain't clumsy like a new born goat, so all's good. 'Yuh," What the hell is with this speech? 'Why do I talk like a gangster?" The idiot Artificial Intelligence had the nerve to smile, 'That has always been the way you talked—well, before you were conditioned anyway." He stopped smiling, 'The memories hasn't settled yet I see." 'I take it that you are now familiar with your ability." There was a question in his voice. I think so. I stared at my hands and having to will the energy to flow to them was like a muscle memory. 'Probably," We heard a crash, 'I am not pressuring you or anything but only you can get us out of here, if not then, we're both cheeses—with holes. And I am not rushing you or anything but I think they're very, very close." 'But I still don't know you." 'You do, but you have to trust me for now. Maybe you need a trigger. It usually works immediately before." He paused. 'What about ‘Nathan'." What is this dumbbell talking about? 'Nathan, Nathan, Nathan. Anything?" I stared at him dumbfounded. 'Oh, fuck it." I watched, amazed as his face distort and pixelate, if that makes sense. And after a few seconds, in front of me was a new face. What the fuck? 'We'll get out of here alive." Even his voice changed. Like a snap, hairs on my nape and arm stood, and images of that same face was looking at me with something deep in his eyes, his different expression bombarded my mind, there was him happily looking at me, one was him looking angry, another he was sad, and then in pain. 'What the hell are you, man?" And what was he doing to me? Elliot let out an exasperated sigh and changed back, 'Can you, please, just save us first and then I'll tell you everything later?" 'Who am I gonna save us from?" I did not question myself whether I could do it or not this time because I feel it; no one can motherfucking stop me. 'Follow me." He said and ran to the square frame which immediately opened when he stopped in front of it. I did what he told me and followed him out, and then in to the white-as-hell hallway. At its end was an elevator, we took it and he pressed the top most button. A song played in low volume when the doors slid close. 'Why are you taking us to the top floor, aren't we supposed to just walk out of the first floor because that's where the road is?" I couldn't place where I heard this song, ‘you came and you gave without taking, but I sent you away, oh, Mandy...' it felt like I used to sing along with it. He looked at me deadpan, 'We're kilometers below surface, you amnesiac woman." Oh. 'Are we gonna ride this thing for hours then?" 'Thirty minutes if we're not interrupted." 'That's still a long-ass time, why not fill me in while we wait?" ‘The tears are in my eyes, and nothing is rhyming, oh Mandy' 'Uh-huh and then have you here convulsing when the memories come in and then me supporting your head, and then the people waiting for us will see me, with you down and then they will shoot at me and you, and then we're both dead—well, me dead ‘cause you're freaking unkillable." Guess that was a no then. 'We'll wait for the elevator to arrive then." Another song played and my mind was empty of thoughts. I was literally thinking about nothing, just waiting and eyeing for the number of the last button to light up. And damn it, it hasn't even reached the half of it. Wait. 'What do you mean I am unkillable?" Elliot faced me from the shiny metal he was peering at his reflection at, and I nearly jumped when I saw his, again, new face. 'Literally the word, T." 'How, am I a vampire?" Well shit if that were gonna be true. He chuckled. 'And I'm a zombie." 'Do you even own a real face?" One of the weirdest things I had to ask with the entirety of meeting him. 'Sure, I do, I just thought I was too perfect with that face." 'Why not use it now?" 'You want it, you got it, my friend." His face distorted again and holy hell when it settled. That was a face of proportion, which may be what the golden proportion came from. 'Your staring is making me blush." He blinked his amethyst eyes at me. 'This is what I was talking about, should I change back? I cannot have you literally be breathless with my beauty." Uh-huh, his big ego was probably his only flaw. Along with my burned hand print on his shirt. 'Why didn't you use this before?" He was like a perfectly sculpted diamond with the right sides and corners. 'You should use this face more, actually don't change it, this is more than fine." 'That's the subject that we agreed to not talk about, Thirty-five, among other things. You know what, I can't take this pace, hold on to you knickers we're going fast." I didn't have time to ask what he's talking about when the elevator surged and instantly, I was fucking pinned to the ground. The numbers on the small screen near the buttons were flying and I was fighting inertia to stand up. 'What the hell did you do?" 'I am an A.I. remember? A.I., computer, and the elevator's run by a computer, get it?" He was braced in the corner of the thing, good for him with the perfect form, body, and face. What more could he ask for? Love. Was a fleeting whisper in my mind but went ignored as I was trying to get my bearing to be upright. Several postural struggles later, the elevator slowly moved to a stop and I felt like hurling my guts again. 'We're here?" I asked calming my throat. 'Mhmm," Elliot replied half-a-second before the doors slid open. Nothing waited for us upon stepping out of the metal box...except the sound of something rolling. 'What's that?" I whispered. 'Wait, I'm cross-matching any sound that's like it—and we have four possible results; empty tin can, half empty thick-glass bottle, pipe, and a canister explosive." He let out a breath, 'let's pray that it's one of the first thr—" An explosion slammed us to a nearby wall, knocking my breath out of me for a short while. I examined my injury as I was looking for my companion but apart from a ringing ear and a bloody forehead, everything was normal. What was amazing was that I didn't feel any pain at all. Due to adrenaline maybe? And then bullets unceremoniously started raining on us, thankfully, Elliot pulled me to the side before the first shot hit any of us. 'I think my head's dented." He told me before I could even ask if he was okay. 'Please heat up already so I can use you as a somewhat-human shield and get out of here." What the fuck, a human shield? 'Go and die, I ain't gonna be your fucking shield." I shouted at him through the gunfire. He slapped his hand on his forehead, 'Why did your brain juice failed to bring back your memories this time?" He let out a breath. 'Heat up so you can melt the bullets before they even touch us. Lastly, they're using electrified shots which can shut me down for a while so," He gestured for me to go do my business while he waited. Like earlier, it really was muscle memory as I easily generated and let out the heat from my body with just a thought. 'Hotter." He told me, 'Not enough to melt a speeding bullet." I stopped and looked at him like he grew toes on his perfect face. 'You do know that to melt a speeding bullet we have to go to a—probably— ten million degrees Celsius, right?" These knowledges were suddenly mysteriously appearing in my thoughts when I needed them. He looked at me obviously clueless. This stupid fucker. 'How hot is the sun's core in Celsius?" 'You gotta ask that when we're under fire, you nut job?" He paused. 'It's about twenty-seven million degrees Celsius." He still answered. 'Do I have to reflect a heat almost as the sun's just to melt speeding bullets? We wanna get away not melt the Earth, so any other ideas?" I knew I could go higher than the sun's heat, I knew because somehow I remembered being tested in a thing called Z-machine which generated billions of Celsius in a controlled environment. The firing stopped. 'They must be reloading," I thought out loud. 'I mean, we're both super fast." 'You could've said that from the very beginning, like after you poked my head or before that." I peered outside of the wall we were leaning on. 'So, we just run, right?" When I heard his 'Uh-huh," I was already out of our hiding spot and was running. I saw people in black gears in the middle of plugging or taking out their magazines, one tried to stab me but I was faster and slammed his gun on his throat, I continued going forward but attacking whoever attacked me first. The place was like a maze with its white wall-to-floor design that I circled twice before finding the door that led outside. I halted when I thought I was far enough from the...whatever I came from, and Elliot stopped behind me. 'Woah, the last time I'd been outside was summer—". Had I even been outside for real though? 'It's winter already?" The snow buildup was thick it reached above my knees and it was strange that I don't feel cold. I felt the cold but I was not cold. 'It's still summer, T." That was the first time I heard sadness in Elliot's voice since meeting him. 'Supposedly." 'What do you mean?" I turned to see him walking towards me. 'Earth has frozen over and everything is dying."