Prototype 13

Chapter Eleven: Zack’s Memories The alcove was silent except for the faint hum of machinery in the distance. I sat with my knees pulled to my chest, trying to make sense of everything Lena and the Overseer had told me. Zack’s sacrifice. My supposed purpose. It all felt impossibly heavy, like a weight I couldn’t escape. The quiet was broken by a strange sensation in my mind—a flicker of light, followed by a sharp, static hum. I winced, clutching my head as the sensation grew stronger. It wasn’t pain, exactly, but something foreign, something… opening. Images flooded my mind, unbidden and vivid. I wasn’t in the alcove anymore. I was walking down a busy street toward a building that seemed to loom over the rest of the town. Its sleek, corporate design was identical to those I’d seen in old footage—every town had one, built and maintained by the corporation. It served as a hub, selling tech, dispensing drugs, and connecting directly to their health system. Everyone relied on it, whether...

Chapter Ten: Isolation The hum of the chamber still resonated in my ears as we stepped out of the main meeting room. The Overseer’s piercing words and Dr. Egan’s clinical tone churned in my mind like an endless echo. Each step felt heavier than the last as Lena guided me back toward the bustling walkways. The vibrant world around us, once awe-inspiring, now felt like a blur—a dream I wasn’t part of. Every smile, every laugh, every purposeful movement seemed distant, as though I were watching it all through a screen. “We need to talk,” Lena said, her voice steady but tinged with concern. I didn’t answer right away, my thoughts too tangled to respond. My mind kept circling back to Zack—his life, his choice. “Come on,” she said, tugging lightly on my arm. “Let’s find somewhere quiet.” She led me down a side corridor, away from the crowds and noise. The walls here were lined with panels displaying maps and readouts, their faint glow barely illuminating Lena’s face. The air felt colder here...