Chapter Eight

I woke up back at the base in Sebastian's room. I sit up slowly my body hurt, then I remembered what happened. I hold my head in my hands for a moment before I hear something. I turn and see Kaia sitting in the corner she seems to be reading and uninterested. Her arms are wrapped in bandages as well as parts of her legs.

"Your up," I turn to see Seb standing at the door.

I nod ,"feeling alright, Leo told us all what happened."

I stare at the ground as he speaks.

"You should have come back," he says in a low tone.

I lift my eyes to his face and see the sad look he carries.

"I know, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," my voice shakes and tears drop from my eyes,"I didn't want to let anyone down, I didn't think this would happen, it's all my fault."

I curl into myself," no, it's not," Seb says he sits on the floor next to me rubbing my back.

"No one could have known, all we have to do is learn," he stops for a moment before pulling his hand away," are you hungry you should eat something."

I look up at him," How long has it been?"

"Long enough," I choose not to fish for answers and just nod, he leaves out the door.

"Hey," I see that Kaia has put her book down to talk to me," doing ok?"

"I'm ok," I wipe under my eyes.

"You've been here for a while, they were all so panicked when Leo brought you in."

"I feel bad, for making them worry about me."

"Is that why you didn't take Leo's jacket?"

"I. Umm."

"So I was right."

"I don't know, I guess it's just old habits," I turn my head to look back at the ground.

"It ok if you don't want to talk about it, but next time try not to make yourself freeze."

I could tell that she was trying to make me feel a little better.

"Ya..."

" Hope I'm not interrupting anything," Sebastian opens the door.

"No, just striking up conversation."

He hands me some food and some to Kaia before siting with us on the floor to eat as well.

"Is Foland letting you eat in here?"

Sebastian focuses back to me," Well I told him I needed to monitor you until you were better."

"I'm fine really," I insist to him.

"That doesn't fix the fact that I'm not ok with your condition yet. To be honest with you Rivi I was very worried, the others were as well of course, but I knew how bad it actually was."

"It was that bad before?" Kaia asks.

"Yes for what it was, it was bad. If all this wasn't going on you would have been fine, considering you would have had heating and actual food."

"How long have I been out?"

"About three days."

"Three!"

"These other things we need to talk about, but that something we need to do later."

Seb goes back to eating, I look down and the "food" in my hands before deciding that eating this is better than nothing. After Sebastian cleans up and turns the lights out. Kaia turns over in her blanket and faces the wall trying to fall asleep. I lay with my eyes closed but I can slip into sleep.

"Sebby?"

Sebastian lifts his head from what he was doing at the desk.

"It's been a long time since someone called me that."

"Sorry I can call you by your full name if it bothers you."

"No it's alright, in a strange way it makes me think that we're in the past."

"So, what do you think the others will say, you know about Kaia?" I whisper, I know she's asleep but I don't what to wake her on accident.

"Well, I don't think they'll be against it at this point."

"Why's that?"

" I'll explain tomorrow," After you get some sleep."

"I'm not tired though."

He looks over at me and sighs," And what do you want me to do about that?"

"I don't know," I say shyly.

"Well if your not going to sleep we might as well talk."

"Ya, so what was it before you wanted to talk about?"

"I don't think this is the time for you to be concerned about that."

"Really Sebby?"

"Yes, I don't think the shock would be good for you."

I give a small pout, and I cross my arms over my body.

"Rivi.." he says in a voice of concern.

"I might as well go to sleep if you're not going to actually talk to me."

"I'm not opposed."

I glance at him from over my shoulder, before turning to sleep. I'm awoken by someone shaking my shoulder, I turn and rub the sleep from my eyes before opening them. I see Kaia sitting next to me.

"Good morning?" I say confused.

"Morning, I wanted to talk to you."

"Alright..." I say apprehensively, propping myself up against the wall.

"Do you remember before this happened?"

"Of course, I remember my life before."

"I meant more specifically, what were you doing the day before this happened?"

"I ummm," I try to remember but nothing comes to my head," I don't know, it probably wasn't that important if I don't remember."

"Think harder, try and remember."

I try to think back to the beginning. I remember trying to do this before," The day this all started my body felt awful, I remember trying to figure out what had made it that way. But I don't think I did. I was kind of drawn off the thought."

"Really?"

"Ya, Im not sure," I try to remember then I start to get a splitting headache.

I grip my head in pain, it felt like someone was trying to drive a chisel into my temple.

"Whow, what's wrong?" Kaia asks rubbing my arm to comfort me.

"I'm sorry, I just got a really bad headache," every word shook my brain.

It got more and more painful the longer it dragged on. I grip fistfuls of hair as I try to fight the pain. Then it all stops suddenly, my hands loosen and fall to the sides. I try to open my eyes but I when I do all I see is black. I try and lift my arms, my legs, but they won't move. I can still hear Kaia like she was right next to me, but I can no longer sense her presence. I touch the surface under my fingers and I felt cold stone. What was happening?

"Hello?" I ask but she doesn't respond.

" Did it work?" I can hear her shuffle around," Riviann can you hear me?"

"What is happening!" I try to ask.

She doesn't even flinch, I try to thrash around but my body is held by an invisible force. Then I feel a pain in my arm. I yell out then my body starts to feel tired then I lose my consciousness for what feels like only a second before I wake up again.

I open my eyes and jolt up from where I was laying. I gasp in air and turn to see that Kaia was sitting by my side waiting for me. I stood and hadn't noticed till now that I was wearing new clothes, it makes sense since my cloths were quite damaged from when we went out. Instead of my jeans and tee shirt, I was wearing a long sleeved dress and above knee stockings. It was something I'd never chose myself, but at this point I can't be picky it's better than nothing. Kaia stands up with me and holds my arms to keep me steady.

"What just happened!" I ask panicked.

"Did you see it?" She asks and the expression on her face scared me.

I back up until I'm against the wall again.

"What are you talking about, what just happened to me?" I study my hands before holding myself.

"Did you see the room? Did you wake up? What did you see?"

"I-" I studder frightened," I didn't see anything, it was all dark and I couldn't move then-"

I pull the sleeve on my arm up remembering the thing that was stuck into my arm. I see a small red mark on my arm. If I hadn't remembered I wouldn't have even noticed it, I didn't believed it had happened but here was the evidence. As I dragged my finger over it the muscle tenses as a small spark of pain shot threw my arm.

"Someone put something in my arm." I finish telling her.

"And you remember it right?"

"Of corse I wouldn't have anything to say if I hadn't." I answer thinking that she was asking about what just happened.

"No, the day before this happened."

Thinking in my head I could vaguely remember that morning. I woke up and I could hear my brother yelling and crying downstairs. I remember thinking how odd it was, the last time he cried like that was when he was 3. Then I remember someone barging into my room while I was working, I tried to remember who, I was surprised but I can't remember their face. After that I draw a blank.

"I can." I pause to think," I remember something that happened."

She jumped around and yelled in excitement," I did it! you're resistant to the programming like me."

I raise my eyebrow confused by her words," what do you mean by that?"

"I'm not going to say anything right now I don't want to shock your system, and make you pass out again."

"Who else knows about this?"

"Just me and you I tried to get Eugene to do it but her recited me a prefect lie."

There's a knock at the door, I look at her before looking at the door. The door opens and in walks Sebby holding a tray of food.

"I hope I didn't interrupt."

"No it's alright," I answer," did you have today's meeting yet?"

"No, we were going to start in an hour or two thought."

"Can I go?"

"Of course you can, what about you Kaia?"

"No I'm ok staying here."

"Alright, but before we go Riviann there's something I need to tell you."

"What is it?"

"We lost Bell, Neal, and Catherine."