You ever have the feeling you're repeating the same day over and over again. Recently I don't even feel like me, like I don't exist. My head is numb with the feeling of waves splashing back and forth. It's so distracting. I find even thinking about yesterday a blur. 

“Bro, bro snap out of it,” my friend James snapped his fingers in front of my eyes. “Where do you go when you blank out like that?”

“I-I don’t kn…” I say immediately interrupted. The cacophony of sounds from the university cafeteria makes it hard to hear.

“Don't care, Look man.” He puts his phone in my face showing off a picture of a beautiful woman in lingerie. I smile and push the phone away.

I say, “Always know how to cheer me up, don't you man.”

“That's right man. We’ve been friends for … years.” He said, but a weird noise blocked out some of what he said. I look at him lost as my vision blurs. James smiled at me, the white of his teeth contrasting against his dark skin and bald head. His smile turns sour as he turns his head away from me. My vision gets worse, I try rubbing my eyes and looking up but…

James is gone, I'm in my classroom now. Next to the window as always. I look out but its pitch black outside. Not even a silhouette of the horizon is visible. The room is empty and only the back of my teacher can be seen. He’s at the white board drawing some sort of symbols I can't make out. A shape of a man flashes next to him, too fast for me to make anything out but I know I saw something. My head starts to hurt more and more. I close my eyes and cover my face only to appear somewhere new again.

“I’m sorry son,” My father says sitting next to me resting his hand on my shoulder and his other hand swirling a glass of whiskey. He’s a bigger man wearing a cream colored polo. Big mustache defining his face as his long white combover haircut hides the progression of loss. “Your brother told me everything, and I went along with it.”

What brother? I say to myself as my fathers body goes stiff, not moving an inch. He looks just unnatural. I quickly look and realize I'm at my fathers house. Sitting on the porch in lawn chairs facing the houses on the other side of the street. the most suburban looking neighborhood surrounding us.

“Can… Hear….. Me,” Crackling sounds come through crashing into my head. I stand up quickly out of my chair and feel faint, almost falling over. Quickly a man catches me, scruffy goatee and long black hair. Pale white skin contrasting against his long leather jacket. “ Whoa there buddy, gotcha.” He moves me upright. Pats down my shoulders as if there were dust on them. “ Lets see that smile,” He says with the biggest smile showing his yellowed teeth. I get really nauseous and start to dry-heave. “Whoa there ok let's sit you back down there.” He guided me back to my seat as best he could as I started to flounder around. 

“Ok I gotta make this quick, Simulation… You in.” He says making quick hand gestures hoping I'd understand him. “English? Yes you speak?” I look at him confused, and nod. “Fucks sake” he says under his breath, “ well say something then dipshit.” He leans on the wall next to me. “Look, they have you reliving the same day here over and over. They are experimenting on you. I’m the guy who's going to get you out.” He gets down and looks me straight in the eyes “Wanna get out of this fish bowl?” 

I try to say yes but nothing comes out. I scratch at my mouth. I can't feel anything. I try nodding but I'm losing control of my body.

“Ima take that as a yes.” He starts pacing around thinking, “ Well you really don't have a choice. We are unpluggin’ ya now. What's your name?” He smiles at me knowing I can't talk. All I can get out is a few mutters of breath.

“Okay muh muh, stay close to me and everything will be juuuuust fine.” He says slapping me on the back as I slump over, almost falling to the ground. He quickly catches me and sits me back up. “ Okay okay, gentle hands it is.” 

A woman's voice comes out of nowhere “Sir he’s almost out, we're extracting you too.” 

“About goddamn time,” he says standing up walking away down my driveway. “Where the fuck even is this place.” He looks back at me pointing. “Do you know Muh Muh?” Laughs and starts to disappear. 

Everything's starting to fade and become more blurry. I look to see if my father is still sitting next to me, but the chair is empty. Only a glass of whiskey lay there. My eyes slowly shut.

I slowly awaken to the loud sounds of alarms going off. I'm slumped over on a man's shoulder as hallways seem to quickly pass us by. I don't feel like we are moving at all though. As we approach the hallway doors, they quickly slide open. The hallways look to be made out of a slick white plastic with what looks to be medical markings and warning symbols everywhere. He notices I'm awake but doesn't say anything. Just standing still, almost like he’s tired of waiting. “What's going on?” I say softly, still feeling groggy.

The goatee man tries to talk but the moving hallways quickly run up behind a man dressed in a black futuristic suit. Almost looks like armor, The hallways stop moving as we get behind him, Goatee man taps him on the shoulder and as the armored man turns around the hallways almost move and adjust as we fly by him. Still no sense of movement at all. As we rush down to somewhere. I can hear a little bit out of what looks to be an earpiece saying left, right, straight. 

A loud intercom comes on, “Subject 47 has been taking, the assailant is starlit. Extreme caution is to be taken.” I try to make sense of what's happening and slowly start to fade out again as the sound of loud bangs start to ring out.

Flashes, bright white flashes fill my dreams. Screams ring out in my mind as I jump up. Quick pain shoots through my head as I hit it on something hard above me. I look around and it’s poorly lit, only the light from the crack of a door fills the room. I am in a small metal bed with only a few sheets to keep me warm. I get the sheets off and start rubbing my head and get up. I look around the small room and it looks pretty plain. Nothing but a few posters of people I don't know, a small desk with junk on it. Everything is made out of rough scrap metal. I get up and notice I'm wearing different clothes, just a tank top and sweatpants. I look back at the bed and its a bunk bed with one above me. It’s empty with the bed neatly made.

I get to the door and try to open it but I don't see any handles. A button is off to the side and I click it. The lights turn on in the room blinding me. I try banging on the door. “Hey! Heeeey! Can anyone hear me? I'm stuck.” The door opens and a small girl with long black hair is standing in front of me. She looks young, wearing a bright red dress.

Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

“Ahhhhhhhh,” she screams out and starts running away. “Captain! Captain, he's awake!” 

“Hey wait,” before I could even get out my words she was gone. “Where am I…” I start to follow behind her, I'm still groggy and stumbling a bit as I gain my balance. The hallway was tight with a few doors here and there. Some stairs up and I enter a large room. The front had large windows with nothing but darkness outside, I can see stars. I look around and notice four individuals. The first was a goatee man standing staring at me. The little girl was grabbing on to his leather jacket pointing at me. A young looking man was sitting in the front strapped into a chair wearing thick glasses and short blonde hair. Patchy facial hair covered his face as he started to unstrap and stare at me. The last was a tall woman. She was wearing light makeup and hair that was tied up in a ponytail. She was wearing green overalls that were not fully buttoned up exposing a bit of her cleavage and a sports bra. Her overalls were covered in what looks like dirt and oil. 

Goatee man walks up to me with his arms out. "Welcome back to the real world, kid. This is my family. The name’s Roger, This here is Lily,” pointing at the girl still clinging onto him. “Over there is my pilot Bryan,” Bryan just stares at me as he gets up from his chair. He doesn't look happy to see me. “And the one eyeing you down is Rebecca,” Rebecca smiles and gives me a little wave. “This is my ship Respite, how you feeling kid?”

I look around, not believing what I am seeing. Not believing what I'm hearing. I quickly run over to the closest window and look out. Nothing but stars and open space. They are all staring at me but I can't hold it back. “Are we in SPACE?!” Before anyone can answer I start laughing out loud. “This is so cool. Oh my gosh, this is the cockpit.” I start running around looking at every little detail. I push a few buttons and run around ignoring everyone. “This can't be, I'm really on a spaceship, are you guys aliens? Wait wait, are aliens even real? No no no don't tell me I want it to be a surprise.”

Rebecca rolls her eyes and looks at roger, “ Is this really an S class starlit?”

“Aye,” Roger says without taking his eyes off me. His mouth agape at how I'm reacting to the ship. “The doctor assured me he falsified the reports and confirmed it himself.” Roger walks over to me and taps me on the shoulder, “ Hey kid, what’s your power?”

I quickly look at my hands. “ Oh my gosh do I have space powers.” I open my palms and start pretending to shoot but nothing comes out. “Nope it doesn't look like I do. Bummer.” I turn around and start analyzing the control panels. This place is just so amazing. I always loved sci-fi as a kid. Here I am on a real Spaceship. I wonder if they would let me fly it.

Roger taps me on the shoulder again, laughing under his breath. “What year is it kid?” I 

I look at him strangely.

“It’s 2014?” I say softly. Roger instantly bursts out laughing.

“Hahaha, the doctor had us pick up an ancient.” He continues laughing and clicks a button on the wall. “Hey doc, your little test subject is awake and well on the bridge.” He clicks it off and looks at me still smiling. He seems to be in a great mood. I just look around dumbfounded wondering if I should ask.

“What, uh… year is it?” I say hesitantly. Roger walks over to what is obviously the captain's chair and sits down.

“It's 32407.96.” He says, still giggling. 

“What's the point? Are those years?” I say very confused as to what it means.

“Look kid, I ain't here to give you a school lesson.” This makes Bryan start to laugh. Does Roger even know? “Bryan tell the young man what it means.”

“Ok, ok.” Bryans voice is oddly deep and kind of manly. “We don't use years when we are in space. Instead we use a large counter. Almost all ships are synced up to this timer. So in case any phenomena in space messes with relativity we are all on the same page.” Bryan says in the most monotone voice, almost talking down to me. “ The numbers after the points are just there so it's easier to reference whether time is passing faster or slower for us.” He points over to one of the control panels with the number sequence on it. And the 96 clicks up to 97.

I look at him just bewildered by all this. “Ok, that is so cool, I have so many more questions.” as I say that a door opens and a tired old man enters the room. He has a long white coat on, making him look like a scientist. Seems like a silly thing to wear in space. The man looks at me winded and grabs my hands. He’s shaking slightly and I can't tell if it's out of tiredness or excitement. He looks at my face and opens up my eyes examining me.

The old man says, “Yes, yes…” And continues to look me over. “What year is it boy?”

“We already went over that doc, he is indeed an ancient.” Roger says.

“My my, what a find. What a find indeed. I told you this would be worth the promise I made you.” The old man says.

I look at Roger and say, “So this must be the Doc huh.” Roger smiles and nods. 

Roger says, “So Doc, are you sure he’s an S rank?”

Doc looks at Roger and quickly back at me. “Oh my he must be. Very few Star lights allow for someone to live as long as he has. Boy, do you know you are the oldest ancient living being ever recorded?”

I smirk, “Sounds about right, I am amazing after all.” The doc looks at me weirdly. He's a short man, hair an unkempt Gray. Surprisingly not wearing glasses, probably should with how close he's getting to me just to look me over. “Hey, uh. You guys keep saying starlight. What is that?” The Doc quickly ignores my question.

“Boy.” Doc says softly, “It's been 64,000 years since 2014.”

It finally starts to sink in, Everything I know is long gone. But it's strange. I don't feel bad about that. Like my mind is in a haze. I can't remember much of anything, Just my friend James. My Dad and his house. I was in College, I don't remember for what degree though. I don't really remember, I can't even think of my brother's face. “Hey Doc, I don't really remember much of anything. So about this Starlight stuff.”

Doc quickly interjects and says. “That's to be expected, you have been asleep for a very very long time. The science vessel that held you was attempting to extract your memories, but not much was found. You were on the vessel for quite some time until I could find someone to rescue you.” The doctor says as Roger gets up and looks at the doc real close.

“That reminds me of our deal doc. You said this boy was an S and I believed you. It's time for you to hold up the deal.” Roger says in a serious tone.

“Yes, yes, of course. Three missions and that's it. Then the boy will fly out with me to Epical.” Doc says annoyed, Roger smiles and stands tall.

“What is your power kid?” Roger looks at me again. I just look around and shake my head. “Doc, what the hell can this kid even do?”

“I am unsure myself, but his regeneration powers are incredible.” The doc moves my hand and holds it out. “Watch this.”

I am so confused by all this it catches me off god. “ Can anyone tell me what Starlight is?” I say demanding answers this time. The doc quickly swipes at my held out arm with a quick movement of his. My entire arm goes flying off. Sharp quick pain shoots through my body and I scream out as a bright white liquid sprays out. My arm flops on the ground with a thud. I curl over in pain grabbing at my now missing arm. My blood is a bright white liquid that almost looks to glow. 

Roger quickly stands up “What the hell are you doing doc.” Lily starts to scream and cry and hides behind a chair. The Doc holds up his hand stopping Roger, the room grows silent as everyone is quietly watching me.

Small clicking sounds start to come from my white blood. The most beautiful sparks start to fly out of my blood as the room fills with a bright light. Everyone looks away and as the light dies down everyone looks back astonished. No scars, no markings. The white blood all but vanished. I’m still grabbing at my missing arm but it's there again. Fully working as normal as if nothing had happened. Roger smiles, and starts to have a laugh that sounds almost sinister. “I know what mission I want him to do for me first.”