As two Deans lead me out of Lexi's office, I'm hit with a headache, a painful reminder from Lexi not to step out of line. As if I could, with Addie under her control.

There's no gel to block the signal, so there is no way to end the pain. I'm at Lexi's mercy. I'll have to ride it out, as I have so many times before. Everything appears blurry, and I stumble so hard that the Deans have to hold me upright. I'm not surprised that when I'm this weak I'm hit with a vision, one that is brighter and louder than the others I've had.

A girl with long, tangled black hair wearing what looks like a blue worker's jumpsuit is curled on a small cot. At first, it appears as if she's sleeping, but then her eyes suddenly pop open and she sits upright on the bed.

I recognize her from a brief vision I had when I was with Lexi several weeks ago. This is Lozen, the warrior and prophet, if Lexi's word can be trusted.

Her eyes connect with mine, and even through the fog of the vision I'm shocked. It's almost as if she can see me.

"Get the pen. On the table, by the elevator. NOW!"

I'm jerked back into my body. One of the Deans is passing smelling salts under my nose.

"Looks like she's suffering side effects of the H2IV. Probably forgot to take the antidote before she came here today."

"Let's get her to Dr. Rodriguez."

Just in time, I see the table by the elevator that the girl from my vision mentioned. I lurch toward it and knock the whole thing over, tumbling to the ground with it.

"Damn it!"

I'm jerked to my feet but manage to shove the pen up my sleeve without either man noticing. With a rough shove, I'm pushed into the elevator, which speeds down to one of the basement levels.

My mind is sluggish, the pain short circuiting my ability to quickly process my surroundings. I try to make sense of how the girl in my vision spoke to me, but all I can see is Addie, unconscious, being dragged across Lexi's carpet. Was that the last time I will ever see her?

The elevator doors open, revealing a white, tiled hallway lit by bright lights. I follow the Deans toward a plain door and notice a small smear of something red on the doorframe. It stands out against all the sterile white. Some part of me knows it must be blood.

Inside the room is a metal desk that is screwed into the floor. Sitting behind it is a Throwback of the Sofia clone type. She greets the Deans who are with me but doesn't so much as look at me.

One of the Deans pushes me into a metal chair that is also bolted to the ground and handcuffs my hands behind my back. The other Dean then cuffs each of my ankles to one of the chair legs. They attach sensors to my fingertips and pulse again, as they did in Lexi's office. They are taking so many precautions that, even with my mind working slower than usual, I realize two things.

The first is that someone before me must have caused a lot of trouble trying to escape, which is why there are now so many safeguards. The second is that whatever is going to happen next is going to make me want to leave, and they are making sure that won't be possible.

After the Deans double check all my cuffs, they leave, and I'm alone with the Sofia.

"Please, help me. There's a woman, a Molly—"

"Silence, please," the Sofia says firmly. "I'm not allowed to engage with you. If you talk, other than to answer my direct questions, I'll be forced to call the Deans back to silence you. It's not pleasant, and I would prefer not to have to do that."

I nod, and a welcome numbness steals over me.

"Good," she says. "First, I'm going to give you an injection. Don't resist."

My sluggish mind wonders what the injection will do to me, and I remember that I've got the Mind Manipulator to help me nudge the Sofia into giving me more information than she should. I push an order through me with as much energy as I can muster. What is this injection? Will it hurt me? Tell me, now.

"You don't have to be afraid, this just puts the H2IV back into its dormant stage. We've discovered that the virus will slowly erode your mind, so we only activate it when absolutely necessary."

My mind reels at this information. There is no real need for an antidote to H2IV if it can be put back in its dormant state. Strand is selling the antidote for profit when they could eliminate the need for it altogether.

On the heels of that thought comes another. This is what we need to steal and replicate—a cure.

The Sofia frowns, unsettled by what she's revealed. She eyes me suspiciously, but there's no way she could imagine how I'm influencing her.

Every word the Sofia shared with me now is captured by my contact cameras, and that data is being sent to my friends. If they can verify the truth of the Sofia's claim, this could ignite a storm in both the Throwback and Evolved communities. As more and more people become infected by H2IV, hopefully the public will demand that Strand shares its cure.

"Was that your ability?" the Sofia asks, surprising me. "Answer truthfully, and I will ease the pain being sent to your chip."

"What?"

"I thoughtlessly gave you more information than I intended. Did you influence me with a new aspect of expanded brain function?"

Slowly, I shake my head, afraid to say anything more that she could identify as a lie. The Sofia looks at a screen in front of her, and she nods. "Truth."

She touches the screen, and the stabbing pain in my head eases. I breathe a sigh of relief. The rest of my interview with the Sofia passes in a blur. She asks me a barrage of questions about my mental and physical health, and probes into what abilities have emerged since Lexi activated the H2IV in my system.

I answer as succinctly as possible, but I give her the truth. They could probably torture an explanation of my abilities out of me if I resist, and a small, weak part of me doesn't want to be subjected to any more pain than I have to.

When the Sofia's questions are complete, she gives me a blue jumpsuit and escorts me through a door at the back of the room. I expect to see jail cells, or maybe a laboratory with vials of mysterious liquids bubbling in a corner.

But my imagination is clearly inspired by too many old horror vids, because what I find instead is what looks at first glance like a giant apartment. There's an area with comfortable old furniture and screens, several corners with beds, a central island with a food and drink dispenser, and even gym equipment that looks outdated, but in decent shape.

As the Sofia escorts me in, I realize that each of these areas is separated by clear glass panels. The panels slide into different formations, sealing off different "rooms" of the space.

"This pod can house up to five test subjects. Your bed is here, in Blue Zone," the Sofia says, escorting me to one of the corners that contains a twin bed with a thin blue quilt. "The panel next to the bed is the only one you can open and close. It leads to your personal restroom."

"How does this all work? Are other people living here?"

The Sofia nods. "There are currently three of you sharing this pod. Your two colleagues are currently in trials with Dr. Rodriguez, but they will be back before the evening meal. You'll find that you each can access the different parts of the pod at designated times. Currently you can go to the living room, your bed, and your bathroom. In two hours, the panels will adjust so you can utilize the dining area."

I'm immediately reminded of rats in a cage, but I'm smart enough to keep that opinion to myself.

"We encourage you to interact with your colleagues professionally. These walls allow sound to pass through, though you can't touch each other—for your own safety. Despite what you may think, we don't want anyone going stir crazy from lack of companionship or activities. You'll even have field trips during your time at Strand to see other parts of the campus."

How generous.

I decide to stick to a safe question. "Who are these...colleagues?"

"I'll let them introduce themselves to you soon. But remember, you're here to work. I don't know the exact terms of your contract, but if you fulfill it, you can return to your life outside. For now, however, we expect you to do your utmost to explore your expanded mental capacity. Part of that is learning from each other about how to access and use your abilities."

I can't help releasing a laugh of disbelief. "You can't really believe that we're all friendly colleagues down here, and that the benevolent executives at Strand will send as all back to our lives with a pat on our heads when we've done what you ask."

The Sofia frowns. "You have a safe, clean space to stay, and regular meals. You are doing something that will benefit humanity. But if you choose to see this another way, we have alternative ways of treating those who can't follow the rules. Would you prefer other accommodations, Joan?"

It's almost a relief to hear the threat lacing the Sofia's words. This is the danger I was expecting to find.

"No, ma'am."

"Lexi assured me you wouldn't be any trouble," Sofia says.

Her words make me shiver, because she's right. As long as Addie is under Strand's control, I will do whatever I'm told.

"Change into your uniform in your restroom and send your clothes down the laundry chute you'll find in the corner. They will be cleaned and ready for you when you complete your time here. Any last questions?"

I have a million, but I settle for one. "When will my work with Dr. Rodriguez begin?"

"You're slated for your first session tomorrow morning. Instructions are on your Strand-issued tablet in the living area. And you'll see—this space is constructed in such a way that you'll know exactly where you are meant to be at all times."

I give her a nod, unable to muster up words of thanks to a woman who is willingly supporting Strand's fucked-up agenda. The Sofia makes her way back to the door we entered from, and I release a breath of relief when I'm alone.

As difficult as it was to get to this point, all of the hard work is still ahead of me. I have to find a way to explore my cage and exploit any weaknesses. All while hoping that Strand doesn't find a way to exploit mine, first.