4. Imprisoned

Comfortably sleeping in my bed, I hear some light knocks on the door before someone calls out. "Blaze… Blaze… wake up," A motherly voice echoes around the room. Slowly opening my eyes, I sluggishly rise from the bed and force myself to sit upright. Looking around, the only thing I can see is my bed and the door; everything around me is pitch black. "Mom?" I softly call out. With an eerie creak, the hinges on the door slowly swing inward.

As the door slowly opens, a wave of fear overwhelms me, making me squeak out a single word, "N-No…" Covered in blood, she slowly walks over to me, chanting something so disturbing that I would rather stab my eardrums out. "Blaze… why? Why? Why didn't you wake me up?"

"I-I… I did try!" I yell out.

"Then why... why didn't I wake up?" She says with a pained voice.

"I… I d-don't know…" Shrinking into the bed, I tightly grab the bedsheets.

"Why?" She takes a single step.

"I don't know."

"Why?" Another step.

"I don't know!"

"WHY?" And another.

"I said, I don't know!"

"WHY? WHY? WHY?" Slowly repeating those words over and over again.

"I DON'T KNOW! I DON'T KNOW! I DON'T KNOW! SO LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" 

Jolting myself out of sleep, I take deep breaths as I try to calm myself. Placing a hand on my face, I try to contemplate what just happened.

Damn it… not that fucking dream again. 

Ever since the death of my Mom, that nightmare has been haunting me for three years. No matter how much I try to forget it or how much I try to change the outcome of the dream; it always stays, like a wound that's left to fester. Sighing, I got up from the simple bed and walked towards the sink attached to the wall. 

Twisting the knob, a flow of cool water exits the faucet. Leaning towards the faucet, I slurp up the running water. After drinking, I cup my hand under the running water, which I splash on my face. Looking at the only mirror attached above the sink, I see the reflection of my muzzled face, my green eyes looking duller ever since I was captured by the humans. 

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After being drugged, the humans transported both of us on their spaceship. When I woke up, Amber and I were on the floor, bound by sturdy metallic handcuffs on our wrist, surrounded by human soldiers harnessed to their seats and wearing weird military suits. Even with handcuffs, I try to shake Amber who is still unconscious with no effect; I instead wait for her to wake up, hoping that whatever they injected in us will lose its effects. Then one of the soldiers looks at me; noticing I'm awake, he spoke to the soldier beside him. 

"Hey, the other one is awake," He spoke in English with a gruff voice. "Shouldn't the drug keep him out cold for a few more hours or so?"

"Dunno, the girl is still out, so probably the drug doesn't affect this kid much."

"Are you sure? A full dose of that drug can make a grown man sleep like a baby in a day and this kid just woke up in an hour. Even if we did use 1/8th of the dose, he should still be out for about three hours or so."

"I'm not a chemist, so I don't know why the drug doesn't affect him much other than the instructions I read."

After a few hours of waiting, I can feel the ship descending before feeling a thud as we finally land, waking Amber up in the process which was a relief. Releasing their harness, they slowly stand up from their chairs as they line up to the side door. Grabbing us by our arms, they force us on our feet with Amber still drowsy from the drug. With a loud audible hiss, the bulky door slides open, letting blindingly bright sunlight shine in the ship. Pulling on our arms, Amber and I begrudgingly follow the soldiers out of the ship. 

When we step out of the ship, a large facility stands imposingly in front of us; multiple trucks carrying other zulaiths are unloaded and funneled into the building who are no older than us. Pushed into the line of other kids who are scared and crying; Amber and I cling to each other to avoid being separated.

Entering the building, a group of humans wearing white coats and a few guards stand carrying batons, pistols, and submachine guns. Following the line, each zulaith kid gets a quick examination before attaching some kind of collar on their necks. After a few minutes, it was our turn. Passing through some kind of tall cylindrical machine, a ring inside it scans my body from top to bottom. After a few seconds, a human wearing a white coat spoke to a guard, not even whispering as they spoke to each other in English, "We have the TBCI prototype. Send the subject to lab room zero."

'TBCI prototype? What does he mean?' I thought to myself.

"Roger," The guard replies. 

Before I knew it, something was quickly attached to my neck before a guard grabbed my arm. "Let go of me!" I shout as I struggle from his hands.

"Let him go!" Amber yells as she grips into my hands. 

"Let go ya mutt!" The guard yells as he strikes Amber's stomach with a baton. "No! Don't hurt her, please!" I cry out as I see Amber collapsing on the floor, clutching her stomach. As the other kids start crying from the scene, Amber groans on the floor while trying to speak. "D-Don't… take… him… away…"

"Amber! Amber! Amber!!!" I shout out to her before I pass a turn in the hallway, seeing the last glimpse of her figure on the ground trying to reach out to me.

After that, it was all a blur.

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[Year: 2563; 06:00 AM]

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After washing up my face, I look at the digital clock on the wall. Kindly reminding me of how many days I've spent in this fuckhole. I don't know why they want me, but they've been monitoring me for years after being sent to this place. The only thing connecting me to this place is the so-called TBCI prototype. The only piece of information I have learned is that this is some type of highly classified military weapon that I'm somehow related to, which is completely frustrating being in the dark even though I'm in the center of this shit.

Laying on the bed in my sterile white cell, I mumble to myself, "What the hell is the TBCI prototype?" I close my eyes. Suddenly, something flashes in my eyes, and an electronic voice resounds in the cell, scaring the shit out of me. 

<The TBCI stands for Tactical Biomechanical Chip Implant.> 

Quickly sitting upright on my bed, I shout to the mysterious voice in my cell, "Who the hell was that!?" 

<I am system unit TBCI 1 acting as your AI support.>

Without warning, some texts start floating in front of me; displaying the text TBCI 1 in front of my field of view, no matter where I look. It reminds me of VR games HUD (Heads-Up Display) before the war broke out.

Regaining my composure, I ask the invisible voice like some lunatic; "C-Can I ask a question?"

<Affirmative, Blaze Vorta.>

"Uh… can you just call me Blaze?"

<Affirmative, Blaze.>

I sigh before continuing to speak, "What is the TBCI?"

<The TBCI stands fo->

"No, no, no! I mean what's its purpose is," I quickly correct the AI.

<The TBCI is used to provide support for the user.>

"What do you mean by support?"

<The TBCI unit provides support by enhancing, dampening, or controlling the host's body and senses using the TBCI induced chemical and electrical signals to the user's nervous system.>

"Y-You mean that you have complete access to my nervous system?" I nervously ask.

<Affirmative,> Hearing that sends a chill to my spine; <With the consent of the user,> After hearing the follow-up somewhat calmed me down.

"So that means someone operated on me and attached this TBCI?"

<Affirmative, the TBCI is attached to the base of your neck, integrating into the brain stem. After the operation, the TBCI started production on self-replicating nanobots inside the host's body.>

"Nanobots?"

<Affirmative, a maximum of half a trillion nanobots is in circulation throughout your body; aiding in repairing injuries and providing protection against pathological, chemical, or radiological compounds.>

After pondering for a bit, I ask the AI another question, "When did I get this TBCI?"

<Negative, no data on the date of the operation.>

I sigh, 'It was worth the try.' Checking back at the clock, it was almost 7 AM; the scheduled time I'll be brought to the lab. And on cue, the cell door opens and the familiar pair of guards stand at the doorway. Getting off the bed, I walk to the door with my two hands stretched out. With practiced movements, a guard placed handcuffs on my wrist while a second one observed us with the usual boredom.

"So how's your day?" I ask the two in English as we walk into the endless white hallway.

"The usual," Says the guy who placed my handcuffs.

The female guard carrying a submachine gun yawns as she answers, "Boring as hell."

"Every day is boring for you, Nicky."

"Well, duh! We just walk and stand around, Jack! How do you keep yourself sane without any entertainment!?"

"You do know we have access to the network."

"And it's getting old. We need something new to do around here." 

Listening to them for a few seconds, I spoke up. "You two know I'm locked inside a cell most of the time, right?"

"Sorry about that, but we're just doing our job," Jack answers.

"I know," I reply.

"Wait, if you've been here for a few years, how the hell did you keep yourself sane?" Nicky asks.

"They gave me a few books and a VR console to keep myself entertained when I'm locked in the cell."

"They gave you a VR console!?" Nicky shouts with a surprised voice, "God! I can't even have fun before I get chewed out by our superiors!"

"Well, obviously they'll get pissed if you slack off," Jack says. 

"Then why the hell did I join the Terran military just to be a simple guard!?"

A few minutes of arguments later, we arrive in front of the double door. Grabbing the ID from his neck, Jack presses it on the electronic console beside the door. With an approving electronic beep, the double door slides open, hissing as air escapes from the other side. Walking through the doorway, a lab full of highly advanced equipment is installed in the room. Scientists sitting at electronic desks and some walking with tablets work on their unknown project. A man stands in front of us, wearing a lab coat and glasses; with a scholarly look, he greets us, "Morning! How's my favorite Zulaith doing?"

Doctor Nikolai Orlov: with graying black hair and blue eyes; he is the head scientist and one of the top-ranking members in the facility. With a click on my tongue, I answer him with annoyance. A growl escapes my mouths, "Like a fucking dog." The two guards hold into my arms, my wrist still handcuffed in front of me.

"Language, dear Fox! You didn't learn English just to say that right?"

"Why do you care!? My Mom was killed and my sister was taken away from me for three fucking years in this shithole!" I angrily say.

Chuckling with a cheery smile, he spoke to me with a jolly tone, "Calm down, Fox! I already told you multiple times that your sister is doing ok."

"And you don't let me see her even once! How the hell can I trust you!" I retort.

Suddenly he raises his fingers and taps my nose, "How about this; if you answer this one question honestly, I'll let you see your sister." Hearing that made my heart skip a beat. 

I can finally see her? I can finally see my sister after three years!? My thoughts run wild after hearing that.

"This… isn't a trap, right? No hidden agendas or anything right?" I hesitantly ask him a question.

"Yes, I assure you I'll arrange that… if you answer my question." 

After a minute of thinking, I gulp down my saliva. I hesitantly gave my answer, "Y-Yes." 

"Good choice, Fox. Can you please take his handcuffs off? I'll be with him in the office," The Doctor orders.

"I advise doing that Dr. Orlov. Even if he's young, he can still harm you," Nicky says with a serious tone as she grips her submachine gun.

"I agree with her, Doctor," Jack says, "It's too risky."

"I assure you he won't harm me! Right, Fox?" The Doctor says as he looks at me with a smile.

"I won't, I don't want to risk blowing my chance of meeting Amber again."

"See? He's going to be a good Fox, so don't be so cautious!"

"But-" Jack tried to speak up, but the Doctor interrupted him, "It's an order, Sergeant."

Sighing, they let go of my arms before Jack unlocks my handcuffs. When he removes the handcuffs, I rub my now unrestrained wrists. 

"Good," the Doctor smiles, "Follow me in the office, Fox." Without hesitation, I follow him to the office; even "kindly" opening the door for me before I head into the room.