Hi. I'm The Owl. Don't be alarmed, I'm just as human as you. I think, speak, eat, and cry. If you're reading this, maybe we could get to know each other sometime? I promise I won't hurt you.
Read the words above me. I've learned over time that by moving my tongue carefully enough, I can carve words into the ceiling by applying precise angled force, it heats up and pushes the metal aside just enough to make little engravings. In case you couldn't tell, I have some sort of power. That's why it's necessary for me to be contained like this, in the sky.
I'm not alone though, I have the handlers. Doctor Brighton has been with me since birth, he's raised me and taught me so many things. He gave me my life. The other handlers, some of them burned and melted, but most of them fell over and died. I have a feeling it's my fault, but I know it's not. Doctor Brighton told me they weren't taking the right precautions, and I'm inclined to believe him! I mean, he's still alive, right?
I hear a familiar voice in the hallway, maybe 50 meters away. "Stop here. I'll need to set you up for biometric scanning." instructed Brighton. His voice felt less harsh than usual, I think the new handler is going to be a girl. I wonder if she's going to be another quiet one? Oh, I can feel her throat vibrating a bit, looks like I'm about to find out. "Understood." she said plainly. Her footsteps stopped dead, and I don't know if it's a coincidence but her feet were aligned perfectly.
I felt the ambient tingle of digital communication. The scanning of a fingerprint, the sensor taking in the shape of her finger and storing it, associating it with an identity arguably unique to only her. And then the retina scanner. That little beam of infrared that passes through her eye and captures a full profile, once more adding to that identity. "Klara McKenna. August eighth, twenty-three oh eight." she enunciated clearly into the machine. With that bit of speech, a full voice bank of her was constructed, across the whole range of volume, pitch, and emotion. I've gotten used to hearing what the electrical signals mean, what the computer is doing. It's so inhuman, but listening to its voice is meditating for me.
A quiet buzzer rang. Fourteen pairs of feet clear fifteen metres away from the door, and turn, toes pointed away. I've been told that this place is so confidential, they aren't even allowed to see the door open. The door was closed exactly ten seconds after it opened, and I could no longer hear Doctor Brighton's footsteps, nor Klara's.
The sky is a special structure designed to stop me or anyone without authorization from perceiving anything within it. Truth be told, this little pitch black room of mine is the only place I can see. Every object in this room is black, even the water I'm standing in is pitch black. The room is perfectly cubical, with all surfaces being five metres across. The only two objects in the room are my pool positioned in the corner, which has a two metre water level, and one metre both length and width. The temperature of the water is always at 20 degrees celsius. And the lights on the walls, floor, and ceiling. 1 metre panels in the centerpoint of each, making six total. The lights can only be activated by a handler, and they shut off if my heart rate increases too much. Don't be alarmed though! It's all done for my safety, and the safety of my handlers.
...
I may have left out an important detail, though. Considering that this is one of many memories I am experiencing as my life flashes before my eyes, before my certain death snuffs out anything remaining in my heart and mind. I impart my experience onto you, in hopes that if you can perceive my story... I will make it out of this hell alive. One of the major "turning points" in my life is approaching. I will survive this one, I can tell because there are more memories ahead, foggy, but they exist. But unless you perceive it within your own mind, this story of mine means nothing. So allow me to continue to show you, all of me, every single piece, down to the final letter.
...
The mechanical slide teased my eardrums with a soft, slightly painful expansion as the airlock door opened and the air pressure rapidly increased. It's kept low to aid in keeping the temperature low in my room. It limits my brain activity by depriving me of oxygen- but again trust me, this is very necessary, this is all entirely needed in order for me to exist in a safe state of being. Because otherwise I could be a danger when left alone due to the power I have and - "This is The Owl. The primary subject we're charged with maintaining. He has the ability to manipulate matter and energy using his mind, and this can activate involuntarily. Do not step past the grooved lines in the floor, you can feel them with your feet." explained Doctor Brighton. His voice is so stern. Almost as if he's afraid of me, but why would he be? Everything is in place. The visor bolted into my skull, the wires woven through my nervous system, through my heart and brain. And every organ in my body is digitally regulated.
"Forgive me if this is out of line. But are you serious?" questioned Klara. Her nails scratched against her thigh, clutching up into a tight grip on her lab coat. Her eyes widen as they look at me. Did Doctor Brighton not explain to her the procedures yet? "I will only tell you this once. Do not question or doubt anything I say from this point onward. We are dealing with a supernatural entity, and you can die if you step even a millimetre out of line." Brighton replied sternly, in that monotone teacher's voice of his.
His hand was on the side of his head now. The device in his mind talked to the lights and they turn on, lighting me up in their harsh glow. I haven't felt light in so long it felt like fire on my pale cheeks.
"Doctor." Klara quavered, gripping his wrist. He turned to fully face her, with neither sympathy nor patience. She rose her hand and pointed directly above me at the ceiling. "There are words carved into the ceiling." she pointed out, nearly stammering. "I want you to take a minute to observe your surroundings. Consider carefully what I've told you, and tell me when you understand that it's true." ordered Brighton as he pulled his wrist from her grip and stepped into the wall, leaning against it facing me with his icy blue eyes. Does he know I can see him looking at me? Is he.. are they both waiting for me to say something? Should I speak, or is it better if I stay quiet for the ease of Doctor Brighton's job, and for Klara's sanity?
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
"Hello. I'm The Owl. I know I may seem frightening, but trust me; I bleed as red as you, and my heart can be torn by words alone." I tested, facing Klara directly.
Klara's eyes locked onto me as if witnessing god itself speaking to her. I could see a slight derealization flash across her face, only to be quickly washed over by a stern formal gaze, dead-faced. "Klara McKenna. From here on I will be your handler alongside Dr. Xavier Brighton. Good to meet your acquaintance." she replied sternly, giving a brief nod in my direction. The strands of scarlet hair bounced and wavered with that small movement of her head... so entrancing.
"Good. You understand." said Xavier, as he pushed off the wall with his fingers and waved his hand in front of Klara's face, pulling his index in a come-here motion. "This is the blackroom, effectively The Owl's holding cell. It's blast proof, tested to withstand 12 megatons without any damage to inside objects or components. So if The Owl goes rogue, he is to be sedated and placed in here until further notice." he explained further. Brighton shot me a glance, as if expecting me to take it from here.
I nod in understanding, and with a push of my toes, I hover out of the water until my feet were standing flat on its surface. In the harsh lighting, my figure revealed itself. My frail body, bunkered down by a skin-tight black suit, covering up to my neck. My hands encased in metal boxes, holding them firmly in place. My fingertips stuck out, with small openings to allow my nails to be trimmed. This prison does not come off. A darksilver wire frame lined the suit, and secured a series of weighted magnetic plates to my body.
To demonstrate, Brighton utters "Lock." In response, the magnetic weights energized, and folded my body into a fetal position in a loud snap. It looked like it hurt; it did. With my back side now revealed, a device was embedded into the back of my head. Silvery coating, with a white X shaped light on its surface. "That device you see on his neck is the controller of the Active Restraint System. It's interfaced with his brain, and through internal components, his full nervous system. It can control every organ in his body, regulate his thoughts, and place him into a state of near death if necessary. I made it myself, and it is the reason why it's even safe to go in this room. Understand?" instructed Brighton, gesturing to my restrained figure as he spoke.
"Unlock." Klara blurted, without a thought crossing her mind. Instinct. The pressure on my body relieved, and I unfolded, without so much as a wince or a whine. Klara watched me. Though her once fearful gaze looked more sympathetic now, and beyond that, angry. Why would she feel rage on my behalf? No- No, that's not worth thinking about. "Yes, that's the emergency restraint system. The words lock and unlock activate and deactivate it respectively." rattled Brighton.
...
My memory is fading out right now.. it's like what happens between now and my turning point is a haze. Maybe it's not relevant. But time is about to skip forward into another event, from your eyes. These have already been lived through long ago, after all.
...
The fuzzy buzzing of Brighton and Klara speaking with each other.. I can't really hear them yet- I don't have full conscience. Oh, oh it's coming back! "One more thing, Klara. During transportation, The Owl needs to be put into near death. Having his mind active outside the blackroom or this testing chamber is dangerous." explained Brighton once more.
"Is there a system in place to ensure this doesn't kill him?" Klara asked. I could see them both again. I was in the testing chamber. Twenty by twenty by twenty metres of sturdy walls, just as blast proof as my room, and comes with a large vehicle door and two man doors. I have my conscience back now, I might as well answer. "My body has a built in life support system so long as some of my brain is intact." I answered, surprisingly monotone. I must sound a bit scary talking like that. She didn't even answer back. "Klara, as a safety precaution, you need to manually enable audio or visuals from inside the chamber via the control panel." said Brighton as he slightly leaned over the control panel and punched in two switches.
"Apologies, I thought it was already on. As I was saying. I have a built in life support system as long as some of my brain is intact." I repeated.
"What kind of life support system is this-" Klara started to inquire, until Xavier cut her off abruptly. "Turn your attention to the monitor." he directed.
At this point something is keying in for me.. I'm usually so focused on the things around me, but now- like a switch, it's just me. Two halves of a metal enclosure lower down from an apparatus above me. Lasers guide onto my body, and my muscles actuate on their own to get in position. I hover with my arms and legs spread like a star, head facing dead on forward. Listen closely, these words are important.
Pierce skin as the IV punctures my arm, and the primary administration, the diameter of a knitting needle, punctures my chest and pushes directly into my heart. Encase in metal as I became hyper-aware of the immovable walls holding my body still, waves of intense pain through my chest and now full body; as the agent is pumped into my heart, followed by as my veins carry the liquid conscience, euphoric relief the complete loss of any pain holding me down, I am flying, all weighing me down is gone even if only in this moment, the blinding lights, followed by the welcoming fuzziness that embraces my full body as loss of conscience sets in. My body is moving rapidly, thoughts racing faster than I can think, metal is ripping and people are screaming out in terror, or is this my own terrified voice I hear. Followed by as the reality sets in, my mind and body floating high above this world, like the ultimatum of all circumstance giving the world its final decision- full conscience. The decision is made, the procedure has been laid out, there is no going back. The world has been flooded with shreds of my will now that it has been shown the depth of my mind; These shreds of which will take root and mold the world to my will. In this moment I know what they will call it. Skyfall. A fitting, literal name, for the sky falling and flooding the world. Though I know neither I nor those subject will remember this event. It's an unspoken truth, an underlying reality that will set in to everyone I meet, the shreds of my will collaborating with their own mind to form bonds, to form friends, love, conflict, all of which will inevitably result in the procedure's final - Fade.
...
This was a short period. The moment from when the variable entered, Klara, to when a second variable caused the procedure to fail; Skyfall. The details of what happened after the apparatus was lowered still evade me. We'll need to figure the rest out ourselves.