Vayda

Gabe bared his teeth in the mirror of his cell. He clenched his fists, crinkled his nose, and snarled like a dog as he took in his haggard reflection.

No one would mistake me for a Perfection now, he thought. These bags under my eyes, this mangy head of hair, these nails. I hope they're afraid of me.

It had been years since he had seen anything beyond the walls of his small cell in Isolation. After the shut down all those years ago, he was hidden away.

Just another failed promise tucked away forever. I wonder how many others were swept under the rug.

Gabe chuckled, slinking back to his dreary cot in the corner. He took deep breaths, savoring whatever last few moments of peace he had left before testing.

Maybe today Dr. Jekyll will have me run on an actual hamster wheel.

Gabe was much like Vayda, except not quite. He too had been neglected by his MOM during the shut down, but rather than pull through on his own, the Mechanics had disconnected him completely. This meant he was disconnected with a still incomplete body–a still incomplete brain. Rather than discard him, Colton had seen to it that Gabe was hidden away for testing.

Colton, Gabe growled to himself. If only they'd let me get close enough to him. That pompous prick would never know what hit him.

While Gabe had been spared, his suffering had only just begun. At the hands of Colton and the Mechanics that were under his thumb, Gabe had been "fixed" to meet the Facility Perficere's standards for experimental tests. Over the years, the Mechanics reconstructed damaged parts of him, created make-shift attachments for the unfinished ones. They shocked, pricked, and prodded until the rest of Gabe was functional. His brain, the very thing that gave him personhood and reason, was frought with Facility hardware and wiring. Like an irremovable flashdrive, the Facility would never leave Gabe's brain, nor his thoughts.

Gabe was connected to Facility operations in a way far beyond his own control. The Perfections were under tight control. They were polite, well-behaved, and susceptible to suggestion. The Perfections obeyed the Mechanics. Gabe however, would die for them.

With the rest of his body finished, and the Mechanics in his ear almost constantly, his “flaws” proved fruitful for the Facility. The robotic pieces the Mechanics added gave him unprecedented strength, the robotic portions of his brain made him fiercely loyal. There was one problem: these added pieces were not entirely compatible with Gabe's body.

Obeying the commands of the Mechanics made him physically ill, yet he had no choice but to obey. The metal wrapped within his muscles made his limbs burn like the hottest fire, yet it made him impossibly strong. In truth, Gabe was slowly being driven insane in his manipulated cyborg body, the parts that were truly himself forever locked in battle with the parts that were not.

He felt hatred for the Facility, but felt sickening forced love for it at the same time. He wanted to kill the Mechanics, but the weight that pressed on his psyche day in and day out forced him to guard the life of each and every one with his own. Gabe was suffering, and he knew he couldn’t hold on much longer.

I'm not giving in today. I'm not. I refuse.

Gabe flinched as he heard footsteps approach his cell. With a sigh, he stood, ready to face the brutes with their shackles and tasers.

Just let them try to deal with me today. Let them find out for themselves what kind of mood I'm in.

He shifted his weight as he heard a key card swipe and a buzzer go off just outside the door.

Here we go. No hesitation this time.

The door opened, gliding towards Gabe with a slight creak.

"Whatever you sods have in store today, you've got another thing coming," Gabe shouted. "Get out now while you still have both your eyes!"

But Gabe's mouth snapped shut like a fish gasping for breath as the door opened, revealing a woman. Flanked by two guards, she peered into the cell, a look of mild amusement on her face. She was middle-aged, wore a black pantsuit, and was perched atop tall no-nonsense heels. She brushed a lock of blond hair from her face, and pursed her bright red lips, irritation starting to darken her features as she made eye contact with him.

"Good morning, Gabe," she exclaimed calmly. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. It's really up to you."

Gabe looked past her in dismay, trying to avoid her gaze. He didn't know why, but the look in her eye made him uncomfortable. Really uncomfortable. The woman noticed his expression, and sighed.

"My name is Dr. Mariah Saunders, I'll be continuing your daily testing indefinitely. You would do well to remember two things. One, you will refer to me as Dr. Saunders, or Doctor, at all times. Two, I do not like repeating myself."

Gabe snorted, narrowing his eyes.

Who is this? Why would they send her down here?

"Where the hell is Colton, Doctor?" Gabe asked. "I've never done a single one of these useless tests without him here, why would he skip a day?"

Mariah seemed to hesitate, the slightest break in her calm exterior showing through for a split second. Composing herself, she smiled at Gabe.

"Dr. Peterson is taking a leave of absence, for his health" she replied. "Let's just say he bit off a little more than he could chew, and I've been placed here to make sure everything stays on track. Including you."

Gabe shuddered at her words, careful not to let his fear show through. He hated Colton—he had always hated Colton. But this woman seemed different in the worst possible way. The way her eyes pierced through him reminded him of a viper.

A viper with dagger-like fangs, poised to strike.

***