Hysterical screams had shaken the very walls of its confinement. When the screams settled the cracking of teeth was heard as an eerie replacement for the tremendous noise that had rung the space previously.
It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, why wont it stop, it hurts, I'mhurting.
A man is seen in another room sat casually sipping on his morning coffee which had now gone cold due to his vast amount of work. The room was full of whiteboards and mountains of papers depicting many complicated theories as well as blueprints for a project they had finished not long ago. Another man who appears much older walk into the room.
"So what's the plan?" the younger man asks sceptically.
"You don't already know?" the older replied.
Both the screams and the cracking have now stopped and two large steel doors open to connect the two rooms together. The two men put on their lab coats and walk inside. The older looks at his watch and then towards the camera in the corner of the room.
"Retrieving Subject-29 Codename : Illogic at 0700 hours to be put through the newly constructed chamber" he said emotionlessly and sharply.
It hurts make it stop, please make it stop, no more.
The young boy which was until recently strapped to some machine was now being dragged out of the room. A long and heavily reinforced corridor lay between the room and the place he was being taken to and a huge set of doors were opened revealing a truly evil machine. The boy was rid of all his clothes showing a truly broken body - not a single area of his skin remained intact. Cuts, burns, needle wounds and even whole sections of his skin were missing revealing his flesh and bone.
"He has no need for hair and it could interfere with the machine" another man, seemingly much higher in status stated "Get rid of it"
So a large group of men who were already waiting inside of the room which held the machine moved towards the boy. Two of them pinned his arms and legs each while another grabbed his hair and started to rip it from his head.
The boy had now let out an even more horrifying scream. His jaw dislocated as a result.
why?why?why?why?why?why?Why?Why?WHY?WHY?WHY!WHY!
"Why are there so many people holding him down he is a mere boy" the younger man asked mockingly.
"Are you new here? Or were you simply born under a boulder?" the man of higher status asks him, "Kagi, explain to this dullard why we are being so cautious of this, boy "
"Right away, Lord Desmund" said the older man, bowing his head and placing his hand over his heart to show respect and loyalty.
The screams continued in the background while Kagi explained the situation to the younger man.
"You see, Subject-29 Codename : Illogic is a genetically modified human who has been altered to be stronger, faster and more mentally resilient than standard humans are. Therefore we need many more people to restrain him otherwise he could seriously injure or perhaps even kill the people that interact with him." he says sharply.
"So what's the deal with this machine then?"
"Its the epitome of mechanical engineering, a revolutionary machine designed for one purpose and one purpose only - death" Lord Desmund says with an unbecoming smile - interrupting their conversation.
"It is designed to kill in every way possible. It is half the size of this whole space station and requires the use of 87 % off all of the power this space station can generate to run as well as 5 tonnes of nuclear material." he continues with his smile growing wider and wider as if he is bathing in pure ecstasy.
"So what was the point of raising this kid only to kill him?!" the younger man asks, "Isn't it simply a waste of money?"
Lord Desmund looks at Kagi as if to signal that it is his turn to speak.
Kagi nods and begins to explain again, "In extremely rare cases, Individuals have been granted inhuman power. These individuals all have one thing in common. They experience a moment in which their death is all but assured. Then, they gain an extraordinary power to overcome death. Once they have overcome this moment however, they do not lose their ability. We believe that with this machine if every death imaginable all becoming imminent at the same time, the only way to escape it would be to manipulate time and or space."
"But not everyone develops this power so how do you know that he will?" the young man asking yet another question.
"By Tāhmir's name are you an idiot or are you trying to act stupid" Kagi asks.
"I was only hired to look after the boy, sir, nothing more"
"When the need for survival is at its peak and the Individual is about to die, that's when they gain this power which is also the reason why we have tortured this boy since birth and never shown him death so he is only aware of it by raw instinct. This will allow him to wish for a painless life. Since he is seeking life all the same, he will, in theory gain a tremendous power." Kagi explains again, exhausted.
The screams of the boy have now ended and he now whimpers in pain on the floor. The men walk back into the room to join the others.
"Enough now gentlemen, let us begin the experiment" Lord Desmund says assertively as if demanding it.
"Right away my lord" they all say in unison.
All the men take their positions by their desk with Lord Desmund taking his place in the centre, overlooking the operation.
Whirring of machines along with sparks and loud banging can be heard through the control room. Many different sounds and sights are being experienced by all of the members of staff. Lord Desmund in particular is overjoyed by the spectacle as can be seen by all of those working beside him.
All the lights in the space station have now been shut off and the power redirected to feed this monster of a machine - leaving only the life support systems powered.
"STOOPPP!!!"
Everyone was left speechless.
"I CANT BEAR THIS ANYMORE MAKE IT STOP!"
It was a known fact that everyone aboard the station knew. The boy never spoke - even when undergoing torture never once did he speak. He screamed, yes - but no words. He was taught how to read and write but he never uttered even a single word. Which stunned the scientists and engineers even more.
After a pause they understood what this meant.
They succeeded.
However, from the boys perspective, the ,machine was turned on and he was painfully killed as they had impaled him, crushed him, burned him, drowned him, exposed him to all forms of radiation, poisoned him, exploded and imploded. Every conceivable way he could be killed - he experienced all at once.
In an instant, he was transported somewhere he was not familiar with a place familiar yet unknown. It seemed to be outer space. He had never actually seen it before but he was educated enough to understand. He saw orange and blue gas clouds all around him as well as far away constellations though he could not make them out. A truly remarkable sight that could not be easily forgotten. Before long, a dark fog enshrouded him so that he could no longer see that beautiful sight - the first pleasant thing he had ever witnessed - taken.
"RETURN"
An ominous voice echoed throughout his mind and body, reverberating in his lungs. In fear the boy dared not move, he dared not to even breathe and blink for his instincts told him - he will die. Before he could even comprehend what had happened he was transported once again. He was back - but the machine was not on.
Is it over? Am I going to live?
"Enough now gentlemen, let us begin the experiment"
The boy froze, confused and frightened. More frightened than he had ever been before because he knew what that machine did now and he did not know why it was happening again. It was more painful than anything he could ever imagine and he feared the very thought of it ever happening again.
And so the machine began once more for the boy. He was once again torn apart and crushed and tortured all over again - but he did not die. Instead, he was back.
what is this? why amI here again?
"Enough now gentlemen, let us begin the experiment"
He had returned to before the machine had started he was now just as confused as he was scared and in pain. Although, it was not physical pain he was in because his body was back to its previous state - before the machine.
The boy couldn't explain it. He couldn't even believe it.
Did I die? Am I in hell?
He truly believed he had died and was repeating this cycle of life and death because he was in hell. After this realisation he stopped. He stopped moving, he stopped breathing, blinking and even thinking. It was as if he was a mere shell. But the pain never went away. He counted every one of the cycles of torture hoping it would help him redeem him from his sins.
One thousand seven hundred and fifty six
One thousand seven hundred and fifty seven
One thousand seven hundred and fifty eight.
He had counted for what seemed like years - which from the boys' perspective, was not far off. Afterall, the machine did not kill him instantly - it needed to be painful otherwise it wouldn't work.
His mind began to crumble.
"STOOPPP!!!"
"I CANT BEAR THIS ANYMORE MAKE IT STOP!"
And thus the machine was stopped and his hell extinguished.
Lord Desmund then asked the boy, "What did it say?"
Those words alone frightened the boy as he thought back to that voice. How terrifying it was. He curled up into a ball and began to shake. He shook out of fear and out of trauma. The trauma that he had experienced throughout the past 19 years had risen to the surface due to the vulnerability the machine invoked in him.
"What is with this useless creature?" Lord Desmund asks mockingly, "We built it to be mentally resilient and it whimpers and cowers at mere words? Pathetic."
"We are sure it worked, my lord." Kagi says, trying to calm Lord Desmund.
"So can we figure out what power he has?" asks the young man.
"Of course"
After long debates they come to the conclusion that it has to be something to do with time or space because anything else such as an impenetrable body wouldn't allow for him to survive poisoning for example so it is the only possible way he could have survived. They believe that he must have some control over his ability due to the fact that he is alive - but they know he doesn't know how to use it properly or they'd likely all be dead. They believe that his power could be the ability to allow an Individual to experience the future or the ability to traverse into the past. These abilities are among many, but they decided that it would be best to proceed under the impression that he is weaker so they do not overestimate him and lose such a precious asset in battle.
Lord Desmund handed a clipboard over to Kagi and the young man.
"I want answers to these questions from the creature. Get them." he sternly instructed and left the room.
The machine now rendered inoperable for safety - Kagi and the young man walked into the room with the boy. He tightened - afraid.
"I wont hurt you anymore, just answer my questions and you're going to be okay." he tried to reassure him with comforting lies, "What is your power?"
The boy didn't know. Even if he knew he couldn't tell them as he was still terribly scared of what lurked in the fog and he was too troubled to even bother answering.
"Take him to the interrogation room" he coldly demanded.
A seemingly endless cycle of torture followed by more torture. The boy didn't argue - he didn't speak. Toenails ripped out, fingers mutilated, beaten, whipped, cut, burnt, throughout it all he didn't move he didn't scream but felt the pain.
The pain was overwhelming for the boy. All the trauma he had undergone was too much even for him. He couldn't bear it. His blood painted the floor and his chair. The white lab coats now stained with blood and flesh. They prevented him from bleeding out by burning all his wounds shut and using a tourniquet - and they used opioids to worsen the pain the boy endured.
why? what did I do to them? I only ever lived is that so wrong? is my existence wrong? but, they made me. so why? why do they hurt me? why? WHY! WHY! WHY!
These thoughts sparked a greater change with him. With all this pain and terror he couldn't bear it a second longer. Next, came his skin. They scraped it all off down to the flesh and wrapped him in bandages. Cracking, that was all the men heard - the cracking of his teeth under the weight of his pain. He had bit down so hard that his teeth began to crack. His left eye, it was gouged out with his own bare hand and fed to him - nearly choking. His genitals, removed with pliers.
They stopped at last.
They gave him medical attention and sent him to a white room intending to drive him to near insanity to get him to reveal his power. He was there for weeks given only enough food to keep him alive. His hair began to grow back and slowly his wounds healed though not entirely. Lord Desmund had deemed him an unworthy subject and had ordered him to be killed and disposed of.
One single bullet in the head.
A release from his suffering.
A mercy.
A blessing.
He closed his eyes hearing he would die over the speakers placed in his room.
He accepted this release.
A gunshot.
I'm not dead? Or am I in the afterlife?
He opened his eyes.
"I wont hurt you anymore, just answer my questions and you're going to be okay."
"What is your power?"
He laughed.
He laughed hysterically.
A laugh so hysterical that it gave goosebumps to everyone that heard it. Kagi was especially stunned as he was the only one who truly saw the face of the boy at that moment. His mouth was open so wide that it dislocated his jaw and tore his mouth at the commissures sending blood to flow down his face. His eyes so wide open they seemed like they would fall out.
It was only now that Kagi noticed that the boys hair had somehow grew back. However, the boys eye was no longer missing, his toenails in their place and his fingers in theirs.
It was as if he had gone back in time. But his hair remained.
The boy continued to laugh and slowly his once black hair began to fade into a gentle and pure white.
The laughter stopped.
"Tell me, Kagi" the boy said through his teeth with such fury it was as though his words burnt the very ears they fell upon, "Do you have a family?"
This sudden change struck Kagi and the others down to their core. They had never witnessed such an evil aura. They were terrified. Not because they knew he had a magnificent power but because of the evil those words implied.
After a long pause he spoke, "Let me go and ill spare them at the very least, or did you also stain them with the hands that made me bleed?"
…