1 PROMOTION

Subject 555 please announce yourself.

"Ruby...Huxx", she uttered.

The white room stilled and silence engulfed the tight space. I had only been working here for two weeks and was assigned to interview all of our patients.

Fidgeting, she sat in the chair across from me. She moved her head as if trying to look around the room.

"Ruby, how long have you been here?" I asked.

I was required to make a full assessment of their mental stability as well as their physical health.

She looked down at her hands and whispered, "I don't remember".

"Do you remember your parents, siblings, or any friends from before?" I gathered my notes and scribbled down my observations.

"no...I don't", her reflexes were slow but controlled. She held herself as if she had been abused for years.

While I wrote, I heard my boss get on the intercom. "Miss Groves you have exactly ten minutes until we have to move on to the next subject, get on with it."

My jaws instinctively clenched and my left eye twitched. "Alright then, we're going to do a full physical exam on you and take some blood."

I followed my procedures and made sure to keep an eye on her. She was very guarded so I tried to help her out of her shell by taking off her handcuffs.

"Thank you", she whispered softly.

Once it was time to take her blood, I moved up her sleeve to reveal all the bright bruises and injection marks.

I stuck the needle in her arm and she barely flinched; it was almost normal for her.

"How old are you Ruby?" I whispered to her trying to keep my boss from getting any ideas.

"I don't know", she responded.

I would just have to take a look at her files from when she was admitted.

"Can I ask you a question?" she asked.

"Of-course, what would you like to know?"

She took a deep breath and asked, "What's your name?"

"You can call me Maria."

"Maria", she repeated.

"Yes Maria", I clarified.

Once I finished, I smiled at her and told her that she was free to go.

Thank you Maria."

I nodded and she left. I couldn't imagine what this young girl had been experiencing to be placed in a situation this harsh. When I started working for ALTEC, I was told that it was for the greater good. I was offered a nice bump in salary and benefits as long as I kept the projects secret.

Since several months ago, the government had been in search of scientists, and medical professionals to aide in this new crisis.

One of our main testing sites were compromised after an incident that released several strains of a virus that attaches itself to the brain cells or neurons, causing unpredictable reactions in people. The most extreme cases being intense hunger and fever.

Our government's main response to such a massive breach in national and universal security was to place the entire country in lock down. The president ordered a draft for all available personnel as well as people between the ages of fifteen to twenty-five.

The morale of the citizens have shifted and at this point the infection is growing exponentially.

Government officials, scientists, and healthcare providers have been placed under heavy guard; we haven't left the building since the day we were reassigned.

We are not allowed to go outside nor can we get any news from beyond our secure chambers. The rooms were not very spacious and we were constantly on the clock.

There were many levels in the building but we were confined to our own. Many have lost their lives in the past few weeks for being caught "wondering".

"I'm ready for the next patient", I spoke.

Subject 556 you may be seated and announce yourself

"Mathiew Cornel Haines"

"How are you feeling today Mr. Haines?"

He looked to be about nineteen, he is way too young to be in a situation this terrifying.

"I've been throwing up and feeling light headed."

"Have you been experiencing any bleeding?" I questioned.

I moved to assess him and realized that his eyes began to roll to the back of his head.

"Oh no no no no", I panicked.

Rushing to press the red button and yelling for help, I managed to get him on the ground, checked his pulse and eyes.

I made sure to follow protocol and tried to keep him alive before he is taken away. At some point he stopped breathing and I had to do CPR using a bag valve mask. We were never to touch the patients without proper equipment.

Although the virus was contagious, it was not airborne nor was it transmitted by physical contact. The one sure way of contracting it was through blood.

"Miss Groves step away from him, he might be turning."

My boss came in along with his personnel, he pulled out a gun and told me to move.

"No wait, he just fell over. what are you doing?" I yelled frantically.As medical staff we were oblivious to the truth and the really impact that the virus had on people, specially post-mortem.

"This is classified information, GET OUT NOW".

I followed instructions and pretended to leave but place my ID in between the door.

"Take care of him would, you don't want that thing loose in the facility".

Peeking through the gaps and saw the boy go limp, a few seconds went by and he rose up looking very pale. One of the men shot him in the head and turned away.

Shocked, I took my ID and stepped away from the door.