Chapter 2 Allen

He was different from the others. The moment I saw him I could tell, with his long blond hair shining like gold and his over-all calm and confident demeanour . I couldn't place it at the time but his presence here seemed off. He didn't fit with the other group members, he didn't belong and it looked like he didn't want to.

I quickly ran around the corner and bolted down the paved walk, letting them catch another glimpse of me before disappearing. I was known as one of the most playful. It started out as a game in the beginning. I lead them on, seeing who can out-last the other, and when the times up, I make a real break for it.

–Allen's P.O.V–

This isn't what I had in mind when the guys asked if I wanted to go have some fun. Chase was the next big thing, like paint ball and bungee jumping. It's been around forever but just recently, it started hitting popularity. When I first got to the building named Gaea, it looked like a normal sky scraper with a large dome beside it. I first thought it was some sort of virtual reality plaza but up on entering, I realized I was wrong. It was high tech alright, but other then the fancy desks for the receptionist, the TV. monitors and such, it looked just like a business building.

Gaddess seemed to know what he was doing when he confidently walked up to the receptions desk. "Hello Gaddess! It's good to see you again! Oh, and you brought some friends." The receptionist chirpily said ,clearly knowing Gaddess from previous visits.

"Yep, we're here to have a go at ISBN-0-201" He said, winking at the young lady

"You wouldn't be the first to try." She said, flashing him a picture perfect smile "The normal rate plus 2000 credits"

"Why the increase?" Gaddess asked, fishing out a wad of bills from his wallet.

"It's ISBN-0-201!" She exclaimed as if that explained everything "He's the most popular and the hardest difficulty level, he's never been caught you know"

"Well, that's about to change" Gaddess mumbled, gesturing for me and the others to follow him into a side door.

The room was painted black, the walls, floor, and ceiling. A young man came around with a large metal tray making a long speech as if he had a million times. "Please put all things that could be considered or be used as a weapon on the tray. Knifes, guns, rods and or other sharp objects. As well any kind of tranquilizer or sedative on the tray. No reactant enhancing drugs or products aloud. If you do bring in such substances inside you will be fined 10 thousand credits, all medical bills for the runner, and damages to the environment will also be charged. Gaea is not liable for any injuries and/ or death that may occur during the chase. Any complaints of injuries you might acquire during your visit here will not be heard. When you are finished, please walk through the door on your left. Please note that walking through that door you agree to all terms and conditions."

When me and my five companions walked through that door, I was expecting something plain like a black room, but I was met by a very different sight. One large desk, that looked to be about twenty feet long was situated parallel to the wall. A large map of the city was pasted up behind it, small red dots scattered across it. Gaddess walked up to a man typing on one of the computers. Grabbing the man's attention ,they started talking and I couldn't understand why and what they were discussing.

"Which environment would you like sir? The city or Enviro dome?"

"I think we'd like the city. It's more open"

"Very well. What starting point would you like?" The man asked, blue dots joining the red ones on the map at least thirty of them.

"How bout, central park"

"And your runners ID number?" The man asked punching digits into the computer.

"INBN-0-201"

The man paused briefly "Alright, your van number is six. You will be leaving in fifteen minutes, enjoy your chase."

"Gaddess, what exactly are we doing?" I asked once we were in the van, on our way to central park

"Chase is were you chase a humanoid through the city"

"WHAT?"

"They have genetically altered people called runners that you hut through the city . After the elated time is up, and you haven't caught the runner you lose. It a great sport" Gaddess said smiling

"How could they do that! This is fun?" I all but screamed

"Yes, I don't see the problem. It's like hunting but with no killing"

"And people willing let themselves be altered with animal DNA and chased through the city?"

"Of course not! That's why they have Green officers, to make sure no one escapes"

I felt sick, I was about to chase some poor person through the city like a common criminal, after they had gone through who knows what in a fucking lab! This is supposed to be fun?

The runner was given ten minutes head start at the begging. The only advantage they had. Because of this, I never got to see the runner, but Gaddess must have another time because he yelled 'there he is', and ranted on about he would be the first one to have his name beside INBN-0-201.

We ran north heading down a long walk way the path blocked by crowds of people. I could see a mop of dark hair dashing through the crowd every once in a while, stopping and speeding up. It was taunting us. Inwardly, I screamed. We were only half a hour in when Jordan, the slowest in the group, was lost in the crowd behind us. It was instructed that if we ever got lost or couldn't keep up, that we were to phone the facility, so they could send a van to pick us up. I was seriously thinking about calling it quits when I saw the runner dash out into four lanes of traffic. For the next hour we lost three others, leaving only me and Gaddess left in it. We saw the a red shirt dash around the corner into a alleyway, when I whipped around the corner I saw it was a dead end...

TBC...

A/N im sure everyone figured out in the first chapter Van was running away from a green officer and is the runner. But I decided to make it clear so no one gets confused. It's a cliffie! MWAHAHAHA! \\\