Asia walked. The black-eyed man didn't look like he gave idle threats. So, she let him drag her along like a leash-trained puppy. 

He led her down a dark tunnel that was only wide enough for two people. His combat boots slapped the ground as he kept her leash tight in his hand. She let her eyes go past his crew cut down the tunnel that went on as far as her eyes could see. It was made of concrete walls with metal pipes running along the ceiling. She gathered that she was in the bowels of a building.

    "Where are you taking me?" Asia tried to pull the handcuffs over her hand. The metal stopped at the joint of her thumb. Engraving red cuts into her skin were all she accomplished so she stopped. "Where are we?" She asked.

     He played mute steadily dragging her along. A bright light rained up ahead attracting Asia's eyes. "What's that?" She quickened her pace inching closer to the black-eyed man.

     He fanned out his arm swatting her back, "You'll find out." His robust voice echoed down the hollowed aisle.

     "Slavery is illegal." Asia lowered her eyes on the chain. She stepped back into his vast shadow. "You're breaking my thirteenth amendment."

      "You don't have rights." The black-eyed man reduced his pace as he neared the light. He slacked the chain standing in what Asia could see was a doorway. She stood back hiding in the darkness. "She's ready." He spoke to someone.

    "Bring her in." A silken voice stated.

     "Here!" He held the chain out yanking Asia's hands up.

     The scrapping of wheels brushed across the floor, "Not like that." A woman with sandy hair and honeyed skin stood in the doorway. She looked over the black-eyed man planting her eyes on the handcuffs squeezing Asia's wrist. "Release her."

    "General Kincaid said­—"

    "I don't care what Kincaid told you." Her blank face became transformed as wrinkles emerged in her forehead and her round eyes narrowed to slits. "She is not coming in my lab shackled like some criminal! This is not a prison!"

    Asia's head jerked up at the superiority the woman spoke with. The thin flake of a woman with square glasses and a pencil skirt was ordering the hulk-like man as if she was his boss. Maybe she was. Maybe there was a hierarchy in all the madness and she was the one Asia needed to persuade for her freedom.

     The black-eyed man reached into his front pocket drawing out a silver key. "Your funeral Dr. Miller." He threw the key at the lady. The key hit her in the chest. She caught it before it hit the floor. "Privileged bitch!" He snide going back the way he came.

"I'm sorry." Dr. Miller said. "You can come out of the dark." She waved for Asia to move closer.

    Asia held up her hands as she walked up. "Where am I?" Asia hoped this Dr. Miller would answer her question.

      Dr. Miller slipped the key in the handcuff's lock. "The Factory." She twisted the key and the handcuff popped open.

    "What's the Factory?" Asia asked flexing her raw, red wrist.

     Dr. Miller let the chain clanked to the ground as she stuck the key in the other handcuff, "It's where OXRO's are readied from transport."

    "Transport to where?" Asia watched her unlock the last handcuff.

    "That's not important." Dr. Miller let the handcuffs fall to the floor. "Follow me." She ordered spinning on her patent leather heels.

      Asia did as she was told even though every cell in her body screamed Choke her out and Run. She stood in the middle of the lab taking shallow breaths. With intent, she watched Dr. Miller buzz around the white lab grabbing things; a neatly folded bundle of towels from the side cabinet, a set of gray clothes from the top cabinet, and a generic pair of gray sneakers.

      "The showers to the right." Dr. Miller handed Asia the triangular stacked pile. Asia clamped the pile to her chest. "Then we'll start the examination." She smiled at Asia but Asia didn't reciprocate. She just took off ensue of the shower.

       Asia assumed the showers were going to be white like the lab but when she locked the door and flicked on the light she was surprised. It wasn't a wall of tile lined with showerheads but an actual bathroom. She could tell it didn't belong there with its taupe painted brick wall and uneven foundation. Asia didn't know what to think as she absorbed her new surrounding. It was unnervingly modern; the glass shower along one wall; the sink and toilet on the other.

       Asia closed the toilet and placed the pile on top of it. She stepped into the shower and turned on the spray. She didn't intend on staying in the shower. She was going to wait for the water to get hot then jump in after she stripped out of her clothes but once the cold water licked her skin she couldn't move. The slowly warming liquid splashed across her face awakening something in her core. Something that made her crumble to her feet wailing uncontrollably. The water rained over her washing away the dirt and tears from her shaking body.

       The veil that locked away all her memories snapped. All the images of happier times streamed through her mind; the carpool to the cabin with Yasmin, Leslee, and Asia; dancing until one in the morning; hiking on the trail of the weekend with Oliver; going speed-dating with Denver. It all had her walking on the edge of sanity.

      Thirty-two minutes later, Asia sat on the examining table. She watched the closed door leading back to the dank hallway. As Dr. Miller prodded her like a dairy cow; sticking a thermometer under her tongue, flashing a light in her eyes, peering in her ears, and checking her blood pressure, lungs and heartbeat. It reminded Asia of what the black-eyed man told her, you don't have rights.

        "This is it?" Asia monotonous said. "I'm no more Asia Knight?" She looked over at the pieces of paper next to her. "I'm just a number. I'm 3345." She remembered what the man at the cabin called her.

      Dr. Miller pushed up the hem of Asia's skirt. "This wound looks good." She dabbed it was alcohol. "Who tended to it?" She wrapped gauze around Asia's thigh. "The boy you were with." She answered her own question.

      Asia tugged her skirt back down, "Your apprehension to answering my questions actually answers the question. Ironic...isn't it."

      "Lay back." Dr. Miller rose from the stool. Asia didn't move but looked at the woman. "Lay back." She ordered with a sterner tone.

       Asia did as she was told. She lowered herself onto the bed feeling every sore muscle in her lower back shift.

       "I was a little younger than you...when I started working for Ares Multination." Dr. Miller spoke rolling up Asia's shirt. Asia flinched from the coldness of the doctor's hands. "I would give you a shot of lidocaine but medicine doesn't work on—"

       "OXROs" Asia filled in craning her neck trying to see what Dr. Miller was doing.

      "Yes." Dr. Miller confirmed. "First, I was just watching bacteria grow in a petri dish." She pushed the waistband of Asia's skirt down then rubbed the skin of her pelvis clean with an alcohol-drenched cotton ball. "Then when I had a year in, a supervisor for Ares informed me that the contract I signed gave the company permission to my eggs."

      Asia's head shot up as Dr. Miller grabbed a scapula off the side tray. "What are you doing?" She propped herself up on her elbows.

       "Those progenies before you weren't mine's." Dr. Miller steadied her grip on the metal instrument. "They can not have you."

      "Wait!" Asia grabbed Dr. Miller's wrist. "What?"

       Dr. Miller covered her hand over Asia's. She committed the image of the girl's hand on hers. "This is not the time for tales of ancestry." She peeled Asia's hand off her.

      "Ancestry?" Asia tightening her grip around Dr. Miller wrist. "You're not my mother." She watched a mist grow in the doctor's tan eyes.

       Dr. Miller pulled Asia's hand off her one finger at a time, "This is going to hurt." She held the blade over Asia's pelvis. "But you can't scream or we'll both be dead."

      Asia took heed to the firmness in Dr. Miller's voice. She laid back on the table remembering the last time someone told her not to scream when pain was about to be inflicted on her. She gripped the edges of the table as her mind became as scrambled as eggs on a Saturday morning.

 The blade sliced through Asia's epidermis. She breathed in and out with ease as her eyes were trained on the ceiling. It was white like the blazer her mom use to wear to work; five days a week every day as far back as Asia could remember. The blade cut through her dermis. She gritted her teeth, grinding them together. The teeth that were wickedly straight from the braces her mom had put on. Then the cutting stopped.

      "Close your eyes and hold your breath." Dr. Miller instructed. "It'll be fast."

       Asia closed her eyes, breathed deep and clamped her lips closed. Fishing, that what it felt like. Asia held her mouth as tight as she could. She had to fight off the scream that rushed up her throat. Keller wasn't here to stop it this time. The metal tongs snipped at her flesh. Once the tongs closed, it bit Asia's flesh like a piranha tugging at the tender meat.  Sweat percolated from her forehead.

       "Almost..." Dr. Miller dug the tongs into Asia a little deeper almost scrapping her pelvis. Asia's legs started to squirm as she went from gritting her teeth to taking in short huffed breaths. "Got it!" Dr. Miller pulled the tongs out relieving the tightness Asia felt but not the sting.

      "What's that?" Asia asked looking at the inch long metal bar Dr. Miller dropped on the tray.

      "A tracker." Dr. Miller slapped a piece of gauze on the incision. "We don't have time for sutures. Apply pressure." She grabbed Asia's hand off the table and stuck it to the wound. "Fix it when you get out."

     "Get out!" Asia slowly sat up. The prodding she just endured hampered her movement.

      "Find the door without a number." Dr. Miller ripped off her gloves. "You must do this." She took Asia's hands in her and held them to her chest. "You can do this."

      Asia lightly nodded unsure of what the woman is talking about. Do what? What did she want her to do? She was going to ask. The question sat on her tongue.

     "Protect them," Dr. Miller squeezed Asia's hand a little tighter with fire in her eyes. "You're the eldest. It's your responsibility to protect your brothers."

      "Brothers?" Asia stepped back.

       Dr. Miller dropped Asia's hands. "Now—" Dr. Miller squared her shoulders and tilted up her head. "Punch me."

Should Asia do what the woman is telling her, punch her and find the room without a number?

Who are her brothers?