District 42-Chapter 88: Running out of time
On the next day after the third time he passed for the Dark Zone, it was morning and someone had given him his breakfast to eat. He didn’t know if it was a Ridire or not, but at least that meal always came full, different from the others.
His mind was still worn out, but the nurses made everything they could to help him. Also, he had forced himself a lot to be able to talk with Katarina, and it took some time to converse with the other people that would be involved in his plan. With this, he couldn’t heal completely.
He was trying to use the morning and all the afternoon at the lockdown to rest a bit more. During this time when he would be taken to the Dark zone every day, he decided to let the workout, the plans, and everything else aside and just focus on his body’s health.
However, he could not relax for so long, because someone opened the door of the lockdown. Seeing the green lab coat, Casper supposed that he was a scientist.
"Rolvur wants to know if you will seal the deal." He questioned it only, then waited for him to answer with attentive and wide eyes.
The White warrior already knew what he meant. It had something to do with the voice he heard when he was mind-blanked. Rolvur was the name of the Principal, the fat man that talked with him at the infirmary back then, and now at the laboratory as well.
Casper nearly laughed at that question, wanting to go to the laboratory and punch the Principal right on his nose. Of course, that question just had one alternative, and that dumbass knew it very well.
"No need to jokes. You already know what I am going to say at this point." He tried to make his voice appear threatening, but it failed this time.
The scientist nodded, then opened the door even more, letting the way free to Casper exit.
"He wants to see you every day at this hour more or less, starting today. So, let’s get going before a Ridire appears around here."
Unwilling, Casper stood up and then walked with difficulty outside the lockdown room and followed the scientist until the laboratory.
...
After several days of passing through intensive suffering, Casper finally completed his 7th day at the lockdown, and also the 7th consecutive time going to the Dark Zone, despite the times when he would do extra hours in the afternoon at the laboratory.
It was already dawn, and the Ridires were getting him directly to the infirmary as per usual those days.
After the third time that he went to Halden’s Laboratory, Casper never went to the lockdown room again straightforward. They let him pass for a check-up with Amelia whenever the procedures ended.
At some point, Casper couldn’t move his body. The only thing that hurts was his head, and his inability to move any muscle came from it. A part of his brain was being barely stimulated, and the symptoms that showed the most were memory and coordination loss.
Amelia always would heal him whenever those symptoms appeared, and she seemed concerned about Casper’s health more than any other patient she had, so he was the priority every time.
At some point, Casper talked with her, and it was an interesting conversation.
"If you could change something in this place, what would you change, Amelia?" He asked.
The nurse seemed to be dumbfounded by his sudden question. She was taken by surprise, and because of it her mind couldn’t process carefully what to say, so she spoke the first thing that came to mind at the time.
"I would change everything. This place needs more humanity." The words were said swiftly and without hesitation as if that idea was stuck in her mind all the time.
Casper knew that it was an intimate interest of her. He was thinking a lot about how he would approach Amelia, and that question seemed to be the most effective one.
The nurse was someone disgruntled with that place, and she showed it every day through her actions and words. The only employees that she really get along well with were the nurses, but she hated the Ridires and scientists and was always arguing with the superiors.
"People that have this kind of attitude generally want to change something," Casper concluded, and he was completely right, at least in Amelia’s case.
"I can help you with it, Amelia. If you want, of course." He stated.
She looked at him as if he was just kidding with her, or maybe the medicine was hitting his mind too hard. However, when her eyes met Casper’s, she was left with no doubt in her mind.
"Rest for now, Casper. Just rest." Although she had avoided the issue, the soldier knew that she was already under his influence.
If he could make even the head nurse of that infirmary be by his side, then the effect he would cause in that laboratory would be two times as big as he predicted. With Amelia as a piece he could use as he pleased, he started to plan meticulously some adjustments of what he would do.
During those 7 days, the White warrior needed to follow the schedule imposed by the Principal.
He didn’t know exactly what that man was doing with him, but his body and mind were being studied every day since the deal was sealed.
At least, the fat man fulfilled his part of the agreement and maintained his mouth shut.
Even so, Casper was worried about the outcome of that research. He was aware that the scientists planned to study him and do experiments on his body, just like they did with the other prisoners. However, as far as he had seen, any of the notes they were taking, and devices they were using, looked like the ones utilized in other experiments.
On the contrary, those machines and tools seemed as if they were made just for Casper, which meant that his experiment was different from all the others.
"I don’t know if I feel happy and special for it, or if I find my individuality in this world just a bother..." He thought at the time. "But, this is for the sake of the mission, don’t worry. I just need to find a way to avoid being caught in the plans of this fat guy and counter him."
Casper passed all that week like this, and at the final, it looked as though one entire year had passed.
...
Right on the seventh day, the White warrior was laying on the floor of the lockdown. He had just arrived from the infirmary, and his mind was about to explode. He was trying to control his breath, but it proved to be the most difficult task he needed to do in all that week.
Because of the symptom of the Dark Zone that incapacitated him to use his muscles correctly, he couldn’t use properly his diaphragm. The control over this specific muscle came with time, and much effort, but he always could pass through it before the next Dark zone.
Casper’s punishment at the lockdown was finally ending. After that, he would be able to keep up with his plan and see what Olaf and Alfar could do without him.
However, that day was not one of joy and relief for Casper. After his little stay at the infirmary, everything he could do was feel anxious and worried.
While trying to rest and recover, he also spent the time thinking as much as he could to overcome that situation. It made him feel even worse, since reasoning exerted a discomforting pressure on his mind.
"I can’t believe that they could do it so fast... Damn! I should have had calculated that this could happen before the week ends. Why would they bring me to the Dark zone every single day during this period, after all? It was so obvious..." He gritted his teeth, feeling deeply frustrated.
During his period inside the infirmary, he heard an argument between Amelia and Rolvur. The two of them were talking about Casper again.
"If he passes one more time in your cruel experiments, he will die, and this time I am not exaggerating, ok? He will die, literally! He will NOT last until tomorrow if you do it again!" Nevertheless, that was not the quote that planted so much worry inside his heart. In truth, he got shocked and pondered what he could do if Rolvur didn’t listen to her, but it would be just a matter of planning and acting. He was confident that he would pull through it somehow.
"Don’t worry. Yesterday was the last time..." Rolvur affirmed, to Casper’s and Amelia’s surprise. "We don’t need him passing for more experiments for now. We have enough data to make his mask. It will be ready in just some time." Giggled the Principal.
And that was when Casper’s blood got drained from his face.
The soldier was running out of time.
