Chapter 1 Awakening

Chapter 1

Awakening

 

Pain. He felt immense pain. It seemed to have eclipsed all other things and only pain existed. There was darkness. Everything was shrouded by it, and it seemed to seep into his pores

So he waited. He had tried screaming, but nothing changed so he gave up on that. He tried pleading. Either they didn’t hear him or there was no one who cared. Pain continued to sear through his body and nothing lessened it.

He didn’t notice right away that light had entered into his life of pain. That was because he had actually been clenching his eyes so tightly the light couldn’t get past his eyelids. When he opened them he had to squint at first, but when his eyes adjusted he didn’t like what he saw. Four masked faces looked down at him. They were all wearing what looked like contamination suits. Their masks were tinted and were attached to tubes that led from the room. Like there was something dangerous in the air he breathed. The doctors looked at each other and spoke. But he couldn’t hear what they said.

Insulated suits, he thought.

He opened his mouth to speak but no noise came forth. All four doctors nodded and three left leaving him with the one who must be in charge. The doctor brought their arm to their chest as if checking their invisible watch and tapped their fore arm. With as hiss a hexagon shaped pedestal came from the floor and the doctor sat. At the same time the table he was laying on raised so he could see the doctor. As he rose the pain he was experiencing earlier strangely and wonderfully disappeared. The doctor motioned around the room. Taking it as a suggestion he looked around the room. The first thing he noticed was the stark white walls with no doors.

Where had the doctors gone he thought?

 There was a tray near him that held rather fiendish looking tools. He grimaced. Noticing they were covered in blood.

He looked up and saw a large light with four powerful bulbs. At his right he saw a machine that was hooked to himself. Probably to monitor his readings, but it was turned away from him.

There was a mirror along the wall that gave him a feeling he was being watched and he was at a perfect angle to not see himself.

He tried looking down at himself but his neck wouldn’t cooperate. Looking at the doctor who shook his head in a way to suggest, not yet.

The doctor then spoke.

In a modified voice he said, “Hello, I am Dr. Marshall. And.” He paused for a moment as if trying to make a decision.

“Your name is, as of now, Theta.” He took another long pause. “And you probably are wandering why you are here and where you are. As well you may be wandering why you have no recollection of, well…..Anything.”

Theta stared dumbfounded.

Dr. Marshall spoke again. “If you could just tell me that this is correct I would greatly appreciate it.”

Theta opened his mouth to speak but again nothing happened.

Dr. Marshall chuckled and continued, “Good that thing still works. Okay, try again.” He tapped his fore arm again.

Suddenly a weight Theta hadn’t noticed disappeared from his neck.

Theta gasped and said, having difficulties articulating the words. “Th- Mh-. Ye.” He paused trying to collect himself. Theta then said, “Yes.” His voice sounded raspy and cough like.

Dr. Marshall nodded and said, “Good. Don’t worry your voice will return to normal shortly. So, as to answers I can give you only so many and if you want them you need to do me a favor.”

Theta didn’t trust this man. But he did need information. Theta nodded his consent. Hoping not speaking would speed along his voice getting better.

“I need you to move your head left and right. And whichever direction your head goes move the fingers on that hand in the same direction.”

Theta did as he asked and noted something was off with himself, but he couldn’t place it. As he looked he saw what looked like a grey, skin tight workout shirt.

“Good. Now wiggle your toes as best you can.” Dr. Marshall said with anticipation on his voice.

Theta didn’t do anything but said, “Answers.” His voice almost completely healed.

“You shall have answers. Now do as I say.” Annoyance coming into his voice.

Grudgingly Theta obeyed. “Now give me the answers you promised.” His voice fully healed.

Dr. Marshall gave a short and dark chuckle. And said “If you pass this next test I will answer your questions. But this will be much more difficult than the tests previous.”

Theta began to object but was cut off when the world around him disappeared as he rapidly descended into a black hole in the ground. Bed and all.

Theta didn’t scream as he fell. But silently accepted he was about to die. He still couldn’t see and he was still strapped to his bed. Then he heard a cheery, robotic voice say, “T.E.S.T. pod activated.”

And with that Theta’s bed produced long metal sheets that overlapped around him like and egg. Once again Theta only knew darkness. Then the cheery robotic voice chimed in again telling him how far away he was from his destination.

“One thousand feet,” it said.

How far down was he going Theta asked himself

“Seven hundred feet,” and then Theta heard a noise. It sounded like a symphony of clicks and whirs.

“Four hundred feet. Slowing descent.” Still in that same cheery tone

Theta then heard a chopping noise coming from outside and he could feel the pod beginning to slow.

“One hundred feet.” Theta thought he heard a little excitement in that voice.

A couple seconds later His pod landed very gently and it opened with Theta in the standing position. His restraints released and he stepped forward of the bed got a look at his surroundings.

Looking up all he saw was blackness nothing else. Looking at his landing area, Theta saw only his bed and a door giving off a brilliant light and it had one word above it. He looked down at himself and noticed that the shirt he was wearing was actually a full body suit.

The word, TESTING. Seeing it as his only option he walked forward towards the door and when he opened it he saw a short corridor with plain white walls. There was a turn only twenty feet away.

Theta calmly walked towards the corner and turned it and stopped short. Around the corner he saw some creature right in front of him. It was as tall as him and was covered in black armor plating that looked wicked. Having a single, deadly looking spike coming from its elbows. Theta could only dream their purpose. The knees had a similar edge on top of them. On its wrists were plating that looked different from the suit as If they had been added later and instead of being black they were more of a gunmetal grey. His face lacked a mouth but had a red visor that made Theta think of blood.

After sizing up the opposition Theta assumed what he thought was a fighting position. And yet his opponent didn’t move. Theta got closer, confused, and poked the thing and nothing happened.

“Well, what do I do?” he questioned no one in particular.

At the sound of his voice a door opened to the left of the thing that must be a suit or a robot. He stepped in and found a small bedroom. It had a bed, a closet, hardwood floors, and a sink and mirror. Before he stepped in he turned around and grabbed the suit. Which was surprisingly light for its heavy looking protection. And he set it up in his closet where the suit seemed to naturally stand erect.

Suddenly feeling very tired for no particular reason he collapsed on the bed and fell fast asleep.