Read The Modified (The Biotics Trilogy, #1) for Free Online

elevator open. I’ve only seen technology like that in the movies, but never thought it really existed. My shocked face meets Joey’s.
    Even though the elevator is enormous, we stay close together as if something bad might happen. The "safety in numbers" thing, I guess. The walls of the elevator are made of frosted glass and are framed in a shiny metal. A white light shines from behind the walls and ceiling. The floor panels light up as we move about the space. I put my hand out to touch one of the walls of the elevator and the light follows my hand around the glass.
    “Please don’t touch anything,” one of the guards snaps at me. I quickly draw my hand back to my side and stare straight-ahead.
    It seems like we’re in the elevator only a few seconds before the doors open again. It didn’t even seem like we moved at all. Before us lies a huge open area with a wide staircase leading up to a platform. The whole area resembles a subway, but with walls made of jagged rocks. It kind of looks like they just hollowed out a cave. As we walk out onto the platform, I notice a shiny metal track suspended from the ceiling over what seems to be a tram tunnel. I glance down the long dark tunnel, first looking right, and then left. Both paths are slightly illuminated, but I can’t see down very far in either direction.
    “What is this place?” I ask one of the guards standing next to us.
    “This is the Hexagon’s light tram platform. This tunnel connects to key destinations throughout the world. It utilizes state of the art suspended tram technology. Your light tram should be arriving shortly to transport you to the Shrouded Facility,” he replies in a very cold manner.
    “What’s this Shrouded Facility everyone keeps talking about?” I ask, but again get no answer. The guard just continues to look forward. It was worth a shot, I guess, I think to myself.
    We hear a slight buzzing noise coming from down the tunnel and suddenly a huge white vehicle stops right in front of us. The design is something I’ve never seen before. The whole body shimmers in the lights and looks super polished and smooth. It has a streamlined cylindrical shape, but is rounded off at either end. I notice that the tram is attached at several points to the track overhead.
    The double doors on the side of the light tram slide open, which is followed by an odd sounding electronic chime. As we board, the first thing I see is the stark contrast between the floor and the rest of the tram. The floor is a glossy blue surface and the rest of the interior is polished bright white. I almost don’t want to touch anything at the risk of getting it dirty.
    “Please take a seat,” one of the guards says as he steps inside behind us. He performs a similar trick to the one he did with the elevator, and a keypad appears on the interior wall. He puts in a code and proceeds to tell us to buckle up and hang on tight.
    “Hey, what about all the stuff we brought with us?” I ask the guard just as he turns to leave.
    “You won’t need it where you’re going,” he replies. Once he sees we’re all buckled up, he steps out of the tram and the doors close behind him.
    I can see into the area at the front of the tram where a driver should be and there is no one. Hopefully it’s automatic.
    The interior lights slowly dim and we slide back slightly as if it’s settling into gear. I hear a noise that sounds somewhat mechanical, which is the best way I can describe it. The next thing I know we launch into high speed. My stomach immediately goes into my throat and all I can get out is a tiny scream. I can hear Sam, who’s two seats over from me, yelling to go faster. Joey reaches over and grabs my hand as I tense up even more from the force. My face feels like it’s going to peel off.
    The tram begins to gradually slow down and I’m able to relax into my seat. “That was kind of cool,” Joey states as he pats my hand reassuringly. He knows that I’m not a huge fan of