Mutation

The subjects of Experiment Three were herded into the common area like lambs to the slaughter. In the middle of the barren room stood the ropes of a ring.The scientists, silent, emaciated and bony, watched the subjects line up in neat rows. Every breath, every shuffle of feet, every nervous growl beat through the air like the sound of drums. The trials were about to begin.

Fourteen was standing in line, small, scared and doomed. Her large, green eyes darted around the room and found Seven where she stood in the corner. The tension went out of Fourteen’s thin shoulders at the sight.

Seven shouldn’t care. She was one of the lucky members of Experiment Two, one of the few left alive, tasked with the care of the subjects of Experiment Three. That's all. Seven had even seen this happen before, and had fought in the trials herself. Whether it was through cleverness or killing she had always survived. Always. Fourteen most likely wasn’t going to be so lucky. With a nervous glance towards the scientists, Seven crept forward. “Hey kid.”

“Hi,” Fourteen croaked. “Any tips?”

Seven twisted a loose strand of her pale hair with an equally colorless hand. “You don’t have much of a shot. They’re all -”

“They’re not defective.”

“You’re not . . . “ Seven turned away, trying to banish the sight of Fourteen’s curly head bowed in resignation.

Fourteen grabbed hold of Seven’s shirt. “Follow through with the plan.”

“I can’t -”

“You can.” Fourteen said, solemn. ”You have to. I was never going to make it anyway.”

Before Seven could tell Fourteen that she was as safe as any mutation could be, that there was no point in running if she was going to be alone, one of the higher up scientists strode to the front of the room. “Each of you will be paired off with an opponent close to you in rank. When your names are called, you will enter the ring together. Only one of you will exit.”

Seven saw Fourteen flinch. She could watch no more. Seven did not want to see herself live while others did not. Not again. As quickly as she could, Seven slunk out of the room and ran to the only place that made any sense - the tunnels. The secret door opened with ease and the dimness within welcomed her. Fractal patterns spiraled across the tunnel walls, glowing with faint blue light.

Seven made her way towards the labs. She peeked in through the peephole before she entered, just in case. The rooms beyond were empty except for the head scientist, Aaron. When Seven slipped in he looked up, scratching away at the flaking, dry flesh of his withered cheek. “What do you want, Seven?”

“I merely wanted to check on you and your preparations. You will have quite a large number of specimens to dissect after the . . . events of today.”

“Yes, yes it’s all taken care of. Now let me take a good look at you.” Aaron stepped back and raked a critical eye over Seven. “You’ve been eating correctly, I assume?”

“Yes.”

“Excellent. I need you in good health. Your venom is the quickest acting I have ever seen.”

“It’s a pity they didn’t let you continue your experimentation.” Seven said a little sarcastically, perching upon a table.

“Isn’t it? After the disaster of Experiment One they told me to make the subjects less volatile, and when I did, they were dissatisfied with your lot which were too-”

“Venomous.”

He slammed down a tray of equipment with a little too much vigor. “They wanted dangerous beasts and I gave them dangerous beasts! Perhaps your group was a bit too weak to combat the resistance that opposes our occupation of this planet but -”

“- This new batch lacks all the elegance of Experiment Two?” She finished with a forced grin.

“Exactly,” he agreed, “observation of your group should have been made a priority. You all should’ve been kept alive. Now even you. . .”

“Now what?”

“I can no longer protect you.” Aaron said quietly.

Everything in Seven went cold. “You don’t need me anymore?”

“The subjects of Experiment Three have reached the biological age of twelve. The time for elimination has begun and I can no longer find a feasible use for you. Useless things -“

“Do not need to exist.” Seven finished with dawning horror.

One of Aaron’s wasted hands reached up to push strands of his stringy hair out of his face. For a moment, she could see what he once was, before the disease had ravaged his body, had turned his entire race to rotted, brittle shadows of their former glory. Now, though, he was weak, weak and tired.

“You know that I am unforgivably fond of you. A scientist should never get attached to the subjects of his experiments.”

“But you are attached to me. You are!” To how deadly my venom is, at least.

“I can do nothing to help you anymore, Seven.”

“You’ll dissect me, just like the rest of them,” Seven said, struggling for breath she had never lost. “You’re looking forward to it, aren’t you? That’s why you want me in good health!”

“It is out of my hands, Seven.”

“Right,” Seven said, “right. Nobody can do anything. I can’t even fight back. How could you-”

Two guards trampled into the room, corpses slung over their shoulders. Aaron ushered them over to the mortuary tables and set to work. Seven tried to look somewhere else but all of a sudden she could only see the specimens that lined the shelves. They were maps of her insides, of the genetic splicing that had made her into what she was. Hands, spleens, brains. Skin was peeled back from the faces of dead comrades and strangers alike. She could see muscle, bone. This was a room of the deceased and she would join them.

Seven spun around, slammed the secret door behind her and slumped to the ground. She gazed down at her own trembling hands. There was nothing left. No assured survival, no control, no Aaron to protect her, nobody who would listen to her pleas. When death came knocking, somebody was always left behind and this time she wouldn’t stay alive. Useless things. . . “This can’t be happening. This can’t be- I need to get out.”

Seven tore through the tunnels, burst out into the compound and began to sprint towards her bunk. She had to escape. Now. There was no time to waste and no point in waiting anymore. There was no need to be cautious, not when her security was gone. There was nothing left to protect her and nothing left to protect Fourteen. Fourteen!

Seven inched her way back into the common area. Through the crowd of anxiously waiting mutations she caught a glimpse of the ring. It was Fourteen’s turn and she was losing. The girl was pinned, writhing beneath the claws of her opponent. Her only free hand was reaching out, groping for something. Then Seven saw it, a knife blade lying inconspicuously on the floor. Another inch was all Fourteen needed. Just as her opponent prepared to deal a death blow Seven saw Fourteen’s fingertips brush metal. Crunch.

Fourteen’s opponent wavered, swayed drunkenly back and forth and slumped to the ground. The knife blade was protruding from it’s chest and Fourteen wrenched it out of the body. Every single person in the room stared at the sight in utter shock. Nobody, not the scientists, not the other subjects, not even Seven had expected Fourteen to win. Seven sagged in relief as Fourteen staggered from the ring. Her curling hair was wild, she was covered in blood, and tears were streaming down her cheeks but Fourteen was alive. Her thin body convulsed with a dry sob. “I won.”

Seven dragged her away from everyone else. “We need to get out.”

Fourteen looked up at Seven. “It won’t work with the two of us. You know it won’t. They’re always watching. They’ll notice if more than one of us goes missing.”

“You might not live through another trial and I won’t live for much longer either.”

“What do you mean you won’t-”

“They don’t need me anymore. I don’t have a choice. I have to go.”

Fourteen’s blood splattered face crumpled. ”If I don’t go. . .you’ll leave me alone?”

“So you won’t go?” Seven asked.

“I can’t, not if you want to have a chance. . .”

Only an hour before, Seven might have begged. Now, she hardened. “Then stay here. I have my own life to save.”

“Seven-”

Seven left Fourteen’s side without a word and pushed past another bloodstained mutation to get to her bunk. The other girl stumbled but a queer little smile had spread across her face. Seven ignored her. One had always been weird.

Fourteen would be fine. She’d survived one round, another wasn’t out of the question. Fourteen would be fine

That night, the plan was set into motion. A pack, a cloak and nothing else. Seven was ready to run. Just before she left, Fourteen crept out of bed and hugged her tight. “I’ll miss you,” she sniffled.

“I’ll miss you too.” Seven whispered.

Fourteen pulled back, smearing tears from her eyes. Something in Seven clenched. “I didn’t want to leave it like this.”

“We’ll see eachother again, right?” Fourteen asked.

Seven reached into her pack and withdrew something that she had kept secret for years. She pressed the silver heart shaped locket into Fourteen’s hand. “This was something I picked up on my first trip outside the base. Humans like trinkets like this, use them for pictures, memories. Keep it for me, okay? You can give it back when we meet again.”

Fourteen clutched the locket. “Okay.”

“No goodbyes. I’ll see you again,” Seven said.

“See you again.” Fourteen responded, squaring her shoulders. With that last image in mind, Seven left Fourteen alone.

The tunnels were empty, easy to navigate. Soon, she reached the end of the passages and took a deep breath. The tunnels didn’t lead outside so she’d have to cross the next stretch on her own. It would be alright, just a dash and a well placed lie if she was caught. Seven crept out of the door to see the front entrance hall. It was empty. It didn’t stay that way for long.

Clanking, shouts, the stomping of feet. Seven was surrounded. How did they know? Fourteen would never - Instinct kicked in and she danced around their weapons, fighting back with all her might. It wasn’t enough. Then, she saw her chance, a gap in between the writhing mass of bodies that choked her. Beyond it was the door. Freedom. She ran. Something struck her. Once. Twice.

Seven’s hand fell to the floor, limp fingertips inches away from the threshold. She would never see Fourteen again.