CHAPTER 2: ASSETS

I didn't get any sleep. I laid awake and stared at the ceiling, trying so hard to feel something. Anything. I couldn't even muster up any tears. 

How did I get here? Why am I here? 

I didn't know. I couldn't remember anything anymore. 

Who am I?

Then I remembered, I am nothing. I am number 2700.

I flinch as my door creaks open and light floods the plain room. I cover my eyes with my arm, so I can see who's standing there. It's a different man from last night. This man looks more put together than the man from last night. This man had a suit on. It was navy blue. 

He pulled out a pad of paper and started writing something down. I dared not say anything. 

My eyes finally adjusted and I could see him more clearly. He had gelled, dark brown hair and thick glasses perched on the edge of his nose. Our eyes met and he wrinkled his nose in disgust. 

"Don't look at me."

I quickly avert my eyes and focus on the floor. 

I can hear his footsteps getting closer to me. They stop right in front of me. 

"Stand up."

I stand up, keeping my eyes glued to the floor. His hands find my jaw and he tilts my chin up so our eyes meet. There is silence for a good minute as he studies my face. I can feel his hot breath on my face. It smells like spearmint gum. He smelled clean.

"You're pretty. We can use that to our advantage. Too bad you're not filled out."

His hands make their way to my chest. I flinch.

He pulls his hands away to make a note on his pad. I try to crane my head to see what he's writing down. The only words I could make out were, "room 12". Before I knew what was happening, I was on the floor. A sharp pain shot through my collarbone. I looked up to see the man standing over me, seething. 

"Don't you ever do that again." He growls, placing a foot on my chest. His foot presses more firmly into me, making it more and more difficult to breathe. 

I scream as he pulls me up by my hair and throws me into the wall.

"Say you understand, 2700." He says mockingly. 

I nod, biting my lip to keep from screaming out,

"I understand."

Blood pours out from an open wound on my forehead and floods my eyes. I close my eyes to avoid any more blood getting in them as he kicks me one last time before leaving.

The pain I'm in is crippling. I can't move. 

Everything goes dark.

I wake up in an all white room. I'm slow to open my eyes. I'm on a steel table, in a hospital gown. I see three women nurses, whispering to each other in the corner. One of them sees I'm awake and clears her throat, causing the other two to stop talking immediately. 

One of them makes her way over and gives me an eerie smile. "How are you feeling 2700?"

I don't answer, irritating her. 

"Okay. Well."

"Archer. We ready?" 

A doctor walks in the room, putting on gloves. The other nurses nod and make their way around me. 

"We've got some work to do."

One of the nurses puts a clear mask over my face and I breathe in the weird mist. My world goes dark after a few seconds. 

I wake up, but there's something over my eyes. My whole body aches. I try to sit up but my wrists are tied down at my sides. I'm on what feels like a hospital bed. Only when I try to move do I realize how badly my chest hurts. 

I lay there for what seems like hours.

A door opens and shuts. I hear footsteps.

"Number 2700."

"Yes?"

I feel someone messing with my blindfold; it slides off.

It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust. I gasp at the sight before me.

My breasts are out on display, much bigger than I remember, all stitched up. In fact, I'm completely naked.

The man looks over my body, no emotion in his eyes. He nods, but seems disappointed.

"They could've made them bigger."

I'm so confused and scared.

"These are going to be your biggest assets. Quite literally. You'll see what I mean in time."

He types something into his phone in his hands and nods again. I can hear him mumbling something under his breath. I can't make out the words, just incoherent noises. He leaves the room and shuts the door quietly behind him. 

I can hear voices outside the door. I can even hear somebody laughing. It wasn't comforting in the slightest bit. A woman's voice rises over the others. 

"I don't know who thought this was a good idea. I mean, have you seen the rest of her? She doesn't even look like she could throw a punch. Big tits aren't going to save her from getting her ass killed out there."

"No, but the training she's going to go through will be more than enough to turn her into our strongest asset out in the field."

The voices fade.