“Commencing test 58, Subject number 200183, Switch on the outer chamber vacuum pump” The Director ordered.
“Switching on the vacuum pump.” Came a reply
“Begin ionising the inner chamber and monitor the health specs of the subject”
“The specs show regular activities, there is a slight increase in blood pressure but that’s expected” The medical head informed.
‘There is slight shimmer in the chamber’ reported one the mechanics
‘Keep an eye on it and keep me posted’ replied The director.
Due to the vibration, a loose screw came off. There was a humming sound that surrounded the whole place. With a blinding light, the test subject vanished.
Joseph got up and rubbed the black spots off his eye. He groggily got up and looked around but it hurt to look. He tried to remember how he got here but it hurt to think. In fact, it hurt to do anything. His body was aching, his eyes couldn’t look more than a meter away. He moved his hand across the ground. It was coarse and prickly. He remembered this feeling. His thoughts raced to fond memories of the waves crashing on the ground, the sand being swept away, people enjoying themselves with their families.
Suddenly there was the rustling of sand. He instinctively took a defensive pose and tried to concentrate on the sound. Joseph couldn’t see anything. The light was shining on his eyes. He closed his eyes and focused on the rest of his senses. He couldn’t smell or hear anything. All he could do was hope that it was just a figment of his imagination. But of course, it wasn’t. A giant man with muscular hairy arms reached out to Joseph and injected a liquid into his wrist.
Later.
Joseph woke up with full attention and surveyed his surroundings. It had a brick wall with wooden floors. It was so quiet he could hear his raging heartbeat. A man entered the room through a sliding door just across from where Joseph was lying. He was tall, with a scar across his forehead and slick black hair. He had muscular hairy arms and was wearing a toga. This shocked him because before his senses weren’t working but now they are noticing every inch of details, assessing, planning automatically.
“Finally, you gained consciousness.” It was a deep voice that filled the whole room. “I was worried that I gave an overdose. Well, it might be a little over the top considering your skinny body.” He continued.
“What did you do to me? Who are you and where am I?” Joseph asked
“It’s not important who I am. You are on the Planet Zorp. As for what I did to you… I helped you gain your strength so you can return back to your home. I believe that you are supposed to thank me for my service.”
“Thank you but can you let me go now?” Joseph asked impatiently.
“ I can’t make you stay or make you leave. That’s my curse. Do whatever you want with your own will”
Joseph got up and went towards the door and plunged down to his death but due to his heightened reflex, he was able to grab the base of the door. He pulls himself up and looks for the man who saved him but he wasn’t there. Confused, he looked around for a button or something like that so that he could reach the ground safely but couldn’t find anything. Desperately he flipped anything he could find but that wasn’t the right move. A trapdoor underneath him opened and he fell.
It was a bunker. A dark dusty bunker with spider webs everywhere. His eyes were adapting to the darkness. He could see the outline of a big toggle. He went there and pulled it down. He had no other choice. He had to take risks if he wanted to go home. He waited and braced for anything that came his way but nothing happened except a small humming sound surrounded him. He had heard it before. It was the same sound that came before he reached this place. But instead of blinding light, a man appeared out of nowhere.
He was the same person who helped Joseph to gain his senses.
“Why did you summon me?”
“I didn’t. I just flipped some switches.”
“Well, that summons me to this room. So tell me why do u want my help?”
“I want to go back but I don’t know how to.”
“All you have to do is think about where u want to be and this bunker will take you there. It was written right next to the main door but I guess you didn’t see it.”
Joseph thinks about the ocean. He pictured the turquoise blue ocean stretched out into a dark blue mass of water. He senses the white sand prickling on his bare feet. He imagines the waves forming and crashing near the shore. He can hear the soothing sound of wind and water.
He opens his eyes and sees the same bunker but the man is not there anymore. Joseph sees a door that wasn’t there before. He opened the door and voila, the ocean was right in front of him.
Stars, hide your fires, Let not light see my black and deep desires.
Shakespeare
