Spirit Intercom

by Sean Adami

  Andrew grew a bit wary but kept his cool. Andrew processed what the guard said and assured himself that he would be fine. The elevator continued its path for a few minutes upward until it stopped. The number “80” was read in the upper interior of the elevator. Marking the highest floor in the building, Andrew was impressed with how tall the building was.

  Andrew asked the security guard, “Hey, just wondering, what is your name?” The guard glanced at him with the corner of his eye while waiting for the elevator to open and did not respond back.

  The guard said, “Mr. Rutano, I think it would be best if you focused on your mission of trying out the contrivance and not worrying about the names of other inferior security guards.” Andrew grew stiff and discomforted.

  The elevator door once again opened vertically, and the two exited the elevator. Having a look of disgust in his eye, the guard said, “Right this way, Mr. Rutano.” Andrew did as the guard asked and followed him to a glass room. The guard opened a glass door for Andrew and pointed to a gray leather cushioned chair for Andrew to sit on. The room was still pure white and had a space of about 400 square feet. Andrew walked over to the chair and took a seat. The guard with little patience said, “Now, wait here.” The guard had left from the corner of Andrew’s eye to an enclosed room with blue walls.

  Andrew questioned to himself why the guard would leave him in an empty room with only three chairs. Across from him was a glass reception desk with nobody in its seat. Andrew was waiting with worry. He didn’t expect the lab to be so eerie and alone. On the top right corner of the room, he saw a camera protruded from the wall. He carefully studied the room as he felt that he was being watched. He felt a strange feeling in the room being alone. The room felt so frail; the air felt so cold.

  He had been waiting for quite some time until he heard the sound of footsteps from the hall outside the hollow glass wall. Andrew, curious of the footsteps, hesitated if he should check who it was. Getting out of his chair, Andrew made his way past the door and saw a researcher dressed in a white lab coat walking ahead of him. Andrew with uncertainty asked the researcher, “What do you guys do here?”

  The researcher stopped walking and turned his back around, looking at him with confusion, and asked, “I’m sorry but who are you?”

  Andrew cleared his throat and said, “I am Andrew Rutano.” The researcher opened his eyes widely while his eyebrows broadened.

  The researcher exclaimed, “Wow, you’re Mr. Rutano, the son of the Robert Rutano! You must be the first one to test out the Spirit Contrivance! It’s an honor to meet you Mr. Rutano. How may I accompany you?”

  “You may accompany me by answering my previous question,” Andrew said.

  The researcher said, “Yes, of course. I can show you the process of what scientific research we do here. It’s a very complicated process.” Andrew began to worry if the security guard who told him to wait would look for him, but he still agreed to follow the researcher by nodding his head with a phony smile. Before beginning his miniature tour with Andrew, the researcher had reflected and said, “Pardon me but aren’t you supposed to be here accompanied with a security guard?” Involuntarily, Andrew’s mind thought of perspiring, but his conscience stopped this bodily function.

  On the spot Andrew devised a bogus response and said, “I’m on my lunch break and just perusing around this gorgeous lab.” His eardrum vibrated and heard a door crack open from the room directly behind him. The bodily function this time could not be stopped, and Andrew broke a sweat. He jolted his body around and saw the security guard scurry past the door.

  Behind the security guard was another set of footsteps that Andrew heard. The security guard grimaced his face because of Andrew’s perusing. Andrew saw a tall shadow behind the guard grow to his dismay. Directly behind the guard, Andrew saw the face of his father, Robert Rutano. Andrew gulped in his vomit and felt pain in his stomach. He felt congested, and his heart felt that it had dropped 100 feet underground. After eight years of not seeing his father, Andrew saw the wrinkles and blemishes in his father’s face that grew over the years. His father walked with high poise with a slight smirk on his face. Never looking directly at his eyes, Andrew trembled and walked with uncertainty towards his father.

  Andrew saw three paces in front of him that his father opened his arms up. Robert said, “Give me a hug, son.”

  Andrew steadily walked forward and entered the go-zone for his father’s hug. Robert wrapped his hands around him, and Andrew grew an uneasy smile.

  His father said, “It’s great to see you, Andrew, after all these years. How are you and your kids doing?”

  “They’re fine, Dad, and so am I. Why did you send me here?” questioned Andrew.

  “Since you are now here, I think it is time I show you this great journey of mine that I have partaken in for many years. Not only do I want you to be the first human to reach the Spirit World, but I also have a task for you to do when you are there.”

  “What task?”

  “I’ll further explicate on it later, son, but I need you to follow me and trust the process.”

  “Trust the process? I don’t know if I can even trust you. How could you let Mom die like that? How could you be silent with me all these years and not even allude to Mom’s presence?”

  Robert’s face did not change expression . He said, “We will discuss family matters at a later time. I just need you to trust this process and believe in your father. I’m sorry, son, and I will talk about this with you later.”

  Still feeling displeased, Andrew said, “Fine, blow me away with this place.”

  “Come, son.”

  Andrew’s father began to walk across the white tiles of the room. Opening the glass door, Robert looked at the security guard and said, “Go back to your quarters, Rufus.”

  Andrew with a smug smile said to the guard, “So, your name is Rufus, huh. See it was not that hard to say your name . . . Rufus.”

  Rufus said, “Follow your dad, Andrew.”

  Andrew dragged himself to follow his father. He stared at Rufus with irritation and left the room.

  Andrew contemplated the following: If no one tried this machine, is he trying to kill me with it? Why doesn't he speak about my mother with me now? Why did I even come here? I better try to take precaution of my father. Why did he talk about my kids when he only saw Matthew when he was four and when Lisa was two? How will this machine even work? Is it going to be painful or feel good? How did my father even get sponsored by the government? Why can only people with 2.5 million dollars go to the Spirit World? Why didn’t Rufus reveal his name to me? What task does he want me to do in the Spirit World? This lab seems strange, and, most importantly, can I even trust my father?

  As Andrew reflected, his father and he walked through plain white halls, making lefts and rights all over the complex. After walking for about 30 minutes, Robert opened a black door using an eye-recognition sensor. A subtle red beam overlayed on his eye for a couple seconds, and the door unlocked, opening vertically upward. Two security cameras were perched on top of the door. They both entered a pitch black room, and a red velvet chair was in the center of the room. On top of the chair was a circular metallic rod with a thick blue wire connected with it and the chair. Next to the chair was Andrew, staring with disbelief.

  Robert said, “Here is the place, son, where you can break dimensional forces. All that you have to do is sit in the chair and attach the metallic circular piece, or the Spirit Emissary. The whole chair is called the Spirit Contrivance. The blue wire from the chair is extended to our interdimensional communicator system. This communicator sends specially programmed sensory neurons to the Spirit Emissary that are transported to your brain. These programmed neurons change the principles of your dendrites, or the projection of your neurons. The dendrites in your brain project the dimension of the Spirit World. Therefore, you are experiencing the same five senses in the Spirit World that you normally would perceive in the physical world. Your physical bod
y stays the same in the dimension, but you remain unconscious in our physical world.”

  Andrew was shocked by this inventful creation. He said, “Wow, Dad. This is insane and a genius invention. I have some questions though.”

  “What tickles your brain, son?”

  Andrew asked, “What task did you want me to partake in, again?

  Robert requestfully said, “It’s pretty simple actually. I want you to enact in the Spirit World as if you lived there. This dimension is known to be a sanctuary, and I want you to enjoy yourself to see if others could enjoy this place. I want to know if this place could be habitable for my pre-registered guests.”

  “I also have another question.” Andrew was about to ask the other question, but he saw his father tilting his head to the side and not focusing on him.

  In his ear Robert received a message from his tiny black listening device. He put his finger over his ear and said, “Great!”

  Robert said, “Sorry, son, but your questions are going to need to wait. Guess who just arrived!”

  With little expression Andrew said, “Who?”

  With high excitement Robert said, “Your brother!”

  CHAPTER 4:

  How will this place turn out?

  Is Father way too devout?

  His brother was invited.

  Andrew remembered of his hatred .

  Andrew’s first thought that rolled through his brain at that moment: Why Dad? Andrew was infuriated and had not seen his brother for six years ever since he visited him that one Thanksgiving. Marco and Andrew had always had their disputes and could never settle with each other. Marco continually was close with his father his whole life while Andrew had a closer relationship with his mom. Andrew thought that his father was going to send him to the Spirit World on a solo mission. Knowing that his brother will disrupt this experience, Andrew said to his father, “What were you thinking, Dad? Why would you invite Marco here? You know that I haven’t had the best relationship with him.”

  Robert said, “Well, maybe you can fix that relationship when you are both in the Spirit World.”

  “But he is an annoying brother who thinks that he’s better than me at everything.”

  “You will obey and go with your brother. If not, then we can’t supply you with this experience.” Andrew did not refute his father and kept his anger bottled within himself.

  A couple moments later, Andrew saw his father ignite the secured black door with the eye-recognition, which propped open the door. Marco past through the door while Andrew pondered some bad memories of him.

  Marco was taller and more handsome compared to Andrew, according to the girls back then from their high school. Marco was 6’1”, and people called him a chick magnet. Having spiky brown hair, Marco had a protubed Adam’s apple. Having ten fingers unlike Andrew, Marco used his hands quite often as a lava capturer, and his job was low paying and very dangerous. Multiple people had died as a lava capturer because when they collected the lava to trap the heat, some of the lava could overfill and leak onto the workers.

  Marco met eye contact with Andrew and casually said, “What’s up Drewster? How are things hanging?”

  “I’m fine, and don’t call me ‘Drewster.’ People called me that back in elementary school. We aren’t children, Marco. We’re adults. Communicate like an adult.”

  Shrugging his shoulders, Marco said, “That’s not a welcoming ‘ hello, ’ right, Dad?”

  Robert chuckled and said, “It’s great to have you here, son. How are things going for you and your wife, Susan?”

  “You know, the usual. I just hope that she doesn’t abandon me for six years like Andrew did,” he joked self-approvingly.

  Taking slight offense from Marco, Andrew hesitantly said, “Hey, Marco!”

  “What?”

  “How about we just go to this damn dimension already instead of killing time making sweet talk with Dad. Also, how are we going to make it to the Spirit World with only one chair?”

  Feeling his sense of irritation, Robert said, “Calm down, son. Trust me. Everything is under control.” Marco also was feeling this sense of irritation.

  Marco said, “Chill out, brother. Dad has another chair to hook me up with. I’ve toured this place so many times that I know all the ins and outs of it.”

  “You’ve been invited here before?” questioned Andrew.

  “Yep. That’s correct.”

  Andrew was beginning to grow more hatred towards his father already. Losing patience, Andrew said, “I think it’s time, Marco, that we strap in these chairs and go to this damn dimension already. Wouldn’t you agree?”

  “Alright, let’s do this,” Marco assured.

  Surprised by their quick readiness, Robert said into his earpiece, “Bring out the other Spirit Contrivance, Rufus.” Meanwhile, Andrew studied the interdimensional communicator system. The system contained a medium-sized glass box. Enclosed by the box was a holographic visual. The visual was a blue brain with different points located on it. On top of the brain was a placeholder that said “NAME OF SUBJECT.” Andrew inferred that this holograph would display the person’s brain using the Spirit Contrivance. There were other graphics on the outside of the glass box that read “Spirit Emissary Status,” “Neuron Coding,” and “Dopamine Levels.” Andrew pinpointed a tab that said “History of Tried Subjects.” With curiosity Andrew tapped on the tab with his finger, and a list of words appeared.

  The list read the following:

  Tested Subjects:

  37 Monkeys: Success

  21 Armadillos: Success

  24 Rats: Success

  5 Chimpanzees: Success

  1 Baby: In Progress

  Andrew read the list and was haunted by the word “baby.” Andrew immediately asked, “Dad . . . why is there a baby on this list?”

  Robert said, “Son, there is nothing to worry about,” emphasizing the word “nothing.”

  “Are you guys testing a baby in the Spirit World at this instant ?”

  “Son, remember what I said. Trust me.”

  Marco barged in and said, “Come on Andrew. You can trust him. I’m sure it’s just one of his complicated scientific gimmicks.”

  Andrew, still certain and skeptical that his father was doing something strange, didn’t want to rile things up and said, “Okay then. Let’s just use the Spirit Contrivances now.”

  The second chair that Rufus was commanded to withdraw opened up from the floor and propped itself right next to the other chair. Andrew was genuinely still surprised with how advanced the technology in the labs were.

  Robert said with fortitude, “Rufus, you forgot to attach the contrivance to the interdimensional communicator system.”

  At this instant, Andrew was starting to grow uncomfortable and wary of the machine. He did not know what to expect and didn’t want to travel to the dimension with his brother. Rufus attached the rest of the blue wire to the interdimensional communicator system by opening up the hatch for it. The system lit up with RGB colors on the outside and lit up a sign that said, “Communicator Ready.” Marco was also ready to enter the Spirit Contrivance.

  With high poise Marco walked towards the machine and sat in the velvet chair. Grasping the Spirit Emissary, Marco put it on the crown of his head. The metallic ring fit perfectly for Marco’s head. Andrew still stood in anguish. Robert glanced at his son. Marco glanced at his brother.

  Marco impatiently said, “I don’t have all day, brother. Hurry up.”

  “Alright, just give me a second,” Andrew responded. Walking with high doubt, Andrew slowly made his way to this foreign machine. He looked directly at the interdimensional communication system’s message of “Communicator Ready.”

  He was not ready. His heart pounded as fast as a 10,000 volt generator, and he finally reached the chair and took a seat uncomfortably. Taking his time, he attached the Spirit Emissary around the crown of his head. The metallic ring was disproportionate and a bit tight for his head. He looked at his fa
ther’s eyes and said, “Ready.”

  Immediately, Robert talked to his earpiece and said, “Send in the lab researchers.” A few seconds later, several lab researchers, wearing white suits, entered the black room. They held brown clipboards and others wore thick gray glasses. They walked in a studious manner, and they reached Robert’s spatial periphery.

  Robert ordered, “I would like you fine researchers to take note of every detail and observation you see on my sons. I need some of you to take control of the dimensional-tracking status when Marco and Andrew are in the Spirit World. If any problems occur, immediately exterminate the process and send them back to the physical world. Also—”

  “What problems could possibly occur?” Andrew interrupted.

  Losing his train of thought, Robert said, “Nothing, Andrew. I just want to take extra precaution for the well-being of my children. You have nothing to worry about.”

  Bringing back his attention to his lab researchers, he said, “Like I was saying, track them when they are in the Spirit World with the use of our neuron-seeking sensors that are on the Spirit Emissaries. Thank you for attention, and good luck on your dimensional management.”

  Now bringing his attention to his children, he said, “More importantly, good luck Marco and Andrew. When you voyage on this existential spirit dimension, take the time to observe how this world appears to your perspectives. This dimension is known as a ‘paradise,’ which is what other researchers call it. I’m talking too much, aren’t I? I hope the best for my sons.”

  Andrew asked, “Is this going to hurt, father?”

  “Close your eyelids and just try to relax.”

  Treading back to his lab researchers, Robert said to them, “Just like how we put man on the moon, let’s put man on the Spirit World. Ignite the communicator at once.”