Event 4

PDF of the Event 4
Absolute nothingness.
Hm?
Oh.
An alarm clock.
It's destroying my eardrums.
How vexing.
Man o 'man, I don't really want to get up.
Please shut up?
Oh okay fine.
I slam my fist into the alarm clock.
It finally stops.
I let out a tired sigh.
I wonder why I'm already tired?
The day hasn't even begun and I already want to go to bed again.
I turn towards my right.
My wife, Olga is still sleeping.
Her breaths calm me down.
I wonder if she's pretending to sleep?
There's no way anyone could sleep after all that racket.
 (HIROKI) "Ahhh I don't want to go to work today....."
 (OLGA) "But you have to dear"
Her voice warms the strings that hold my heart together.
 (HIROKI) "I know, dear."
I pull myself closer to her, and give her a kiss on the forehead.
She turns to the other side with a smile on her face.
I get out of our bed and look at the nightstand.
The alarm clock sits there, tilted with a slight angle as opposed to its usual position.
Next to it there's what one might describe as my favorite photo of all time.
Not many people keep physical photos these days but this one is especially important to me.
It's me, Olga and Maya down in the Ooplan Park, dedicated to Alo's once flourishing flora.
Hmmm...
Where was it?
Oh.
Free Water District.
Haven't been down there in ages.
I'd like to visit it sometime.
I arrive at the company's headquarters.
Jim's not on duty today it seems.
Oh.
It's Leo.
 (HIROKI) "Hey Leo."
Leo gives me a strong look, one meant to signify "what's up dude?".
 (HIROKI) "So how's it goin?"
He gives me shrug.
I guess nothing new happens down in the lobby.
He gives me another look, one that means "what about you?"
 (HIROKI) "Oh you know. Same old. Dealing with a tricky test subject."
He gives me an assuring look, one that means "Oh I see."
 (HIROKI) "Catch ya later!"
With that I scan my company ID on the scanner right before the entrance.
It lets me in without an issue.
I check out what's going on in the reception.
I wonder, who's on duty today?
Ah.
Simona.
Fucking hate that whore.
Whatever.
I'll just greet her and I'll be on my way.
 (HIROKI) "Hi Simona."
 (SIMONA) "Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey. Hiroki."
She glances at her nails while she chews on a piece of gum.
Never really liked her tone, I wonder why she talks like this.
I ignore her rude remarks and I head down towards the elevator that leads to level -16.
The elevator doors open and...
No one's in the guard booth?
How does management keep doing these silly mistakes?
It's going to cost us big time someday.
I'm walking down cell 103.
I've never really taken a good look at this hallway before.
But I really like how the company uses different shades of marble in order to give each space a distinct feel and purpose.
I wonder how the other corporations do it.
My thoughts eventually lead me to the Fleeting Linker in front of the cell.
These things are a damn marvel of technology!
I wonder what kind of drugs Simon Maulisichka took while designing this thing.
Ah who cares?
I put my thumb on the Machine, and the door slides open.
What?
The chair where the test subject is supposed to be is...
It's...
Empty??????
How?????
What the fuck is going on???
Oh Gods where is she???????
I step inside the cell and I start looking frantically for the test subject.
Before I can start looking anywhere my right ear start suddenly ringing.
And my field of vision is tilting towards the left.
Man I wonder what happened!
A couple of milliseconds later I realize it.
I've been punched.
Right in the face.
I fall inside the cell.
The door closes behind me.
Her shout also reaches my ears.
Man she's loud.
 (SAM)(shouting) "Hey asshole! What did you think would happen hm? What you thought you could keep me strapped on a fucking chair for the rest of my days?"
I say nothing.
How could I say anything?
My jaw hurts.
How is she giving me such competent punches when's she's been awake for hours at best?
 (SAM) "Piece of shit."
She spits on the ground.
I recover my bearings.
I look at her.
She's standing upright, with a surgeon's knife in her hand.
Hey that's one of my knives.
She's resourceful it seems.
Her white hair glimmers under the light of the cell.
She must have put her everything into that punch eh?
I wonder if she knocked out any teeth.
 (SAM)(shouting) "Now you listen to me and you listen well. Tell me everything you've done to me and I'll consider the option of not spraying your guts on that wall behind you. Sound like a plan?"
What now?
I'm supposed to give every piece of classified information like it's candy?
You can't be serious.
 (SAM)(shouting) "Is that clear enough? Or do I need to repeat myself?"
 (HIROKI)(grunts) "No. No. I heard ya."
 (SAM) "Good. Now start talking."
I sit on both of my legs and I cross them up.
 (HIROKI) "What do you want to know?"
 (SAM)(shouts) "I said everything asshole!"
 (HIROKI) "Ow. Okay fine."
I feel my face around, to check if she's left any long lasting damage.
Doesn't look like it.
Right.
Let's get this shit show on the road.
 (HIROKI) "Well let's start from the beginning shall we?"
She nods.
 (HIROKI) "You're a test subject for High Ocean Corporation newest technology-"
 (SAM) "And what is it supposed to do?"
 (HIROKI) "I'm afraid I can't discuss that."
 (SAM)(bewildered) "Huh? Did you listen to me at all? If you don't do what I say I'll fuckin-"
 (HIROKI) "I can't tell you, I'm sorry. You can do what you want to me, but if that information gets out my family is done for."
She gives me troubled look.
 (SAM) "You know what? Fine."
She clicks her tongue.
 (SAM) "What else?"
 (HIROKI) "That new tech is planted right behind your right ear, and it's the most likely cause for the buzzing you've been hearing."
She takes her free hand and feels around her head.
 (SAM) "Holy shit what the-"
 (HIROKI) "Don't try to remove it. It's linked directly to several parts of your brain and your cerebellum. You will die."
 (SAM) "..."
She doesn't say anything.
Her face morphs into a very gloomy look.
I'm not even going to start wondering why she feels the way she feels.
Her psychological evaluation is all over the charts.
I couldn't make sense of anything we found in her skull.
 (HIROKI) "Do you want to know who sold you ou-"
 (SAM) "Don't fucking say another word or you're DEAD."
You see what I mean?
How does a person's behavior change so drastically??
Well I guess this is it.
 (SAM) "Thanks for the chat, Doctor."
She starts walking up to me.
Gods be damned.
She crouches down to my height.
 (HIROKI) "Wait pleas-"
She knocks the daylights out of me.
In a very painful way.
Several punches.
Most to the face.
Some in the gut.
Ach well.
At least I'll get a few more minutes of sleep.
Good enough for me.