But don’t be alarmed, Cassius goes on. Undoubtedly, some of you are feeling that this trial is unfairly skewed, that the ability of some of the Recruits to endure pain has been severely compromised, as in the case of Recruit Crowley.
Even though I can no longer see Cassius, I can feel his eyes crawling all over me as he says this, as if it’s for my benefit alone. The holo shifts to a close-up of Crowley.
We have taken this factor into account when designing this challenge. That is why the Incentives will serve as a deciding factor that will affect the outcome.
At this, my throat runs dry. I turn to the others and we exchange a look that conveys more than words ever could.
There’s a hum from above, followed by the grinding and squeaking of under-oiled gears lowering devices in front of each of us.
I force myself to look at the shiny black box that’s hovering before me like a deadly arachnid dangling from its web. The names of the remaining three Recruits are embossed on its surface. Beside each name are two buttons, one green, the other red. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what they’re for.
Before you are remotes that control the sensory outputs to each of the Recruits. Your task is simple. Once the commencement signal is given, you are free to select a Recruit of your choosing and provide them with a dose of either pleasure stimulation, via the green button, or pain, via the red button. If you pause for more than five seconds between each selection, or do not make any selection at all—as some of you may be tempted to do—then the particular Recruit representing you will receive a double-dose of the pain option, making him or her more susceptible to failing the challenge and therefore putting yourself at risk of being shelved.
Cassius pauses before continuing. Just one other caveat. If you decide to simply flood each Recruit with pleasure stimuli and forgo using the pain option, be cautioned that if there is no clear endurance winner after ten minutes, every single Recruit will be automatically eliminated, along with their remaining Incentives, and these Trials will come to a close.
I can tell from the crushed expressions around me that I wasn’t the only one planning to use this strategy.
I urge you to choose strategically and wish you the best of luck. Begin!
Instinctively, my finger jams against Boaz’s red pain selector. I cringe when his body spasms and his face contorts; it’s as if I’m also hooked up to the neurostims. I can’t inflict more pain on Crowley; Cage’s fate is tied to Tristin and my survival; and poor Drusilla and Arrah have been through so much, what with Mr. Ryland’s death.
Boaz is strong, he can take it—
Then it hits me. Boaz’s fate is tied to Corin’s, who in spite of being part of the rebellion is still a kid.
This is impossible.
I’ve wasted too much time. I have to choose another—
A buzzer pierces the room and Cage’s body convulses like a fish wriggling on a hook.
“Cage!” Tristin wails. “Stop hurting him!”
Out of the four Recruits, it seems like Cage is the one being bombarded with the most pain. Arrah, Dahlia, and even Corin must be gunning for him as their only viable option, since every hit Crowley and Boaz take brings Dahlia and Corin closer to death.
“Tristin!” I call without turning. “Concentrate every other move on delivering healing impulses to your brother. I’ll take care of the rest.” I don’t care that the others can hear me. I’m sure they have strategies of their own, and I don’t blame them.
Each jab of my finger against Drusilla’s red button fills me with self-loathing. Over and over again I strike, watching as her body buckles violently against her straps even as Cage’s begins to relax.
My eyes flit to my periphery. Arrah’s eyes are wide and overflowing with tears. She seems so desperate. I can’t even imagine what I’d be feeling if it were someone I loved strapped to that slab.
Then her eyes connect with mine, burning with molten accusation. She knows it’s me. She knows I’m hurting the girl that she loves more than anything in this world—
And she has no choice but to try and stop me.
“Dahlia!” she shrieks. “I need your help. Concentrate all your blasts on Cage.”
Tristin turns on her. “No! You can’t do that! My brother can’t take much more of this, please…”
Arrah shakes her head. “I’m sorry… Dru’s in too much pain…” She whirls. “Do it, Dahlia! I’m begging you!” she half-sobs, half-screeches.
Dahlia glances at her, then at me. Not too long ago, she would have glazed me with contempt. But now I can see the conflict on her face, the guilt. The shame. She looks away, as if the very sight of me is a slap across her face. Her eyes lower to her remote unit. Her fingers work the keys.
I’m not sure what she’s decided.
“Lucian!” The panic in Tristin’s voice courses through me like a live wire.
I look up from my remote. Cage is going into seizure mode again, his body thrashing back and forth, froth pooling at his lips and spraying from his mouth.
However much Dahlia has softened toward me, she’s made her choice.
While Cage has the benefit of receiving healing stimuli from Tristin, it’s no match for the combined punishment being inflicted upon him from Arrah, Dahlia, and Corin. As strong as Cage is, he’s going to break any second—unless he dies first, in which case I’ll be dead moments later, and so will Tristin.
There’s only one thing left to do.
And I hate myself for it.
My finger hovers over Drusilla’s button a split second—before jamming down on a different button, the only other option I have, the only other person who is in a weakened-enough state to succumb to his injuries before Cage does.
Crowley.
“Forgive me…” I whisper over and over again. The pain button on the remote blurs until it’s nothing but a blotch of red, consuming my vision, devouring everything in its path. My temples throb, my heart pounds like a mallet, each beat a reverberating gong that drowns out the sounds around me until all I can hear are my own breaths, chugging and hissing like a steam engine.
They’ve won. They’ve turned me into the kind of monster that would torture a dying man.
I release the button, flinging the remote across the room. It slams against the wall, smashing into a million pieces.
Just like my chances of getting out of here alive and rescuing my brother.
The machinery buzzing around Cage sparks. The hum dies out. Cage has reached his limit and bowed out.
It’s over.
It appears that this Trial has now ended. Cassius’s voice is as cold and emotionless as ever. Recruit Cage’s participation has been terminated. He must now make his choice.
Styles and Echoes appear out of the darkness and grab Tristin and me. The others’ faces are a blur of stunned expressions as we’re hustled away.
“Lucian,” Arrah sobs. “I’m sorry.” She rushes forward but is intercepted by a couple of other Imps who block her and Dahlia from following us. “Let go of him!” Her shouts sound like they’re so far away.