Compound

AN: i have no idea where the idea for this story came. i think that aliens implanted it into my brain the last time they took me to the mothership. or i had a dream about it after watching some television show... who\'s to say. well, since i wrote this, it is mine in heart, body and soul and if you take it i\'ll grind your bones to make my bread. Enjoy!


Compound

Chapter one


I had lived at the military compound for my whole life. I was made there, a test tube baby who had genetically altered DNA. I was a super human, one of ten. I was number nine. I had never had the life of the people who were in fictional stories. All I knew was as far as the fence that surrounded the grounds. Never had I ventured past it and never had I wanted until I lost the most important thing in my life.

For as long as I can remember, I was forced into drill after drill. As soon as I was strong enough I carried a rifle around with me everywhere. When I turned five, I started to go to school with the other nine who were so like me. It was normal for us to complete a whole grade in merely months, sometimes even weeks. By the time I was eleven I had a masters degree in writing, history, and chemistry. Through my courses I learned of the world outside of my protected home. I traveled the globe through books and by the time I was twelve, I had become a specialist in the workings of the government.

Never had it ever occurred to me that I was different. True I was faster, stealthier, and used my library privileges more then my peers, but that never affected how I was thought of. The outside world was changing around me in my bubble. I read newspapers from all around the world and I was fluent in Russian, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Spanish and so many more languages. I often found myself thinking, writing and dreaming in tongues other then my own.

But I wasn’t stupid. Even from a young age I knew that they searched us for differences. Other then our physical looks, the ten of us were supposed to be identical in everyway. We were supposed to be matched equally in intelligence, strength and cunning. I wasn’t, I was superior. The others either never noticed or never cared. We all knew that one day we were going to be called on to protect our country. It was what we had been made for. With us, whoever we fought for would win by a landslide. Their little Plan X they called us.

Scientists tested us weekly, our superior officers daily. They found our fears, weaknesses and destroyed them. But no matter what they did they could never defeat my one deepest fear, the fear of being found out. Because of they knew about that, they would take me away from the only people that I loved. My fellow altered brothers and sisters.

The ten of us were always together. We sat in order of our numbers so I was always second last. First was David, second was Elliot, third Stefannie, fourth Andrew, fifth Jacob, sixth and seventh were the twins Rebecca and Allison, eighth was Michael and tenth was Francine. I was ninth, Katrina. Five girls, five boys, they made us evenly matched. The twins were a fluke though. The doctors weren’t suspecting them but they happened anyways. A miracle of science they called them, a set of bitches I said. There was supposed to be another girl after Francine but they got rid of her as soon as they discovered the twins. It might seem odd that no one cared, but there was this feeling of incomplete in my soul. I think that I just wanted to know what had happened to her.

For seventeen years we had always been together, seventeen years of sharing everything, seventeen years of having a feeling of family. All of that was shattered that rainy day in November.


It had been a long morning of drills. We had to do the twenty-kilometer run through the early morning drizzle and I gained five demerits for jumping in a puddle when I thought that the general wasn’t looking. It was the dumb bitch who always had a look on her face as if a stick was shoved up her ass. She was new and obviously didn’t know anything. Sure she had medals from the third world was but who really cares? That had ended years ago much to my dismay. I had been hoping that I would have been able to join in. She made me do twenty pushups for that too. And then made me do another fifteen for rolling my eyes at David while I was standing up. Oh well, she would get hers after lights out.

That afternoon the ten of us were called to the biology lab. Dr. Fitzgerald had said that there was something important that she wanted to tell us. This was normal though so I thought nothing of it as I ate my lunch wedged between Francine and Michael. The typical gruel was being served and I was happy. It was the good gruel that resembled macaroni and cheese. All of the gruel resembled some type of real food but rarely tasted like it. Cookie wasn’t a very great cook, though he had an excuse, he was half blind and couldn’t read the directions very well.

I finished eating in record time and took the few extra minutes to quickly change my clothing. If I was going to have to listen to the usual drone of results from Doc then I was going to be comfortable. It was odd but I had always been issued more comfortable clothing then the usual cadet. The same went for my fellow altered siblings. The ten of us usually got away with murder and were allowed to wear clothes other then the usual issued uniforms. Maybe it was because as the other cadets in our rank got to go home for the major holidays, but we were home already. Also we never had to sleep in the dormitories. Each of my had our own room in a separate building that was connected to the restricted laboratories. We also didn’t have to share the group bathrooms. We didn’t have to shower in groups and we never had to do our own laundry.

Changing into well-worn jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt I walked quietly through the corridors to the bio lab. Having taken a short cut through the gymnasium, I was still the last to slip into my seat. Thankfully Doc still wasn’t there and my seat was close to the door. Moments after I had settled and started a challenging game of arm wrestling with Francine, Doc seemed to materialize from no where to stand in front of us all in her usual attire.

A knee length white lab coat and suit pants. She had always seemed to me to resemble a marshmallow on a stick. She was all pudgy and soft, but her temper was one not to tamper with. She had always been a mother figure to all of us and had always treated us with loving discipline. She was our main creator, the director of the initial experiment that had created us all. We were her test tube babies. Still, I thought that she could stand to lose a couple of pounds. At least then she wouldn’t be confused as the Pillsbury doughboy. But I did have a sense of love towards her.

“Good afternoon everyone. Five would you please take your feet off of the counter?” She greeted us in her warm way. Never can I remember her using our given names to address us. Always she used our numbers. But that didn’t make us have any less respect for her. In fact it made us respect her more if anything. Jacob promptly slid his feet to the floor and sat up straighter in his chair.

We all tried to kiss up to Doc so that we would get extra privileges or even one of her rare compliments, but Jake seemed to kiss ass more then the rest of us. Although Francine was Doc’s obvious favorite because she harbored many of Doc’s personality traits and physical looks. That was because each of us had the same DNA strands from the many different donors, Frankie had a fair amount more of Doc’s genetic material then the rest of us. Therefore resulting in her bond with the good doctor.

Í have some good news everyone.” Doc said from the front of the room, “The Prime Minister wants to see you all this weekend. So you will be leaving tonight right after I am through with talking to you.”

An excited murmur went around the room. Never had we left our protected home to see important people. This was a first, always they came here and the PM Herbert Walsh was someone that we had all known personally since forever it seemed. I saw Elliot put his hand up out of the corner of my eye. There was a meek expression on his face. He had always been nervous around Doc, but that never stopped him from asking one of his many questions.

“Someone will answer all of your questions on the bus. Now, all of you can go straight to the bus. Your things have been pre-packed for you.” As we all got up in unison and started to walk out the door, Doc seemed to remember something. “Oh, four, five, seven and nine…would you stay behind for a moment. The rest of you can go ahead.”

Rebecca and Allison exchanged a nervous glance. Never before were they separated into different groups, with the exception for tests. But they reluctantly went their separate ways. “I’ll save you a seat.” Whispered Rebecca just before she was shoved none too carefully out of the door by Doc.

“You may be wondering why I have separated you so. Well there is an explanation, but first I need to do some blood work on you. So would each of you go to your respected labs?”

Augh, our respected labs. Ever since I can remember we have each had our own labs where we get CAT scans, blood work and whatnot taken care of when need be. Each was sterile and smelled like ammonia cleaners. But it was a smell that I, as well as everyone else, was used too. In fact it was in some weird way comforting and relaxing. We each had a regular lab technician although today as I walked into the air-conditioned room, there was a large man sitting in a chair in the middle of the room. Normally Irma took care of me in these situations so the sight of this guy sent me into a loop.

“Where’s Irma?” I asked him, avoiding any unneeded small talk.

“She’s not here.” He answered. Talk about stating the obvious. But before I could make some smart comment about that he continued. “Although I did hear that she was no longer employed here. So from now on you will have me.”

Oh lucky me, I thought, I’m so happy that I could die of the overwhelming. But I would just have to make the best of the situation.

“Okay then, what are we doing to me today then? The usual tests or just a check-up?” I inquired.

He didn’t answer me. Instead he rummaged around in the refrigerator for something and emerged holding a syringe full of a bright yellow liquid. He gestured to me to sit on the table and walked over to me as I was doing so.

“Roll up your right sleeve please.” He said curtly. I did so, figuring that it was a normal vaccination of some sort but as soon as it was administrated, until I developed a funny sensation in my limbs. It felt as though my arms and legs had turned to mush.

“What did you give me?” I demanded just above a whisper as my senses were becoming numb and while I was fighting to keep my eyes open. But I don’t remember receiving an answer.