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"Left." Another beep. "Left," Troy said again. Rubber headphones covered his ears and a reflection of Troy mimicked his every move on the mirror side of a one way window.

*Beep*

"Right. When will I be done exactly?"

Carlson's voice buzzed through an speaker on the right wall. "When we say your done."

Troy sighed loudly, trying to make a statement. "Fine," said an agitated Carlson, "we're finished with this test anyway."

* * * * *

This place is boring. It's always the same. "Tell us when," this, or "can you see" that. I've been abducted by scientist. The worst is that kid doctor. Riley is his name I think. Every test result is "amazing", or perhaps "marvelous". A couple of  times "stupendous" and "fascinating" were thrown about. What a freak. Even more annoying is that damn wheelchair. All I can think of is Helen. She was a sucker for those damn things. "Can I get that door for you?" "Here let me help!" All to help some people in a chair. Damn it why did you have to die? Why not me?

I am haunted by that chair. I am tormented by her unforgiving smile.

* * * * *

"In English please Riley." Riley lowered his head slightly to hide a sly smile.

"Sorry Mr. Carlson. To put it simply, he has super senses." Carlson seemed unimpressed. After all, stranger things have happened.

"How super?"

Riley used his right arm to spin his chair about. He pointed at Troy through the one sided mirror. "That room has been sound proofed to as low as 5 hertz. The average human hears only as low as 20 hertz. He, heard you walking the down the hall as you passed buy."

Super hearing, impressive but not too useful. "And the other tests Riley?"
"He could read a book from 40 feet away, feel footsteps in another room, and," he pointed at a black garbage bin behind Troy "he smelled a half finished sandwich in the garbage as he entered the room."

Carlson slouched and frowned slightly. "So what do you think?"

"Hmm, well he's a good candidate. He'll be a good ground asset. Probably Brent, or another one of our skilled captains."

"Then it's decided."

"Sir?"

"I'll train him. Riley, debrief and prep him. He has one hell of a day tomorrow."

* * * * *

Troy sat dumbstruck on his hospital bed. No way, no freaking way!  Not a chance in hell. Dad, undercover?! Ha, please. That man couldn't sneak a fart if he wanted to. Tactical genius? Not in a million years. He could barely read a map, constantly making wrong turns only to run into a local who pointed him in the right direction. Actually ,come to think of it he never turned around until talking to somebody. Man he had no sense of direction.

But still there where things he couldn't refute. Super senses are neat!  But why? Why not super strength or oh, I could have gotten laser vision! Why'd Red give me super senses. Not exactly a tool for revenge. And damn it if it takes all my life, demands all of my attention, I WILL kill that bastard. I don't know what he looks like but I'll be damned before I forget his voice. Or her smile...

* * * * *

Carlson was ruthless, "Again!". Yeah, because I really want to  end up on my ass again. They'd been at this for half an hour. Some kind of "training". Last time I checked I hadn't signed up for judo. Troy observed the room around him. Inch and a half thick blue padding covered the floor and walls. Even the door was padded. Troy gasped as his legs were swept from under him and he wound up, once again, flat on his ass.

"Focus please," said Carlson, standing over him extending his hand.

"Sorry." Troy used his own arms to raise himself. His pride was hurt enough. Carlson returned to his side of the room.

"Again." Damn it, it's not fair. A full grown man picking on a 12 year old. But this time Troy was going to be focused. Okay,  so I usually approach from the right. Troy shifted his feet and took a lower stance.  Finally he charged. Being sure to stick to the left he closed in on Carlson. 20 feet, 10 feet, 5 feet, 2. Carlson shifted his weight forward to counter the blow. Perfect. At the last moment Troy  slid his feet from under himself and grabbed his opponent's leg as he slid feet first to the left just inches from Carlson.

A startled "Oh, shit." escaped from Carlson's lips as he plummeted face first towards the ground, legs yanked from under him.  Troy shut is eyes for a very short period of time relived the trick had worked. He felt a light weight on his chest and his eyes snapped open. Foot on Tory's chest with a beaming smile Carlson looked down at his young pupil. Damn, he's fast. "Fine, fine I get it, still have a lot to learn. Pay better attention next time. Blah, blah, blah. But first you promised to answer my questions if I could knock you down."

"Okay, shoot."

"For starters where the hell am I?"

"This is the Volcanic Aquatic Sturge Island Sphere. Or V.A.S.I.S as we have come to call it."

Does everybody speak nerd around here? "What the hell does that mean?"

"You're underwater, under a mountain, in the antarctic."

"How did that happen?"

"Long-story-short I built the place in a empty magma chamber two kilometers underground."

"Super, any pet dragons I should worry about as well?"

Carlson wasn't too amused. "No need to be bitter. I thought it was a rather good place for anti-surveillance."

"Wait, we're hiding? You can build all this and you're hiding? From whom?"

"The people who killed your father."

"No, that was one guy. One guy ALONE."

"I'm afraid not." The room fell silent for a moment. Tension electrified the air.

"Tell me. Tell me who killed my family..."

Description
"Left." Another beep. "Left," Troy said again. Rubber headphones covered his ears and a reflection of Troy mimicked his every move on the mirror side of a one way window.

*Beep*

"Right. When will I be done exactly?"

Carlson's voice buzzed through an speaker on the right wall. "When we say your done."

Troy sighed loudly, trying to make a statement. "Fine," said an agitated Carlson, "we're finished with this test anyway."

* * * * *

This place is boring. It's always the same. "Tell us when," this, or "can you see" that. I've been abducted by scientist. The worst is that kid doctor. Riley is his name I think. Every test result is "amazing", or perhaps "marvelous". A couple of  times "stupendous" and "fascinating" were thrown about. What a freak. Even more annoying is that damn wheelchair. All I can think of is Helen. She was a sucker for those damn things. "Can I get that door for you?" "Here let me help!" All to help some people in a chair. Damn it why did you have to die? Why not me?

I am haunted by that chair. I am tormented by her unforgiving smile.

* * * * *

"In English please Riley." Riley lowered his head slightly to hide a sly smile.

"Sorry Mr. Carlson. To put it simply, he has super senses." Carlson seemed unimpressed. After all, stranger things have happened.

"How super?"

Riley used his right arm to spin his chair about. He pointed at Troy through the one sided mirror. "That room has been sound proofed to as low as 5 hertz. The average human hears only as low as 20 hertz. He, heard you walking the down the hall as you passed buy."

Super hearing, impressive but not too useful. "And the other tests Riley?"
"He could read a book from 40 feet away, feel footsteps in another room, and," he pointed at a black garbage bin behind Troy "he smelled a half finished sandwich in the garbage as he entered the room."

Carlson slouched and frowned slightly. "So what do you think?"

"Hmm, well he's a good candidate. He'll be a good ground asset. Probably Brent, or another one of our skilled captains."

"Then it's decided."

"Sir?"

"I'll train him. Riley, debrief and prep him. He has one hell of a day tomorrow."

* * * * *

Troy sat dumbstruck on his hospital bed. No way, no freaking way!  Not a chance in hell. Dad, undercover?! Ha, please. That man couldn't sneak a fart if he wanted to. Tactical genius? Not in a million years. He could barely read a map, constantly making wrong turns only to run into a local who pointed him in the right direction. Actually ,come to think of it he never turned around until talking to somebody. Man he had no sense of direction.

But still there where things he couldn't refute. Super senses are neat!  But why? Why not super strength or oh, I could have gotten laser vision! Why'd Red give me super senses. Not exactly a tool for revenge. And damn it if it takes all my life, demands all of my attention, I WILL kill that bastard. I don't know what he looks like but I'll be damned before I forget his voice. Or her smile...

* * * * *

Carlson was ruthless, "Again!". Yeah, because I really want to  end up on my ass again. They'd been at this for half an hour. Some kind of "training". Last time I checked I hadn't signed up for judo. Troy observed the room around him. Inch and a half thick blue padding covered the floor and walls. Even the door was padded. Troy gasped as his legs were swept from under him and he wound up, once again, flat on his ass.

"Focus please," said Carlson, standing over him extending his hand.

"Sorry." Troy used his own arms to raise himself. His pride was hurt enough. Carlson returned to his side of the room.

"Again." Damn it, it's not fair. A full grown man picking on a 12 year old. But this time Troy was going to be focused. Okay,  so I usually approach from the right. Troy shifted his feet and took a lower stance.  Finally he charged. Being sure to stick to the left he closed in on Carlson. 20 feet, 10 feet, 5 feet, 2. Carlson shifted his weight forward to counter the blow. Perfect. At the last moment Troy  slid his feet from under himself and grabbed his opponent's leg as he slid feet first to the left just inches from Carlson.

A startled "Oh, shit." escaped from Carlson's lips as he plummeted face first towards the ground, legs yanked from under him.  Troy shut is eyes for a very short period of time relived the trick had worked. He felt a light weight on his chest and his eyes snapped open. Foot on Tory's chest with a beaming smile Carlson looked down at his young pupil. Damn, he's fast. "Fine, fine I get it, still have a lot to learn. Pay better attention next time. Blah, blah, blah. But first you promised to answer my questions if I could knock you down."

"Okay, shoot."

"For starters where the hell am I?"

"This is the Volcanic Aquatic Sturge Island Sphere. Or V.A.S.I.S as we have come to call it."

Does everybody speak nerd around here? "What the hell does that mean?"

"You're underwater, under a mountain, in the antarctic."

"How did that happen?"

"Long-story-short I built the place in a empty magma chamber two kilometers underground."

"Super, any pet dragons I should worry about as well?"

Carlson wasn't too amused. "No need to be bitter. I thought it was a rather good place for anti-surveillance."

"Wait, we're hiding? You can build all this and you're hiding? From whom?"

"The people who killed your father."

"No, that was one guy. One guy ALONE."

"I'm afraid not." The room fell silent for a moment. Tension electrified the air.

"Tell me. Tell me who killed my family..."