Test Subject 17

1. Subjects (2)

I jog down a long blank hallway, to the cafeteria and sure enough, Johnson is scouring each and every table. He sees me enter and a sneer goes across his face.

"17! My office. Now." It's all eyes on me. Their faces scan mine, but all they see is the lack of emotion I feel. I know because I look in a mirror when I get the chance and I'm in a house. My face is always blank and uncaring. Even splattered in blood. Maybe that's why they send me so much. Because I won't have any emotional attachment to the people I kill.

Shaking the thoughts from my brain, I follow Warden down yet another bleak, gray hall. The floors are so clean you could probably drop food and still eat it. Hell, I can practically see my reflection from the floor. Almost. The walls are pure white, like freshly fallen snow, as the lights flicker in and out, casting everything in shadow.

But not a window in the place. Unless you're one of the higher-ups and have your own office. Like Johnson, or maybe even me one day. The view out the window is amazing.

When we reach his office, I can't help but take in a breath. It never fails to amaze me, stealing the air in my lungs. I can see the moon rising above the trees. Our branch headquarters, or the Facility as us subjects call it, is located in a forest about fifty miles from the nearest town. Thinking about it, my kill is located in the city, about 75 miles away. Great...

After you walk into his office, to the far back is a huge window wall with a view over the woods surrounding the building. Depending on the time of day you're called in, you can see the sunrise or sunset, and if you're lucky, you can see the moon, like I can now.

To the left of the room is a big oak desk that's normally scrawled with paperwork, but clean and neat now, with a chair in front of it and behind it.

The one behind it is an oversized office chair, the kind you see in movies for villain bosses. I only know because I watch TV sometimes on a kill. It's a luxury we don't have here. The one in front looks uncomfortable, with its hard, straight, wooden back that sits at a 90 degree angle, and uncushioned seat, with absolutely no armrests at all.

On the right of the room is like a living room, the kind you see in a magazine. Although, none of us would ever live with a real one. We're all stuck here without any connection to a family.

One sofa is pushed against the wall with a beautifully lush green plant on the right of it and a black lamp on the other side. There's another sofa facing it, with a glass coffee table in between them and a sea-green carpet beneath them. Next to the lamp is a bookcase that has to be about 7 to 8 feet tall, each shelf filled with books. Tall books, short books, skinny ones, fat ones, paperback, hardcover, old ones and new ones. It was such a variety, it made me wonder whether Warden read them, or if it was just a collection.

"Sir?" My voice sounds like the way you would imagine a kid raised to be a killer. Cold and emotionless. I know better than to say anything else. I'm in here for a reason, better to not make the situation worse.

"Have a seat 17," Warden says, gesturing to the sofas. I don't question it and take a seat, my back straight as a rod. He takes the seat opposite mine, on the couch against the wall, chuckling. "At ease kid. The Superiors have a proposition for you."

"Proposition?" I question. I don't feel confused, but it's not hard to act like it. I've studied body language enough to know how to convey human emotions.

"Yes, a proposition. Think of it..as a gift. From us to you," he starts, smiling at me, all of his teeth showing. "After this contract, you will be given two choices. You can either become the company Killer, or you can be an Over. If you choose to be a Killer, your fingerprints will be erased, and you will do contracts until you become unable, and you will remain as 17.

"If you become an Over, like I am, you will gain a name of your choice, you will stay here in STYA, and aid in helping kids with their abilities, training them and such," he explains. I nod my head slowly. Both sound tempting. I wouldn't mind actually having a name, other than my test number.

It gets annoying after a while being called by a number. It makes us seem like slaves, or worse than slaves. Like we aren't even human. But I guess to them, we're not. Just things to control. Not that I particularly care, just give me a name and I will do anything. Kill, train. Even if I have to stand in a freezer for a couple of days.

"Sir, if you don't mind me asking, what's all this for?" I begin biting my lip as Warden smirks at me. An uneasy feeling begins to set in as he leans back, crossing his arms over his stomach.

"They see what you're doing son. And they know what you can become. With your particular...specialty, you can drive people to reach their full potential. Or you can be paid for what you do." He leans in closer to me, his elbows on his knees. "Listen, boy, you're perfect for either job. I'd advise you to take one. The other 987,788 experiments won't get the same offer, nor will it be the same way. The Superiors have favor with you. What do you say?"

I close my eyes, and I can feel the expectation coming from him. He expects me to say yes and pick one. I open my eyes. If I was a bit closer, I could read those emotional thoughts.

"Can I have time to think it over? I've got my next contract in a few minutes. I need to prepare and head out," I say, straightening again. He nods, offering his hand. I take it and we shake.

"Of course. Don't take too long. They don't like waiting. Dismissed." I nod and stand up, taking my leave, glancing over my shoulder at the window, and seeing the moon once again. Funny. I feel like this will be the last time I see this view.

After the door closes, I take a deep breath. I have a big decision to make. I go back to my room to take out my specially designed suit. It's all black to camouflage us with our surroundings since we normally do our contracts at night. I don't think anyone here has really seen the sun for more than a few minutes, if even. So I guess we're all a little pale. Except for those of color.

I think there's this one girl from Puerto Rico, and she still speaks Spanish, but her complexion looks like she's been sunless for a very long time, but still maintains her tannish color. Now that I think about it, it's funny how I understand her most of the time, but not enough to have a conversation. I open the case and sigh a little, looking at the clock. The time reads 8:17. Almost time to leave. I decide to head to see my "friends."

To me, they're nothing but people I hang with. I honestly don't care too much about them. They started talking to me and clustering around. Never bothered me much, so I never said anything. If I had someone to rely on, I guess it would be 6, 13 and 21.

Knowing them, they'll be in 21's room. Her place seems to be the popular spot for them. I open the door and I was right. The three of them sit or stand in the room, glancing my way as I enter.

"Hey 17, get into trouble again?" 6 jokes. She has strawberry-blonde hair with brown eyes. No prominent facial features that I notice at least. I roll my eyes at her and take my usual spot next to the door.

The rooms aren't that big, about the size of a rectangular bedroom. I only know because that's where one of my kills led me. I was chasing this guy, and like an i***t, he ran into his daughter's room. Her bedroom was nice, but too much pink if you ask me.

All our rooms are the same size, and set up the same way. A desk pushed into the far left corner, with a single solitary desk lamp. There's one file cabinet next to the desk. It's only ever two drawers tall. Filled with the files of our CKs, or Contract Kills. The completed ones always go in the bottom drawer, just to show that they've been completed and you're ready for new assignments. So far, my bottom drawer has had to be emptied twice in the last week. Dunno if that's a bad thing or a good one.

On the right wall, in the center, is our wonderfully firm beds. Complete with a fitted sheet, one pillow without a pillowcase, and a blanket so thin, you can feel a bug crawling on it in your sleep.

Actually happened to someone here once. I heard they freaked out because a spider was crawling on their stomach. They screamed so loud it almost woke up their entire floor. I almost laughed until I peed when I found out.

"Actually Warden wanted to talk to me about an opportunity for me," I say, my voice dull as usual. I cross my arms over my chest and look at the others. I can feel my ability activate and like always, it starts as a tingling in the base of my skull, slowly spreading over my body like a warm blanket. When it finishes, it feels like all my nerves are lit and firing. I can feel the slightest change in moods and everything turns grey. I read emotions more accurately like this.