The Wyverns: Nate by Nicola Collings (i can read book club .txt) 📕

                There was silence as it clanked to the floor and became still.

                Kayla could only look at the band, and then back to her plain, bare wrist.

                The feelings that came afterwards could only be described as overwhelming and horrific.

                Her vision became blurred. Her body started to change. That last coherent thing she remembered was Corey’s horrified, yet strangely sympathetic face.

                The guards watched in horror as the girl in front of them changed, her body becoming more lean and agile, her hands dropped her gun and her nails grew longer and curled into thick, sharp claws. Her teeth grew into sharp little fangs, her hair, turned from blond to black and snapped the band of her pony tail, tumbling down her back. Her skin became pale and blue veins appeared. Her eyes were suddenly ringed with black and turned to an animalistic yellow, glowing with hunger.

                It was seconds before the guards all fell to the floor, their heads ripped from their bodies, blood shadowing the floor. Corey tensed, watching the thing that crouched over the dead guards.

                Across the warehouse, her four colleagues made their way, stealthily towards Kayla’s location, their guns at the ready.

                Of course they didn’t know what to make of it. Nate gestured with his hand and the four of them surrounded her, ensuring they were unnoticed as Kayla bent over one of the bodies and put her face to it’s chest, tearing at it’s flesh with her teeth. She glanced up at Corey, a flicker of curiosity, blood and flesh dripping from her mouth and down her chin.

                When her attention was turned back to what lay in front of her, Nate looked up at the others, unsure what to do. They all thought the same thought, a simultaneous notion that spiralled through their collective consciousness. It was Nate who stepped forwards, putting that barrel of his gun close to the back of her head. Kayla was about to look up, when the gunshot rang out, and blood flew outwards. Kayla collapsed, her head wide open, brains spattering Nate and the already blood-soaked body where Kayla’s body now lay.

                Corey let out a pained gasp, his horrified stare bouncing from Kayla to Nate, to the others. Seth stepped up to him, holding out his hand. Corey, too scared to take, remained on the floor, balled up.

                “Let’s get her out of here.” Nate spoke, his voice flat, yet overflowing with confusion. Gale and Rafe took Kayla’s shoulders, lifting her whilst supporting each other. As they left with her body, Seth leant forwards over Corey, reaching for his shoulder, trying to force him up.

                “C’mon. We have to get you out of here and to safety.” Seth said, his voice hard. Eventually, Corey rose. As Nate was about to follow, he noticed the silver band on the floor. It took a while for him to notice the splintered metal. His brow furrowed and his confusion deepened.

                Picking up the band, he followed the others, only looking at his own bands and wondering what would become of Kayla.

Part 2: The Task at Hand

                Nate looked through the glass at Kayla’s still figure lying, horizontal on the table top. Blood still covered the table where her head rested and some of it had spilled onto the floor, but now, with her newly healed head, she was on her way to recovery. Nate sometimes despised this ‘upgrade’. He wished he remembered more about life before the procedure. He would have liked to know if he’d had family. Or kids. A job. A profession. He didn't feel human, sometimes. And to see Kayla heal from having half her head blown open... that just added to the feeling of being something monstrous.

                Had he even agreed to the procedure? He wished he remembered.

                The broken inhibitor band sat on a table top to the side of the room, where a technician was bent over it, tools and rods and instruments surrounding his work space.

                The very things that kept the secrets hidden were clamped around his wrists and ankles like shackles.

                “You shouldn’t be here, Nate.” Came a deep voice form behind him. He saw the reflection of the Commander in the glass.

                “I wanted to see if she was going to be ok.”

                “That she will, but you can’t be here at this time.” The Commander stepped beside Nate, looking at him. Nate had always thought the Commander was ugly; his face wrinkled by lines of experience that hadn’t sunk in hard enough. He used the same, dismissive tone with everyone, as if everyone apart from the Commander was an ant beneath his boot. It was this that made Nate despise him.

                “Why not? There are things you are keeping form us...things I want to know.” Nate resisted the urge to look him in the eye.

                “You saw Tarragon Industries? You saw how protective they were of their research? Then you should understand how important the research is! More importantly, the research used to create you!” Nate could feel the Commander’s cold stare, pressing hard against him. “Now, there are things we need to keep from you, for the sake of the research! Tarragon Industries are ruthless! They will stop at nothing to steal you away from us, to take you apart, to use you for evil purposes!”

                Foe the sake of the research...

                “I just... I don’t like being kept in the dark.” murmured Nate.

                The Commander sighed. “You’re not supposed to like it. You are a soldier. You are not meant to do anything but to follow orders. And there inlay our problem.” The Commander paused. “There have been...rumours.” His voice lost it’s anger, and became saddened almost. “We have reason to believe Tarragon Industries are in league with people on The Wynde. This could be problematic. If people like that have a hold on research... things could get sticky. I will have more orders for you soon, in the mean time, go back to the others. Kayla will not be joining you.”

                The Commander turned and strode away. Nate bubbled with anger and confusion. Just what was he? And how could the Commander not give him answers? Nate began to walk back to the quarters, but a part of him wanted to run, to escape.

                Run, get Kayla, get the strange guy from the container and run, get out!

                No, Nate couldn’t leave without answers. One thing was clear to him, he wasn’t about to followed the Commander’s order so blindly. Not anymore. Even if it was for ‘the betterment if human society’.

                The desire to know what lay beneath the inhibitor bands was overwhelming.

                And then there was the mention of The Wynde. Nate didn’t really care about society beyond Wyvern Industries. But that was before he saw a glimpse of what he really was. Maybe The Wynde was the place to look for answers. Maybe.

                Nate made his way through the maze of corridors. The Wyvern Headquarters was nothing special; all the corridors looked the same, all lead to somewhere boring and grey. The Labs, the Cells, the Armoury, the Medical Bay...

                Nate found himself heading towards his quarters to join Rafe, Gale and Seth, but stopped when the junction came that lead to the Cells. He could go back to his quarters, forget he ever saw what he saw, forget the burning desire to take off his inhibitor bands and find out what he really was...

                Or he could go to the cells, get some information and find out the truth.

                Nate made his way towards the Cells, the tingling sensation of someone who was being obedient in his stomach.

                The Cells were plain and barred, with but a bed and nothing more on the interior. The Cell itself seemed to reflect the inhibitor bands- closed in, trapped, unable to escape. Nate smiled at the thought, then grimaced. He thought of ripping them off right here and now.

                Like that would go down well.

                Corey was in the end cell, sat on the bed with his head in his hands. They’d given him clothes at least. Nate got the impression he had no idea what was going on.

                “Corey, right?” asked Nate as he reached the steel bars.

                Corey looked up, fear set into his face. There was a certain underlying sadness too.

                “I’m not here to hurt you or question you.”

                “Good.” Corey’s voice was one hard line. “I’ve had enough of your questions.”

                Nate paused. They’d already questioned him?

                “I just want to know your story. How did you come to be in that container?” Nate said slowly, cautiously.

                Corey looked up. “I’ve already told you!”

                “You told them. I’m not like the rest. Like you, I feel like I’m being kept in the dark with no idea of what going on.”

                Nate leaned against the wall.

                “I don’t know much.” Corey looked at the floor. “I woke up naked, tied to a chair. They gave me drugs, injections. I don’t know what they did to me; I was unconscious sometimes. It was like they ripped something out of me. Or tore something apart. I don’t know, but whatever they did, I can barely remember anything before they took me. They’d snap bones, break me, I even thought they’d killed me once. But it’s like nothing ever happened. I could overhear them talking about some research or something...that they had to keep it safe. People would know they’d stolen the procedure. They had to hide me.”

                Well that explained him, Nate thought. Corey was just like them! Or was he? He seemed so different. He seemed more... in control.

                “I know what they did to you.”

                Corey looked up at Nate. “You do? ‘Cause I sure would like to know what the fuck’s going on!”

                Nate nodded. A plan was formulating. “So would I. And I think Kayla’s the key. I’ll be back for you.”

                Nate left before he heard Corey protest and ran, full speed back to his quarters. Gale, Rafe and Seth waited for him.

                “What’s going on, Nate? What happened to Kayla?” asked Seth.

                “I don’t know, but I know a way to find out. I think we need to go to The Wynde.”

                “The Wynde? Are you crazy!” shouted Rafe, angrily.

                They only knew what they’d been told about The Wynde, that it was where the low lives of Tyrell lived. That the people there were evil and always trying to overthrow society. That they were blasphemous. Nate had seen someone from The Wynde brought into the building once. A murderer, they had told the Wyverns. They were to torture, question and despatch.

                Nate had been to The Wynde itself several times. It hadn’t seemed the den of inequity the Commander had ranted about, in fact, there seemed to be a sense of solidarity surrounding it’s citizens.

                “No, I’m not crazy. We need to get Kayla and Corey out and find out just what they did to us. Whatever it is, it can’t be for the betterment of human society. It can’t be good.”

                They seemed to know what Nate meant. They seemed to understand. Only a flicker of doubt flittered over Rafe’s face. If he knew what was good for him, he’d help, thought Nate. If he wanted to know what he really was...

                Nate made his way to the medical bay, the plan set firmly in his head. He’d take care of Kayla while Seth and Gale took Corey and Rafe went to the armoury. If they were going to do this, they’d need guns.

                He edged his way around the camera, taking care to stay in the shadows and go unnoticed. He was almost there, just a little further to go to get to Kayla’s room, when...

                “THE WYVERN’S TO COMMANDER’S OFFICE. THE WYVERN’S TO THE COMMANDERS OFFICE.” The voice overhead echoed through the hallways and Nate could feel the other’s start to panic.

                No! You guys