The Test Subject
Copyright 2012 Nemonica Bars
Cover Art:
https://browse.deviantart.com/?qh=§ion=&q=screaming#/di2stq
&
https://browse.deviantart.com/?qh=§ion=&q=murder#/d2hqynh
Great thanks to the artists who let me use their work!
-Nemonica
Chapter One:
It was late at night, my friends and I were supposed to be in bed, but we didn’t care, we were playing cards on my bedroom floor, Nicole, Brad, Tasha, and me, Jade . Nicole is a natural leader, she’s also my best friend, Brad is her boyfriend, he’s just a bastard, what can I say? There are some times that I really want to kill him, but I try to be tame. Tasha is my sister, she’s my friend despite the fighting, but I think that goes on with every pair of siblings on earth, then there’s me, I guess you could say I’m a dreamy sort of person, not the “I am going to find true love someday, and he will ride a white horse and save me from a dragon!” kind of dreamy, just that I love to dream, I believe more things than most people do…
“I won!” yelled Tasha snapping me awake from my reverie.
“Oh, whatever!” exclaimed Brad
“I was going easy on you this time!”
“Don’t worry Brad, you know I love you” said Nicole then kissing Brad while everyone else looked away in disgust.
“Nicole! Please!” I said
“Besides, I need some sleep.”
“Whatever…” said Nicole licking the Brad germs off her lips, I scrunched up my face as if to say,
“Nicole, no one cares how much you kiss Brad. He’s still going to be the ugly bastard he was before.”
I actually think about saying this, but Nicole would hate me for the rest of the century.
I ignored my friends and went to bed trying to fall into a great dream, and boy did I get one, I had dreamt that I was flying, flying through the sky looking down to the ant sized people, this dream quickly ended when I was awakened by a loud crash.
By the time I got my robe on and went outside, Nicole, Tasha and Brad were all outside, flashing green lights, people screaming, houses going down, it was absolute chaos! I could barely see anything, it was about 3:00 A.M, and all I could see was dust, smoke, lights, and fire.
I look around wildly while everyone else stared, wide eyed without saying a word, naturally I followed their gaze and saw something I never thought I would see. Being a dreamer, I had thought about it as a kid, but I never expected it to happen. I saw the flashing lights I had seen before, I could barely make out the shape of a plane, no, not a plane, a ship. A spaceship.
Now, this all sounds wired, I know it does, but I saw something come out of the ship, it was strange, yes, but it was there. It looked like a person, in a way, it had green skin with a tint of blue, a tail with what looked like an arrowhead on the end, long, slender arms and legs, and ears that ended in a scythe shape pointing forward and it smiled at us with snake like fangs, but change the skin color, fix the ears, take off the tail, give it normal teeth and put some muscle on the arms and legs, it would look just like you or me.
All this morphed into one being, the one that smiled at us I could tell was a girl, don’t ask me why, just that her face and her eyes, I just knew. Another one stepped out, a boy, again, I don’t know how I know, I just know.
“Stop!” yelled the male being over his shoulder, all the other alien beings, so to speak, stopped and looked.
I was just surprised they spoke English at all…honestly, I expect something like E.T. I guess we’re closer than I thought.
The only noise was humans screaming in agony from burns or major cuts. I saw one who was getting burned alive, her skin was bubbling and she was screaming with blood streaming out her face, you could literally see the blood in her veins boiling…I desperately wanted to go pull her out of the fire, but these creatures seemed to have no love or companion for humans, I didn’t want to have to give myself out with them watching, though I did start to cry because I could not do anything about this dying person calling for help…it’s probably worse than you think. I turned my attention back to the male and female creatures.
“What do you want with us?” Tasha bravely, yet stupidly decided to ask. The male and female looked at each other and grinned they turned back and the girl stepped up and held out a hand.
“My name is Divona, we come from Tiorahn.” She said taking Tasha’s hand in her own. Tasha looked terrified but was brave. Divona looked down like she was wondering what to say, then she stepped back and looked at all of them. The male stepped up next to Divona and said
“My name is Korvon, we will leave your planet in peace, we just need one human to come with us in peace.”
“What do you need us for?” I dared to say, but what I was really thinking was “Leave in peace? Too late for that one…”
“Our species, the Novineans, uses humans as well as other earth beings, for study and testing our own products, as I know humans do as well. Are you familiar with it?”
“Yes” I said a bit scared. Korvon nodded
“If one of you will come with us and offer a year of testing on our planet, we will leave.”
I saw the others shutter, so did I. No one moved, no one breathed, just the thought of being tested on.
“There is also a slight chance that you will…well…die, in the process of the testing…” said Divona hesitantly. We all shuttered once more and I thought of the burning woman, I glanced over to where she laid, fire devouring her dead body.
Korvon looked down disappointed.
“Or we will have to keep going and force people out of their homes to be tested…” he said sadly
I hesitantly moved forward to Divona
“I will go.” I said in a slow whisper
The others looked at me like I was crazy. I looked back to them and started to cry. Divona half smiled,
“Well then…we better get going…” she said, I didn’t look back to my friends, I didn’t want them to see me crying,
“Good bye…sister…” said Tasha crying while Brad and Nicole tried to comfort her.
I stepped inside the spaceship (which is not as cool as it sounds when you’re on your way to possibly die) and took one last sad look at my friends.
And I was gone.
Chapter Two:
They kept me in a confined room, fed me through IV, they call it “quarantine” I call it “the deepest level of hell.” I was barely aloud to blink, let alone walk around. I was asleep some of the time, and then when I awake I think “Why the hell do I have needle in my arm? Where am I?” then I remember and start to cry. It goes on and on…
After about 9 hours of nothing I felt a shutter, we had landed on Tiorahn. Divona came, took the needle and lead me outside. It was rich with greenery…more than Earth has…I could actually breathe, which made me want to laugh…people have been searching forever for another planet with oxygen and I’ve just been taken to it…
There was what looked like an animal pen…only there was 3 other people In it…2 guys and a girl. Divona led me over, opened the gate and lightly pushed me forward.
The pen wasn’t small, but it wasn’t big…it looked to be enough to house 8 horses comfortably, but 9 would be too many. I looked at the tallest male…he had short brown hair with slight waves and looked to be about 16
or 17 years old. The second male was shorter, maybe 14 or 15 with shoulder length black hair; his bangs curtained one of his ice-blue eyes. The girl was even smaller…probably only 9 or 10…she had long blonde hair and a purple Hello Kitty shirt. I almost cried at the thought of this girl going through something like this…and that she could die any day now..
“They got you too, huh?” the tallest one asked. Then he smirked “I’m David, that’s Marc” he said gesturing to the shorter boy “and that’s Crystal.” He gestured to the girl “And you are?” I looked to the others and back at David “Um…Jade…” I said nervously.
“Well, Jade…allow me to give you the grand tour…” He said “Over there is where we drink…” he pointed to a small pond “…And there’s where we eat...” He pointed to some flat rocks (Plates…I was guessing…) around a fire ring. “And there’s tonight’s dinner…”
He pointed to a young deer grazing in the corner…my mouth fell open. “We’re supposed to eat that thing?” she said in disbelief. David nodded “Not just eat it…we catch it and kill it too…” Crystal shuttered, apparently she wasn’t happy with it either… “That’s crazy…” I muttered. “We know…” Crystal’s small voice caused me to jump. “…But we have to in order to survive…” a tear fell from Crystal’s cheek as she glanced at the deer… “And what’s worse…” said David standing straighter “…You came just in time for dinner.” The next moment he and Marc moved to different sides of the deer, which was still grazing. Crystal squealed and ran to a different corner, kneeling down and burying her face in her hands. I felt sorry for her but there was nothing much I could do, so I watched Marc and David as they watched the deer…Marc took out a sharpened rock, his blue eyes glazed with anticipation for the kill…David sprung forward and quickly grabbed the deer’s legs before it could react, flipping it over. Marc sped forward and ended the deer’s life with a stab in the heart…Jade felt a tear fall as the deer struggled to get air but couldn’t…it’s eyes lost their shine and the deer was forced to end it’s struggle.
Marc smiled, obviously satisfied with their catch, then he caught my eye and his smile slipped, he looked down to the bloody rock, his bangs fell across his face as he did so, then he looked back to me.
“I know it seems wrong…but we need food…and if we don’t kill it here, in the most humane way we can…” His eyes flickered to a large building, probably where they performed tests. “…it would undergo much more pain…”
His eyes fell to the rock again “But Crystal is right…it makes me no less of a murdered…” he whispered. He tilted his a bit, causing his bangs to cover his face again...probably because he didn’t want me to see him cry…
Chapter Three:
We ate our dinner though it was painful and full of sorrowful glances at one another. We slept where we could…on the ground…I picked out my spot under tree and awoke to see Divona in the distance, walking Crystal out if the pen.
“Where are they taking her?” I asked through a yawn.
“To undergo a test…” it was David that answered, he shook his head, his brown eyes glazed over.
“I can’t believe they have the hearts to take a girl her age and cause her so much pain…”
Meanwhile:
Crystal:
I felt beads of sweat drip down my forehead, the IV in my left arm stung as the liquid seeped into me...they were testing the effects of the fluid and what happened when the blood-flow of the subject picked up...that's what they called me, a Subject, an It, nothing but a lab rat...but I’ll tell you, I’m much more than that, they'll see...because I’m getting out of this place...even if it means through death, but that's fine with me...
--------------------
Later that day, Divona brought Crystal back to the pen...She was looking at the ground, gripping her arm as they locked the gate... David was the first to jump to her side "Are you ok..? he asked, glancing down at the arm she was holding. Crystal forced her head upward to smile at him even though we could see it was fake as it was forced through a stream of tears. "I-I'm fine...my arm just hurts from the IV..." Marc looked at her in shock "What did they do to you in there?" he asked, looking her over. "Um...just, you know....basic stuff..." she said apparently not wanting to explain...
The whole time I just stood there, feeling not only pity for Crystal...but rage at the fact that they could just keep us here and do that sort of thing. It only became worse when she saw Divona again, watching me, beckoning me with one of her fingers that ended with a scythed claw. I shivered, but wasn't afraid...I wanted to see exactly what went on in there...I wanted to see what I was fighting against before I started fighting...
So, ignoring glances and whispers from her newly found friends...I went.
Chapter Four:
The moment I walked in the door of the building I knew something bad was going to happen...Just the way it looked...welcoming...warm, almost pleasant, but not quite...because somewhere welcoming and warm didn't belong here...It didn't belong somewhere that tested, tortured and killed people...
I looked at the waiting room; there were a few people in it that, for the most part, looked sick and hurt. Like a doctor’s office... I thought and almost laughed until I saw the room I was going into...
The door was of stone with a small, almost jail-like window with Plexiglas and metal bars on either side...
The door creaked open and I was taken in...Inside the room was a bed with those sheets you see at the doctors... Next to that was a tray with surgical tools and there was someone loading an IV...I gulped and laid down on the bed, feeling my body start to shake. "Jade...I need you to be still..." I heard as I squeezed my eyes shut...but I couldn't be still because I knew that even though this seemed like a nightmare...it was all real...
The IV made me drowsy but didn't put me to sleep as they made the first cut. What they were trying to do, I don't know, nor did I care at the moment as I was trying to scream but couldn't...couldn't find the strength as another cut was made...and another...and another...
And it HURT....
....oh, it hurt...
But I could do nothing about it...
Nothing but wait in pain for it to be over...
And there were times where I thought it would never be...
Chapter Five:
After a while, the pain dulled down but it never left. They put me in a recovery room. It looked all to normal... Just like a doctor's waiting room. I ate the small amount of food they offered me if you could call it food... It came in a shiny, plastic wrapper and when I opened it, small crumbles of a compacted bar fell out. I had no clue what was in it but something told me that I didn't want to know...
I ate it without question and looked around the room. No other humans were there except one, a male with shaggy, dirty blonde hair. He looked about 16 or 17 and he sat a few seats over from me with a broken arm held in a cast and sling. He tilted his head up to me, causing his hair to fall from his dark eyes. He smiled.
"James." He said
"...sorry?" I asked in question.
He laughed and pointed to himself. "I'm James...what's your name?"
I looked at him for a second, not sure if I could trust him or not. "..Jade...I’m Jade..."
He smirked "Nice name...so I guess they got you too, huh?"
I nodded and looked down "Yeah..."
"Ahh..That must also mean you're out there with David and the others...alright." He said, nodding his hair back into his eyes.
I looked at his arm once more. "What happened to you...?" She asked, gesturing to the cast.
"Well, it's kind of broken,
if you can't see..."
"Obviously...but how?"
"2 months ago, ran, tripped, fell, rock...not a very long or exciting story, love..."
I rolled my eyes "Well, I just wanted to know..." I stopped for a second then looked back to him
"Wait...2 months...?"
"Yepp..."
"...shouldn't it be fixed by now?"
He laughed "Yeah...but I make my own efforts for it to stay broken..."
I gave him a puzzled look "Why would you want it to stay broken?"
Suddenly, he looked at me with a serious face "Because as long as I’m in recovery, I don't have to go through testing...and you've been in there, you know how bad it is. But the longer you stay, the worse it gets and I’ve been here for 3 years...I can't take it any more..."
I felt a shiver run though my body "Won't they just kill you off soon if you're no use..?"
He looked back down "Hopefully..."
Chapter Six:
There was one free day of the week when no testing did not take place. It was every Friday that no one cried, screamed or bled...there was even a reason to smile on Fridays. They kept James inside, still in a recovery that would never take place. We sat around the pond and talked, shared stories and ate our food without a thought of what it was. I guess we wanted to act like everything was ok. That we were back on Earth, just hanging out like everyone did on Friday.
But it wasn't ok. You could see it in everybody’s eyes behind the fake happiness. The fear of the rest of the week and the realization that one of us could go to testing and not come back.
I found out that day how long they had been there. David had been there for 2 years, Marc for 5 and Crystal for 3. I thought about what James said about it getting worse the more time you spent there. I thought about how much it hurt the first time and wondered how bad it would get if I stayed another year...or 2...or maybe even 3 but by that time, I thought, I’d be falling off the edge of suicide.
We went through the day, cherishing it and wishing it would never end, but it did. And at night, none of us got much sleep. Maybe about 2 or 3 hours but that was it. I guess we all really just wanted to go home...even if we had to return to the worst of lives.
At about midnight, after getting no sleep at all, I heard Crystals soft sobs. I got up and looked around to see her sitting by the pond crying. She jumped when I put my arms around her but calmed when she saw it was me.