Brother 1     10,000

It was impossible to determine when I woke up, given the deep blackness that encompassed the room. I felt weaker than I had been in years, and had a terrible headache.

Despite the darkness of the room, I became hopeful as I heard murmurs coming from my fellow brothers and sisters. They needed to come into full consciousness sooner than later, or there would be little to look forward to.

In a matter of an hour, all of my brothers and sisters had awoken to their senses, and I had been able to explain to them the severity of the issue we were stuck in. Though we had attempted to generate ideas for escaping, none would work with our current circumstances.

{…}

As I lay hopeless in the darkness, I heard a small knock on the door. It was a rather peculiar knock, quite different from the footsteps and conversations I had heard the past few hours, all of which came from those odious scientists.

The door was opened ever so stealthily, only to reveal that the young female from the family who had warned us of danger came in. She quickly ran to my side, given how quickly I responded to her entrance.

“I must make this fast, as there is only half-an-hour until sunrise. My family and I will help you escape. The first test that the scientists will perform takes only a few minutes to perform, but the side effects come into effect some time afterward. Right after the scientists leave the room, take this pill. It will slow down the side effects. When you finish, use these small devices to break the locks on yourself, and everyone else…”

“How do you know all of this?” I interrupted.

“It is a long story, but my family and I are one of the few people who disagree with this doctrine spreading that we always need to be tracked. People are giving up their rights, safety, and privacy for absolutely nothing in return. We are under high-alert. The police hate us. We have been threatened. But we have done our research. They are going to turn us all into machines, and I will not allow that to happen to you and your people.”

“Please continue forward,” I wistfully replied.

“After you take the pills and free everyone, put these bracelets on all of you. The monitors will not be able to track you with the heat sensors. Use the side exit at the end of the hall, travel down five flights of stairs, and once you reach the main level, exit from the silver doors. My family and I will be there to help you escape. We have already fixed your spaceship for you all. But you must act surreptitiously.”
“I understand.” “Thank you for your help,” I sincerely told the young girl.

A faint smile appeared on her face. I could tell that this was quite different from what most females her age would worry over. And it broke my heart to think that she, her mother, her father, and her brother would be forced to live with a doomed fate.

As the girl solemnly left the room, I felt compelled to help the family, and I could tell from the looks on the faces of my brothers and sisters that they felt the same way.