This story is continued from “Chapter 1” https://spartanexpressions.org/3609/creative-writing/chapter-1/
The unsettling feeling of waking up in an unfamiliar bed but with the memories of his usual bed flowed right into Rudolph’s head as he jolted up and bonked his head on what was above him. Where… Am I? Or rather, what am I? He observed his arms. They were no longer flesh colored; instead, they were opaque. Rudolph realized his entire body was made out of that strange substance which resembled silicone, and that he had no hair at all. Even stranger, he could move his limbs even though they were not of his original flesh.
There wasn’t much space to move around because he was trapped in a rectangular prism structure with translucent material on the outside. There was some metallic material above him that confined his sleeping space into a small coffin. It was basically his length and width, making a 180 degrees turn to the other side impossible. There wasn’t even anything out there to see with the transparent glass, just some light and other rectangular prisms… are there other people also trapped in rectangular prisms along with me here? However, this observation and inquisition was put on hold due to some rumbles and sounds of tumbles that made the other rectangular prism directly fall onto Rudolph’s window to the outside light, cutting off his sight completely. Rudolph closed his eyes and sighed in disappointment as he shuffled a bit to attempt sleeping. Sleep never occurred as Rudolph continuously thought random thoughts such as, am I being transported on a vehicle to a place? Or why is my body made out of something like silicone that no one painted?
An indeterminate amount of time passed as Rudolph realized counting past 500,000 seconds and beyond was meaningless for tracking time. There wasn’t much difference between his coffin’s position alignment with the light. The boxes just shoved around and around, with no sound between each collision causing Rudolph to give up on the action of shouting.
There were some realizations with the new body he had: Rudolph could hold his breath for an extremely long time for the cost of thinking slower. He counted about 8000 seconds of breath holding before the brain slow was really numbing. The body was also resilient to bites from his teeth as they failed to leave any mark.
I could probably run downhill without feeling pain on my knees with this body. Problem is, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to see a hill anymore.
Some time later, the box in front of Rudolph’s window was removed, not by anything but by straight teleportation. The box simply disappeared. Whaa.. How? Rudolph felt cold shivers down his spine. What is that sorcery? Why do we travel in some vehicle instead of direct teleportation?
The teleportation sequence was fast as more and more boxes started teleporting away. It wasn’t long before Rudolph realized where the teleported boxes were. They were being compacted into a wall where their coffins got shoved into. Robots lifted the coffins and put them headfirst into the small square indents. Well, this sucks. I can’t see anything, I can barely roll around and apparently AI has already taken over. Rudolph continued to lie in darkness until sounds were coming out of somewhere. It was like a language he had never heard before. Then he was shown images, assumed to be the meanings of the words. Rudolph started relating things shown to him with English meanings, but some things just didn’t have an English counterpart at all. There were materials and things that looked like weapons with completely alien names. Constant sounds with definitions continued. It was a streamlined course of language learning.
After the language portion of the audio was played, it was repeated. And repeated.
It has been the 11th time I have listened to this same audio, no it has probably been 12 times…
Thousands? Tens of thousands? Millions? How long have I even been here?
Enough to know the new language by being able to speak and understand it.
There was no difference between sleep and being awake. Rudolph would fall asleep but still heard the audio. Sometimes different specs of information would be placed in, like the four major factions that struggled against each other, but they were sporadically placed.
Rudolph began to question his own sanity. It seemed that his time in this strange coffin outlasted human lifespans by now.
Suddenly, new audio began to play, and it was something new.
Rudolph listened with intent as he heard, “Hello soldier #225671865910432, we have created you for a singular purpose, to benefit our great nation of Treuast.” In the language he just learned. There was a pause as Rudolph reflected on his new name tag, 225671865910432. That number seems to be in the trillions. Are there trillions before me and after me? He ended the thought as the announcer continued, “We have created sentient beings from mega simulations that simulate other simulations that give rise to natural souls, which are superior to artificial beings solely because of the use of spirit augmentations which automations seem to reject. These augmentations are crucial to combat and without them, you will be like sitting yacis.” Isn’t a yaci a large bird that can’t move or fight back?
“We have a selection of augmentations, mass produced by the Crimson Company, something that you will frequently encounter as something to fight against or maybe, to obtain. Pick.” Then what appeared to be small text appeared as a whisper, “If you do not pick within a reasonable amount of time, one will be chosen randomly for you.”
Four boxes appeared in Rudolph’s mind with prompts to read and select one of the four.
First ones out, whatever ‘Dunan’ is, the description is literally ‘get slightly stronger.’ Probably only uncivilized barbarians will select this. The second one is more interesting. ‘Shehu’ gives some ghostly incorporeal body. Sounds cool. The third isn’t bad either, taking energy out of a state and nullifying it sounds like ‘Leji’ people struggle to die. The beings creating the fourth one must have gotten uncreative because they inserted some energy insertion, literally opposite of number three, and called ‘Ijel.’ Wonderful creativity indeed.
Rudolph continued mulling over the three choices as he eventually selected Number 2. Even if becoming ghostly is for a tiny moment, that can still have some interesting uses.
“225671865910432 you have selected ‘Shehu.’ Please wait as loading takes place.” With that, Rudolph felt a stinging sensation in his mind, along with fluid around him. His mind’s eye now sees a slight veil carpeted over what seems to be another thicker and darker veil.
As soon as the veil landed, it started to wrap itself around his entire mind, stretching out and occupying visible space, practically blinding him. Rudolph’s thoughts became more muddled as he desperately tried to raise his arms to scratch out his eyes but lacked the space to lift his arms. Why is this so itchy, why am I being injected with thoughts of extreme loyalty to the regime? What is this forceful brainwashing attempt?
Rudolph attempted to scream, but that only allowed fluid to flow down his throat as he started to choke and drown.
Loyalty to the regime is infinite, throughout life and death I am part of Crimson Flares. I will have no… doubt… doubt…the…regime…I…doubt the regime. Electricity coursed through the fluid, shocking Rudolph for having contrary thoughts. There is no leaving the regime. No doubt the regime… but why? Absolute loyalty is required… Why? I belong to Crimson Flaries… since when? Another shock occurred. Rudolph didn’t know if his heart stopped or it was always stopped. I must…not… follow the regime. I must keep my thoughts free no matter how my body is changed, chained or shocked. My mind is free. Free from control and full of doubt.
Shock upon shock upon shock.
Heretical thoughts excluded. Stop feeling pain by following the regime.
The fluid became scalding hot as it boiled Rudolph alive. I need to let the Shehu take control of my mind to free the pain… Why should I let something else take control of my mind? I sat here for who knows how long, only to be brainwashed?
The struggle continued. Rudolph’s mind was illuminated by the Shenhu veil showing a fiery red light, attempting to take control; however, Rudolph never allowed the veil to truly express, attempting to isolate the light in his mind. It could be estimated that there was 1% of space that remained without intense light. Rudolph aimed to expand it.
Can I just tell this Shehu to deactivate? Or will it continue buzzing “follow the Crimson Flares” again and again? Is this struggle for my own mind even worth it? There is pain in this torment, the constant mental itch with the physical drowning. That very same liquid boils me alive. If I submit, will it end?
The boiling liquid flooded into Rudolph’s insides to continue the damage.
–
–
–
“Rudolph.” His father spoke sternly. “Do you want to be happy, or do you want to be you?”
“What do you mean?” Rudolph earnestly asked.
“You are entering high school next year. It’s a building block for your future, and the time you answer whether you want to be happy, or to be you, a unique person whose presence is felt around whatever community you live in.”
“Aren’t these the same? I’m sure if I exist I’ll be happy.” Rudolph looked into a face he could no longer remember.
“Being happy is easy. You will find people to join with, to share laughter with. You can enjoy what life has to offer while observing what everyone else does to follow along. Being yourself is hard. You are alone. There is no pathway already traveled. Your actions require persistence to continue walking to some goal unique to you, invisible to everyone else.”
–
–
–
Heh, I am alone. Been alone for a while now. I lost my reflection some time ago, but I must have found it in the loneliest place in existence. Though the pain continued to assault Rodolph, he no longer cared. The light strangling his brain started to recede along with the calls for conformity.
The veil shrunk and landed, no longer emanating light.
