Imperium

Chapter 21 Part 1

"You work so hard to break into the Controller's hideout, you kidnap us, put us in your little hell hole, and now you offer me my release? What's the catch?"

Josh looked around, he could see that there is no-one in the room besides him. The sound must be coming from speakers, his voice must be transported to them through a mic.

The woman let's out a laugh, "Well, there is something I want in return."

"I'm listening," Josh said still trying to use his powers. He tried so hard, sweat formed on his forehead from all the concentration. He didn't notice it until the sweat dropped down between his eyes, it dropped to the floor of the tube from the point of his nose.

Josh wiped the sweat away with the back of his hand. His attempts to use his powers still held the same results, failure.

"Power is everything in our world, the more power you have, the better. I've gathered all of you here because of the power you possess. I want that power."

"I'd gladly give it to you, I never asked for this to happen. This nanotechnology has been nothing but a burden to me. Ever since I've gotten them, I've been in a cell, or under one's control. I can't take them out of me, believe me I've tried," Josh couldn't help but think. He might have been under the Controller's control, but he remembers it all.

He was wide awake when the Controller took over his body. He could see all the innocents he killed, all the destruction he caused. He remembered Shaun, seeing him use his ability in the fight.

He saw it all, but there was nothing he could do about. In that moment, all he had power over was his eyes, the rest was under the Controller's control. He has killed a lot of people, they begged him not to, but he did.

Their screams kept him up at night, he woke up because of nightmares. He couldn't go back to sleep after that, he was too afraid of the torture his dreams might carry. I should have died during the experimentation. Things would be a lot better if I were dead.

"The solution to your problem, is right before your eyes. The pod can free you of the curse that has brought you all this trouble. After I take the nanobots out, you're free to go. I have no use for you after that," the woman says.

The words, 'you're free to go' echoed in Josh's head. The woman's strongest weapon is definitely her tongue, she knows how to use her words in her favour.

No-one has ever came in here, and went back into a cell. Could they really have been set free, Josh can't help but think about the negative. What if she is lieing? What if this is all just tricks and lies?

"Why didn't you just take them out whilst I was unconscious? Why do you need my permission?"

"The extraction process is a very painful one, and you can easily fight against it. It requires cooperation from the subject, you have to allow the process, in order for it to truly work."

"You promise that after all of this I'll be free?"

"You have my word," says the woman. Josh can't help but feel a bit happy, having the nanobots removed is the first step in reclaiming his life.

"Go ahead, rid me of this curse."

A man entered the room, he walked towards the pod Josh is in. He started clicking on what looked like a computer, attached to the bottom of the pod. This must start the extraction process, the lights inside the pod went on.

The small lights are followed by a blinding light, Josh covered his eyes. He started being lifted up into the air, he could feel the nanobots inside of him jumping up and down. Where were they when he needed them to help him escape?

Josh relaxed all his limbs and took a deep breath, the process was said to be painful, it sure will be worth it.

Josh could feel his nanobots start to move up and down as if they where looking for a way out. He groaned from the pain their movement is causing, he was used to them moving around. Now their movement was vigorous, and it was as if something was dragging them against their will.

The nanobots started to go up, he could feel the nanobots in his feet course through his veins. The nanobots move up his legs and they moved purposefully.

Josh screamed in pain but tried not to fight the process. He could feel them detach from his lungs, liver, intestines, stomach and heart.

He suddenly felt hungry as the process continues. His energy started to drain and he felt weaker. The pain still unbearable, the nanobots in his torso move up his throat. Josh started gulping for air, the nanobots move up his trachea, closing up any room for air to go in.

Josh started moving and moved his hands to his neck. It was now that Josh realized that the is a risk that the process might kill him. His energy was getting completely drained, if this continued any longer, he would surely die.

If he really wanted them out, he had to die whilst doing so. He reached for his throat still struggling to breathe.

He opened his mouth unwillingly, the nanobots started to pour out of his body. The nanobots escaped through his mouth, his nose, his eyes, the pores on his skin.

The process was bound to kill him, there was no way he could survive this. He started fighting the process realising he had been tricked.

Was this the way he was going to die, atleast they would not find any nanobots from his dead body. Josh was finally getting what he wanted. His nanobots were being removed from his body, he would be free of what had made his life miserable for so long, but at what cost?