Specimen

The one in the middle is the greatest threat. I’d have to take him out first. Move fast, under the computer table before they have the opportunity to aim. Take out his legs; get his weapon. The other two would fall quickly afterward.

Riley begins to unbuckle the strap over my chest. The backs of her fingers graze my nipple through the hospital gown as she slides the strap to the side. I close my eyes as the sensation travels to my cock. I swallow hard and focus on her fingers as she removes the remaining restraints one at a time until I can sit up on the edge of the bed.

I’m free.

When I had broken the restraints before, all thoughts had been on escape. Now, all I can think about is touching Riley.

I reach out and grab her forearm. Gripping her with my fingers, I feel her body tense under my touch, and I try to ease my grip. I’m somewhat successful, and I run my fingers over her skin until I reach her hand.

She looks at me tentatively. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see the uniformed guards at attention, and I am sure they would open fire if directed to do so. They would kill me if she felt threatened.

I don’t blame them. I would kill for her, too.

I force myself to move slowly as I grip her hand in both of mine. I stroke her palm with my thumb. Her hand is cool compared to my fingers, and her skin is soft compared to my rough and calloused hands. I tilt my head to look into her eyes as I breathe through my mouth. Her scent is strong. I can taste it.

“Sten?” It takes me a moment to realize she’s addressing me. “Let go of my hand, and no touching right now. We have some work to do.”

I don’t want to let go, but I have to. It has nothing to do with the threat of the guards on the other side of the room—it’s simply because she told me to do so. Reluctantly, I release her and stand. The top of her head barely reaches my shoulder as I stand beside her.

My muscles are slightly stiff, but as soon as I stretch for a moment, the stiffness is gone.

“Let’s get you into some more appropriate attire,” Riley says.

She turns and walks to the cabinet near the sink on the far side of the room and crouches. There’s a small drawer at the bottom, but it barely registers in my brain. All I can see is her rounded ass displayed in front of me. My fingers twitch, wanting to grab her hips and pull her ass to my cock, but she’s just told me not to touch her.

She stands and returns to my side, holding a pair of black shorts in her hand.

“Turn around.” I do as she says, and feel her fingers at my neck, untying the string of the gown. It falls to my feet, and I stand there, naked and semi-erect, as she pulls the shorts up over

my legs. I close my eyes as her fingers glide up my thighs.

“Are you ready?”

I take in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“I guess so.”

Riley leads me to the door, and the armed men step to the side as we go through the doorway and into the hall. The lights are nearly as bright and the walls just as white and bare. I glance up and down the hall, noticing doors identical to the one we came from lining the corridor.

At the end of the hallway, we turn to the left and enter a set of double doors. Inside, there is a treadmill and more medical equipment. Riley instructs me to get on the treadmill as she places small disks on my chest, forehead, biceps, and thighs. She turns on the machine, bringing me to a fast walk and then a run. She monitors the equipment as I run faster and faster.

For the first time since I woke, a sense of familiarity comes over me. My bare feet slam down rhythmically as I run with long strides, and my arms pump at my sides with practiced agility.

I’ve done this before.

There is no clock in the room, but I still have a good sense of time. I run without slowing for well over an hour and a half. I’m sweating, but I feel no fatigue, no thirst, no hunger. When Riley looks up and our eyes meet, I want to run faster—to show her I can do more. I want her impressed with me, proud of me. When the test is over, she smiles, and my heart pounds faster than it had when I was running.

“You did very well, Sten.”

She checks my pulse, blood pressure, and temperature. I notice the red display on the tablet states my temperature is higher than I would expect, and I ask her if I’m sick.

“No, that’s normal for all the specimens. Most of your body functions are faster than the average person, and the increase in body temperature helps to compensate for the effects on your endocrine system.”

We return, along with the armed guards, to the lab where we started, and I’m given water and another thick liquid that tastes sweet. It’s the first I can recall eating or drinking anything. I consume them quickly, and Riley leads me over to the sink and the cabinet, which contains towels and toiletries.

I stand in the corner and let water from the showerhead pour over me for a moment before I wash myself and put on a pair of clean shorts. There is a razor, shaving soap, and brush set out on the edge of the sink, and I stare at my unfamiliar face in a small, round mirror as I shave.

When I’ve finished cleaning up, I sit on the edge of the bed. Riley tells the guards they can leave and then offers to answer more of my questions.