The boy wasn't sure how, but he was back at the house again. He knelt in the burning cabin, smoke filled in his nostrils, and tears streamed down his soot-stained cheeks. Flames consumed the walls, the roof, and the furniture, but he remained unharmed by the flames. Screams echoed in his ears. Only some of them were his own.
* * *
The Doctor stared at him dispassionately from across the desk, repeatedly glancing at his datapad and then back to Kain. "You experienced another... episode last night, Delta?"
Kain hated being 'Subject Delta'. To the Institute, he was merely a lab animal, not even a human being. "My. name. is. Azriel. Kain." he snarled.
"Of course it is," clucked the Doctor derisively, tapping notes into his pad. "Tell me about the episode."
The 'episode'. I'm not even allowed to have dreams here. The staff had never shown a moment of compassion to him. He could not recall when or how he arrived, and he didn't even know why. He wondered if they would even care if he caught fire. Probably their only concern would be the loss of their specimen.
His thoughts were interrupted by the tapping of a stylus on the desk. The Doctor was awaiting an answer. "It was... nothing. Just a dream. It wasn't even anything that really happened. I don't even remember most of it."
"Of course," said the Doctor skeptically, continuing to take his notes. Kain knew there was no way to compel him to talk about the 'episode'. They could take his freedom, they could try to take his name... but they had no way to take his dreams from him.
"The... Administrators are concerned about the frequency of these episodes. They insist that further testing is necessary to establish the underlying cause." Great, what would a specimen be without more wires and needles and testing, right? "It's nothing, Doctor. Just bad dreams."
"Of course," said the Doctor again. He pressed a button, and two orderlies entered the room a moment later. The man and woman were both large and muscular. Kain knew that resisting would accomplish nothing, so he rose from the chair. One of the orderlies laid a hand on Kain's shoulder. "You don't need to drag me," Kain snarled as he batted the hand away. "I know the way. Let's just do it, already."
* * *
Kain didn't mind the cold, metal examination table. It actually felt good. Leather straps were fastened across his ankles and his wrists. "This is just so you don't hurt yourself if you have a seizure," the woman said, unconvincingly. Sure. Because apparently seizures are going to be the next kind of 'episode' I'll be having, right? He felt a pinching sensation as they inserted intravenous needles into each of his elbows. They stuck electrodes on his chest, his feet, and the backs of his hands. Then they placed a metallic crown on his brow, wires trailing through his hair into a jack at the top of the table. Then they fastened a strap over his forehead as well.
I'm tired. I just need a good night's sleep. As he drifted off, he could hear the Doctor's voice. "Can you tell me your name?" The voice sounded... distant, as it echoed through his mind. "Azriel... Kain" said another voice - a voice that sounded like his own - from far away. "Of course," said the Doctor dismissively. "Begin the sequence."
* * *
"Tell me about the dreams..."
Once more, Kain was kneeling on the floor as the cabin burned. It was as tangible as if he was really there. He smelled the smoke, he felt the heat and the tears that streamed down his cheeks. Then he heard the screaming. His own... and others.
* * *
Kain jolted awake, still fastened to the table. The tears were real, as always. But the screaming continued, even after his died in his own throat. Some of it was human, but louder than anything was the wailing of an alarm. The flames were real, too. Something is very wrong here. The laboratory was on fire. He realized his head was no longer strapped down. Reaching up to remove the crown, it occurred to him that his hand was free too. Glancing at his wrist, he saw only the charred remains of a leather cuff. His restraints had burned away, and the cuffs of his jumpsuit were charred around his wrists and ankles.
He stood, barefoot, and took in his surroundings. He was alone in the lab. He rushed to the door and tried the handle. It was hot to the touch and he pulled his hand away reflexively. The door was locked.
The conflagration was spreading and would soon engulf the room. There was no one in the corridor outside to help him. Trapped, he pounded against the window and called out for help, over and over. His throat was raw from all the screaming. I guess they really don't care if I burn, he thought in despair. He threw his head back and let out a scream from deep inside.
And then the door exploded and flames spilled into the corridor.
* * *
The main power had gone out and the corridors were lit by the red glow of the emergency lighting and the guttering flames. Unsure of which way to go, he padded down the corridors, away from the commotion and deeper into the darkness.
Kain turned a corner and entered a cavernous room. On the vast concrete floor stood a small ship. Well, small for a starship, I guess. But Kain heard voices and knew he was not alone. If he could only get to that ship, he could escape.
Footsteps drew closer. Kain ducked back into the shadows between two cargo containers. A pair of security guards rushed past, then one stopped and walked back toward the containers. Kain was sure he was caught. Holding his breath, he drew deep into the shadows and tried to remain motionless. The guard seemed to stare right at him... "Clear!" she called out to her partner, and hurried on.
Kain peeked out past the crates. The guards had moved out of the bay and into the corridor from which Kain had come. The coast seemed clear. He ducked his head and ran as fast as he could toward the small ship.
Bounding up the open ramp, Kain headed for the cockpit. Throwing himself into the pilot's chair, he studied the controls. The guards would be back soon, and he needed to get out of here. He punched a few buttons, and heard the ramp raising up to seal the ship - but the ship still wasn't going anywhere. He jabbed at a few likely buttons. A humming sound arose from the back of the ship, and out of the windows he saw the guards run back into the bay. "Launch, dammit, LAUNCH!" he yelled as he pounded on the panel.
"Launch systems activated" intoned an electronic voice. The wailing sound from aft continued to grow louder, its pitch increasing. He felt the ship rise off the pad, hovering in place. The lights on the control panel changed to green, and Kain jammed the throttle forward. The ship leaped from the bay on a trail of fire, and Kain's last glimpse of the bay was the sight of the guards throwing themselves to the floor and covering their heads. Then, he was free. He pulled the yoke back and climbed into the sky.
* * *
Kain didn't know where he was going. He wasn't even sure if there was anywhere to go. But he had to get as far away from the facility as possible. He knew they would be looking for him and the stolen ship as soon as they realized what had happened. He needed somewhere safe to land, get his bearings and collect his wits. He needed a plan.
Miles and miles of trees flashed below him, their leaves a riot of red and gold in the autumn sunshine. After about an hour in flight, he thought he spotted a clearing that would be large enough to touch down. He turned toward it and landed in a broad field.
Kain went aft and searched the compartments, hoping to find some clothing that would not identify him as an escaped inmate. In a closet, he found some blue jumpsuits, a pair of work boots, and a small knapsack containing a silenced pistol, a survival knife, and other emergency gear. He was fortunate that the clothing fit him well enough, and after changing, he gathered up the gear and headed for the ramp.
Stepping from the ship, pistol in hand, he saw that he had landed in an area that seemed to have been used as farmland. No crops remained, only short, blackened stalks that might have once been wheat and corn. Near the edge of the clearing, he noticed a small structure and headed toward it.
As he cautiously approached the building, he noticed that it was ruined. Carefully drawing closer, he could see that charred timbers had fallen from the roof, into the house. The front door was hanging open by a single remaining hinge. He stepped inside.
The floor was blackened, and the place only smelled faintly of smoke. This must have happened long ago. He noticed a faint metallic gleam on the floor and crouched to examine it. Hanging from a chain of the same material was a dark metal disk, about as wide across as the length of his thumb. He wasn't sure what the emblem meant. Is this supposed to represent... the sun or something?
Suddenly, unbidden memories flowed back into his mind. He had seen this symbol before... it was familiar. Then, as he looked around, he realized that this place was familiar, too. He had seen it before. Every night... in his dreams.
The pendant fell from his nerveless fingers and clattered on the floor. Once more, he could feel the hot tears flow down his cheeks. He fell to his knees, threw his head back... and screamed.
