Episode 21

"TAKE A SEAT"

Everyone hesitated, but eventually they filled in the conveniently numbered seats.  They were simple black folding chairs facing the glass screen.  It was like watching a movie at the theater.  

Jacob felt his back stiffen.  Poor Jane, he thought, she’d been through enough, and by the looks of it so had the other two.  His eyes stopped on the other blonde girl in one of the tubs.  Her water was turning off-pink from the fresh cuts on her body.  Something about her was familiar, though.  It was hard to tell because her eyes were closed, but he was sure he’d seen her somewhere before.

“What are their names?” Jacob asked, “The one in the middle… is Jane.”

“That’s Andrew,” Aaron said.

“And Taylor,” Blake added.

Taylor.  Jacob folded his arms across his chest.  Why was she so familiar?  

“Is that a camera?” Alaire said.

In the top right corner of the dark room looked like a security camera, pointed at them with a red blinking light.  “We saw one of those when Taylor and I were captured,” Blake said. 

Jacob shook his head, cameras too?

"BEFORE WE BEGIN"

The booming voice startled them.

"YOUR OVERALL PERFORMANCE." 

"JACOB AND MATT."

Jacob took a sharp breath, and Matt looked over at him as if to say “we’re screwed.”

"YOUR GROUP PERFORMANCE WAS ADEQUATE."

"BLAKE AND ALAIRE." 

“Adequate? Two people died,” Matt muttered. 

"YOUR GROUP PERFORMANCE WAS SUBPAR."

"AARON AND KATIE."

“Can’t decide if I’m offended or not,” Blake leaned over to Alaire.

"YOUR GROUP."

"FAILED."

“Failed?” Aaron repeated. 

"AARON.  THE FAULT WAS IN YOUR ACTIONS.  YOUR PUNISHMENT, AS SEEN FIT."

“What do they mean?” Katie asked.

Suddenly, the tub holding Andrew’s broken body started to spark.  He was being electrocuted.  His limbs and neck jolted until the sparks ceased.  

Everyone was in a panic.  Katie shrieked and covered her eyes while Aaron bellowed harsh profanities.  

“Let us out of here now!” Blake shouted.

“You guys are sick!” Matt roared

Jacob heard something click from behind them.  He slowly turned around and saw a gun attached to a moving turret.  It aimed at the back of Aaron’s head.

“Guys, stop,” Jacob said, “They’ve got us at gunpoint.  They’re definitely watching us…”

"AARON. YOU WILL CONTINUE THE PROJECT WITHOUT YOUR GROUP."

Before anyone could react or think about what the voice just said, a deafening gunshot rang, and drops of blood sprayed like a confetti popper.  Katie’s body slumped off of her seat.  

“NO! You bastards!” Aaron attempted to pick Katie up, even though it was clear she was dead.  Jacob wanted to throw up, or die, he didn't care at the moment.  The waiting in torment was harder to bear each second.  She was alive two seconds ago, and like that, gone. 

“Aaron,” Alaire’s voice quaked, “I’m so sorry but… Leave her, before they shoot you too…” 

Aaron’s eyes were filled with fire.  He looked down at Katie, and at his hands, as if unsure what to do.  His body moved fiercely in sync with his breathing.  Jacob was almost terrified of him. 

“Why!” Aaron shouted, “What did I do!”

But the voice ignored him.  Jacob couldn't help but feel suspicious, what exactly did he do?  Defeated, Aaron clenched his fists and sat back down in his chair.  No one dared to speak.

"THE DOOR TO YOUR LEFT WILL LEAD YOU TO THE FINAL TEST OF THE THANATO PROJECT."

"IF YOU DO NOT PROCEED, YOU WILL ALL FAIL."

Jane and Taylor still sat helplessly in the bathtubs that threatened to electrocute them to death.  The turret behind them clicked again.  There really was no choice.

Jacob got up first.  He walked towards the door, feeling his entire body almost collapse from shaking so terribly.  “This is messed up,” he said, “But I’m not going to sit here and die without a fight.”

Alaire stood up next, her face was contorted with fear, but also the determination Jacob was feeling as well. “For the sake of everyone who died, one of us needs to make it out of here, one of us needs to shut this place down, we can’t give up here.” 

Blake followed Alaire, “Let’s try to make it more than one of us, alright…”

Matt kept his eyes on the ground, but got to his feet, “I’m down.”

Alaire held her hand out to Aaron, who was still fuming and glaring at Katie’s poor body.  For a while he did nothing, but Alaire didn’t let her hand fall.  

“Ok,” Aaron said.