Factory

Factory did her best to lift her head and look around the room. She tried to find the source of the voice but failed, if not mostly due to her lack of focus.

"Silly, you won't be able to find me from where you are," the voice said. "Can't you tell I'm in your head? You're not hearing me from your ears."

"What's going on?" Factory asked.

"You're in a medical research facility. I've been watching you for the past two months. The scientists here experiment on people in order to find a way to take human mutation and turn it into a pill you take. I'm speaking to you right now using my mind. I don't know how far away you are. I just sort of poked outward in many directions until I found someone I could reach and speak to. Through our connection, I can actually see everything you see. A little creepy isn't it?"

"I've had my fair share of strange things. This is starting to seem normal."

"Well, my name is Abigail. You can call me Abi if that's easier."

"Okay, Abi. My name is Factory."

"An odd name. So, how did you end up in this terrible place?"

"I was trying to leave the planet with my friends. We were suddenly attacked and captured. Wait a minute. You said two months didn't you?"

"Yes. Two whole months now. They've been poking and prodding at you for a long time. I've been trying to figure out why they are so interested in you. What sort of mutant abilities do you possess?"

"Mutant?"

"Yes, that's what I am. And many of us trapped here. We're just normal everyday people of all sorts of age and race. The government is trying very hard to keep our existence a secret. I think they'd rather not let the world know about superpowered beings quiet yet. At least not until they can create a drug that helps their military might first by cutting us up into little pieces."

"I'm not a mutant. I've been rewritten by a drug."

"Oh, interesting. Are you sick at all? The drug users always get sick and die quickly. Or maybe that's why they're so interested in you, because you're not dead after all this time."

"I think the scientists just said that I've been changed perfectly."

There was a sudden quiet pause.

"Then you are in grave danger," the voice continued. "If you've been perfectly redone using the drug, they are going to open you up until you're just a useless lump of flesh not resembling a human. You must find a way to escape. What is your ability?"

"Um, I can move really fast."

"Damn. Wait, the drug doesn't just give the user a helpful power. The drug was designed with an overall change that would make the user into a super soldier. You should have some strength that you can call upon."

"I'm not so good at using my strength. I just learned how to use the speed when I want to."

"All right then, let me try something. Just relax."

Abi's voice disappeared from Factory's head for a moment. Factory wasn't sure what she meant by trying something, but after a brief moment she felt her body waking up.

"Okay, I'm going to try and help you use your strength," Abi suddenly said. "I don't know how much you have, but we'll try and break you loose. We have to."

Factory and Abi both counted to three and then pulled at her wrist restraints. The leather belts tightened and strained against Factory's might but held together.

"Come on! Don't give up!" Abi exclaimed. "Try using your speed and strength and the same time!"

Factory repeatedly pulled at her restraints in very quick succession. The leather began to rub and dig into her flesh as she pushed through her pain and refused to give up.

"You can do it!" Abi cheered her on.

Factory's face began to wet with tears as she felt her struggle going nowhere. She tried and tried but the leather would not let her go. Her attempts were now slower and fewer in number.

"Factory, don't give up," Abi begged. "Somebody needs you. I can hear someone crying for you. I hear a girl crying and saying your name. She's apologizing and cursing herself. Whoever she is she needs you, Factory. You have to help her."

Spurred on by this, Factory pulled hard and long at her restraints again. She arched her back as much as the l.a.p belt would let her and did everything she could.

"I'll protect you, Misty! Hold on!" Factory said through desperate pulls.

Letting go temporarily and putting all her speed and strength into it, Factory pulled upward one more time and her arms left the bedside and raised fully into the air. The rivets holding the leather down to the bed had slipped through the tearing leather, leaving Factory with a couple of large black bracelets.

"Yes! You did it!" Abi cheered.

Not letting the victory get to her head, Factory quickly undid her remaining restraints and hopped off the bed. For a moment her legs felt like they might give way to her body weight but they quickly came to through her determination. Being careful not to hurt herself, she pulled the needle out from her arm and removed all of the wires that were monitoring her. The machines began making alarming beeps and tones, sounds that were certainly not good.

"I bet that's going to alert them to your room," Abi warned. "Please be prepared to kill if you have to. And remember, these scientists, no matter how innocent looking, do not care for the lives they toy with. Children have died in this facility, all for the name of scientific research and military greed."

"I will not let anyone harm my friends," Factory replied.

"Okay, when they open the door, take care of whoever is there and I will guide you to me. I should be able to help you find your friends and you can help me get out of this forsaken place."

With very little time passing since the machines lost their monitored subject, the pressurized door opened up and the two scientists from before attempted to enter but we quickly pushed out into the hallway by Factory. She had grabbed both of them by their clothing and slammed them into the wall, knocking the wind from their lungs and leaving them groaning and desperately trying to breath. Not wanting them to alert any help, Factory slammed her fist into the face of the man and then quickly backhanded the woman. Both of her victims fell on the brightly tiled floor limp and quiet.

"How do I find you?" Factory asked Abi.

"Continue down the direction you are facing until you come to a crossing hall," Abi instructed. "From there turn left and count thirteen doors on your left. I will be in number thirteen."

Factory quickly took the lab coat from the unconscious woman and ran down the bright hall towards the crossing. The hallway was just as white and lit as the room as she held in, but Factory quickly adjusted as she had no other choice. Just as she reached her left turn, two soldier-looking men dressed in black uniforms with automatic rifles turned the corner and met her. Before they could raise their weapons, Factory ran at them with increased speed and slammed her elbow into the face of one of them while pulling the sidearm from his belt. While the other tried to react to Factory's attack, she fired a single shot from the acquired pistol into his side and quickly continued on her way towards Abi. Quickly counting and hoping she didn't skip a door, she located the thirteenth door and attempted to open it with the touchpad but it would not respond.

"Oh, damn it," Abi cursed. "I forgot about the key card. Check the pockets of the coat you took."

Quickly digging through the coat, Factory located an ID card in the c.h.e.s.t pocket and touched it to the door pad. With a simple tone, the screen turned green and the pressurized door slid open. Inside, the room was drastically different than the hallway and the Factory's own initial room. Abi's room was a soft pink color and filled with toys. There were cartoon decals on the walls and a carpeted floor. The room looked as if it were attempting to emulate what a typical girls room would look like, save for the examination bed in the corner, complete with its own restraints and monitoring machines.

Sitting in the corner and holding a large stuffed rabbit was a little girl. She wore a small paper dress used to cover up patients and a black eye patch over her right eye. Her jet black hair was amazingly curly and in direct contrast to her pale skin that was as white as pure snow. The eye that was visible was a piercing reddish color, and was accented by heavy lines of fatigue. Upon seeing Factory, the little girl began to sob.

"I'm so glad you came for me," the little girl said, gasping through her crying. "I'm Abi."

Factory hurried over to Abi and held her tight in her arms. "I've got you, Abi. Everything's going to be okay. We're going to get out of here. Are you all right? Can you walk? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," she replied. "It's just been so long since I've seen another human being. I tried to sound tough but I was just putting up an act. I'm so glad someone came for me, especially one with such a kind heart like yours."

"A kind heart?"

"I felt you when I was inside your head. You're an incredibly sweet and caring person. Your loyalty has no match when it comes to those who are special to you like Max and Misty. I'm so happy that you came for me."

"Of course, Abi. I've got you now and I'll never let them get you."

Abi dug her face into Factory and held her tight. The warmth of another human being was so comforting and foreign to her that she wasn't sure if it was even real.

"I can't believe this place would do such terrible things, and to children," Factory said, gritting her teeth.

"If you give me a moment, I'll concentrate really hard and see if I can find out where your friend is being held," Abi said. "It's not going to be perfect, but we'll have an idea."

"Okay, Abi. Do your best."

Abi smiled warmly at Factory and then sat down on the floor with her hands together. With her eye closed and twitching slightly, she tilted her head back and began searching.

"It would be easier to find her if she was talking, but I think she may have fallen asleep," Abi explained.

Trying to wait patiently, Factory shook her head side to side in annoyance as she noticed her hair was much longer than she normally allowed.

"So, they didn't want to give me a haircut but they shaved me," Factory complained. "That's disturbing. I feel like a doll."