Meritocracy

The vehicle ran over a bump, lurching Veronica's body upwards and back onto the cold metal surface she felt below her body. This woke her, bringing about a hazy vision with hazy thoughts.

"Where am I?" She tried to ask. But the question was muffled by an unexpected strip of tape that covered her mouth. This led her to realize that her wrists and ankles were inhibited by metal cuffs that stuck her to a metal plate that she lay on, almost like a metal bed with no sheets or pillow.

Blinking repeatedly to clear her vision, a glaring white light set up above her prevented just that, as she could only squint her sight due to its brightness. Her thought was immediately interrupted by a heavy piercing pain that injected into her right temple.

"Mfurrfg!" She muffled in pain.

Suddenly, she regained proper sight. Her distorted visions were no longer provoked by the bright white light. Now that she could properly see, she looked at her surroundings. It was a tight, compact white room; seemingly the back of a truck. On the side walls were wide windows found near the ceiling, therefore preventing any passer-by from seeing what was inside. Surrounding her were three individuals wrapped in white suits, though they were occupied by separate tools they seemed to inspect and tend to. They hadn't yet noticed that Veronica had woken up.

"Where am I?" She asked again, this time to herself rather than out loud. Observing her current position, Veronica had no intention of brining attention to her conscious self. Her body suddenly lurched off its platform once again—the vehicle presumably running over a speedbump—though her body was held down by the metal restraints that cuffed her to the plate. She felt her body arch and ache with the movement bestowed upon it. She felt sore and weak, but revitalized in a rather distinct way.

Sniffing the air subtly, was the heavy scent of ammonia and iron.

Iron. This brought back the combination of a familiar scent; the iron scent of fresh blood.

This brought back another combination of a familiar scent; the sweet fragrance of Red Spider Lilies and more surrounding flowers, stained by the fresh blood of—

Veronica was brought back with shock at the thought—

Toby.

Blood? She questioned this thought too evident in her mind. Why could she recall vast amounts of blood, when thinking about the love her life Toby?

Her mental questions were discreetly responded to by suppressed memories that attempted to resurface itself. This consisted of nothing but a blur; all she could remember were the colors—red, white, and pink. The sounds—of agony, or of pleasure. The textures—hard, soft, or squishy.

What were these incomplete memories that infected her brain? Veronica wanted to know.

Deciding to look out the window against the wall, she spotted a familiar sight. It was the red sun, floating stationary in the night sky. Its bright entirety and red truth presenting nothing but the open actions of what Veronica did that night. The Blood Moon and its bloody truth.

The car was travelling at a quick but consistent pace. Veronica assumed they were on the highway with the speed she could observe. Through her steady sight out the window, she caught glimpse of a bright rectangle plastered against a skyscraper. It was a billboard screen, meaning they must've been driving somewhere past the metropolis.

Veronica squinted her eyes, as she could somewhat make out the words written on the screen. It seemed to have the same format that would state an irregularity. It read:

{ A late male Nexi by the name of Toby Lenton has been found segmented, gutted, and dead. The remains of his body were found scattered about his body. This included displaced organs such as punctured lungs, stretched intestines, ruptured testicles, and furthermore violated guts. The suspect behind this irregularity has not yet been confirmed. Authorities are still continuing to trace back to the individual. The murder, victim, and presumed threat, is based in the Numbra District. The Cardinal Nexus has concurred this to be a Level 4 Threat: Mild. Citizens of all ages must continue their daily routines, but remain cautious. }

Veronica's eyes furrowed at what she'd just read. But she caught herself subconsciously smirking under the tape. Looking down at her body, she realized her clothes were stained red and brown. A weird giddiness took over her thought, and she felt a familiar warmth arise from within.

"What's her name again?" A white-suited individual asked another. Veronica quickly closed her eyes and laid limp to avoid getting caught. Though she tuned in to what was being said.

"Veronica Lyst." The sound of footsteps could be heard approaching her restrained body. "And I'm sure that by what you saw at the scene, you could easily tell she's an irregularity," she paused. "This is exactly what need, and what A.X.A. wants. An individual that will not hesitate to go forth with their unlawful actions, as they have the perfect type of brain to study, and amplify.

Veronica noticed that the voice speaking was female. It sounded confident, and structured, yet dangerous in a steady way.

"You Angels are in charge of wiping her memories efficiently. This must be done properly to ensure she cannot recall on this catalytic event, otherwise the other subjects could be at risk within her presence," the unknown female voice spoke.

"We understand Overseer Ariel," the two other white suits replied in synchronization.

Keeping her eyes closed, Veronica was unsettled by the silence that followed. She could only hear the clangs of metal tools, and the steps of heavy boots. These steps approached her direction, and unsettling fear was now invoked in Veronica. She didn't know what to expect after what she'd just heard. She just wanted to be freed from her metal restraints, so she could leave and go back to the garden. She missed the scent of overflowing flowers; the sight of overwhelming colors. She missed it all. She even missed Toby.

Her reminiscent thoughts were then abruptly stopped, as a pointy pain injected into her left temple leaving her immobile. She continued to lay limp, feeling her thoughts and memories being severed into two, then four, then eight, and so on. This was until all her memories were divided into such small parts that they dissolved out of existence.

Gone were the thoughts of her memories and her doings. Nothing more remained.

Flowers.

Flowers. That was the only thing that remained in what was now her void of a mind; the word "flowers".