Project Zero

The girl opened her eyes to her white room. No windows, no decorations, just a stark white room. She didn't know the time or date, but she knew that the man would come soon. She didn't know his name, she didn't think he ever told her. All she had was a vague idea of what she's doing and a faint memory of a colorful scene.

"Are you ready, Project Zero?" The man called from the seemingly open doorway. The girl nodded and followed the man down the stark white hall and to a white lab room. The man had two vials ready, just like he had for every day for as long as she could remember. The first one got put in the syringe attached to the hypothermic needle and got injected into her arm. This, like always, made her sick with dizziness and loss of hearing. the second one was injected soon after that, and like always, didn't do anything. The hours went by in the lab room until the sickness had run its course under the observation of the man. It was always the same man, she realized. She decided to ask him for his name since he was the only person she had contact with in the facility. She had been there for as long as she could remember, although she remembered the fact that she had not always been there.

"My name?" the man asked, surprised, "Why?"

"You never told me, and I've been here for as long as I can remember."

"I can't. Sorry."

"Why not?"

"That's the thing about this place, it needs to stay white. Learning someone's name gives them color, and therefore, names are forbidden."

"What are we even doing here, then?"

"The general public thinks this is a site to find the cure for the disease, but really it's just keeping the immune away from the population."

"But why?"

"Because that gives the population hope when the government has no plan to help them."

"And what are the shots for?"

"That's something I don't know."

The two were silent for a minute.

"Why are you here, anyway?"

"I was sold to the government, and I had a talent for medicine, so...I was put here."

Another minute of silence.

"If I let you come with me, would you help me get out of here?"

"You'd let me leave with you?" the young man's eyes lit up.

"You'd have to give me your name, but yeah."

The man appeared to think for a few minutes, then he sighed.

"My name is Xavier."

Immediately, the man's white features took on color. His hair became a rusted brown, and his eyes a soft green. His skin was a light tan color, and his shoes were a bright red. This was no longer the person she had unfamiliarly called "the man." This was Xavier, her ticket into the world of color. All too suddenly, she was led back into her room and given the same book she had been given for a long time. She had read it through, several times, but they didn't give her anything else to do. The name on the cover was inked out, so you couldn't read it. Now the girl knew why. She didn't bother opening the book, as she practically knew the whole manuscript by heart. Instead, she waited for dinner to arrive by drawing on the white desk. By the time Xavier arrived with her food, she had made a flower that stretched up and covered most of the wall. Xavier came in and set the food on the desk.

"That's really impressive, Zero," he commented.

"So we've dropped the whole 'project' off my 'name?'" the girl replied.

"It's the best I can do, I was never given your real name," he retorted.

"You really think my doodle is good?" the girl asked.

"Yeah, if we weren't stuck in here, I'd take a picture and upload it online."

"Too bad it will disappear in the morning."

"Yeah."

"Hey, Xavier?"

"Yes, Zero?"

"What day is it today?"

"..."

"Xavier?"

"I don't know."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

Xavier looked at her and smiled.

"It's not your fault there are no calendars or windows in this facility. So don't apologize for being curious."

And with that, he stood up and walked out. The girl started to eat her dinner and quickly finished the food. she didn't know what it was called, but it was different than what she usually got. And it was really good. Soon a gravelly voice came on the invisible speakers.

"Attention Projects. Curfew starts in thirty seconds, so I advise you to get in bed now."

The girl crawled into the bed and shut her eyes, thinking about how Xavier had treated her like a person. She fell asleep thinking about his warm gaze.

...

"Xavier, is there something you want to tell me?" the older man asked expectantly.

"S-sir?" Xavier replied.

"You aren't thinking of deserting this place, are you?"

Xavier's eyes widened in shock.

"I saw the way you looked at that project. At first, I refused to believe it. I thought you had surely learned your lesson from that incident three years ago."

Xavier froze, "N-no, it's not what you think, I-"

"Want to know her name?"

Xavier stopped, "You know it?"

"Of course I do," the older man leaned in, "You can't hide anything from me Xavi."

"R-right."

The older man turned away, "Either way, I'm disappointed. I'm going to have to erase her memories again, and then I need to change her Contact."

"W-wait!" Xavier shouted after him, "W-what about her name?"

The older man smirked, "That's none of your business, boy."

Then the older man left Xavier alone with his thoughts. Realizing he didn't have much time, he ran to Zero's room. But by the time he got there, they were already erasing her memory of him and his name.

...

The girl opened her eyes to her white room. No windows, no decorations, just a stark white room. She didn't know the time or date, but she knew that the man would come soon. For some reason, she didn't remember the man at all though. she remembered that he came in every day within seconds of her waking up, but that was it. She felt as if she was missing something as an unfamiliar voice from the doorway called out.

"Are you ready, Project Zero?"