The bald, brown-eyed man wasn't generous. He didn't give Asia any slack when he zip-tied her wrist together. The hard white plastic dug into her already tender skin. She wondered where Denver was, which room in the warehouse they took him too. She could still smell his metallic blood lingering in the hallway. She wasn't curious about Keller; his location was very prevalent to her. He was walking right next to her, battered and bruised. Behind each of them was a guard aiming an assault rifle loaded with DBPs at their spines.

"You're the first." General Kincaid spoke as he walked swiftly in front of Asia and Keller. "You should feel elite."

"Where's Denver?" Asia asked.

The soldier behind her rammed the rifle barrel in her back, "Shut up, girl!"

Asia yelped from the pain and Keller twisted his head around, "Don't touch her."

"Oh, defensive!" The soldier behind Keller mocked. "Turn the fuck around." He smacked Keller in the back with the butt of the rifle.

General Kincaid's hand shot up, "Let her talk." He dropped his hand. "You want to know where the wounded boy is."

"Yes." Asia quickly answered. "How is he? Is he okay?"

The desperation in her tone didn't affect the General. His gait stayed the same and so did his tone. "The boy is waiting. He's in the van." His arms barely swung as he marched down the dank hallway. "These emotions that you're feeling are all normal since the boy is your brother...well, half—"

"Half."

"Yes." General Kincaid said. "Same mother. Different fathers."

"Who—"

"Who are your fathers?" General Kincaid cut her off. "Various soldiers that volunteered for the program."

"Volunteered!" Keller scoffed. "Bull shit! They were ordered and commanded to give up sperm."

Asia glanced at Keller then back to the black-shirt stretched across General Kincaid's broad back.

"Since 8519 wants to be candid..." General Kincaid smugly shrugged. "Yes, they were commanded because they were soldiers." His voice rose a little causing the hair on the back of Asia's neck rise. "They gave their lives to the government and the government uses their lives as it sees fit."

"They gave their lives for the people of the United States." Keller barked. "To protect the people from enemies foreign and domestic."

"And that is what the hell we're doing!" General Kincaid seethed and Asia knew Keller was irritating the man. "Protecting shit!"

"If soldiers are protecting....shit" The sunlight pouring in at the end of the hallway caught Asia' attention. "...then what are OXROs for?"

General Kincaid's gait slowed and then stopped. Asia and Keller quickly stopped, and then the General turned on his heels.

The Sienna toned man with almond-shaped eyes and onyx hair fixed his sight on Asia. "That is a profound question. One that I'd never expect from 8519." He glanced over at Keller. "The first female OXRO...is a thinker." He chuckled looking back at the soldiers who joined in on his amusement. General Kincaid's smile vanished. "Soldiers that enlist come with baggage like.... family. Love. OXROs live for one thing...to protect the citizens of this nation...." He turned toward Keller. "Against enemies foreign and domestic."

Asia shook her head, her spirit troubled with confusion. "What about our lives? What about us! Don't we matter?"

"No!" General Kincaid's voice thundered against the concrete walls. "You were created to fight. You have no will. You have no family. Love isn't in the cards for you. You will not see your children grow up because you won't have any." 

His words rushed out his wide mouth, "You will go where I tell you to go. You will do what I tell you to do and you will kill whoever I tell you to kill. You are the property of Ares Multinational and I am the commander." He witnessed the reddish tint growing under Asia's bronze cheeks. "To quell your anger and hopelessness..." He took a step back standing erect. "Once you get to The Factory, the life you lived will all be erased. It won't even be a distant memory." He smiled emotionless and turned back on his heels.

 He took a couple of steps forward, swung the double metal doors open and let the fading sun rain upon their faces. 

So, how do we like General Kincaid?