What? What was he talking about? This man seemed high-strung
about something and he was talking about life and getting killed.
“Uh – buh, what?” Carlos asked intelligently. But he quickly
took on a more alert manner. “No, no, wait, what?”
What the hell did he mean by ‘making you doubt things’? And
what place did he mean – the hotel? And Carlos didn’t remember seeing him at
all. He was meeting with some technicians and he was asking a nurse for
directions… Was he on drugs? Was Carlos
on drugs? He didn’t remember taking anything that would cause psychosis.
Something was obviously very wrong.
When asked about it Carlos immediately got up to his feet –
not just to show this other man that he could stand, but he was taking a
defensive stance. “What’s going on?” he asked. “Why did you bring me into a
broken building? What – who are you?”
Was this man a danger? Something had him rattled, clearly, and Carlos wondered
if it was because something was happening or if this man was disturbed in some
way.
Joseph had seen this reaction before during interrogations. The more he talked, the angrier the suspect became; denial came first, offence followed, before rage took over their willingness to answer questions. All the detective could do was remain calm and wait whilst the suspect either tired themselves out, or were forcefully restrained. Joseph certainly wasn’t going to do the latter with this gentleman, despite him throwing accusations towards him and adopting a defensive demeanour. He needed a reason to do so, and he couldn’t blame the gentleman for becoming suspicious; he didn’t know who Joseph was, and yet he was being told to move. In retrospect, the detective realised how bold he was to assume that the other man would follow his commands in such an unfamiliar place. He could be anyone.
“I...didn’t bring you here,” Joseph answered that first, releasing a light sigh. Of course the man would think he brought him here, considering he was the first person he saw upon waking up. It’d be no surprise if he thought that Joseph had kidnapped him. “I wish I had all the answers, but…unfortunately, I’m just as clueless as you are about this place. All I know is that we were entered, unwillingly, into an experiment that was designed to connect individual’s consciousness to create this world. As you can see-” here, another tremor passed, causing ceiling dust to shower over them, “-it’s completely unstable.” Brushing off the white powder, Joseph was anxious to keep on moving. He didn’t want to be in this hotel for a second longer.
“One thing I know, so far, is that the process has the ability to…erode our memories.” He was beginning to forget things – simple things, such as the exact location of where he grew up. Every time he tried, his mind became blank. “It explains why you couldn’t remember ending up here. I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news.” His tone was sincere, letting the gentleman take the information in. It was difficult to comprehend. Joseph certainly hadn’t accepted it fully yet. Still, the least he could do was let the man know his name. With his hand out-stretched, he offered a light smile, “I’m…Detective Joseph Oda. I work for KCPD. Or, at least – I did in the real world.”
Carlos didn’t understand what he was saying. Actually, to be
more accurate, Carlos didn’t want to
believe him. Because really – an experiment?
With the two of them being forced into some kind of Matrix-like machine linking
their brains to create some kind of virtual reality?
No, Carlos didn’t believe him at all. The building was
obviously collapsing and they needed to get out, but it didn’t seem to Carlos
to be the only thing unstable around here. This ex-cop was definitely someone
Carlos should be wary of.
But Carlos wasn’t looking for a fight – and if he went along
with this guy, at least for a bit, then maybe he could find out exactly what
the hell was going on and get some help.
Carlos took the other’s hand gently and shook it. “Nice to
meet you,” he said, though his tone was even. He took a breath. “Let’s get
going before we get caught up in an aftershock.” He had no idea Krimson City
was in an earthquake zone, but it would of course explain how he hit his head; falling debris or something probably got him.
“Well…at least you know who you are. That’s a good start,” Joseph returned, releasing a light sigh that revealed just how optimistic he was. Reaching up, the detective shifted his glasses upwards in order to gently rub his eyes – a momentary feeling of weariness creeping up to him. There was no time to sleep, however; there never was in this place. Knowing that the next moment may well be his last did wonders to keep him awake, and the constant adrenaline really got the heart pumping. It was dangerous to stay still for more than a minute, because his body was ready to drop. The moment he let the silence lull him, the less prepared he was for a sudden attack, and he needed to be on high alert at all times.
“I know it’s confusing right now, Carlos,” it was constantly so, and it never stopped, “but I’m afraid it’s going to be like this for a while. This place has the habit of…making you doubt a lot of things.” He knew what it was like first-hand, not knowing whether something was real or not. An hallucination or reality – it was becoming increasingly difficult to tell the difference. “I found you wandering down the hallway, speaking to…well, nobody. You asked me where the biology laboratory was, before part of the ceiling fell and knocked you unconscious.” It was clear that the gentleman had lost time, convinced that he was still back home. Some people were more sensitive to the affects of STEM, and refused to transition swiftly – not that they had a choice in the matter.
“I fixed your wound the best I could, so that shouldn’t be too much of a problem now.” Joseph continued in an attempt to reassure his companion. “However, we should keep moving. This building is highly unstable, and the longer we stay here, the higher the risk of getting trapped – or killed.” There was still the possibility of Haunted roaming around, and they needed to find the exit quickly. “I’ll explain more on the way. Are you able to stand up?”
What? What was he talking about? This man seemed high-strung
about something and he was talking about life and getting killed.
“Uh – buh, what?” Carlos asked intelligently. But he quickly
took on a more alert manner. “No, no, wait, what?”
What the hell did he mean by ‘making you doubt things’? And
what place did he mean – the hotel? And Carlos didn’t remember seeing him at
all. He was meeting with some technicians and he was asking a nurse for
directions… Was he on drugs? Was Carlos
on drugs? He didn’t remember taking anything that would cause psychosis.
Something was obviously very wrong.
When asked about it Carlos immediately got up to his feet –
not just to show this other man that he could stand, but he was taking a
defensive stance. “What’s going on?” he asked. “Why did you bring me into a
broken building? What – who are you?”
Was this man a danger? Something had him rattled, clearly, and Carlos wondered
if it was because something was happening or if this man was disturbed in some
way.
“What used to be the Prestige Hotel,” Joseph answered honestly, watching as the gentleman slowly began waking up. He sounded groggy – rightly so. Anyone would after getting knocked out by falling debris whilst navigating the unstable building; it was a risk staying in this hotel room, but the detective had to bring the scientist somewhere…relatively safe. At least, until he regained consciousness and was fit enough to continue. Joseph could hear the walls shifting, and the floor below creaking, letting them know that they needed to leave as soon as possible. It wasn’t just the hotel that was falling apart – the whole world around them was, and every step could end up being fatal. The nightmare they found themselves in was constantly changing, the environment less secure than the last, and there was no way to stop it; they had to adapt to and over-come the obstacles that were thrown their way.
“Do you remember what happened?” The detective continued, hoping that the accident hadn’t left his companion with major damage to his head. This place was confusing enough without the added memory loss. “Your name, perhaps – do you still know it?”
Carlos gingerly touched a sore spot in his head and quickly
drew his hand away with a hiss. That was going to smart for a little while.
Damn.
“I, uh…” No, Carlos didn’t know what happened – at least he
didn’t remember anything that made sense. He was more than a little confused.
He started with his name:
“Carlos Ramon. I… I think I was going to a hospital to look
at some new medical equipment for a study.” The school insisted that Carlos go
because he was the most qualified in understanding the technology. “But… that’s
all I remember.” What could have possibly happened? Why didn’t he just remember anything? Nothing came up when he thought about it. It was like it was blank – no pictures or feelings or anything.
The Perfect Scientist 