Specimen A grunted, the entrance had started to give way. Carl was standing beside him thoughtfully, trying to think of another way out.
“It would be easier if you helped a little”
“We don’t need brute strength, there has to be another way”
“When we were being initiated into the HUNTER program, this was the only actual entrance”
“The what?” Carl looked at Specimen A, his face contorted almost in pain, as if reliving a horrible memory. Specimen A’s face relaxed and he looked back at Carl. Carl was about to tell him to stop, he didn’t want to know. Specimen A, though, seemed to want it out of his head.
“The HUNTER program was meant to cure The Beast, we were selected, 6 of us, to undergo an infection and let our body fight it off. That way the antibodies produced could create a blood cure.”
“You seemed to remember it not so fondly”
“Of course, why else do you think I’m here? Specimen E- Died, the disease took him away from us”
“Oh”
“After him, I resolved, no one else would suffer the same fate. I took them before The Beast could”
“You killed them?” Carl was not interested in sugarcoating, this man was no friend, not yet, not ever. Carl still had to know exactly what he was up against. As soon as the word ‘killed’ left his mouth though, Specimen A’s face went red, his veins pulsing.
“WHAT? I DIDN’T KILL ANYONE! I LIBERATED THEM! I LET THEM REACH SALVATION! The Beast couldn’t take them anymore, no more. No more deaths by the hand of The Beast.”
“Calm down” Carl slowly tried to stop Specimen A from blowing a gasket.
“CALM DOWN?! I-” Specimen A angrily punched to his side, putting a fist sized hole in the entrance door.
“We’re free!” Carl yelled, they were going to have so much fun now.
Specimen A was quite angry, as he calmed down, the thought of the manipulating bastard beside him almost set him off again. Carl already had him figured out, edging Specimen A towards blind rage to do Carl’s bidding. As the splinters from the, now destroyed, wall stabbed Specimen A’s fist, he glowered at Carl. Time was the longest killer, not rage, not I, not The Beast. Everything fell to time, everything fell to time. As the thoughts streamed through his brain electric, the thoughts split again. Haven’t you caused enough pain? Haven’t you ruined enough souls? Prematurely sent them to heaven, hell, EXISTENTIAL GODDAMN INFINITY? HAVEN’T YOU DONE ENOUGH? HAVEN’T YOU DONE ENOUGH? HAVEN’T Y- NO NO NO! As Specimen A stifled a scream, his second voice took control. You will not speak, you will not hear, you will not think, you will not- Broken apart again, his mind fractured, Specimen A doubled down in pain. Fractured, broken, fractured, broken. Just as suddenly as it started, the fracture ceased, and his mind closed once more. Streaming into his consciousness, clear. Clear, clarity rocked his mental state as he lay there, still clutching his once throbbing head, as Carl looked down at him in inquisitive interest.
“Are you okay?”
“I am now”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Why were you in the straightjacket?”
“What?” Calculated menace in Carl’s cold eyes gleamed. His past was one to be forgotten and not called upon again. This gentleman, Carl thought, would not be one to question him. Or would he? The truth was scary, the truth was always scary, screw it, what was this man going to do with this information? The menace in Carl’s glare softened and he looked deep into the eyes of the cannibal before opening his mouth and answering without any emotion.
“I’m a verified sociopath”
“No conscience, huh?”
“None”
“Guilt?”
“The hell is that?” Carl said and then laughed humorlessly. Specimen A stiffened immediately. There was seriousness behind Carl’s admission. What was guilt? What is a conscience? What is a moral compass? He had asked these questions of himself when he was still, still, part of society. The greatest fallacy there was, one meant to keep people who were greater, better, down. Society was known for being nothing more than a goddamn farce, selfish desire to keep the masses entertained while the rich and powerful had their fun. Carl almost laughed aloud, POWER? THERE’S NO SUCH THING! He smiled gleefully. There was no power, we are nothing, playthings of the universe, living short and dying young. The blink of the quintessential eye of the universe was the concurrence of thousands of years of history, of conflict, of HUMAN LOSS. WE WERE NOT POWERFUL! WE ARE NOT POWERFUL! Being nothing was, although, the most powerful thing of all. Nowhere below to go when you’re already at the bottom of the metaphorical barrel.
Now It was Specimen A’s turn to stare. The hell is he thinking about? Creepy goddamn chap, isn’t he.
“Are we ready to go yet?”
“Let’s go rock the world”
CHECK BACK SOON FOR PART 7