Samantha’s towel slide to the floor as she fell back onto the bed, perching on her elbows to curl a single strand of her long brown hair with one hand, while gesturing for Trent to join her with the other. Trent felt himself flush, trying desperately to hold his resolve, but the sight beyond enticing.
“Samantha, I need to know what's going on, this is all wrong. Tell me...please!” he begged, no longer able to muster the forcefulness he'd shown in the bathroom.
“Embrace me and we discuss those matters later,” she told, beckoning him, passion overflowing from each and every one of her sultry words. He felt himself start to give in; being drawn to the woman he once loved with every ounce of his being, summoning him in such a powerfully sensual way that even his recently returned mind was on the verge of collapse.
“No...please tell me. I don't...I don't want to be hurt again,” Trent pleaded, the pain from the time of betrayal returning alongside the horrible memories.
He collapsed to his knees, all thoughts of desire fleeing his flesh as sorrow forced it free. Suddenly, a warm body engulfed him, followed by a sweet aroma that once existed in his fondest memories, but now only in his worst nightmares. The floodgates opened.
Time meant nothing as his tears once again tried to cleanse his soul. The embrace and warmth of another, even the one who caused the pain, helped lessen the sorrow. Each painful memory lingered, then vanished, as another layer of his heart hardened. The tears eventually began to run dry and a gentle, calming voice whispered into his ear.
“Stay with me here and you will never feel pain again, or move into the unknown, to never see me again. Make your choice,” the voice was sweet, like that of an angel.
Trent glanced up to the woman he now knew was not Samantha, seeing love in her eyes for the first time. He gently removed himself from her embrace, kissing her gently on the cheek and smiled, his choice made. Everything went dark and tears once again rolled down his cheeks as he vowed that never again would he be ruled by sorrow.
*********
Daniel watched the touching scene unfold with a pity he knew was against his nature. Most of the human garbage that stumbled upon the TSB recruitment grounds were generally broken husks who had little to no human emotions left. In those instances, even when they passed the first phase of the trial, they would live out the remainder of their lives in the embrace of a robotic automaton, not being able to leave behind a past reality that was lost.
The second phase of the recruitment trial was a strange one. Given an opportunity to relive a time of great happiness, most humans wouldn't think twice about grasping the opportunity, especially if they were in the horrible situations that most of the human garbage found themselves when they reached the recruitment grounds. But on rare occasions an individual would give up on living the comfortable, happy life of their past, to embrace an unknown future.
Daniel sighed, knowing that the TSB had received its latest recruit, no matter how well he fared in the next two phases of the trial. Slightly disappointed that he wasn't able to witness yet another candidate fail gruesomely, he sent the priority alerts to TSB command that were required when a new adult recruit had been located and waited for the reply.
His eyes drifted back to the projection where Trent lay, curled in a ball within total darkness.
He may be perfect, Daniel realized, always being on the lookout for cronies that he could use to further his own ambitions, and this man fit the bill perfectly. He may be a little too emotional for his liking, but the kindness, or weakness as Daniel knew it, and the detailed background information he copied to his personal files, would make Trent a perfect candidate to assist Daniel in his further endeavors.
Now, he just needed to wait, and manipulate the Program so that the next two trials were for the proper position within the TSB for Daniel to exploit him properly. If he could get Trent into maintenance, or even the engineering program, he could use him to alter logs and cause accidents. But even if he was assigned as a general crewman, he could use him to undermine his many rivals. The thoughts and possible uses for this man continued to multiply when the beep of a return message received brought him back to the matter at hand.
This must be a mistake, he thought as he read the orders, unable to hide his shock.
The next phase of Trent’s trial was only meant to be given to TSB recruits who were raised from childhood in the TSB orphanage. There was no way TSB command would provide permission to have a 30 year old ex-hobo attempt these trials.
It’s ridiculous! His thoughts raced as he sent a request for confirmation, which was verified within seconds, containing the TSB commander’s, Knight Captain Quinn, encryption code, no less.
A sigh of resignation escaped Daniels lips as reality set-in. Reluctantly, he entered the parameters for the next phase of the trial, then pressed the activate icon. He stood, moving out into the observation outpost proper, entering one of the personal transport tubes that lined the back wall, considering again how he could possibly use this new recruit for his aspirations. He grabbed the handle inside the cylindrical tube transport, choosing not to sit, then accessed the transport tube’s BAP with his BC node to enter his destination.
As the tube door slid shut and the transport started accelerating through the tens of thousands of kilometers of the TSB transport tube network that snaked deep below the surface of the Earth, he started preparing his speech. The most important part of using anyone was to make a good first impression, and Daniel rarely let a chance to increase his followers pass him by.
Chapter 4
Time unknown flowed like a river beneath Trent, guiding him through a universe that had long forgotten the touch of light and the meaning of sound. At first, he didn’t resist, finding the unknown refreshing, allowing him to reaffirm his pledge. That sorrow would never again rule him. But he found his resolve soon being tested. The sea of sorrow that had clung to him for year’s eternal, begging to be let free, to swirl back towards the surface of his conscious mind.
As the battle intensified, his mind tumbling ever deeper, the whisper of sorrows embrace growing ever louder, another thought broke free in the dark flow that held him, one that asked: How did you come upon this current fate, Trent? He knew not the answer, but the question cleared his mind and he began to consider its answer for the first time with some semblance of reason.
Apparently, sometime after he camped with the kind family who provided him a bottle of tequila for a slice of cheese and slab of jerky, he had drunkenly stumbled upon something bizarre, some sort of experiment.
Experiment, he shivered, the word recalling memories almost forgotten.
Citizens of Earth, mostly denizens of the corps camps, were known to vanish from time to time. The underground press noted most disappearances in a way that made many people assume they were taken by corporations who conducted illegal human research. Though Trent, like most other corporate workers, always believed the stories were just rumors, a creation of those fearful of the power of the almighty corporation. But now, after facing a giant insect-like creature that shouldn’t exist, then reliving a moment from his past, he started to believe the stories may hold a grain of truth.
The silence thickened, enveloping him, as the reality that he may be a corporate guinea pig took hold. What other horrors may they make me face? The worry crept further into his mind, calling forth manifestations of hideous monstrosities scurrying within the darkness, waiting to feast on his juicy flesh. Panic set in and he knew if he continued to lie still within the unknown, in the all encompassing darkness, his fear would spiral out of control and he would go mad.
“Hel...Hello!” he tried to shout, but his voice cracked, and he collapsed into a sudden coughing fit, barely noticing the room brighten around him. It took a few moments for him to recover and his eyes to adjust, but when they did, he found he was no longer within the imitation apartment. Instead, he was now surrounded by four walls of pure white, with a single, rectangular table in the center, and a piece of b
lue and white clothing, similar to a military style jumpsuit, hanging from the far wall.
“Please proceed to cloth yourself with the provided garment,” a monotone voice instructed, emanating from all around him, seeming born of the air itself. He spun in place, searching desperately for the voice’s owner, but finding he was alone.
“Who...who are you? What do you want with me?” he asked frantically.
“Please proceed to cloth yourself with the provided garment,” the monotone voice repeated.
He wanted to refuse, demand an explanation before he would listen to another word. But a sudden draft reminded him of his nudity, the room seeming to have cooled. Swallowing his resistance for the moment, he tiptoed slowly across the room and removed the jumpsuit-like outfit from the wall, studying it carefully.
It had a base coloring of blue with white strips down the sides of the legs, arms, and torso. On its breast stood a small patch of Earth, with symbols over its face he didn’t recognize. Finding nothing out of place...beyond this entire situation, he reminded himself...he slipped into the jumpsuit, the super soft material causing his skin to tingle as he latched up the front.
“Take your position by the control board when you are ready to begin.” Trent froze as the monotone voice reappeared the moment he clasped the final latch.
“Begin what? What’s going on? What is this control board?” he asked, and in response, the rectangular table in the center of the room began to undulate, an intricate design being carved into its surface as he watched. Awe struck, but little surprised given what had already befallen him, he waited for the design to steady. When it did, he found he couldn't get a clear view from where he stood by the far wall.
“Answer me! What’s going on? What corporation are you from?” he demanded, silence the only response.
What now? Trent wondered, reluctant to approach the rectangular table without knowing what was going on, but confident that it was indeed the control board in which the monotone voice was referring, nothing else present.
Taking a deep breath, he concentrated on the table, straining his mind to try to comprehend what the abstract design on its surface meant and, most importantly, what would begin when he approached.
Nervously, he rubbed his clammy hands on his sides, his finger brushing against something stiff near his armpit that he hadn’t noticed before, like there was an object hidden within the jumpsuit. He searched for a pocket, finding one seamlessly sewn next to the patch of Earth on his left breast. Reaching in, he pulled free a stack of rectangular shaped pieces of white plastic, each about seven centimeters long and a centimeter wide. Examining them closely, he found no distinct marks or features, they being just a solid white like the rest of his surroundings.
That must be it, his mind cried when he glanced back at the table, the carvings on the surface aren’t random, he realized, being able to now discern 10 raised “pathways” zigzagging from one end of the table to the other, with deep, smooth walled chasms between each, and gaps appearing randomly along each pathway. He quickly surmised that the white pieces of plastic he found in his pocket were the same width as the paths, and more importantly, the same length as the gaps.
Starring for a few moments longer, he made a decision; standing here doing nothing won’t do any good, will it Trent? Taking a long, deep breath, he stepped towards the table.
The walls fell away with a cacophonous boom, a violent gust of wind swirling from beyond, almost knocking him from his feet. He steadied himself, staring in disbelief at what the falling walls had revealed; a grey nothingness that extended into infinity in all directions.
Confused, but curious all the same, he inched carefully towards the edge, finding that there was indeed something besides the grey nothingness. Far below the apparently floating floor, which appeared to be slowly descending, was an immense landscape of pure white. It appeared barren, smooth, with nothing growing on its surface. But as the floor continued its decent, he began to notice deep gullies, with smooth cliffs below long, narrow plateaus extending well beyond his sight.
Trent, engrossed by the fascinating view, began slowly circling the edge of the wall-less room, trying to find the best angle to view the landscape while being careful not to fall into the grey nothingness, when his gaze caught a sight beyond all comprehension.
Standing hundreds of meters tall, appeared a giant human that could only be born of fairytale, facing away from Trent. It wore a blue and white jumpsuit similar to his own, with short brown hair and a face he couldn't easily discern, staring at something in the distant grayness. He took a few steps back and froze as the giant did the same.
Fearful, he stood in silent contemplation, thinking the giant may react to his movement. But when he realized the giant, like he, was standing completely still, he couldn’t repress his curiosity any longer. Trent, for reasons beyond even his own comprehension, gathered his courage and cupped his hands over his mouth.
“Hello!” he shouted, stumbling back into the table while covering his ears as the giant, at the same moment, also cupped his hands, shouting unintelligibly in a booming voice.
The room shook violently, like a massive earthquake had been created by the giants awful bellow, throwing him to the floor. He tried to grip the smooth surface, desperate to not be thrown from the platform, as the tremor gradually lessoned. When it fully ceased, he noticed the giant had, thankfully, vanished with the earthquake. Breathing a sigh of relief, Trent rose to his feet, only to find the giant, once again, rising before him.
“This is...” he started to whisper, finding his gaze pulled away from the giant when he realized the room had finished its descent to the white landscape’s surface, settling atop one of the ten distinct plateaus that zigzagged into the distant horizon.
While trying to keep one eye on the giant, he studied the smooth, deep walled canyons that cut through the landscape; their pure white walls vanishing into darkness that Trent thought, with a shiver, may descend into the very pits of hell. The features were peculiar, artificial, and he found the layout very similar to the way the table’s surface was carved. His thoughts led him to glance over his shoulder; back at the table for the first time since he noticed the giant. His mind froze in astonishment.
“What on Earth...” On one end of the rectangular table hovered a platform just above the center pathway. Standing atop this platform was a tiny human, only a few millimeters tall, looking over its shoulder at a tiny white table on the platform’s center.
Trent spun in disbelief. The tiny human did the same. He shuffled slowly forward, towards the table. Again, the tiny human did the same. The sight was beyond fascinating and he couldn't resist the urge to reach for the tiny person.
As his hand inched closer he felt a slight breeze tickle his neck. He froze, realizing in his amazement that he’d forgotten about the giant. He spun, pulling his hand back and caught the giant doing the same.
A sudden comprehension burst forth that his mind screamed impossible.
The giant human towering above him and the tiny human on the table before him were mimicking his movements exactly. He tested his theory multiple times and found that no matter how he moved, both the giant and tiny humans would follow, like they were mirror images.
This is beyond incredible, he thought. But there was something else that bothered him, something his mind couldn’t quite grasp. He couldn’t be certain, given that he could never clearly view their faces, but he was rather confident that the giant and tiny humans were actually exact replicas of a certain person...namely, him.
“How...” Trent whispered as his mind continued to refuse to grasp the impossible concept.
Without warning, a flash of lightening struck the distant landscape, temporarily blinding him. When his eyes cleared he found he, the giant, and tiny versions of himself were no longer alone.
Off in the distance, in both directions, platforms similar to his appeared, each topped with groups of dazed people, wandering in confusion. He stared down upo
n the table only to find the same, nine additional platforms had also materialized, each on a separate pathway, all covered with groups of cowering people, the same as what lay around him. They all seemed oblivious to their surroundings, screaming and banging on walls that were not present.
“Hey!” He cupped his hands, shouting to the nearest platform, hoping to reassure the trapped people, but gave up when they didn’t react, even with the giant’s booming voice stinging his ears. When he started to turn his attention back to the table, he gasped with recognition. Upon each platform were only terrified women and crying children, no sign of men present.
What sort of sick game is this? He fumed, anger washing over him.
“You bastards! What is-,” as he, the giant, and tiny versions of himself began to scream, another blinding flash of lightening knocked him to the floor. Towering flames erupted from the canyons on both sides of the platform, licking at its edges.
The game had begun.
The first movement was slight, barely noticeable, but after recovering his feet and taking a few deep breaths to try to clear his mind, he was positive; the platforms are moving.
Trent quickly took an inventory of what was occurring around him. There were a total of 10 platforms on 10 separate pathways, nine holding the women and children, and one holding only himself. Each pathway stretched across the table, zigzagging with 90 degree turns at apparent random locations. Occasionally, each pathway would approach another, but quickly veer away, continuing its indirect course to the far end of the table.
The gaps in the pathways were what concerned him most. If the platforms kept moving unhindered, they would eventually reach a gap and fall into a gully of flame. The horror of witnessing the women and children fall to such a gruesome death, made bile rise within his throat. He swallowed it down, and started thinking of a way out of this nightmarish situation.
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