Soldier 329

Beep. Beep. Beep. What was that annoying beeping? I groaned and opened my eyes but closed them tightly again due to the blaring light. I waited for a few moments before slowly opening them again. My eyes adjusted to the surroundings. I was in a hospital room and there was a heart monitor attached to me which was the source of the beeping sound. What happened to me? How did I get here? I couldn't remember anything, not even my name. I ripped off the numerous wires attached to me and got up from the bed. I looked around the room for something, anything, but the room was empty except for the bed and the heart monitor. I went back to the bed and that was when I saw it. There was a piece of paper on the edge of my bed. It had only a few words written on it: Soldier 329 Operation: Successful 'This doesn't make any sense.' I thought and gripped the paper tightly in my hand but a sudden pain shot up my arm. There was a fresh scar on my right arm that hadn't healed completely yet. I traced it carefully and felt a bump; something was implanted into my arm. I dug my fingers into the scar, ignoring the searing pain, but before I could figure out what that thing was I felt a prick in my neck then everything went black. "Stage one is successful. Subject is still showing signs of resistance which will delay stage two. The next time he wakes up, I want him ready." _____________________________ When I woke up again, it took me a few moments to remember what happened before, but when I did I was careful not to repeat my previous actions. The first thing I noticed when I got up from the bed was the man in a white coat standing in the corner of the room and quietly assessing me. He had a tablet in his hand and he occasionally tapped it while still studying me. "Welcome to Briselia. Your request to join us has been accepted and I am the doctor who's been supervising your case." The man told me calmly. "I know you're confused right now which is normal for all new citizens, but after the orientation and a few dsys in our breathtaking country you'll have all your queries and doubts omitted." He continued. I was still looking at him in bewilderment, not processing a word he said. "Alright then, when you finally grasp the situation you can put on your uniform which has been laid out at the end of your bed and go join the orientation. Don't take too long or you'll miss it." He said and headed to the door. "This orientation, where is it?" I asked him before he left. I glimpsed a smile on his face before he turned in the direction of the door. "You'll know." And with that, I was left alone again. I quickly changed out of my hospital scrubs and put on the uniform. It was all black and made of a material that reminded me of spandex with metallic blue lines on the sleeves and chest. It has a futuristic look to it. It fitted my frame perfectly and I knew it was made specifically for me. The number 329 was written on the upper sleeve of my right arm, the same arm with the scar but that could just be a coincidence. A million questions were running through my mind but I knew I wouldn't get any answers if I just stayed here so I left the room. I found myself in a place that resembled a hospital and holding cells at the same time and even though I didn't remember ever seeing this place before my feet were automatically carrying me towards the exit. I found myself in a street with a lot of buildings and each group of buildings was in the same color. The weird thing though was that each person wore the same color as the building he was entering and I realized that the color you wore represented the place you worked in. The only black buildings were training centers for the army. I felt a lot of eyes on me and wherever I looked there was someone staring at me in confusion. "Is that him?" "Wait, he's alive? After all this time?" "No dude, they must've given the number to someone else, he can't have survived what happened to him." "You know that's not possible, a number is never given to more than one person." Were they talking about me? What couldn't I have survived? I was about to ask one of the people talking when I bumped into someone. "Well, well, well, if it isn't our long awaited hero."