Human Untouched: Requiem of the State (Sequel to Human Untouched)

7.

It was a blank sleep, a healing sleep which broke almost exactly an hour later. I just suddenly found myself staring up at the ceiling with no remaining vestiges of the headache or the white orbs. If those were in my vision any longer, I'd start believing I could see ghosts.

Keelan and Rush were still passed out. Keelan's mouth was wide open, head on the edge of the pillow he'd grabbed and drool collecting on the floor. I smiled to myself as I walked past them into the kitchen to begin preparing breakfast. I was hungry.

They woke up a short while later, probably due to the sounds of my movement. Keelan quietly joined me, cutting up vegetables as Rush rushed off to get some juice from his room. It felt a bit more normal again after I'd finished eating. They left to change with half an hour left before reporting. I tugged off the shirt I was supposed to wear to the gym and opened my harness. The clip fell to the floor as my wings spread wide open, stretching themselves. They'd be tied up for a while more after this anyway.

I took a quick shower, pulling on a sky blue tank top and placing the harness on over it.

There were a few people in the elevator as I got in. We made small talk for a short while till we reached the mess. I separated from them, making a beeline to the bread rolls and dish of butter still kept out. The conversation died down once more as the screens in the mess turned white. I stiffened, but nobody else did as only written instructions scrolled on the screen.

Assemble in the station lobby with your teammates. Don't carry anything.

I fell into step beside Rush and Keelan as the crowd started moving. Keelan glanced at me sideways as Rush reached out to take one of the bread rolls I was carrying. The crowd drew eyes. It's not everyday you see so many uniforms walking down the street. I could see the curious looks aimed towards me, the only non-uniform in the middle of them.

Everyone lined up with their teams the moment we stepped into the lobby. Malcolm walked in, scanning through the rows, checking uniforms before taking a stance at the head. I consciously ran a hand through my hair, I was standing in the front.

"Private First Class Carai!" He suddenly barked.

I jumped at first, before walking over to him and snapping a salute. I visibly flinched as he held up the remote, starting to grimace right as he pressed the button. My adrenaline shot up with my heart rate, eyes widening as my hand shot up to my throat. But there was only a click. It echoed a bit in the silence of the room. Malcolm held out his hand, and I couldn't get that cursed metal collar off my neck fast enough.

"Get back in line." Was all he said as he placed the metal collar back in its box.

I snapped a hasty salute, walking back to my line and resisting the urge to rub my neck. Rush patted me once on my shoulder in a show of support. I turned my head sideways a bit to nod at him as the post-adrenaline jitters set in. I practically collapsed on my seat inside the jet as my knees gave out. I gave a nervous laugh as some other people stared at me. "I thought he was going to shock me again."

"Shock you?" Yi asked, confusion on his face. "That was a stun collar?"

I felt my throat dry up as I realised what I'd said. Only my team knew who I was. "Yeah." I replied curtly, mind blank.

"Why do you have one?" He continued, taking his seat a bit across me.

"I-uh-I have attacked my doctor a few times. I even bit him once, they made me wear a muzzle for a while after that." I gave another nervous laugh as Rush sat down beside me. "This was an upgrade. For good behaviour."