Page 57 of The Program

But first, I had to warn the others.

Sorry, Bal. I’ll find you soon, I promise.

CHAPTER 21

DORIAN

My team and I stood back, our worry a tangible vibration in our muscles as we watched the medical staff cart Bromm away on a stretcher. Foryk and their other two teammates – I’d never bothered to remember their names – followed. We would have gone as well, and we’d tried, but only team members were allowed to tag along while they provided medical attention.

One moment we were eating our evening meal, the quiet murmurs of our peers a backdrop to the uneventful experience, and the next Bromm was face-planting in his food and, despite our efforts to rouse him,not waking up.

Markus came through the door from the kitchen to see what the fuss was about and paled when he saw Bromm being carted from the room. He glanced at us, making eye contact with me. A silent conversation of shared concern passed between us in less than a tick before he went back inside the kitchen like the whole thing just wasn’t worth his time.

If I didn’t know he was acting I would’ve believed it.

Colonel Granger came bursting through the doors then in a flurry of activity. She was trailed by a tall, thin, middle-aged man with greying hair and an equally tall but plumper woman in white lab coats, their noses held aloft as if they were superior to us all. And behind them were an entire squadron of masked guards. I never thought I’d get sick of seeing a gas mask, but that was where I was at. They were already dotted around the perimeter of the cafeteria, stationed at the doors and throughout the hallways, and even monitored our dorm room commons and entertainment rooms. We were no longer permitted to use the latter for their intended purpose. They’d been converted into communal study rooms instead.

Fuck, I couldn’t wait to get out of here.

The first thing I was going to do as soon as we were free and clear was call home. I hadn’t been granted a phone call like some of the other cadets, purely because I was a scholarship student and my family were nobodies in the grand scheme of things. Bromm was permitted a call here and there to his parents, but he complained that they were more like ransom calls than check-ins. It hadn’t taken us long to figure out that we were all being held hostage for the compliance of the affluent families who’d sent their sons here to study.

Cadmus was the only one who had any ability to contact his family, which consisted solely of his father. Those conversations were few and far between, but only due to Cad’s lack of desire to speak with the man. Apparently, they didn’t have the best familial relationship – or any relationship for that matter. The only time Cad spoke of his sire was when he whined about the ridiculous – and oftentimes frivolous – expectations forced upon him. Luckily, while held hostage, those things had diminished for the time being, and the whinging with it.

At first the situation made us suspicious of them both, until Cad had come clean about his own theories regarding his father. He wasn’t a good man, that was for sure. Cadmus, on the other hand… Don’t get me wrong, he was still a pompous prick, but after a solar spent together in close quarters I’d learned a lot about the guy enough to consider him a close friend. He might have come across as snobbish and arrogant when we first met, but I’d seen a different side of him emerge during our time together. It wasn’t obvious to see, but if you looked closely enough his compassion, kindness and loyalty shone through like a hidden beacon waiting for acknowledgment.

‘Back to your dorms everyone!’ Colonel Granger punctuated her command with a clap of her hands. ‘That’s enough excitement for one evening. Mealtime is over!’

A few cadets dared to release their groans of annoyance, though most of us were smart enough to keep it to ourselves. Surprisingly, they were ignored in favour of heading to the kitchen.

They had their own kitchen facilities. What could they possibly need of ours?

That answer became obvious when they came back out with a grim-looking Markus wedged in the middle. It didn’t look like he was in any trouble, but he was locked in a stare-off with the male scientist, whoran his long, thin fingers through his salt-and-pepper hair in a gesture of exasperation.

Markus opened his mouth to say something, something that didn’t look to be particularlykindif his hostility towards the other man was any indication, but Urman urged me forward and through the door before I could hear it.

‘Come on,’ he said, letting me go to practically drag the other two behind him from where they, too, lingered to eavesdrop. ‘We have our orders.’

We peeled ourselves away from the scene, our curiosity and our worry over Bromm causing our feet to drag.

Our dorm was relatively close to the cafeteria, so we made good time despite our slow, trudging pace. When we walked through the door and I spotted my bunk, ready and waiting for me to crawl into for what I hoped wouldn’t be another night of restless sleep, I immediately started stripping. I didn’t even want to shower, I was so eager to climb under the plush covers.

It seemed I wasn’t the only one to let the exhaustion win, either, but while Urman and Henrik went straight for the bathroom, quietly debating which one would get to shower first, Cadmus was stripping even faster than me.

We’d gotten used to seeing one another’s nudity here. We were all friends and no longer cared about clothes. It was almost as if it were a small rebellion against the rigid rules The Program thrust upon us, and we spent most of our time in our dorm without a stitch. We’d clocked the cameras ages ago, and we hoped they enjoyed the show.

And what a show we put on.

Cadmus, as a Drakfern, had two penises that he very much enjoyed flashing for the cameras. It got to the point where I wondered if he had an exhibitionist fetish or something. The amount of times I’d come out of the shower to find him fondling himself in clear view was, unfortunately, far too many to count. And from the way he tugged at them now, they were about to get another show.

That was until a feminine shout echoed throughout the room.

‘Stop!’

All four of us spun in unison to where a lone figure stood in the doorway to the bathroom, hands covering her eyes but not the flame-red tint to her skin.

‘What the…?’ was what fell out of Cad’s mouth while his hands, previously caressing his shafts, stretched to cover his half-risen cocks.

‘Stars above, what is it with you men and your damn dicks?’ she exclaimed, her voice pitched high and shrill.

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