The Divergents, part one

The hum. It was always there. And it drove her crazy.

Sitting on the floor of her cell, Trix couldn't ignore the vibrations of her body. But the flooring material absorbed some of the energy coursing through her.

It had been this way since that Wanderer scientist bastard experimented on her and a group of other girls. She didn't know why he'd done it, given the reason those aliens had come to Earth in the first place.

But now, each had a new ability; everyone's ability was different. And hers was particularly dangerous. Hence, she was alone in a padded cell.

Trix continued staring at the wall, hearing footsteps from outside. It must have been food. Despite the experimentation, they kept her well-fed, clean, and, for the most part, comfortable.

But they did nothing to keep her mind entertained. And that was what she hated most about being held on the mother ship. At least the other girls had each other to pass the time.

On the other hand, Trix had no choice but to work out daily. It was one of the few things that kept her grounded. And now, she had the muscle tone of a gymnast.

Not too bad for a former IT girl and gamer.

She had been in the basement at work when the first wave of attacks happened, being one of the first kidnapped women. It all happened too fast to run, or else Trix would've found a hideout.

Not that she had been reported missing.

She'd been taken to the mother ship, where, instead of becoming a breeder, she was injected with God knows what and, one day, woken with the ability to control electricity. Then put into solitary confinement for safety reasons.

Her cell door opened, and a tall Wanderer stepped in, holding a tray of food. But he also wore a white coat and carried a med kit. So, he was a doctor.

Trix smirked, "Is this get-up supposed to comfort me?"

Something sparked in his seafoam eyes as he set the tray on the table by her bed. "No, I just like it."

She blinked. He actually answered her. None of the soldiers spoke to her, and the scientist only asked questions to which she was unsure of the answer.

And his response surprised her, causing Trix to snicker. Laughing at what she could had helped her keep her sanity in solitary confinement.

The doctor raised a brow but said nothing as he readied his tools. "I need to examine you now."

She stiffened. The scientist always made them remove their clothes. And by the twinkle in his eyes, she knew it wasn't necessary.

"You can wear your garments."

Trix released a breath. "Fine. Just don't get mad if I short out your tools."

"Oh, I'm aware of your abilities." He pulled out a device she knew to be a medical scanner. "Now, hold still."

She closed her eyes as the doctor began, feeling the electricity pulsing through his body. It made her skin tingle, and it was pleasant.

She frowned. That was new. But being in his presence was pleasant.

"Well," The doctor began, "physically, you're healthy, although your cortisol levels are higher than normal."

Trix glared at him. "I'm trapped on an alien ship, having been poked and prodded, with nothing to do and no one to talk to! Of course, I'm stressed!"

"Not all Wanderers are the monsters the few make us appear to be." He leaned back. "Most are just following orders and desperate."

"So, I'm supposed to forgive and forget."

"I didn't say that." He ran a hand through his dark hair. "Many Wanderers have sided with your kind and have bases on Earth."

Something told Trix he hated what his race was doing. "And you?"

"I stay for you females." He stood and went to the door.

"Hey!" Trix stood, not bothering to make a run for it. Where could she go? "What's your name?"

A small smile curved his mouth. "Callum."

Huh. Not what she had expected. "I'm Trix."

"I know." And with that, he left her alone again.

***

What a strange human.

Walking down the corridor, Callum couldn't help but think about his conversation with Trix, one of the enhanced females.

Unlike the other females like her, Trix hadn't been afraid of him, besides being worried he'd ask her to remove her garments. If anything, she seemed bored and enraged.

Callum didn't blame her. He, too, was angry about what his people had done to the inhabitants of this planet. So much so that he wanted to leave the ship and join up with his brother on Earth.

But he also couldn't leave the females in good conscience. He feared he was the only thing standing between them and the full extent of Co'vak's tests and experiments.

Callum still had no clue why the general even approved his request in the first place. It was terrible using human females to try to repopulate their race without consent as it was, but to inject them with enhancing nanites too...

He released a breath, cooling the fire roaring beneath the surface as he approached the containment pod, where the other enhanced females resided.

None of their enhancements posed the same threat to the ship's systems and people like Trix's, so they got to have living quarters.

Opening the door, Callum braced for the shrieks and the hiding. It hurt him deeply that none of them trusted him. But why would they? He looked like the scientists, even though he was a chief medical officer, and had nothing to do with what happened to them.

Walking in, he noticed one female sitting on the couch, glaring at him. Kassie. With her dark skin and curly hair, she looked different from the other enhanced females.

She also had a lick of defiance in her eyes as he approached. Luckily, pyrokinesis was not her ability, nor any of theirs'.

"I am going to examine you now." Callum grabbed his medical scanner. "Please don't move."

Kassie said nothing as he began his medical exam. But while she intrigued him, Trix drew Callum in like a magnet. And it wasn't because of her enhancement.

He quickly found and examined the other females, doing his best to calm them. It barely worked. He needed to spend more time with them and assure them he wasn't like the other Wanderers.

If only he could set up a communication link with Dae'lon without being caught. Then maybe there could be a mass rescue.

He already knew Nash snuck females out occasionally. And while he didn't help directly, Callum ensured the pilot didn't get caught.

Leaving the holding cell area, Callum made his way back to his quarters, body heavy with weariness. He would formulate a plan. He would save them, even if it killed him in the process.