A round gray room with round edges. Light was present but without source. A chilling wind flowed coming from nowhere as there were no openings in this room. A young, naked, trembling and sleeping man lay amidst it all. His brown skin in dark contrast with the surrounding room. Its only company was a gray being. Gray just like the walls, albeist in a darker shade. It stood by his side in an estoic manner. Nothing can be said about its gender, for it has none. Nothing can be said about its face, it also has none. Just resembling a human in shape, it stands waiting. Waiting with a patience and stillness that could be confused with a gargoyle of times past.
Why is the room so bright today? Did Alice opened the curtains? Clueless the man kept rubbing his eyes while stretching to reach the curtains to no avail. "Alice, come back to bed. Its cold outside of it. Stay some more."
Touching the hard ground he opened his eyes. Seeing the gray floor the situation suddenly dawns on him. Where the hell am I?
There were no curtains. There was no bed. There was also no confortable warm Alice anymore. What there was...
"Hello."
"Wha-, Where?" In a jolt the man backs away mumbling to himself. "Where is Alice? Who dragged me here?... Maybe that's just another prank from the sisters."
The gray being ignored his hystery and spoke once again with a polite voice. "Pleased to meet you. Would you care to give me your name?"
"Uhh..." There is no way for that to be a prank. The sisters don't have enough money for all that. Maybe I'm dreaming? He pinched his arms ever harder but nothing changed.
"No, it is not a dream."
Hearing that Carlos was Bewildered. "Can you read my mind?"
"No. I just assumed you thought so when you started pinching yourself."
The answer only served to remind him of his own hopelessness. "Then... what is this place? Who wants me gone? Is that the Boar's doing? I already told him I wouldn't sell shit for him."
Spreading his arms the being said. "This, my boy, is just a random private space. It has no meaning at all. Completely unrelated to this Boar or anyone you may have previously known. But fret not, for I mean no harm to you here."
"Who- or... what are you?"
"Well, what am I is not what you should be concerning yourself. But, if it serves to calm your nerves, you may call me The Partner." The being observed the man's face, baffled at this answer which helped with nothing. It then continued. "What about your name? You have yet to answer me."
"Car... Carlos." With visible confusion still on his face, the man, Carlos, managed to keep talking. "What do you want with me?"
"Actually, nothing much Carlos. My purpose here is just talking with you. About anything, really. For example: those sisters you spoke about, who are they?"
"My roommates."
"See, it was easy right? Why do you live together?"
"To pay the rent, I guess? We have only so much money." Finally calming himself somemore his nudity settled in. His face turned into a dark shade of brown. In shame and shock he replied. "Where are my clothes?"
"That you should be asking yourself, or maybe Alice. I don't know where you have possibly thrown your clothes last night."
His face got increasingly darker as he started curling his body to hide as much as possible. "How long will this go on?"
"Well, tell me yourself, the more you talk the faster it goes."
"What do you wanna know?"
"What about Alice, tell me about her."
A sad smile opened in Carlo's face. "She is a girl I've going out with since last month. The most beautiful red haired girl I've met." His grin widened talking about Alice. "We've met on the beach, when we both discovered we used the same hiding spot for reading on the rocks." Then we had the most amazing afternoon 'reading' ever.
"That's a charming budding relationship you have there," Reporting: analysis complete "But I fear our time together has run out. I wish you best of luck and that you may find her again."
Without time for complaints the room faded away and with it Carlos old life was also gone.
_ ___ _ ___ _ ___ _
Carlos, 20 years old, Brazil.
1,65 m, average lean physique, black hair and light-brown skin.
Interview assessment already registered. Initial avaliation of candidate done.
Deviation from standard earth-human... 4%.
"Well, isn't he cute?"
"Hahaha, which of them isn't?"
《《《 ○《《《《《 ○ 》》》》》○ 》》》
In a lush green forest a woman walked with annoyance clear on her face. The birds singing harmoniously in an obvious contrast with her mood, as if only to bother her further. Her body was covered with padded leather to serve as an armor. The sound of her limping left leg irritated her further while the blood dripping from her right arm marked a trail of blood.
Walking behind her was a man holding a spear, pointing it at her from a safe distance. A grin plastered on his face. "Kinda wild girl you are uh? Killin' three of my boys. But you know? The one fucked up in the end was you, not me." A rough laugh came from his mouth. "You know what? You even helped me now. Who cares about useless fuckers when I have such a tight babe in front of me. I should just shove my rod-"
A stifled laugh came out of her mouth. "As if you had the courage to try little boy."
With his face fuming in anger and shame the man lowered his spear and approached her screaming. "You wench! I'll show who is little when I finish with you!"
Using this moment of distraction the woman rotated her body and threw herself towards the spear. Using her momentum, she took it from the man's hand and stabbed it right through his pants. The man still baffled with her sudden change couldn't react in time and screamed while holding his groin.
"Little or not I guess that doesn't even matter anymore."
Just as she took out the spear and was preparing to finish his life the world around her suddenly faded out. Nothing would matter anymore.
_ ___ _ ___ _ ___ _
A gray room, indentical to just any other of its type. But not quite the same. In the middle stands a baffled woman. No wounds could be seen on her body anymore. Aside her there was only one other presence.
"Hello." The same grey being.
My leg is fine... Inspecting herself the woman fails to answers, still overloaded by the changes.
"Nice to meet you. How may I call you?" The being talked to her again.
She keeps on guard, in slow steps backing away while inspecting her surrounding. No way out. Silence soon prevails. Neither initiating contact again with the other.
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Minutes passed as the woman kept staring at the existence in front of her, feeling too threatened to do anything else.
With a sigh her company finally talks again. "If you do not tell me even your name we will end up here forever, you know? Just cooperate."
With a threatening tone she responds. "Maya of the Bloodbath."
"See, what a beautiful.." He pondered some more. "If not pompous, name. We are making progress now, Maya. Would you tell me your age?"
In the deep silence that followed, Maya and the being exchanged glances. One too threatened to do anything else and the other already giving up on this endeavor. Minutes later their meeting came to an end. Thoughts of why this creature wanted to know about her filled Maya's mind.
Reporting: analysis complete. "Well, I cannot say we made the best use of our time but it was pleasurable nonetheless. Farewell, Maya of the Bloodbath."
_ ___ _ ___ _ ___ _
Maya, 21 years old, India.
1,70 m, above average strong and lean physique, long black hair and light-brown skin.
Interview assessment already registered. Initial avaliation of candidate done.
Deviation from standard earth-human... 34%.
A gray being talked with embarrass. "I almost couldn't maintain the posture over there. Who calls herself 'of the Bloodbath' with a straight face?"
Another being laughed and replied. "But she ended up being quite a surprise."
"True...34%...Didn't expect that from that one."
"Want to specify her zone for balancing?"
"Send her anywhere at the EHS-Zone3."
"As you wish."
《《《 ○《《《《《 ○ 》》》》》○ 》》》
So beautiful. A man sat at the top of a newly built skyscraper, enjoying the breeze. The sea to his left was complemented with sun rising in the horizon and the black-tailed gulls flying far away. The unobstructed view from the skyscraper turned it all into a mesmerizing beauty in his eyes. A moment to cherish as if nothing could disturb it. Nothing but the annoying voice of his client.
The client with an impatient temper pressed for answers. "Did you finish your estimates Mr. Allen?" If not for his widely reputation he would never had spent so much money to bring a foreigner for inspection.
"Yes, I did Mr. Abe, and it remains the same. You will lose a lot in this line of thought of yours." Pointing to the pendulum behind them both he continued. "Stop trying to go towards what obviously won't work."
Abe's face covered with sweat despite the cold air around them. "Can we not just-"
"No, Mr. Abe, 'we' doesn't exist and 'we' can't do anything." He walked towards the elevator to call it and then faced Abe again. "But 'you' Mr. Abe may do as you wish. 'You' can put foward this project, but the truth won't change, this building will collapse and the one to bear the responsibility is already clear. Thanks for calling me for a great view and... for ruining it.
Descending the elevator he left. Behind him was a desperate guy swearing with all his strength about him being a swindler and the impossibility of it all. But all that was left behind, just as everything else, when the world faded away.
_ ___ _ ___ _ ___ _
In a grey room a being stood still while it waited for the new human to adjust itself to the situation before initiating a conversation.
It then was surprised as in rare moments. "Hello." It was greeted by the human. "Could you explain what you brought me here for?" The human scratched his shallow growing beard with an almost embarrassed smile.
In but a second his surprise was gone and back was his composure. "That was surprising human, I brought you here to talk, what's your name?"
"Lucas Allen, but just Lucas is fine. What about yours?"
The being crossed its arms behind its back. "I hope you won't find it rude but I have no name."
"Nothing?" Lucas continued. "Not even some kind of serial number?"
"Well, that I can provide. #E4-317537."
"Leslie?" Lucas mocked him.
"What?"
"Your name, Leslie... you know, 317537."
"How does that even-" The being, now Leslie, replied baffled.
"Oh, forget it Leslie, just accept your new female indentity."
"I don't even have a gender. But I suppose you don't care."
With a hand Lucas covered a smile. "No, I don't... Leslie."
"Forget it, let's talk about you a bit, where do you work?"
"Oh no Leslie, don't start with such boring topics. Why don't we talk about this place? Where are we even?"
"Inside a random private space." Leslie replied, now clearly bothered.
"Oh, obviously. Helpful." Facepalmed Lucas. "Alright, I understood. Then, how do I feel a breeze inside here? What's up with those walls?"
Leslie threw his hand on air. "Marvelous, Let's talk about the walls. Which topic better than walls, right?"
"Agreed." Lucas' tone unfased by the mockery.
"It just flows, comprehend me? It doesn't follows any laws but the ones we set it to follow, so if we say it flows, it flows."
"How does that even work...?" Lucas' lifted his right eyebrow. "What... are you some kind of god?"
"No, but it helps to think as such." Reporting: analysis complete. "Sadly, our time together was much shorter than I desired. I expect much from you, do well."
_ ___ _ ___ _ ___ _
Lucas, 23 years old, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Nothern Ireland.
1,69 m, average weak physique, black short hair and white skin.
Interview assessment already registered. Initial avaliation of candidate done.
Deviation from standard earth-human... 75%.
"This one will give me so much work... I can already picture it."
"Good thing he falls in your jurisdiction, not mine." The second voice laughed.
"I get it, my suffering is funny. But...What do we do with him?"
"Why do you care? It won't matter either way."
"Indeed."
《《《 ○《《《《《 ○ 》》》》》○ 》》》
A man woke up in a strange and unknown room. If one was to observe they would say his toned body was sculpted by gods, with much care and time. His blond short hair shining with the ever present light accentuated the charm of his deep black eyes. The reverie of such masterpiece waking up was cut short by the only other presence in this room.
"Hello."
The man stared at his only companion, not even sure if he should feel scared yet. What is this... thing? I am dreaming, definitely dreaming. Yes, that's what's happening.
"Nice to meet you, slept well?"
While sitting he answered. "Uh.. yes, I guess, but... Your mouth... you don't have one."
"Yes, I do not."
"Then, how are you talking?"
The being pointed to its chest. "I produce sounds with my body."
"..." The man stood without knowing how to deal with it all.
"May I ask your name?" The being asked.
"Ulysses." While scratching his belly and yawning Ulysses kept the conversation going without much thought.
"Good name, is that from-"
Ulysses interrupted him. "Yes, the Odyssey, choice of my mom."
"Do you live with your parents?"
"No, it's just me and my sister." A timid smile crept up his face. She was so beautiful with the violin yesterday in the stage.
"And... what about your age?"
"Nineteen."
"Work?"
"Yes." Is this some kind of interrogation?
"Favorite color?"
"Blue, I guess?"
The being kept throwing questions. "Cats or dogs?"
"Dogs."
"Which super power would you prefer: Stop-time or flying?"
"What?" Which kind of weird ass dream interrogation asks about super powers?
The being shrugged. "I'm running out of random questions here."
"Then... Stoping time. That would be much cooler, we have planes for flying."
"I'm also of the same opinion."
An awkward silence followed, broken not long after by Ulysses voice. "That's it? Interrogation finished?"
"No. But I would prefer to call it a conversation." Reporting: analysis complete "Actually, yes, it's done. That's all for today, I wish you luck in this new phase of your life."
"Uhh...Thanks." Kind of a weird conversation for a dream...
_ ___ _ ___ _ ___ _
Ulysses, 19 years old, United States of America.
1,80 m, strong physique, blonde hair and white skin.
Interview assessment already registered. Initial avaliation of candidate done.
Deviation from standard earth-human... 13%.
"An easy human to deal with."
"Thought the same."
"And the deviation above ten percent?"
"His genetics, maybe?"
"Might be so."
"Any zone specification?"
"Don't worry that much... any EHN zone will do."