When 45 returned to his senses, he asked, "Where are my clothes? I need my clothes."
His response was, "No. You do not need clothing for any reason."
"I need to cover myself - for decency."
A tinkling laugh shook through his cellular structure. "No. You have no decency."
- _ -
"Where is my hair!?!?," 45 suddenly asks, having run his hands over his head.
"You have none. You need none."
45 mutters, "Well, at least it will grow back..."
"No. We have removed all of your so-called 'hair' follicles. We find those eruptions from your pebbly and porous skin... Ummm - disgusting."
"You think hair is disgusting? What do you look like? What kind of m-monster - or thing - are you?"
"Petty little man. You would not survive seeing me. I am all."
- _ -
"Where am I?"
"You are here."
"Where is 'here'?"
"You have not the knowledge to understand, 45."
"How long are you going to keep me here - wherever this is?"
"Until the end."
"The end? The end of what?"
"Until the end. The end of time, as we know it. The end of existence. The end of being."
"Listen to me. I don't know who put you up to this. I don't know who you are. Someone - some...enemy of mine - must have paid you to do this. I will pay you triple - no, wait - make that four times the amount this other person paid you - to let me go. Just let me go - no questions asked. No trouble for you in the future. Just let me go now."
The keeper's amusement nearly knocks him over, flowing through his body.
"What the hell...?"
"You are very predictable, and therefore, quite amusing, 45."
- _ -
"I'm hungry. Do I live on air here?"
"No. You have fresh water to slake your thirst at hand. I will see that a meal is prepared."
"I'm very hungry. I want a 16-ounce sirloin steak, no bone, well-done. I want a large pile of home-made fries, with plenty of salt. I want chocolate cake with chocolate icing for dessert. And do not forget the bottle of ketchup - I need that for both the steak and the fries."
Within a few minutes, a small bright blue panel opens next to the table built into the wall. A small tray appears, with two bowls. Forty-five begins to sputter with rage as he looks at the tray.
"Just what the hell is this... shit?"
"You are grossly obese, 45. You have been placed on a vegan diet while you are here. Perhaps, once you reach your best weight, you may once again partake of your favorite foods."
" I won't eat that... stuff."
"That is entirely up to you, 45. I would think that roughly cut oatmeal would bring back nice childhood memories of your Mother. Of course, this is made with almond milk. Doesn't the fresh fruit look inviting? Strawberries, bananas, orange slices, kiwis, and grapes. It looks good to me."
"I hate that crap. I won't eat it."
"It will be available to you until your next meal time."
"When is that?"
"When I decide, 45."
Showing posts with label a 10-foot cube. Show all posts
Showing posts with label a 10-foot cube. Show all posts
Sunday, November 5, 2017
Sunday, October 29, 2017
Picture This, If You Will.... Part 1
Read this, if you will, with the quiet, understated yet emphatic, voice of the great Rod Serling enunciating the words... ever so carefully.
Deep in the darkness of space, out on one of the farthest-swept vortices of time, there appears a room. A very plain room. It is a cube in shape; ten feet in all dimensions. It is made of deep space ceramics, with no visible seams, no cracks. The cube is flat white in color, and a flat white light seems to emanate from all interior surfaces. There is furniture, of a sort, built into the cube. One can discern the shape of a bed, seemingly supported by a wall. Looking closer, there is a seat ledge beside what could function as a table. In one corner is a small water fountain; opposite is an open latrine for body waste, and a small hand sink. The temperature inside the cube is regulated by the inhabitant's own body temperature.
Our new inhabitant is arriving. Amid scintillating lights, a blue-draped hospital gurney arrives quietly. Everything inside the cube is now dark - there are no visuals to be seen. Then the flat white light reappears. The gurney has disappeared - but it left something rather large on the bed surface. It appears to be a human male, who is grossly obese. As with all humans, detained for any reason, the entire body has been de- and ex-foliated. All so-called "hair" follicles have been removed, and all dead, and/or dying, skin has been removed. Interior cleansing has also been performed, guaranteeing that no cross-contamination can occur. This human is germ-free inside and out - at this point in time.
The give-and-take of New Arrival is always interesting. We will listen in upon this being's introduction into the system. Usually, the in-comer is upset and on alert upon first awakening. First questions are asked; the answers given do not change for anyone. Then the in-comer is angry and defiant, and refuses the truth. Each human is very different in their reactions. Let us see what occurs with this new inhabitant. Oh, here's note from the powers-that-be: This inhabitant is to be called by the number 45. Understood?
*** The following conversations, questions, and answers are portrayed in a compressed time frame, as opposed to a solid flow of time. Breaks in communications between the in-comer are denoted by the symbol - _ - . The in-comer frequently pauses, apparently trying to comprehend the import of answers to his questions. ***
The new in-comer, 45, awakens slowly and sits upon the side of the bed. He realizes he is naked and immediately begins looking for covering. Finding none, he remains seated. Then he rubs his hands over his head and back and forth across his face. Realizing that he has no hair upon his body, as well as no clothing, he decides to confront this calamity.
His reedy voice breaks upon the first two attempts, but he is understandable upon his third try at vocalization: "Hellooo? I know you're watching me."
He seems surprised at the warm voice that responds almost immediately. "Hello. Welcome."
45 asks, "Where am I? And who are you?"
"You are here. This is where you will stay. I am the keeper."
"What do you mean? Where is 'here?' You don't know what you're doing!"
"Here is here - always and forever. You have no idea of greater things, 45."
"Forty-five! That means you know who I am! I am the President of the United States of America! I demand that you release me at once! I don't know who you are, but you're going to pay for this!"
And the keeper laughed deep inside herself, and let 45 see the scintillation of her eyes, her hearts and her wings. He was beggared by the sudden knowledge that swept through his brain, and then receded like a tidal wave....
Deep in the darkness of space, out on one of the farthest-swept vortices of time, there appears a room. A very plain room. It is a cube in shape; ten feet in all dimensions. It is made of deep space ceramics, with no visible seams, no cracks. The cube is flat white in color, and a flat white light seems to emanate from all interior surfaces. There is furniture, of a sort, built into the cube. One can discern the shape of a bed, seemingly supported by a wall. Looking closer, there is a seat ledge beside what could function as a table. In one corner is a small water fountain; opposite is an open latrine for body waste, and a small hand sink. The temperature inside the cube is regulated by the inhabitant's own body temperature.
Our new inhabitant is arriving. Amid scintillating lights, a blue-draped hospital gurney arrives quietly. Everything inside the cube is now dark - there are no visuals to be seen. Then the flat white light reappears. The gurney has disappeared - but it left something rather large on the bed surface. It appears to be a human male, who is grossly obese. As with all humans, detained for any reason, the entire body has been de- and ex-foliated. All so-called "hair" follicles have been removed, and all dead, and/or dying, skin has been removed. Interior cleansing has also been performed, guaranteeing that no cross-contamination can occur. This human is germ-free inside and out - at this point in time.
The give-and-take of New Arrival is always interesting. We will listen in upon this being's introduction into the system. Usually, the in-comer is upset and on alert upon first awakening. First questions are asked; the answers given do not change for anyone. Then the in-comer is angry and defiant, and refuses the truth. Each human is very different in their reactions. Let us see what occurs with this new inhabitant. Oh, here's note from the powers-that-be: This inhabitant is to be called by the number 45. Understood?
*** The following conversations, questions, and answers are portrayed in a compressed time frame, as opposed to a solid flow of time. Breaks in communications between the in-comer are denoted by the symbol - _ - . The in-comer frequently pauses, apparently trying to comprehend the import of answers to his questions. ***
The new in-comer, 45, awakens slowly and sits upon the side of the bed. He realizes he is naked and immediately begins looking for covering. Finding none, he remains seated. Then he rubs his hands over his head and back and forth across his face. Realizing that he has no hair upon his body, as well as no clothing, he decides to confront this calamity.
His reedy voice breaks upon the first two attempts, but he is understandable upon his third try at vocalization: "Hellooo? I know you're watching me."
He seems surprised at the warm voice that responds almost immediately. "Hello. Welcome."
45 asks, "Where am I? And who are you?"
"You are here. This is where you will stay. I am the keeper."
"What do you mean? Where is 'here?' You don't know what you're doing!"
"Here is here - always and forever. You have no idea of greater things, 45."
"Forty-five! That means you know who I am! I am the President of the United States of America! I demand that you release me at once! I don't know who you are, but you're going to pay for this!"
And the keeper laughed deep inside herself, and let 45 see the scintillation of her eyes, her hearts and her wings. He was beggared by the sudden knowledge that swept through his brain, and then receded like a tidal wave....
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