He woke up in a dimly lit room. He could hear people speaking before he opened his eyes, and when he did he saw four other people in the room: two men and two women. All were wearing the same grey clothing. Uniforms, maybe. Looking down at himself he noticed he, too, was similarly attired.
\n\u201cHey,\u201d one of the others said, one of the men. \u201cA new one. You were right, Mac, there seems to always be five of us. You have a name, buddy?\u201d
\n\u201cI, I \u2026 can\u2019t think of it,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cFine,\u201d the man said. \u201cWe\u2019ll call you \u2018Buddy\u2019 then. I\u2019m Hector.\u201d
\n\u201cOK, fine,\u201d Buddy said. \u201cNo .. ah ..no problem.\u201d He was confused.
\nThe man named Hector turned to the others. \u201cSo why five? And what does happen when we go out there?\u201d He pointed to the doorway. There was no door, only an opening. It was dark out there.
\n\u2018Buddy\u2019 stood and faced the small group. \u201cWhat the hell is happening\u201d he demanded. \u201cWho is responsible for this?\u201d
\n\u201cThe usual questions,\u201d the second man piped up. \u201cWhose fault is this? What\u2019s going on? Here\u2019s the thing, sunshine \u2013 none of us has any idea. We\u2019ve just been here longer.\u201d The man turned away, walked to the door opening, and looked out. He spat out of the opening.
\nOne of the women approached Buddy and offered her hand. \u201cI\u2019m Jo,\u201d she said. \u201cHector has been here the longest. He\u2019s just angry. Welcome to the group.\u201d
\nThe man recently named Buddy shook Jo\u2019s hand.
\n\u201cI \u2026 I have questions. Where are we? Who are you? What are we doing here?\u201d
\nThe second woman interrupted. \u201cWe don\u2019t know. We know that we are here, wherever that is. We know that people leave through that door, and do not return. We know that there are usually five of us in here, and never any more. When someone leaves, someone appears. That\u2019s what we really know.\u201d She sat down in a corner.
\nHector spoke. \u201cWe also know that when a new person arrives nobody sees them, and it always happens after someone leaves. And we all have weapons.\u201d
\nBuddy checked. He had a pistol, and an automatic weapon slung over his shoulder.
\n\u201cWho feeds us? Where is the bathroom?\u201d, he asked.
\n\u201cAre you hungry?\u201d the second man asked? \u201cNone of us have been. Got to pee? Nobody has.\u201d
\nBuddy realized that he felt no physical discomforts. She had some kind of point. It was neither warm, nor cold. He had no itch to scratch, no pain.
\nSuddenly the second woman, whose name he did not know, stood and went to the door. She did something to her weapon, and walked through the door into the dark. Buddy had no idea what he had just witnessed, but the others seemed to be not at all surprised.
\n\u201cWhat just happened?\u201d Buddy asked.
\nThey all looked at him. Hector shrugged. \u201cWe don\u2019t know. Every once in a while, someone leaves.\u201d
\n\u201cWhy don\u2019t we all leave. Right now?\u201d
\n\u201cWe can\u2019t. Try it. We\u2019ve all tried it. Nobody here can go through that opening.\u201d Hector walked over to the exit and then just stood about two feet from it. \u201cNo matter what I do,\u201d he said, \u201cI can\u2019t force myself to go any further.\u201d
\n\u201cThat\u2019s crazy,\u201d Buddy exclaimed, and moved over to the exit. Then he, too, stopped. \u201cDamn.\u201d
\n\u201cTold you,\u201d Hector said.
\n\u201cHey,\u201d a female voice cried from behind them. \u201cWhat\u2019s going on? Who are you people?\u201d They turned to find a woman, dressed as they were, eyes wide.
\nHector spoke first. \u201cHi, I\u2019m Hector. This here is Buddy, he\u2019s new too. The other guy over there is Mac, the lady on your left is Babe. You would be?\u201d He smiled at her.
\nShe did not smile back. Her brows knitted, and then she said \u201cThat\u2019s odd. Why don\u2019t I know my name? What is this place?\u201d
\nBuddy answered her first. \u201cNobody knows where we are, and I\u2019m guessing that nobody showed up he with a real name.\u201d He looked at Hector. \u201cDid they?\u201d
\n\u201cNope. I have named everyone in the room, except for the new girl here. What name do you fancy, kiddo?\u201d
\n\u201cI \u2026 I don\u2019t know. This is all very strange. I don\u2019t seem to know who I am.\u201d
\n\u201cThat\u2019s OK. We\u2019ll call you \u2026\u201d
\n\u201cDo NOT call me kiddo. For the sake of this little play, call me \u2026 Delores.\u201d She looked herself up and down. \u201cI seem to be in the military. I don\u2019t recall that. I do know that this is an FN P90 personal defense weapon, capable of 900 rounds a minute.\u201d She indicated her weapon. \u201cYou\u201d, she looked at Hector, \u201care carrying an M32 grenade launcher, with a capacity of six 40 mm rounds. You, Buddy, have a Heckler & Koch HK G3 over your shoulder and a VP FDE in your holster.\u201d
\n\u201cWe all know that stuff,\u201d Mac said. \u201cSo what?\u201d
\n\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d she said, her voice shaky. \u201cIt\u2019s the thing I actually seem to remember.\u201d She started to cry.
\nHector took her by the shoulder and started to talk to her softly, moving away to a far corner of the small space so the others would not hear. Buddy gestured to Max and Babe, who approached.
\n\u201cHas everyone searched his place for another exit?\u201d Buddy asked. \u201cIt seems to me that there is some purpose to this that we haven\u2019t figured out. Perhaps we\u2019ve been drugged. Maybe it\u2019s some kind of test?\u201d
\nBabe spoke for the first time. \u201cThe room has been thoroughly searched for other exits and weak points. I did it myself, for a while. Nothing. Grenades have been used on the walls. No effect. In fact, no injuries, which is a bit remarkable given the size of the room.\u201d It was about 40 feet by 20 feet, with no significant cover anywhere.
\nBuddy frowned and walked over to the nearest wall. He started to tap on the metal, with his ear against it. He moved up and down, then along the wall, repeating the process.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s a waste of time,\u201d Max shouted.
\n\u201cI have the time,\u201d Buddy replied and kept at his task.
\nHector returned to the group, who were quite close to the opening.
\n\u201cDelores and I have had an idea,\u201d he said. \u201cWe should make a huge uproar outside. Fire all of our weapons. She has some C4, it turns out, and I have grenades, and \u2013 well, if we fire them out the opening we could attract some attention.\u201d
\n\u201cWho do you think is out there?\u201d, Babe asked, making a sour face.
\n\u201cNo idea,\u201d Hector replied. \u201cSomeone, we hope. At least it would be new. Anything new would be good.\u201d
\n\u201cKnock yourself out. I\u2019m not a part of this.\u201d Mac walked away and sat down in the far corner. The rest of them moved towards the door into the darkness, and each took a weapon in hand. Delores tossed a block of C4 through the opening. She could no longer see it. She approached the doorway as closely as she could, but could not see the C4.
\n\u201cIt has to be only a couple of feet outside. Hector. Fire a grenade at it.\u201d She backed away from the opening.
\nHector fired. The weapon responded, but nothing happened outside. An explosion was to be expected. Nothing happened.
\n\u201cShit,\u201d he said.
\nDelores reached for more C4. She froze. \u201cI still have four charges,\u201d she said. \u201cI tossed one outside, so I should only have three. What the hell is going on?\u201d
\n\u201cObviously,\u201d Buddy said, \u201cwe can\u2019t have any effect on the outside. At least, not until we can exit.\u201d
\nHector examined his weapon. \u201cI still have a full load too.\u201d He leaned against the wall and slid down until he was sitting. His head was in his hands. \u201cAre we in Hell?\u201d he asked. \u201cPurgatory, maybe? Some kind of punishment?\u201d He looked up at the small group. \u201cDid nobody here ever go to church? Do you understand me?\u201d
\nSilence, for a moment. Buddy spoke first. \u201cI doubt that any of us remember if we went to church, or school, or anything. Am I married? Do I have children? Did I eat breakfast, for God\u2019s sake? How do I even know what those things mean? I don\u2019t know.\u201d He sat on the floor too. Delores shrugged and sat where she was, but Babe was still standing by the opening.
\n\u201cHey, I can see a little out there. It\u2019s getting lighter.\u201d She got as close to the door as she could. The others stared outside through the dark fissure, that did, in fact, seem to be becoming less black and more grey with each moment that passed. Even Mac seemed fascinated.
\n\u201cThis is new,\u201d he said. \u201cNew is good.\u201d
\n\u201cI said that first,\u201d Hector whispered to himself.
\n\u201cI can see a tree or something. And another building. Over there.\u201d Delores pointed. The others got up and followed her indication. Yes, she seemed to be right, at least about the tree.
\nThere was something moving near the other building, slowly and along the visible wall. Some sort of vehicle, with no lights. A truck or tractor, perhaps.
\n\u201cHey, check that out. Over by the building there. A tank!\u201d
\nYes, it could be a tank. Then there was a flash of light as it fired, and the vehicle became visible for a moment. A tank it was. They could not see it clearly in the gloom, nor could they see its target, but during the flash, they could see it plainly. There was a war going on out there.
\nBabe examined her rifle and rummaged in her bag for a few seconds. Then she ran through the opening without saying a word. Nothing prevented her.
\n\u201cWhat. The. Bloody Hell.\u201d Buddy shouted, and ran to the door. He could not leave. He saw Babe racing in a zig-zag fashion across the compound that was visible through the opening. The tank had moved on. She vanished in the relative darkness about forty yards away and was lost to him.
\n\u201cNow,\u201d Hector said, \u201cwe\u2019ll get someone new.\u201d
\nBefore that happened, Buddy felt an urge. He checked the clip on his rifle and removed his pistol from its holster, cocking and replacing it. Then he walked to the doorway and exited the room that had been his prison.
\nLooking around he saw nobody else, but he ran towards the doorway in the structure across the compound. As he entered the building he heard the sound of a bullet bouncing from the metal by his feet. He kept running, up a flight of stairs and towards a window on the second floor. He was not out of breath, not at all tired. Nothing visible through the window. There was a window on the other side, so he went there and took a furtive look. Three people in brown uniforms were approaching at a walk, looking in all directions. One of them pointed to him and fired his weapon. Buddy ducked and moved along the wall to the next window. He saw the three running towards the door to his building. He had to get out. Obvious he was grey and they were brown, and they were on opposite side of something.
\nThere was another set of stairs further ahead, and he ran down them two at a time. There were two doors that he could see, one ahead and one to the left. Someone ran through the door to the left. Someone in brown. He fired, not really consciously, and his weapon responded with fire, a terrible noise, smoke, and death. The brown person went down.
\nHe kept running through the door ahead, and turned to the left, slowing at the corner of the building. He poked his head around the corner and saw a second brown clad person running towards the door that had just seen death. Buddy fired at him, and he, too, went down before he could reach the doorway.
\nWhat was the hell going on? Who were these people?
\nHe heard a sound behind him. A man was kneeling in the doorway he had just exited and was taking aim at him. He tried to swing his weapon around but was too slow. He saw a flash and then heard a series of explosions. He felt nothing but dropped to the ground. In a few moments, his consciousness disappeared, and he was gone.
\n* * *<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, I GOT \u2018im,\u201d Jason screeched. \u201cHe got you, and I got him. Ya, ya.\u201d Jim and Nick sighed. Their characters had been restored in the game, and they grabbed their controllers. \u201cYou are an idiot. You just got lucky. Watch this.\u201d, Nick yelled.
\n\u201cDinner\u2019s on the table,\u201d came a voice from upstairs. \u201cCome and get it. NOW.\u201d
\nThey set down their controllers and paused the game. \u201cComing mom,\u201d Jason shouted. The three ran to the stairs.
\n\u201cNext time,\u201d said Nick as they ran up to the kitchen, \u201clet\u2019s be grey.\u201d
\n\u201cOK.\u201d
\nEND.
\nby Jim Parker<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
He woke up in a dimly lit room. He could hear people speaking before he opened his eyes, and when he did he saw four other people in the room: two men and two women. All were wearing the same grey clothing. Uniforms, maybe. Looking down at himself he noticed he, too, was similarly attired….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9,2,11],"tags":[13,17,18,20,21,28,29,30,56,72,76],"class_list":["post-345","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-archives","category-astounding-stories","category-neural-nets-uplinks-and-wetware","tag-13","tag-ai","tag-android","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-blade-runner","tag-cyberpunk","tag-cyberpunk-stories","tag-cyborgs","tag-matrix","tag-science-fiction","tag-short-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/astoundingoutpost.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/345","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/astoundingoutpost.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/astoundingoutpost.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/astoundingoutpost.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/astoundingoutpost.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=345"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/astoundingoutpost.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/345\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/astoundingoutpost.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=345"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/astoundingoutpost.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=345"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/astoundingoutpost.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=345"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}