Rendering Flames

I woke feeling like a drying animal hide. Stretched much too far, my limbs aching for release, and my circulation running rampley short in some areas. I was starved, my mouth feeling as if it were laced with cotton. I couldn’t move, even the more I came to consciousness, nothing would move. As I looked side to side, I began to realize how tied up I was, like a puppet almost. My wrists, my ankles, around my waist and neck, all were pulled tighter than a spring ready for release. My back was uncomfortably arched forward from my weight, my whole body was bowed forward ready to snap in half it felt. It also felt as if I had been like this for a very long time. I remained quiet though, trying get my wits about me.

I studied the blank, macabre room. The walls were grossly stained yellow and a faint red. Floors that were metal and had plugs ready to suck down anything that came their way taunted me, telling me that they were ready to take the hell that unfolded in this room away. The oddest thing was that there was no smell that was ghastly. It was rather plain, clean smelling. Was this all to scare me then? To make me think that unmentionable things happened where I was spun up?
The tasseled rope around my waist was suddenly yanked back from it’s end that disappeared through to the other side of the wall. I croaked in pain, my muscles scraped together and cracked like shrapnel rock bits. It was spun back tight, keeping me ridged in my place, it made it difficult to breathe. The door was opened and a short, measly man walked in. He had big round glasses on and his hair was wisps of brown.

“Forgive the state of the room. We didn’t have time to complete clean it after the last person that was here before you left.” I stayed silent. “But you don’t seem too alarmed by it.”

“Not at all.” My mouth was pressed in a concentrated thin line.

“My name is Eugene Waters, I’m the lead scientist here.” He spoke proudly.

“And where exactly is ‘here’?” I already knew the answer. Probably some research facility, funded and paid for by Kruger. Some experimental ward that tortured its prisoners to death.

“It’s obviously a place that has seen its horrors, that much is obvious. It’s a research facility.” I huffed in knowing. “A facility dedicated to finding and providing the best cure to Kruger’s developed chemical warfare weapons.” Oh.

“You’re not working for him? These are not the good guys.

“Not at all. We despise the man and although it may seem like this is a place of hell and terror, it can be a place of cooperation and a common end goal.”

“And what is that?” I asked.

“To defeat, Kruger.” He folded his hands behind his back as he circled around me. “I must also apologize for the state you’re in, we never know how people are going to be when they wake from the gas.”

“It’s a little snug.”

He chuckled, “again, I apologize. Will I be able to trust you and have your attention if you are released from you binds?”

No. “Yes.”

“Wonderful.” He waved his hand and the rope loosened at the same time, sending my body crashing into the floor in a heap ripely sore joints.

“I’m very thirsty.” I told him as I sat back onto my knees.

“Of course you are, it’s a side effect from the gas.” Eugene offered his hand to me and I reluctantly took it.

“Now, tell me why I should be trusting you.” I stretched my limbs carefully, wandering around the wide and empty room.

“Like I said, we do not work for Kruger. Long ago though, we tried to keep our research as humane as we could manage but eventually the things being used couldn’t be trusted with animals testing to correlate with human testing. So with hesitation, we switched to just human testing about ten years ago.”

“So you trick people into thinking they’re being helped and then you gas them, tie them up, give them some talk about the greater good and then what? You test them like the animals that you once did? Is this all that comes from it?” I gestured to the stained walls.

“No, not at all. We’ve had some great success stories but we can only keep up so much. It’s much easier to create inhumane things than it is to create the humane.”

“Then what does this all come to do with me then? Why am I here?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

“That you will be a test subject of ours. And we have two offers for you and only two. The first is that you agree to it. Working with us and corroborating will let you have a warm place to sleep at night, good food, and freedom to it’s limitations in the facility. However, if you refuse then things will be very difficult for you here, I’m afraid.”

“I won’t agree to anything until I have proof of two things.” I countered.

“Within the possibility of things, of course.”

“One of them is a tour of this place. If I’m going to be held here against my will, I might as well make the most of it. The second thing is that I was with someone when I was gassed, I need to see him.” Eugene’s face had a too much of a practice plastic smile ridden into his dimples.

“A tour would be complementary with your agreement. As for the gentleman you speak of, I’m afraid if he isn’t awake yet, you cannot see him. You can only see him if he agrees to what we are offering you as well. Vice versa.” I grimaced at his words.

“Then let me wake him. I can guarantee he won’t be pleasant to deal with when he wakes up and if you want things to work out for you here, then you need me to be there when he wakes up. I’ll explain things to him.”

“I’m afraid that is too risky.” Eugene was still smiling.

“Then I’m afraid I’ll have to turn down your zealous offer.” I crossed my arms, although fear was pumping through me.

Eugene’s smile faded ever so slightly and he stood in silence. “You will be monitored.”

“As expected.” I swallowed, hoping that I could get to Jaden before anyone else could.

“Alright then. We are in agreements then.” His smile was brighter than ever. “What is your friend’s name?”

“Does it matter?” I asked, not wanting to give away any information I didn’t need to, especially concerning Jaden and he was very much linked too.

“I suppose it doesn’t. It makes things easier to think of you all as test subjects. I’ll just lead you around until we find him. All the people you were brought in are in the same block as you.” Eugene crossed the room and placed his hand on a scanner. His palm was read and the door clicked open and he led me out.

The hall was almost cubicle, the sides angled sharply. Doors just like mine lined the hall, screens of live feed from the rooms adding an ominous glow to the florescent lighting. We walked and I looked at the screens as we passed, seeing many things. People still passed out, people fighting against the same restraints I was in, some being tested on, and some curled up in the corner. I came to a stop though when I saw him, fighting against the ropes harshly, his skin breaking and burning with each movement so that blood was starting to stain his skin.

“This is him.” Eugene cleared his throat.

“Certainly a spirited fellow, I see.” He placed his hand onto the palm reader and the door clicked. He reached for the handle but I stopped him.

“You can monitor from out here.” My voice was commanding, no room for negotiation.

And surprisingly, he backed off, allowing me to enter just by myself. “I will be watching closely.”

I turned the doorknob. “I’m sure you will.”