W
Wistful Beast
Guest
Original poster
Experiment 106. This was the name of the operation conducted by teams of scientists around the United States, the trials condoned and supported by the federal government. Scientists working in one of the many prison like, hidden facilities around the nation worked specifically on human experimentation. Ever since the year 2050, they have pursued the idea of oddities that can improve the condition of humans for the intent to use for combat or even policing.
The trials have failed and succeeded in different ways, each case providing room for advancements. The first trials were simple. Genetics were tampered with to allow things such as the growth of animal like horns or claws. Over time, genetic advancements allowed more advanced traits to be added such as muscle growth, different skin types, the ability of flight through wings, and so on. They have recently excelled in adding more advanced mental abilities. In the last decade they have managed to link the brain and nerves to the added physical traits to allow mild forms of shape shifting.
Each day more people are stolen away from their homes by Gatherers to have their memories and bodies altered. Gatherers are those employed and trained by the corrupt government to snatch away innocent civilians for experimental use. The young and healthy are usually chosen. The test performed on children have yet to yield much success, so the the general age of test subjects usually ranges from late teens to early thirties.
The subjects are brought to the facilities and undergo alterations. They maintain most all of their memories, only the ones about the state of the government being removed. They receive new memories instead, ones that allow them to believe the government to be beneficial. They still don't seem keen on being captured and changed, but small mental changes allow them to believe that the government is able to help them. The workers use this to try to calm subjects, trying to convince them that the government needs them to help by controlling the citizens. This leaves subjects conflicted, but most eventually give in to the brain washing and obey over time. The first few days usually offer the most rebellion though, leading to the employment of Guards that keep the new subjects in line and under control through force or coercing.
Recently, civilians from around the nation have began to revolt against Experiment 106, claiming it is unethical. The government has also been acting out lately, cases of police brutality at the hands of the successfully trained supernatural subjects increasing dramatically. The government has also been corrupt in other ways, wasting taxes and neglecting to provide and fund helpful programs. The quality of the United States has began to decline, the power residing int he wealthy upper glass and government workers who maintain power through scams and the use of test subjects to pick off those that won't cooperate.
Recently a new group of subjects has been snagged, those in the prime age and condition that have come from a college in the Californian city of Afonso. They have been taken to the facility located about 100 miles north deep in the confines of a Redwood forest. Here they are altered and their training begins in the giant concrete building known as Area 980. Among the newly captured subjects are Jay Fisher and Artemis Borddis.
The trials have failed and succeeded in different ways, each case providing room for advancements. The first trials were simple. Genetics were tampered with to allow things such as the growth of animal like horns or claws. Over time, genetic advancements allowed more advanced traits to be added such as muscle growth, different skin types, the ability of flight through wings, and so on. They have recently excelled in adding more advanced mental abilities. In the last decade they have managed to link the brain and nerves to the added physical traits to allow mild forms of shape shifting.
Each day more people are stolen away from their homes by Gatherers to have their memories and bodies altered. Gatherers are those employed and trained by the corrupt government to snatch away innocent civilians for experimental use. The young and healthy are usually chosen. The test performed on children have yet to yield much success, so the the general age of test subjects usually ranges from late teens to early thirties.
The subjects are brought to the facilities and undergo alterations. They maintain most all of their memories, only the ones about the state of the government being removed. They receive new memories instead, ones that allow them to believe the government to be beneficial. They still don't seem keen on being captured and changed, but small mental changes allow them to believe that the government is able to help them. The workers use this to try to calm subjects, trying to convince them that the government needs them to help by controlling the citizens. This leaves subjects conflicted, but most eventually give in to the brain washing and obey over time. The first few days usually offer the most rebellion though, leading to the employment of Guards that keep the new subjects in line and under control through force or coercing.
Recently, civilians from around the nation have began to revolt against Experiment 106, claiming it is unethical. The government has also been acting out lately, cases of police brutality at the hands of the successfully trained supernatural subjects increasing dramatically. The government has also been corrupt in other ways, wasting taxes and neglecting to provide and fund helpful programs. The quality of the United States has began to decline, the power residing int he wealthy upper glass and government workers who maintain power through scams and the use of test subjects to pick off those that won't cooperate.
Recently a new group of subjects has been snagged, those in the prime age and condition that have come from a college in the Californian city of Afonso. They have been taken to the facility located about 100 miles north deep in the confines of a Redwood forest. Here they are altered and their training begins in the giant concrete building known as Area 980. Among the newly captured subjects are Jay Fisher and Artemis Borddis.
Artemis felt the swaying of the vehicle she had been shoved into. It was dark as pitch, her eyes unable to pick up much of anything in the back of the van. Her wrists were cuffed behind her and despite her struggling, the metal easily kept her wrists in place. Over the course of the long ride the metal had chafed against her skin, sure to leave some red marks. In Artemis' mouth was a strip of cloth tied tightly to her head, binding her mouth to prevent her from crying out or speaking with one of the other people that had been stolen away by men wearing long grey coats.
Secured around her throat was a thick, metal shackle of sorts that was chained to the rough, felt covered walls of the van. Every time the van had made a particularly sharp and sudden turn, she had felt as if she were abut to be hanged. Luckily she had managed to re-situate herself each time to avoid snapping her neck. Turning her head as much as the shackle allowed, Artemis looked over at the six other figures that sat in the van. Through the thick darkness she was unable to make out any of their features, but she knew they had been present since she had seen them before the back doors were shut to sap out all of the light.
Artemis heard one of them faintly crying, the binding around their mouth restricting much noise to escape their lips. Artemis felt more inconvenienced and unsure than any feelings relating to grief or sorrow. She knew just where she was going, having heard enough stories of people suddenly disappearing. Gatherers were spotted often many people were aware of where the captured citizens were taken. Not the exact location of course, but a facility in general. Artemis had been scolding herself for not watching out for anyone behind her when she was walking from the campus towards her apartment.
Artemis was fearful now, but still not sobbing like another in the vehicle had chosen to do. However, the sound of their crying only fueled her apprehension and further unsettled her. She had every right to be unnerved, as she knew well she would be genetically tampered with. She could be killed off on accident due to a failed trial, or she would have to live as a supernatural being in one of the harsh facilities to learn to take down those that rebelled against the government. Personally, Artemis despised the government and those that were a part of it, but now she was aware she would be forced to work with them.
Artemis would do her best to maintain her sanity and rekindle her hatred towards the scientists and other workers. Sure she wasn't the brazen type of person that went out swinging with no plan, but she had other ways to make life more hellish for those that had to manage her. She had a more reserved and cold way about her, weaving careful plans in her mind. Artemis was far from stupid, having been one to advance in school and be able to retain knowledge. She had never been the reckless or more outgoing type, her approaches to tasks and interactions more calculated, meaning she wouldn't be the one in this new batch of subjects to try to start a riot. Her main weapons were words, being sarcasm, arguments, and more passive aggressive statements. Artemis has no time for ignorance or failure, sticking to her own moral code and way of thinking to keep her afloat in a world that tried to pull her down. Ambitious and ruthless, Artemis was confident that the horrors of the facility she would be taken to wouldn't be able to truly break her spirit.
Eventually, the van slowed to a stop and the engine died off. The men in grey coats reopened the van doors, the oppressive light that filtered in causing Artemis and the others to blink rapidly. One by one, they were yanked from the back of the van and guided towards a very tall and expansive concrete walled building that was surrounded by towering trees. A barbed wire fence enclosed the area and armored guards sat in high towers, watching over them. Artemis cast an icy gaze up at the gun barrels aimed in their direction.
A quick look over her shoulder confirmed that a few of the others were being more rebellious and refused to walk. Instead, they were dragged forwards. Being more prideful and unwilling to suffer such humiliation, Artemis walked obediently and allowed herself to be led forwards with long strides and a proper posture that gave her a very confident appearance. Artemis was rather pissed off about this whole situation, but she knew better than to choose this time to rebel so she passed through the main doors of the facility with little issue.
Inside the building, the floors were covered in smooth white tile to match the equally bland walls. More armed guards awaited them, helmets concealing their faces. The front room was occupied by a row of sleek, wooden desks and a few wooden chairs arranged a few meters away in rows in front of the desks. Well dressed people stood behind the desks, managing paper work probably regarding the intake of new subjects as well as some of their progress. The group was led through a heavily reinforced door into a small room. Here their cuffs were removed after the door was closed. The guards stood at the back wall with guns in hand, pointing them at the group. In front of the group on tables were neat stacks of clothing. There was a loose white shirt, black sweatpants, new undergarments, and black combat boots. "Dress."one man spoke in a deep voice.
At first they all hesitated, but a guard proceeded to shoot at the wall behind the group. The loud noise it created was enough to startle them into complying. Grudgingly, Artemis quickly undressed and redressed, avoiding the gaze of anyone else in the room. After they were all dressed, their wrists were cuffed, although not behind their backs this time. From here, the Gatherers left and let the guards lead the group through the next door. They walked down the hallway in an orderly line. Artemis still maintained confident strides despite her growing uneasiness. Within the next few hours they would all be altered, possibly losing their lives while still on the cold metal tables. The mere thought of flat lining on the unforgiving surface while not even conscious enough to bid farewell to the mortal world was enough to make the hairs on the back of Artemis' neck raise.
The group was led to a small holding room, the guards easing them all into sitting positions where the binding on their mouths were removed. Behind a glass window was a receptionist of sorts managing paperwork. Eventually they and a few others emerged, baring clipboards and a cart with equipment. In turn, they approached each person and took a blood sample and finger print test. Next they asked for their names.
"And what is your name, miss?"one overly cheery man in white clothing asked Artemis.
Artemis kept her jaw held firmly, staring intently into this man's eyes. She offered no answer, using silence as her rebellion. "Aw, not the talking type? No matter, darling. We'll just get your name using your finger print and our data base."he said casually.
Then he pulled out a scanner of sorts and held it above the underside of Artemis' right wrist. Without any sort of pain, a tattoo formed upon her skin. It was of the number, "1940." "There you go. All done. We'll use this number to track your progress and condition."the man announced.
Artemis offered him an apathetic look, still refusing to speak. Eventually her stare managed to break the man's optimistic smile and replace his expression with one of apprehension. He left to tend to the other group members. After this process, the workers left, leaving the guards. They were all to now await their procedures nervously. Artemis wondered what they'd do to her. Would they give her a monkey's tail? Or maybe the fangs of a canine. Or possibly they may poke around with her brain or something. Artemis didn't want to think of how she would be altered, instead wishing she had remembered to bring her switchblade in her pocket. If she had, there may have been a scrap of a chance they she would have been able to ward of the attack of the gatherer that had sneaked up on her and injected her with a strong sedative.
Looking around, she looked at the other people who had the misfortune of being captured. Among them was a tall, athletic looking man who had extra restraints due to his violent lashing out at those that had tried to guide him through the facility. A bruise on his cheek marked him as the man that had received the butt of guard's gun to the face, the sound having been heard behind Artemis when they had been leaving the area with the clothing. There was also a lean looking woman with dark brown hair and a quivering lip, her watery eyes identifying her as the woman who had been crying in the van. Near her was a wispy looking young man with a buzz cut and a short, black goatee. There was also a short man with a wild head of curly hair that almost appeared to be relaxed. Beside him was a young woman who was covered in tattoos and a small stud pierced her eyebrow, her blonde hair cut short in a masculine fashion. Finally, seated next to Artemis was a young woman with sharp features and peculiar hair. Her hair seemed to be auburn with multiple streaks of silver. While Artemis had closely observed each of the fellow subjects, she didn't make an effort to converse with them even with the binding on her mouth gone.