Estimated reading time: ±5 minutes
I've been at GenCorp for several months, sending messages to my mother every day. She asks me how I am, what I do, what she has to say to my friends who keep asking her for news. I answer the classic thing. I'm in rehab camp for my back problems. She also knows that I no longer have any back problems, but I have to stay at GenCorp until I can retract my wings. I'm also learning to defend myself at GenCorp, something that seemed a little strange to me, but good.
One day, I realize something. I could never go out with the wings I have, everyone will stare at me and call me a monster. Even if the people of my kind, the New Humans, are known, I couldn't go unnoticed.
Today, I had to go practice flying. I had some difficulty keeping the balance, but nothing insurmountable. So a guard comes to open my room door. I go out and salute with my hand. He keeps his serious mixed with some kind of disgust. I sigh internally, I don't like that guard. Sophia's nicer than Bryan. So we go to the training room. I remove my arnet which has been specially designed for my wings and keep them folded. Darakei was there, with a pad to take notes. He seemed a little lost in thought.
Sam: Are you all right, Mr. Drumel?
Darakei: Hm? Yes! Sorry, Sam. I was thinking about something else.
Sam: It's okay, I'm motivated for today! I feel like I'm gonna make it.
Darakei: I like that attitude.
He smiles at me and I'm going to get on the starting board. I'll take my place. To begin, I take a good breath and give a powerful blow to the ground. I know I have to give three more shots to reach the first ring, or even four if I want to dive. I give the four strokes of wings and place my wings very right to glide towards the first ring. The second ring is a little lower, I'll have to place myself at a thirty degree angle down. I pass the first ring and head for the second. The third is about 5 kicks higher and quite far from the second. That leaves me plenty of room to climb back up.
I manage to make it to the seventh ring out of the ten and I have to land. I'm exhausted. Darakei approaches, smiling to his ears.
Darakei: Congratulations Sam, you broke your record!
Sam: Thanks Darakei, but my record was one before...
Darakei: It's still a record broken after all.
Sam: Thank you.
Darakei's phone rings, he looks at it quickly.
Darakei: Excuse me.
Darakei answers, asks to wait a moment and goes further before starting to speak. I stand there looking at him and having fun folding and unfolding my wings.
After a few minutes he seems to be between submission and disgust. The person who just called him must have been important enough to put him in this state.
Darakei came back to me, pissed and disgusted.
Darakei: You're gonna have to go back to your room, Sam.
Sam: What?! What do you mean?
Darakei: I have orders and you are no longer allowed to go out or communicate with the outside world...
Sam: What?! This is bullshit!
Darakei: Sam, please don't make this harder than it should be...
Sam: I wouldn't get kidnapped!
I feel someone putting a harness on my wings to keep them folded. I turn around to try to defend myself. The horror to see that it was Sophia who had just installed the harness for me. Darakei puts the harness back on a little so my wings are in the right position. I was too terrified to do anything.
Darakei and Sophia take me back to my room which will quickly become my cell. I sit on my bed while Darakei explains things I don't understand, my head is elsewhere. I stare at the wall in front of me. Why in the second of a phone call, I find myself imprisoned? What are they gonna tell my mom? And especially that if anything happens to me, my mother will sue GenCorp. I hear Darakei's voice and I notice his face in front of mine.
Darakei: Sam? Sam?
Sam: Hm?
Darakei: Did you understand what I said?
Sam: Why am I no longer allowed to leave my room and communicate with the outside world?
Darakei: I told you that superiors have made the decision to quarantine the New Humans since one of the newcomers has a dangerous power.
Sam: That doesn't answer the question...
Darakei: You will soon be able to send messages to your mother again. I promise you that.
Sam: What if she tries to contact me again?
Darakei: I would take the time to explain the situation.
Sam: How long is this gonna take?
Darakei: I don't know.
Darakei's phone is still ringing, he's looking at it fast.
Darakei: I have to go.
Darakei goes to the door, followed by Sophia. I watch them leave and lie down in my bed, I have to place it on my side or stomach to sleep when I have my harness, otherwise it hurts. Also, why didn't they take it away from me?
I'm gonna get up and sit at my table. I had paper and a pencil. I start to write how I feel and then as time goes on, I feel like I'll never get out of here... I catch myself drawing a suit I might have so people don't recognize me. I crumple the paper into a ball and throw it in a corner. I hear the door in front of mine opening. I go in front of the little window to look through and see that they bring a young woman into a bed. Looks like she's asleep. One of the guards notices me and signals me to move from there. I'm not moving, I'm just looking. The two guards finish installing it and I hear them talking a little. I can kind of understand what's being said. Her power has just been activated and she no longer controls her joints.
I'm gonna go to bed. I don't know what time it is, but I'm gonna have to find a way out.