52 A Human Experiment

The woman locked her gaze on John. She scanned him up and down, but her lips never parted. John stepped forward unfazed. "What's going on?" he asked bluntly.

"John, I want you to meet Nova," Theodore introduced with a sweeping gesture, pointing to the blue-eyed woman. "My contact with the Luminars."

"Greetings," Nova said. Her voice was melodic yet hollow, carrying an otherworldly quality unlike any human tone. He couldn't describe it, it felt like it was high-pitched, but not quite it. 

John gave a curt nod. "Hey." The others muttered welcomes, uneased by this strange being.

Theodore smiled. "A great trial is coming. A dangerous monster approaches and battle is inevitable. Aside from myself and a few others, the entire shelter must band together to face it."

John's eyes narrowed, his mind weaving the threads to a theory. He had all the pieces of the puzzle, already: a Luminar was here, Theodore and his goons have had the system for longer than most humans and they won't be fighting this dangerous monster. 

John read between the lines - the Luminars must have prohibited Theodore from engaging with this approaching threat. This "trial" reeked of cold calculation. John's lips tightened with anger. Theodore and Nova would let innocents die without lifting a finger. He needed more strength, and when he does have it, these guys will get what's coming for them.

"Don't look so sour!" Theodore exclaimed. "The faction that contributes most will receive rich rewards from the Luminars. The mightiest fighters even more so." His grin was serpentine.

While the rewards did sound appealing for John, he knew this would be a massacre. Theodore mentioned factions and John assumed they were congregation of large groups of people like the shelter and if more than one faction was needed to fight this monster then it was certain a lot of people would die.

John's jaw relaxed and he smirked before replying, "Sure. When is this monster coming?"

"Seven days," Nova replied before Theodore could. "You have seven days to grow as strong as possible. This beast is like nothing you've encountered before," she warned.

John tried to get a glimpse of her inner workings, but her face remained stoic throughout. 

"Go, my boy. Finish that mission and grow as strong as you can. You will need that strength."

With that, led by Theodore and his men, the group made their way back to the mall they had secured. The outside view of the mall remained much the same with the a desolated parking lot. The inside, however, was changed completely. 

The group entered through a metal door that slid open with a hiss. They walked past a sensor that scanned their faces and bodies, confirming their identities and health status. A screen on the wall displayed their names and vital signs, along with a message: "Welcome back, Theodore and friends. You have 6 days, 2 hours, and 24 minutes until the trial."

John shot up an eyebrow at the mall's security. He knew the Luminars' technology was impressive, but this was too quick a change. As always, though, he would just take in what he saw and assimilate it.

Theodore led them to the central atrium, where he had set up a headquarters of sorts. He had converted the fountain into a holographic projector that showed a map of the city and the surrounding area. He had also installed several monitors and keyboards that allowed him to access the system and communicate with other factions and the Luminars.

He gestured to the group to sit on some couches that he had salvaged from a furniture store. He offered them some drinks and snacks that he had stored in a nearby fridge.

"So, how was the mission?" he asked casually.

John looked at him with suspicion. He knew Theodore was not interested in their mission, but in their progress. He wondered what Theodore was planning to do with them, and how he could escape his clutches.

He decided to play along for now. He told him about their mission, omitting some details that he didn't want to share. He also asked him about the beast that was coming, hoping to get some useful information.

"The beast is a powerful creature that escaped from a Luminar research facility," Theodore said. "It's fast, strong, and intelligent. It can adapt to any environment and situation. It's a threat to both humans and Luminars. It has to be stopped at all costs."

He smiled and added, "The Luminars have given me some clues about the beast's location and behaviour, but I can't tell you, not yet."

John listened to him, but he didn't believe him. He sensed that Theodore was lying or hiding something. He wondered what the Luminars were really up to, and what they wanted from them.

He decided to keep his guard up and look for an opportunity to get away from Theodore. He also decided to find out more about Nova, the mysterious Luminar woman who had accompanied Theodore.

He glanced at her, sitting on a chair next to Theodore. She looked like a human woman, but she was not. She had blue eyes that glowed faintly, and her skin had a slight metallic sheen. She wore a simple white dress that complimented her white hair.

She noticed his gaze and met his eyes. She smiled slightly, but her smile was cold and empty.

"Seven days," she said before John could ask anything else. "You have seven days to get as strong as possible. This beast is unlike anything you've ever seen."

John felt a chill run down his spine. The Luminar woman seemed kind, but her demeanour was unsettling. For some reason, she didn't feel like a sentient being, or so John thought.

John's body language spoke volumes about his unease as he got up from Theodore and Nova's presence. He excused himself, saying "I'm going to check on the others."

Theodore nodded, seemingly indifferent to John's apprehension. John made his way to the second floor, his steps measured.

Passing by storefronts now repurposed as rooms, John caught a glimpse of the contents, noticing stacks of boxes and crates filled with supplies and equipment. Another sign led him to a lab, revealing a large table brimming with computers and devices, wires and cables snaking to a metal pod in the corner. He wondered what it was.

He heard voices coming from behind a curtain that separated the lab from another room. He recognized them as two of Theodore's soldiers.

He decided to listen in, hoping to hear something useful.

He crept closer to the curtain and heard their conversation.

"…so, what's the deal with this beast?" one of them asked.

"It's a monster, man. A freak of nature. It can change its shape and size, and it can use any element as a weapon. Fire, water, earth, air, you name it. It can even control gravity and time," the other one said.

"Wow, that sounds insane. What even is it? Where did it come from?" the first one asked.

"From here," the second one said.

"What do you mean?"

"I heard someone close to Theodore mention that the beast was a failed experiment, that it used to be a human."

John's jaw dropped to the floor, his eyes widening at the revelation. 

"So, that's what this fucker has been doing," John thought. Things could get ugly if Theodore had the capacity to create such monsters and John would need to grow his strength as quickly as possible.