Ch 5 : The Lab

It had been two days since the attack. They travelled continuously only stopping for bathroom breaks, nothing else. Despite the uninterrupted travel, everything remained normal. There were no more beast attacks or other abnormal situations."Why did he not attack again?" Yohan pondered.His plan was to make a run for it when the man with the silver wolf attacked again, hoping to rescue his target. However, to his dismay, the attack never came."Did something happen to him, or did he get scared?" Yohan wondered.During these two days, Yohan had mulled over countless escape scenarios, but none seemed feasible.Amidst his overthinking, he also learned more about the extraction panel."First, I have to touch a dead body for the extraction panel to work," Yohan recalled."Second, an energy pack can be gained when the core is present. And third, skills can be gained either when the core is present or the memory is intact.But I think intact memory is more feasible because skills are stored in the memory," he reasoned.Outside the bus, things looked way different. The roads weren't all jammed up like before.The once cluttered roads, littered with debris and damaged vehicles, now appeared clear and open, as if cleared for the convoy's smooth passage. Some empty guard post could be seen here and there which could be used anytime in the time of emergency.Even the screeches and howling of the beasts, which had been quite common in the past two days, had ceased."I think we've already reached the vicinity of wherever we're going," Yohan concluded."It means I've lost my only chance of escaping," he thought despondently.As Yohan looked out the window, he noticed a man standing near a makeshift gate, waving his hand to signal the bus to stop. The convoy came to a halt, and the leader stepped out to converse with the man.After a small discussion, the man gestured towards a building behind him, prompting several others to emerge with some type of devices in their hand.They proceeded to scan the bus thoroughly. Once the inspection was completed, the man boarded a car with the leader, while the rest of the men returned to their original position.Now, the prisoners also realized they were not being taken to a Federation prison but somewhere else.After traveling for some distance, the convoy halted near what appeared to be a shopping mall. Though slightly damaged, it was in better condition than the surrounding buildings. Soldiers patrolled the area, guarding the mall's entrance.While everyone focused on assessing the situation, no one noticed the faint smoke emanating from the ventilation area.Suddenly, a thud echoed from the rear of the bus, drawing everyone's attention. They turned to see a prisoner slumped unconscious in their seat.As panic spread through the bus, the occupants spotted the wisps of smoke and quickly covered their mouths."Shit, they used hallucinogens," Yohan realized, I tried to cover my mouth attempting to shield myself from the effects. However, it was futile.A wave of drowsiness washed over me, and before long, I succumbed to unconsciousness.When I woke up, I found myself in a room flooded with bright lights. As my senses gradually returned, I tried to move, but I realized that I was strapped to a chair—my hands, feet, and even my neck bound tightly."I'm going to die again, huh," I lamented quietly to myself.Click!The door beside me swung open, and a man dressed like a doctor, his gown stained with blood, entered the room."Wow! Look at you, already awake after breathing in a hallucinogen meant for a silver-level master with an unranked body," the man exclaimed."You really are special, as the chief said."I remained silent, simply regarding him with a wary gaze."Oh, a quiet one. I like it," the man remarked with a smile."Hello, my name is Oliver."Still, I offered no response.Oliver picked up a pad from his desk and glanced through it."Hmm, according to the manifest, your name is Nathan, and you're 25 years old. But judging by appearances, you're neither Mr. Nathan nor do you look 25. So, who are you, and how did you end up here?" he questioned me.I knew something was amiss. How could a 12-year-old receive a life sentence? There had to be some mistake, I thought."Hello? Are you there?" Oliver asked, waving his pen in front of my eyes in an attempt to regain my attention."I don't know why I'm here," I replied tersely."Oh, so you do hear me," Oliver noted."But I think know why you're here. Situations like yours are not common, you know. You can easily get out of a life sentence if you have power and the right connections.""So, do you understand now? You're just a scapegoat for someone else," Oliver explained.And then it clicked—"So that what it was ".I was replaced to take the fall for someone else."Can you let me go?""As you said, I am not the person you want, and my family must have started looking for me by now, even the police. It won't be good for you," I pleaded with Oliver."Heh heh, nice try, but scapegoats like you usually don't have anyone looking for them. And you are too special to be let go," Oliver replied with a smirk."Then I can join you in your cause. As you said, I am very special, right? I will be very useful to you," I suggested.Oliver chuckled."Well, it's not you, but your body that's special.And what do you even know about our cause.But I must admit, I'm starting to think you are special too. Your response to this situation is quite abnormal for a 12-year-old."Then the sound of a phone ringing came from behind me."Oh, look, it's the chief. He'll be very happy to meet you." Oliver answered the call,"Hello, Chief, let me—""Get out of there! The Federation is coming for you. They know about the lab.""What? How can that be?""I don't know what happened, but get out of there with the results and the serum.""Yes, don't worry about it," Oliver replied, his voice tense."Shit, how did they find out about this place?" Oliver muttered as he hurried to his desk, frantically collecting papers."Don't worry, kid. I won't let the Federation have you. I have a secure way to get us out of here," he said,.He unlocked the wheels on my chair and started to move me along with it out of his to long hallway."First, let me get the serum..."Bang!A sudden gunshot cut off Oliver's words. Blood splattered across the back of my head as his lifeless body slumped onto my shoulder."Don't kill me! Don't kill me! I'm not with them! I was kidnapped and brought here," I pleaded, with a trembling voice."Oh, look who I found. It's little Yohan. I wondered where you had gone," a voice said, dripping with a mix of surprise and amusement.