<center>![Picture]( https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2017/11/13/12/17/orange-2945459_960_720.jpg)</center>

***This is the second Act to “Numb”, [click here]( https://steemit.com/fiction/@suesa/fragile-numb-part-8-final-part-of-act-1) for a list of all the parts of the first Act.***

---

It was the same story, over and over again. I was “freed” by the rebellion, they gave me back my emotions. But then, I ended up at the hospital and was threatened with death. Then the rebellion freed me again, took me away from there into the dead district where they promised to care for me. And then I ended up at another hospital where they discussed my death. Again. And again, the rebellion, albeit a different one, took me out into an alleged safe house.

I wonder how long it will stay safe and at what point in time the cycle will repeat itself.

My body still hurts. My legs are still broken. They had told me that the spinal injury isn’t as bad as it had seemed at first and that I wouldn’t be paralyzed. The head trauma would be taken care of too.

I don't care. It doesn’t matter. Nothing is real.

The woman who took me from the hospital enters the room. Theresa, she said is her name. Who knows if that’s true.

*”How are you feeling today, P? I still think you should choose a different name. ***Persephone*** is a product of them trying to brainwash you into believing all that was real.”*

*”I don’t care. I don’t want to switch my name every few weeks.”

Theresa seems disappointed.

*”It’s important for your healing process.”*

*”If you insist, call me [Cora]( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persephone).”* I watch her expression change from disappointed to satisfied. I guess she isn’t proficient when it comes to Greek literature and mythology. Cora is just another name for Persephone. <sub><sub><sub><sub><sub><sub><sub><sub><sub><sub>@suesa</sub></sub></sub></sub></sub></sub></sub></sub></sub></sub>

I changed my personality because I lost my old one. I won’t let them take it from me again.

*”Cora! That’s a nice name. See, it wasn’t that difficult, was it. You will see, it will all get better with time. Just relax and let your body and mind heal.”*

*”And then? What are we going to do when I am healed? Are we going to kill ***God***?”* I scoff.

*”No, that’s one of the lies they told you to control you. All this talk about gods, the use of names from several mythologies, it has just been proven to work on those with unstable emotions. No offense.”*

*”None taken. After all, it kind of did work at first.”*

*”See, that’s what I’m talking about. Manipulation on the highest level. But you got out and don’t have to deal with it anymore.”*

*”And where exactly am I right now? Who are you people? Another rebellion?”*

Theresa laughs.

*”There is no rebellion, Cora! How are we supposed to rebel against something like this?”*

*”Like ***what*** exactly?”* My question makes Theresa sigh. She sits down at the end of my bed.

*”I’m sorry, I forgot that you don’t know what is really going on. We don’t often manage to extract test subjects before they are killed. We don’t have enough experience yet to have a standard procedure for this kind of situation.”*

She pauses, but I don’t say anything. I just wait for her to continue her explanation.

*”You see, our world has been ravaged by war, greed and the want for power. After an especially devastating war, one single government emerged from the ashes that began to rule the whole world, all countries united under them. But it didn’t work out as they had planned.”*

*”Why?”*

*”Humans are difficult. They need a purpose and they want to feel better off than others. They don’t necessarily notice it, but it’s like that. But united under one mutual government, given the same rights, the same food, the same resources in general … they weren’t happy. Many thought they deserved to be better. The government noticed this problem and did something about it.”*


Theresa’s explanations start to sound like something from a fever dream. How the government split the people based on their intelligence and physical capabilities to create artificial subcultures. How the best and brightest now live in giant cities with everything they would ever want while those who were genetically inferior were forced to work in labor camps all the time. How a whole group of people was chosen for a long-time experiment to study the suppression of all emotions to make the split even easier.

*”And you expect me to just believe this? After everything that has happened?”* I ask her when she finally finishes. To my surprise, she shakes her head.

*”Of course not! I ***hope*** that you question me! There wouldn’t be much potential for you to ever get better if you didn’t! You’re not supposed to stay a mindless drone all your life, that would be horrible. No, just the fact that you’re asking this question makes me really happy!”*

I don’t believe her. And at the same time, I really want to believe her.

*”And what do you think will my future be?”* I ask.

*”We will try to integrate you into the actual society, as a normal member. This will, of course, need some training and a lot of dedication, but I think you will succeed.”*

*”Which society would that be? The smart and capable or the dumb and inferior?”*

*”Oh sweetheart. You should have figured that out by now.”* She pats my cheek and leaves the room.

I have no idea what she meant by that. 

---
---
*Picture taken from pixabay.com*

---
---
Today’s *Suesa’s favorite* is: @ruth-girl

This wonderful, Greek teacher is a much-beloved member of steemSTEM and writes wonderful posts about [Bizarre Natural Phenomena]( https://steemit.com/steemstem/@ruth-girl/bizarre-natural-phenomena-vol-31-spots-on-the-desert-fairy-circles) and just generally wants to [bring joy through science]( https://steemit.com/steemstem/@ruth-girl/the-chemist-prankster-disappearing-ink). 

If you want fun, interesting and easily digestible science posts, you should totally check her out! 

---
*Got a scientific topic which you want to see as a story? Leave me a comment!*
*You want to support scientists on Steemit? You **are** a scientist on Steemit? Join the #steemSTEM channel on steemit.chat and connect with us!*
*STEM is an acronym for **S**cience, **T**echnology, **E**ngineering and **M**ath*

<center>![SteemStem](https://steemitimages.com/0x0/https://steemitimages.com/DQmbm45GoXkP4CUEPgB7VA1YyfRXgs2RXYKSRvsQu6WT2i7/test1.gif)</center>

<center><sub>Monster GIF was made for me by @saywha and @atopy</sub></center>